Hope

Nat was an apprentice wizard, but his master, Topaz, never entrusted him with important tasks, instead sending him to collect eggs from the chicken coop or milk the cow.

Nat was trudging through the woods, fuming about how Topaz never let him do anything exciting, when he came across a cave.

Nat stepped inside the cavern, shivering in his brown tunic. Stalactites hung like fangs from the ceiling. Using what little magic he knew, he lit a small flame that danced above his fingertip, casting an orange glow on the cave walls.

The tunnel opened into a wide chamber with an underground lake. In the center of the lake was a small island. Connecting the island to the mainland was a stone walkway. Steam rose from the lake: the water was scalding.

Gingerly, Nat put a foot on the walkway. When it didn’t crumble, Nat placed his other foot. Nat stepped onto the island. Sitting on the ground was an oval-shaped, blood-red egg, bigger than Nat himself. Nat knew it must be a dragon egg. It was impossible; everyone knew dragons had been extinct for centuries, but there it was as real as the ground beneath his feet. Nat touched the smooth crimson shell and realized the egg was cool. Eggs must be kept warm to hatch!

Nat darted out of the cave to Topaz’s workshop. He sprinted back to the cave with a bucket.

Topaz watched. Turning invisible, he followed Nat.

Nat filled the bucket with water from the lake and splashed the egg. A crack sounded in the stillness. The egg was hatching! A web of cracks had been spun across the shell. Topaz became visible.

“I daresay I’ve done a fine job teaching you. It’s time I started training you as a proper wizard apprentice.”

Nat couldn’t believe his ears. Suddenly, the rest of the shell crumbled away. A dragon was left in its place.

The dragon had sapphire-blue eyes and milky scales that shone like pearls. Nat named her Hope because she had brought hope to the dragon species and, most of all, to Nat herself.