Two adult dragons turned their necks to the door, and their stern eyes settled on the stranger who walked into their home. Behind them, a red dragonet slunk with a mischievous angle to his wings. Since Evander had not taken Arenis to the Elder Council, the dragonet had rallied his parents and prepared for the invasion of the shadow dragonet.
Viliant halted in the doorway mid-step. He cleared the instinctive growl from his throat, knowing that he was encroaching on the other dragons' rightful territory. "Hi," he said in an uneven voice. Given that none of the three dragons reached out over telepathy or acknowledged his request, Viliant formed some simple sentences in the Carlinoan language. "I'm Viliant. I'm Fia's friend."
Arenis gave an agitated flick of his tail as he suddenly acquiesced to telepathy. The smug dragonet said, That's right. You're Fia's friend. You're not even her best friend. And you're no friend of mine. That's for sure!
Viliant tossed his horns and forced a sharp signal across the younger dragonet's receptors.
Though Arenis let out a yelp, his parents focused on their other son.
Evander pushed Viliant all the way inside. The strict posture of his parents did not phase the adult dragon. "Hello Mother. Hello Father. Did you see the Elder Council? If not, I'm sure you've heard the big news from Arenis—"
"Oh," the mother dragon growled, "we heard about it alright." She ruffled her wings and pulled Arenis closer to her side.
The father of Arenis and Evander asked to hear it from the older brother for himself. "What's this about taking in a strange dragonet?"
Evander flitted his gaze down to Viliant, unsure how much of their quick conversation the dragonet understood without telepathy. While he did not want to subject Viliant to another debate on whether or not he belonged, Evander hoped that the positive things said on his behalf outweighed the negative. "Viliant saved Fia's life and brought her back from Voidura—Syene, the human Kingdom, to be precise," Evander explained. "He deserves to stay in Carlinoa since the dragonet has nowhere else to call home. I think Corisande and Vicente are worried that Fia might've become dependent on her new friend. We'd be doing Fia's family a huge favor if we took Viliant in."
"Yes," Evander's mother dismissed. She already understood well enough how Fia's parents wanted to distance their daughter from the older dragonet. In order to establish healthy boundaries, Fia's family needed another one to take in Viliant. "However, I don't see why it has to be us."
A rapacious light flared behind the eyes of Arenis. So far, this conversation progressed exactly as the red dragonet hoped it would go. Although Viliant had already severed the mental link between them, the two dragonets stared each other down in a fierce contest.
"I think this will work out great," Evander countered and started a list of reasons. "Both Arenis and Viliant are close friends with Fia. It's only a matter of time before they become good friends too."
"Maybe," the mother of Arenis and Evander allowed, but she tilted her horns out of consternation. She had the consideration to make her next argument to Evander over telepathy. But Arenis doesn't want Viliant to live with us. I think they would get along better if this dragonet stays somewhere else. A happy home for Arenis is the most important thing.
But he will be happy with Viliant here! A flurry of blinks fell over Evander's eyes. His little brother's reaction to the events of today reminded him how immature Arenis really was, despite their intensive training sessions together. Unlike their parents, Evander thought it was better to challenge the dragonet's selfish instinct rather than coddle him. As such, Evander praised the traits which Arenis ought to cultivate. Don't underestimate him. Arenis can adapt quickly. Evander included his entire family on the telepathy while laying into his brother the most. Plus, Arenis is mature for his age, and Viliant is only a few years older. Though he said that, Evander wondered just to Viliant, How old are you anyway?
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Viliant flinched at the sudden, direct question in his mind. They'll like me more if I'm younger, he realized, but before he could mask his answer with a lie, the truth slipped out. I'm twelve, I think.
Since their telepathic space was just between Viliant and Evander, the adult dragon relayed this information to his parents. "He's only, like, ten years old."
"He's only like ten years old, or he is ten years old?" Evander's father asked, pointing out his eldest son's imprecision of speech.
"Just look at him," Evander brandished a wing at Viliant. "He wouldn't burn a firefly."
More conscious of his posture toward the new family of dragons that might take him in, Viliant flapped his wings open in hopes of inspiring more trust. Still in disbelief over his healed wings, it would take the dragonet a while before he broke the habit of his distrusting stance.
"Regardless, we can't accept responsibility for any problems he might cause," Evander's father insisted.
Although Viliant had a hard time following the discussion as it dipped in and out of telepathy, he knew these dragons did not like him either. The shadow dragonet huffed out a sigh, eager to retreat to Fia's house. Oh well. It looks like they'll just have to put up with me until they find me a permanent home. Viliant preferred to stay with Fia anyway. The dragonet's slitted, jaded eyes looked up to Evander and waited for the adult dragon to usher him out any second.
Instead, the warrior stomped his claws down. "You don't have to worry about being held accountable for Viliant's actions. I'm an adult; I'll be responsible for him!" Evander proposed before he issued an ultimatum. "If Viliant isn't allowed here, then I'll go make my own nest."
"Perhaps that would be for the best," Evander's father began to reply, but he was overruled by the rest of the family's frantic shouts.
"No, Evander! You can't go!" Arenis leaped forward in front of his parents for the first time tonight.
"Don't be silly!" fumed the mother of the two fire dragons. "You're always welcome to roost with us as long as you like. However, there's one thing I don't understand..." Evander's mother pressed her eldest. "Why are you trying to bring home a dragonet before a mate?"
Evander scoffed out a laugh and shrugged his wings. "That can hardly shine a light to this." 'Since the young warrior was not about to entertain the topic of his eventual family with his mother, Evander focused on the response elicited from his little brother.
This was the first time tonight in which Arenis had stepped forward and spoken up for himself. Fear constricted his pupils, imagining how Viliant not only stole Fia as his best friend, but also Evander as his big brother. "Please don't go…." the red dragonet said with his eyes squinted at his claws.
"I'll stay," Evander offered, a sly twist entering his tail, "but only if you agree to get along with Viliant."
"Fine!" Arenis howled. "I'll put up with him, but he's not my friend. And he's definitely not our brother!" The dragonet stamped his claws and thrashed his horns in time with his tail. He flew up to the loft with a trail of smoke after him.
My brother's temper is a little hot right now, but don't worry, Evander assured Viliant. He'll warm up to you.
Viliant snorted since he did not care if anyone liked him aside from Fia. However, he did appreciate how some dragons took his side. Thanks, he expressed to Evander, unable to meet the golden eyes of the dragon.
"I'm going to go gather some bedding for Viliant," Evander announced. "Mother, Father, can you keep him company?"
"Why, yes," Evander's father remarked as if they had any other option.
The orange dragon flew out against the setting sun. When Evander left, Viliant shifted in the hut where he had yet to feel like he belonged.
Well, I guess this is my home for now. While it did not match the ideal that he had in mind, living with Fia on Carlinoa Island, Viliant slumped his wings out of relief.