“Before we meet this medic, can you tell me what you meant by ‘skittish?’” Efron spoke up quietly.
“Hm? Oh–she's just… easily startled. But we can't blame her for that; she's seen how badly predators can hurt electric types like herself,” Clay replied.
“So she's an electric dragon? I've never met one before,” he admitted. “Wait–am I considered a predator to them? M-Maybe I shouldn't meet her after all–”
“What? Why not?” Gretel asked him worriedly. “A different electric type was the one who stopped your bleeding last night!”
“I understand that, but if this particular one is skittish, she might get scared of me as a revealer and attack–”
“I don't know much about the dynamic between electric types and revealers, but the one who helped you even had a revealer with him. Apparently everyone knows about it, too, and she's doing just fine!”
“What?! There are other revealers here?!” Efron’s blue wings spread in preparation to take flight as his eyes darted to scour the woodlands, his breaths stifled as he tried to control his panic.
“Easy, now,” the older male murmured, but the violet juvenile retreated a step from him.
“Only one–and she's just a hatchling,” Gretel clarified in an attempt to ease her friend's worries.
“A hatchling? That's even worse! It takes at least four months for us to control our gemstones; if she's any younger than that, she's bound to reveal whoever goes in range!” Efron exclaimed between breaths.
“She's only a month old; I can't imagine her reveals would be that strong…”
“The fact that she's an abandoned female proves otherwise!” Efron cried desperately. “The only time a female would be abandoned is if she's so strong that she'd be able to overthrow the alpha’s heir…!” He shook his head fiercely. “I–I need to get out of here–” He pounded his wings to fly away, but in his weakened state they did nothing, and he collapsed from the effort.
“I assure you, we're all friends, here,” Clay said gently, crouching to meet the injured juvenile at his level. “My friend keeps the hatchling out of danger from others, and that doubles as keeping others out of her range. The medic I mentioned actually saved that hatchling's life when she was abandoned here. And I'll explain your situation beforehand so the medic knows who she'll be treating, okay? Just breathe. I won't let anyone hurt you.”
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Efron seemed astonished by his words. His green eyes looked to Gretel as if for confirmation of this.
“Clay did save our lives,” the wind type stated as a matter of fact. “I don't think he'd suddenly set us up to get killed by a skittish medic.”
Her friend let out a huff of laughter as if her phrasing it that way made the ridiculousness of the perceived threat more apparent. “...Alright. As long as she won't attack me… we can visit her now.”
“Are you sure you don't want to eat first?” the water dragon prompted, flicking his finned tail-tip toward the fish he had brought. Efron shook his head. “Are you well enough to walk? Want me to carry you?”
The violet revealer pushed himself up to stand, and although he managed to, his legs trembled weakly and he leaned against Clay for support. The former once again looked at Gretel, but this time he seemed ashamed by his need for help.
She playfully scowled with mock-offense. “Efron, you almost died. Thrice! You really think you're a failure for not recovering in a single night?!”
Her friend tensed, then laughed with what Gretel had come to recognize as embarrassment akin to relief, as he was once again made aware of how ridiculous that notion sounded. “Guess you're right…” He turned to Clay. “I don't think I can make it on my own…”
“I understand. Nothing to be ashamed of. Come on; get on my back and I'll carry you,” Clay offered, and Efron hesitantly obliged.
Gretel followed them as the water type led the way along the edge of the slope. Curiosity got the better of her. “Did the medic teach you how to save Efron from drowning?”
Clay blinked with confusion as to why she would ask him that. Then the reason seemed to register and he chuckled with amusement. “Nah. Resuscitation is common knowledge for water dragons; we can't breathe underwater, and our hatchlings need to be taught how to swim. When my youngest was little, she was so headstrong that she didn't even wait for my instructions before charging into the depths! Scared me half to death, but she actually did pretty well on her own. Very bright, that one," he laughed warmly at the memory.
“Your youngest? How many do you have?”
“Only six,” he replied, and for a moment Gretel detected a deep sorrow underneath his casual tone. “But lots of grandkids,” he quickly added with a genuine smile.
“Six is awfully small for a water dragon pod,” Gretel couldn't stop herself from pointing out; she wanted to learn more about him, particularly why the number of hatchlings he fathered was a touchy subject.
Clay opened his mouth as if to answer, then closed it and averted his blue eyes, the corners of his mouth falling to a frown. “I'd rather not talk about it… at least, not right now. We need to focus on getting this young one to the medic, alright?”
Gretel bowed her head apologetically, then glanced up at her friend to see if he knew anything more about water dragons than she did, but Efron met her gaze with an equally clueless shrug.