Ragenrok closed his amber eyes, wishing for sleep. He heard the soft sound of talons clicking on rock, but he ignored it. It was probably just Firos, being, well, Firos. Ragenrok tapped his tail on the ground, then brought it closer to him. He gave a relaxed sigh right before he felt piercing talons hooked onto his back. His eyes snapped open as he growled with anger. “Firos! Get off!”
His brother laughed as he jumped off of Ragenrok. “Come on, I wouldn’t do it if you played with me!” Firos chased his tail for a second, then stopped. “Pleeasse?”
Ragenrok sighed as he gave his brother a glare. “If I don’t you’re not going to leave me alone until I do.” Firos gave a firm nod. Ragenrok gave an exasperated sigh. “Fine.”
The two played, nipping, pouncing, clawing, they did all of that. This was normal, at least their mother did not mind when she checked on them. Ragenrok loved the adrenaline that he felt when he was pretending to fight his brother, who also seemed to enjoy this. Ragenrok broke away for a bit then rushed in, tackling his brother to the ground. They both laughed as Ragenrok let his brother up.
“See, I told you that playing is fun!” Firos said as he stood up, still bouncing with energy.
Ragenrok yawned. “You said no such thing. Now I’m going back to sleep.” Firos growled with displeasure, but did nothing to wake Ragenrok from his nap. It is, after all, best to let sleeping dragons lie.
Firos jumped onto his brother. “I know, but there’s someone important! Mamma said to get you!” The red whelp got off of his brother and scurried out of the cavern into the passageway that led into the main cavern.
Ragenrok sighed and got up, following his brother. When he entered the main cavern, he was scooped up by his mother. The brown whelp struggled out of his mother’s grasp as she started to groom him, removing the dirt off of his scales, not that it did much since he was brown. She placed him back on the ground and smiled. “Now, how about you go meet Zect.”
Ragenrok stalked forward shyly. The creature was definitely not a dragon, with his white feathers on his wings. He also had fur, like the deer Ragenrok ate. One of his talons reminded Ragenrok of the talons that the deer his parents bring him have. His eyes were forward-facing and he had some sort of tooth for a mouth. The only thing remotely dragon about him was his other front talon, which was scaled with black before ending in claws.
Ragenrok stared at the strange creature that he assumed to be Zect. Firos sat next to him. “He’s weird huh?” Firos muttered to him. Ragenrok nodded.
Zect chuckled at Firos’s comment. “I’m Zectabuteca, but you may call me Zect like your parents do. You may not remember me, young princes, but I remember you from your hatching. I was a few days late, of course, but I saw you two about two cycles ago. I am a Pact Guardian, and the only one currently.”
Ragenrok glared at Zectabuteca for a bit. “What is a Pact Guardian?”
Zectabuteca laughed. “Why aren’t you a curious one. I like that. Means you’ll be a great dragon one day.” Ragenrok sat up with pride as Zectabuteca continued. “Now to answer your question. It means I have a connection with Wild Magic.”
Firos cocked his head. “What’s Wild Magic.?”
Zectabuteca smiled at the two. “Wild Magic is, well, wild. It is everything magic can be. It is, well… Not even I can explain it.” Zectabuteca shook his head. “I’m sorry young ones.”
Firos shook his head. “It’s fine! Wild Magic sounds confusing anyways!”
However, Ragenrok did not like his answer. He pulled his face back into a snarl, but did nothing. What if Wild Magic was something made up to force the dragons and sprites into submission? Is that why it could not be explained? Because it was some sort of ploy used by the creatures called the guardians? Seemed likey. Though, Ragenrok did not say anything about it. The rest of his family seemed to believe this ‘Wild Magic’ nonsense. How could they believe this nonsense, there was no proof! No-"
“I see you don’t believe me,” Zectabuteca said, staring at Ragenrok. “That is unwise. Wild Magic is a jealous being, and it hates it when its own creation does not believe in it. It also hates anything that challenges its authority and its power. All three things you should not do. Understood?”
Zectabuteca’s words fell onto deft ears, a dragon that did not want to listen. Zectabuteca sighed and shook his head. “I cannot force you to listen. But know, this is one of the reasons I came, to explain what Wild Magic is to you. Most are given half-baked explanations, but you were given one by one made of and that can communicate to Wild Magic.” He ruffled his feathers as he clicked his beak. “Another is to see how well you two are doing. You both have grown since I saw you last. Do you know what a cycle is?”
Ragenrok and Firos nodded. “A cycle is when the leaves and weather change. It gets colder until it becomes the ice-cycle, then it becomes warm again. The four cycles are life-cycle, fire-cycle, death-cycle, and ice-cycle,” they both recited.
Zectabuteca nodded. “Good, good. Do you know what a full-cycle is?”
The brothers shook their heads, not knowing what it was. “Does it have something to do with the four cycles? Is it a fifth cycle?” Firos asked. Ragenrok snorted, though his brother had a good point.
Zect laughed. “Yes, kinda. It’s all four cycles together. A full-cycle starts at life-cycle and ends with ice-cycle.”
The two nodded. “Is there anything else?” Ragenrok asked grumpily.
Zectabuteca shook his owl-like head. “No, I better be returning now anyway. Farewell young princes.” He left the cave and flew out into the stary sky. Ragenrok did not even notice how late it was! He sighed as he shuffled back to the nursery cavern, Firos bounding behind him. Maybe his brother would let him sleep and not annoy him with useless comments.
His brother laughed as he jumped off of Ragenrok. “Come on, I wouldn’t do it if you played with me!” Firos chased his tail for a second, then stopped. “Pleeasse?”
Ragenrok sighed as he gave his brother a glare. “If I don’t you’re not going to leave me alone until I do.” Firos gave a firm nod. Ragenrok gave an exasperated sigh. “Fine.”
The two played, nipping, pouncing, clawing, they did all of that. This was normal, at least their mother did not mind when she checked on them. Ragenrok loved the adrenaline that he felt when he was pretending to fight his brother, who also seemed to enjoy this. Ragenrok broke away for a bit then rushed in, tackling his brother to the ground. They both laughed as Ragenrok let his brother up.
“See, I told you that playing is fun!” Firos said as he stood up, still bouncing with energy.
Ragenrok yawned. “You said no such thing. Now I’m going back to sleep.” Firos growled with displeasure, but did nothing to wake Ragenrok from his nap. It is, after all, best to let sleeping dragons lie.
***
After a few hours, Ragenrok felt Firos claw him gently. “What did I say about waking me up.” Ragenrok said groggily.Firos jumped onto his brother. “I know, but there’s someone important! Mamma said to get you!” The red whelp got off of his brother and scurried out of the cavern into the passageway that led into the main cavern.
Ragenrok sighed and got up, following his brother. When he entered the main cavern, he was scooped up by his mother. The brown whelp struggled out of his mother’s grasp as she started to groom him, removing the dirt off of his scales, not that it did much since he was brown. She placed him back on the ground and smiled. “Now, how about you go meet Zect.”
Ragenrok stalked forward shyly. The creature was definitely not a dragon, with his white feathers on his wings. He also had fur, like the deer Ragenrok ate. One of his talons reminded Ragenrok of the talons that the deer his parents bring him have. His eyes were forward-facing and he had some sort of tooth for a mouth. The only thing remotely dragon about him was his other front talon, which was scaled with black before ending in claws.
Ragenrok stared at the strange creature that he assumed to be Zect. Firos sat next to him. “He’s weird huh?” Firos muttered to him. Ragenrok nodded.
Zect chuckled at Firos’s comment. “I’m Zectabuteca, but you may call me Zect like your parents do. You may not remember me, young princes, but I remember you from your hatching. I was a few days late, of course, but I saw you two about two cycles ago. I am a Pact Guardian, and the only one currently.”
Ragenrok glared at Zectabuteca for a bit. “What is a Pact Guardian?”
Zectabuteca laughed. “Why aren’t you a curious one. I like that. Means you’ll be a great dragon one day.” Ragenrok sat up with pride as Zectabuteca continued. “Now to answer your question. It means I have a connection with Wild Magic.”
Firos cocked his head. “What’s Wild Magic.?”
Zectabuteca smiled at the two. “Wild Magic is, well, wild. It is everything magic can be. It is, well… Not even I can explain it.” Zectabuteca shook his head. “I’m sorry young ones.”
Firos shook his head. “It’s fine! Wild Magic sounds confusing anyways!”
However, Ragenrok did not like his answer. He pulled his face back into a snarl, but did nothing. What if Wild Magic was something made up to force the dragons and sprites into submission? Is that why it could not be explained? Because it was some sort of ploy used by the creatures called the guardians? Seemed likey. Though, Ragenrok did not say anything about it. The rest of his family seemed to believe this ‘Wild Magic’ nonsense. How could they believe this nonsense, there was no proof! No-"
“I see you don’t believe me,” Zectabuteca said, staring at Ragenrok. “That is unwise. Wild Magic is a jealous being, and it hates it when its own creation does not believe in it. It also hates anything that challenges its authority and its power. All three things you should not do. Understood?”
Zectabuteca’s words fell onto deft ears, a dragon that did not want to listen. Zectabuteca sighed and shook his head. “I cannot force you to listen. But know, this is one of the reasons I came, to explain what Wild Magic is to you. Most are given half-baked explanations, but you were given one by one made of and that can communicate to Wild Magic.” He ruffled his feathers as he clicked his beak. “Another is to see how well you two are doing. You both have grown since I saw you last. Do you know what a cycle is?”
Ragenrok and Firos nodded. “A cycle is when the leaves and weather change. It gets colder until it becomes the ice-cycle, then it becomes warm again. The four cycles are life-cycle, fire-cycle, death-cycle, and ice-cycle,” they both recited.
Zectabuteca nodded. “Good, good. Do you know what a full-cycle is?”
The brothers shook their heads, not knowing what it was. “Does it have something to do with the four cycles? Is it a fifth cycle?” Firos asked. Ragenrok snorted, though his brother had a good point.
Zect laughed. “Yes, kinda. It’s all four cycles together. A full-cycle starts at life-cycle and ends with ice-cycle.”
The two nodded. “Is there anything else?” Ragenrok asked grumpily.
Zectabuteca shook his owl-like head. “No, I better be returning now anyway. Farewell young princes.” He left the cave and flew out into the stary sky. Ragenrok did not even notice how late it was! He sighed as he shuffled back to the nursery cavern, Firos bounding behind him. Maybe his brother would let him sleep and not annoy him with useless comments.
