Three eggs. Always, for the last two thousand years of Thalasseia's history, there had been two. Two eggs to determine the luck of a kingdom. When hatched, for reasons unknown, the dragonets fought each other to the death - and, depending on the color of the victor, depended on the shape of Thalasseia's fortune for four seasons.

Red for prosperity and the promise of a gentle winter, blue that heralded a harsh winter, or some kind of disasterous event that risked the lives of many.

Indeed, the last time the blue won, a plague struck the kingdom, slaughtering a third of the population. That had been thirty years ago. Even now, they still suffered from its impact.

Scientists didn't know if the dragons caused the year, or if they simply informed Thalasseia of the kind of year to expect, like some kind of sick prophetic message in the form of a blood sacrifice. Certainly, the Blue Temple thought they were only omens. They came to warn the population. The Red Temple, however, believed they cursed the kingdom.

Now, the king and two Seers stood in front of the three eggs, nestled in silks and moss. One egg was smaller than the others.

"The third egg could be dangerous, sire," the Seer of the Red Temple said. "Perhaps we should remove it. Don't tell the public about it." He bowed before his king, and the king considered his words carefully.

"I don't feel comfortable interfering with the eggs, even if there is three. What say you, Blue Seer?"

The Seer of the Blue Temple clasped her hands together. Both she and the Red Seer were of royal blood, but had both forsaken the throne, removing themselves from the line of succession to instead become acolytes of their representative temples.

"I concur with the king. We must not interfere with the third egg. We do not know what it could mean. It would be foolish to clash with the Great Dragon's clutch."

"But this has never happened before," the Red Seer hissed. "What if it is two blues?"

"Then that would mean we can expect disaster." The Blue Seer scowled. "As you know, the blue informs us of our fortune, and prepares us for the worst -"

"The blue is a monster that curses us. We cannot risk it! I say we remove the third. Look at its size, anyway! It does not belong. It must be a runt!"

The king watched the two Seers bickering, but any decision was cut short by one of the eggs in front of them cracking.

Cracking a month earlier than expected. The Red Seer gasped. "No! It will smash the other eggs!"

The Blue Seer stared intently, crouching down for a better look. The king joined her. Fear wrought his heart. Indecision stopped him from making a move.

Gaps widened on the surface. Tap, tap, tap. A snout poked out. The shell cracked in two, and a tiny creature scrabbled out of the egg, shaking off a sticky membrane.

The king gasped. Not only was the dragon blue, but it was deformed. The wings were misshapen, glued to the body. One leg was just a stump, while the back legs were too big, too weird. And the eyes - an awful, milky white.

"Monster," whispered the Red Seer. "We must kill it."

"No!" The Blue Seer rushed towards the tiny dragonet. The dragonet, unlike the other dragons in two thousand years of history, didn't even attempt to crush the other eggs. Usually, they did. They hatched, and they sought to end their sibling. This one, however, crawled away from its shell, away from the two bigger eggs.

And it cried. Heart wrenching, sad, pathetic, all at once. The Blue Seer scooped it up and held it close. "You will not kill this dragonet. It hatched for a reason. It is... It is warning us in advance. We must listen."

"It's disgusting!" The Red Seer trembled with fury. "An abomination! Your Temple was always in the wrong, trying to sympathize and worship the blue dragons. King!" The Red Seer turned his fierce gaze on the king, who still hadn't moved from his spot. "This is it. We must oust the Blue Temple from our kingdom. Their ideas poison us. They side with the monster!"

The king listened. "I..."

What to do?

...

One week later, the Blue Temple was ransacked, and burned. Dozens of acolytes dead. The king passed a decree condemning the Blue Temple.

They didn't find the deformed blue dragon in their ransacking, however, or the Blue Seer, imprisoning any supporters without trial. Often arresting the innocent in the process. Executing some of the more outspoken.

Two months later, all trace of the Blue Temple was gone. The two main dragon eggs, however, had never hatched. Rumblings of discontent swept through Thalasseia. One month overdue. What did it mean if the eggs never hatched?

One month later, thousands of blue supporters were in prison, with thousands more executed. The Red Temple whispered in the king's ear. They made new laws. Better laws, they said. For a better future. For the prosperity of all. Along with a handsome reward for the missing Blue Seer, who they said plotted to harm their great kingdom, and a cash stipend for successfully reporting a Blue supporter to the newly formed Red Inquisitor squad.

Neighbors reported on neighbors for the reward money. The kingdom butchered itself in hatred. Drowned in the blood of its civilians, in suspicion and anger as it killed the best of its population, the brightest, the kindest.

The Blue Seer watched the destruction of her once great kingdom, and wept.