#fledgling!virgil

“It’s dangerous.” Logan replied. “Human civilizations are no place for a dragon.”

That seemed like strange logic. Virgil had never met a human before, but he was a firm believer that dragons should be allowed to go anywhere and do anything. After all, Logan was a freaking dragon. A proper one, with fire and wings and scales. Nothing in the entire valley could ever stand up to him- so why did Logan seem afraid?

“Are you afraid of humans?” Virgil asked. 

Logan gave a small snort of air, and Virgil couldn’t tell what was so funny. “Not all of them.” Logan admitted. “Most humans are vile, selfish creatures, and in large groups can be quite a hassle. They take what isn’t theirs, and threaten anything that is different.”

Not for the first time Virgil was glad he was found by his draconian family. He couldn’t imagine what sort of horrible things humans would have done to a defenseless, disabled dragon like him.

“Not disabled.” Patton would remind him. “Just different.”

Which, of course, was just another way of saying Virgil was very bad at being a dragon. 

------

When Virgil woke up is was with a strange feeling in his chest. Something’s wrong. His mind told him, like he was waking up from a nightmare without knowing what the danger had been. The whispered voices in the front of the cave certainly didn’t help. 

“-Scout says it’s almost here.” Logan explained, looking out into the distance. Even from here Virgil could see how his spines rose as a defense mechanism. “Everyone else has already flown out.”

“Are you certain we should do this?” Patton’s voice sounded pleading, and it set Virgil further on edge. “Perhaps we should fly out too... “

“I am the chief, it’s my duty to protect our lands.” Logan bristled. “I may be getting on in years but my intimidation tactics are as sharp as ever.”

“I know, but I don’t want you to go so far as to do something you’ll regret.” Patton winced.

“One is enough to send a sign to the others.” Logan spoke up. He shifted, chest puffed out further to display his superiority. “It’s kept them at bay for two decades, has it not?”

“Two decades ago we didn’t have Virgil.” Patton argued, and an uncomfortable silence overfell them both.

Virgil cleared his throat, not wanting to eavesdrop any longer. Both giant figures turned to him, looming over Virgil as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What’s happening?”

The elders shared a glance. “Nothing, Virgil.” Patton answered, nuzzling Virgil gently with his snout. “Go back to bed.”

“I’m not tired.” Virgil frowned, watching the way Logan tried to sneak out while Patton distracted him. “Hang on, you’re leaving again, aren’t you?”

Logan froze. “That’s none of your concern, Virgil.”

Virgil flinched at his father’s cold tone. Immediately Patton sent his partner a scolding glance, wrapping his body around Virgil in a protective manner. 

“I apologize.” Logan sighed, coming over to press his forehead against his mate in the form of an apology. He repeated the motion gently with Virgil. “It’s just, the situation is….”

“...complicated.” Patton finished Logan’s thought, realizing the chief was at a loss for words.

“Yes, thank you, Patton.” Logan smiled. “Things are complicated now.”

“Because of me?” Virgil guessed. 

“Of course not!” 

 “Only slightly.”

Their disagreement was enough of an answer for Virgil to know the truth.

“Because you’ve got to protect me.” Virgil realized quietly, looking down at his hands. His hands, so soft and pliable and useless. Every little side of the mountain was sharp enough to graze their surface. “Dads, I’m… I’m sorry.” 

“You have nothing to apologize for.” Patton insisted sternly, nuzzling even closer to Virgil. 

Logan looked down at his family, so perfectly content in their cave. He seemed to be contemplating something. “Perhaps you are correct, Patton.” Logan finally spoke. “I shall… attempt to have a more civil altercation.”

Before Virgil could ask who exactly Logan would be having a ‘civil altercation’ with, the question was answered for him by a loud presence announcing itself at the cave entrance.

“HAVE AT THEE, FOUL BEAST!” 

“Wha-? Hey!” Virgil protested, finding himself suddenly covered by Patton’s wing. What was going on? Why wouldn’t his dads let him see the intruder? The intruder who was definitely not a dragon, based on the way the voice lacked that familiar rumble. Then again, Virgil’s voice had never rumbled either.

“Strong words from the human who dares encroach on our lands.” Logan growled, so intense that Virgil almost didn’t recognize him as his father.

...a human? Virgil felt his blood run cold. 

“I am not the one encroaching.” The human scoffed, and Virgil heard some sort of shifting of metal. “You are the monsters, the ones invading our village.” 

“What!” Virgil shrieked, and in a fit of rage he was ready to take on the human himself, no matter his weaknesses. “Logan would never- MFPH!” Virgil’s cries were muffled as Patton pressed his wing against his mouth. Virgil struggled, trying to scramble over Patton’s scales to see who dared to threaten his dad. 

“Little one, I think you’re forgetting your place on the food chain.” Logan’s figure moved, looming further so that even as Virgil peeked out he couldn’t see the threat.

“Logan.” Patton’s tone held a sort of warning Virgil didn’t understand, but at least Patton was too distracted to push Virgil back under. After all, Virgil knew he was no match for Patton’s strength. 

“Stay back!” The human warned. “I will not hesitate to run you through with my blade, and spill both your blood among these rocks.”

“You will do no such thing.” Now Logan was livid, clearly just as furious as Virgil at the threat to his family members. “A puny thing like you should lack the audacity to address a specimen such as I with that tone- why, a single breath of flame will make your weapon meaningless once you’re burnt to a crisp. Or perhaps you’d rather get more personally acquainted with my razor teeth.” Logan sneered, putting them on full display.

“LOGAN!” Patton protested, standing up to get some height on his husband. Unfortunately, this brash action unsettled Virgil’s precarious spot, and with a yelp the young fleshling tumbled onto the open cave floor. 

Virgil groaned, rubbing at his head as he looked up. Both dads were staring at him, eyes wide and almost...guilty? Virgil turned to the cave entrance, finally getting a look at his first human. It was small, hardly the size of Logan’s forepaw. Instead of scaly armor, the human’s skin was soft and unprotected. It didn’t have wings, instead just a pair of fleshy limbs, one of which was holding up some sort of piece of metal. 

It...it looked just like Virgil.

“What?” Virgil’s voice was hardly a croak, trying to piece together what was happening even as his entire world view shattered.

“Aha!” The human gestured with its tool towards Virgil, and Logan put a clawed foot between them to protect his son. “I see you’ve even stooped so low as to take our kind for your own twisted horde. Don’t worry good sir, I shall rescue you in no time!”

“Wait, me? Rescue?” Virgil stood up, trying to understand as he searched the dragon’s gaze for any answers. Neither dad seemed eager to look him in the eye.

“My- prize is none of your concern.” Logan decided, pushing Virgil back with his wing even as Virgil tried to dig his feet into the ground. 

“Your prize?” Virgil spat, frustrated at the way nobody would give him answers. He didn’t like his dad’s demeaning tone, either.

“That’s it!” The human charged forwards, brandishing his weapon higher. “Have at thee!”

And just like that, all hell broke loose. The human slid beneath Logan, skirting his sharp blade against Logan’s vulnerable underside. Logan let out a roar so thunderous Virgil had to cover his ears, and it distracted him from the human charging closer. Virgil didn’t even have time to be afraid before Patton’s claws came out, batting the intruder across the room. The figure groaned, sword clattering to the ground as he hit the cave wall. 

“No!’ Virgil protested, but he wasn’t sure what exactly he was protesting.

“Logan, are you alright?” Patton hurried over to his mate, pressing his snout worriedly  against Logan’s side as the other curled up on the ground. Both of them seemed to have forgotten the human, who despite the bleeding claw marks across his chest was unsteadily getting to his feet. 

“Stop it.” Virgil growled, putting his hand up. The human stopped, but Virgil had a feeling it was more so because he heard his dads growling as well. He whirled around, putting both hands up now as he glared defiantly back at them. “You! You- stop it too!” 

“Get behind me.” The human instructed, pushing off the wall with a grunt.

“Like hell I’m doing that.” Virgil muttered, already nervous about turning his back to the human right now. Even if he was stupid enough in the head to defend their attacker, Virgil still had enough sanity to keep his distance.

“Virgil…” Logan spoke up, his voice pained. “I want you to come this way, slowly and carefully-”

“NO!” Virgil shouted, skittering back a few steps when Patton took a step forward. Tears of frustration welled up in his eyes. “Why- why does he look like me? What’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Virgil, please.” Patton pleaded, not coming closer. “Come back to us, kiddo.” 

Virgil jumped, a thump startling him so badly he almost bolted straight out of the cave. Virgil turned, seeing the human had collapsed face-first on the ground. “Oh that’s just great.” Virgil huffed, sneaking closer to investigate. It seemed the human was out cold.