It's been another 9 months. The Empress has waited patiently on Terra this whole time, her hoard reduced to just three eggs. Any one of these eggs could change the history of her people forever. Despite this, She already eagerly awaits the next brood - the warrior brood - never suspecting that the greatest warriors in her line are about to be spawned.
* * * Terra * * *
crack
"Yes...The first finally hatches..."
crackcrackcrack
The largest of the eggs bursts from it's sides, two small wings protruding in a manner even the lowest Drake would find abhorrent. Before the Empress can smash the egg, it finishes breaking free. The hatchling isn't nearly as deformed as she feared, but it has a mottled, bloody coloring to its scales instead of the beautiful golden scales one would expect an heir to wear. Also, there is no smooth flow from head to tail. Instead a bulging torso appears to have formed, and the wings are not only grossly larger, but they seem to have merged with his middle legs as well. She moves again to smash the abomination created by Khee`joff, but before she can it rears up and hisses in anger at both her and the other eggs. Before she can react it swiftly turns and smashes the other eggs, tearing out the throats of the almost-fully formed spawn.
As she watches, filled with conflicting emotions, she realizes that all three of the brood look alike. She doesn't know what treachery Khee`joff has tried, but while this hatchling doesn't look like a Drake, it behaves exactly as a Drake should.
"Ja'cov, my child...Welcome to the planet Terra, your home. Should your father let you live."
* * * Draconia - Shortly thereafter * * *
"I can feel my children calling to me, Khee`joff, the hatching must be near," says the Patriarch as he rolls onto his feet from the Prime Hoard.
"Yes, Lord, we are nearing the time. I cannot wait to see the results of my work."
"Me either. I was afraid you had corrupted these eggs and made them still-hatch. If your insistence on sending the originals to Terra had cost my line the throne, there would be no ending to your suffering."
"Of course, Patriarch, this is why I wanted to keep the modified ones close so I could monitor them."
On this note they enter the Royal Hatchery, where they discover a beautiful golden Drake, laying in a pile of shells and blood. No sign is left of his broodmates, except for the blood rimming his jaws.
"Master, your child is hatched as glorious and majestic as could be hoped for. He even dispatched his siblings as he should. Your Empire shall be in good hands with Ja'Cov," whispered Khee`joff obsequiously.
"No, Khee`joff, this isn't Ja'Cov. I can feel that he's already with my Dearest. this is Wa'Cov. He may be younger, but his hatching here is still all I need. Let us now go retrieve my other child and make our announcement to the Council."
"Yes, Lord, I look forward to it."
"Me too, I've been longing to taste the traitor's blood."
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