Gloria, Ramon, Emile, Susan, and Tafel were sitting around a large rectangular block in the middle of the palace. Placed on the block in front of them, there was a large stone bowl filled with fruits that Grimmy had gathered from the underground cave where the pale people had lived. The two baby dragons were staring at the two young phoenixes with curious expressions on their faces. Tafel bit her lower lip and turned her head to the side, staring at the even larger rectangular block where Grimmy and his parents were sitting with Vur and Leila. Although she didnt mind babysitting the four youngsterseven though the two phoenixes were technically older than hershe was a bit annoyed by the fact Vur hadnt been assigned a seat next to her; however, she wasnt going to argue with a dragon that was only tenuously related to her.
So, you two were just born recently, eh? Emile asked Gloria and Ramon. In that case, you can call Big Brother.
Ramon wrinkled his snout. You should call Big Brother. He raised one paw and placed it on the rectangular table. Youre not even as big as my feet.
Emile glared at the holy dragon sitting across from him and puffed up his chest. He still wasnt larger than the little dragons paw. Size doesnt an anything, Emile said and tilted his head up to look at Ramon from down his beak. Im stronger than you, so Im older. Youre too young to realize thats how all magical beasts determine seniority.
Ramon snorted. Do you want to fight? Lets fight. He got up and pounced over the table. Emile squawked and flapped his wings, escaping from Ramons surprise attack in the nick of ti. As he retreated, he pecked and clawed at Ramons wing.
Leila turned her head towards the commotion. Grimmy and his parents redirected their attention as well. They watched the young holy dragon chase and snap at the phoenix to no avail. Despite his best efforts, Ramon couldnt even touch a feather on Emiles body. The red bird was just too dang fast and small!
Grimmys mom chuckled upon seeing the sight. Little Ramon reminds so much of you when you were younger, she said and smiled at Grimmy. I bet hes quite the handful to take care of. If you two need so extra help, Kal and I dont mind coming over to work as live-in nannies.
Oh, no, Leila said and waved her front paws in front of herself. We dont need any assistance. I appreciate the offer though.
Are you sure? Kal asked and raised an eyebrow. Think of it as doing us a favor. After Grimmyhe glared at his sondestroyed the continent, there isnt much for us to do around these parts.
Leila glanced at Grimmy, and the black dragon chuckled. Then, he said, No.
Are you really going to refuse us shelter after destroying our ho? Grimmys mom asked. The surface of her eyes glistened, and tears threatened to fall from them. She blinked them away and wiped at her face with her paws. A sigh escaped from her mouth, and she lowered her head. I understand. Youre a grownup now, and its reasonable for you to want your privacy. No one wants their parents interfering with their lives after all.
Leila glanced at Grimmy again. She wasnt quite sure how to deal with this kind of approach. If Kondra wanted sothing, she demanded it and wouldnt take no for an answer. For her, it was harder to refuse Grimmys moms requestsespecially since she didnt want Grimmys parents to hate her. Should we?
No, Grimmy said, firr this ti. My parents might seem nice and kindhearted on the surface, but theyre cursed dragons in the end. If you give them an inch, theyll take a mile. First, itll be, oh, we just want to be live-in nannies. Then, itll be, youre not taking care of them right; do this instead. Afterwards, itll basically be their ho instead of ours.
Nonsense, Kal said and snorted. We wouldnt do sothing like that. What actions have we done in the past that makes you think we would?
Grimmy grunted, but he kept his mouth shut. He gestured towards Gloria with his head. Can you teach Gloria to be a proper cursed dragon?
Kal shifted his gaze onto Gloria. She was sitting on her haunches, her front legs straight with her paws pressed to the ground. Her head occasionally swiveled to follow Ramons and Emiles movents, but other than that, she didnt have much of a presence. Kal frowned and shifted his gaze back onto Grimmy. Whats wrong with her? She looks like a proper cursed dragon to . In my opinion, Ramons the one you want us to teach.
What do you an shes a proper cursed dragon? Grimmy asked. You always said cursed dragons have to hold themselves to a higher standard because of the biases we face. Look at Gloria. Does she look like shes ready to face those biases? A cursed dragon has to be tough. Do you know what Gloria did when she saw a behemoth bear? She took it in as a pet.
Kal narrowed his eyes. He leaned in close and stared at Grimmy. Didnt you say public perception of cursed dragons has never been better? he asked. Why does it matter if Gloria is a bit eker than most cursed dragons? Perhaps if more cursed dragons behaved like Gloria, she wouldnt have to toughen up.
Grimmy scratched his chin. Well, he said, dragging out the word. About that. Not all cursed dragons are viewed better in the public eye. So of us are more notorious than others.
Are you referring to yourself? Grimmys mom asked. She nodded. Itd be unsurprising for people to view you in a bad light because of what you did to the southern continent. Are you afraid people will realize Gloria is related to you and target her because of your infamy?
Sure, lets go with that, Grimmy said. He cleared his throat to prevent his parents from saying anything. Are you going to teach Gloria or not? If not, were leaving.
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