Captivating.

A single word, that could hold many diverse meanings. But they all applied right here and now. The creature poised above her, was purely and utterly, captivating. Though of course, with that intrigue, came the underlining fear of what she might do to her as well. To Abby, the outcomes she could think up were endless… But, with the way this new child was looking at her, one thing came to the forefront of her mind first. And she didn’t at all like her troublesome conclusion.

“P-Please… please don’t eat me…”

Gulping fearfully as she laid sprawled out on her back, a position she had been in on numerous occasions, the shrunken teenager stared up at the stunning white Dragon Pup with mixed feelings. It had only been seconds since she was knocked onto her back, but with the way they were staring back at one another, it felt much longer than that.

Following the creature’s eyes, as she shifted her head back and forth as she sniffed around her profusely, the diminutive human could do little more than hold her breath as she watched the dangling tongue that seemingly creeped out ever so slowly towards her.

Hopefully, she was wrong. This Dragon was an infant in many ways. While definitely not a baby, she didn’t sound like she could talk yet, meaning, she probably would follow her instincts more than her logic. And that didn’t bode well with the brunette if she concluded her just to be a source of Energy in the end.

While she wasn’t as afraid of being used as a power source by the many girls that she now accompanied anymore, the smaller girl still knew there were more ways than one for her *essence* to be extracted from her. Skin, blood… bone. She was basically a snack at this size. One that could bring the much larger toddler plenty of joy upon consuming.

Shuttering as the prospect of being eaten entered her mind again, Abby silently closed her eyes, before lifting a hand upward. ‘P-Please, don’t bite it! Please!’ Leaving her arm in the air as she waited for something to happen, the tiny teen almost shrieked as she felt her entire limb suddenly engulfed by what she could only assume was the child’s mouth.

Trying her hardest to crack open her eyes, Abby eventually managed to peek open one before she began to hyperventilate. Keeping her lips around the brunette’s shoulder as her mouth began to move back and forth, the little white Dragon Pup wore an almost confused look on her features as she gently began to suck on the smaller girl’s arm.

Did she like the flavor? Was she savoring her? Or, was she just… playing? She couldn’t gauge the much younger girls’ reaction with a face like that! Continuing to shudder on the ground, Abby slowly began to wiggle her fingers as she felt the toddler's tongue beginning to swish and swerve around her now drenched sleeve.

“H-H-Having, fun…? Friend… I-I’m, I’m a friend… See…?” Lightly grasping the spongy girl’s tongue as she tried to playfully show her that she meant her no harm, the smaller girl almost wheezed as she let out the breath she was holding in, upon seeing the pleased expression the infantile girl now wore.

“Graoo… aooow!”

Smiling back at the younger girl crookedly as she continued to wiggle and writhe her arm around as she let it move back and forth, Abby closed her eyes before breathing calmly now. ‘S-She’s playing…’ She was just curious after all.

Feeling as if a boulder had suddenly been lifted off her chest, the shrunken teen grinned now before holding onto the toddler’s tongue as she began to giggle happily. “Nice to meet you officially, Ivy. I haven’t really heard much about you, but I can tell your kind already. And a cutie!”

Biting her lower lip as she heard what sounded like a coo of happiness from her words, Abby yipped in surprise as she was lifted up slowly by her arm. “U-Uhh, I-Ivy?!” Watching as the child fell back on her bottom, the smaller girl was soon clutched in her petite scaly hands before she started to suck on her arm once more.

‘Great… I guess I’m now her pacifier…’ Though, she really had no room to be complaining. She wasn’t teething… Continuing to wiggle her hand around for the child’s enjoyment, Abby simply waited. Where had Ebon gone anyways?

She had heard a scuffle earlier, but… She found it hard to believe this little thing could have done anything to overpower the Black Dragon. While the older Hominal seemed like a fighter through and through, she got a much different impression from this one.

Hearing more giggles from the younger girl as she squeezed the Dragon girl’s tongue, Abby simply sighed before craning her neck to see behind her. ‘I guess I could call Eve now…’ It might be a little rude though considering she had decided to come here to make peace with Ebon. Though, she might have burned that bridge already.

Maybe Yu would be a better choice… She already had a feeling the Doppelganger was watching her now. Thinking it over for a little while, the shrunken girl eventually shook her head. As far as she could tell, she wasn’t in any immediate danger… yet.

If things turned sour once Ebon returned, she could call for help then. She still wanted to salvage this situation. In any way she could at this point. If she was going to stay here with these girls, the last thing she wanted was any of them to harbor resentment towards her, or worse. Animosity for each other.

Frowning now as she thought about Casey and Eve, Abby soon pouted. ‘I hope they’ll forgive me.’ She really felt bad after what she had done to them. But she had to remember, it was the right thing to do. Even if it made her depressed just thinking about it.

Thankfully though, she didn’t need to think about the two Hominal in question, as the remaining on in the back of her mind quietly emerged. Hearing a tired panting behind her, Abby tried to crane her neck to see better, but she couldn’t really see much other than the giant pair of white horns that obscured her view. Though, she didn’t need to be looking at Ebon, to know it was her once she spoke.

“IVY!”

Glancing up suddenly as she heard her name called, the little White Dragon Pup look around a few times before blinking as something crashed down in front of her. Puckering and pursing her lips as she continued to suck on the smaller girl’s arm, the little Dragon pup quietly tilted her head to the side as she looked up at the agitated face of Ebon.

Snarling angrily as her scales faintly glowed from the fire they had absorbed; the volatile child went from angry to pale in a matter of seconds upon seeing what was inside of her younger charges mouth.

“IVY! SPIT IT OUT, NOW!”

Looking up at Ebon fearfully, the shrunken teen gulped as she saw the panicked expression the larger Hominal was wearing. “THAT’S NOT FOOD! I SAID SPIT IT OUT!” Reaching her hand forward, Ebon all but froze as she heard an angry growl escape past the smaller Dragon’s pursed lips.

Watching the transaction between the two girls play out, Abby was left wondering what to do, but she could tell one thing was for certain. It appeared, that the homicidal black dragon, was actually… trying to help her for some reason.

Her twitching claws, the way she was fidgeting… Why would she care if Ivy ate her? Feeling like she needed to break the sudden tension, the brunette quietly gulped before raising her one good arm upward calmingly. “U-Uhh… This isn’t what it looks like Ebon. S-She’s not trying to eat me. I think she’s just kind of… playing? No… I guess… I don’t know actually. I just know she likes me for some reason. Don’t be angry with her, please? This is my fault… sort of.”

She frankly didn’t know what to say this was beside awkward. Hopefully, though, the younger girl didn’t take whatever was going on as a threat to her younger counterpart. She had seen firsthand how angry and defensive the older Hominal became when Ivy was brought up in conversation.

Gazing down at both Abby and Ivy with uncertainty, a look of utter confusion slowly began to form on her features. She was right. The younger girl hadn’t been chewing on the smaller human as she had first thought she was. And as reassuring as that was… it still made her weaver knowing that a certain Vampire might still hold her accountable should something happen to her pet human.

Kneeling down gently as she tried to separate the human from said Dragon, Ebon quietly began to growl as she saw the angry looks Ivy was giving her at her attempts to split her away from the smaller girl. “Ivy, let, her, GO! I said, drop her!”

Grinding her teeth together as the smaller pup began to growl back at her through her muffled mouth, Ebon eventually resorted to reaching for Abby before a loud cry stopped her in her tracks. “H-H-HEY, N-NO TEETH! D-DON’T BITE ME IVY! PLEASE!”

Feeling multiple sharp and jagged teeth puncturing her arm now, Abby began to whimper in discomfort. It looked like the child wasn’t about to give her up. And she didn’t want to know what she would do defend her new plaything!

Looking up at Ebon beggingly, Abby quickly shook her head. “P-Please, d-don’t do that again! I… I can feel her biting down now…” She whimpered out. She hadn’t been scared before… but now… it seemed like she might actually lose her arm if the older Hominal tried to take her away again!

Clenching her teeth together as she saw the angry look being directed her way, Ebon snarled threateningly before shifting her ire to Abby instead. “And just what do you say I do! She’ll eat you if I don’t stop her! She hates Human’s just as much as me!” the Dragon snarled.

Panting softly as she felt the teeth around her limb slowly retreating, the smaller girl sighed before shaking her head. “Well, she doesn’t hate me! She only started to bite down when you tried to take me away from her! I… I don’t mind staying like this. It’s making her happy for some reason. Just please, don’t try anything like that again!” She was beginning to trust the toddler now but she could tell that the little White Dragon would get very angry should Ebon try to snatch at her again. And if that happened, she might just eat her to spite the larger girl.

Clenching her claws together, Ebon shook her head back and forth. “I need you alive! Eve will do something if you get hurt!” “Then let me handle this so I don’t get hurt!” “Ivy hates humans!” “NO, YOU HATE HUMANS! She hasn’t done anything to me yet!”

Snarling in rage, the little black Dragon Pup suddenly went silent much to Abby’s surprise. The same look of confusion was on her face again. “W-What, what is it?” frowning as she looked between Ivy and Abby, Ebon silently shook her head.

“I don’t understand.” What she was saying was true after all. Even though the little Dragon was younger than her, she had been openly hostile to Human’s ever since what had happened to them. So why now did she let the tiny one close to her? A Dragons sense of smell was unrivaled. She had to know that the shrunken girl was a human… so why, wasn’t she trying to kill her?

Feeling as if she had been left out of something important, Abby continued to dangle in the air as she watched Ivy flexing her claws defensively up at Ebon. She kind of wished the younger Hominal hadn’t let her body go, this was beginning to hurt!

“Ivy…” Watching Ebon, both Human and Hominal looked up at her now as the black dragon lifted up one of the many gold pieces that were scattered about them. “Metal… your, metal. It’s mine now!” Yanking the gold coin away from Ivy’s reach, Ebon watched her closely as she saw the angry expression she wore.

“Graaaoooo!”

Wincing as her hand was lightly bit upon once more, Abby tried to remain silent. She really hoped the larger girl had some kind of a point to make with her random statement other than to simply provoke the unstable toddler!

Moving her hand back as she set the gold down in front of Ivy, Ebon scowled once more as she saw her calm down. “Ivy, food?” Panicking as she was pointed at by the larger girl, Abby began to sputter. “H-H-HEY, NOT FOOD! NOT FOOD! DON’T GIVE HER ANY IDEAS!”

Growling loudly to silence the stuttering human, Ebon watched Ivy’s reaction once more. This time, it was confusion. “Not food… Ivy, treasure?” Pointing to Abby once more, the older Hominal’s eyes widened to an absurd extent as Ivy started to growl before pulling the startled brunette closer to her chest.

Treasure…

She saw the smaller girl, as one of her treasures. Shifting her eyes downward as she tried to comprehend the strange new reaction from her younger counterpart, Ebon quietly murmured. The look on her face now was one of contemplation. It was something the teenager had never seen the little Dragon wear before.

Though honestly, she really never saw much but anger from her, to begin with. Feeling the teeth retreating again, Abby quietly sighed before gently petting the wiggling tongue above her once again. “So… I guess she thinks I’m hers now… heh, funny how that happened. U-Umm… She’ll let me go eventually… right? N-Not that I don’t mind her! I really like you, Ivy!” Abby stuttered out before being rewarded with a happy coo from the infantile Dragon.

Staring down at the ground as she ignored the ramblings coming from the smaller girl, Ebon’s eyes were fixated on the gold around her as she tried to comprehend it. To a Dragon, material possessions were their treasure. They didn’t value such things like food as their bounty, and they would even often share it with each other if one of their brethren were hungry.

Looking up slowly as her piercing red eyes locked onto the diminutive girl, Ebon had to really focus on her now. It didn’t add up. “Who… are you?” Blinking a few times as she was asked, what was probably the first real question Ebon had ever asked her before, Abby simply frowned.

“You already know my name… you just never say it. Well, except that one time. When I was with Kari and Nya earlier, you said my name. It was the first time. I’m just, Abby.” Continuing to watch the smaller girl as she listened to her answer, the Dragon’s eyes eventually left her before they moved onto her younger charge.

“Ivy, come.” Looking up at the older scaly child as she began to pat her lap, the little white Dragon pup made some kind of gargling noises before she started to crawl over to her. Wincing as she was dangled back and forth from the child’s lips, Abby soon felt the both of them come to a stop before a pair of hands were around her once again.

Craning her neck so she could see better, the shrunken teen silently gulped now as she saw the little white Dragon now resting in the larger black one’s lap as her scaly claws gently raked down her back. “U-Umm… Is, everything alright, Ebon?” She was acting, different all of a sudden.

Moving her hand down the length of the younger girl’s spine, Ebon soon raised her claws back up before resting them on the toddlers shimmering hair, before stroking down her back once again. It made little sense to her in the end. But… perhaps, in some sort of stroke of the inconceivable, she was mistaken.

Digging her claws into Ivy’s back as she felt the younger Dragon trembling from her touch, Ebon slowly began to close her eyes. “Ivy has never once allowed a Human to approach her without first threatening them. And had I listened to her instincts in the past, perhaps our fates could have changed. So, I’m left now wondering… should I listen to them now?”

Hearing the younger girls’ words but unable to see her face, Abby was left in a state of somber silence. She didn’t have the context to fit with what the child had just said, but it sounded like she was asking if she could trust her…

‘Is she saying, that she wants to believe me now?’ It was danced around, however, and not openly stated. But she got the feeling Ebon had much more to say. And she was more than willing to listen. This might very well be her only chance, to try and mend this broken bridge they were separated by.

“So… Are you saying, you believe me now?” Narrowing her eyes as she continued to pet the younger girl, Ebon blew out a tiny wisp of black smoke before speaking again. “I trust those around me as far as I can throw them…” “Well… It’s a good thing I’m so tiny and you’re so strong then, hehe… heh… Please don’t throw me…”

Frowning as her lighthearted response was taken with stony silence, Abby softly sighed. “I won’t ask you your reasons for not liking my kind. It’s not my place to. But I don’t want you to like us either. Just me.” Hearing a gravelly growl above her, Abby looked downward sadly.

“Why should I? I know enough about you already!” Ebon snarled before quickly stroking Ivy’s back as she felt her trembling beneath her. Wincing as she felt the tugging on her arm increase after the older Dragon’s outburst, Abby tried to calm the younger girl down once more as she continued to play with Ivy’s tongue.

“You know nothing but my name! how can you base your opinion of me off of just that?!” Hearing more angry growls follow her statement, Abby soon cringed as she saw the black dragon’s remaining clawed digits beginning to sink into the stones beside her.

“Do you even remember the first thing you said when you saw me? Or for that matter any of the others who sheltered you here? Tell me, do you know what you called me when we first met?” Ebon spat angrily, with no amount of effort to hide the venom in her tone.

Trying to crane her neck to see the younger girl, Abby quietly shook her head. It had been only a week, but so much had happened in that time frame that it was hard to keep track of anything really. Pondering the younger girl’s statement, the brunette slowly began to understand now. Ebon had a point after all…  She had called these girls' by a different name before she got to know them... and Ebon was no different.

“M-Monster… I called you a Monster… didn’t I?”

Digging her claws deeper into both Ivy and the earth, Ebon silently nodded. “You see our kind as lesser beings. Blights on *your* world. All the while unaware of our very existence or what life means to us!” She snarled. She didn’t need to know anything else other than that she was a human. All Humans were the same… or so she thought.

Looking down at Ivy questioningly, Ebon closed her eyes once more. What could the younger pup possibly see in this Human that she saw in none of the other ones they had encountered? They were all the same. They wanted to take things from others. They wanted to cage or kill anything around them. They went from area to area destroying whatever they wished. They were a disgusting species!

Dangling in the air once more as Ivy’s hands fell from beneath her, Abby simply hung there as she thought back to a week ago. She remembered most of it vividly… but, she had pushed away a lot of the bad things she had both said and done… even if she knew time couldn’t erase her words.

‘Kari… Casey…’ She had called them both monsters when they had first met, along with Ebon. Everything up until now… Was it possible for her to have avoided it all by just… by just trying to talk to them? Feeling her stomach drop as she grew disheartened by her sad realization; the teenager closed her eyes before shaking her head.

“I… I’m sorry Ebon. I’m so very, very sorry… But I’ve changed.” “Lies!” Wincing as she heard the sharp retort from the younger girl, the brunette wiggled around in the air a bit till she somehow turned herself around to look up at Ebon… even if it was only her legs.

“I’m not lying! I have changed! I-I’ve made a conscious effort to figure you girls out! I want to understand all of you! I’ve heard so much from each of you and learned about things I never would have imagined possible! I’m not the same person I was when we first met! I swear!”

Snarling under her breath by the shrunken girl’s bold proclamation, the black Dragoness could to little more than scowl. “Human’s, don’t change! Let alone in the span of days! They are just seconds in your pitiful life! You can fool others with your silver tongue, but you can't-fool me! I will never forgive your kind for what you’ve done to us!”

Shivering as she heard the anger in the child’s tone, the diminutive teen soon grew saddened. She could hear it now that the larger girl wasn’t yelling at her. There was pain. So much pain… “What on earth happened to you… to cause you to hate my kind so much?”

She didn’t understand it. She had heard everything under the sun her species had done to these girls. But in the end, they all chose to look past their bias and see her for who she really was, and not the race she belonged to. So why couldn’t Ebon do the same?

Hearing absolute silence to her provoking question, Abby soon grew timid. “I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you something like that. I just can’t… understand. Please, help me!” Dangling in the air once more as she listened to the light crackling of the bonfire behind the three of them, the brunette looked to Ivy as she saw the little white Dragon pup seemingly napping now as Ebon’s hand rested on top of her head.

‘How could they both end up so, differently?’ Ebon hated her for the sake of her race… but Ivy seemingly trusted her for no other reason than because she did. Why was there no middle ground for her to work with? Was she just doomed to try and fight this ceaseless battle with the younger Hominal for the rest of her life? However, a soft, and guttural growl soon escaped past the little Hominal’s lips, drawing Abby’s attention back to the larger girl.

“Do you know of the three great Treasures we Dragon’s are born with?” Blinking in surprise as Ebon whispered something out, her voice almost too quiet to even be heard, Abby quickly looked back at the younger girl before shaking her head. “N-No, I… I don’t. What are they?” Did this mean, she was ready to talk with her…?

Sitting in silence for a moment as her hand came to a halt over Ivy’s upper back, the older black Dragoness looked down at the younger Hominal’s scales before she began to trace them with her claws. “For my kind, treasure is everything! It is something we covet and harbor a deep-seated lust for. You should be able to relate Human… But not all treasure is metal or stone. To us… We are born with three, and continue to collect for the remainder of our lives, until we finally parish away, protecting our bounty until the very end.”

Pondering the somewhat thought-provoking statement, Abby quietly hummed. “So, what three treasures are you born with, exactly?” Tapping a single claw over her younger counterparts hard hide, Ebon gently closed her eyes.

“An impenetrable shield, formed over the thousands of scales on our bodies. They give us a defense that’s rivaled by few. And it’s the reason my kind are so fierce in battle. Along with that, we've also been gifted a strong affinity with fire and can harness it within our cores, before releasing it at will. An ultimate form of engagement that both starts and ends whatever fight we enter. And lastly, the greatest gift of all… we were blessed to be unshackled to the ground, and free to take on any terrain as our own.” Ebon whispered before her wings slowly began to extend behind her.

“The gift of flight. So that our enemies be it by ground or sky would know they were never safe from our fury! These three things make up the greatest treasures we Dragon’s possess. And… thanks to your kind, I have lost one of those treasures I once held so dearly!” Ebon snarled before a hissing growl began to echo out of her mouth.

Listening intently as she heard the anger in her accusatory tone, Abby quietly hung her head as she thought about the younger girls’ statements. She knew her scales were hard. Her hands had practically been stone when she rode on them. And, her fire was most definitely still something to be feared. She had learned firsthand just how devastating it truly was after all. So that just left…

“Your wings… What did my kind do to them? And, how? You’re so strong! I don’t understand how any human could have done something to you that you didn’t let them do…” The thought of anyone besides Eve being able to do something to the younger girl seemed almost like a fantasy. She had seen the child lift boulders, crash through walls, and even melt stone! Compared to that, what could a human do to even hold a candle to her?

Flexing her leathery appendages back and forth as she stretched them out, Ebon remained silent as she stared at her right-wing intently. “And why should I tell you anything Human? Are you trying to find my weaknesses yourself? Do you think me ignorant!” Why would she tell her how she had been wounded! She would tell others and the process would spread like an infection!

Souring as her concern was twisted against her, the smaller brunette pouted in sadness. “Ebon, you know that’s not what I was doing… I just want to help you if I can.” Hearing what almost sounded like scoffing laughter, the smaller girl soon cringed as she heard the child’s crippling response to her worries.

“I don’t need the help of a Human! Let alone someone who is as sheltered as you! These other ingrates may have forgotten what it's like outside the protection of a god, but not me! Najia is a blessing, unlike anything you Humans will ever deserve! And because of that, you had to try and take her away from us out of spite! Our kind doesn’t ban together to survive like you humans do. We were doing it fine, to begin with! So just go back to that coddled life you live in, and slink further into the cesspool-ridden shack you call a domain! Safe from nature, from sickness, and from us! It’s where you belong after all… A pathetic species like you… I’ll only say this once more. You don’t belong here. You won’t survive here! A weak human like you, trying to brave our world? It’s an insult to what we have to live through every day! You’ll die within a week, if not by us then by others! So just retreat back to your pampered race, and leave us alone!”

Dangling in the air as the Dragon’s enraged statement hovered above her, a faint trail of tears fell down Abby’s cheeks as she listened to the description of what she thought her life was. ‘Comfy… safe…pampered?’ What a cruel misconception… and she didn’t even know better.

“If you think that my life, or what I live like is some type of a blessing from God or some sort of an abundant gift that keeps on giving, then you really are just a child like I thought you were when we first met!” Widening her eyes at the spiteful response she hadn’t been expecting, Ebon snarled angrily before leaning Ivy up in her arms so she could look directly at the smaller human.

However…

Growing stiff for some reason as her eyes met with Abby’s, the black Dragoness soon grew rigid as she saw the angry look being sent right back her way. What was this look? It wasn’t hatred or anger… it was something else entirely. And, she had never seen it before… let alone on a human such as this. Why was it affecting her? She was just a human!

Keeping her stern glare on the younger girl and her alone, Abby moved her free hand under her eyes before wiping away the faint remainder of tears from before. “You’re right Ebon… before we met, I did judge you even though I knew nothing about you. But you’re doing the same to me!” She barked, something that continued to surprise the younger girl.

Where was this confidence coming from? She was talking down to a Dragon! Even to a normal human, they cowered in fear from them! Baring her fangs back at the smaller teenager, Ebon snarled hatefully her way, but it seemed like it didn’t even phase her now. Keeping her eyes locked with the scaled child’s red ones, Abby simply shook her head.

“Listen here and listen well, Ebon! My name isn’t Human, it’s Abby! My life has been, HELL! When I was your age, I was left helpless, as I watched my family killed right in front of me by one of YOUR kind! So excuse me if I harbored some type of resentment for you, and for everyone else! I was left as an orphan and wandered around for weeks shunned by my own race because they were too afraid whatever attacked me would attack them if they took me in! Try explaining that to a child! But you know what? You’re right! I am blessed! Someone did take me in after almost a month of failing to survive on my own. My Master! You can think of him as my Najia! He’s the kindest man alive! He didn’t fear me or what seemingly followed along behind me and he even took me under his wing so that I could help people just like him! So, you know what? You hit the nail on the head with me! I do get to sleep every night in a filthy, cesspool-ridden shack, that’s not even the size of those tunnels we walked through earlier! But you know what you got wrong? It’s not safe! Nature gets in all the time, be it the hole in the wall next to my head or the water that drips onto me when I lay in bed at night! Oh! My bed? A blanket on top of wood that I can wash only when God is generous enough to let it rain!! My domain? A crawlspace underneath a one-person flight of stairs that I need to crouch to even fit into! How about my health? Sure, I have that! I take great pride in having to purge my body of anything I might contract when my Master and I operate on others! It’s very painful, I assure you! It’s kind of funny if you think about it. All the things you think my life is, are kind of like what you girls live now actually. Heck, maybe even like you personally! I just don’t know! But you know the difference between you and me Ebon? I’m at least trying to change for the better! I wasn’t just handed a wonderful life because I’m a human! In fact, something took what little my family had from me for seemingly no other reason than because I was just that! So, don’t lecture me that I wouldn’t survive in your world! I’VE BEEN MANAGING JUST FINE MY WHOLE LIFE, LET ALONE THE PAST WEEK I’VE BEEN STUCK HERE THE SIZE OF SOMEONE’S PINKIE FINGER!”

Panting as she felt the air abandon her lungs, Abby started to wheeze and cough as she tried to catch her breath. She didn’t mean for that to be such a long rant, but once it started, she just couldn’t stop! To think, that she thought that her life was some kind of a treasure where everything was perfect all the time… what a cruel thing to say…

She didn’t act like it, but she hated her life… No friends, no family… it was just her, and her Master. And once he was gone, she didn’t even know if she could muster the courage to continue down the path, he had tried to set her on. Not after what she had seen that week. That is… until now.

Smiling weakly as she felt tears enter her eyes again, Abby breathed deeply as her breath came out in shudders. “I wish you would stop comparing me to others Ebon… even if only for a little while. I’m not like the Human’s you think I am! I would never, EVER! Sell any of you girls out… because I love all of you so very much.” She whimpered.

Looking back at the emotionless Hominal as she stared at her with an almost void and lifeless expression now, the little brunette began to wipe her face down again and to hide it. Even if it was just Ebon, and she didn’t care in the slightest, it felt embarrassing to show such a response to her prior accusation.

“I-I… I love you girl’s so much! Kari is just so gentle, and loving… she’s such a kind girl and so is Nya to, if a bit rowdy at times. Casey, heh… she’s a pain in my ass… and I love her for it! Eve, she treats me like someone I want to actually be. And she loves me as much as Casey too. And that’s just the four of them!” Abby laughed now.

She loved everything about everyone she had met. “Brooks selflessness… Poppy’s carefree splendor… Emma and Ella’s playful shenanigans… Amy’s free spirit! Yu… Yu’s gentle soul. Every one of you girl’s, I see you! I see you for who you really are!” She cried out.

Shifting her head back and forth as her anger came back, Abby’s face turned stern as she looked back at Ebon now. “If you think, I would ever betray their trust, then you have no right to say you know anything about me! I don’t really fear death, at least not in the same sense as a lot of others… It’s something everyone has to live with. But I’d gladly meet him if it meant I had to choose between betraying your kind or saving myself!” It wasn’t just her pride saying that. It was her love for everyone else.

They had given her back what she had lost the day her family had died. Sniffling weakly as she felt her emotions being stripped down and laid out for the younger Hominal to see, Abby simply smiled up at her now, her anger had faded away as she thought about everyone there. “They’re… they’re my family now Ebon… and, I want you to be to…” Hanging in the air painlessly, her arm now numb after dangling from Ivy's mouth for so long, the smaller girl continued to stare up at the larger Dragoness, as she wondered. Did any of her words even reach her?

She was just, staring at her. There was no anger. No shock. No surprise, or hatred. No joy or sadness. Her face… It was simply, stoic, and stony. Like she was talking to an actual rock rather than a living breathing person. “E-Ebon? A-Are you alright? I’m sorry I yelled at you… I… I just wanted you to understand how I really feel!”

Staring back at the diminutive teen, as her mind wandered around seemingly at random, Ebon’s eyes were dull, as she thought back to a conversation she had not too long ago. It was like, she was talking to Eve all over again…

And, it seemed like her words might have held some amount of truth after all.

As far as she could determine… the smaller girl had not said a single word that she didn’t wholeheartedly mean.

And that alone troubled her more then anything else that had just occurred…

‘Was this, what you were trying to tell me?’

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~Earlier~

She… she was gone. SHE WAS GONE! SHE HAD BEEN RIGHT WHERE HER FOOT HAD BEEN, WHERE WAS SHE! Roaring in anger as fire spewed past her lips, the Black Dragoness screamed before stomping on the ground, the rocks fracturing and cracking from her frantic rage. Kicking the bedrock as it spider-webbed and splintered, the child huffed in outrage. WHY WASN’T SHE HERE! SHE HAD BEEN RIGHT THERE! SHE COULDN’T HAVE RUN AWAY SO HOW! HOW! HOW?! HOW?! HOW?! HOW?! HOW!!!!!

“Ebony… I think it’s time you and I have a little, chat…”

Turning around in fury, all anger bled from the Black Dragon… as she felt a hand clench around her throat before she was slammed into the wall beside her. Coughing in pain, the child’s eyes widened before fear set in.

Tightening her hand around the younger girl’s neck as she choked her mercilessly, Eve’s bloody red eyes glowed as she glared back at her. This ceaseless hunt for her Amore… it had to stop. She was becoming a real problem for her… so in turn, she had to become a real problem for the scaly child as well.

Stepping forward, and keeping the Dragon’s head pinned to the wall as she walked, a feat that brought her great pride, and an underlining feeling of joy as she heard the pained grunts and cries from the suffocating toddler, Eveline brushed her bangs back with her free hand as she tried to reel back her sadistic pleasure.

‘Now, now… What would she think if she saw me now?’ Her Abby would surely frown upon her abusing the younger girl. Sighing, the little Vampiress paused her step before boring her eyes into Ebons. She had come to converse after all. And as much as she wanted to punish Ebon for her insolence, yet again! She had another way of doing it that would be much more effective.

“What am I going to do with you? Hmm? Have you nothing to say for what you just tried to do to my precious Abby?” Smirking as she tightened her grip around the struggling girl’s neck, her claws frantically digging into her dress as she shredded her sleeves, Eve soon relented before dropping the choking child to the rocky floor.

“I’ve warned you multiple times Ebony, and yet, you continue to disregard my warnings. Abby is someone very precious to me. And I cannot allow harm to come to her. I’ve been blessed to see what our future could entail, and it’s something I will pay anything to have!” She whispered.

Looking over her shoulder and down to the coughing child as she tried to catch her breath, Eve breathed deeply to calm her nerves. She was ready to kill the younger girl for her insolence… but, thinking back to her precious Amore continued to relax her.

“I believe Najia would be upset with me if I simply killed you… and frankly, I’m just now starting to reconcile with her again after so long. So, the prospect of her ire is less than pleasant. But I will bare it should you attempt to harm my precious Abby once more. Be it by word, by action, or by physical manipulation… I will hunt you down, and take my time correcting you once again. And nothing Najia, or my Abby say, will deter me. Understood?”

Hearing a loud growl in return to her threat, Eve simply sighed. She didn’t fear death. Dragon’s rarely did. Few creatures could claim that. It was frankly both a powerful prospect of their lineage and a troublesome thing to overcome. But at least she thought ahead. Something did scare Ebon after all. And she was ready to pull out all her cards to ensure her little lover’s safety, by any means necessary.

“If this warning is not enough, then you should pay heed to what I say next Ebon. It might change your mind after all.” Looking up at Eve in a weakened position, the little Dragoness wanted nothing more than to get up and fight with her now, but she simply had no energy to spare after pursuing those blasted Imps!

Waiting till she was sure she had the prone girl’s attention, Eveline continued. “After I take care of you, the threat to my Amore becomes nonexistent. But that won’t satisfy me. I want you to really FEEL the pain you've caused me by your unremitting obsession to hunt my precious Abby.” Eve growled, her eyes lighting up a vibrant shade of crimson.

Turning back around, the little Vampiress squatted down now so that her eyes would meet with Ebon’s. She wanted to make sure she understood what she said next. “I will only tell you this, one, last, time. Abby, is, MINE! She is my precious love, and she is now my greatest treasure too. If you take my treasure away from me Ebony, then I’ll take yours away from you…”

Looking back at Eve in surprise, the realization soon hit the black Dragon as she roared in rage before her head was slammed back into the wall instantaneously. “LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!” Ignoring the rage that was rolling off of the younger girl in spades, Eve simply turned her head back and forth.

“Leave mine alone, and I leave yours alone. Take mine, and I take yours. An eye for an eye… Understood?” panting heatedly as her lower jaw trembled in anger, Ebon’s fiery eyes, slowly began to extinguish. This was going too far… even for her. “She… is just a human!”

Letting go of the Dragon’s face and standing back up, Eve shifted her glare away from the beaten child as she began to walk over towards her downed familiars. “She is no mire human Ebon. Anyone can see that! And if you weren’t so blinded by your past transgressions with them, then you could see it too. Her life has been one of pain and strife, yet, here she is now, in all her beautiful glory! She has more potential than any human ever could… and she’s more like us then you give her credit. I urge you, to try and give her a chance… she might just surprise you, as she did I.”

Smiling in amusement from her parting words, the little Vampire tucked both Emma and Ella under her arms before she soon began to shimmer as she faded into the air. As much as she would have enjoyed correcting Ebon further, there was a more pressing matter that needed to be resolved first. Her Abby was still missing, and after seeing the child’s outburst, it wasn’t by the toddler’s hand. She didn’t know where little brunette had gone, but she at least could tell she was safe. For now.

Now alone, as she laid against the stony, tunnel walls, tears seared the Dragon pup’s eyelids, as she was left seated to digest the impact of blonde Hominal’s grave warning. Clutching her chest in pain as she thought about her treasure being stolen away, Ebon took in a deep breath, before the loudest roar she could muster, echoed out and down the winding tunnels.

She would never let her treasure be taken from her… not again!

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“Ebon?”

“E-Ebon!”

“EBON!”

Blinking her reptilian eyes a few times as her pupils narrowed back to fine slits, the black Dragoness looked down now as she stared back at Abby’s concerned face. “H-Hey is everything alright?! You looked like you were about to go unconscious or something! D-Do you want me to take a look? I… I know you don’t like me, but I’m still a Doctor! Please, tell me, are you feeling alright?”

Keeping her eyes locked onto the smaller human’s, the larger girl made no response vocally, but her hand soon rose up beneath the smaller girl much to her surprise. Feeling her body finally touching something other than air, Abby winced as she felt the prickly pin like sensations of blood beginning to circulate back into her abused limb.

‘How long does she plan to keep sucking on my arm?!’ She expected Ivy to let her go when she fell asleep but it was almost like her jaw had locked in place or something! Smiling briefly as the larger child's hand rested beneath her now, the shrunken teen looked back up to Ebon before she nodded.

“T-Thanks… I couldn’t feel anything above my waist…” She laughed dryly. Frowning, however, as she continued to stare up at the younger girl's emotionless expression, Abby quietly sighed. “Look… I know we’re never going to see eye to eye. But, can we at least find some middle ground between the two of us Ebon? I know that Eve said something to you about me, but she didn’t tell me what. It’s why you’re acting the way you are now, isn’t it? But still… I don’t want to have it be like this for the rest of our lives! Just tell me what you want me to do, to prove to you that I’m not like the other humans you’ve met? If I can do it, I will. I swear! At least… as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody else…”

Staring back into one another’s eyes for a while, Abby soon felt her heart skip a beat, as the larger Dragoness finally blinked, before her eyes closed completely, as she sat there in silence. “Ebon…” Jumping in surprise as the larger girl’s wings slowly began to extend, Abby was soon in a state of shock as she saw the inside of the Dragon pup’s appendage.

She had never seen her this close before, not willingly at least. And with a view like this, it was impossible to miss it. “Oh, Ebon…” Shaking her head back and forth as she stared at the child’s leathery right wing, a feeling of pity entered the teenager’s stomach.

Along the spine of it, and right before it reached the webbing, a large gash was scarred into it, as it tore what looked like a hole across the upper middle column. This is terrible! How on earth did something like that happen?! She didn’t know anything about the biology of a Dragon, but if it was anything like that of a bird, then…

“This is what you were talking about earlier, wasn’t it? You… can’t fly with that wound, can you?”

Breathing deeply as a small wisp of smoke left the child’s nostrils, Ebon eventually opened her eyes, though this time, the anger that had been ever-present, was seemingly absent. Flexing her one wing up and down as she stretched it out, the Hominal soon tucked her leathery pinion behind her before she stared back down at Abby.

“I don’t understand you…”

Blinking in surprise from the almost gentle tone the younger girl was talking to her in now, Abby nodded back up at her. “I... I don’t understand you either. So, instead of fighting, can we try to understand each other instead?” Feeling her heart beginning to race as she saw the younger girl give the tiniest of nods, the brunette soon broke into a giant grin. PROGRESS!

“To do this, I’ll need to learn more about you. I… I know you probably don’t want to tell me anything, but please… I need to know more if I’m to understand you. I’ve talked like this, one on one, with everyone. And after I did, they’ve become my good friends because of it. I want to be your friend to Ebon, and possibly more one day even. So please, ask me whatever you’d like to. I won't hide, anything from you.”

Staring back at one another once again, Ebon’s eyes shifted over to Ivy briefly as she watched her sleeping counterpart slumbering contently. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to bribe the human so that she never spoke of them to anyone ever again.

But now…

Blowing out a plume of smoke into the air, the black Dragoness looked upward before closing her eyes.

‘Forgive me Najia…’

“...”

To be continued.