Page 48 of Escaping my Dragon

“Not you. You’re already beautiful,” the smitten Tigger declared, bringing a mauve blush to Percy’s snout.

It took effort to not yell. I kept my voice tight as I said, “We need to locate them.”

“You seem agitated. Has something happened?” Percy stood and shook, her scales rippling before settling into place.

“They’re evacuating McMurdo Station.”

“Isn’t that where the humans live in Antarctica?” Tigger stretched.

“Not anymore. Mount Erebus, as well as the three dormant volcanoes near it, have erupted.”

“Malone must have gotten to them,” Percy somberly declared.

“Meaning we’re too late!” Tigger squeaked, puffing orange smoke.

“Not necessarily. But we should depart immediately. We’re only a few hours away.”

Tigger bounced out of his leafy nest. “I’ll go find Abaddon and Polly.” He jumped into the air and flapped his orange wings.

I stripped and stowed my clothes in my satchel before morphing.

“Do you think any of us will inherit your ability to shift?” Percy asked almost shyly.

“I don’t know. It’s one of the mysteries of our kind that we end up with different gifts. Some only ever acquire a single power, while others have many.”

“But not all of yours came naturally.” A subtle poke that I didn’t take offense at.

“No.”

“Is it true that if you eat another dragon, you get their power?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Did cannibalization happen often back in your day?”

“Surprisingly, no. While we were very active in protecting and expanding our domains, we remained cognizant that wide-scale murder would result in our decimation and eventual extinction.”

“Hence why Tiamat tried to create a clutch she could consume.” Percy had a disapproving note. “A mother is supposed to nurture her young.”

“A concept common among the mammals of this world, but dragons are different.”

“Very different.” She paused before adding. “Do you think we originated on this planet?”

“A question I’ve often asked myself. I’m aware we don’t really compare to the other species and defy human science in many respects.”

“I found them!” Tigger chirped as he returned.

The missing duo landed a moment after. “Why the need to disturb us? We barely had time to rest.”

“Is that what you called what you were doing?” Tigger exclaimed. “Looked more like what Ilona and Apollo do when they kick me out of their bedroom.”

Abaddon hissed steam, but before he could blow flame, Polly put a paw on his arm. “It’s understandable he’d be jealous. Look at us. The prettiest and strongest forming a union.”

“Prettiest?” Tigger snorted.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Polly huffed.

“You’re not my type,” he said, his gaze flipping over to Percy, who fluttered her wings.