ORIGIN

The heating of the air was not going to plan. Dread huffed, and shuffled; the snake wanted warming. He could understand that; Orion was not particularly balmy, not like Fornax or Monoceros, and he often found himself cold. She was shivering, too--a thing the furry creatures did sometimes when cold, but he understood the gesture.

He turned, summoned up his magicka, and opened his maw.

Dread was unaware that other greater Gembound might find the blistering, searing heat perhaps a bit much. That boiling air was not a wonderful thing to those who were not dragons. He used it to stun rats or fish when hunting, yes, but this thing was not a rat or a fish. It was a scaly, speaking thing--like him--so surely it should enjoy being bathed in super hot air?

He had the sense, at least, not to aim it directly at Chaos. Instead, it was vaguely over her, enough that it would not be truly dangerous, but it would probably still burn the poor snake. Thinking himself helpful, the young dragon sat upright, his spines lifting over his neck, eyes bright now that he was mended.

"HOT?" he asked hopefully.

At length, the dragon shook himself, spines rattling. He looked around and blinked.

He felt better. Very much so, in fact, and his stomach, he found, was rumbling. There was a new and faint emotion stirring within him--gratitude, and it felt very strange. He was unsure if he liked or disliked it, but he would remember this stranger and her aid. With a squawk he turned, and lifted himself up on his wing-arms; he still felt a bit feverish, and trembling, but the bright energy had returned to his eyes.

A few flaps, a short burst of speed and he was airborne, winging his way around the cave and off into the darkness, cheerful screeches marking his passage.