A dragon offers Bibrid, Wraithvine, and their friends a ride across a canyon. The price? The group has to groom their claws in return, which have gotten a bit overgrown. -- Anon Guest
Wandering by oneself, Wraithvine mused, was easier since ze only had hirself to worry about. Wandering with immortal companions was similar, since the stakes were relatively low. Wandering with a newfound family... brought out all hir worry-wart aspects where they were the least helpful.
At least Chance was inclined to be clingy.
Scramble, encouraged to exercise hir abilities, could freeze time around hirself long enough to get out of any fix ze found hirself in. But that did nothing to stop Wraithvine worrying. Especially after the fifth time Scramble blinked back onto the path covered in minor scars.
The thin plus side was that Scramble shared any berries ze had managed to find. Mostly with Chance, who had eagerly learned about them.
"You could at least try to take care," cautioned Wraithvine, absently healing all the tiny cuts on Scramble's arms and legs. "If Chance follows your example, they won't be able to whisk their way out."
"But the berries are too good," complained Scramble.
Both of these children were dealing with their lifelong food insecurity. Now that they had caregivers capable of feeding them infinitely, they were still growing accustomed to the fact that that was true. Thus, any windfall find had to be gathered instantly and shared with Chance. And, if there were enough berries, Wraithvine and Bibrid.
There were rarely enough berries. Not after Chance got their turn at them. Chance, lips reddened and purpled with berry juice, yipped in agreement with Scramble. They were still learning to speak.
Wraithvine sighed, "And what if there was something dangerous in there? You can tell us there's berries. We'll help you gather them. I promise."
Scramble mumbled something about hir not being used to trusting adults. "I'll try to remember," ze promised. Then immediately spotted something and blinked away. Ze blinked back in an instant. "There is a for real Dragon around the next bend."
Wraithvine didn't have Scramble's ability, but ze found hirself at the next bend ahead of all the others in a heartbeat. A very accelerated heartbeat, since there was a Dragon around the next bend. Huge. Winged. Classic red scales. Seemingly asleep, but also grumbling and growling in her sleep.
Not from anger.
From pain.
The reason became plain when one massive paw twitched. Her claws had grown too long and were piercing her own flesh. She must have been flying for what little respite that offered until exhaustion forced her to alight.
Red Dragons had the worst reputation amongst smaller intelligent creatures. Quick to anger, prone to devouring any creature that angered them, and often making their own space by laying waste to anything in their way.
Any other Adventurer would slay the Dragon while she was asleep.
Wraithvine had once sworn to make the world a better place. That included all the creatures within it. Even Dragons with a murderous reputation.
Ze set up hir tower under a series of protection spells, and got the children to shelter inside. Wraithvine gestured Bibrid forward to see what could be done with both their magics.
Claw by claw, they worked softening oil into the immense keratin. Carefully heating and cooling the area. Slowly working off keratin sheaths layer by awful layer. It was only one paw, but peeling unshed layers off reduced the growling immensely.
It was when Emberscale offered her other front paw that they knew they'd been discovered. She lay still, observing them with an eye the size of a small table.
The good news was that she didn't seem angry.
"Good morrow," said Wraithvine with the kind of optimism that people call growling dogs 'good' and 'nice'. "I'm here to help."
"Do you expect treasure?" rumbled Emerscale.
"I have no need of treasure," said Wraithvine. "Just the knowledge that you will be scratching at hard, black granite at least once a week."
She turned her massive head about to look at them with her other eye. "Oh. You're that Elf. Hm. I shall repay you in kindness, not crude baubles. I shall fly you, and those with you, wherever you wish to go. Once I am rested and you have finished your work, of course."
"Of course," said Bibrid, Dragon in disguise. "I must confess that I have never in my life ridden on Dragonback. This promises to be quite a treat."
[Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends! Or visit my hub site to see what else I'm up to.
Send me a prompt [42 remaining prompts!]