"Confidence is like a dragon where, for every head cut off, two more heads grow back."
â Criss Jami
Hey guys! We're offically getting into the book and interactions between the characters! I hope you like it!
Part One - Chapter Four
"The Warm Little Dragon"
For the first time in a long, long time, Astraeus wakes up without pain forcing him into awareness, without a loud noise jolting him, and without the chill of winter frosting over his scales.
He's warm, which probably shouldn't make him uneasy the way it does, and the ache that typically encased his broken leg isn't there.
But he's warm and he's not in pain. What's there to complain about?
The hatchling sticks his snout into the fuzzy thing before him, little huffs leaving his chest as he buries himself into it. It's soft, softer than anything he thinks he's ever touched before, and he wants to hide away in it forever.
He sinks his claws into it, tail twisting into the folds of the fabric, and he realizes that something weird is keeping his lame leg attached to his chest.
A confused squeak leaves his jaws and he twists onto his back. The soft thing clumps around and above him but whatever it is, it lets the light through and lets him see the white thing keeping his leg in place.
Stray baps it, trying to tug the thing but it's just... staying?
How is it stuck on him? It's too weirdly wrapped around him to be clothes and it doesn't seem to have an end. Just a bunch of starts overlapping.
Accidentally hitting it too hard makes a dull throb shake his leg, so the little dragon grumbles softly and rolls back onto his stomach-only for his wings to catch on the stupidly soft fabric and pin him in place.
The little dragon hisses his complaint, thrashing as he fights the soft thing.
He hates being trapped onto his back.
Eventually, after maybe half a minute of struggling, he defeats the fuzzy beast and shuffles himself out from underneath it.
Sitting up, surrounded by the soft fabric that-now that Stray sees it, knows it's a blanket-had almost succeeded in trapping him, the hatchling snuffles unhappily at it.
Then, on his next breath, he sneezes.
The force of it sends him toppling over, right back into the pile of warmth. He likes the blankets, especially now that he knows there's just so many of them, and he likes how soft they are, but he does not like being stuck under there alone.
Letting himself roll, the little dragon immediately got right back to his feet.
And proceeded to come face to face with a wall of... red?
It was tall and not like a regular wall, it had different edges, smooth and kinda round. Astraeus followed it as it got smaller, a lump to the side that disappeared under the blankets and then a longer trail behind the rest of the wall, tall pokey looking things coming out from the top.
It was confusing, he couldn't really make out what the wall was supposed to be.
Stray tilts his head, eyes going in the other direction. There were two really tall peaks with big hook things at the top. He shuffles his wings, squinting at them. They were oddly familiar but he couldn't figure out how. The wall seemed to surround him entirely. Past the peaks, there were those pokey things again but they were smaller and smoother.
They let to another lump, ones with horns, pointed ears and-
And two big, red eyes staring right at him.
Stray let out a scared squeak as he skittered backwards, wings flaring out on either side of him as he bared his fangs at the... the-dragon?
The hatchling froze as their head rose to face him, eyes widening as he watched what the other would do. He's never seen another dragon before, let alone one so big. He had no idea if they were mean like people or territorial like other familiars can be.
And he's in their nest, or at least somewhere with a lot of nice things, and it's not somewhere he should be.
The little dragon knows that unwelcome visitors to nests are treated as attackers and attackers, well, they get attacked back. He doesn't want to be attacked, he isn't even sure why he's in this nest and he wants to leave, leave, leave.
The giant dragon scooted closer, a rumble moving their throat as they slowly blinked at him.
Sorry, sorry, sorry, Stray dipped his head down, mantling his wings. Intrusion-accident-sorry. Sorry!
Forgiven, a low snort followed the older as he closed in tighter around the little dragon.
The pokey things are spikes, the peaks wings, and Astraeus realized that they looked a lot alike. If he were red, they'd practically matched. Do they all match? Do all dragons look alike?
Why is he red when the hatchling is tinted with gold?
Runt? The dragon called and the little one tensed. Relax, calm-calm. No intrusion.
Sorry, he replied anyway and couldn't stop the slip of a sharp whine from following-scared, sorry-sorry, scared. Accident, didn't mean to.
Their mouths fell open just a bit and Stray immediately flinched back, shrinking into himself. He's going to get bitten or eaten whole, he's going to be torn apart and-
Fire that's-not fire? Baby fire? Little flicky bits?
It licks soothingly at his wings, spreading over where he's hidden behind them in fear.
He doesn't know how, or why, but from this one action alone, the hatchling knows that although this isn't his nest, it is a nest he is welcome in. The other dragon won't hurt him.
Or, Stray really hopes he won't be hurt.
He hopes he can trust his instincts, no matter how pathetic they make him when they whine and scratch at his mind for someone to take care of him and somewhere warm.
Slowly uncurling from his scared little ball, the hatchling peeks out at the big dragon.
Hesitatingly, Stray squeaks out, safe? Nest is safe?
Safe-safe-safe, the other growls lowly at him, resting his head right in front of the little dragon. Nest for you, runt. Safe here, protected.
Protected? He questions, pushing back his wings to be able to sit down. Nest isn't safe?
Safe, they nose at the blankets next to Stray. My territory, my hoard. Mine and mine is safe. Runt is new and new hatchling is scared. Protected but still scared.
At this, the little dragon huddled down until he could rest laying in his stomach-his legs were oddly sore, almost like he had run a lot-and just stared openly at the giant dragon.
They weren't scary, exactly, but they were a lot bigger than him and it was intimidating.
But they were also laying in the nest, on the soft things, and seemed content just to watch him back. They weren't even mean about it! No angry hisses or snarls, no glares, just looking.
He wonders if they've ever seen another dragon before, or if this is their first time too.
Not noticing his tail was swaying contently but tiredly from side to side, the hatchling accidentally brushes it against the big dragon's. He jolts, standing as he steps away from the other, peeking up at them to make sure he hadn't angered them.
Not a lot of people are okay with touching something like Stray.
The big dragon doesn't seem to mind, though, as he blows a small burst of smoke at the little dragon.
Stray squeaks quietly as it brushes his face-he doesn't know how loud he's allowed to be-and happily unfolds his wings to flap at the smoke to make it twist and turn. His hearthfires not enough to even make smoke yet but one time, he accidentally fell into someone's chimney and got to play with the smoke and fire until they noticed him.
The big dragon huffs in amusement and the hatchling stops what he's doing to turn back to them. Was he allowed to play with the smoke?
Are they laughing because he's doing something stupid again?
Sorry-sorry? The little dragon questioned with a shrug of his wings.
The big dragon chuffed soothingly at him and blew more smoke, this time with a few sparks, and Stray wasted no time in trying to catch them.
They were pretty but they were also warm and he'd gotten a bit cold after he escaped the soft things-but he needed to escape because he really didn't like being trapped.
Being cold is better than being trapped. Twice as better. Maybe even three times!
Pouncing a bit too far, Stray ends up sprawled over the big dragon's paw and he can't find the energy to panic because they're so warm and their scales are soft, too! Not soft like how the blankets are, but soft like how flower petals are soft.
They don't look like their scales would be soft.
Astraeus wonders, briefly, if he's soft too and if he looks soft-but then he's being scooped up into that paw and put back into the middle of the nest, the big dragon's body curling closer around him.
The little dragon isn't sure but it almost looks like the other is frowning at him.
Confusion-uncertainty, he growls at them. Safe?
Safe-safe-safe, they growl back. You were cold, runt.
This confuses Stray.
He's cold a lot of the time, he doesn't like it but he is. Why is this time different?
Cold is... bad-bad? The hatchling tries to remember the words, but feelings are so much easier to express. Dragonian is innate but he still struggles, even when all he had was himself to talk to. Cold a lot. Cold scares-hurt but not hurt. Cold bad?
Runt being cold is bad, the big dragon patiently replies, not seeming to mind the young one's stammering. Runt should not be cold. Ever. Nest is warm.
The little dragon looks at the soft things below him, debating.
The nest is warm but going underneath the blankets would mean he can't see the other. He'd be trapped, alone. But if the big dragon was under there with him, he wouldn't be alone or trapped.
It'd be like they're just visiting a small den! Company instead of a cage.
Stray nods to himself, tail flicking behind him as he starts moving. Grabbing the closest soft thing to himself-a big pink blanket with... pigs on them?-he pulls it away from the top of the nest and to where the other's head is.
Confusion? The big dragon hisses softly.
Stray turns around and butts his little horns into the side of their jaw, squeaking out safe-safe, nest is warm! before getting back to work.
With the blanket loose, and certainly large enough, the hatchling puts it back into his mouth and pounces at the others snout-which is admittedly a bit difficult with only three legs-before the big dragon could stop him.
Pausing at the top, the little dragon huffs reassuringly at the bewildered way the other is looking at him.
Continuing his journey, he drags the fabric behind him until it's covering half of their face. Once he determines it's good enough, the hatchling lets himself fall back into the pile of soft things, drifting to the edge of the pig blanket.
Careful, the big dragon scolds him.
Safe, Stray easily returns as he wiggles into the little den he created.
The big dragon's whole snout and half their head is under here with him, a red eye watching him carefully. It's already warmer inside of the blanket cocoon he's made and the little dragon burrows into the comfy layer of soft stuff below him.
Together now, Stray explains, resting his little head onto his tail and letting his wings slump on either side of him. Nest is warm. Better together!
Rumbling something that's a mixture of pride and happiness at him makes the hatchling hide his head underneath his paw. He's not used to anything positive and it's weird.
Weird but good, so he guesses it's not too bad.
Giving a sleepy little chirp, the hatchling tucks himself into a neat ball and lets his eyes closed. He doesn't know this big dragon but he knows he's safe-or, at least, safe in the nest-and he's tired.
A bubbly chuff echoes from the giant dragon's chest, little sparks blowing down at Stray, encouraging him to relax.
For the first time in a long, long while, the little dragon falls asleep without fear making his heart pound and without the chill of winter making his whole body shiver.
The warmth is a luxury and he's going to be thankful for it while he still can.