graasvoel

Cracks began to spread like off-white webs across the egg’s surface—though Gaal paid it little mind for the woman’s golden eyes were suddenly upon him; her thick lashes wide in surprise as he startled her. A grin spread across his dark lips at her sudden, immediate denial of the egg housing a dragon—instead saying that their Moon Doctor had another such creature hatch out of a companion egg.

“A bat?” There was a dubiousness in his gruff voice as he parroted her claim—given the choice, he’d prefer a dragon to a bat. Surely mares were more likely to be impressed by a mythical winged lizard than a small, furry bat? At least, the vulture thought so.

His large, bearded skull nodded in affirmation as she questioned him about dragons. His grin grew to a mischievous smile, “Yes, I believe even the little ones can breath fire—“ but his answer, like her question was cut off by a large crack coming from the egg. His gaze riveted towards the hatching egg. Though his attention and body did not miss the sidestep the woman took towards him.

And so, naturally, he took steps towards her, more than happy to provide some semblance of a protective knight in that moment—though, truth be told, he was as far from a ‘Knight in Shining Armor’ as any. Though his ears laid back as she asking him to kill the dragon, should the egg, indeed, house such a beast.

“No,” the word was out how his mouth before he could even consider the ramifications of denying the beautiful woman her request. His head swung towards her, brows furrowed in consternation, “I will not kill a baby dragon just for its birthright.” There was something deeper that rang beneath the roughness of his voice— but that was buried by years of harsh blows from his father and cold chiding by his mother.

Though his stern denial was immediately softened at the sight of the pale, blue-marked woman’s excitement as she peered into the egg. Her words were gleeful as she (knowingly or not) bonded to the companion.

“And I think the Edge’s kindling is safe from your Snapdragon,” a gruff chuckle accompanied his words as his eyes glided over the woman and her new companion. A small curiosity piqued in him, “What does it feel like? The bonding?” He had been told that companions and their bonded shared parts of their souls, and he wondered what sensation that sent through the body. Was it pleasant? Strange? Tickling or pinching?

For a man obsessed with bodily sensations, the vulture was not sure that he’d ever tie another to him like that. It was too much commitment; to much shared.