Heart -and- Soul
By: Emily Upton

Shadows mingled with shadows in the waning moonlight. Some sat upon rocky outcroppings the mountains offered, others wound their way around the high points, flying in endless circles that cast darker shapes on the already dark, rocky plain. The small village at the mountain's base could be seen only if you had Dragon Sight, for a heavy fog had set in around midnight, frosting the thatched-roof huts into obscurity. A hound bayed in the distance, but it was a sound that didn't reach the sensitive ears of the ever-arriving creatures deep in a cavern of the great alps. Such a gathering happened only once every century, and sometimes not even then.
It was a Hatching.
Old rivalries were forgotten as clans from all over came to welcome the younglings into the world and pay respects to the new or second mothers. The cavern was a buzz with silent, pent-up excitement and soft conversation; the exchanging of news between lights and brights, darks and neutrals. Any talk of war was dropped at the entrance - it was a peaceful congregation this day, as it would be for the next week or so as the nearly two hundred eggs scattered across the continent broke shell. Even two clans who had a long-standing disagreement between them were speaking of a treaty, which would signify the end of many battles. But when the first crack split along a mottled shell all talk was silenced so everyone could concentrate on the order in which the eggs hatched - it happened quickly, and one had to know which hatched first and last.
Peshe stood at the end of a relatively short line of expectant mothers. Her fellows had purposely moved away from her, and for a good reason, most thought. Peshe was one of the kin who was cursed; born last at her own hatching and therefore deemed incapable of strength or intelligence. She had surprised everyone at First Flight when she out-flew the blessed dragonet, or first-born of her group. She had accomplished much in her first couple of decades, but everyone belittled anything she did. She had no friends, few family members who would talk to her, a miserable past, and little to look forward to in the future. Even now, on what would be the happiest day of her life, she was ignored. But Peshe was clearing the way for other cursed beings such as herself. They now knew that they weren't worthless and could be better than anyone if they tried hard enough.
The first shards flew through the air as a strongly-built, little red dragon fell upon the hot hatching sands, his shell dropping with him. A dragon from the line stepped forward proudly, followed by another and another as more shells exploded into tiny bits, revealing the hatchlings they had once contained. Blue, green, orange, yellow, another green, and then. whispers sounded throughout the cavern, followed by another long, drawn-out silence as the crowd looked toward the line, wondering who would step forward next. The egg was not last hatched, but it had a curse upon it anyway. Everyone knew that.
Two draclings, hatched from the same egg, lay on ground, each exactly half the size of their cousins. Twins. Twins were worse than a cursed dragon any day, not because of when they were small, but when they grew up they were often more powerful than the toughest of warriors. When independent from their mother one would have to leave the clan or be killed, whichever one the twin chose.
Peshe sighed and walked toward them.

Kucoge walked slowly, dragging his long black tail behind him as he made his way through the dark tunnel, staring at the ground as if something incredibly interesting was printed there besides his anger and annoyance. Perhaps he would be so late he would be sent back to his cave and not have to deal with the taunting and pranks that filled every day with misery, though more likely he'd simply be made fun of even more for lacking perfection in everything he did. His sister didn't seem to have such a hard time getting along with the others, but then Nosh fit in much better than he did. A white hide wasn't so noticeably different amongst a sea of pastel and bright colors, but a black hide belonged in a different clan which was where he was probably going to be sent in a few decades.
The young dragon came to the entrance of a wide grotto with an open top that allowed a cool autumn breeze to circulate through the room. Kucoge glanced in, using his dark hide to camouflage himself just in case any unsavory beings were there waiting to tattle on him. No. Just a white coated anxious face looking around for him. What amazing luck. Their instructor's back was turned, even, and a fresh layer of orange and brown leaves coated the stone floor, dulling the click of claws as he moved forward.
"Where have you been?" Nosh whispered, so as not to attract any attention to herself or her brother. "You were supposed to be here hours ago. They'll send you away if you continue to come in late."
"They'll send me away anyway," Kucoge answered.
"Not if you act normal, they won't," Nosh said.
The twins fell silent as their flying instructor turned around and continued the lesson, oblivious to the fact that there was a late arrival. He said something Kucoge couldn't quite hear, but the rest of the rest of the dragonlings began forming a line a few feet away from a sloped rock, Nosh among them. She motioned him to follow her to the end so she could explain what was happening as she always did when he was late. "This is First Flight day," she said excitedly. "I thought you of all kin would be here for this early. That's why I was waiting for you."
"What do I do?"
"Just follow me."
Nosh and the others began to beat their wings, ready to take off. Kucoge remembered this part from previous classes and did the same, but never had they been allowed to hover more than a few feet off the ground. Today they would go out into open air, flying high above the mountain peaks for a couple of hours. The black dragon was sure they'd been told something important before this - what else would take hours to explain? The dragons rose into the air, gliding above the cavern, higher and higher. whatever today's lesson was didn't seem as important now that his wings were slicing through the wind with such ease. Maybe it was all review and not a new lesson at all. Maybe -
"Oops," a red dragon said sarcastically, knocking into Kucoge. Kucoge tumbled downward a few yards before picking himself up again in enough time to see Roshen tumbling as well, just as their instructor flew over. The red dragon seemed to regain control of his wings and began to speak to the larger green very quickly. "Sir, the oddly named twin just flew right into me! He endangered my life. If I hadn't listened so well when you explained how to pull out of a dive I might still be falling to my death."
"Kucoge! What did I tell you about flying too close to others?" their teacher asked.
"He came in late again today," Roshen said smugly. "He probably didn't hear that part of your very interesting speech."
"You're grounded from First Flight, Kucoge," the large green dragon said. "Now tell me, Roshen, are you hurt in any way?"
Kucoge growled and tried to really knock into the other dragon, but Nosh blocked him. "Don't fight him," she said, "it's what he wants. Come on, I'll go down with you."
"Maybe one day you won't have your sister to hide behind," Roshen sneered to their retreating backs.

The next day dawned gray and gloomy, with rain pelting the lower half of the mountain ceaselessly. Kucoge and the rest of his hatching group were forced to stay inside, for they hadn't learned how to fly in these weather conditions yet. This meant the twins had no reprieve from the endless remarks about their leaving during First Flight: questions bombarded them, like why? And, did you really? Roshen finally gave them some breathing room by relating the whole story, or his version of it anyway. Kucoge was obviously afraid of heights and had to get down before he was sick. Nosh had gone with him because he'd forgotten how to land, and needed help from his other half. Everyone rumbled appreciatively.
Kucoge lunged at Roshen before Nosh could get in the way. The dragon had insulted him and his family for one hundred and thirty nine years. Enough was enough. The gleam in Roshen's eye told him that he'd been waiting for this for that length of time, probably to find out what was so special about twins in battle. The other dragons moved away - early on they had been taught not to get in the middle of a fight. Even Nosh stood back, frightened of what her brother might do. His anger had been mounting for several years, and if now was the time he chose to let it out so be it.
The red dragon was still nearly twice as large as Kucoge, with stronger teeth and claws, and a tail that could knock him over. But although he had many disadvantages in a fair fight, Kucoge also knew the secret that let smaller dragons become champions. The secret was Nosh. As long as his twin stayed strong he would too. Roshen took a swipe at his unguarded shoulder and Kucoge returned it. Then they were locked in a fierce battle that seemed to have no end.
Gradually more and more people began to enter the cavern, attracted by the noise or notified by messengers that had been sent out. An adult always had to be present when two younger dragons fought. They determined when it should be stopped or who won if the fighters stopped themselves. Today was a different case entirely: everyone there thought Roshen could kill Kucoge no problem, and no one was going to stop him from doing so. To have the weird twin gone would be wonderful and they wouldn't have to decide which one went when the time came.
Kucoge surprised the entire clan when he had Roshen pinned so he couldn't move. The black dragon raised a claw to cut the other's throat, then stopped. He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill someone he'd known all his life, even if that person had treated him badly.
"I spare your life," he said, and walked away.