It was a day like any other. The sun was high above the small island of Woodkeep, with a bright blue sky and light winds pushing white fluffy clouds around softly. It wasn't too cold but it wasn't excessively hot either; one could say it was almost a perfect day. The usual hustle and bustle of the island could be heard, as commonfolk and dragonriders alike moved from one place to another to finish their daily duties.

But something was off. Something didn't feel quite right. A Red dragon was flying around, seemingly in strange circles above the keep. Her rider was down below, running through to crowds of people in the marketplace. It was obvious that she was in a hurry; accidentally pushing people over in her rush to get to the castle. Once there she left a message to be delivered to the king, then continued her trek toward the hatching sands.

As she ran, a loud, shrill shriek shot across the sky. Everyone looked up, but not out of fear. Bright eyes and warm smiles came to the lips of the commonfolk and dragonriders of the island...

A new clutch was about to be laid!

Quickly everyone finished their chores so they could race to the sands. The Red dragon had already disappeared, laying her eggs on the warm sands below. Her rider - out of breath and gasping for air - was standing to the side to witness the event. Once the eggs had been placed in the prefect spots by their mother, the Red called to her bonded, who then allowed people to file into the stands so they could witness something that happened every now and then on Woodkeep.

A group of eight eggs glittered in the sunlight as the mother dragon crooned over them happily. Every now and then she'd nudge different ones with her snout, until they were perfectly in order in her mind. Each egg was different in size and color, and was cataloged by the Red's rider.

The first egg was white like the sand on the beach. It would have been pristine if not for the small black speckles littered along the bottom half of the shell. It was the smallest and therefore first in line. Next were two eggs that were much larger than the first. They were both the exact same hue; the tops of the eggs were green while about halfway down they began to turn yellow. The egg closest to the first egg seemed to move around more than its twin, who was almost shy as it seemed to be hiding behind its sibling egg ever so slightly.

In line after the twin eggs was an egg that was the same height as the twins, but it was as black as night. Small white spots could be seen on its top, as if they were starts sparkling in the night sky. Beside the dark egg sat a slightly larger one that seemed to stand out from the rest. It was as bright and yellow as the sun, with orange swirling patters running around its shell. Just looking at the egg seemed to make people happy.

Beside the bright egg sat its much larger sibling. Its shell was white, with red cracks in its frame that made it look as if it were bleeding. Of course it wasn't, but it was a very strange egg to be sure. And finally the last two eggs were the largest of the clutch, both completely solid white with no decoration at all. The mother dragon crooned happily, but after a few hours began to snap at the people in the stands.

Soon the people left, leaving the eggs with their mother and her rider. Who knows when they would hatch? Only time would tell...