Five youngsters are found by a massive dragon when they wander into the dragon's cave searching for food. They are adopted by the dragon, for they no family save for each other, and people learn what happens when you deliberately abuse a dragon's family. -- Anon Guest
"But it smelled like baking," said a small voice, echoing in Hardscale's lair.
"It smelled like heat," corrected a second voice. "And farts. I told you it wasn't real cooking."
A third little voice sighed. "At least it's warm. Is there any food left?" That was what got Hardscale's notice, and made him turn to look. There were five of them, all members of the Unwelcome People for this particular era. Three Hellkin, one Halfbred of Harukh ancestry, and one Gobelliin. The fact that the half-Harukh tried to hide behind the Gobelliin nearly broke Hardscale's heart.
They were all scrawny, filthy, and frightened. They were all wearing clothes that didn't fit in various ways. All in stages of disrepair.
"Aaaannnd now we're dead," sighed the Gobelliin. They tried to hold more of the halfbred's arm. Comforting the larger child.
"I'm not that kind of Dragon," rumbled Hardscale. He used his fires to warm some stones. "Come in. Warm yourselves. I shall fetch food."
The weather outside was frightful, but not frightful enough to keep a Dragon in his lair. It was easy enough to find something edible and large enough to feed five humanoids.
His first offering was an entire goat that Hardscale had gutted and roasted with his own fires.
The children were that hungry that they didn't care. They were that small that they left behind half of it once they were full. Hardscale watched over them as they slept against his tail in a tangled pile.
Not a one of them was over five years old. The Gobelliin was the oldest and the default leader of the pack. They needed better than a Dragon as a parent, but it was unlikely that they would get one.
Well. He was their dad now.
He let them sleep for the night, and set out the next day in shapeshifted form to immediately improve things. They would get beds, and proper clothes, and books so that they could at least learn to read. Not just in the common trader tongue, but also in Harukh, Voulspeak, and Glikyuk, the Gobelliin tongue.
And any magework that Hardscale could make stick.
He also had to learn about proper nutrition for those little ones. Roasted goat didn't feel like a proper, regular meal for humanoids.
Cooking. What a concept.
It was a rough start, but there have definitely been worse beings to be raised by than Dragons.
[Photo by Hari Nandakumar on Unsplash]
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