The entire caravan was on edge as Taako’s angry gaze slid from person to person. He could practically smell the fear coming off them.“W-we promise we…” the human who addressed him before spoke up. “We promise we just found it. It-it was alone, and-“ another call of the scared wyrmling interrupted him. “Yeeeaaaah,” Taako narrowed his eyes, “that’s not gonna fly.”Taako was back in his dragon form in seconds and spewing gas over the humanoids attempting to draw their weapons. As the vapor entered their lungs and circulatory system Taako could see their movements slowing. The chemicals in his breath were locking up their muscles and sinking into their nervous system. He’d grin and take a moment to appreciate his power if he weren’t currently ripping apart caravans searching for a lost dragon child.He found him in the third cart, curled up in a too-small cage and bound with leather straps. Taako snarled angrily and his tail lashed, sending carts and likely some people over the edge of the trail. Pricks along his back legs alerted him to the humans jabbing at him with their swords. The silver mother they took the hatchling from must have been younger than him to have been defeated by these pathetic creatures. Their attempts were no more than a nuisance and he brought his head around to kill a magic user channeling her spell with a quick snap of his jaws.Anyone smart enough to hang back were now running as fast as their legs could carry them. A few pulled themselves onto horses cut loss in Taako’s raid. He payed them no mind, instead reaching down to rip apart the bars of the cage.The wyrmling whined again, unable to do much else with the fucking bindings holding his wings down and mouth together. Taako reached a paw in and carefully scooped him out. He was too warm for a silver dragon. Admittedly Taako didn’t know much about them, they lived high in the mountains and until now he’d never actually seen one before, but he knew they weren’t supposed to be warm-scaled dragons.Cradling the dragonling close to his chest, shielded as much as he could from the sun’s heat, Taako took flight. The beating of his wings alone knocked another cart down the hill face, but that wasn’t thorough enough. He sucked in a breath and let lose a blast of rock-melting acid, leaving a gaping wound in the side of the landscape. He hoped some of the humanoids was caught in it.He flew to the layer as fast as his wings would carry him. He took the secret entrance a hill or two away from the ruins decorating what Kravitz had made into the leading cave for travelers to wander in. On some days Taako passed his time working his way through his own traps and illusions, improving and altering them to his wishes. He didn’t have time for that now.He slipped through the narrow opening in the cliff-side, still keeping the too-still wyrmling to his chest. Inside was much cooler, the deep earth forever shielded from the sun’s heat.“Kravitz!” he called through the tunnels. He didn’t wait for a response before worming his way through to the main treasure room. He knew he had some enchanted bullshit that made things colder in here somewhere. Coins, trinkets, and gems cascaded from the piles as he dug though them to the best of his ability while cradling a hatchling.“Taako?” Kravitz entered the cavern wearily. The golden serpent tended to spend his days off sleeping if he could. He liked to be alone sometimes and Taako could respect that on most occasions. This was not one such moment. “Taako what are you doing?”Taako paused his search for a brief moment to shove the child in Kravitz’s direction.“What is… Fuck is that a silver wyrmling!?” Kravitz started, taking the small form from Taako’s hold. “Where did you find him? The nearest silver territory is miles from our boarder.” The quite snaps of breaking leather told Taako Kravitz was snapping the bindings. Good. He hadn’t had time in his rush.Ah! A glint of enchanted blue satin caught Taako’s eye and he reached through to grab the blanket of ice. This thing was meant to keep stuff cold instead of warm. A curious object to be sure. The things mortals came up with.He turned to drape the fabric over the panting little dragon and immediately watched him relax, letting out a sigh of contentment. His scales looks so dull and his now released wings hung loose at his sides, too exhausted to bother tucking them in.“Taako where did you find a wyrmling?” Kravitz repeated, settling the silver dragon into a pile of coin.“A caravan train. Had him locked up in there and thought I wouldn’t notice.” Taako sniffed at the sickly hatchling.A concerned rumble made it’s way up from Kravitz’s throat. He reached a claw forward to lightly nudge the young dragon. The wyrmling was looking up at them intently despite his bleary eyes.“Do-uh… Do you have name?” Kravitz asked and yeah that’d probably be better than continuing to refer to him as ‘the wyrmling’ or ‘the hatchling.’“Angus,” the wyrmling, er, Angus replied, scratchy voice barely over a whisper. Taako had to strain to hear it.“What happened to yah, Ango?” Crisis seemingly averted, Taako climbed up on the pile of treasures to lie down. He’d probably have to go out again later since he hadn’t actually caught anything but that was a problem for future Taako.Angus curled in on himself. It was at least a minute before he said anything. “It was an ambush, sir. Mother didn’t see it coming. I don’t think they expected to find me afterwards.”Kravitz hissed through gritted teeth and and glared at the wall. “Some mortals are… especially vile.” “Thank you for helping me. I’ll get out of your scales as soon as I’m well enough.”Taako studied Angus for a brief moment. He was already looking better but certainly wasn’t in any shape to be on his own. The bindings had left some nasty wounds along his wings and snout. Bahamut above, he did not feel like looking after a wyrmling; but even without the heat sickness Angus was probably too young to be on his own.“Yeah that’s bullshit,” Taako rolled his eyes.“Taako, language” Kravitz scolded, gesturing towards Angus.“It’s ok you can curse in front of me,” Angus quickly interjected.“Cool. That’s bullshit and we’re not gonna kick you out.”Angus sheepishly pulled his head in towards his body and said, “O-oh. I don’t want to be a bother. Really. I can-““Angus,” Kravitz interrupted, “it’s a mute point until your healthy anyways. At least agree to stay until then?”“I-“ Angus started, about to protest.Taako make a short humming sound in the back of his throat and stared pointedly at Angus once he had his attention.“Alright. I’ll stay until I’m healthy.”Taako nodded ever so slightly and set his head back down to the pile. There was no fucking way he was letting this kid leave even once he was healthy, but they’d get to that another day. For now he’d rest and heal.A soft nudge in his side prompted Taako to irritably open his eyes again. Kravitz was looking down at him expectingly.“Can I help you?” Taako smugly grinned.“Hunting?”The smile quickly fell from Taako’s face. “Shit…”