An expressive dragon companion

"Can you please give me a name so I can be yours?" It questions with the title of its tiny head, it looks more plushy the more Legion looks at it no matter which way he turns his head. 

A toy…

He thinks without realizing it. 

"Not a toy!" It shouts angrily. "I'm very much a dragon!" it huffs. "Don't make me angry!" 

So expressive as well, and it seems to have emotions? Isn't it like data or something? 

"Yes. But I'm different, the system created me with human emotions to fully understand your emotions and the emotions of many others. To help you better and to set me apart from other monsters." It explains, with a smug grin on its face. "I am superior to all monsters in this world who only have one or two emotions that they run with until their deaths." 

So you're advanced? That's what you're saying?

"Correct! Think of me not as data or AI, which I'm neither, or as mana or magic but as a friend." It smiles, its jagged teeth bearing. "Now, after all the explaining, can you finally give me a name?" He questions again. 

Right. His eyes scan the area looking for anything he can, until his eyes land on the fire pit. How about Cinder? 

"Hmm." He puts his paw on his chin as if thinking about it. "I accept it." He points at him with a smile forming on his face and sparkles in his eyes. 

[Link established] 

_________

Name: Cinder 

Evolution stage: 1 

Type of dragon: Energy

–Skills–

Energy absorption|Energy blast|Energy shield 

Perk: 1

_________

"Legion?" His sibling's voice finally reaches back to him and he immediately gets up. His chest tightens, a searing pain spreading through his ribcage, each breath feeling like a dagger in his lungs.

"See I'm fine." He smiles awkwardly as they look up at him, their faces relaxing upon seeing him. 

That pain. It has to be the core or maybe a wound from the fall. 

"That's right!" Cinder adds, before flinging up to him. 

"Which one am I right about?" Legion titles his head. 

"Your core I mean. It's placed middle of your chest, any sharp and sudden movements might cause inflictions, but that's the more simpler part of having a fractured core." 

So that's what Legio had to live with for the past six years? 

"Yep! That's what all fractured ones have to live with until their deaths," Cinder says. "Fun fact it lasts during all the stages." 

The Stages are just three. The first stage is glass, your body is weaker and breaks easily and almost anything can make a mark appear on your skin. The second stage is corruption, corruption, black veins sport all over your body until they cover every inch of it destroying your immune system and senses, then the last stage is explosion. The stages can happen separately or all at once. 

Nevertheless, the real question is can you monitor my core? 

"Yes, I was given x-ray vision just as a perk to help you observe your core progression." He explains, patting Legion's chest gently. 

Oh, okay. 

"Come bend down, let's help you." Both of his siblings run up holding his coat and boots. 

"Ok." He smiles, then moves to the bed where he takes a seat as they help him with his coat and boots. 

"What are you gonna help Morgan with today?" He asks, trying to soften the mood. 

Morgan is the innkeeper, the person that they call Aunty and spend their time with while Legion is at work. From what I saw most of the time they mostly help with giving out the beers and food, so I should get a normal answer. 

"Morgan has to get her core examined so she told us to help Jaxson instead," Avix answered truthfully. 

Examined? It has to be a word they use instead of draining. 

"Jaxson is her husband, am I right?" He questions, not bringing up his thoughts to them. 

"That's right! He mostly works in the mines but today he's taking over the shop, but I wanna say goodbye to Morgan before she goes so let's hurry up!" Anore says rushing to button up his shirt. 

"Ok, ok." He gets back up as Avix finishes tying up his boots. "Let's go!" He steps forward and the both of them follow as they leave their humble house not before grabbing his pickaxe next to the door. 

Walking out onto the snow-covered streets, they are greeted by the bright sun shining through the barrier over the village, the crisp ice-cold air, and the other inhabitants. Everyone waves and greets them, and Avix and Anore wave back with smiles on their faces and a small hop of their steps as they hold onto him, while Legion views the houses as small and weakly built, certainly not built for an always snowing place like this. 

The house's roofs are covered in snow, most of their walls riddled with snow which could bring mole and make their houses unliveable, yet for some reason the streets are clear with no orcs in sight even though it's a stronghold. 

Everything seems normal, but why isn't there a single orc around? But most of all I'm glad I'm not getting any weird looks, it seems like Legion hid his condition well. 

Abruptly, as they continue down the street a scream is heard from a house a few feet ahead as a woman who seems to be in her fifties is thrown out of the door, her legs purple and bloodied, as she tries to drag herself away leaving behind a trail of blood that merges with the snow. 

I guess I spoke too soon. 

As expected an orc stomps its way outside, its green skin like moss wrapping around every inch of its beings, its teeth so long it comes out of its mouth and curls itself over its top lip. Its body is cladded with mere rags, the cold didn't bother them at all. 

It's their habitat. 

"An orc!" Cinder says flying over to it amused. 

"Brother."His siblings whisper, clinging to him and he clasps his pickaxe even tighter, with his eyes firmly on the monster in front of him. 

"Please! Please!" The woman screeches as it draws closer to her with each step. "I wasn't trying to leave! I was just packing some stuff too!"wasted no time in grabbing her neck and lifting her off the floor. 

Keep calm. It's been a while since I saw one of these, they're not going to kill me just for watching. 

It tightens its grip on her neck, as red veins appear along his forearm, trailing up his chest and then along his neck"Turn away." Legion says to his siblings, and they comply. 

He's draining her life force and when that's done her mana core loses life and she dies.