The Care and Keeping of Your Dragon

Despite numerous complaints from the neighbors, several shredded armrests, and eventually having to relieve the poor smoke alarm of its wretched existence with a two-by-four, I have found that raising a dragon is one of the most rewarding endeavors one can undergo. Granted, that is, if you are willing to take on the responsibility —and damage costs— that go along with this emotionally enriching exercise. Of course, it is best to have a helping hand in such things, and thus, I’ve created this guide of helpful tips for the care of your dragon, from choosing your breed to letting it go. 

The first step of the dragon-rearing process is choosing your breed. Careful consideration is required when selecting the kind of dragon you wish to raise. First-timers will presumably have an easier time with the smaller, more docile breeds, such as the Limuswing and the Goldenrod Snapper. However, make sure to explore other breeds before making your choice. I would recommend Thallimus Ingrid’s Guide to the Dragons of the World for this endeavor. It should be in the “I” section of your local library backroom.* 

After you have chosen which breed of dragon you wish to raise, you must go through what has been deemed by the Richardson Academy of Dragons as “the most delicate step in dragon-rearing”: bonding with your egg. In connecting with your egg, you must be aware of three things: one, the location and opening times of your local hatchery;** two, the breed you are hoping to bond with is not always the breed of dragon you will form a connection with (although this is not usually the case); and three, you must NOT, under ANY circumstances, reject the bond.*** A hatchery gnome will be puttering around the building, so feel free to ask him to set up the bonding ritual for you when you are ready.**** After the ritual is activated, you will sense the magic of the bond in whichever form it takes for you. Some hear it as gentle music, others see it as a bright glow, but all can agree that it is a soul-deep calling towards one of the eggs in the nursery. After you find and obtain your egg, please double-check with the gnome about what kind of dragon lies inside; consequently, it is advantageous for you to procure an informational novel on your breed of dragon. These will be available for taking by the front desk. 

Hatching your dragon is the third and easiest step of them all. Regardless of your breed of dragon, your egg must be kept warm until the night of hatching. On the night of a full moon, bring your egg out into the moonlight and stay with it until it hatches. Warning: this may take a while, so bringing a headlamp and that informational novel to read up about your dragonet’s feeding habits is recommended. After hatching, your dragonet will be sleepy, so wrap it up in a warm towel and bring it inside so it can sleep, but do not time to name your dragon. Don't forget to obtain the shell fragments for the departure ceremony. Store the shards in a box where you will not forget them. This step is vital. After your dragon has hatched and its newborn hunger sated (check your informational novel for what to feed it, as feeding habits will vary depending on the breed of your dragon), it is time to name it!

Naming is an integral part of the process, as your dragon’s name will be the key to establishing the soul link that will shape the bond between you and your dragon. The simplest way to go about this is to list off names to your dragon and see which pleases it most. Occasionally, the name is ridiculous, but the happier your dragon is with its name, the better your bond will be. 

The actual raising of your dragon varies greatly depending on its breed, but the issues tend to stay similar. Here are some incidents I’ve encountered during my years in dragon rearing and how to prevent them. One of the most common incidents in household dragon-raising is the destruction of property: couches, fancy carpets, not-so-fancy carpets, coffee tables, priceless heirlooms, beautiful paintings, your favorite shirt, your favorite lamp, and your fancy china are all examples of things your dragon will undeniably shred or shatter. The obvious answer to this issue is to build an outbuilding for your dragon to live inside. That does mean, however, that you as well will be practically moving into that outbuilding, seeing as young dragons need a lot of care and attention. Thus, I’ve found the best way to deal with this problem is to pack any loved or fragile objects into a storage facility. I also keep some hole-filler and paint in my house, as well as an ice pick, fire extinguisher, or pair of shears, depending on the dragon species I am raising. Another issue I’ve encountered is fire alarms. Not only do fire alarms scare the poor dragons, but they also go off at the slightest little curl of smoke. Despite how tempting it may be to remove the fire alarm and hurl it into the abyss, this is an atrocious idea and will result in your Saturnian Deviltail nearly burning your house to the ground at 3:00 am. Instead, keep a two-by-four plank of wood in every room with a fire alarm so you can smack it down as needed.***** Lastly, if your dragon is having trouble with its shedding, rub some baby oil on the stuck section, and your dragon should have no further qualms with shedding the skin. Do not forget to collect any shed skins or lost teeth to place in the box with your dragon’s eggshells; these will be very important later in the dragon-rearing process. 

Finally, after your dragon is a year old, it is time for it to join its own world and leave ours behind. The sending ceremony is the most heartbreaking part of raising a dragon, and many dragon-hatchers do not go on to raise a second dragon after the first one has moved on. On the night of the new moon closest to your dragon’s hatching day, the hatchery gnomes will come to collect you and your dragon for the ceremony, and you must go with them. You must bring along the box of baby teeth, molted skins, and eggshells and set them at the portal gate as the gnomes command, and you must let your dragon go.****** At this moment, you may say your goodbyes to your dragon and exchange parting gifts, but in the end, your dragon must go through the portal into its motherland. 

This is not the last you will see of your dragon, however. When the veil between the worlds grows thin on nights such as All Hallows Eve and Midsummer, you will be able to see your dragon again, and the fulfillment of having raised such a magnificent creature will blossom before your very eyes. Becoming a dragon-hatcher is a tiring, exhilarating, saddening, and ultimately rewarding endeavor that I would encourage you to explore; of course, that is so long as you have the money to replace your floors afterward. 

* This backroom may not be open to the public. If that is the case with yours, whisper “Etrame Dragonis Libren” to your head librarian, and he, she, or they will understand immediately and let you in as soon as it is inconspicuous to do so. If he, she, or they do not understand, you have the wrong librarian, and you must play it off as cool as you can; I have found that saying you were having a mouth seizure works very well.

** It is always in the woods behind the grumpy neighbor’s toolshed between the hours of 3 pm and 5 pm.

*** If you reject the bond and choose a different egg, the dragonet in the abandoned egg and the dragonet in the chosen egg will both die. 

****Please do not attempt to “pants” the bonding ritual. That’s on the same level as going skydiving for the first time without any prior knowledge or anyone to help you if something goes wrong. 

*****However, you should check for fires after smacking it down, as it is not always a false alarm.

****** If you do not willingly let your dragon pass through the portal, it may become trapped between the two worlds and be torn in half when the portal’s magic shatters by moonset.