Coming of Age

The Hunter’s Moon hung low in the sky, glowing like the embers of a fire. From his watcher’s post, Gaelen stared in awe. He’d been born under a Hunter’s Moon, but it was the first time he’d actually seen one. In the distance, he heard the drumming coming from his village, where the Hunter’s Ceremony was underway.

Gaelen tried to shake off his jealousy, turning to kick dirt into the fire. His father had insisted that Gaelen was to keep watch over the hatchery tonight, despite Gaelen’s pleas to be included in the ceremony. Guarding the hatchery was an important job because the village relied on the bounty from the chickens, but that didn’t temper Gaelen’s frustration.

As the moon rose higher, Gaelen wandered over to look at the eggs, nestled closely together next to the fire. He noticed that one egg, sitting at the edge of the group, was not like the others. Gaelen stepped closer and peered at the strange egg. Not only was it the biggest egg he’d ever seen, but it was also emitting a fiery glow just like the Hunter’s Moon. He reached his hand out to touch it. As his fingers stroked the shell, a tiny crack appeared on the surface of the egg, followed by another and another. Gaelen pulled his hand back and watched the fissures spread.

The drumming from the ceremony in the village grew louder and more intense, reaching a crescendo when the first piece of shell gave way.

Gaelen stared in amazement as tiny claws reached through the cracked shell and pulled it open. Within seconds, a baby dragon the colour of flames sat in the hatchery, surrounded by fragments of eggshell. It turned coal-black eyes towards him and chirruped.

In that moment, Gaelen of the Hunter’s Moon understood why his father had insisted. He gathered the dragon in his arms and turned to greet the villagers making their way to the watcher’s post, eager to see the Moon Hunter’s new steed.

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This is my submission for this week’s Trifecta challenge. This week, the word is crack
and the third definition is:

3a : a narrow break : fissure   
b : a narrow opening <leave the door open a crack><cracks between floorboards> —used figuratively in phrases like fall through the cracks to describe one that has been improperly or inadvertently ignored or left out <a player who fell through the cracks in the college draft> <children slipping through the cracks of available youth services>

Remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.
• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.
• The word itself needs to be included in your response.
• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above.
• Only one entry per writer.
• Trifecta is open to everyone. Please join us.

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Image credit: Sandra van der Steen / Photoxpress.com