Breeder Job Promotion | Javar

Javar stood in the middle of the unfinished hatchery with his arms crossed tightly over his chest while light drifted through the rafters above him. The building had once been an enormous storage barn on the edge of his property. Now the old structure had been stripped down to stone foundations and rebuilt into something far more useful. For dragons, specifically the breeders. The cheetah bestia slowly walked across the smooth floorboards, sharp claws clicking softly against the wood. Sunlight from the massive ceiling windows painted orange across his spotted face and dark mane. The hatchery still smelled like fresh cedar, and ash, an almost nostalgic smell. Javar approved but barely.

He paused beside one of the nesting pits near the far wall and crouched to inspect it again. Thick stone circled the shallow depression, designed to hold warmth safely during colder months. Layers of packed sand filled the center beneath carefully arranged blankets and furs. One claw hooked beneath the blanket edge, Javar frowned. It was uneven. He ripped the entire thing out, shook it once, and spread it back down with precise irritation.

“There,” he muttered.

The hatchery needed to be perfect before any eggs arrived. Dragons were expensive, difficult, territorial creatures, and Javar had invested too much time and money into this place to tolerate mistakes. He moved to the next nesting area and then to the next, inspecting each and every one for imperfections. For a reason to hunt down the builders and make sure they never make another mistake again. The southern wall remained partially open for airflow during summer heat. The northern side had thicker insulation to keep winter winds out. Feeding stations lined one side of the hatchery while deep water troughs occupied the opposite wall. Even the ceiling beams mattered. Young dragons climbed constantly once they hatched, so Javar had reinforced every support with iron brackets after imagining several hundred pounds of reckless hatchling crashing through the roof. The thought annoyed him enough that his tail lashed sharply behind him.

Outside, wind rustled through the dark trees surrounding the property. The hatchery sat far from the main house near the edge of the forest where dragons would have enough room to grow without destroying anything important. Not that Javar trusted them not to try, dragons could be unpredictable after all. He grabbed a lantern from a nearby hook and continued his inspection as the sun began to set. The incubation room sat behind a thick cedar door at the rear of the building. Unlike the main hatchery, this chamber held steady heat trapped by insulated stone walls. This was for dragons who may not be able to look after their own eggs after laying them. Javar entered slowly and warm air rolled against his fur immediately.

Good.

He inspected every corner carefully. Thermometers hung beside each nesting box. Water barrels stood filled and covered neatly. Storage shelves held medical supplies, feeding tools, blankets, and food arranged in perfect order. One jar sat crooked near the back shelf. Javar narrowed his eyes. He stepped over, adjusted it exactly two inches to the left, then stared at it another moment to confirm satisfaction. Silence settled heavily around him as he took in the perfection of the room. For a rare moment, Javar relaxed. This place mattered more than he liked admitting. Most people assumed someone like him only cared about profit or status. That was partly true. Dragons brought both. Owning a successful hatchery would make his property influential across the region. But there was something else too. Here, everything existed exactly as he intended. Every stone had been placed deliberately. Every gate latched smoothly. Every nesting pit remained carefully measured and maintained. No chaos, no incompetence and Javar liked that. This was his property. His hatchery. Soon it would hold dragon eggs worth fortunes. He let slip a small, satisfied smile, something not many got to see and live.