Rolvaag had only been at the Special Clutch Zone a few days before the hatching itself took place. He considered himself very lucky, and very curious. Everything seemed to be falling almost perfectly into place. All except losing his sister in the portal. "Her destiny was elsewhere..." he'd told himself over and over, though it didn't really lessen the pain. The hatching was a welcome distraction.

It was early morning when he felt Gallu and Lelkes nipping his fingers and crealing loudly. "What is it?" he finally demanded, sitting up and snatching both flits from the air. They were humming! "The hatching, now?" He was up, dressed and on the sands in a matter of minutes, nearly vibrating himself with excitement. What spectacular dragons came from this clutch! They had been genetically altered, whatever that meant, and all were very different in their own ways, with brilliant hides or structural variations.

A rush of eggs hatching had Rolvaag's eyes darting from side to side, clearly content to watch each dragon cross the sands, examine every new color. His observation was interrupted when a mottled blue dragonet approached him. "Yes?" he found himself saying, feeling rather dumb. Now when you look back on this, you'll remember the first thing you said to your lifemate, Grouith, was "Yes?". the dragonet said in a chuckling voice. "What would you have me say then?" Rolvaag grinned, leading the blue granite off the sands.