Reunion (3/4)

Rivia lifted her head and looked off into the trees, the sharp corner of the futuristic pen just about visible between the foliage. Malakai had put it far, far away from the cabin so that his howls wouldn't be as obvious during the bad days, but he was still able to see, if he tried his best.

 

Rivia's face twisted in a mixture of hate and pity as she answered. 

 

"The Litch. Malakai used the magic Fidelia gave him to make it... he doesn't attack other people any more, no, now he attacks him. He nearly died getting him in the thing - Monti had to pick him up and throw him to save his life. It's why he's limping and why there's bandages on his side under his cloak and a patch on his face."

 

Malakai returned after putting it pride and place near the window just inside the caravan, just about visible through the glass, just above where his work station was. He paused, tilted it to the left a little, before he smiled to himself and came back out, approaching her. 

 

He was still gripping his stick fairly tightly, likely noticeable now to Fidelia's heightened awareness.

 

~**~

 

Akeem fluttered his wings, before relaxing, not wanting to accidentally hit Rivia's back with his wings. His eyes remained on the pen, gut twisting about as he thought of Leshen, a growl threatening to break out, boiling in his chest. He forced it down, not wanting Fidelia to get worried over the anger that was running through his veins.

 

"Do you want me to try to heal him?" He asked, turning his attention back to Rivia. "Mal I mean. Considering everything he's done."

 

Fidelia didn't bother to wait for Malakai to come to her, instead, easily meeting him half-way. Her tail lightly struck the ground, frisking around as she tried to calm her nerves. 

 

"You're limping," She said, pointing at his stick. "¿Qué pasó?" She paused, quickly clearing her throat, hating how quickly she had switched over to Spanish in a panic. "What happened?"

 

~**~

 

"Huh? Oh..." Malakai's ears drooped a little and he held onto his stick a little more, more out of awkwardness than anything. He'd half forgotten about the fact he was limping and the fact she'd half gone into Spanish made him realize she was freaking out, internally at least. 

 

"Well um... well, okay, so. I used your spells, and I made Leshen a new pen, but... getting him in the pen was harder than I originally thought it would be."

 

Rivia rumbled low in her throat, quiet, but noticeable. "I didn't know you could heal... But. Maybe. If he'll let you."

 

~**~

 

"What did he do?" Fidelia hissed, her pupils dilating as she grabbed Malakai's shoulders. Her tail strikes the ground once more, fidgeting even worse. She should've been here, she should've. Oh those thoughts muddled inside her, veins tightening as she relaxed her grip. "Lo siento, amigo."

 

Her heart was aching and throbbing inside of her chest, threatening to break open.

 

"I'm an Ocean dragon. It's one of our powers," Akeem explained, before wincing as he felt the sorrow that clung to his rider shove itself into him. 

 

His tail twitched and smacked the ground itself, fidgeting as he focused on breathing. To push all the emotions that his rider was feeling deeper down and focused on trying to send rings of comfort for her. 

 

"Sorry," He hissed, ears pinning themselves back. The way Vita was rolling around, he could sense she had also gotten the wake-up call. "Fi must've noticed the wounds now.”

 

~**~

 

Rivia startled a little bit at the sudden thwack so close to her, but settled a little afterwards as she heaved herself up. "Yeah... if you can," she murmured softly, before moving over to the two riders, worried about her grabbing him even if she said nothing.

 

Malakai jumped as she grabbed him, not expecting that kind of reaction and being extremely glad he'd downplayed what had actually taken place as a result, his pupil shrinking slightly and his cybernetic lens shrinking as far as it could to try and keep her face in focus.

 

"I'm alright, Fidelia. I promise. Just a few cuts," he murmured placatingly, patting her arms slightly as she loosened her grip to try and settle her. "I'm fine. See? I'm okay, promise... calm down."

 

~**~

 

Quickly folding his wings, and checking that Vita was alright, her squirming in her dozing, eyes clenched shut, he got up as well. His tail trailed behind him, lightly twitching as everything ran through him. To feel how strong his rider's emotions was, scared him if he was to be honest. They ran deep inside her, burning her up if she let it consume her. Akeem caught a whine that threatened to pierce the air as he walked over to where they were, settling down a bit away from them. 

 

"¡Mierda! ¿Cómo puedo calmarme cuando te atacó?" Fidelia cursed, dropping her hold on him and holding herself. Her tail was thrashing and a cruel laugh was about to burst out of her. She held it in and looked at him, breathing, feeling her lungs expand and then drop back down. "Mierda. Debí haber estado aquí. Para asegurarme de que estabas a salvo."

 

She stopped her quick talking, wanting to pace around as if she was a caged creature. Instead, she caught such temptations, breathing and rubbing her face tiredly. She looked back at him, tail slowing down in its flicking.

 

~**~

 

Malakai watched with wide eyes, staring a little bit in worried silence. His head span in a confused circuit as he tried desperately to understand what she was talking about with the very little Spanish he'd tried to learn for occasions like this, but 'where do you find the train station', even if it had have come up somehow in this conversation, would've been pointless - she was talking too fast and too accented for him to get even a slight grip on it.

 

Hesitantly, to try and diffuse the situation a little by doing something different as well for her to focus on, he lifted his hand. He splayed out his fingers and pressed his thumb against his chest for a second, before he moved into a second gesture after a short few seconds pause, touching his fingers to his chin with his fingers straightened and swiping them to the side slightly. The third gesture was easier to see, likely easier to understand as well, simply making an 'o' shape by curling his fingers, before carefully extending his index and middle finger to make a 'k' shape with his otherwise closed hand.  He was signing. 

 

"I'm fine. I'm good. I'm okay. I promise," he spoke along with each gesture, brows furrowing a little in concern, his voice soft. "Promise."

 

Rivia wasn't as subtle as Akeem and came to stand just to the side of him, nudging gently at his arm with her beak and looking towards Fidelia with an air that could almost be considered frustration. Or disappointment. Or something similar. 

 

Malakai looked over, and after giving her a soft pet, he pushed her head away. "Don't be like that, she didn't mean to," he grumbled. "Go on, go talk to Akeem - you were fine about ten seconds ago."

 

~**~

 

In her frantic Spanish, caught up in the whirl of emotions that were crashing around her, her eyes did catch the slightest flick of movement from Malakai. Fidelia felt the words die inside her throat, eyes following his slow signing, her mind trying to translate the signing. She cursed herself for not having read up more on the Naki sign language, but Malakai's plan had worked. She relaxed, her shoulders drooping and her hold relaxing on herself. Her tail stilled, fur still bristling in certain areas though.

 

She swallowed around the ball that seemed to be in her throat, choking her up. Her heart was still beating hard inside her chest, her body feeling tired and wide awake all at once. It was becoming dull as he spoke, voice soothing, and her ears lowered a bit.

 

"Ok, ok," She murmured, shaking her head and laughing, dry and hollow. Her eyes caught Rivia's expression, shoulders tensing up. Shit, shit. Her tail frisked itself, slowly returning back to its fidgeting, with new rigor.

 

Akeem watched from his perch, before letting out a chirp to catch Rivia's attention. He flared one wing and beckoned her, before it folded itself back to its rightful place.

 

"Let them talk," He called, before he turned his head to Fidelia.

 

'Don't panic, he's fine,' He whispered and he tried bringing soft comfort to her rigid form. 'Let him explain and don't fret.'

 

She didn't answer but he thought he could hear a snort from her. He could feel her slowly relaxing and he watched as she looked at Mal, tail stopping its flicking.

 

"I'm sorry, Mal," Fidelia finally spoke up, sighing. "I shouldn't have freaked out on you."

 

~**~

 

Malakai weakly smiled as she settled down finally, ignoring the frustrated groan that came from Rivia, the large earth dragon almost squaring up to Fi at her buzzing energy from her anxiety, but at Akeem's words, her slowly growing glare started to falter a little bit. 

 

Showing her mostly blunt teeth in a soft tsk sound, she slowly, very slowly, started to move away from Malakai and situate herself a small distance away, staring Fi down. A sharp look from Malakai made her glare back for a few moments before she let out a deep, audible sigh and laid down, resting her head on her paws again. She wasn't going to do anything. Malakai untensed. 

 

"Sorry..." he murmured instinctually, before registering that she'd spoken again. "No, it - it's fine. I shouldn't have just... well, you know... blurted out about him. I know he really got in your head last time you interacted with him, and I-... I should've planned my words better."

 

His tail gently brushed against the ground and he looked at his hands, not sure what to do with himself now, his heart slowly calming in his chest as he scrambled for what to say next.

 

~**~

 

Fidelia flicked her tail, her gaze more focused on Malakai than on Rivia. When she flicked her gaze at Rivia, her body tensed up, becoming rigid once more. Had she done something wrong? She ran through the reasons why Rivia would be incensed with her, to make that little tsk sound like she was a disgruntled madre. Her gaze switched back to Malakai, seeing how he had given a look at Rivia, before Rivia backed up.

 

She attentively noted that, putting it in the back of her mind. She would have to ask Akeem why Rivia now seemed to have issues with her. Her ears shot up when she heard Malakai answer, all thoughts of Rivia vanishing at his words. Her heart seemed to have been pierced by how soft he was, how he apologized for something she had done.

 

"Don't apologize, amigo," She whispered, before clearing her throat. She didn't want to switch into Spanish on accident again in this frenzy of emotions she was feeling. "I shouldn't have freaked out on you like that. Are you alright? He didn't hurt you too badly?"

 

Akeem laid his head on his paws, watching them with attentive eyes. He shot a look towards Rivia and he chirped at her once more, trying to catch her attention.

 

~**~

 

"I'm fine, he just caught my side and my face - everything else is healed up all nice and fine," he nodded. "You should come see...? It was a pretty cool project, took me weeks to finish."

 

Malakai shifted a little awkwardly, fingers brushing anxiously over his cloak, before he took the plunge and pushed it aside to show her the bandages around the middle and a little of his thigh. He'd not intentionally been hiding it, but the cloak had definitely obscured it a little. 

 

"It's just a precaution - I’m fine, honestly."

 

Rivia grunted, staring at the two  a moment longer before she finally gave in and slowly turned her eyes to Akeem, wondering what he wanted.

 

~**~

 

Fidelia sucked in air, chest tightening as she saw how much Leshen had gotten at him. She almost wanted to reach out to touch the bandaged sides, or hold him close, or honestly do anything other than stare. Her ears flinched back as she turned her worried gaze over to his more calmer, though anxious ones. She cleared her throat and nodded, sweeping her tail slightly.

 

"Whatever you say," She murmured, not wanting to start freaking him out again. She rubbed her arm awkwardly, and nodded. "Uh, sure. How did you even get Leshen into it?"

 

Seeing that Rivia had decided to not yet move, Akeem got up, tail swishing against the dirt, before settling down next to Rivia. His wing lightly pressed against her side, turning to look at her.

 

"Fi scared you?" He asked, rumbling deep from his chest. "It's better she freaked out than not caring at all I would say."

 

He lightly rubbed at his snout with one paw, before letting it fall back to the ground. His ear flicked as he watched Rivia curiously.

 

"She calms down, she just didn't expect it. And she doesn't want to cross boundaries with him," He continued, before pausing, wondering how much he should tell Rivia.

 

~**~

 

"It was, uh... complicated to say the least. Mainly Riv and Monti who helped. Grim tried to be fair to him, but not much happened with it since he couldn't really grab. He stunned him with lightning though which was useful..."

 

He paused for a long few seconds, weighing his options between telling her the full truth and telling her a half truth to stop her freaking out like that again. It concerned him. He didn't want her to feel like that because of him. 

 

"I uh... getting him in the runes seemed to unbalance his dark magic and set off a Black mood. He was Docile before - when we were taking him out the hole I mean. I got caught between the fence and him. Please..." he paused, taking a soft breath before he looked pleadingly at her. 

 

He took her hand in his, squeezing it lightly and covering her fingers with his other hand. The gesture was unmistakably a begging one. He was imploring her. 

 

"I know he attacked you. I know-... I know he attacked a lot of people, but that wasn't him.  He's... he's been through a lot. More than any of us can imagine. I can feel it through our connection sometimes, I-I can hear his thoughts and his voice and his feelings..." 

 

His eyes glazed over a little as he remembered the dark void that was his dragon's head. He never delved deep, but he could feel it just from standing right at the edge of its abyssal darkness. How strong it was. How painful it was. It took a toll on him the closer he was to Leshen, which is when he started to put a distance between them. 

 

Another reason he had been in the pit.

 

"It's so dark in there, Fi... in his mind... it's...  nothing and everything at the same time. Confusion. Anger. Pain..." his eyes refocused and he loosened his grip slightly on Fi, but didn’t let go. He seemed to look as haggard as he felt as his voice became dry. "Fear. He wants... he wants to die, sometimes..."

 

He took in a deep breath and seemed to come back to himself, patting Fidelia's hand and shaking himself off. 

 

"I... what I mean is... just... give him a chance. He needs me. Us. He needs to know there's someone there who cares. He's not all bad. He's in there.... somewhere."

 

He sighed shakily and dropped her hand slowly, hugging himself and looking down. 

 

"Somewhere."

 

 

Rivia was about to answer, but a similarly glazed look fell over her eyes as Malakai started to feel Leshen's dark tendrils seep into him again. She growled and focused all her energy into a loud bellow that seemed to snap Malakai out of it entirely, and surprise Leshen too it seemed, from the faint, weak call that sounded in his direction. 

 

She stood once more, careful not to jostle Akeem's wing that badly. She was too uptight to sit still. Too full of emotion and anxiety and rage that creature would continuously try to hurt Malakai, even if it wasn't on purpose.

 

Malakai understood that, but Rivia did not - and she hated the other dragon because of it with a dark passion.

 

"She's fine," she hissed, before she started to move towards the dirt path with a meaningful stride.

 

~**~

 

Fidelia had listened, ears twitching as she took him in. His eyes were so large and wide, beseeching into her soul. How concerned he was, for her despite him being the injured one. She swallowed around the lump in her throat, choking her up like she was on the verge of tears. She never wanted him to feel like that, she wanted to hold him and never let him experience that pain again that he faced with Leshen.

 

Her blood ran cold when he took her hand into his smaller ones, her tensing up. Shoulders became rigid, pupils dilating as she breathed, chest pumping. It was so intimate, to feel his cooler cybernetics run against her warmer flesh, her ears falling back. She could only try gripping his hand back, wanting to entwine her fingers with his.

 

Breath was sucked out of her as she heard his next words, how lost and hopeless Malakai seemed to be. Her heart beat with a sad pulse as she watched his eyes glaze over. It forced her to not hold him, bring him close and take him away from this place. She could only watch with shaky breath, her heart clenching as she listened. She couldn't speak, feeling guilt and sadness pierce her, impale her so quickly. Oh gods, Malakai, how hurt he looked. How much he was in pain, to feel what his despairing dragon was feeling. Both lost in their feelings.

 

Carefully, she cupped his face with her free hand, rubbing her thumb against his cheek. Dark purring escaped, broken apart as she saw how lost he looked, recounting what Leshen had felt. She jolted a bit when he let her go and she used that hand to lightly grip his shoulder.

 

"I know, I know," She whispered as he sighed, feeling it through her bones. "No one deserves that. I'll be here if you, or he, needs it."

 

She sighed, tilting her head as she watched him. She could see how tired he truly looked now. How far gone Leshen was and the toll it was taking on his bond. She never wanted that to happen, feeling her blood run cold as she looked at him, took Malakai in.

 

Akeem jolted at the sudden bellow from Rivia, loud and utterly demanding. Akeem pushed himself up as he watched, hopelessly, Rivia get up. His tail twitched as he watched her stomp off, stride powerful and he sucked in his breath. Lightly, he twisted his head to jostle Vita awake. She bolted with wide eyes, finned crest flaring.

 

"What?" She asked, scrambling up as he pushed her away, trying to get her down.

 

"Stay here with Fi and Mal," He demanded, pushing her enough for her to take the hint, leaping off him.

 

"What's happening, Akee?"

 

"Just stay here. I'm gonna follow Riv," He simply said, before turning away, lightly pushing Vita to stay in place with the tip of his tail. He quickly trotted after Rivia.

 

"Riv!" He called, sharp in contrast to his usual soft voice.

 

~**~

 

Malakai's breath caught in his chest as he felt her lean closer to him, both surprised and a little confused why she was suddenly touching his face. He had not realised he was broadcasting as much as he had been. 

 

Without even thinking, he subconsciously leaned into her palm very slightly, half closing his eyes, finding his gaze a little too drawn to hers. He'd never realized quite how bright they were until he saw them now, brimming with her own feelings that he had yet been able to truly identify. 

 

He found his mind drifting a little as he responded. Her hands felt nice, her pads feeling different to his own, more canine ones. Softer. She was warm...

 

"I missed you..." he murmured tiredly, it seeming to take him a total of three seconds to actually realize what he said before he cleared his throat and moved back a little bit, heat flushing his face and churning his stomach with embarrassment. 

 

"I uh... we should go see if Rivia is okay... I don't know why she yelled like that, but..." he paused, it dawning on him a moment later. "Oh no... she's probably mad at Leshen again, I-"

 

He frowned as he saw Akeem rush past them after Rivia, his movements slowing to a stop. Was... he needed if Akeem was going after her...? Would Akeem not attack Leshen? Monti was there, but...

 

"Shit," he murmured.

 

 

Rivia stormed forwards, ramming her thick plated skull into a tree that had dared to be in her way, her potentially lethal tail dangerously swaying behind her in a wide repeated arc to keep Akeem at a distance. Anybody at a distance.

 

Monti's scent was strong along this path, as well as Rivia's and Malakai's. Malakai's was stronger than them all though. 

 

It would make sense, considering it still held the fading echoes of a month old battle started in cold blood, his fear scent and the metallic burn of his blood and his venom, old scents to Akeem now likely, since he'd not used it since that very first time they had met, but familiar nonetheless. 

 

Storming through the splintered remains of the foliage, she bellowed back towards Akeem.

 

"Stay back, Akeem."

 

~**~

 

"I missed you too," Fidelia whispered, heat pooling and making her relax, to feel how soft he was under her palm. 

 

She wished they could stay like this, that maybe she had more confidence to lean over and kiss him. She reluctantly dropped her hand from his cheek, giving one last squeeze to his shoulder, before removing her hand from there as well. Her senses were reawakened though, shocking her out of the warm, fuzzy feeling that had swarmed her previously. She lightly backed up, turning her head, watching as Akeem ran right past them. 

 

"Why? Why is she mad at Leshen?" She questioned, turning her questioning gaze onto Malakai. Her blood ran cold as she heard the curse slip from Malakai's mouth. "Mierda."

 

 

Akeem had to swing back at the swaying, spiked tail, wings fluttering back, catching him. He dodged one of the destroyed trees, shattered pieces flinging themselves wildly around them. The scent of venom sent a wave of nausea to Akeem, memories from burning sand slowly coming back. He was not a fool, he remembered that meeting well, having always stuck with him.

 

Flaring his wings up, ignoring Rivia's warning, he flew himself into the air, before crashing down in front of her. Spreading his wings wide, flaring up, he lightly backed up, eyes flashing towards the spikes. With how wild the anger that was coming off Rivia, he was uncertain if him blocking her path would even work, and that he had simply walked right into her crossfire. He bent his wings in case he had to fly up.

 

"Rivia," He barked, tail striking around the air. "Watch yourself. Mal doesn't need you injured either."

 

~**~

 

Rivia faltered for only a few seconds before she did something that was very out of character for the usually docile dragon. 

 

She lowered her head slightly, bracing her front legs and neck, raising her rear end and lashing her tail behind her. It showed off her weapons and her strength. She was giving him a chance to move. 

 

"Get out of my way, Akeem," she snarled, blue eyes flames of rage, bright and harsh. "I wasn't able to do anything about it before, but I can sure as hell do something about it now. That Litch needs to go."

 

 

Malakai's ears flickered down and without a second's wasted time, he immediately started to move at the sound of both dragons moving around, hearing the splintering trees. He knew the difference by now of one being splintered and one being uprooted like Monti did. 

 

"Rivia's lost it," he murmured quickly. "No no no... Riva! Calm down!" he yelled, both outwardly and through their connection, but Rivia's anger was too far gone into the red. His plea only caused another snarl to leave her throat, swigging her tail into another tree, the earth bubbling at her feet as sharp, tiny, jagged spires of rock shifted into existence before crumbling into pebbles. The tree splintered out to the side slightly with the harsh hit with all her strength with the club, falling to the side with a last groan of life.

 

"Move."

 

 

Monti raised his head as he started to hear the commotion not far from the den, having been ignoring it for the most part, assuming it was just the regular roughhousing that came with Fidelia's dragons coming home after a while. He'd been at his post most of the day taking in the sunlight and talking with Leshen during his calm moments, keeping him busy. 

 

He'd almost dozed off, but the sharp, muffled shouts of Rivia woke him.

 

~**~

 

Akeem stilled, wings growing tense, tail anxiously shifting through the leaves. His blood grew cold, scales prickling as horror dawned on him. Backing up, he raised his own wings high, legs tensing up, before lunging upwards, wings beating harshly against the wind. He twisted around in the air, curving above Rivia, and shooting farther into the sky. Turning to look down at Rivia, and seeing the dots that were their riders, he darted towards where Leshen seemed to be held.

 

Monti's scent, he could smell even from above, soaring over the tree tops and trying to spot where they were. Hovering in the air, wings flapping wildly, heart pacing and adrenaline pumping through his veins, he finally caught sight of where Monti was. Twisting in the air, he moved to land near Monti, body smashing against the near tree branches, roughly landing against the ground. He scrambled for some purchase, tail striking wildly, calling over to Monti.

 

"Rivia's trying to kill Leshen!" He bellowed, wings flaring out before him, swinging his head around to catch Monti's gaze.

 

 

Fidelia's pupils widened, tail striking wildly as she heard the groans of the trees, collapsing against the ground. Quickly, she chased after Malakai, easily meeting him. With a quick grab, seeing how far gone Rivia was, she held onto Malakai's arm and pulled him close to her. 

 

"Don't," She hissed, ears flaring back against her skull, teeth becoming bare as a growl rumbled out from her throat. "We need to get to Leshen before her. Don't try to get in front of her."

 

Letting him go, she looked up, breath quickening as she watched Akeem fling himself into the air and go towards where the den seemed to be. She turned back to Malakai, "Where's Leshen's den?"

 

~**~

 

Monti slowly rose to stand as Akeem landed heavily not far from him. He seemed totally calm as he towered over the pen’s wall and almost Akeem himself, but only when he straightened his back - which he currently was, using his bipedal form to his advantage to look over the treeline.

 

He narrowed his eyes very slightly upon seeing the trees fall on her way here. 

 

"The witch don't kill him," Monti murmured finally, before digging his claws into the ground and erecting a wall of about five feet around the premises. It was slow going and thin but a wall nonetheless. "She knows it'd hurt Malakai."

 

"Won't hold her for long, but it'll hold... Hey, Pit Viper! Quit talking to the rider!" Monti barked over his shoulder. "We've been over this, you idiot."

 

A morbidly familiar face peered out from a dark cave like structure in the pen. The pen itself was made up of about 12 spires, shimmering walls of a near invisible forcefield webbed between, under and above it all, emanating from the delicately carved runes in the metal. Inside was like a mini eco dome,  plants and trees and rock, grasses and water from a stream that crossed through the barrier, while all around it was flat and dusty from Monti's handiwork. 

 

Leshen let out a wheezed, grim sounding hiss through his nose cavity before slithering back into his bolt hole, the cage around his delicate chest glinting pathetically in the light. He looked just as beat up as Malakai, if not more so - though it was hard to tell with his monstrous traits what was injury and what was natural. 

 

 

Malakai hissed and rubbed his face. "We have to go through the trees - without flying we can't beat her."

 

~**~

 

Akeem dug his short nails into the mossy ground, tail striking back and forth behind him as he watched the trees fall, shuddering and crashing down. He made a deep, gruffing sound from the back of his throat at Monti calling Rivia witch, but tried to not focus too much on it as the wall was erected around them. Small in comparison to his and Monti's tall height, but would require Malakai and Fidelia to try climbing over it. 

 

Akeem jolted when Monti barked, looking over his shoulder and seeing the dark, inky face of Leshen peering out. A hiss escaped from Akeem's throat without warning, feathers flaring out as he saw the black creature. He lightly backed up, anger rolling off him in waves at the sight of the inky, monstrous being, before tilting his head away, instead watching the trees falling get closer to them.

 

 

Fidelia simply nodded, before pulling on Malakai's arm, to get him moving. "That's fine, Akee must be there then. As long as we get there before she can properly attack, it's fine."

 

~**~

 

"She's been trying to attack him all goddamn month, don't freak out... we can handle her," Monti murmured, standing tall and just.. waiting. There was a hint of unease in his stance, but his pride and confidence in his abilities seemed to come into play and hide it. He was favouring his unscarred leg, subconsciously protecting the one that Rivia had permanently damaged.

 

"Watch her cursed back end and you'll be fine," he added in a more sobering tone. His deep voice dripped with prior experience of that particular experience and it wasn't a nice one, clearly.

 

Rivia skidded to a stop as she saw the wall, and she roared, loud and full of frustrated rage. It was a sound that didn't look like it could've come from a dragon so small, and so usually stoic and calm. Nice. Polite. Gentle.

 

It seemed everyone of Malakai's dragons had issues with their emotions in some way and Rivia being a dark dragon didn't seem to help. The shadows seemed to grow a little longer, but it was barely a flicker.

 

"Monti. Don't make me break your other leg," she snarled. 

 

Monti bared his own fangs at the wall, digging his claws into the earth and lowering himself into a braced stance, eyes gleaming. "I'd love to see you try, Princess," he growled back, his voice enough to rumble the rock itself beneath him.

 

Leshen stayed hidden in the cave, but soft, panicked whispering did come from the darkness, voice almost childlike in nature. Monti tilted his head slightly, as if listening to it. 

 

"It's alright..." he murmured, quieter and a little gentler than when he'd spoken to Rivia. "She can't get passed that damned barrier. You're safe."

 

The whispering got more shrill as the wall vibrated and trembled as Rivia hit it with the force of a cargo train, a yawning crack splitting down the middle which Monti quickly fixed with a shard of crystal that exploded from the ground. Rivia's wobbly, blurred purple and black form was briefly visible through the clear surface before it vanished to the left. Monti followed her actions, feet stomping as he let out a roar that would make a real T-rex proud.

 

"Akeem. Cover the air. Tell me where she is," he rumbled as he passed.

 

 

Malakai took in a shaky breath, his own hands trembling at the sheer aggression and mixed feelings coming from his dragons. He just hoped Grim didn't decide to come get involved with this... The last thing he needed was Grim's lightning mixed in with the rock and the screeches.

 

"They're fighting..." he murmured, as if Fidelia couldn't already hear the distant chorus of explosive rocks, falling trees and the tremor in the very ground both Monti and Rivia were causing as they romped, smashed and cursed each other out in their own tongue. Rivia smashing down the wall almost as fast as Monti was building it, taking out all her pent up anger on it, Monti laser focused on his magic 

 

 

"T-They're fighting again. It's alright. It sounds bad, but... It'll be alright for the most part. Don't panic."

 

~**~

 

Akeem's wings rose in defense, high and flared like how they were once like in his fight against Leshen. His tail stilled, raised, body tense, ready to jump into flight. His ears flared back, teeth baring themselves as he heard the bellow from Rivia. It shook him to his core, to hear such a gentle dragon like her to suddenly express such rage. That she had become blocked from killing another, like what Leshen had done all those weeks ago.

 

Akeem shot a look towards Monti as he heard the soft whispering creeping from the back of the den. It pained him to hear it sound like a child, like ones from Fi's village. It was crushed when he watched the barrier be hit, splitting with a tremendous howl to the heavens. They were quickly replaced as Akeem watched Rivia attack, her once solid form becoming wispy like a lurking shadow. 

 

Hearing the roar from the two dragons, and feeling the earth rumble underneath him, Akeem quickly avoided Monti's stomping after Rivia. He nodded at Monti's words, quickly leaping into the air, sending the trees blowing as he entered the air. It clawed at him as his wings batted against the air powerfully, sending the trees rocking around them. He bowed his head, gaze following after the once soft-spoken Rivia, calling out her position. 

 

 

Fidelia tightened her hands around Malakai's, her heart clenching as she felt them tremble in her own larger ones. She desperately cupped his face, her eyes scanning his fearful ones. Her ears flattened themselves against her skull, pupils dilating so quickly, a sign of her own fear. 

 

"Look at me, Mal," She whispered, hissing softly as she turned his head so their gazes could lock onto each other. "Calm down, breathe. If you focus on your emotions, it can calm them down. Alright? Breathe with me, Mal."

 

Despite his words to not panic, her heart beat harshly against her own chest to feel him tremble. She needed him to calm down though and she forced herself to breath, as she grasped him against her.

 

~**~

 

Their fight continued in a raucous chorus that boomed across the forest like a volcanic eruption - from both the earth dragon's destruction, and the force from Akeem's wings, currents of fast, harsh wind brushing and weaving between the trees, enough to uproot a few of the nearest ones to the fight, Rivia's sheer destructive force and the continuous shifting of the ground enough to weaken them to the point his taking off finished the job.

 

Monti followed Akeem's sharp instructions to the letter, likely the most co-operative he'd been in the whole entire time the ocean dragon had known him, and just about managed to stop her at every corner. With all her rage, Rivia did not once try and throw a projectile at Akeem. It was likely surprising, but really, her focus was purely on Monti and the creature he was guarding in the enclosure not two feet behind him at all times.

 

The walls of the cage were more than just rune protected for dark magic it seemed, because any stray plant matter or chunks of earth that managed to get flung past Monti's defence bounced harmlessly off of it like a small boulder was about as light as a football, only to bury itself into the loose soil upon hitting the ground. 

 

It all came to a point when, at last, Rivia busted through the wall, her head and shoulders scraped and bleeding sluggishly from careless and repeated slams against the hastily erected walls of rock, crystal and earth. The shadows swirled at her feet and sent Monti, exhausted himself, tumbling to the ground as one grabbed at his leg and held it there. It dissipated soon after and in the moments that followed, both dragons stared at each other dead in the eyes. Both were trembling with the effort they'd put into this fight and both had minor injuries, Rivia more so.

 

She just stood, swaying lightly on her feet, before her gaze slowly moved to the barrier, and then up to Akeem. Her eyes narrowed, but she did not move to cross the line the larger earth dragon had painfully carved amongst the shards and the rubble. She neither showed her side or swayed her tail. She merely stood.

 

Monti stayed floored, jaws slightly open as he panted, trying to predict her next movement with his own narrowed gaze.

 

It would be no surprise to learn that around that time, Malakai had been going along with Fidelia's words and was trying his best to settle his mind and his emotions. He wasn't sure what had sparked the emotional outrage in his dragons, having never experienced anything like this before, even in the minor fights leading up to this moment, but he listened anyway. Almost the same time as his own heart started to slow, did Rivia's rage start to boil dry. It was working, even if neither group could tell, separated as they were.

 

The forest descended into an almost eerie silence after the deafening slams, crashes and cracking of the fight not a few seconds before. The dust settled into nothing but the sound of the wind, caught in Akeem's enormous, anxious wings

 

~**~

 

Akeem's worry had flourished into full-blown anxiety, his chest aching, veins twitching. They ran adrenaline through him, his wings flaring and pushing the nearest trees. A sign of worry through him, as he weaved around the fight in the air, head craned. Each bellow, each object thrown, made his heart race faster. His toes curled as he directed Monti where Rivia had been, and if the fight had not been occurring, he would've been delightfully surprised at seeing him cooperate.

 

Alas, this was not the time to find joy in such things. Akeem's focus was on the two earth dragons, their bellows of rage, reeking of their own adrenaline and slowly burning tiredness. Seeing a projectile go too close to Monti or himself, Akeem grasped onto the weak hold of his wind magic that he had, and pushed the projectile aside. It would thump lifelessly on the ground.

 

And with anxious eyes, Akeem felt his adrenaline burst, wings feeling heavy as he watched Rivia finally break through. Guilt stabbed him, twisting his heart as he saw the blood roll down her strong back and worry flared up, seeing Monti collapse. He flicked his gaze from the two still, stubborn earth dragons. Blood seen on their coats and he held his breath. He anxiously looked down at Rivia, whose gaze met his. 

 

Stubborn, silent sky blue eyes boring into his, before seemingly flicking back to her advisory. Carefully, his wings not beating as hard as they had once did, he landed far away from them. His wings folded carefully up, but if you looked closely, you could see the slightest flick, body stiff as he watched, ready for the next attack.

 

~**~

 

After what seemed to be an age, Rivia slumped into a sitting position, exhaustion finally winning over anger. She glared at Leshen's cave, breathing heavily through her nose to avoid panting flat out.

 

Monti, on the other hand, was panting and he didn't care who saw him do so. He slowly pushed himself up until he was sitting normally, limbs feeling heavy, but pride shone in his snake-like eyes. 

 

He'd fought her back yet again, successfully doing his job. 

 

He flickered his tongue out, before his tail tip twitched and he turned his head towards Akeem, leaving Rivia to stew in her own thoughts.

 

"Thanks for the help," he gruffed. "You should go check on the riders. They seem stressed. We're fine here."

 

Rivia remained silent, her forelegs trembling slightly as her muscles were allowed to relax for the first time in a while. She eventually just laid down entirely.

 

~**~

 

Akeem's gaze continued to flicker back and forth between the two wounded earth dragons, before relaxing as Rivia slumped down. His wings were no longer tense, calm against his scales as he looked back over to Monti. 

 

'Our riders!' 

 

Monti's words gave a bolt to him, sending waves of worry throughout his frame. Oh, Fi must be worried or feeling everything, and what about Mal? His chest clenched as he thought of it, how panicked Mal had been when Rivia had chased to attack Leshen. He had been tired even before the attack.

 

'Get your head together,' He scolded himself, angrily shaking his head before nodding at Monti. 

 

Cautiously, despite his chest urging him to immediately check up on their two riders, he padded over to Rivia. Unfolding a wing, he carefully nudged the wounded earth cross, eyes wide as he stared down at her. Leaning down, he quietly whispered into her ear,

 

"You ok?" 

 

It was barely audible even to him, silent as the wind, before backing up, bringing his wing back to him.

 

~**~

 

Rivia's breaths still came in heavy, strained, huff huffs from her beak. She refused to pant. 

 

Refused to look weak. Her anger may have boiled off, boiled dry now Malakai's own emotions were being channeled correctly via Fi's interference, but she would not. Look. Weak. 

 

Losing the fight had been enough of a hit to her stubborn earth dragon pride. 

 

"I'm fine..." she rumbled, tone angry and exhausted. But fine. The wounds were only surface. They'd heal within the day, without need for treatment. 

 

The landscape, and her pride, would be another thing. She'd been so worried about Fi hurting her rider earlier. It was a little ironic that she'd be the biggest cause of upset, only moments after when her latent temper just... exploded out of her. 

 

She'd been putting up with him hurting her rider for weeks now. The sleepless nights. She felt it all, being his closest dragon.  And now... when he was feeling better... for Leshen to ruin it... it made her lose it.

 

Monti's nonchalance wasn't helping. The reptilian dragon had started murmuring towards Leshen at this point, voice soothing. Or as soothing as a deep, rough voice could sound. 

 

It wasn't a surprise he'd taken up the protective stance between the lot. He could relate to the creature in the pen, after all. He was once a hated beast too. Still was. If Monti showed his face to the nearest townsfolk, the ranchers who he'd pillaged and killed. He'd be hunted down.

 

Mal had saved him, like Mal was trying to save Leshen. And Monti wanted to help him too. Partially for his own reasons, and partially because Leshen pissed off Rivia. 

 

And Monti loved anything and everything, that would piss off Rivia.

 

~**~

 

Akeem's worried-filled gaze stayed on Rivia, his wings slumping at her exhausted tone, his eyes roaming over her wounds. They at least were only minor but pain pierced Akeem's heart to see them, not helped with seeing how absolutely drained Rivia was. While she dared not show it, he could catch the signs of it, the fact she had been so willing to get harmed to defend her rider, to kill the Dark dragon in the pen... He didn't know what it must feel for her...

 

He cast a look over to the other Earth dragon, before back to Rivia. Softly, Akeem pressed his wing against her heaving side in apology, to try to give some comfort to her. He could not stay though, he needed to make sure their riders were alright...

 

Shuffling his wings anxiously, he finally spread them and flew into the air, casting one last anxious look over to the two Earth dragons, who while even not in a fight, it seemed to him that they were still in a standoff.

 

It only took a minute or two for Akeem to fly back to their riders, the distance between Leshen's pen and Malakai's camp not being long for him, and anxiously, he landed down near the entrance of the woods. His wings gave another anxious flutter before he slowly padded over to the two riders, Fidelia's ears finally swiveling back at the sound.

 

She hadn't even noticed her bond, she had been so focused on Mal. Her eyes snapped away from the vernid's and found solace on her bond, brightening up a bit at seeing him, relief flooding her at seeing no scars on him.

 

'Akee,' She sighed and accepted the nuzzle he gave her, before Akee hesitated, not knowing if Mal would be in the right state to accept such affections. 'What happened?'

 

'They're...Rivia tried to attack Leshen and Monti stopped her...They've stopped fighting for now,' Akeem explained, his head twisting back to look at the broken trees Rivia had made in her path.

 

~**~

 

 

Malakai had been trying to calm down since Fi had mentioned it, and when silence greeted his long ears from the woods as he started to calm his breathing down, it only enforced it.

 

He could still feel Leshen preening, scared now, a quiet little trill in the back of his head like a self-comforting purr. Scared for his life. Scared.

 

But Malakai ignored him - had to ignore him. He needed to calm down. Keep Rivia calm.

 

He felt relief too when he realized the ocean dragon, their friend, also held no wounds from the encounter. 

 

Good.

 

As Fi turned to look at him though, Mal couldn't help a feeling of guilt that wormed its way into his heart. 

 

"I'm sorry..." he breathed. "You... came to visit me... and then... this, all happened..." he frowned. 

 

"I know it's not my fault... but still... I'm sorry..."

 

~**~

 

"Mal, por favor, do not apologize," Fidelia shushed, her ears pinning back at Malakai's guilt traced words. Her tongue was threatening to fall back into her native tongue, but she shushed it and tried to remain calm. "How were you supposed to know this would happen? Your...dragons..."

 

She paused, trying to find the right words so she wouldn't offend him. She exchanged a glance with Akeem, who looked back at her, before his gaze returned to the woods, his wings still awkwardly fluttering by his sides.

 

"Rivia wants to protect you but she...." Fi paused once more, licking her lips in thought. "I think it would be best to talk to her about Leshen. So maybe this would not happen again and she understands more of your - and his - situation..."

 

She let out a trembling sigh, running a hand over her face. This situation, she would've never expected this to happen. She knew that Mal would have trouble on his hands with Leshen, but she had never thought the typically passive Rivia would attack, but then again...She saw a threat to her rider, who wouldn't try protecting them?

 

~**~

 

"Yeah... yeah I know, but... it..."

 

He let out a soft, shakey little breath again and shook his head, running a hand through his hair. 

 

"I'm still sorry. This.. its..."

 

He gave her a somewhat mournful look. 

 

"... It all kind of went to shit after you left," he admitted.

 

He'd gotten too used to Fi being there. When she'd left, he hadn't known what to do with himself. And then he found a dragon in need, and then...

 

He couldn't help himself. He did what he did best - fuck himself over royally

 

"I know Rivia is capable of this kind of anger... is the Dark in her, it... it's very unstable. She feels very hard and because she's so big and heavy, she just... she feeds off of me a lot. And I've not taken care of myself very well at all. It... it's my fault..." 

 

He shifted to just sit on the floor for now, his aching, stinging leg getting to him a bit. He'd been unsteady on his feet to begin with, and now, now he just felt drained. 

 

He glanced to Akeem, before looking back to Fi, a small whirring coming from his eye as he refocused on her. 

 

"Can you ask him if they damaged the fence...? I should've withstood, but... if the pillars get busted, the runes might lose their power, and then... yeah."

 

~**~

 

Her ears pinned back once more at the sorrowful tone Mal's words carried, tail twitching a bit before slowly, she crouched down across from him. Her tail curled in close and she wished she could hug him again, her eyes flicking down to her hands that closed themselves, resting on her knees. Her ears jolted up a bit at his question and she turned to look at Akeem, who finally turned back to look at them.

 

'Akee, in the fight, did they damage the fence?' She asked with Akeem tilting his head up in thought. He hadn't seen any damage to the rune-powered pen, the stones had bounced off them harmlessly, but he had been so caught up in the flurry of emotions and activity.

 

'I...I don't believe so. Monti is there though, I think he would be able to stop...Leshen,' He finally answered with a twitch of his wings and Fi let out a soft hum.

 

"Akeem said they didn't but it would be good to check later," She told Mal before hesitating, she placed a hand on his shoulder. She licked her lips, tail twitching as she carefully found her words and forced herself to not get caught up in her own emotions. 

 

"Malakai, this is not your fault. Do not say it's your fault. Your situation is complicated and I don't know how you must feel or what you've been through, but this situation, it was bound to happen. It was a....powder keg? This is the worst that has happened and you can now fix it, try to make it better. For you and your dragons."

 

~**~

 

He looked at her, eyes soft. He let out a soft sigh despite her words.

 

He did look relieved though as Akee confirmed everything was good. 

 

"I'm glad..." he murmured. "I didn't feel up to having to recast those things... it's hard, you know?" he snorted, gentle. 

 

He didn't seem against her touching him, relaxing a bit even under her hand. 

 

"I can fix it. Just... need some time I guess."

 

~**~

 

"I would imagine," She replied, trying to offer up a smile to him. She relaxed a bit herself when she saw that he didn't mind her touching him, her keeping her hand on him, giving his shoulder a soft squeeze. "I know you can, amigo. This is new for all of you. It will take time, you just have to be patient with them."

 

~**~

 

"Do your dragons ever fight like this...?" he asked hesitantly.

 

"Not as... catastrophic, of course, but... you know what I mean...?" He finished, frowning softly at her.

 

~**~

 

"Vita and Akeem squabble, like siblings, but no," She answered honestly. "Their lives, the situations that they came to me, it is different than yours'. I raised them both when they were hatchlings. Neither have been through very extreme situations and I've never faced a life-or-death situation against them."

 

She paused before trying to crack a joke to lighten the air, "And if I must be honest, the size difference between them prevents any possible fighting. It would be quite a sad sight to see."

 

~**~

 

Malakai couldn't help the little laugh that bubbled out of his chest at the mental image of Vita trying to square up to Akeem, their names striking a chord with him.

 

That would be kind of sad to see.

 

"Anytime Grim tries to fight something he falls apart.... Riv is big and did some damage to Monti's leg when she first met him, but he was attacking me, so it made sense..."

 

He paused, really trying to think. 

 

"The only one I've ever had since they were a hatchling was Rivia.. I didn't hatch her myself, but, I may as well have."

 

~**~

 

Fidelia let out a little purr at hearing Mal's laugh, her smile brightening up. It was nice to hear him laugh, even if it was only a small amount.

 

"Grim must fall apart a lot then, huh?" She snickered before pausing and letting out a little hum at the rest of Mal's words. "She is very protective of you. You were like a madre to her, raising her since she was little. You two are each other's closest bonds, yes? No wonder she was ready to fight Leshen again."

 

~**~

 

"Yeah..." He mumbled, before he snorted softly. 

 

"You should've seen her when she was little..." he started, a soft little smile twitching the corners of his mouth up.

 

"She was so boulshy..."