A few days later, Jason had settled down to the task of raising a dragon egg. Miria had told him that eggs liked to be with their bondmates. Since his room wasn't very hospitable, Jason had taken up sleeping in the nursery with the egg. She was happy here, and he didn't mind. When he went out for meals, she would stay there and sleep. Sometimes, he would play music or stories for her while he was gone so she wouldn't get bored. When he was there, he would talk to her, read to her, draw her pictures, or sometimes simply rock her. Jason had never felt this happy and content before. Even the crew had noticed. Just yesterday, Dr. Bynil, a thin doctor with fluffs of blond hair, had told him, "Jason, it is so very nice to see you smile. I was worried at first that you might be unhappy or lonely here."
Presently, Jason sat in the nursery with the egg. He had decided that it was time for them to choose a name. Jason scrolled through a name database he had found, looking for just the right name.
How about Anora? He asked. It means "light". Her response wasn't enthusiastic, so Jason kept looking, rambling off names to see if he could find one she liked. Hmm... Ardyne? It means "warm". Carolyn? Hlynn? Oleta? She didn't seem to like any of them... Jason took to just reading. Rowena... T'dir... Gihala... Chara... At that name, Jason felt a splash of interest from the egg. He reread it. Chara... it means "happiness" or "joy". He looked to the egg. Suddenly, he got the distinct feeling that she thought the name was too short to be dignified. I wasn't exactly words telling him so, but Jason knew what she wanted. Okay, wait a minute... how about... He scanned the page. Charaustra? Austra means "dawn". Charaustra... "joyful dawn". The egg seemed quite happy with this; she thought it was a very proper name.
"Charaustra it is," Jason said aloud, smiling. He shut the data pad. Taking a soft blanket from nearby, he wrapped it around the egg. "Now, it's time for you to take a nap, m'lady." He could feel Charaustra settle down with content. He climbed into his own bed, happy for a rest. Soon, Charaustra would hatch, and her color would be revealed. Then the real work would begin; Jason could hardly wait. He had been reading about Clarus dragons nonstop, and he had read about all the different colors and types of dragons there were. His mind was afloat with possibilities. At least now she had a name... that was a start. Jason closed his eyes. Later, he would find Miria and tell her about the name. He pushed his head into his pillow and tried to clear his mind. With eyes closed, he felt a gentle wave of reflections and light... Charaustra, checking in on him. He smiled and told her to sleep. There would be time to talk later. He felt her give him a mental push, as though to say "you sleep too". Jason sighed and relaxed, letting his mind drift.
Background from Absolute Background Textures Archive. Storyline and characters created by and copyright © Rachel "Indyana" Gratis, 2001-2004. Dragon from Veniam Mactare.