Dragon Consultant (2 page)

The larger of the two was a blue dragon and the smaller a brown. The scales covering their bodies were still small, emphasizing just how young they were. The ridge of spikes on adult dragons that ran down the spine in a straight line were still little nubs on their backs, as were the two horns growing over their pointed ears. Both had wings that were too large for their bodies, which was normal for very young dragons. They were born with wings capable of flight; they just had to grow into them. Only the blue had grown large enough to manage that. What was odder was that two different types of dragons would be willing to work together. If two blue dragons could only spend enough time together to have kits, a blue and brown dragon would immediately start fighting should they meet. Age didn't matter when it came to territory.

"Just what is going on here?" Dane asked in his most severe voice. Both kits gasped and spun around. The younger one let out a little whimper and huddled into the side of his companion.

"He's going to hurt Daddy, Nickel!" the younger one cried.

"I won't let him!" the older one declared, his wings flaring out aggressively. He growled and Dane could feel the pull of magic in the air as water started to coalesce around the dragons.

Dane waved his hand through the air, cancelling the kit's magic with his own. Nickel gasped again and his wings drooped.

"I don't want to hurt you or your daddy," Dane insisted, gentling his voice so he wouldn't scare them too much more. They were his key to figuring out what was going on here, so Dane couldn't afford to alienate them. "You can't stay on this mountain for much longer or people are going to get angry. I just want to help you find a new territory."

"We can't leave right now!" the little brown dragon insisted. "Daddy's sick and we have to protect him!"

"Chrome, shh!" Nickel hissed.

"I'm here to help," Dane reiterated. "Maybe I can find a doctor for your daddy? To help him feel better?"

"Nickel?" Chrome whined. "What if he can help?"

Dane was pierced under Nickel's fierce, blue-eyed stare for a few long seconds as he was evaluated and no doubt found wanting. Despite that fact, Dane was the only one available who might be able to help their father and them. Nickel didn't have a choice except to trust Dane. Finally Nickel relented, but not without a fight. "If he tries to hurt Daddy, you and 'Ron can bite him all you like."

"Oh boy," Chrome giggled. Both dragons turned and started walking in the same direction Dane had been headed earlier. He followed meekly behind, aware that Nickel kept glancing suspiciously over his shoulder. It wasn't long before the trees in the area began to show signs of dragon inhabitants. The bark showed scratches from dragon scales and claws and the ground was covered in distinctive, taloned footprints. One glance around confirmed that Dane was dealing with a lot of children. The trees were all disfigured low to the ground and the prints were too small for an adult. Besides, an adult would take better care of their territory.

Eventually they reached a clearing. At least three trees had fallen recently, opening the area to the sky, which was essential for dragons. The fallen trees had also created a natural cave off to one side. Dane could sense at least two dragons inside. Another brown dragon in human form was tottering unsteadily on her short baby legs. She was holding a large, curved piece of bark in her hands and seemed determined not to spill the water carefully held inside.

She was walking towards an adult dragon lying in the sun on the far side of the clearing. After she lay the piece of bark down, the adult dragon weakly lifted his head to drink. The water was gone in an instant, barely a sip for a dragon of the size collapsed there. The girl immediately snatched up the bark and hurried off.

"Daddy's sick," Chrome whispered to Dane. That much was obvious to see. It looked like an advanced case of dragon fever to him, something that in humans was called the flu. Dane walked closer, keeping his hands behind his back as the ever-suspicious Nickel paced him closely.

The adult's eyes were glazed with fever. He couldn't even differentiate Dane from Nickel, and after a few seconds of trying, his eyes slid closed. Dane turned to Nickel, who was apparently in charge until the adult got better.

"I can take him to a doctor," Dane tried to explain. "He'll be better in a few weeks if I do."

"What about the rest of us?" Nickel asked. There was fear there, most likely from the idea of being separated or left to fend for themselves. That was unusual in a dragon, but then nothing was usual about anything Dane had seen so far.

"You'll have to come with me, of course," Dane replied gently. "Your dad won't get better without all of you with him."

Nickel thought for a long moment. Chrome whispered something about more biting in Nickel's ear, which seemed to appease Nickel somewhat. Oh, joy.

"Fine," Nickel finally relented.

Dane nodded. "Gather everyone. I can take you all with me at once, but you have to be touching me for the magic to work."

Chrome dashed across the clearing and into the cave. Nickel went in the other direction towards where the little girl had gone. He returned first.

"This is Iron, but we call her 'Ron," Nickel said as she placed the piece of bark filled with water near the adult dragon's head. It had tadpoles swimming in it, which were probably a nice snack for the kits. Dane had little doubt they had been living off of frogs and other small critters since Dad had gotten sick. "She's very good at biting."

'Ron bared her teeth, which even in human form were exceptionally sharp. If it weren't for the fact that she was naked, she would have looked like an ordinary human girl. Little brown scales covered her stomach and chest. Had she been wearing clothes, most of the scales would have been hidden and only someone who could sense her power would know what she was. 'Ron was maybe three or four years old, the same approximate age as Chrome, and just on the cusp of learning to fly.

"Hello, 'Ron," Dane said very politely.

"You smell funny," she replied before focusing her attention on Dad.

Okay, then? Kids were really weird creatures and kits were apparently no different.

It was another minute before Chrome returned. He had shifted into human form, his only covering the same brown scales as 'Ron wore. Two red dragons in human form, their red scales and hair almost identical in color, accompanied him. One was very small. If Dane had to guess, he wasn't long out of his egg. The other boy was approximately Nickel's age, so about seven or eight. All three of them were very carefully carrying a fire-red dragon egg. The egg was easily the size of the baby red trying to hold it up. What the heck were five young dragons and one very sick adult male doing with a red dragon egg? Dane hurried over and took the egg from them before they could drop it.

"Everyone make sure you're touching me," Dane insisted. Four small hands clutched at his clothes. Nickel huffed and shifted into human form too, his small body only covered in blue scales, and his hand joined with the others. Dane cradled the egg in one arm and reached out to place the other on Dad's back.

Magic shifted around everyone. When it settled down again, they were standing on the expansive front lawn of Dane's home. The kits all gasped, staring at the field of grass and the two-mile long driveway cutting through the middle.

The kits didn't wander far from Dad as they went to explore. Only the baby red remained with Dane, one thumb in his mouth as he sat at Dane's feet. Dane moved the egg to his other arm and dug into his pocket for his phone. It only took a few seconds to scroll through Dane's contacts and hit call.

"Dr. Krantz?" Dane asked when someone said hello on the other end.

"Dane, my boy!" Dr. Krantz said jovially. "What can I do for you?"

"I have a very sick adult dragon down with what looks like dragon fever and five young kits that have been exposed."

"Say no more, my boy," Dr. Krantz interrupted. "Give me five minutes." He hung up.

Dane scrolled through his contacts again until he found Daisy's name. She didn't pick up until the third ring, and when she did, she sounded distracted.

"What can I do ya for?" she asked just as someone screamed loudly in the background. "No, you do not pull each other's hair! I said no! Do not hit me with that tail, young man!" Her phone was put down with a thunk and Dane patiently listened as she corralled two squalling kids and got them situated in time-out. "Sorry 'bout that," she said sheepishly. "What's up, Boss?"

'Ron was eating a dandelion she had pulled from the ground. Nickel and the other red dragon were playing leapfrog with a very frightened cricket, although neither had actually taken their eyes off of Dane yet. Chrome was also watching with his teeth bared, as if he were waiting for a chance to bite. The baby red was using one of Dane's feet as a pillow.

"I have five young dragon kits on my front lawn and I don't know what to do with them," Dane admitted.

"What're ya doing with so many dragons?" Daisy yelped.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied. "Anyway, I have one girl and four boys who need clothes and food."

"Let me round up the husband to watch my own brats and then I'll hop right over." Daisy sounded far too curious on the phone for Dane's own peace of mind, but then it would be good if she could get answers out of the kits about their unusual situation. She hung up on Dane too; it appeared to be the day for it.

The kits eventually wandered back to their dad and Dane. They flopped down onto the grass to wait. The egg was starting to feel heavy and its constant warmth under the setting sun was making him sweat.

The ground lit up suddenly near the driveway, causing all the kits to jump to their feet in surprise. It was a transportation spell circle, and as the light faded, two figures emerged. Dr. Krantz and his assistant hurried over towards where everyone was standing. Nickel and the older red—Dane really needed to learn his name— surged to their feet and transformed into dragon form with loud growls.

"It's all right, kits," Dane called as teeth were bared and claws extended. "This is the doctor!"

Dr. Krantz stopped short just in front of the boys. His glance took in all the young kits, the egg in Dane's hands, and the dragon laboring for breath at Dane's feet. He turned to his assistant and murmured something. The young man immediately spun on one heel and hurried back to the circle. He vanished a second later.

"The bronze dragon needs medicine immediately," Dr. Krantz explained gently, but urgently to the kits.

"It'll help?" Nickel asked, still defensive.

Dane was still struck by the bronze part of Dr. Krantz's comment. What the heck was a precious dragon doing with a bunch of elemental kits? Every new thing Dane learned about these dragons just confused him even more. Thanks to the layer of dirt, sweat, and grime, Dad could pass as a brown elemental dragon. Upon closer inspection, however, Dane could just barely see the gleam of bronze peeking through.

There were two different types of dragons. The more common type was the elemental; their powers corresponded with their colors of fire red, earth brown, water blue, and air white. The only elemental dragon not represented by the kits was air, but they tended to be fairly elusive. The less common type was known as a precious dragon. There were three different types—bronze, silver, and gold—and regardless of their color they had the ability to work magic without a specific element. If Daddy weren't felled by dragon fever, he would be quite a formidable foe.

"Yes, son," Dr. Krantz insisted. "It will help a lot."

"Okay," Nickel said. He slowly backed away to give Dr. Krantz room. "But I'll be watching closely."

"Thank you," Dr. Krantz replied formally. He moved slowly as he approached Dad and knelt in the grass at the dragon's side. "It would be easier if you twiddled your fingers and turned this bronze into human form, Dane, my boy."

It was a bit more than just twiddling his fingers, but to a healer-witch like Dr. Krantz that might have been the best explanation he was able to give. Dane felt for the streams of magic surrounding the dragon and began to pull here and twist there until the bronze's magic took over from muscle memory. His gigantic dragon form faded, replaced by a human adult male that looked to be about thirty years old.

His face was red with fever, but despite that he was probably the most handsome man Dane had ever seen. His lips were full, his nose small and pert, and his lashes thick over his closed eyes. His hair was a beautiful bronze color that echoed the large scales that covered most of his very naked body.

It took Dr. Krantz a few moments of searching before he found a bit of skin not protected by the scales that was adequate for his purpose. "I'm going to give him a shot," he explained to Nickel as he pulled a syringe and a vial full of liquid out of his medical bag. He prepped the needle as he continued to speak. "Inside this liquid is a mix of human chemicals and magic. It should have your dear dad up and about in only a few hours."

"That fast?" Dane asked, wondering if calling Daisy for help had been too preemptive.

"It will take him a few days before he's strong enough to walk further than from his bed to the bathroom and back, but the fever will be gone." He stuck the needle deep into the muscle of the bronze's inner thigh, where the scales thinned to reveal human skin, and depressed the plunger. It was over before Nickel could cry out in shock. "Do you have a bed, dear boy?" Dr. Krantz asked as he carefully capped the needle and dropped it into a biohazard bag.

Dane nodded. "I'll make sure he gets to one soon."

"Don't make holes in Daddy!" 'Ron whimpered. "That's not nice and he wouldn't like it!"

Dr. Krantz nodded solemnly. "I'm very sorry, you're right. Of course, if he were awake he would get a lollipop for taking his medicine so bravely." He pulled five plastic-wrapped suckers out of his bag, all in different colors, and displayed them to the kits.

"I take medic-stuff," the baby red insisted from where he was still sitting on Dane's foot. Dane hadn't known he was old enough to talk just yet, but then dragon development wasn't something Dane had ever made a study of. He would have to remedy that, since he was apparently watching over a herd of them for now.