Perhaps because the Fire Dragon Eggshell is harder than normal, even though there are cracks, it doesn’t seem to be breaking open completely.
Newt placed them in a strange-looking box, with the bottom replaced by crisscrossed metal mesh, and from time to time, he had Norbert help out by breathing fire next to it, to heat the Dragon Eggs.
Kael watched this scene, feeling it looked somewhat familiar, yet seemed to be missing something.
For example… cumin and chili powder, maybe.
If Newt brushed some oil on the eggs, he’d look just like a skilled barbecue master.
Just as he was thinking this, Newt actually pulled out a brush.
Of course, he wasn’t hungry, wanting to grill himself a snack… What’s more, the brush wasn’t dipped in oil, but in juice extracted from Bubotuber and Cactus Flower.
According to Newt, this juice helps the flame distribute more evenly on the Dragon Eggs, aiding the Fire Dragons inside to hatch more swiftly.
Newt crouched nearby like this all night, and finally, by the next morning, two fist-sized Fire Dragons crawled out from the eggshell.
“You see, they’re indeed healthy, aren’t they?” Newt said with a smile, trying to pick them up.
But the two little guys, who hadn’t even opened their eyes, instinctively dodged away, wobbly approaching Kael… No, rather, they were heading towards Norbert behind Kael.
Truth be told, it was the first time Kael had seen such clear fear on a Fire Dragon’s face, mixed with a bit of panic.
As if these were not young fire dragons coming towards her, but two hundred-foot-tall Hungarian Horntails.
Norbert hurriedly tucked her neck back, knocking over many things in her haste, leaving the room in a mess.
Then she flew away as fast as possible, disappearing over the horizon in the blink of an eye, leaving the two little creatures behind to chirp anxiously.
“They must be used to Norbert’s flame, viewing her as a mother.” Newt shook his head, explaining, “But Fire Dragons are quite intelligent, and soon they’ll realize the difference between themselves and Norwegian Ridgebacks.”
Kael couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the slightly larger Ukrainian Ironbelly, asking, “What should I feed them, chicken blood with brandy?”
“I guess you’ve read ‘How to Train Your Fire Dragon’ book,” Newt said. “This diet is indeed suitable for feeding young fire dragons, but to be honest, it’s a bit outdated.
“Besides, Fire Dragons would hardly find a full barrel of brandy in the forest or cliffs to feed their hatchlings.”
“What should I prepare then?” Kael asked.
“Typically, fire dragons would crush Flame Stone, mix it with meat, and feed it to them,” Newt said.
What is known as Flame Stone, or Fire Stone, is essentially the product of stones in a dragon’s nest melting and solidifying repeatedly due to prolonged exposure to Dragon Flame.
This special stone releases continuous heat upon contact with Dragon Flame, which fire dragons love. The more Flame Stones in a nest, the stronger the fire dragon residing there.
It’s kind of like what Galleon means to wizards.
Although this sounds high-end, wizards find it useless, with only rare Alchemy practices requiring it.
As for Flame Stone…
Kael thought about it, recalling that there seemed to be such stuff in the cave where Norbert lives; he had seen it when placing Gold Coins inside.
“I’ll go get some now, just not sure if it’s enough.” Kael said and was about to run outside.
“No need to rush.” Newt stopped him, smiling: “If you take away Norwegian Ridgeback’s Flame Stone, she’ll probably throw a tantrum, but we have an even better choice.”
“What?”
“Best to mix in some Ashwinder eggs; they help fire dragons quickly pass through their juvenile phase,” Newt thought for a moment and said: “If you can’t find those, Fire Salamander Tail and Fire Crab Shell will work.”
“Hmm…” Kael opened his mouth.
Out of the things Newt mentioned, he didn’t possess any; Fire Salamander Tail was still manageable, but the other two were truly hard to find.
Kael looked at Newt, blinking with a smile on his face.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Newt’s heart skipped a beat, “this is your dragon, and the Fire Dragon Reserve has all those things; you can go there with a contract. It’s written that they’ll cover all dragon care costs for you.”
“But there’s still time before the contract takes effect,” Kael continued smiling, “and they only cover meals for the other two dragons; these two aren’t under the contract.”
“Then you should buy it yourself,” Newt said. “You shouldn’t be short on money.”
“I am now,” Kael sighed. “I’ve got just over a thousand Galleon on me, and I want to open a shop too.
“Besides, they’re hatched by you; you can’t just ignore them.”
Newt opened his mouth.
He finally understood Kael’s intentions for seeking him out—had he turned his place into a cafeteria?
But looking at Kael’s shameless expression, combined with his interest in studying these two fire dragons, Newt could only agree.
Having received the answer he wanted, Kael couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Newt softly sighed.
Caring for a fire dragon isn’t cheap; they grow to be tens of feet tall, and that’s all through eating, especially for young fire dragons.
Because they need to grow quickly and expand, also developing harder scales and storing Dragon Flame within their bodies, their body is like a bottomless pit, always eating and on the path to eating.