Party

The hatchling pushed from its shell, eyes giving still-blurry input to the new brain and ears still clogged from the fluid that had kept the baby so safe and cushioned as it developed. As he flapped his wings dry, he heard voices come to him, and he turned to the sounds with an innocent smile.

"He's so pretty!" crowed an adult.

"What a beautiful baby!" sang another.

"His scales are so bright and precious, I must cuddle him!" cooed a third.

Then...screams.

The hatchling blinked blood and mucus from its eyes, then looked around and saw a Spiral dragon dead at its claw-tips, more dragons fleeing into the night. Confusion settled into the infant's mind, followed quickly by loneliness.

The dragon skeleton was animated by a particularly fractious spirit that emitted a bright glow. It drew closer to the juvenile dragon before it, and closer still, until the two beings were nose-to-nose where they could study each other for long minutes.

Unable to resist, the dragon reached out and poked the skull where the nose should have been and giggled, "Boop!" before it dashed away. Confused, the spirit hesitated a mere moment before the mouth gaped open in a silent laugh and it gave pursuit. The game of tag lasted into the night until the young Spiral collapsed in a laughing, exhausted heap. The otherworldly spirit descended upon the dragonling and wrapped the trusting youth in its aura, kept it safe as a parent would.

As the days and nights passed, the spirit and the dragon bonded, became the family neither had, and they travelled across the lands. The spirit took notice of how its companion made a point to stay out of claw's reach of any other living being, and it learned how the dragon's magic infected anything living with sickness, plague, and a messy death. Intrigued, it watched the young one become distressed when it woke one day to find dead baby bunnies collapsed near its claws. They had crept close in the night, and the curiosity was the bunnies undoing.

Fest learned to act as a barrier between its only friend and anything living, sparing its chosen family as much distress as it could. And the child gratefully accepted the help, giving the unconditional love that filled its heart to the cold creature that travelled at its side. Soon, the couple found a strange hole in a rock as they moved across the Nature flight. "What is this, Fest?" the baby asked the spirit. Wanting to keep the youth safe, the festive glow of the spirit disappeared into the dark portal, then quickly reappeared and shrugged in confusion. With no words, the pair grinned at each other and raced to the darkness and dove into it.

They chased each other through the dim tunnel and laughter echoed off the clammy walls as they played through the silent halls. When they reached the opening at the other end of the tunnel, dim sunrise light kissed edges of the exit. With a whooping laugh, the dragonling flew high into the morning sky and looked around. The first thing he saw was a silver poodle that joined into his laughter. Surrounding the little dog were the shadowed figures of powerful dragons crouched in the still-dark tree line.

"Dere ya are!" the poodle yipped in happiness when she met the Spiral's multi-colored eyes. "We's so glad yous home," she continued as the hole at her feet closed with a small pop. She never flinched from the nearness of the love-starved youth, nor did she shy away from the iridescent spirit that moved to block any touch that would harm her. But a glorious green Wildclaw strode around Fest without fear and in the moment's hesitation the elder drew the young Spiral into a loving embrace.

Party recoiled with a terrified scream, but Mizzit held him tightly and whispered soothing words into his ear, assured the dragonling that nothing it could do would harm him. And when Party calmed, he was led to his new home where he'd learn how to direct and almost control his magic of draining vitality. Now, he and Fest patrol the west end of the disappearing island, protecting the family that took him in without question.