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The only thing that can rouse a hibernating dragon is the distress call of a wyrmling. It's an instinctual urge to find and protect young dragons, an instinct developed over decades of losing young to hunters and combatting a dwindling population. So, when Techno awoke in the middle of hibernation, as grouchy as he was, he didn't, couldn't, go back to sleep. Not until he found the wyrmling that had sent out a distressed pulse of draconic magic and rescued it. He took to the skies, headed in the direction the wyrmling's call came from and hoped that it was a false alarm so that he could return to his den and finish out the rest of his hibernation in peace. Techno would have no such luck.
As he neared the area the destress pulse had emanated from, another pulse of draconic magic knocked into him, drawing his attention towards the snow-coated ground. Techno began his descent, beating his wings every so often to keep him aloft as his eyes traced the ground, searching for a hint of the wyrmling. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. There. In the snow, barely visible, was a lump. Techno reached out for it with his own magic, gently nudging, and another pulse knocked into him desperately.
Techno touched down, expelling hot air out of his snout onto the lump. Snow flew up, some melting immediately, and the wyrmling became visible. He was small. Much smaller than acceptable to leave alone. Techno huffed, nosing at the baby, and sniffing for the source of the wyrmling’s destress. The distinct smell of hybrid filled his nose, and Techno shook his head, looking down at the child once more. That could explain the smaller size of the wyrmling, but it did not excuse leaving a baby alone. Where were his parents? Techno sniffed again.
This time, Techno ignored the smell of the hybrid and focused on the wyrmling’s destress, coaxing the baby’s magic to reveal the source of his discomfort and pain. The wyrmling let out a weak warble and another pulse, magic pleading for protection. Techno’s instincts erupted into sick-hurt-baby and cold-nestling-pain. Techno looked around for any sign of the wyrmling’s Weyr.
There was nothing to indicate that any other dragons had been around recently enough to have left the Wyrmling in the snow, nor was there evidence of humans near enough to do the same. Techno opened his jaw, allowing the scents direct access to the glands on the roof of his mouth. More sensitive than his nostrils, the glands picked up a lingering trail of the wyrmling’s scent coming from the south, but nothing else, but no other smells in the area nor on the child. Whoever had left the young dragon had done so long before the wyrmling had found his way into Techno’s territory and collapsed.
As much as Techno wanted to return home, his instincts refused to allow him to abandon the wyrmling, even if the child was a hybrid rather than a full dragon. Techno nosed at the child, breathing onto the wyrmling to warm him up. The child groaned, and Techno nosed him again, pushing with his magic. The wyrmling’s eyes fluttered open as he whined. Techno took in the glassy appearance of the child’s blue eyes with worry.
The wyrmling let out a chuckle and reached a hand up to pet Techno’s snout. “Mumma,” The wyrmling whimpered. “Missed you. Wish you didn’t have to leave.” Techno could make out the child’s slurred words and he nosed the baby again. “Tired, Mumma. Tired.” The wyrmling’s eyes drooped again and Techno snorted, worried. Carefully, Techno scooped up the wyrmling into one arm, holding the child close to his chest. He was so tiny.
Techno beat his wings once, twice, and then he was in the air. He scanned the surrounding area once more and, seeing nothing that could belong to the child in his grasp, he turned back towards his den. The child huddled into the dragon’s chest, seeking warmth from the nether dragon that cuddled him close. As Techno touched down outside his den, he gathered his magic around him and sent out a generalized pulse of draconic magic. Unlike the wyrmling, whose pulse was sent out in distress and a call for help, Techno’s served as a lingering reminder that this territory was claimed, and any who entered and caused problems would incur Techno’s wrath.
One arm holding the child close, Techno made his way into his den, slipping down pathways and tunnels and into the heart of the mountain before going down, into the depths of a hidden ravine. Once he reached the bottom, Techno made his way through another connected tunnel into a large cave. Against one wall of the cave was Techno’s nest, and against the other was a small pool of water, a natural hot spring heated by lava somewhere far below it. Techno moved towards the hot spring, laying the Wyrmling next to the water.
With one webbed wing, Techno scooped up a small amount of water and let most of it drip back into the pool until his wing was left damp. Carefully, Techno moved the wing over the wyrmling’s arms and legs, every once in a while dampening his wing once more. Once he was done, Techno sniffed at the child once more, searching for any lingering cold on the boy. There was none.
With the boy thoroughly warmed, Techno picked him up once more and stepped into his nest. Techno curled up, encasing the wyrmling in his larger form. Laying his snout gently on the child’s head, Techno breathed out and pressed into his hair, sending a gentle pulse of magic into the boy. Satisfied that his magic would alert him to the boy’s awakening, Techno moved his snout off of the boy, resting his head beside the wyrmling and closing his eyes. Without a doubt, the wyrmling would once again interrupt Techno’s hibernation, but until the child was awake, there was nothing Techno could do but wait and sleep.
Days later, the wyrmling stirred and the pulse of magic pressed Techno to awaken once more to care for the child. The boy was curled up, pressing his face into Techno’s side, just to the side of one of Techno’s wings. Techno shifted, placing the limb over the child, and nosing his head gently. The wyrmling whined.
Techno placed his snout on the top of the boy’s head and directed his magic towards the wyrmling, sending waves of calm-safe-here towards the child. The wyrmling paused and, almost cautiously, sent a wave of lost-confused-scared back to Techno. Techno huffed, laying his throat over the boy’s back, and let out a rumbled purr.
The child’s breath hitched, and Techno pressed a bit harder against his back, letting the purring rumble deep in his throat to soothe the wyrmling. A few moments passed, and then Techno felt the wyrmling purr in response, timidly. As the child relaxed against Techno’s side, he pulled back once more, looking down at the baby. Blue eyes stared up at him. Taking note of the lingering fear in the child’s eyes, Techno closed his eyes, gathering his magic in his core.
While it wasn’t something Techno had the need to do often, he could maintain a shapeshifted form if the situation called for it and, well, the care of a wyrmling was a better reason than most. Techno allowed his magic to shift his form, wings combining with his front legs, tail shortening into his spine, and spikes retracting into his back as he got smaller. Before the eyes of the wyrmling, Techno transformed from a giant dragon, king of beasts, into a human. Fully shifted, Techno took a moment to breathe and then opened his eyes, looking down at the child who’d been left on the ground during the transformation.
“Little one,” Techno started. The wyrmling skittered backward and Techno frowned. “Come here, child.” The boy trembled, looking up at Techno and shaking his head no. Techno stepped forwards and tears sprung to the young boy’s eyes as his breath hitched. Techno paused and then kneeled. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. We’re the same, you and I.” The boy sniffled.
“Same?” Techno nodded, reaching out with his magic to press against the boys.
“Same, little one.” The boy sniffled and barreled forwards, wrapping his little arms around Techno’s waist and pressing his face into his neck, magic sending wave after wave of messages into Techno’s being, from scared-lost-alone to help-stay-comfort to safe-family-confused. “Hush, little one,” Techno pet the child’s head, lifting the boy with one arm. “Let’s get you fed and bathed, and then we can go back to resting, alright?”
The wyrmling nodded into Techno’s neck, holding tight. “Okay,” the boy murmured. Techno allowed a comforting rumble to reside in his throat as he approached his hoard, checking quickly for any clothes that could be of use. Appraising the boy’s size and the few garments he had in his stash, Techno decided on a large sleep shirt. It would go down past the boy’s knees and hang loosely on his frame, but the child would be hibernating soon, and once hibernation was over Techno could venture out to one of the villages in his territory to retrieve more fitting clothes.
Having picked out hibernation clothes for the child, Techno carried the boy to the hot spring. “Let’s get you cleaned up, alright?” He spoke softly and the wyrmling clung tighter around his neck.
“You won’t let go, right?” Techno hummed, a question on his tongue. “Can’t swim.”
“Don’t worry, young one. I won’t let you sink.” The child peeked up at Techno.
“Promise?” He peeked up and Techno’s heart sank at the terror in his eyes.
“I promise.” Techno’s hand came up to the boy’s hair, fingers combing through the locks. “Has someone let you sink before?” Techno had to ask. The boy pressed his face into Techno’s shoulder and nodded. Techno held back a growl. “Well, I won’t, little one.”
Techno stepped into the spring, not caring if his clothes got wet. It wasn’t often he took human form, and he wouldn’t remain in this form long enough to worry about the state of his clothing. The young boy held onto Techno as he was lowered gently into the water, a quiet whimper coming out.
“It’s alright. Let’s get you out of those nasty old clothes and cleaned up, okay?” Techno lowered them down into the water and sat the child on his knee. He peeled the wyrmling’s clothes away, frowning at the near rags and tossing them out of the spring. Techno worked quickly to rinse away the dirt and grime that lingered on the boy. “Okay, little one, I need to wet your hair alright?” The look of fear was back. “I won’t let you sink; I promise. Just lean back, little one.”
The wyrmling took a deep breath and grabbed Techno’s arm before tilting backward, hair going into the water. Techno put a hand behind the boy’s head, ensuring he didn’t go too far, and then pushed him back up once his hair was sufficiently wet. “Good job,” Techno mumbled, sitting the boy back on his knee and going to work on his hair, separating strands. “I think that’s the best we can do for now.” Techno mentally noted to look into human hygiene rituals and products when he went to town for the child’s clothes.
Techno scooped the boy into his arms again, rising out of the water and stepping back onto dry land. He grabbed a stray shift, using it to dry the boy, and then dressed him in the large sleep shirt. Combined with the warmth of the bath, his newfound cleanliness, and Techno’s warmth as a nether dragon, the wyrmling’s eyes began to droop, and Techno allowed a small smile to slip.
“I know, little one, it’s sleep time and I’m keeping you awake. Just a bit longer and we can rest, darling.” Techno vaguely wandered where the term of affection had come from but attributed it to his instincts claiming the wyrmling as his baby to protect. His son. “We’ve got to get you some food first, and then we can sleep as long as you need, okay?”
The wyrmling hummed, nodding. “Okay.” Techno ruffled the boy’s hair and moved him to one hip. He walked towards the entrance of the cave, and then took a step beyond it, into the ravine. Lit with shroomlights and glowstone, the ravine gave off a comforting light, and the wyrmling looked around in sleepy wonder. Techno chuckled, used to the lighting of his native dimension, and made his way to a smaller cave. Inside the narrow passage, the cave opened into a small grove, the grass and plants transplanted and nourished by Techno many years prior.
Techno investigated his storage, grabbing up a few chunks of meat as well as some vegetables and berries. Techno sat on the ground and handed the child piece after piece as he slowly nibbled his way through the meal. Soon enough the meat and berries were gone, and only a few vegetables remained as the boy’s eyes drooped. Deciding he’d had enough, Techno put the remains back into his storage and waved his magic over the chest, stasis charm put back in place. Techno stood, holding the baby to his chest. The wyrmling pressed his face into Techno’s shoulder with a whine.
“I know, we can sleep soon.” Techno held back a yawn, starting back through the cave, through the ravine, and back to his nest as he spoke. “You’ve been so good for me, young one. We can go back to sleep now until it’s time to wake up for spring.” The child leaned his head into Techno’s hand, which had come up to pet at his hair, and looked up at Techno sleepily.
“You’re like Mumma was. Nice and warm, in and out.” Techno hummed, noting the past tense. “Are you my new Mumma?” Techno scratched gently at the boy’s neck.
“Not quite little one.”
“Papa then?” Techno nodded.
“If you’d like me to be, then yes.” The wyrmling nodded sleepily.
“I’d like that.” The child yawned, laying his head on Techno’s shoulder. “I’m Tommy.” Techno smiled.
“Rest now, Tommy. You’re safe now. Goodnight.” The wyrmling’s eyes closed and his breaths evened out as they reached the nest.
“Goodnight, Papa,” Tommy spoke softly before sleep claimed him and Techno smiled down at his new son. Techno placed him in the nest and gathered his magic, shifting back into his natural form. He picked up the boy gently, curling up and placing him safely under a wing.
As his own eyes drooped and hibernation latched onto Techno, now that the wyrmling was safe, he gathered one last pulse of magic, directing it at his son and pouring into him loved-safe-home.