Dragon Mama - Dead Sparkler
Second part! My mood was fluctuating somewhat while writing everything but I wrote this and the previous chapter in one sitting.
Dead Sparkler
Hirya didn't want to think, it would be too painful to try to think and prepare for what was to come. She knew she had to do this, not just to ease her heart, but something in her told her that her children needed this too, but she could hardly bear to think about what she was about to do. She believed in Samuel when they set off, she figured he'd have a plan or, if he didn't, that he was wise enough to know that things would solve themselves naturally.
As they landed in the ravine, which was a couple of days of air travel away from the castle, she was sweating. As a dragon of the water element she was a dragon who could do that, and she was doing so coldly. She shook slightly to remove the layer of water over her and stared at the cave set in a small rocky outcropping. Standard far, for all she knew, of dragon housing. Not the kind of place she'd live right now, she had grown used human-style homes but given the way she raised her children, he'd definitely be in this cave. She stopped to sniff at the air for a while, a thick, acrid smell of ozone, a familiar scent "Voltaro..."
Samuel looked up at her "Are you ready, Hirya? He could be a bit aggressive" he couldn't exactly tell the smells of this place like she could, but the static in the air, that he could feel. It was unusual for a dragon's children to have differing elements from their parents, what put some mystery on Hirya's past, none of her children bore the element of water like her. Voltaro in particular could be troublesome were he to stir up a fight, he was born under the element of thunder.
Hirya just grinned "Nothing I don't deserve" she said, adjusting her glasses, and carefully treaded into the cave. It was high noon, the sun casting a thin veil of light that was just barely enough to trigger her nightsight as it reflected off equally crude and gaudy decorations on the walls, were not for her glasses, she'd be functionally blind in this place. And then she heard the clinking of metal, and the sound of another dragon's voice from farther in "Who comes?"
Hirya stalled in place, she looked forward and saw another dragon, slightly smaller than herself, scales an electric blue. He stared at her defiantly, although she noticed it wasn't at HER she was looking, but some spot far behind her. Those accursed eyes of hers, all of her children but Lumina had inherited it. She twitched slightly, holding back her desire to chastise her son for cursing himself to blindness in this place out of pure idiocy. "V-voltaro? It's me..." her voice was the sweetest Samuel had ever heard
The other dragon perked up, lowered his head as if in a sign of respect "Ma-" and then his reaction changed suddenly, raising his head again and changing his tone of voice "Mother, what are you seeking in my domain?" Samuel bit his lip, this was definitely familiar.
"I... I just came to see you, Vol..." Hirya already had a rather calm and submissive demeanor, now she also seemed unsure and scared.
Voltaro snorted "'see' me, mother? Like you could see the tip of your own snout" Samuel kept a distance, watching Voltaro's body intently "I will suffer no fools or weaklings in my domain. Either you come here to offer me something, or yourself" Voltaro had a harsh tone.
Hirya took a step back, surprised and scared. This was... Exactly what she was expecting. She started to cry in a low tone, but spoke "Vol, my son... You're not like this... You don't need to be like this!" she said in anguish.
At that, Voltaro snapped at her, jumping towards where he thought she was, missing widely. Hirya in her turn ducked and weaved away, the last thing she wanted was a confrontation against her own son. Voltaro turns to where he heard her steps and unloaded a massive flash of lightning towards that direction, the momentary increase in light allowing him to see she had already dodged before he even fired.
"Son... I-if you don't want me here, then, I'll just leave" she tried to squirrel away, but Voltaro stepped in front of her. "Vol..." she closed her eyes, unfurling her right wing and using it like a cloak diverting Voltaro's pounce "Grr... Voltaro I'm sorry. But I've learned with humans that there's a difference between chastising and... And... And right now, Vol. You need a proper scolding, the way you're used to" she didn't want to hurt him, but it was about time he received a few slaps, dragon style.
Voltaro tumbled backwards to dodge a tail swipe from his mother, he was visibly shaking, his voice was wavering when he said "Hah! Like you'd ever hit me, you cripple-" except he couldn't talk much, he never saw it coming, when his mother landed the full extent of her stretched palm directly to his face. Her claws didn't even nick his scales, but it hurt too much, regardless.
"Vol... Those cursed eyes... You inherited them too. I'm just not... Stupid enough anymore, to think they're as bad as I've been told they are" she simply turned around and walked away, leaving Voltaro to stare at her back, growling.
Samuel didn't leave yet, though, he had been unseen this long and if he could just confirm... He watched when Hirya's footsteps vanished in the distance, and saw Voltaro crumble to the ground like a sorry pile of potatoes, crying in a low tone, curling and covering himself with his wings "M-mama... Don't... Leave me..." and Samuel just grinned to himself, and followed Hirya out.
He found her staring skywards, her entire body spoke of uneasiness and worry "Did I do the right thing... Samuel?"
Samuel stopped at her side, staring upwards too, at the clouds "Righter than you believe. Don't worry, Hirya... He's just a boy"
Hirya looked down at him "A boy?"
Samuel grinned "Boys... Are pretty different from girls, that's just it" he pulled a map from his backpack "Another three days westwards, and we'll reach Granno's place"
Hirya turned to look over his head at the map "I'm scared, Samuel... Scared to find poor Granno broken..."
Hirya was startled when Samuel sighed and started walking, that was an uncharacteristic forceful behavior "People are like metal. Once broken, they're reforged even stronger" he turned back to grin at her "That, however, needs an able smith"
Hirya chuckled, beating her wings and stirring up dust, darting forward and grabbing Samuel with her claws, helping him to her back "Maybe if this all works out, we can take on that surname, then"