Imogen

---

He wasn't expected to live more than a week.

From two tiny eye sockets, dozens of buglike, glowing, mutant eyes had blossomed from the moment Imogen was born, no, from the moment his egg was cracked. Staring and yet unseeing, sensing and yet unfeeling, they blinked irregularly, each minute twitch sent impulses of pain through the hatchling's head.

Sandrile, pitying the child, had reached a difficult decision; if he failed to recover within a week, he would be cast to the Wyrmwound as his own children were, to end his suffering in a quick, broiling moment.

Days passed; Imogen weakened. He was carried to the edge of the Plaguebringer's domain, set down among the pustules and fleshy fungal growths for a final rest. Yet, his heart beat strongly, and though he had trouble getting around, he fought, trying vainly to alert his family to his consciousness.

A tiny chirp responded to him. The Guardian that had initially found his egg rushed through the crowd... embracing him protectively, warding off those who wished to end him.

Jay saved Imogen's life in more ways than one... and from then on, they were best friends. More than Charge and Guardian; they were brothers.

---

"Are you sure this is safe?"

Jay's anxious voice rang out early in the morning, his voice hushed. He stared up at Imogen, who scrambled up a fungal "tree", trying to reach the swollen orb of liquid spores growing from the top.

The blind Ridgeback chirped, "Of course!" He stood on his hind legs, claws digging into the bark as he batted at the "berry". "I know this tree like the back o' my paw."

Jay muttered, "You're blind, Imo. You don't know your own paw." His scales tingled in fear; his own Charge, his practical little brother, blind as an eyeless bat, was risking his life for a mockery of fruit! He trusted his own ability to retrieve a fresh apple from the Nature territory just a mile away better than Imogen's intuition.

Before he could protest, however, a familiar, stern voice barked, "Imogen, Jay, what do you think you're doing?!"

The yell startled Imo, who squeaked, slipping from his perch. Jay yelped and rushed to catch him, causing the hatchling to land rather harshly on his head, a few twigs snapping from his eyes. He frowned, realizing that they would soon be in big trouble from Sandrile.

Imo merely giggled, a small sliver of the fruit clutched in his claws. "Uh... oops?"

---

---

The morning started out great, and it rapidly deteriorated from there.

Jay was eating his breakfast when his young Charge, Imogen, dashed into the room. "What is it?" Jay asked, concerned. "Did something happen?"

"Come out, come out, I wanna show you something!" Imogen declared, breathless. Jay blinked and shrugged. What was the harm in following?

"Okay..."

"Yes!" he shrieked. "Come on, hurry!"

Jay followed Imogen outside, into the nearby forest. He stared warily at the stunted trees around them and pulled his foot away from a tendril that started to wrap itself around him. The Plaguelands were a dangerous place, but inside the clan's borders, spells had been cast to lessen the effect of the boggy ground.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Jay said, struggling for breath after about a quarter of an hour. How the hatchling was so energetic was a mystery to the guardian.

"Of course," Imogen said confidently.

And so they continued on.

"Wait, stop," Jay said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"I've seen this rock before," Jay said firmly. "Explain."

Imogen blanched. "Ur..."

He rolled his eyes. "Have you even been in this forest?"

"Yes!" Imogen cried indignantly. "I came in her yesterday. I swore I was on the right path..."

"You can't see where you're going," Jay muttered under his breath. "Okay, let's head back."

"B- but I wanted to show you something..." Imogen said, pouting.

He exhaled slowly. "Fine, how about you show me another time with a navigator?" he suggested.

Imogen immediately brightened up. "Yay! Deal!"

"Now we actually have to find our way back- don't move."

"Hmmphf!" Imogen said, muffled by the guardian's paw over his mouth.

"There's something in the bushes," Jay whispered and stared warily at the bushes in question. Something was rattling and shaking in there. "Stay close," he murmured, pulling the ridgeback behind him.

Then a dragon leaped out from the bushes.

Jay yelled in shock, with Imogen yelling in response, then with the dragon shouting, "Stop!" over them.

Jay stopped screaming out and the other dragon's voice becoming incredulous. "Jay?"

"Stormbreaker?"

"What are you doing out here?" the other guardian asked, tilting his head.

Jay gestured to the hatchling and Stormbreaker laughed. "I understand. How about we go back to the clan?"

Jay nearly sagged in relief. "You won't tell Sandrile?"

Stormbreaker winked. "I'm his adoptive father, I don't need to tell him everything."

And so the two guardians headed back home, with the small ridgeback along them dreaming of another adventure, another day.