"I'll let them know what bad means."

The insult hits just as planned, a direct target to the smaller child's ears as her bittersweet voice flows from unsmiling lips (bull's eye). There was indeed an affect, a victory I'd rightfully earned. "Something the matter?" I sing to her, sly and mischievous— careful in my tone of voice and choice of words. I'd have my fun while I could, eager to keep myself entertained while her blob of a chick remains on the forest floor surrounded by crumpled wet eggshell (upstaging a baby, how kind of me).

"And I'm sure you're as bird-brained as that companion of yours." I offer a false smile, looking down at the girl and her companion seething with anger. How lucky of her to get a companion, while I was here all alone. As much as I didn't want a bird or some measly animal to bond to— I didn't want to be alone either. I wanted the company of someone else at my side (not Sabre, not Zhu as much as I adore him and his fine body) but another half that will understand my internal turmoil, that I know will remain with me until the end.

Unfortunately for me— the sooty, blue-eyed filly and I speak in unison, our voices overlapping as we respond word for word to the black babe. Bubblegum reaches for stormy grey, seeking out the sparks of hatred and malcontent that had been present when they'd first encountered one another— I find it indeed, unspoken fury only displayed in the flaring of small nostrils and subtly unpleasant features. My normally impassive features suddenly scrunch up into a shit eating grin, eyes peering towards the filly and her now grown eaglet with sickening glee (let her suffer, this was hilarious). "Well, that was unexpected." I comment unnecessarily, looking at the onyx babe and her flickering golden eyes (the eyes are the window to the soul after all)— and this girl's soul was out for blood. It's dark and haunting, a killer stare from a toddler— how amusing. Her golden gaze burns into me as I snicker quietly to myself (let her get angry at me, I couldn't care less whether she wanted my guts or not), enjoying her fury (try me) I wish to tell her, seeking to tease her a little more.

I look towards the taller of the two, trying to not so subtly mouth out: 'someone's looking a little grumpy'. My eyes pass between them— waiting for the one previously met to show some sign of knowing what I'd silently spoken, in the meantime looking down at them and marking the similarities and differences between their childish builds. Already there were differences in the way they were growing, the charcoal limbed filly sprouting above her sister by a few inches (barely a noticeable difference), and my sympathy goes out to the smaller one (welcome to the tiny tots club kid, you'll probably be stuck here the rest of your life).

The sisters' attention falls back to the newly hatched eaglet wallowing on the ground (the bird takes back the spotlight), an ugly grey mass of teetering legs and soft down— it wasn't appealing on the eyes. Dragons certainly never looked this unappealing, always an aesthetically pleasing sight with their glittering scales and powerful tendons pushing them into the sky and jagged claws clutching their prey with a vice grip— threatening ivory and billowing flames, they were the definition of everything a future king like me needs.

I keep my lips sealed while the two have their moment, distanced expression observing the interaction between bonded and child, questioning what it felt like to be newly bonded (was it weird? Did you actually feel anything?). From what the taller says, you feel your companion in your head— how peculiar. What was it like to have to minds bound together to one another? All these questions rise to my lips, hesitating there as I realize this is not the right crowd to be asking, if anything I should be seeking out Nymeria or Volterra for the answers, not two salty sisters.

"Talk."