A New Guardian
#19 of Dragon Hunter Saga
I blink in surprise, {the Matriarch; as in THE MATRIARCH?} Starburst nods his large head slowly, "yes Hunter. She has gone insane from power, though she might also be insane due to advanced age. However I have it on good authority she has turned into a Solar Dragon." I sigh deeply, pwell; I had a feeling the old bat would get put on my list at some point. However I plan to establish my city before I go find her, because that is the big challenge. She is a smart old lizard and won't be easy to find, she hasn't been alive this long without some smarts}. I give Starburst a pointed look, [present company excepted. Fire Dragons tend to not be terribly intelligent.}
Starburst nods his head again, "agreed Hunter. I am smart due to my father's influence." He lifts his tail slightly showing the underside of it and I see a line of familiar gray and green. "Granite was my older half brother, is your sword one of his fangs?" I look as he holds it up carefully sniffing it, {yes Starburst. He wanted me to make use of the parts of him that could do damage. However I only managed one tooth with a good set of his claws, which is why I own so many knives.}
I look over to Gilorndir, [as I am sure you do not wish for me to move a whole heck of a lot. Can you go collect the poison from the Manticore he didn't incinerate? It might come in handy later,} Gilorndir pulls out some gloves that I have a feeling are Dragon hide and a medium sized vial. "You are aware it won't be as potent as the older sibling's poison?" I consider lifting my hand to wave at him, {yes. However due to circumstances that one isn't attainable. I am sure due to heat anything there evaporated}.
Cheshire jumps onto Starburst's tail, {I passed it along what happened to you Gwen. Lets just say Shadow isn't terribly pleased}. He then looks Starburst in the eye, {good thing this big guy wants your help. Seeing as how you can't mount Alberich, who if you can't tell is very angry. He tried stomping the burnt remains into powder.} I caught sight of Alberich's mane as he tosses his head, {you pissed on them too you know}. Cheshire started cleaning a paw very cat like as if he hadn't heard Alberich's comment.
I hear a rumble and guess it was Starburst laughing, "oh Hunter I like your guardians. I am also planning on being one of your guardians." I blink, {a Dragon Hunter with a Dragon guardian. That will turn heads, it's not like I can really refuse you. Especially when I am in a weakened state and my wonderful doctor would skewer me if I tried walking right now}. I hear Gilorndir's voice waft over Starburst's bulk, "I would too."
Cheshire chuckles, {well; welcome to the family Starburst. I guess I had better pass this bit of information along to make sure no one tries to make you a pin cushion when you fly in with Gwen}. Starburst nods his head and Gilorndir speaks again, "Hunter I am going to hold onto the vial till you reach home. I want to use a small portion and make an antivenom with it." I carefully nod my head realizing that I really do have extensive damage, [that's fine. It's not like I can even fight one of the twins right now}. Cheshire changes his head a moment and tells the gryphons to head back to camp and that everything is alright. I watch them fly overhead glad we didn't lose any of them and a thought came to mind.
{Was that you that one day Starburst? Did you fight those other fire Dragons who were heading towards my camp?} He nods his large head, "I couldn't very well let them attack you especially when you were on that little strip of land my brother built before meeting you." I blink, do you know how hard it is to not speak when you are surprised about something? Starburst takes in my surprised look, "I guess that never came up in your talks with him." I gently shook my head, {he had said an Earth Dragon had made the land bridge but never that it was him that did it.}
Starburst chuckles a rumble passing through my body as it vibrated trough him. "That sounds like my father's description of my brother, he said Granite was a very humble Dragon." I attempt to tilt my head and it hurts, {what was your father like Granite never spoke of him}. Starburst's face fell a bit, "well even though he hated my mother. He was ordered to breed with her, he still loved me; especially after he learned I was good at learning. The Matriarch's plan had finally succeed in producing a Fire Dragon who was sane. However, I think in this case she was looking just for power. My father had loved his now dead mate and it was the Matriarch's fault she was dead. So you could see it in my father's face when ever he saw my brother. So he had left before I was born, I have never spoken with my brother. The few times I was in the same area as him he refused to even look at me, and I understand why." He looks thoughtful for a moment, "I am glad he asked for you to end him Hunter. As his brother if he had gone insane it would fall to me to fix the problem if he created one." I blink, as it was the only thing that didn't cause pain. {I understand, at some level he trusted who I was even if he really didn't know me.}
Starburst chuckles again, "oh. I think he knew enough about you to like the person you were. As I was following him around to gauge his mental state, I looked up everything he found on you and I have to say what I saw impressed me even. After all I am just a Fire Dragon," the barb stung a little. {I do not intent to offend when referencing your type Starburst. However you can understand my shock at your intelligence and sanity.}
He nods his head, "most Fire Dragons are very stupid. They don't start off insane, but they tend towards it. Also since as a general rule Fire types are both insane and stupid they don't fully follow Draconic law and remove the insane ones. We aren't like humans, there is no treating insanity in a Dragon. It is best to just end us before we destroy something that shouldn't be."
Alberich's voice takes on an annoyed tone, alright. "Can we please head back to the camp now? I don't want Shadow skinning all of our hides over Gwen please". Starburst reaches towards me with a foreleg to pick me up and I attempt to refrain from flinching. "He is right Gwen we should get moving, and I know your instincts say you shouldn't let me near you while you are hurt. So I am not offended by your reaction," he cradles my battered body close to his heart and looks down at Alberich. "Alright horn head I'll see you at the camp when you make it back, she'll be perfectly safe." Alberich snorts and runs off into the woods with Cheshire sitting on his rump looking annoyed.
Starburst spreads his wings and launches into the air and I gasp and instantly regret it as I clutch my throat. His head lowers to look at me, "sorry you can't enjoy this flight Gwen. Also I'd refrain from making noise your doctor will have my scales if you make the damage worse." He tucks a pouch next to me in his right foreleg, "your medicine that I am sure you are pleased to see." I pat his claws, {hey. He is rather good at making medicine that don't taste bad}. He turns his head so he can keep an eye on where we are going, "so you are aware you are bonded to each of your non human guardians right?"
I chuckle, {yes I am aware of it. It is why they are required to ask first, because the mental pathways must be open able to the mind connections that will fall into place. Ergo why Alberich and Cheshire were unhappy about me getting struck by the Manticore. Those things are more silent than I thought they would be. I won't make that mistake again.}
He turns his head fully to watch the camp in the distance, by the looks of it the whole travel time will be in minutes verses the hours of running through the forest we had to do. "It is not something to join into lightly Gwen, usually when one of the non human species feels the urge to protect someone they feel it instinctively and there is a burning need to be there. It is almost closer than a true mating with someone."
I think about it for a moment, {makes sense honestly. In a world where magic does exist in, there would be some people who would need a protector who can see the danger before it happens and would die to protect those people. I guess your investigation of me opened that route for you}. He looks at me through one eye, "yes. You could say that, all I know is once I saw that Manticore's tail heading towards you I saw red. Which for me is not a good thing, I am glad I didn't harm anyone else."
We fly in silence as we approach the camp and I can hear the guards trying to calm the women down. {You might be the cause of a few early births you know, just as long as it is not Harriet's grandchild everything will be fine}. He looks at me with a question on his face, how I can read a Draconic face I have no idea. {A good friend of mine who lost her son to your niece, a young manipulative lady is pregnant with his baby and we have her under 'house arrest' till she gives birth. The woman has lost all her family and I want her remaining member to survive}. He nods his head and looks about for a place to land. He decides to land on the Brittany shore just outside of camp so he is situated in the direct path of the camp as if in case of bandits or rampaging beasts.
"This will be the best place for me to remain so that I can help protect you and your people Gwen. I will however suggest you have them bring your tent out here and I can assure you Alberich will agree. {Yes Alberich does agree seeing as how you scaly one are one of her guardians now it is necessary}. Starburst chuckles as Shadow approaches with Jake nervously following with his hand on his weapon.
Starburst bows his head toward Shadow, "I humbly apologize for not getting to Gwen sooner to prevent her injury at the hands of that Manticore." Shadow stops a respectable distance away from the Dragon as I am gently set down against Starburst's flank again and I see him resist the urge to wrap his tail around me again. Shadow's face goes very dark for a moment then waves his hand as if to say it was fine. Starburst looks at me, "that man says a lot with a gesture." {He doesn't like to waste energy, a wave of a hand uses less energy than talking}. Shadow nods his head and Jake steps around, "why isn't Gwen talking?"
I resist the urge to hit my forehead, {Starburst; this is Jake he is unable to hear mind voices unless it is 'shouted' and I can't quite do that yet}. I see SwiftFoot approach warily. Starburst looks at Jake, "her elvan doctor told her she cannot verbally speak for a week due to damage to her windpipe. Also that she isn't allowed to walk that long either, so I shall be carrying her anywhere she needs to go."
I see Tammy approach, "so Dragon. The bathroom trips shall be amusing," she says placing an arm around SwiftFoot both females looking angry. Starburst bows his head again, "I am sure we will find a way to take care of those necessities. I won't need to hunt while she is unable to walk, we have slow metabolisms so the two deer I ate yesterday will last me over a week more." Tammy looks less angry, "you really are concerned for our Hunter aren't you?"
Starburst looks at me again, "yes Ma'am. I should have been there sooner, however like you I thought there was only one Manticore. The fact there was two and the doctor discovered they were siblings means there might be more of them around. Ergo me being on the edge of the camp on this side is a good idea. Though, her tent will need to be brought here. I promise those children will be safe."
The two females nod and turn around to head back and retrieve the tent as a light ball of fur and feathers bolts into our direction. {Oh is that a real Dragon! It's so big!} I mentally groan as Dawn starts bounding in my direction Mauve behind her looking worried over me and then Dusk, who is the faster of the two thankfully. Grabs her by the tail in one of his talons and yanks, {do not jump the Hunter right now she is injured}. Dusk bows to Starburst, {pardon my sister Dragon. I am Dusk one of the guardians for the twin Hunter's}.
Starburst looks Dusk over carefully, "I see a liger type. Very rare, I did not know you had mind voices. You two haven't fledged yet have you?" Dusk shakes his head not letting go of his sister till Mauve grabs her by a wing, {no. Due to our considerable bulk it will be a while as yet. Our wings aren't strong enough as yet, will you be helping us with uncle Cheshire to learn proper flight?} Starburst chuckles, "uncle Cheshire? I so have to poke that cat with that one. Yes youngling I will aid you in your endeavor, we need to be at our best to protect the Hunter's."
As I spy people moving forward with my tent I wonder if Starburst's statement was meant to be cryptic.