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A small grunt
Another
Techno stirred, wings expanding and snout scrunching as he tried to get the fog of sleep to leave his body. Something was grunting right next to him, now accompanied by small pieces of something hitting his snout randomly.
He tried to ignore it, he was sleeping after all. What could possibly be so important this early in the morning? He was pretty sure it wasn’t even light out, he could wait a couple extra minutes.
Sleep clung to his mind, dragging him back under. Like it was calling for him and he was answering gladly. He curled tighter into himself and let out a long breath as his mind slipped into unconsciousness…or it would have if the grunting and incessant throwing would stop.
Then he heard what he was hoping against all odds was not the case. Of course, Techno was never that lucky and his hopes were dashed when the sound of a small whine filled the silence not 3 feet away from him. Even if he wanted to sleep, he couldn’t. That was his son and he was whining for him…his instincts would never allow him to ignore that.
He cracked his eyes open to be met with bright blue ones staring back at him. Techno let out a small huff at seeing his hatchling as Tommy excitedly grunted, scrambling up from the nest and climbing on Techno’s face. He was just barely small enough to fit on his snout and when Tommy found that out a few weeks ago, he made it his go-to place to sit or lay.
Tommy…a name the little hatchling chose for himself after weeks of Techno calling him Theseus. He thought it was an incredible name but his treasure would grunt at him every time he used it. He would send no name wrong and Techno would grow more confused. He spent weeks cycling through names, each one met with the same no no wrong until he said the name Tommy. His hatchling grunted and squealed, sending yes me me yes . Techno couldn’t say that he didn’t prefer his name but how could he deny his son the name he chose?
Tommy pressed his snout to the space between Techno’s eyes and snorted. Tommy bumped his snout again and huffed, love love hello wake up shot through Techno’s mind. He rolled his eyes at his treasure once more before shaking his head slightly, causing Tommy to slip off his snout and tumble to the ground.
A small grunt escaped Tommy’s mouth as he hit the blankets. His small body disappeared in the massive pile, only the tip of his tail was still visible. Techno snorted, sending love exasperated treasure before he reached forward and grabbed him by the tail with his teeth.
Tommy squealed, wings flapping frantically as he was pulled from the nest and left suspended in the air by his father’s teeth. Tommy twisted and turned in an attempt to get a look at Techno but all he managed to do was look like a little worm, which Techno found very endearing.
Tommy squirmed and grunted, twisting and snapping his little teeth trying to reach Techno’s chin and get a good bite. Techno rolled his eyes again and gently placed Tommy back onto the blankets. He stumbled slightly before staring up at Techno with the most adorable pout he had ever seen.
Techno shook his head and nudged his son, causing him to lose his balance and fall over once more. Annoyed upset pulsed into Techno’s mind, sharper than before and causing a headache to form in the back of Techno’s mind.
Tommy flattened himself low to the ground, eyes trained on Techno’s left front ankle as he slightly raised his tail and started to wiggle his body. Techno knew exactly what was going to happen next and shifted to his human form just as Tommy leaped towards him.
Techno shot his hands out and grabbed Tommy by the torso mid air. A squeak left Tommy’s mouth as Techno pulled him close in his arms, chuckling at his son as he tried to nip his hands. Tiny fangs pierced his arm, pinpricks of pain shot through him as little blood droplets escaped his arm and dripped to the floor
Techno hissed, loudly and involuntarily as Tommy’s fangs sunk into human flesh. Tommy’s jaw immediately unlocked and dropped Techno’s arm. He curled into Techno’s arms, whining and shooting sorry sorry sorry into his mind like a full frontal assault.
Techno shook his head as he tried to think through the cascade of sorrys and whimpers that flooded his head. His instincts roared louder and louder with each whimper that left Tommy, pulling and tugging at Techno’s rational thought in an attempt to pull him into an instinct-driven haze.
“I—shhhh” he whispered, arms squeezing Tommy tighter as he fought off the crushing waves of instincts coursing through him.
“It’s okay treasure, it’s…” Techno paused, breathing deep to keep calm.
Sorry sorry sorry accident confusion
“Shhhh Tommy. It’s okay, I’m fine, see?”
Tommy whined, eyes blown wide with sadness and regret. Tommy’s small body shook in Techno’s arms, snout nuzzling the inside of his elbow as his heartbeat raced a mile a minute.
Confused sorry hurt sorry
“It’s okay hatchling shhh, I know. You didn’t mean to, I know. I’m just a little more fragile in this form, okay? My skin is thinner than dragon hyde little treasure.” Techno chuckled, arms holding Tommy close to his chest which rumbled in order to calm his son down.
Tommy’s heart rate slowed with each steady rumble, with each reassuring squeeze. Eventually the waves of sorrys stopped crashing into Techno’s mind and all either of them could hear was Techno’s rumbles. Tommy’s whines stopped and, faintly, he started to rumble back, making Techno’s heart explode with love and pride.
“There we go, it’s alright. You’ll understand one day, when you shift.” Techno’s mind wondered what his son would look like in human form. Would he still have blue eyes? What color would his hair be? He couldn’t wait to see his hatchling’s human form.
Techno started towards the kitchen, Tommy still in his arms but completely passed out from the rush of emotions he just went through. Techno held him close as he ascended the stairs and out of the nest. His instincts screamed at him to turn around and head back but he needed breakfast and his hatchling was safe in his arms.
He was content.
Weeks passed and Techno’s days blurred together with the same routine. Tommy would wake him up before sunrise, they would play until Tommy got hungry. Techno would bring him food before continuing to try and teach Tommy how to shift human.
It was a long process, Techno trying to explain to the hatchling how to shift and the hatchling straining with all his might to do as instructed. Every failure brought an adorable pout to his son’s face, one that melted Techno’s heart every time. Feelings of disappointment and frustration being sent from his son as Techno sent words of encouragement and love right back.
“Hey, it’s okay little treasure. These things take time and you’re young, it’s okay.” Techno brought the little dragon into his arms, careful of his claws as to not cut his fragile human skin.
Tommy took a breath shakily, face buried in the crook of Techno’s elbow as his mind sent why why can’t fail . Techno swayed them back and forth, a deep and steady rumble vibrating his chest to try and calm Tommy’s feeble whines that were starting up. Those same four words continuously sent through his mind laced with sadness and disappointment.
“Shhh, it’s okay. It’s hard to do the first time, you’ll get it.” Tommy whined again at his words, Techno at a loss on how to comfort his son.
“I’ve got something for you,” Techno murmured, gently setting Tommy back down into the nest before digging within the folds on the far end.
Tommy looked at his father with confusion in his eyes, small whines escaping with a questioning tone. Techno chuckled, eyes scanning the nest while his hands dug deep into the blankets and pillows. There was a little shirt that he had worn when he first shifted that Techno was determined to find. He kept it deep within the nest to remind him of his, to hold when he felt particularly lonely. He hadn’t needed it since his little hatchling arrived, although now he wanted to give it to Tommy as a comfort.
Some of the nest blankets hadn’t been moved in months and little bits of dust kicked up into the air. Techno coughed as the dust trickled into the air, hands searching for the shirt he needed to give his son. He could hear Tommy sniff the air, new scents and smells being revealed as the blankets were moved. The scents of Phil mixed with the dust, Tommy sniffing harder in an attempt to get a grip on the stronger scents.
Techno’s hands graced something soft, pulling the cloth out of the blankets and holding it up triumphantly. His eyes scanned the worn-down shirt as memories of him and his dad flashed through his mind. He missed his father terribly, but he knew it would take a while for him to make his way to his home after his message was sent. All he could do was wait for Phil’s arrival and take care of his treasure.
Techno turned to face Tommy, shirt in hand, only to be met with the most adorable look on the little dragon’s face.
“You get dust in your nose little one?” The amusement thick in his voice.
Tommy turned his face towards him, eyes squinted and nose scrunched up. He looked like he was going to sneeze and Techno couldn’t help the small laugh that came from him at the sight of his son. Tommy shook his head slightly, trying to get the dust out of his nose but that only seemed to make it worse.
“Here hatchling, I have something for y—“
Achoooo
Techno stopped mid-sentence, shirt slipping from his hands. Techno had expected the little dragon to sneeze of course…but he hadn’t expected the sneeze to be followed by a shift .
Sitting there in front of him was a human toddler, only he had a small red tail, two little wings on his back, and little horns sticking out of…
Gold
Techno’s pupils dilated immensely, growing big until barely any of the red could be seen. His mind completely blanked, the only thought he had running through his mind was gold gold gold . The instincts hit him like a truck, attempting to pull him under where r there was no escape. It took all of Techno’s strength, some he didn’t even know he had, to not scoop his treasure into his arms and never let go. The only thing that stopped him from succumbing to his instincts was the sharp help confused scared help that coursed through his mind.
He shook his head a couple times, mind buzzing as he pushed the instincts back in a battle he so often found himself fighting. This time, however, it was even more difficult to keep the instincts at bay. Techno struggled to calm himself, arms automatically reaching for his son so he could at least satiate the instincts that were crushing him even a little bit.
Tommy let out a little squeal, new human skin touching things he had never experienced before. His eyes darted around the room as he took in his surroundings with less sharp eyes, colors duller and less vibrant while the smells he was so used to were barely even detectable now. His heart was beating fast, only slightly calmed when he was in his father’s arms.
Techno’s rumbles were stuttering as he reeled in his instincts while his son was pounding his mind with his emotions. Their link was far more powerful when they were both in the same form and Techno no longer had the break from the headache Tommy caused with it. The headache was worth it in his eyes, anything and everything was worth his treasure.
His fingers lightly touched the top of Tommy’s curls, heart aching to touch the golden locks and feel the softness. Tommy stilled at the feeling of something in his hair, probably because he had never known he had hair, let alone how it would feel to have someone touch it. Techno lightly scratched his scalp, sharp nails careful not to harm his gold. Tommy shakily started to match Techno’s rumble, eyes fluttering shut at the sensation of his hair being played with.
Slowly but surely, Tommy drifted off to sleep with Techno’s hands in his hair. Blonde curls wild and tangled, Techno’s fingers gently pulling the tangles apart with small pauses to scratch at his son’s scalp. His instincts had finally calmed down, satisfied with Techno staying in the nest all day holding the gold even if he’s still in human form. He still itched to change forms, but he knew his little treasure needed him to be human right now.
Tommy was quite bigger than Techno expected, human form being the size of a toddler instead of an actual baby. He supposed it made sense, dragons aged quite differently than normal humans after all. Only a few months in dragon terms turned out to be a few years in human terms. He wondered what that would mean for Tommy as he grew…when would he stop aging so fast human-wise? What age will his speed aging stop? He just had so many questions…questions only his father could answer. For now though, all he could do is be with Tommy and wait for his arrival.
It’s been a few months since his gold hatched, Techno never leaving his cave as his son figured out how to navigate the world as a dragon and then again as a human. He seemed to prefer his human form, always in it when not asleep in the nest. Techno didn’t exactly care for human form, but he didn’t mind if that’s what Tommy wanted.
As much as he has enjoyed this time he’s gotten to spend with his treasure, he really missed his father. He sent a message about the newest arrival a few weeks ago and now he was anxiously awaiting his arrival. He had so many questions for Phil, heart aching at the fact that the rest of his thunder has yet to meet his hatchling.
For now, he was facing a far bigger problem than his feelings and instincts. He was almost completely out of food, months of food stored up gone within a couple of weeks now that he was feeding two. He had hoped his father would be here before they ran out, but of course he wasn’t that lucky.
He really had no clue what to do. Tommy was far too young to be able to leave the nest, especially since he couldn’t even fully shift human. His little wings and tail fully visible in his human form, horns unable to be hidden beneath his golden curls. Techno absolutely could not take Tommy to the village, not with how the villagers feel about shifters…especially dragon shifters.
That really left him no other choice…he had to go to the village by himself. His instincts screamed that it was a bad idea, that his hatchling would be in terrible danger if he left him here alone no matter how short he would be gone. He wanted to listen to those instincts, to scoop his gold up and stay in the nest for days.
Unfortunately, they were out of food and as much as he wanted to stay in the cave with Tommy, he wanted to keep him from starving more.
So after sitting Tommy down and explaining what was going to happen, he tucked his son into the nest and headed for the door. He made sure to tell Tommy to call for him should he get into any sort of trouble before he pulled his boots on and headed towards the village.
He had to keep reminding himself that Tommy would be just fine…that the trip would take an hour max and he would be back with his treasure in no time. His instincts screamed as the familiar bakery owned by his only friend came into view.
Phil had been traveling for fucking weeks at this point. Even with his dragon form, it was taking far longer than he thought to make it to Techno’s place, not realizing just how far he had traveled this time.
They never communicated too much through their links anymore, distance making it only slightly more difficult, but the real reason was because they were both so busy that they forgot to. Phil wished that wasn’t the case, heart aching every day thinking about how much he missed his son.
When he had gotten the message from Techno, an urgent pulse sent through their bond for the first time in almost four months telling him to come to his home, Phil froze. He wouldn’t elaborate why or what was waiting for him, just that it was important and that he was going to love it. Phil did not have to be told twice, dropping everything he was doing and taking to the skies in the direction of Techno’s cave. He was beyond excited, not only at the thought of seeing his beloved son again…his thunder , but also because he could go down to the village and visit his good friend Niki.
He just didn’t think it would take him this long to actually get there, traveling for days on end in an attempt to get there as fast as he possibly could. His wings were tired from the constant flying, having to travel on land for the past few days and making his arrival time a whole 2 weeks later than he was anticipating which he supposed was karma for flying without any breaks.
Either way, he was finally here. Steps quickening as the entrance to his son’s came into view, emotions and instincts going absolutely haywire at being so close to his thunder after being away for so long. He was also anxious about this surprise Techno had for them. It wasn’t like Techno to reach out and demand him to come to his home in such a hurry, usually sticking to a few messages here and there. Getting such an urgent message meant that something really important happened and he needed his dad urgently , Phil only hoped it was a good thing.
Phil knocked on the door a couple of times, sound echoing through the home as he waited for Techno to open the door. After a few moments of silence, he knocked again, anxiety growing bigger the longer his knocks went unanswered. Techno not answering was extremely unlike him and the longer the silence stretched on, the more Phil grew worried.
As much as he knew Techno liked his privacy, the silence growing was too much for him to stand and against his son’s previous wishes, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
It was drafty, air slightly cooler than the warm spring temperatures he traveled here in. Techno’s home was almost exactly how he remembered it, knick knacks and books neatly decorated his quant living room. Plush couches arranged neatly with knitted blankets thrown on top of them.
His home was exactly like Phil remembered…except it wasn’t. There were small toys thrown about the floor, dishes pulled up in his sink and books all out of order. It was as if Techno was too busy to keep up with his daily chores, which was also completely out of character. He ran his hands over the soft fabric of his son’s favorite blanket, pondering what could possibly be the reason for Techno’s slight change in behavior and where the fuck his child was.
Phil was so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost missed the soft whine that echoed through the home. It was small, barely able to be heard even with his superior hearing, but it was there. Phil’s heart clenched at the small sound, instincts roaring as he registered what exactly he was hearing.
That wasn’t just any whine, that was a baby dragon whine…a whine made by a hatchling .
A hatchling…was somewhere in this house and it was lonely . The man’s pupils dilated as his instincts took over his rational thought. His feet moved without thinking, moving towards the area where the whine originated from. The only form of rational thought Phil had left was keeping himself from shifting, unaware of what exactly was waiting for him in the nest he was headed for and not wanting to scare whatever…or whoever was in there.
When he stumbled his way into the nest room, the scent of his son intensified and smacked him in the face causing his instincts to crash over him again and even stronger than before. His breath stuttered as he breathed in the scent of his thunder, his own scent mingling with his son’s and…a different scent.
This was one new, barely able to be differentiated from the overpowering scent of himself and Techno. A small movement in the nest snapped Phil to attention, eyes focusing on the small shuffling of the blankets and the whine that came from it.
Phil slowly moved closer, pupils blown wide as a tiny patch of golden curls peaked out from the vast amount of blankets in the nest. Crystal blue eyes met almost identical ones as a little boy tumbled his way out of his cocoon. A soft giggle escaped out of the hatchling’s mouth, tiny wings flapping as he rolled to the edge of the nest.
Phil smiled at the little hatchling while the child’s fingers did a grasping motion towards him. The scent of their thunder swirling around them must’ve been why the hatchling seemed so comfortable with him even though they hadn’t met before now. The gold whined again, unhappy with being ignored by a member of his thunder.
Phil rumbled at the hatchling, arms reaching out to scoop up the little child and hold him gently against his chest. Little hands reached up to grab at his hat and Phil chuckled at the little treasure in his arms. A small, insistent pulse was pushing at his mind, trying to force its way in. Phil slowly let the pulse through and was hit with a thundering hello hello love family?
He tilted his head back and let out a loud laugh, eyes dancing with joy as he looked into the eyes of who he could only assume was the surprise Techno had mentioned. The hatchling’s tail was swishing back and forth as he played with Phil's hair, twisting it in his little fists and pulling almost hard enough to hurt.
“Hello mate, it’s nice to meet you” he breathed, “my name is Phil, what’s yours?”
The hatchling brought his attention back to Phil as he tilted his head. He lifted his hand to rest on the man’s cheek as he sent phil love name tommy .
Phil’s heart cracked open as his pupils dilated even more, “well then, hello there Tommy.”
Phil carried him back up to the living room, all the while Tommy giggled. His heart was so full as he stared into the beautiful blue eyes of the newest member of their thunder, their little treasure. He sat the little boy on the floor and handed him a couple toys as he made his way over to the kitchen.
“I am starving little one, I bet you are too! How about I find us something to eat while we wait for Techno?” He asked, opening up all the cabinets and finding nothing.
Phil was about to make a comment on his son’s empty pantry when he heard a soft squeal, one that resembled the sound of a cat being picked up by the scruff. He turned around and the scene before him was sickening.
There was a man standing in the middle of Techno’s living room, obnoxiously green cape flowing in the breeze of his home. The man had armor on, sleek back plates covering his form while his face was completely shrouded under an eerie white mask with a smile crudely painted on it.
The worst thing about the man however, was the fact that he was holding the hatchling…his treasure by the collar of his shirt, causing his arms and legs to scrunch up his body and actually resemble a cat being held by its scruff.
Phil’s pupils narrowed into slits, barely visible as a growl started to grow in his chest. He took a small step closer in an attempt to see if the man would let him. The man tsked and stepped further away, slightly shaking Tommy and causing the little hatchling to whine again.
Phil was no stranger to anger, true unfiltered rage that overtook every sense of ones body, and that's all he felt in this moment. An anger so heated, one he hadn’t felt since Techno was young and poachers tried to kill him. His tail snapped back and forth behind him, the only part of his dragon form besides pointed ears that he had on display.
“Put him down now. ” His voice was far deeper than it was before, the growl sitting heavy on his chest and slipping into his words as he spat them.
Tommy was crying, silent tears welling up and slipping down his little cheeks as he tried to stay as silent as possible. Phil tried to send reassurances through their bond, but was unable to, the bond too weak to be able to focus on in such a high-stress situation.
The man jostled Tommy again, tilting his head back to let out an obnoxious laugh. Phil’s eyes narrowed even more, if that were even possible, and tried to take another step forward while the man was laughing. Unfortunately for Phil, the man noticed and turned his attention towards him.
“Now none of that, wouldn’t want me to kill the little pest hm?” His voice danced with mischief and chaos, but not the friendly kind…no his voice whispered torture and pain.
Phil fought the urge to lash out, even having just met Tommy, he knew he would rather die himself than let Tommy get hurt. He quickly glanced across the room, searching for literally anything he could use to get out of this mess, to protect Tommy.
“I will say, you look a lot different than people said, older maybe... he legend of the dragon who lived on this mountain told of a great beast with a merciless bloodlust…perhaps you’ve lost your touch with fatherhood ”
He spit that last word with venom, as if taking care of a child… of Tommy was some disgusting disease that he had come down with. As if fatherhood wasn’t the greatest gift bestowed upon him so many years ago and was now given to Techno. It took Phil a second to process what was said and when his instincts finally stopped screaming, his mind short circuited at what the man had said.
This man…he thought he was Techno . This man actually thought that Phil—he had to keep himself from laughing at that, the absurdity of the situation mixing with the knowledge that being in his presence was a far more deadly mistake than being in Techno’s. After all, he wasn’t called the Angel of Death for nothing.
He almost smiled…almost, but he was able to compose himself last minute. The idea that this dumbass really thought Phil was Techno was far too amusing in the sense that he would be in for a very rude awakening when he realized he was facing a much more ruthless and merciless foe. All Phil had to do was figure out a way to stall, just long enough for Techno to return and grab Tommy so Phil could teach this garbage what happens when you mess with the Angel of Death's thunder.
For now, Phil needed to focus on the first part. He had absolutely no clue where Techno was or when he would be getting back. He could try and send a message, but there was no guarantee it would even work given how stressed he was. For now, it was up to Phil to get Tommy out safely and that’s exactly what he was going to do.
His mind was working at a mile a minute, racing to figure out how to get Tommy out of the man’s grasp so he could get him somewhere safe before skinning the intruder alive for daring to touch his thunder. As it turned out, Phil did not need to save Tommy. The little hatchling, as if he knew exactly what needed to be done, turned his face towards the man and bit down on the arm that was holding him.
The man yelled in pain, hand dropping Tommy like he was a hot pan as he brought his now bleeding hand to his chest. The hatchling hit the ground with a thud, a small squeak escaping him as he blinked in surprise at being dropped. Phil wasted absolutely no time, dashing forward and scooping Tommy up into his arms.
He shoved his shoulder as hard as he could into the man to knock him off balance before maneuvering around him and sprinting towards the door, Tommy tucked safely into his chest. Just as he was about to shift and take off, he heard a slight whoosh and time started going in slow motion.
Phil knew that sound, dragon hearing or not. He spent countless hours of his life learning how to shoot, learning everything there was to learn about bows and arrows…how they were made, how they were to be handled, how they sounded when an arrow was released from the taut string .
Phil knew that sound far too well, just like he also knew he only had a couple seconds to react. He could shift into a dragon, strong hyde unable to be penetrated by such a weak arrow…but then Tommy would be vulnerable. His mind was racing as he realized that he was out of time, the arrow was coming up fast and he didn’t have time to take off or jump out of the way.
At the last minute, his instincts overtook his mind and he shifted just enough to have his wings protrude from his back and wrap around the hatchling as he moved Tommy to the front of his body instead of his side. Not even a second later, white hot pain shot through his right wing and he screamed. The arrow had shot right through his wing and embedded itself into his side, sticking out just below his rib cage. The pain was unbearable …almost too much for him to stay conscious and definitely more intense than any normal arrow should cause. No, this arrow was poisoned.
He had to stay conscious, to keep moving because Tommy needed him…needed his protection…need him to-
Phil tried his hardest to keep his hold on Tommy, blood pooling around the pair as the hatchling whined. This never should have happened, Phil being taken down by something as simple and weak as an arrow, but he had to protect Tommy, and in doing so he left himself more vulnerable than usual. Not to mention whatever poison this arrow was laced with was strong and already making him lose coherency. A tiny hand touched his cheek, causing Phil to weakly smile before the hand disappeared. The man grabbed Tommy by the collar again, laughing at Phil’s painful gasps and stepping over him towards the door.
The last thing Phil could remember before blacking out was a soft whine and the sound of a roar in the distance.
The chime of the bell signaled the owner to Techno’s arrival to her shop, footsteps quick as he made a beeline to the counter. He wanted to get enough food for a couple of days and get out as fast as humanly possible, mind completely elsewhere as he waited at the cash register for Niki to come out from the back.
“--ay? Techno? Can you hear me?” Niki’s voice trickled into Techno’s mind, shaking him out of the haze his instincts were drowning him in without even realizing.
Techno looked in his friend’s eyes as he reigned his instincts in and looked at Niki with confusion. How long had she been standing there?
“Huh? What?” Techno tried to shake the fog from his head and focus on the woman in front of him
“Your order?” she held up a paper bag, “I made sure to add in some extra sweets like usual, just some new recipes I’ve been messing around with.” Techno didn't even remember placing his order...what was going on?
“No–right of course.” he laughed out, “thank you Niki.” His smile was tight, nerves shot as he realized just how out of it he actually was.
Niki’s eyes crinkled at the edges as she smiled at Techno, handing him the bag of treats. She tilted her head as he grabbed the bag, “Wait,” she paused, “What are you doing here? I thought you would still be holed up in your cave…it’s barely spring. You’re never here this time of year.”
“Oh, yeah well we–” Techno paused, small pulses coming through his mind from Tommy causing him to stutter. He shook his head, waiting to see if the pulse turned into an actual message and continuing when the pulses died down. “We ran out of food…I wasn’t sure when my dad was going to get here so I ran out to get something.”
Niki raised an eyebrow in question, although her eyes shined with warmth, “Wait, what do you mean we?”
Techno’s eyes widened at the question, his instincts almost overpowering him in an attempt to protect his hatchling from Niki, someone his mind was currently perceiving as an outside threat. right before his instincts were about to spill over, Niki’s soft whisper registered in his ears.
“The baby survived?”
Just as he was about to try and answer her a pulse shot through his head, piercing his mind and causing him to hiss out in pain. Niki reached out to grab Techno by the shoulder, asking him what was wrong as pulse after pulse stabbed Techno over and over again. He shook his head in an attempt to stop the onslaught, but it was useless.
“I can’t–” he gasped, pulses getting sharper as he staggered towards the door “I–something…Something is wrong.”
Niki tried to help Techno out the door, eyes narrowed and scanning for the threat Techno seemed to be concerned about. “Tech what’s happening? What’s going on? Are you okay?”
Techno shook his head again, pulses finally starting to settle and leaving behind a massive headache in their wake. “It’s… listen it’s a lot to explain, but I need to go home. I’m sorry. I’ll explain later, but I have to go now. ”
Techno took off running, feet moving before he even registered that he needed to go. He didn’t know what the pulses meant, never having been away from his hatchling like this…never not knowing what was happening. He knew he shouldn’t have left, how could he have possibly left his treasure, his son like that?
The pulses hit his mind again causing him to stumble in his sprint. His mind was on fire, pulses sent more urgently and more often than before. Just as he was about to keel over from the pain, the pulses intensified and a single word came through the noise.
Hurt
Techno’s head snapped up, eyes narrowed into slits as his resolve crumbled and his instincts took over. He no longer cared what the village thought of him as he shifted in the middle of the square. The screams of the villagers didn't matter because his hatchling…his son was hurt and he needed him. Large wings flapped as Techno took to the skies and his way home in blinding speed.
Techno landed haphazardly at his doorstep, quickly shifting back to human form and throwing the door to his home open so hard that the door came flying off its hinges. Normally that would make Techno upset, but the scene he saw before him was making him far more angry than his loss of control.
His father was lying on his floor, curled up on his side in a pool of blood, the end of an arrow protruding from his side. His right wing was curled around himself as blood trickled from it. That alone was enough to make Techno go insane, but that wasn't the only thing he was focused on.
There was a man standing in front of his dad, green cape curling around his ankles and a crude mask covering his face. The worst thing about this situation however, was this man was currently holding Tommy…holding his son by the collar of his shirt.
His eyes were wide, tears streaming down his cheeks while tiny whines were escaping his lips. Techno took a step forward without thinking, instincts driving him to grab his son. The only thing stopping him from charging was the sword that was immediately pointed at his chest.
“Now now, this was certainly unexpected. There was only supposed to be one dragon to slay here…not two and a pipsqueak.” His voice was low and dangerous, words piercing as he slightly shook Tommy, causing him to whine again. Techno growled, pupils narrowed into slits as he fought the urge to shift and tear this man apart.
“Who are you and what exactly are you doing in my house?” Techno spat, words laced with venom and hatred as the man turned his head back towards him.
“Oh!” He paused, tilting his head back and laughing before continuing, “Now this makes more sense! You’re the blood god!”
His body language suggested he was still laughing, standing with complete ease right in front of his bleeding father. Techno’s instincts were screaming , scratching at his will power in an attempt to break free and take over. As much as he would love to, Techno knew nothing good would come from him losing control…at least not right now.
“I thought you looked too small…too weak to be so feared but now I know! This pathetic man wasn’t the blood god! And now I’ll be known for slaying not only the blood god, but his whole thunder it seems!”
Techno suppressed the urge to fling himself at the intruder at the direct insult to Phil. It was one thing to insult and harm him, but it was a whole other thing to do that to his father, especially right in front of Techno. One thing about dragons and their thunder? Baby dragons are extremely protective of their parents.
“I mean, just wait until I bring this thing back!” He shook Tommy again, a small whimper sounding through the room, “the money I’ll get fo—“
His words cut off abruptly, a sharp gasp as his hands loosened and allowed Tommy to wiggle out of his grasp. Techno’s eyes widened, mind racing as to what just happened as he leaned forward and snatched Tommy from the feet of the intruder.
The man stuttered another breath before dropping to his knees and then the floor, face first with an arrow sticking out of his back. Behind him stood Phil, holding his bleeding side while his wing was laying limp against his back. The arrow that was once in his side now stabbed into the back of the man, shoved right between his rib cage and punctured his lung by the sounds of it.
“Bout time you fucking got here, mate” Phil muttered, a small smirk gracing his lips just before he dropped to his knees in pain.
Techno rushed to his dad’s side, Tommy still safely tucked into his arms. Tommy’s whines slowly stopped as his small fingers circled tightly around Techno’s thumb. Scared scared worried was sent through Techno’s mind, crystal blue eyes filled with tears looking into red ones for comfort and safety as Techno knelt next to Phil
“It’s okay treasure, you’re okay. All of us are okay, yeah? I’m so sorry I left you hatchling, never again okay? I promise.” He spoke softly in Tommy’s ear, rumbling as he squeezed his son trying to calm him.
Techno turned his attention away from his son to inspect the wound still leaking blood from Phil and onto his floor. Phil had taken his jacket off at some point and was pressing it tightly against his side, injured wing left forgotten as he locked eyes with Techno.
“Is he alright?” his voice was weak as he took far shallower breaths than Techno would have liked.
“He’ll be alright, What about you?” he asked, fingers gingerly touching the newfound hole in his father’s wing.
Phil laughed a little, “The arrow went straight through my wing so that should be an easy recovery. My side though? Pulling that arrow out will definitely mean my recovery will be harder…not to mention the poison.”
Techno nodded, arms squeezing his son one more time before placing him on his back and helping Phil to his feet. The man let out a groan of pain as they made their way to the couch, Techno easing Phil down before holding Tommy out to him.
“Hold onto him for a bit? I have to…uhm take out the trash.”
Phil’s eyes widened, quickly glancing behind Techno before holding his arms out. Tommy sniffed his fingers, a small rumble starting up in his throat as he recognized the scent of a member of his thunder. He left out a little huff of smoke, reaching for Phil as his different sized wings flapped in excitement.
Techno handed his son over, heart yearning at letting him go while his instinct for once were agreeing with his next course of action. Tommy reached towards Phil’s hair, delighted at the opportunity to pull at it as Phil eased into a more comfortable position.
Techno gave himself a second to watch his son before turning around and grabbing the ankle of the intruder, dragging him to the door and outside. Small gasps escaped his lips as he struggled to breathe, eyes barely open as Techno dragged him away from his door and out of earshot.
At last, Techno let his instincts go, let them take charge of his mind and consume his rational thought. His nails elongated, teeth sharpening as he looked upon the man who tried to take his son…who almost killed his father. Techno found he didn’t need to shift to tear him limb from limb, mind going blank as the blood lust he retired years ago came rushing forward.
It wasn’t too long before Techno opened the door to his home and stepped inside, much sooner than he would have liked. He wanted to drag it out, make him suffer for every ounce of pain he had caused his thunder, but Tommy was waiting for him and Phil needed medical attention that wasn't just a jacket pressed to his side, so the revenge had to be cut short. Phil had Tommy in his lap when Techno entered, a smile graced his face even with all the pain he was in as he continued to tell a story of his past.
Techno leaned against the doorframe of the living room, small specs of blood dotted his shirt but he didn’t mind, watching his father recount tales of his youth with a full heart. Tommy looked up in the middle of Phil telling him how he met his wife, eyes locking with Techno and huffing out smoke in excitement. His hands made grabbing motions towards Techno, pupils blown almost as wide as his as he squirmed in Phil’s arms, cutting the man off.
Just as Techno made a move towards his son, Tommy opened his mouth and the most unexpected thing happened. A small, almost inaudible voice rang in his ears…one simple word escaped his lips.
“Dad?”