Vivienne

She saw more infected dragons, but now they stayed back, seeing her stained hide they smiled, a grim sight. She felt herself weakening as she kept going, kept walking kept searching.

Anger, anger that she hadn't found her charge anger at feeling ill anger at the dragons that did this at her. She roared at anything that moved, swiping her claws towards anything that seemed like a threat.

A shout echoed in the wasteland. She looked up, her read eyes searching the horizon. A pair of infected wildclaws advanced on a small fae. The Fae scrambled backwards, his scarred wings clearly no use to him. She roared, charging forwards, joining the wildclaws in the attack.

Her eyes locked with the Fae and she changed her course. Her jaws clamped down on the first wildclaw, using her strength to fling the dragon away from them. The second wildclaw was stunned, unused to another infected attacking them. It ignored the attack, compelled to fight the fae.

She growled, placing her large body between the infected dragon and the fae. Flaring her darkened wings making an impenetrable barrier. She swiped her claws, causing deep wounds, but the infected did not stop. They fought viciously for what seemed like an age until the wildclaw finally dropped, its wounds too great to keep fighting. Once she was sure the threat was gone, she turned to the fae. The strong pull of the search had been replaced with a need to protect a need to keep this tiny dragon safe. His eyes grew wide as she advanced to him. In his hands he had vials of strange liquid.

He squeezed his eyes shut as she lowered her head, gently nudging him with her nose. After a moment her slowly opened one eye, unsure why he wasn't food for the guardian. He gently patted her nose,
“Hey” He murmured trying to not betray his fear. “Drink” He offered the vials, she wordlessly opened her mouth, allowing the fae to trickle the thick liquid in her throat. It didn't taste pleasant but she drank anyway. She sunk to the dusty ground, the liquid making her feel heavy. As she drifted into sleep she reached out a hand carefully hugging the fae close, wrapping her massive body around him.

She woke to the sound of voices. She looked up a Mirror and fae desperately called a name she didn't recognise. The fae in her arms woke, wriggling out of her hold.She grumbled slightly as she released him. The new dragons saw them, saw her arms around the fae and screamed. The fleshy tendrils that crossed the wasteland suddenly rose up pinning her to the ground. As she struggled from nowhere bright green vines burst from the soil wrapping tightly around her limbs forcing her still.

“No! Stop!” The fae called, frantically waving his arms.The pair stopped mid dive, confusion clear on their face. “She’s had the medicine!” He shouted. She looked at the fae, trying to understand his meaning. At that moment she realised she was thinking clearly. The anger was small at the back of her mind, the pain in her side was dulled. She still didn't relax, she knew her charge knew these dragons but it didn't mean they wouldn't hurt him. She coiled her tail around him protectively.

“Charge” She growled at the dragon's, her fae patted her side, speaking to her quietly.

“They are my parent it’s okay” After a moment she released him, letting him walk over to the pair. She started to struggle again against the vines, now her charge was away from her claws. After a moment the vines and tendrils released her, sinking back to the ground. She looked up, surprised, at the trio.

“I apologise Miss” The older fae said, his purple wings fluttering nervously, “I thought you were hurting my son” After a few moments of awkward silence the mirror spoke.

“Do you know what's happened to you?” She thought for a moment.

“Infected, infected with anger and pain” She absent mindlessly scratched at the scar on her side. The mirror nodded

“That sums it up” She noticed the mirror had a wooden limb wrapped protectively around her son, he saw her looking, shaking his mother's arm off him he moved closer though, ignoring the murmur from his parents.

“Come home with us, we can help you, make you more you” She thought again, was it worth the risk to her charge, she could infect him couldn't she. The guardian opened her mouth to protest.

“We already have another infected and I’m working on the cure, but you need a larger and steadier dose than what you had last night.” She finally nodded.

“So Charge” She asked as they walked along “What is your name” He giggled, a lovely sound to her ears

“I am Kokoro” He looked up at her “What is yours?”

“Vivienne” She nudged his wings carefully “What happened little one?” He stretched out his wings. They were streaked with red with dark green scars. He flapped them, only succeeding in stirring up dust

“Born this way” He shrugged, missing the way his mother face fell, “Doesnt really bother me, I’m very good at climbing” He smiled, taking the opportunity to scurry up her leg onto her shoulder, sitting down as if he had always been there.

“Well,” She smiled “You won’t ever have to worry again with me around” The mirror smiled at her, mouthing a silently thank you as they continued their trek to her new home.