Change in Power

I opened my eyes, waking up slowly on the floor of my cave. I could feel the warmth and softness of Nymph and Wisp sleeping on my chest, and decided to stay still for a bit longer so they could sleep. Then I heard Valorous yelling in my head "Mama Wake Up!" I groaned and sat up, causing Wisp and Nymph to fall into my lap. "I am awake little one." I said. "It is time for Deux, to train with me." he said. I turned to the hatchlings who were now wide awake and playing in the back of the cave. "Deux it is time to train, glide to Valorous. He is at the base of the cliffs." I told the small dragon out loud. He nodded then jumped off of the edge of the rocky cliff. I watched as he glided to the air and landed clumsily next to Valorous. Cortelco climbed to my shoulder and sat down ready for the day. "Girls. Can you watch the hatchlings until the others pick them up?" I asked Wisp and Nymph. Nymph nodded, as she always wanted to please me. Though Wisp who hated hatchlings wasn't so happy. "Nope." she said. She was the only one of my dragons who ever gave me attitude, though more often than not, Nymph would talk her into doing whatever I said. "How about I give you both soggy cereal later if you do as I ask?" I told her. Suddenly she was happy to watch the hatchlings.

Today I decided would be spent with Vainglorious. He never seemed to get attention, even though that is all he ever wanted. I sniffed him out, and spotted him blending in with a flock of turkeys. I silently clumb up a tree, just waiting for Vainglorious to catch his prey, but to my surprise he doesn't bother hunting he continues to blend in.

"Vainglorious, why are you not catching a turkey?" I asked through my mind.

He looked me dead in the eye, he had sensed I was near. "Mama I have to concentrate. I must blend in regularly, do no harm, then when they are distracted I will pick off a straggler or the weakest one. Then I can keep hunting the same flock. Mama can you be quiet, maybe a hatchling needs help." Vainglorious explained, then obviously tried to get me to leave.

I left silently, as to not scare away turkeys. He was smart I will give him that, but I thought he would rather spend time with Mama. "I like to hunt like Switch." whom didn't plan ahead and would go for the prey that she saw. "I will leave you to focus."

I thought about another dragon to hang out with... Callalilly. I didn't spend much time with her, maybe she would want to have some one on one time. I ran to her field of wildflowers, and saw that she was sitting still with her frills full on display, waiting for her prey. "Not now Mama, I hunt when the sun is out. I love you though." she said not even looking at me.

I walked away with Cortelco on my shoulder. "I guess I have raised my dragons to be independent and loving." I said. "I guess this is why I get hatchlings so often, even though I haven't sent any of them back to the wild yet." I said. Cortelco gave a nervous squeak at that last remark. "Don't worry Cortelco. If I give a dragon a number they will be released into the wild, but you have a name, so you will stay with me. Un, Deux, and Trois will leave though." I explained. Cortelco seemed to relax after I explained that he wouldn't be sent away. I was so caught up in my emotional explanation with Cortelco, I didn't notice Valorous had snuck up behind me. He made a chuff noise that made me jump, and immediately take a protective stance in front of Cortelco, whom I instinctivelyput on the ground in case he needed to run. Valorous backed away. I sighed in relief when I noticed it was only Valorous. "Oh you scared me. Don't worry I would never hurt you." I said as I petted his large head. Then Deux popped out of his mouth, where he was obviously hiding. I turned back to Cortelco who still wasn't sure what was going on. "Okay Cortelco, let's see what skills you have. Test them on me, I am pretty strong." I said proudly. Cortelco just looked at his feet.

"The hatchling doesn't want to scare you by showing his powers." Valorous said.

"I crouched down to see Cortelco staring down at his feet."

"Nothing you do could scare me away. Well maybe if you used your powers to do just that... but I don't scare easy, and this is my territory. I said spreading my arms. "Mama is brave." Valorous said to no one particular.

"Give it your best shot Cortelco, except don't show me my death; that will hurt you too." I told the little dragon. He still looked nervous, but he nodded.

I felt my skin constrict, and my muscles went numb; then suddenly my body was moving, but I had no control over it. I looked at, who seemed to be trying to focus. Was doing this? Of course he was. my boy has skills. Yes it was scary to be controlled, but I could only imagine how convinent this could be if a hunter tried to escape or a dragon went out of control. He made me take a few steps and spin around, before he stopped and was panting.

"Cortelco that was amazing!" I praised the small dragon. He scrunched his eyes shut as I yelled happily. "All that focus gave you a headache didn't it?" he chirped and I heard "Yes Mother"

I squealed again then whispered sorry. I used my mind to tell him "I can hear you now." I whispered excitedly.

"I wanted to talk to Master first." Deux growled. I smiled. So the others called me Master, but Cortelco alone called me Mother. I don't think he had ever heard that term.

"Well Deux, you got to talk to me before Un an Trois." I said through my mind. He looked at me shocked, "but I was talking to Cortelco. How did you hear?" Deux asked. "Because I am your Master and I hear everyone." I said. He gave me a shiny dragon smile. Valorous looked to him "It is time to say goodbye so we can finish our lesson." he said, sounding older and wiser than he was.

"Let's go to the bog you can eat and drink there, I will find some aspen bark to help with your headache." I told Cortelco. I walked to the bog slowly with Cortelco resting in the phanny pack on my hip. We finally got to the bog, and Cortelco scurried to a mossy rock that was just peaking out of the waters edge. He laid down on the rock and closed his eyes to ease his head ache.

I left him at the waters edge, and ran to the forest to gather bark. The bark of an aspen tree was the original main ingredient in aspirin, even wild animals use it (something I learned at summer camp as a child). So since I am not sure of the dosage of aspirin to give any kind of dragon, at least I can shred bark and feed it to him. I doubt it would taste good. Though medication rarely does. I used my claws to shred bits of bark off of the maple tree. Suddenly though mid peel I could clearly see a bullfrog catch and eat a water bug, in the bog. Then I was back to looking at my nails that were scraping a tree.

"Cortelco was that you?" I asked the small dragon through my mind.

"Yes Mother, sometimes you can see what I see, and sometimes I can see what you can see." Cortelco responded." I nodded my head, knowing that he couldn't see me. "Noted." I said, knowing that I may have to be careful with that power. After picking up the bits of scratched off maple tree. I then headed back to the bog, where Wisp and Cortelco were play fighting. I smiled at the initiative that Wisp took with a hatchling.

I sat down at the bogs edge and gave Cortelco the bark that I had gathered. I could tell the bark wasn't the easiest to chew, though I had sliced it into thin pieces.

"Is your head feeling better?" I asked the dragon, even though I knew it would take longer.

He nodded obviously trying to be polite, which made me smile.

I sat down next to him. My jeans became wet from the damp grass in the bog. "So far all of your defenses are of psychological or mental nature. Do you have any that are physically damaging, or will you just use brute strength as you get older?" I asked Cortelco.

"All of my power is from the mind." he said.

Then I heard another dragon approaching. Peculiar came running to us from the direction of the river. She stopped, licked Cortelco, earning an annoyed squeak from him. "Mouse says that she has something you need to talk about. She told me to watch Cortelco." she relayed.

This seemed odd as Mabel was the one who told me to keep Cortelco with me at all times, but I also knew that Gull Wings are terrible liars, and was most definitely telling the truth. I nodded to the purple dragon, and kissed Cortelco before I ran into the woods. I bolted to Mabel's cabin at full speed, I haven't been able to go this fast since Cortelco hatched, for fear I would drop him. I arrived at her cabin, and was met by a teary eyed Mabel. I was immediately worried. "Mouse what happened?! Are you hurt?! Is someone else hurt?! Who did the hurting, I will punish them! Oh my God did someone die?! You would have found me right away and not sent a dragon, if someone died, right? Did..." Before I could continue talking Mabel covered my mouth. Her tears seemed to have stopped because of my panic and very fast rambling.

"Come inside." she said soberly. I followed behind her both worried and curious.

"Remember how I told you one other dragon lady had a Spirit Speaker...and that it bonded with her cat?" she asked me.

"Yes I remember." I calmly responded.

"Her cat died of old age... so the Spirit Speaker died."

I looked at her skeptically. Was this the horrible make you cry news that I had to leave Cortelco for?

"Why aren't you sad and scared?" Mabel asked genuinely.

"Why would I be. It is unfortunate that her dragon passed away, but I have no ties to that dragon. So I don't feel the need to mourn it. I could possibly live for centuries, so Cortelco will live a long life, and since we will both be dead neither of us can mourn the other. So why would I be scared?" I explained then asked.

"Well since you are now the only dragon lady to have a Spirit Speaker, scientists will be here often, and once they see you...".

"I know they will flip shit when they see me, there is no doubting that, but the moment they break my rules, is the moment they will be scared off of my property." I explained proudly.

"What if they aren't scared?" she asked meekly.

"Then I will give them something to be scared of." I said in an almost evil voice. Wisp and Nymph came out of a shadow showing their bright eyes and toothy smiles as they hissed in laughter.

"See these two might not have very much fighting power, but they can be creepy as hell." I said winking at the two tiny dragons.

"Why couldn't I bring Cortelco?" I asked.

"I didn't want to scare him, you know talking about his death and scientists." she said, while she nervously balled up and tugged on the bottom of her shirt.

"Oh I don't keep secrets from him, even if he is a hatchling. Plus death is kind of his thing. He talks to dead people, can show people how they die, and manipulate how they see it. Now he can see through my eyes, and force someone to move against their will. Though that last one needs some practice." I said.

Mabel looked horrified. I guess his power did seem like something of nightmares.

"Don't worry Mouse; I am working with him, and I am training him when and how it is appropriate to use his gifts." I said. That didn't seem to help her shock much, but she nodded as if everything was okay.

"Now while I am here do you have any people food I can eat... don't tell anyone I said that."