Post by Zapticuno on Aug 28, 2021 0:45:28 GMT
Wonder woke up with a start. Where am I? he thought to himself as he surveyed his surroundings. All he could see was a grey, heavy fog surrounding him. What happened? The NightWing-SandWing hybrid racked his brain for what had happened before he awoke. He closed his eyes as he recalled what happened, the memories playing in his mind’s eye.
Rough rock underfoot, blazing sun overhead. I’m walking on the edge of one of the canyons in the Sand Kingdom. The gaping gash in the earth, worn away by the river’s centuries of tireless, endless work, was merely about half a foot to the left of me. To the right, a SandWing- my best friend Yucca. We’re talking about how those bullies that pester me, they really hold no power- as the saying goes, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. So what if my scales are dull and muddy? Yes, some time ago they had broken off one of my horns- before I met Yucca, and definitely not fun- but so what? They just need to find something better to do with their time than put down some other dragon who doesn’t meet their standards.
We continued talking about a lot of other things, like which of the female SandWings we’d seen was the prettiest. Classic stuff dude friends would talk about. Yucca was always there for me. As long as the two of us stuck together, we would be invincible. No other dragon would hurt us, physically or emotionally. All we needed was each other. Nothing would ever happen. Nothing at-
That was when I stepped into a hole I hadn’t noticed, tripping and falling over the canyon’s edge. Yucca called for me, trying to grab a hold of my talon before I went completely over, but it was too late. I was falling. My friend dove down after me, attempting to catch me. I was trying to catch myself in the air, right myself with my wings, but I hit the rock face, and there was a sickening crunching sound. One of my wings was broken. Now I couldn’t save myself.
The canyon floor came closer and closer, until my body met with it, and everything went black. I had no time to process that I-
“-had died.” Wonder’s eyes shot open as he realized what happened. No, I can’t be! This is all just a horrible dream! I just need to wake myself up, and all will be fine! Yeah! I’ll be able to tell Yucca about this wacky-ass dream, we laugh about it, and we’re on our way! Yeah!
Wonder pinched himself, but nothing happened. He did it again, again, and again, but still nothing. He started slapping himself in the face; he was sure the pain would bring him out of this weird place. As that also did not work, he started running. He had to get out of here! He didn’t die- he couldn’t have! This was just a dream, this was just a dream, this was just-
After who knows how long, Wonder slowed, lungs burning, the reality of the matter finally settling in. Maybe he really was dead. He sat down and hung his head in defeat. One moment, he and his friend were talking without a care in the world. The next he was gone, just like that. A hot tear crawled its way down his scaled cheek, sorrow flooding him.
Suddenly, a booming voice said to him, “Worry not, young one, for the shadow of death allows for the coming of a new light.”
Startled, Wonder looked around to see where the speaker was. “Wh- who was that? Where are you? Where am I?” In front of him, some of the fog came together in the vague shape of a dragon, their tribe unidentifiable. They were much taller than Wonder, with a slim build. They had two glowing white “eyes”, but no mouth.
“So, Wonder,” they said, ignoring his questions, “You certainly have come a bit earlier than you should have.”
“No shit,” the hybrid mumbled, flicking an ear. He asked a bit louder, “So, what happens now? Do I go to the afterlife now? Could I haunt the world as a ghost?”
“Perhaps, if that’s what you want,” the fog-dragon replied, “but there is another option available.” Wonder’s ears perked up, suspecting what it could be.
“Reincarnation.”
“So the SkyWings were kinda right then?” Wonder asked. The other dragon nodded. “How exactly does it work? Do I retain my memories? Do I get a choice in what I reincarnate as? Will I even know I was reincarnated? Do I have to start as a newly hatched dragonet, or can I just- uh, how do I put it- spawn, I guess? - as a more developed dragon? Sorry or the questions, I just really wanna know all my options and that they come with.” He dropped his head just a bit, looking up at the fog-dragon.
“I understand, have no worries about that. A lot of what you ask about is up to you. Do you want to retain your memories of your past life? Is there something you want to reincarnate as? Do you want a full restart from a dragonet, or do you want to start life more grown up? It’s all up to you, my friend. Some simply choose for it all to be random, and if that is what you want, then that is what will be done.”
Wonder scratched his head. “Hoo boy, this will take a lot of thought. Well, I do kinda want to keep my memories, can’t bear to lose ‘em, though I guess if I lost them I wouldn’t know. Do still wanna be a dragon, for sure.” He went silent or a time, considering what he wanted with his next life. He seemed to perk up when he had an idea. “Y’know, I just had a thought. It’s… kind of specific, what I’m wanting. Figure I should ask though, just in case you can do it for me.”
The fog-dragon nodded. “I’m listening.”
He let out a sigh before detailing his plan. “So, I’ve always had a fascination with scavengers- not like I’d want to be one, but I know they’re very smart creatures, smarter than most dragons think. I’ve even learned quite a bit of their language! What I thought of was, maybe I could be a companion to one? Like, for one without many friends, be the friend that scavenger really needs. Of course, for a scavenger who loves dragons and wouldn’t be super afraid of me upon first sight.”
The other dragon cocked their head to one side for a moment before answering. “I could perhaps do that for you. Is there any other details you have in mind?”
Wonder nodded. “I’d like to perhaps be smaller than average- Not much bigger than a scavenger, at maximum. Hell, I’d even be fine with being small enough for the scavenger to hold me. I’d like to be about my current age, ten, when I start out again. I guess what tribe I am doesn’t matter too much, but I wouldn’t mind staying a SandWing-NightWing. Though, I would like to have, well, more appealing scales.” He glanced at his dull, muddy colored scales with disappointment. “I want the scavenger to be able to look at me and not be disgusted- I want them to find me at least tolerable to look at. Exact colors don’t really matter to me.
“Also- if I stay part SandWing, I don’t want the tail barb like I have now. It’s too easy to accidentally hurt a scavenger. I don’t mind the fire though. What I do want to keep, though, is my one horn.” He held a talon up to his remaining horn. “I don’t know why, but I really want to keep that. I guess it’s so I always have - or well, I guess, am lacking- a piece of my old self.”
The fog-dragon seemed deep in thought. “I see…” they murmured. Wonder nervously shifted where he sat.
After a time, Wonder said, “Y’know, if that’s way too specific, you don’t have to go along with what I said-”
The fog-dragon held up a talon. “It is fine, truly. It is quite specific, yes, but not as specific as some have asked for, trust me.” They let out a chuckle. “I will say, you were a good dragon in your prior life, and I know you will do well in your next.” Their face shifted into some semblance of a smile.
“Really?!” Wonder jumped up and ran a small lap in his excitement. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ll be sure to not waste this life!”
“Now,” the other dragon said, “come here, so I may send you on your way.” Wonder approached the fog-dragon, standing right before them. The fog dragon enveloped him in their wings, and he started to feel sleepy.
Before sleep completely overtook him, Wonder realized something. “Hang on!” he mumbled, almost asleep. “How will I know I’ve found the right scavenger?”
The fog dragon replied, voice fading as Wonder slipped deeper into slumber. “You’ll know, Wonder, you’ll know…”
Darkness overtook the hybrid once more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A cozy warmth blanketed Wonder as he woke from his slumber. He was on a rocky cliff face, the morning sun warming him on his stony perch. Getting up, he stretched, arching his back and flaring his wings. He let out a yawn, hopping down to get a drink from the nearby stream. He smiled at his reflection in the water, briefly admiring his black scales, and turned away.
Wait a minute. Black scales?
Wonder did a double take, turning back to the water to look again. Instead of the nasty colors his scales were before, he sported a shiny black, dark as the night, and his underbelly was golden. His wings were also black, heavily speckled with shiny red scales. A crest, like that of a SandWing, ran down his back, also black with a healthy coating of red stars. His eyes were a deep golden. He had only one horn, but unlike before, where one had been broken, it seemed that he always had one horn, the golden spike curving backwards from the center of his forehead.
Three moons, he had changed. And no tail barb! He spun around, trying to get a good look at the entirety of his body. He also could definitely tell he had shrunk- the bushes not too far away seemed huge, and he distinctly remembered them being much shorter than him before.
“So it all really wasn’t a dream, huh…” he murmured to himself. Along with the happiness he felt for having gotten a second chance, the hybrid felt a twinge of sadness. It meant that he actually died. It meant his friend Yucca had watched him fall to his death, and had failed in saving him.
Oh, Yucca… I hope you’re not drowning in your grief. Please, don’t let my death drag you down. You still have your life- your first life. I’m thankfully getting a second chance. Perhaps our paths shall cross again.
Wonder silently prayed this, hoping his old friend was doing well. How long had it been since the fall, anyway? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Just yesterday? He assumed it would be hard to find that out, so he didn’t ponder on that too long.
Well, I guess I’d better get a move on- need to find that scavenger I’ll be the companion for! he mentally said to himself as he took off in flight. It was what he was reincarnated for- best to get to it as soon as possible!
As Wonder flew, he surveyed his surroundings. This definitely wasn’t the Sand Kingdom; it seemed to be part of the Sky Kingdom, thanks to the mountains he could see not too far in the distance. He recognized some of the rock formations as he passed them, so he had a pretty good idea of where he was at. He remembered there was a small scavenger village not too far from his current location, so he headed that direction, expecting to reach there before the sun reached its peak in the sky.
That would not be the case. Thanks to his small size, Wonder didn’t move as fast as he used to, and also had to stop more often for breaks. He tried hunting food down a couple times with no success. The prey he normally hunted down would be way too large for him to even dare tackle on his own. As the sun reached its zenith and began its descent, Wonder decided to simply walk. His wings were too tired, and he wished he would have asked to be part SkyWing as well, for the large wings and great stamina.
By the time the darkness of night began to blanket the land, Wonder made it to the edge of the scavenger settlement. He didn’t want to take another step, so he collapsed where he was, next to a small pile of rocks. He would find the scavenger tomorrow. For now, rest.
At least, that was the plan.
As he began to drift off to sleep, he didn’t hear the footsteps coming towards him. He was woken up by a scavenger picking him up, and for a moment he flailed, panicking. “Easy, easy!” the scavenger said, sounding to be female. She spoke in the normal scavenger language, and thankfully Wonder could understand it.
He stopped squirming and looked the scavenger in the eyes. She had light colored skin, long, messy brown hair, and pale blue eyes. She seemed fairly She had a smile on her face, unafraid of the fact that she was holding a dragon in her hands. If Wonder were standing on the ground, his head would barely reach her knee.
She pulled Wonder close to her chest with one arm, stroking his head and back with her free hand. “So pretty… Don’t mean to hurt ya, little one…” she cooed, definitely loving holding the dragon. Unlike how many scavengers would react, with hostility or fear, she was so sweet, so unafraid.
She had to be the one.
After handling him for some time, murmuring things such as “The smallest dragon I’ve seen…” or “So cute…”, she set him down. She turned to leave after waving and saying softly, “Bye, little one. Got to go, before my parents get upset.”
Before she got too far, Wonder ran after her, calling out in the scavenger tongue, “Wait!”
The scavenger turned around, a surprised look in her eyes. “You can speak our language?” she asked as she began approaching Wonder again.
He nodded. “A little bit, yeah.” He shifted a bit before continuing. “I wanna… stay with you, if I can.” He offered a toothy grin. “I’m Wonder, by the way.”
The scavenger chuckled. “Well, I’ll need to check with my parents. For now, though…” she picked up Wonder, laying him over her shoulder. “And I’m Rose. I love your name, Wonder.”
“Thanks,” he said, situating himself to where he was draped over both of Rose’s shoulders. The two of them walked into the little village, headed towards one of the houses of wood at the far end. The door was open, and a fire could be seen from within. No one else was in there at the time.
Rose walked towards one of the mats that lie on the ground nearby the fire and set Wonder down. “You hungry?” she asked. He nodded, and she dug through a pouch leaning against the wall. She handed him a piece of dried meat, which he consumed with vigor.
At that moment two adult scavengers, a male and a female, came into the house. They froze. The female let out a gasp while the male rushed forward, drawing a dagger. Rose immediately wrapped her arms around Wonder, protecting him. The male stopped, a stunned look on his face. “Why in the world do you have a small night dragon? Where did you get it?”
“I found him just outside the village, father. His name is Wonder, and he’s really nice!” Rose said.
“You’ve named him? You know what danger dragons can be! He may be little now, but he’ll grow up to be larger than this house, able to swallow one of us whole!” her father replied, concerned.
“Excuse me,” Wonder spoke up, “but I’m ten- basically an adult in dragon years. I’m not getting any bigger than this, trust me. I have no desire to eat any of you anyway. I wanna live with you guys. Also, I’m not just NightWing, I’m also part SandWing- night and desert dragons to you guys. And my mother gave me my name, not Rose.”
Both of Rose’s parents looked shocked when Wonder spoke. “He- he can speak?” her father stammered. Wonder and Rose nodded in unison. “Well…”
He sheathed his dagger. For a time he just stood there, staring at the small dragon in his daughter’s lap. Eventually, he let out a sigh. “Wonder. As long as you don’t cause trouble, you’re free to stay. Can’t guarantee the rest of the village will like it, however.”
Rose and Wonder grinned at each other. The two of them lay down on the mat, the scavenger holding the dragon close. Soon they fell asleep, dreaming of the things to come.
(2987 words)
Rough rock underfoot, blazing sun overhead. I’m walking on the edge of one of the canyons in the Sand Kingdom. The gaping gash in the earth, worn away by the river’s centuries of tireless, endless work, was merely about half a foot to the left of me. To the right, a SandWing- my best friend Yucca. We’re talking about how those bullies that pester me, they really hold no power- as the saying goes, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. So what if my scales are dull and muddy? Yes, some time ago they had broken off one of my horns- before I met Yucca, and definitely not fun- but so what? They just need to find something better to do with their time than put down some other dragon who doesn’t meet their standards.
We continued talking about a lot of other things, like which of the female SandWings we’d seen was the prettiest. Classic stuff dude friends would talk about. Yucca was always there for me. As long as the two of us stuck together, we would be invincible. No other dragon would hurt us, physically or emotionally. All we needed was each other. Nothing would ever happen. Nothing at-
That was when I stepped into a hole I hadn’t noticed, tripping and falling over the canyon’s edge. Yucca called for me, trying to grab a hold of my talon before I went completely over, but it was too late. I was falling. My friend dove down after me, attempting to catch me. I was trying to catch myself in the air, right myself with my wings, but I hit the rock face, and there was a sickening crunching sound. One of my wings was broken. Now I couldn’t save myself.
The canyon floor came closer and closer, until my body met with it, and everything went black. I had no time to process that I-
“-had died.” Wonder’s eyes shot open as he realized what happened. No, I can’t be! This is all just a horrible dream! I just need to wake myself up, and all will be fine! Yeah! I’ll be able to tell Yucca about this wacky-ass dream, we laugh about it, and we’re on our way! Yeah!
Wonder pinched himself, but nothing happened. He did it again, again, and again, but still nothing. He started slapping himself in the face; he was sure the pain would bring him out of this weird place. As that also did not work, he started running. He had to get out of here! He didn’t die- he couldn’t have! This was just a dream, this was just a dream, this was just-
After who knows how long, Wonder slowed, lungs burning, the reality of the matter finally settling in. Maybe he really was dead. He sat down and hung his head in defeat. One moment, he and his friend were talking without a care in the world. The next he was gone, just like that. A hot tear crawled its way down his scaled cheek, sorrow flooding him.
Suddenly, a booming voice said to him, “Worry not, young one, for the shadow of death allows for the coming of a new light.”
Startled, Wonder looked around to see where the speaker was. “Wh- who was that? Where are you? Where am I?” In front of him, some of the fog came together in the vague shape of a dragon, their tribe unidentifiable. They were much taller than Wonder, with a slim build. They had two glowing white “eyes”, but no mouth.
“So, Wonder,” they said, ignoring his questions, “You certainly have come a bit earlier than you should have.”
“No shit,” the hybrid mumbled, flicking an ear. He asked a bit louder, “So, what happens now? Do I go to the afterlife now? Could I haunt the world as a ghost?”
“Perhaps, if that’s what you want,” the fog-dragon replied, “but there is another option available.” Wonder’s ears perked up, suspecting what it could be.
“Reincarnation.”
“So the SkyWings were kinda right then?” Wonder asked. The other dragon nodded. “How exactly does it work? Do I retain my memories? Do I get a choice in what I reincarnate as? Will I even know I was reincarnated? Do I have to start as a newly hatched dragonet, or can I just- uh, how do I put it- spawn, I guess? - as a more developed dragon? Sorry or the questions, I just really wanna know all my options and that they come with.” He dropped his head just a bit, looking up at the fog-dragon.
“I understand, have no worries about that. A lot of what you ask about is up to you. Do you want to retain your memories of your past life? Is there something you want to reincarnate as? Do you want a full restart from a dragonet, or do you want to start life more grown up? It’s all up to you, my friend. Some simply choose for it all to be random, and if that is what you want, then that is what will be done.”
Wonder scratched his head. “Hoo boy, this will take a lot of thought. Well, I do kinda want to keep my memories, can’t bear to lose ‘em, though I guess if I lost them I wouldn’t know. Do still wanna be a dragon, for sure.” He went silent or a time, considering what he wanted with his next life. He seemed to perk up when he had an idea. “Y’know, I just had a thought. It’s… kind of specific, what I’m wanting. Figure I should ask though, just in case you can do it for me.”
The fog-dragon nodded. “I’m listening.”
He let out a sigh before detailing his plan. “So, I’ve always had a fascination with scavengers- not like I’d want to be one, but I know they’re very smart creatures, smarter than most dragons think. I’ve even learned quite a bit of their language! What I thought of was, maybe I could be a companion to one? Like, for one without many friends, be the friend that scavenger really needs. Of course, for a scavenger who loves dragons and wouldn’t be super afraid of me upon first sight.”
The other dragon cocked their head to one side for a moment before answering. “I could perhaps do that for you. Is there any other details you have in mind?”
Wonder nodded. “I’d like to perhaps be smaller than average- Not much bigger than a scavenger, at maximum. Hell, I’d even be fine with being small enough for the scavenger to hold me. I’d like to be about my current age, ten, when I start out again. I guess what tribe I am doesn’t matter too much, but I wouldn’t mind staying a SandWing-NightWing. Though, I would like to have, well, more appealing scales.” He glanced at his dull, muddy colored scales with disappointment. “I want the scavenger to be able to look at me and not be disgusted- I want them to find me at least tolerable to look at. Exact colors don’t really matter to me.
“Also- if I stay part SandWing, I don’t want the tail barb like I have now. It’s too easy to accidentally hurt a scavenger. I don’t mind the fire though. What I do want to keep, though, is my one horn.” He held a talon up to his remaining horn. “I don’t know why, but I really want to keep that. I guess it’s so I always have - or well, I guess, am lacking- a piece of my old self.”
The fog-dragon seemed deep in thought. “I see…” they murmured. Wonder nervously shifted where he sat.
After a time, Wonder said, “Y’know, if that’s way too specific, you don’t have to go along with what I said-”
The fog-dragon held up a talon. “It is fine, truly. It is quite specific, yes, but not as specific as some have asked for, trust me.” They let out a chuckle. “I will say, you were a good dragon in your prior life, and I know you will do well in your next.” Their face shifted into some semblance of a smile.
“Really?!” Wonder jumped up and ran a small lap in his excitement. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ll be sure to not waste this life!”
“Now,” the other dragon said, “come here, so I may send you on your way.” Wonder approached the fog-dragon, standing right before them. The fog dragon enveloped him in their wings, and he started to feel sleepy.
Before sleep completely overtook him, Wonder realized something. “Hang on!” he mumbled, almost asleep. “How will I know I’ve found the right scavenger?”
The fog dragon replied, voice fading as Wonder slipped deeper into slumber. “You’ll know, Wonder, you’ll know…”
Darkness overtook the hybrid once more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A cozy warmth blanketed Wonder as he woke from his slumber. He was on a rocky cliff face, the morning sun warming him on his stony perch. Getting up, he stretched, arching his back and flaring his wings. He let out a yawn, hopping down to get a drink from the nearby stream. He smiled at his reflection in the water, briefly admiring his black scales, and turned away.
Wait a minute. Black scales?
Wonder did a double take, turning back to the water to look again. Instead of the nasty colors his scales were before, he sported a shiny black, dark as the night, and his underbelly was golden. His wings were also black, heavily speckled with shiny red scales. A crest, like that of a SandWing, ran down his back, also black with a healthy coating of red stars. His eyes were a deep golden. He had only one horn, but unlike before, where one had been broken, it seemed that he always had one horn, the golden spike curving backwards from the center of his forehead.
Three moons, he had changed. And no tail barb! He spun around, trying to get a good look at the entirety of his body. He also could definitely tell he had shrunk- the bushes not too far away seemed huge, and he distinctly remembered them being much shorter than him before.
“So it all really wasn’t a dream, huh…” he murmured to himself. Along with the happiness he felt for having gotten a second chance, the hybrid felt a twinge of sadness. It meant that he actually died. It meant his friend Yucca had watched him fall to his death, and had failed in saving him.
Oh, Yucca… I hope you’re not drowning in your grief. Please, don’t let my death drag you down. You still have your life- your first life. I’m thankfully getting a second chance. Perhaps our paths shall cross again.
Wonder silently prayed this, hoping his old friend was doing well. How long had it been since the fall, anyway? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Just yesterday? He assumed it would be hard to find that out, so he didn’t ponder on that too long.
Well, I guess I’d better get a move on- need to find that scavenger I’ll be the companion for! he mentally said to himself as he took off in flight. It was what he was reincarnated for- best to get to it as soon as possible!
As Wonder flew, he surveyed his surroundings. This definitely wasn’t the Sand Kingdom; it seemed to be part of the Sky Kingdom, thanks to the mountains he could see not too far in the distance. He recognized some of the rock formations as he passed them, so he had a pretty good idea of where he was at. He remembered there was a small scavenger village not too far from his current location, so he headed that direction, expecting to reach there before the sun reached its peak in the sky.
That would not be the case. Thanks to his small size, Wonder didn’t move as fast as he used to, and also had to stop more often for breaks. He tried hunting food down a couple times with no success. The prey he normally hunted down would be way too large for him to even dare tackle on his own. As the sun reached its zenith and began its descent, Wonder decided to simply walk. His wings were too tired, and he wished he would have asked to be part SkyWing as well, for the large wings and great stamina.
By the time the darkness of night began to blanket the land, Wonder made it to the edge of the scavenger settlement. He didn’t want to take another step, so he collapsed where he was, next to a small pile of rocks. He would find the scavenger tomorrow. For now, rest.
At least, that was the plan.
As he began to drift off to sleep, he didn’t hear the footsteps coming towards him. He was woken up by a scavenger picking him up, and for a moment he flailed, panicking. “Easy, easy!” the scavenger said, sounding to be female. She spoke in the normal scavenger language, and thankfully Wonder could understand it.
He stopped squirming and looked the scavenger in the eyes. She had light colored skin, long, messy brown hair, and pale blue eyes. She seemed fairly She had a smile on her face, unafraid of the fact that she was holding a dragon in her hands. If Wonder were standing on the ground, his head would barely reach her knee.
She pulled Wonder close to her chest with one arm, stroking his head and back with her free hand. “So pretty… Don’t mean to hurt ya, little one…” she cooed, definitely loving holding the dragon. Unlike how many scavengers would react, with hostility or fear, she was so sweet, so unafraid.
She had to be the one.
After handling him for some time, murmuring things such as “The smallest dragon I’ve seen…” or “So cute…”, she set him down. She turned to leave after waving and saying softly, “Bye, little one. Got to go, before my parents get upset.”
Before she got too far, Wonder ran after her, calling out in the scavenger tongue, “Wait!”
The scavenger turned around, a surprised look in her eyes. “You can speak our language?” she asked as she began approaching Wonder again.
He nodded. “A little bit, yeah.” He shifted a bit before continuing. “I wanna… stay with you, if I can.” He offered a toothy grin. “I’m Wonder, by the way.”
The scavenger chuckled. “Well, I’ll need to check with my parents. For now, though…” she picked up Wonder, laying him over her shoulder. “And I’m Rose. I love your name, Wonder.”
“Thanks,” he said, situating himself to where he was draped over both of Rose’s shoulders. The two of them walked into the little village, headed towards one of the houses of wood at the far end. The door was open, and a fire could be seen from within. No one else was in there at the time.
Rose walked towards one of the mats that lie on the ground nearby the fire and set Wonder down. “You hungry?” she asked. He nodded, and she dug through a pouch leaning against the wall. She handed him a piece of dried meat, which he consumed with vigor.
At that moment two adult scavengers, a male and a female, came into the house. They froze. The female let out a gasp while the male rushed forward, drawing a dagger. Rose immediately wrapped her arms around Wonder, protecting him. The male stopped, a stunned look on his face. “Why in the world do you have a small night dragon? Where did you get it?”
“I found him just outside the village, father. His name is Wonder, and he’s really nice!” Rose said.
“You’ve named him? You know what danger dragons can be! He may be little now, but he’ll grow up to be larger than this house, able to swallow one of us whole!” her father replied, concerned.
“Excuse me,” Wonder spoke up, “but I’m ten- basically an adult in dragon years. I’m not getting any bigger than this, trust me. I have no desire to eat any of you anyway. I wanna live with you guys. Also, I’m not just NightWing, I’m also part SandWing- night and desert dragons to you guys. And my mother gave me my name, not Rose.”
Both of Rose’s parents looked shocked when Wonder spoke. “He- he can speak?” her father stammered. Wonder and Rose nodded in unison. “Well…”
He sheathed his dagger. For a time he just stood there, staring at the small dragon in his daughter’s lap. Eventually, he let out a sigh. “Wonder. As long as you don’t cause trouble, you’re free to stay. Can’t guarantee the rest of the village will like it, however.”
Rose and Wonder grinned at each other. The two of them lay down on the mat, the scavenger holding the dragon close. Soon they fell asleep, dreaming of the things to come.
(2987 words)