Dragon rumbled a hum of approval at the child's mention of wishing to speak to others.

"Speaking is good. You gain allies. And information. And information--knowledge--that is power! That is how we learn what is dangerous. And how to avoid dangerous things, or how to kill them." His tail lashed slowly through the mud, dragging across his vertical axis behind him. "Perhaps you can find Children and meet them, and then you will know. Many of those who live in Cetus are the Children. As for Fire-... Nox bears the same hide that you do. Black and slick. It burns easily! That is likely her fear. But stay in or near the water--it is not hard, here--and you can simply leap in. Or cast fire from the water, as I do, when hunting."

The alligator considered. "You must focus on your inner flame. On rage, strength, the fury of the fight. On the heat of the moment, the passion and the unbending will of fire! Draw it in and up, and breathe it out in your relentless assault. Fire is trumph!"

The alligator's dark eyes glittered with energy, his naturally-grinning maw seeming somehow even more pleased than usual at this talk of fire. He appeared infused with excitement rather than placid and rumbling, as before. Clearly, this was something that pleased him very much, this whole "fire" thing.

"You may use it to fight; you may use it to hunt! You may use it as a tool, when fire is needed as a light, or a beacon, or warmth!"

Dragon was about to respond, somewhat bewilderedly, that hunger was an instinct to prompt someone to eat. The explanation that it was a gembound, however, interested him--and the description of it looking like him piqued his interest at once. Was it his child, then..? His true child, born from Nox? Perhaps it would be more useful than his other child.

He wished that he had known of it, or could see it. Where was it now? Was--...

Phlegethon was glowing, and shrieking, and rushing into the water. Dragon turned, head coming up and legs shuffling as fast as they could, to face it. The hybrid seemed to be soothed by the water, but it stayed there--likely in pain--and Dragon fought back the urge to laugh. Instead, he offered encouragement.

"Good, yes; by the water. As you see, it is important--even for one such as I, with none of that oil to stop me. Fire burns. It will always burn, but it gets better, given time. Perhaps not on your skin, but as it comes from your maw, assuming that's not full of oil, too," he added thoughtfully.

The creature's hunting tactics were interesting, and Dragon was tempted to discuss those, too, but first he waited to be sure that the other creature was all right.

The alligator lay there, not entirely sure how to respond to this.

"...No," he agreed, at length.

For a time, he was silent--merely laying there in the muck, staring out at the black creature that was clearly Nox's child, but most likely not his own. His curiosity about "Hunger" was piqued. He was also curious about this creature--its plans, and so on. "Practice, and you will find magic coming easier, and not harming you so badly. If you know this, and how to hunt, then I have one final warning for you. Have you heard of the elders? Has your mother explained to you?"

"No," the alligator rumbled. "They are creatures far older than I. I do not know how old! But many seem to hold their own agenda. Aquarian--our father--wishes to sleep, eat, and survive--as we do. We wish to learn, but he already knows much. The others, though. Perhaps they have had a hand in the creation of our world; I do not know. But some are malicious, or mischievous. Others might aid! The dragon Raheerah wished to own and to destroy. The fairy Nemean--a small, pink, buzzing thing--is a being of duplicitous evil. Shoud you find it, never trust it. Eat it if you can!"

This instruction passed on, Dragon sat firmly in the muck and thought. What else should he tell the "little" one? ("Little," despite the fact that when it stretched out that long neck it was nearly ten feet long.)

"There are other magics, too. Ones that you can learn and use without fire."

Dragon considered, for a moment, running through the list of things he could do with his magic, in his mind. To his mild surprise, he realized that almost everything he knew was fire--or other, utilitarian things that couldn't really be shown, like the ability to breathe water or see in pitch darkness.

"Watch," he said at last, settling on something. After a moment of focus, his hide shimmered and faded, mottling and darkening to perfectly match the mud, so that he seemed almost to vanish. He'd already been well-hidden; now he was damn near invisible.

Dragon laughed, seemingly good-naturedly, as his form flickered back into its normal colors. Or... lack thereof. Normal patterns would perhaps be more accurate.

"You ask!" he responded. "So long as you agree to meet the other Children, to protect them when we require it, to fight by our sides when we need it--then you too will have that benefit. But be wary of the words of the Elders; reveal nothing of the Children to them. Do not voice your suspicion. And seek knowledge wherever you may find it, to share it with the rest of us, as I have shared with you."

Dragon waited, for a moment, to let this sink in--and then asked Phlegethon, "Do you wish this?"