ReBirth Of The Primordial

Io left the area backtracking to their spot by the river. No, she had taught the twins how to track and it would not to much for Dagan to retrace her steps back to the weird flower. The further she got the more upset Dagan became while the grinding noise from the rock grew louder.

By the time they had lost sight of the stone with the flower on top, Dagan had darkened from charcoal to a solid back, his orange scales gleaming fiercely and his wild should length red hai seemed to the moving on its own as the little flame incarnate rage against her hold. Dagan's yellow eyes seemed to be glowing and the air all around him formed waves from the sheer amount of heat radiating from his small frame.

Sorcha had tried calming the burning little flame but to no avail, eventually, she had to move away from her twin due to the sheer amount of heat he was emitting. As for Io? It was also starting to get uncomfortable for her as well.

Fair enough though where she passed back the dirt did melt leaving a smooth path behind, it only felt like he was starting to get too warm. It wasn't ideal even with her being able to manage Dagan's fire. Nothing said come find me like an obvious path taking whoever may or whatever that thing behind them was.

No, she had taught the twins how to track and it would not be unusual for Dagan to be able to track his way back to the weird flower. Each step caused Dagan to get more distraught while the grating noise from the rock grew louder.

When they had lost sight of the stone with the flower on top, Dagan's charcoal-colored skin had blackened while the orange scales that both decorated and protected gleamed savagely and his wild shoulder-length red hair appeared to be moving on its own. Dagan's yellow eyes glowed like stars in the night sky and the air in their immediate vicinity swirled from the heat that radiated from his slight frame.

Sorcha had struggled to calm the fiery little flame, but to no avail. Ultimately, Sorcha had to scoot away from the enraged boy because of how intense the temperature was around her twin. Fair enough. Where she'd passed by back, the dirt melted, leaving a smooth glass-like sheen behind them. It wasn't ideal even with her being able to manage Dagan's fire. Nothing said come find me like an obvious path, taking whoever may or whatever that thing behind them was.

Io sped up, slowing down briefly when she crossed the river. Then she lifted the inferno above the water. Given the intensity of the heat, Io felt that was for the best. She did not like what was going on, that was for sure, but that didn't mean that she wanted to blow everything up.

"Io please, dangerous for flower to be alone. Flower same as me and Sorcha. Io please!"

Io hesitated. Dagan, for all intents and purposes, had consistently shown a firm sense of self-awareness. Yes, he was generous with Sorcha and Io, but he was not one to depend on others easily. Child or not, the boy had been through hell during his short life. Io drew the little inferno around to face her. If Dagan had been a flame in human-ish form when she had first seen him, now he was fire incarnate. Dagan was actually on fire. Io internally shoved away her 'aaah-ing' for further introspection and huffed at the boy.

Dagan reached out both hands stroked Io's muzzle. "Io, flower like me and Sorcha. Flower is family. Io flower black, not white." This sealed the deal for Io. Being on the run as they had been, Io had used black for harmless, and white for threat, to simplify problematic moments and most people who heard the system guessed it wrong.

For Dagan to suggest that this thing was safe...? With a long exhalation, Io put her forehead against Dagan's and growled softly. 'Fine, we will do this, but we will do it my way.' Io carefully picked up her little cooling ember, carefully put him on her back, and made her way back. Io slid into the water, and while Dagan was no longer hot enough to cause any potential explosions, he was still warm enough to steam the water surrounding Io. Which was just fine with her, her tail collected any unfortunate fishies and hand them to Sorcha. Mmm dinner.

When they got back, the rock was no longer trembling, but the flower had fallen off the top of the rock. 'Well, that takes care of that,' Io thought as she looked up at Dagan, catching him sliding off her back. Io grabbed the boy and set him down on the ground, but she loosely wrapped her tail around his waist. We are here. You can see the flower, though it fell off. The rock is not moving and you can stay right next to me just in case anything else that should not be an issue just decides that it needs to make its presence known.

Dagan put his hand on her side and stared intensely at the rock. Tired of being quiet, Sorcha piped in, "Dagan, flower no attached, grab flower."

"Flower not important anymore. Rock is." Dagan quipped, watching for any changes in the rock. Io didn't know whether she wanted to throttle Dagan or smash the rock at this point. First, it was the flower this flower that, now it was the damn rock? Io bȧrėd a fang at Dagan.

"Io. We family?"

Io, taken aback at the question, nodded. Satisfied with her answer, Dagan nodded.

"We worth it?"

Io nodded again.

"We difficult?"

This time Io shook her head. No, never, Dagan and Sorcha were gifts. They were her soul in a place that had tried to make her a monster. Great, now here she was a literal monster, while her siblings were literal representations of how she saw them. .

Sorcha slid slowly off Io's back, leaving the leftover fish behind.

"Dagan, why flower- er rock important?" She asked as she grasped Dagan's free hand, her grey claws intertwining with his black ones. Dagan stopped staring at the rock and made eye contact with Sorcha. He pulled his claw off Io's side, cupped his twin's face and serenely smiled.

"Sorcha, remember find Io find us?"

"En."

"Io feel like family?"

"No." Sorcha shook her head rapidly as grasped her brother's hand on her face.

"Io scary. Io want to kill me." She sniffled.

Io's ears had drooped, and she nuzzled Sorcha's back lovingly. If possible, Io would have changed that day. Little did she know the 'sickly one' would eventually be not just Dagan's, but her ray of light as well. Though Dagan had shielded Sorcha from the nightmares that had been their life before, they'd escaped. Sorcha was no fool, though. Happy and outgoing, yes, but that girl would fight for her loved ones.

"Io. We family?"

Io, taken aback at the question, nodded. Satisfied with her answer, Dagan nodded.

"We worth it?"

"We difficult?"

This time Io shook her head. No, never, Dagan and Sorcha were gifts. They were her soul in a place that had tried to make her a monster. Great, now she was an actual monster, while her siblings were literal representations of how she saw them. Wait… Did that make her a monster in their eyes then? Before Io had time to process this revelation, Sorcha calmly put her fish down and slid off Io's back.

"Dagan, why flower- er rock important?" She asked as she grasped Dagan's free hand, her grey claws intertwining with his black ones. Dagan stopped staring at the rock and made eye contact with Sorcha. He pulled his claw off Io's side, cupped his twin's face and serenely smiled.

"Sorcha, remember find Io find us?"

"En."

"Io feel like family?"

"No." Sorcha shook her head rapidly as grasped her brother's hand on her face.

"Io scary. Io want to kill me." She sniffled.

Io's ears had drooped, and she nuzzled Sorcha's back lovingly. If possible, Io would have changed that day. Little did she know the 'sickly one' would eventually be not just Dagan's, but her ray of light as well. Though Dagan had shielded Sorcha from the nightmares that had been their life before, they'd escaped. Sorcha was no fool, though.. Happy and outgoing, yes, but that girl would fight for her loved ones.