INTRODUCTION

 What are Rock Hatchlings?  Rock Hatchlings are friendly, fun-loving cousins of dragons and gargoyles. Our tale is of seven Rock Hatchlings from the Before Ages who were hatched in the caves of The Grey Mist during the time of Disruption.  Their names were Shakador, Bowoobles, Pigmirra, Shynor, Jamkin, and the twins, Ric and Rac.  They were created by The Great Earth and hatched from its rocks to help stop the Disruption.  Although they were small, even timid creatures, in the end they proved they had the hearts of dragons.

THE BEGINNING

 In the ages before the Hatching the Earth was a green place.  It’s rivers flowed with pure water and plants and trees grew everywhere.  There was fresh air to breathe, water to drink, and plenty of food to eat.  The weathers were gentle and peace was on the land.  Then came the Disruption and these things began to change.  The Great Earth began to sicken and die and every creature felt the effect. The waters became polluted and food was scarce.  Unable to heal itself or find the cause of its decline The Great Earth stored its last energy in rocks in the caves of the Gray Mist.  There these bits of energy grew and took form and awaited a time when they would be released.
 

THE CAVES OF THE GREY MIST AND THE RAT CAT

 Like other wanderers of the times, Rat Cat was seeking a place to hide for the night.  She had found some scraps of food in her search and wanted a place to eat them in peace.  She selected these caves hoping to rest there as she had many times before. Not many creatures went there anymore since it was a long hard climb to reach them and not much reason to do that.  But the peacefulness Rat Cat found there made it worth the effort. When she reached the caves she unpacked the bits of food she had found, not exactly a feast but they would satisfy her until morning when she could search again.  After eating, she curled in exhaustion against the wall of the cave.  She didn’t know that she lay against the seed rocks created by The Great Earth in the Time Before.  As she slept her warmth moved into the rocks and heated the energy lying dormant for so many years in each rock.  The energies began to expand and grow and soon they could not be contained by the rocks.  The rocks began to move and shake.  Rat Cat awoke thinking she was in an earthquake and sprang away from the wall.  As she looked about in fear she saw it was just the rocks she had been sleeping near that were moving.

THE HATCHING

As Rat Cat watched, the rocks moved back and forth and finally split open with loud pops.  The first Hatchling to squeeze her way out into the world was Shakador.

To Be Continued....