Chapter 14: You Are Strong
There was no game more popular with whelps and teenagers than King of the Hoard. It was a simple game; the last dragon left standing on top of a pile of gems was the winner. No one had good footing, and dragons were more likely to slip off the pile than someone was to push them off, but that just added to the fun by forcing dragons to relay on their luck.
Garble had won today’s game, being punched in the face only once, and promptly winning when that dragon slipped and tumbled off the hoard. By all accounts Garble should have tumbled off first, but his luck had been strong today and he stepped onto a solid patch of gems, while his opponent stepped onto a loose section. The bounty he received was beyond incredible. Before him was a pile of sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and diamonds of all sorts.
Giggling like a filly, Garble secluded himself from his friends, and happily munched on his snacks. Suddenly, his nose twitched as a familiar scent wafted past him, forcing his spines to stand on end. ‘Berries,’ he thought in alarm. He quickly leapt to the side, evading a tackle from his rival, Ember Brightcrest.
Missing her target, Ember slid across the ground before coming to a halt. She turned towards him, looking as if she was out for blood. “How do you always know when I’m coming?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
‘Because you smell nice,’ he immediately thought to himself. He would never say that aloud, so instead he smirked as he examined his claws for imperfections. “I thought you were smart; shouldn’t you be able to figure it out?”
Ember growled. She despised it when anyone, Garble especially, questioned her intelligence, yet it was only the second most insulting thing he’d done. “You’re bruised,” she said, taking note of his black eye. “You fought someone before you fought me! You know I can’t fight you after you already fought!”
Garble felt as if he was being scolded by his mother, only this elicited more irritation than fear. “It was king of the hoard; do you know the gems you get?” He held up a fire ruby, and Ember’s eyes went wide. She hated the concept of King of the Hoard, but she couldn’t deny that the gems won were amazing. “And I’m not someone you can just boss around either! I can fight whoever I want, whenever I want.”
Her expression shifted in an instant. Steam came out of the top of her head and she bared her gritted fangs. “But I’m your rival!” Ember shouted. “You’re supposed to fight me first!”
“We can fight now.”
“No, we can’t, because you look tired!” It wasn’t untrue. Garble was a little tired, hungry too, but after a short snack and rest, he’d be okay. “If I beat you now, then I haven’t beaten you at your best, and everyone will just make excuses for you or-or call it a fluke!” Ember’s gaze intensified as she pulled him close, their foreheads touching. “Do you want dragons degrading my accomplishments because you couldn’t wait to play a stupid game?”
Garble rolled his eyes. He always struggled to understand the logic behind Ember’s ‘at his best’ obsession. He’d talked to his father about it, only for him to say, “It’s a sign of respect, Garble. Ember is someone that wants to prove herself, and she wants to do so by beating the strongest dragon she can. She likely thinks that beating you in a weakened state would be cowardly, so she wants to do it when you’re at your best.”
“We’ll fight tomorrow. It’s not like I’m going anywhere,” Garble said.
“You’re so useless!” Ember groaned, giving him a shove. Her eyes took a quick glance down at his pile and saw a tantalizing blue diamond begging for someone to eat it. For a moment, her anger faded, replaced with a wanting. In her mind, she could already taste the gem. Her eyes became fixated on it, she licked her lips as her mouth began to water, and her stomach rumbled loud enough for Garble to hear. Her rival’s face fell flat and he raised a brow. Ember’s cheeks flushed red from embarrassment, and there was a short silence between the two as her orange eyes flicked between him and the gem.
Had it been any other dragon, Garble would have told her to shove off. However, Ember was not most dragons. If anything, she was akin Smolder and Spike, annoying at times, but well meaning. “Just take it,” he said with an uninterested wave, picking up a rose quartz.
“I will, but not because you told me to. It’s restitution!” She loudly said, snatching the gem from his pile before darting away. “Stupid Garble, why does he have to be a lousy rival?” She grumbled as she ate. ‘Now what am I supposed to do?’ She took a seat away from other whelps. Her father was away for a few days, and she wanted to surprise him when he returned by declaring her victory over Garble, earning his praise and admiration. There was still time, she just wanted to get it done sooner rather than later. As she enjoyed her diamond, her spines began to raise as a dark presence seemed to form behind her.
“Not fighting Garble today?” A sweet yet sinister voice asked. A pink dragon practically coiled around Ember, grinning. “Don’t tell me the princess got scared.”
‘Scales,’ Ember thought to herself, feeling a sudden flash of anger. “Please, if anything he was scared of me,” She said, holding up the half-eaten blue diamond. “That boulder-head had to bribe me to spare him.”
“Sure he did, sure he did.” Scales forced a smile. She dreamt of a drake, Garble especially, giving her a diamond, yet all she ever got was the cold shoulder. Ember could act like a brat for a year, and for some reason, he gives her a rare blue diamond. Her body began to shake with anger. “That’s so sweet of him, isn’t it? I wish a drake would give me something like that.”
“He didn’t give this to me, he paid me off! I basically took it from him!”
Scales believed that as much as she believed that Ember and Garble were actual rivals. “Then why are you sulking? Is it because you didn’t get your free hit on Garble?”
“Free hit? Free hit!?” Ember stood, and tried to look intimidating. “I don’t get free hits!”
Scales seemed unfazed at the display. “Don’t you? You always brag about fighting him, but it’s not like he hits you. If anything, he hugs you!” She leered at Ember. “Is that why you like fighting him so much, or is it because he goes easy on you?”
Ember was appalled by what Scales was suggesting. “You better shut it!”
“Why? He never throws a punch, you never get hurt, and you go back for more every day! I don’t know what else to call it. I doubt that you could actually fight anyone else.”
Ember knew she shouldn’t be listening to Scales. She knew that Scales was just trying to get under her skin; any moron could see that this was just bait set under a dangling boulder. However, Ember also knew that Scales was underestimating her. “Pick a dragon and they’re going down,” She said.
Scales bit her lower lip to keep herself from smiling. Ember was brilliant, even she could admit that, but she lacked the emotional lid that Scales had. He few pokes and she was putty in her hands. Sure, Scales seethed with anger every moment Ember spent with Garble, but she just healthily bottled that rage up, waiting for the perfect moment to inflict a year’s worth of pain on the little princess. That moment was finally here. “Hmm, how about… I don’t know, totally random thought,” She turned her body away from Ember, grinned, and said, “but why not Arrow Firefang?” Forcing down her smile, she turned back towards Ember.
Ember’s confidence faltered for a single moment, but it was long enough for Scales to see through her tough façade.
“Oh, you don’t think he’s too big, do you? Maybe I should pick someone else? I don’t want you to get hurt. You seem so fragile, who knows the damage he’d do.”
Ember steeled herself. “After I beat him, you’re next.”
“If he gives you any trouble just make fun of his voice.” Her lips curled up into a grin. “He always fights dragons that do that.”
Ember rolled her eyes and marched towards Arrow. It was easy picking him out of the crowd. Despite all the growing that the whelps had done over the year, Arrow Firefang was still the biggest whelp around. He was digging a small hole, finding a few gems, and putting them to the side. Not anything noteworthy, mostly emeralds, opals, and quartzes.
Ember was about a yard away from Arrow, but even that felt too close. She shook the fear out of her, reminding herself that she was strong and could take him on easily. Ember took a deep breath, calmed her nerves, straightened her back, and said, “Arrow, I challenge you to a fight!”
Arrow paused, turned his head, and gave her a quick glance. Ember felt her heart rate quicken and her body tense before taking a fighting stance, only to watch as Arrow returned to his digging. She waited for a minute or two before growing both impatient, and offended. “Hey, I’m talking to you!” She shouted. Silence. She was starting to understand why Scales was grumpy all the time. “I said I want to fight!”
“Beat it,” Arrow finally said, keeping his focus on his work. “I’m not interested in fighting a twig.”
‘Twig!?’ Ember fumed but collected herself not a moment after. As much as it galled her to admit, Scales had given her some good advice, even if it meant getting punched. Ember forced a chuckle, and immediately, Arrow turned his head. It was a warning, meaning that she touched a nerve. “Sorry,” she said, smirking. “Garble said that your voice was high, but I didn’t expect his sister’s voice to be deeper than yours. You make her sound like my dad!” She smiled upon seeing the murder in his eyes.
Arrow stood, looming above Ember. “You want to rephrase that?”
“Yeah,” Ember said, “Your voice actually got higher this year.” She knew she was treading dangerous waters.
“It’s your funeral.” Arrow’s fist collided with her before she had time to ready herself. Ember was sprawled out on her back, while Arrow turned his back to her. “Stay down,” he demanded.
Ember was dazed, not surprising, but she knew she wouldn’t be if Garble had ever bothered to hit her during their fights. She stood back up, and called after him. “That it? Garble’s brother hits harder than that.”
She had to be a glutton for punishment. Arrow turned towards her, and promptly received a punch himself. It sent him stumbling to the side, before the follow up sent him careening back. Part of him could hardly believe it, but Ember’s strikes hurt. A third punch sent him to the ground. Ember tried to jump on him, only for Arrow to recover, roll to the side, and hit Ember with his tail.
Soon, whelps began to take notice of the fight. There were murmurs about who was brave enough, or more accurately, dumb enough to fight Arrow, they were shocked to see Ember.
“Is she insane?” A few whelps asked.
“Obviously. She fights Garble daily.”
“Yeah, but he’s Garble! We all fight Garble! That’s Arrow!”
“She seems to be doing okay.”
The crowd watched as Arrow tried in vain to strike at Ember, only for her to side step his strikes with easy. Ember didn’t stay in one place for over a moment. She slid, twirled, and jumped about the field. If there was one thing fighting Garble had taught her, with his constant grabs and bearhugs, it was how to avoid a bigger whelp. She’d hit Arrow already with two fistfuls of dirt, blinding him before her strikes. He quickly wised up to the trick. Now, any attempt to blind him was met with a dust cloud of his own.
“He has to be going easy on her.” Ember heard whispered. She scowled and her fists tightened, drawing just the smallest bit of blood. She’d show them. Her pace increased, and she hit Arrow with blow after blow, instantly putting him on the defensive.
The watching whelps chatter began to change. “She’s winning.”
“But she’s small!”
“Maybe she has superstrength?”
“Superstrength isn’t a thing! Besides, why would she get superstrength?”
“I want superstrength!”
“If she beats him up, is she gonna beat up Garble next?”
“Is Arrow even that strong if he’s losing to her?”
The fifth strike, along with the constant chatter, sent alarm bells rigging in Arrow’s head. The crowd was right, he was losing; and not just to anyone, but to Ember, the smallest dragon in the land. Even worse, he’d barely touched her. She didn’t hit that hard, it was just she swift enough to strike him several times before he could hit her once, and thanks to her agility, she was able to dodge much easier than he could.
Ember sent a hard punch across his face, before pausing to catch her breath for a moment. Arrow to the opening to backhand her with a clenched fist, allowing him a moment of reprieve before Ember came back swinging twice as hard, leaving him dazed after every hit. Arrow refused to believe this was real. He was the biggest, he was one on the strongest, he couldn’t lose to an ant. Letting out a roar, he began flailing, desperate just to get in a good, solid hit. However, Ember seemed to dance out of the way.
Scales wasn’t handling the development any better. Ember was supposed to be on the ground beaten to a pulp, not impressing everyone. Fear gripped her heart as the fight went on. What if Garble fought with her because she was strong? If Garble admired Ember’s raw strength, then what chance did she have with him? Then a chill slowly crept up her spine. She recalled what Ember had said to her, before challenging Arrow. Scales didn’t stick around to see who won.
Then there were the onlookers from afar, specifically Spike and Smolder. Smolder was impressed with Ember but Spike was grumpy, and not because Smolder won their game and his gem. No, he was grumpy because Ember was doing so well. He wasn’t supremely shocked by it, though, his opinion on the matter was a mixture of naïve and delusional. In his opinion, the only reason Ember was winning was because she’d been training with Garble for nearly a year. Now, she either was going to make it seem like beating Arrow wasn’t that big of a deal, or Everyone was going to be praising her for her strength, when the only reason she was strong was because of Garble. He only wished that the other dragons gave credit where it was due.
His little face scrunched up as Ember circumvented Arrow’s punches, but noticed where she was about to step. He suddenly became uninterested in the fight, and yawned. “She’s gonna lose.”
Ember evaded a slam, before twirling to her right, avoiding a powerful punch. She readied herself, knowing that the next punch he threw would provide her an opening to get in a few hits, and maybe have him surrender. Arrow was enraged, but he was also breathing heavily, looked fatigued. Ember had a clear advantage, with her calm and collectiveness, tempered by her determination to prove everyone wrong about her weakness, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t breaking a sweat.
It was essentially a battle of endurance at this point. The first one tire would lose. Every punch thrown and every hit taken would was going to count. Ember stepped anticipating a right hook, and felt herself stumble. Her foot entered the small hole that Arrow had dug, and she let out a yelp before catching herself.
Arrow seized the moment, and with all his might, slammed his body into her. There was a sharp cry that echoed through the field, catching the attention of Garble, who was napping curled around his gems. The yelp sounded enough like his sister to stir him quickly. In panic, her scampered towards the source, pushing through the crowd, only to see Ember kicked in the stomach by Arrow Firefang. His rival collapsed on the ground, gasping for air, before having a coughing fit when she was able to take a breath.
“Just stay down!” Arrow screeched, likely burst a few eardrums.
Garble watched as she tried to stand up and take a step forward, only to collapse on her right leg. Near her ankle there was some swelling, perhaps a sprain like he’d received not too long ago. Arrow was bruised and heaving, glaring at Ember. He grabbed Fume who quickly filled him in.
“She’s insane!” he said, “She actually challenged Arrow to a fight!”
Garble had beaten Arrow himself, and not even he wasn’t foolish enough to challenge Arrow directly, yet Ember was brave enough to seek him out. At the very least Garble could respect Ember’s guts.
“But that’s not it,” Fume continued, “it looked like she was winning!”
There was nothing too shocking about that, not to Garble anyway. He had to take some credit for that. Afterall, it was probably because he was such an amazing training partner that she was able to hold her own so well. Maybe it was his swelled head, or the mountain sized ego that was in desperate need of downsizing, but for the first time, Garble was honored to have Ember as his rival.
Arrow, however was breathing heavily, angrily, as the chatter of the crowd grated on his nerves.
“She almost won.”
“Probably just a fluke,” another whelp said.
“She’s stronger than she looks.”
“Either that or Arrow isn’t as strong as he looks.”
“I don’t know, I would rather fight Ember than Arrow.”
“Garble I could understand, but Ember?”
“Maybe he was having an off day.”
“Or he’s just weak. Garble doesn’t seem to have trouble with her.”
They were mocking him. Garble’s victory over him had damaged his rep, but that was just the second-best dragon overtaking the first. No one could say anything because none of them had a hope to beat Garble, but Ember? No one thought that they could lose to her. So, what did it mean if he was losing to Ember of all dragons? It meant that he was weak. All because a runt like Ember got the better of him for a moment. Another runt got the better of him. Another runt nearly beat him. Wrose, she wasn’t just a runt; Ember was the runt. He watched as Ember struggled to stand before his fists tightened. What if she could still fight? What if she got up and won? “I said stay down!” He demanded. He delivered another kick to Ember, knocking her on her side.
Garble’s prideful smile fell and his head tilted in confusion. Why did Arrow hit her again? Ember couldn’t continue; the fight was over. He watched as Ember tried getting up again, only for Arrow to strike her once more. It was enigma. What was the point of a fight if the other dragon couldn’t fight back? It wasn’t a contest of strength and skill; it wasn’t even a hard lesson that fights were sometimes one sided or that some dragons were just stronger, it was just cruel punishment. Garble felt, for the first time in his young life, disgust.
Ember forced herself to stand, crying out in pain as her leg shook violently. She grabbed a hold of Arrow, and headbutted his snout. It barely phased him, and everyone knew it. Arrow returned better then he got. Ember fell to the ground holding her snout, softly whimpering, and Garble’s disgust towards him turned to anger. He watched as Ember tried to stand, or maybe crawl away, only for Arrow strike her again, and again, and again, collapsing the princess on her side as her body curled into a ball. Garble’s anger turned to a seething rage.
His vision red, Garble saw Arrow kick her once, and his fist tightened. He saw Arrow kick her a second time, and his legs began to move. Arrow went for a third strike, only to feel a claw on his shoulder. He pivoted and swung, only for Garble to catch him by his wrist.
The crowd began to clamor, wondering why Garble had entered the fray, while Ember looked up in disbelief.
‘No, not again,’ she thought to herself. She knew that Arrow had won the fight, that her trying to stand was pointless, however, she’d rather her beating continue than to have Garble step in. Not again, not when she was fighting for real. She managed to stand up, tried to move forward, and tear him off her opponent, but she collapsed on the first step. Her fists pounded against the ground in bought of frustration. Garble was her rival; he wasn’t supposed to help her. She didn’t want his help. She didn’t need his help. She didn’t need him making her look so weak.
Arrow’s eyes met Garble’s, and his instincts screamed for him to run. He quickly silenced them, his fear turning to rage. “Something you want to say?” Arrow’s question was met with silent glare. “What, you want to challenge me? Fine by me, I’ve been wanting to make up for that fluke a year ago.”
Garble’s eyes narrowed, he bared his fangs, and a low growl filling the air.
Arrow had never seen anyone make that face at him before. What did he do to tick him off so much? He glanced towards Ember and smirked. “Oh, are you upset I hurt your wittle girlfriend?” Silence. Arrow used his free hand to try and push Garble back, but the whelp didn’t budge. “Do something about it then! First punch is free!” He motioned for his opponent to hit him and watched as Garble clenched his fist. “Fair warning, the second you punch me, I’m beating the crap out of-”
Garble let loose a roar as he pulled Arrow forward, and slammed his fist into Arrow’s snout.
There came a loud crack, and the drake stumbled back, screaming in pain. His claws clenched his nose, covering it from view, but Garble and the crowd could see blood start to leak between his fingers. Arrow wailed as he rushed off to his mother, the crowd breaking into a commotion.
Garble knew that he shouldn’t take pride in drawing blood, not when they were so young, but he couldn’t help it. Something felt right about what he did. It was like fulfilling his purpose in life. The crowed caught a glimpse of his scowl, and thought best to disperse, but not before his friends congratulated him on his victory.
With everyone gone, Garble turned his attention to Ember. “How bad is it?” He asked. He couldn’t ask if she was alright, that would have an air of pity around it, and Ember didn’t do pity.
“It’s not,” she managed to say with a whimper.
Garble rolled his eyes, not that he had a leg to stand on. He’d been the same way when his ankle was sprained. He powered through it, but that only made things worse. Not wanting Ember to make the same mistake, he made the executive decision as Future Dragon Lord to treat Ember like he would Spike when he was too rowdy to go take a nap, and take her to her mother. He began to lift her on his back, despite her protests.
“Don’t touch me! Let go! Put me down right now!” She demanded as she struggled in his grip.
Garble looped his arms under her legs, keeping her supported. “Why don’t you try and make me?” Garble sneered, making sure she was secure in his grip. Ember didn’t hesitate to obey, even as he began making his way towards her mother. She tugged at his face, pounded his body with her fist and tail, but when she kicked him, she winched in pain before ceasing her struggles. “Are you done yet?”
“No! I hate this,” she said with a whimper. “I hate you!”
“If you want me to let you crawl to your mom, just say the word,” Garble said, clearly irritated with her attitude. Yet, he still slightly adjusting Ember’s position, making sure she was still secure. He’d given so many piggyback rides to Smolder and Spike, that he was practically a master. No doubt his siblings were watching him, and becoming increasingly jealous of Ember.
“I’d rather crawl to my mom then be carried!” Ember quickly said.
Garble grumbled to himself as Ember repeated her statement continuously. He should have known she’d call his bluff, the fact that he didn’t made him consider that the insults slung at him for being a bit dim had some truth to them.
“I said I’d rather crawl!” Ember said for a final time.
“Too bad,” he said in response. He was being a hypocrite, but he didn’t care one bit. “You’re hurt, so I’m carrying you to your mom.”
“You shouldn’t have gotten in my way. I was finally fighting!”
Garble was starting to get annoyed with her now. He understood the tantrum to a point, she lost, even he got huffy when he lost, but he couldn’t grasp why she hated him so much. “Fighting. You mean getting the snot beat out of you while you struggle to stand up? And everyone calls me dumb,” he muttered.
“You don’t get it. They thought I was strong! Then you had to step in.” Garble felt her claws grip his hide, as if they were trying to pierce his scales. “They’re going to say I’m a wimp now. That I’m too small and weak to do anything by myself. They’ll only see some fragile little princess that needs someone to protect her!” She wanted to scream at him for also proving her father right.
She could already see her father going ballistic once he returned to the cave and saw her. When he heard about what Garble had done, instead of just watching, she knew he’d order him to act as her personal bodyguard. The thought sickened her to her core. It wasn’t just because Torch would always have a pair of eyes on her, but also, once Garble knew who she was, she’d never be able to fight him again. “Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?”
Garble rolled his eyes. Part of him understood her aversion to help. Dragons were supposed to do things themselves; they were supposed to exsert effort and fight for what they wanted, be it food, shelter, respect, or strength. But it’s not like any of them were truly self-reliant. He was cared for by his parents. So long as they were there, he was fed. Maybe he wouldn’t get snacks if he didn’t fight, but he didn’t have to worry about surviving, not yet anyway. Then there were the rumors and whispers she was worried about. He could emphasize, but sadly, Garble was not one for tact when it came to dragons other than Spike and Smolder. He might go a bit easy on Ember in a fight, but this was not a fight.
“Oh, boo-hoo, someone might call you weak. Cry me a river,” He said, almost disinterested in her worries. He received a hard punch to the back of the head.
“Jerk.”
Garble grumbled to himself and chalked it up to a bonk he would give Spike or Smolder if they got too fussy. “Why do you even care if they think that, anyway? They’re stupid if they do.”
“How are they stupid?! They just watched me get my hide handed to me!”
“Because you’re not weak. You’re one of the strongest dragons I know.”
It took a moment for Ember to register what he said. Once she did, her anger seemed to vanish, and all that was left was confusion. “What?” Was all she managed to say, in a very soft, squeaky voice.
“You’re strong,” Garble said nonchalantly. He didn’t think he was saying anything special, nor meaningful. It was like saying that the sky was blue or that lava was hot; It was a fact of the world. “Maybe not strong-strong, but you don’t run from a challenge, you refuse to give up, and you can hold your own in a fight, even though you’re small.” He glanced over his shoulder. “You’re a real dragon.”
Those words echoed in her mind for what felt like an eternity before Ember was able to accept them. The moment she did, Ember felt a dagger thrust into her tiny heart. The world became blurry, she let out soft whimpers and clenched her fist into balls. Her eyes clenched shut, and she buried her face into the back of Garble’s neck. Sniffles that only Garble could hear echoed, and bit by bit tears began to fall from her face.
He could hear her desperately trying to hold back her tears, but it had already started. She probably wanted everyone to think like he did, but now, in her mind at least, no one would, and it was all thanks to him. Garble never hit her, never hurt her, but hearing her cry made him feel like he had. Maybe Bahamut made it so there was something inherently wrong about a dragoness crying.
“Hey-”
“I-I’m fine,” she grumbled, not wanting talk. “Just get me to my mom.”
Garble didn’t argue with her. He soon came before the blue dragoness, who took Ember in her claws. “Thank you, Garble,” she said before spreading her wings and flying towards the nearest Shaman’s cave. She didn’t say anything to her daughter. If Ember was struggling not to cry, she could hold any criticisms until after she recovered.
Seeing them vanish into the horizon, Garble returned to his father, only to be swarmed by his siblings.
“You gave Ember a piggyback ride!?” Smolder said, as if accusing Garble of a war-crime. Garble gave some of the best piggyback rides in the land. Her and Spike often argued who’d be the first to get a ride and today was no different.
“Can I have one?” Spike asked, putting on his sweetest face.
“I want it first! I’m older than you, and I’ve won a fight! I deserve it more!”
“Mama says I’m too small to fight the other dragons. I bet I’ll beat up more my first day than you did your first week! I should get it first!”
“Why don’t you two just race for it?” Garble suggested. So they did, and Spike seemed to want it just a hair more. It was one of the best piggyback rides ever.
Today was shaping up to be a memorable, if not the worst day of her life. Topaz endured the shrieks of a livid mother as Gemstone tended to the injured child. Her softness with whelps had a time to shine as she tended to Arrow, comforting him as he wept. The worse part? It had been her great-grandson that injured him. Garble had struck the boy so hard his nose snapped like a twig. To say that this was taboo would be an understatement.
“There, all better,” Topaz said, as Gemstone finished resetting Arrow’s nose, wrapping it in a cast. “Leave the splint on the snout for a week, it should heal in a month or two. Until then, training only, no fighting.”
“I would say thank you,” Bow Firefang said with a growl, “but the little devil that did this to my whelp is related to you, no?”
“My great-grandson,” Topaz clarified. She was too old to try and make excuses for Garble’s actions, odd as they may have been. She had a job to do, even if the whelp’s mother was understandably rude. “Hence, why I am here, with my apprentice; my best apprentice, I might add. I apologize for Garble’s behavior, but perhaps it would be better to take it up with his parents.” Topaz could already hear the screaming. Whelps fighting one another was normal, but drawing blood? Amber and Flare were likely to give the Firefangs some form of compensation for this, a large one at that, and Garble a harsh punishment. He’d be lucky to play with his friends or his siblings in a year.
There came another rumble in the cave as Blaze entered, holding Ember in her hands. Topaz had known Torch since he was a whelp. She personally tended to him many, many, many times, and had gotten to know him over the decades. She knew that he was going to murder the dragon that caused this despicable amount of bruising on his beloved daughter. She felt sorry for that poor soul.
“Gemstone, we have another one,” Topaz said as she motioned for Blaze to set Ember on a stone slab next to Arrow’s. The two whelps gave each other a vindictive glare, though their tears made it difficult for the other to take it seriously.
“Poor thing,” Bow cooed, upon getting a good look at Ember. “Did Garble hurt her as well, Blaze? I swear that little brute needs to be taught a lesson.” She was shocked to receive a glare from Blaze.
“Bow, I don’t know what you think happened today, but Garbuncle Ironscale never lays a hand on my daughter. In fact, today Garble helped her when she was hurt.” That earned her a raised eyebrow. She continued. “I make it my job to watch my daughter when she fights, as ill-advised as that may be at times. Today, I watched as your son felt the need to beat on my daughter after she’d sprained her ankle and couldn’t stand. I think it was the seventh or eighth hit when Garble intervened and broke your son’s nose. So, you tell me which was the brute: the one striking my daughter or the one defending her.
The revelation caused a bottomless pit to form in Bow’s stomach. She was shocked at first, but then she felt her mouth dry, before a fire ignited and she turned a furious gaze on her son. “You. Struck. Ember. Brightcrest?”
Arrow shrunk. He’d seen the look his mother had given him before, it was usually the look he got when he took a gem without asking, or played with a knife form his parents’ hoard. It was a look that said, ‘Your father is going to hear about this.’ “She attacked me first!” He said.
“I don’t care if she stole your entire hoard! Fighting her of all dragons, do you have a death wish!?” Had it been any other dragon, a quick scolding was all that would have occurred. Afterall, if Arrow went a little far in a fit of frenzy, but his opponent was alive with no permanent damage, and no broken bones, what actual wrong was committed? It was a fight, and in a fight, whelps got hurt. Unfortunately, he fought Ember Brightcrest, and that was the one dragon that was supposed to be off limits.
“Consider your broken snout punishment enough for doing something this foolish. We’ll talk further when we get back to our cave.” Bow paused, her eyes moving to Blaze. Her anger was quickly replaced with concern, a concern that Blaze understood perfectly. It was a concern that a mother held for her child. Yes, Arrow was out of line, but did he deserve what Torch would do to him if he found out? No matter what crime their children committed, a mother would always seek mercy for them. Bow found it difficult to speak to Blaze for a few moments. She managed to choke out a, “Is-” Before being interrupted.
“I’ll see to it that he never learns that Arrow was involved,” Blaze assured her.
Bow let out a held gasp of relief, quietly praising Bahamut. Thanking the Lord-Consort, she picked up her son, issued an apology for his actions, and left, with Arrow begging her not to tell his dad.
‘Good riddance’ Ember thought to herself. She sat still as Gemstone examined her sprain.
“Nothing too bad. You must have been very brave to challenge a whelp like him,” Gemstone said. “Did you get in a few good hits?”
Ember nodded. She did at first, but then she tripped, and then it was over. Ember played the fight back in her head. If she’d just had paid attention, she likely would have won. Garble would have never had to get involved, he’d never have carried her, and never would have said- Ember bit her lower lip as she recalled what he’d said.
‘You’re one of the strongest dragons I know.’
The memory forced a hiccup.
‘You’re a real dragon.’
She let out a whimper before the dam finally burst. Ember wailed as loud as she could, she fell on her side, curled into a ball, and heaved with every breath she took.
Gemstone stepped back for a moment, shocked by the sudden breakdown. She carefully rechecked Ember’s ankle. It was sprained, but it shouldn’t have been causing this kind of reaction. Perhaps she was a dramatic whelp? No, she’d dealt with dramatic whelps before. They were just in need of some affection when in pain and it quickly subsided with a coo or a nuzzle. This? It was as if Ember were being tortured, the kind of pain that Spike felt when his arms were cut. Ember’s arms were crossed across her chest, and her claws seemed to be digging into her shoulders.
“Poor thing,” Gemstone cooed. “Does it hurt that much?”
“No!” Ember managed to say through chocked sobs.
Not the answer she was expecting, not knowing what else to do, Gemstone bandaged the ankle, and the dragons let her cry. Blaze wanted to ask what was wrong, but she knew that the only answers she’d get would be indecipherable. Ember’s wails abated, becoming quiet sobs as she lay in a small puddle of her own tears. Blaze picked her daughter up and brought her close to her chest.
“Is this because Garble helped you? Ember there’s-”
“I-it wasn’t that,” She hiccupped. “I don’t know why I’m crying. Garble-he s-said tha-that I’m-I’m-” She began to cough as she tried to contain her emotions and speak clearly. She tried again, and failed.
“What did he say?” Topaz asked, wondering if she was going to have to have a long, serious talk with Garble.
“He-he said I’m strong,” Ember finally said. She gripped her mother’s chest. “He said that I’m a real dragon. Why is that making me cry?”
The reactions were varied. Topaz let out a relieved sigh, thankful Garble wasn’t dim enough to insult the girl. Gemstone tried to understand how a compliment caused a whelp to break, but found herself stumped. However, Blaze smiled, praising Bahamut. She could only imagine how it felt to hear someone, especially her rival of all dragons, say something to her she’d been so desperate to hear. Yes, she encouraged her often, but she was Ember’s mother. In Ember’s mind, it was her job to encourage her, she had no choice. Garble? Garble was a dragon that had no obligation to respect her. His thoughts were his own, and Ember knew that.
“It’s okay Ember, I understand. Let it out, let it out.” She looked towards Topaz. “I think we should go. I’ll be sure to compensate you tomorrow. Anything I should know about her injury?”
“Keep her off the leg for two weeks. No fighting during that time.” Topaz said.
“Understood. If you see your grandson, please tell him thank you.”
Before Ember knew it, she and her mother were back in their cave. Ember had calmed down considerably by that time, but her eyes were bloodshot, her nose stuffy, and her cheeks were stained with her tears.
“I’m sorry about you fight, Ember. You did well though. A bit needless, but you’ve grown so much the past year.”
“I wasn’t crying because I was hurt,” Ember assured, “I was crying because-because-Garble’s a moron.”
Blaze knew for a fact that her daughter didn’t mean that. She gave her a nudge, a comforting, encouraging nudge. “Ember, I know you weren’t crying because of that. You were happy.”
Ember gave her mother a confused look. “Why would I be crying if I’m h-happy?”
“Sometimes, when we want something more than anything in the world, and finally receive it, it can be a lot for us to handle emotionally. It can be so much that only thing we can do is cry. When you were hatched, and your father held you for the first time, he cried all day, proclaiming how beautiful and perfect you were, and how blessed he was to have you. Garble saying that you were strong, it must have felt like a weight was lifted off your shoulders.”
“But he doesn’t think I’m strong, strong,” Ember said, sounding a mix of bitter and annoyed. “He said that I was just capable.”
“So, it’s like what I’ve been saying all this time,” Blaze reminded her. “Strong can have many different meanings, Ember. Garble recognizes that. He sees that despite a lack of strength, you have other things about you that make you strong. He believes in you, like I do. That’s because he’s smart enough to see what makes you so amazing.”
“He’s smart?” Her face hardened. “He can’t be smart and strong, th-that’s greedy.”
“He’s smart like you’re strong,” Blaze explained. “He’s not strategic in his fighting, trust me, I’ve seen him fight. If it’s not you, his modus operandi is ‘punch it until my problem goes away’, but he’s still intelligent. He knows when a dragon has had enough, how hard to push a dragon, and smart enough to know a real dragon when he sees one. And from what I hear, he knows how to care for his siblings.”
That didn’t sound like Garble, at least not the Garble Ember had conjured up in her head. He was supposed to be evil, someone that would blow up half the known world before setting the other half on fire. No evil dragon would say that she was strong or a real dragon. Why did she need to fight a dragon like that? “Mom, I don’t want to have to fight Garble when he turns evil anymore,” Ember mumbled.
It took a few moments for Blaze to figure out what it was her daughter was talking about. She was serious about her little fantasy. Blaze giggled. “Well, thankfully you don’t have to. When you become Dragon Lord, you can make him see that joining you would be much better than fighting you. You could conscript him to assist you in more physical matters.”
“Like a-a knight?”
“Paladin,” Blaze corrected. “When a Dragon Lord has someone to fight on their behalf, they’re called Paladins. Knights are more an Equestrian solider.” In the Dragon Lands, a knight was typically someone that killed dragons for their hoards.
“Paladin,” Ember repeated, making sure she had the term right.
“Good. Ember, it’s best you understand that the Dragon Lord isn’t Bahamut, nor are they Sardior, they’re just dragons. Sometimes, they need help when their skills aren’t up to the task. Your father is strong, but lacks intelligence and wisdom, so he has advisors, like me, to help him when a complex issue arises. You are going to be a very wise, intelligent Dragon Lord, but there will be times where you need someone more physically inclined to help you. The way I look at it, Garble is a hammer in search of a nail. On his own, he might hit that nail, and it’ll be good, but he’s as likely to hit an egg instead, and that would be bad. If someone like you were to direct him though, he’d likely hit nothing but nails.”
That seemed like a good prospect, Ember certainly wouldn’t mind having someone she could order to beat someone up. “But what if he becomes Dragon Lord?” Ember asked.
“If that happens, Ember, he’s going to need someone to help him curb his enthusiasm. Your father went a bit mad with power when he first got the scepter, and being sensible, I reigned him in. So, if he becomes Dragon Lord, the first thing you do is give him a good bonk on the head to help him regain his senses. Second, you tell him you’re willing to assist him. Thirdly, tell him you’re assisting him whether he likes it or not. Finally, help him, because he’ll need help.”
Ember bit her lower lip. If Garble won, she’d be stuck helping him, yet that thought wasn’t nightmarish. In fact, she wouldn’t mind it if it happened. It wasn’t likely going to happen, but if it did, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. However, Ember knew she was going to become Dragon Lord, but now she knew that Garble would be her paladin.
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Wow thats actually makes since
Oh great it's that crazy pink dragon again
Hello there. Thanks immensely for getting this next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. This chapter was definitely well worth the wait. Quality over speed after all. Definitely got some laughs out of Ember and Garble's interactions (they definitely like each other, but are both too stubborn to admit it) with Ember refusing to fight Garble immediately after he finished a game of King of the Hoard. Definitely have to respect how Ember held her own against Arrow until bad luck kicked in (though some good luck in there too since she still lasted long enough for Garble to show up). Also really liked Topaz's medical treatment. Plus, Blaze's chat with Ember was excellent (particularly the stuff about different forms of strength and intelligence and the difference between a Paladin and a knight), certainly giving Ember food for thought for if and when (mostly when) either she or Garble become the new Dragon Lord.
Anyway, as usual, the exchanges, characterizations, action and future chapter set-up are all wonderfully done and I'll definitely be looking forward to more of this.
Ember forced herself to stand, crying out in pain as her leg shook violently. She grabbed a hold of Arrow, and headbutted his snout. It barely phased him, and everyone knew it. Arrow returned better then he got. Ember fell to the ground holding her snout, softly whimpering, and Garble’s disgust towards him turned to anger. He watched as Ember tried to stand, or maybe crawl away, only for Arrow strike her again, and again, and again, collapsing the princess on her side as her body curled into a ball. Garble’s anger turned to a seething rage.
His vision red, Garble saw Arrow kick her once, and his fist tightened. He saw Arrow kick her a second time, and his legs began to move. Arrow went for a third strike, only to feel a claw on his shoulder. He pivoted and swung, only for Garble to catch him by his wrist.
Ohhh garble is mad now as in nobody mess with his girl kick his tail garble
Omg 😍 that's so nice even though he not trying to make is so special speech or anything but I like that 😊
Awww! This chapter was so well done and sweet! Ember and Garble's relationship, be it friends or more than that, is steadily developing, and I love it!
Great chapter!
i almost forgot about this story but thank god i still had tracking on, also amazing chapter dude keep up the good work!!!!!!
Oh wow this was pretty good chapter so garble and the rest of the dragons playing King of the Hoard but then ember trying to attack garble but then Dodge her attack and of course she was not happy about that but makes it worse after she was done with garble that crazy pink dragon scales keep on antagonizing ember and proof that she the tough dragon here and she found a big one name arrow and the battle was beginning between who's going to be the best so far ember was doing pretty good but unfortunately she got too cocky and she got hit and hit and there's no sign of him stopping or showing Mercy and when she scream in pain garble jump in action after he was seeing that he cannot take it anymore and basically in his rage he give arrow a one punch him and ending the fight after that garble pick up ember and take her home which she tried to push him away but she was too tried and hurt then he said properly the nicest thing he said that she the tough dragon which that kind of broke her emotional and now she started to see a different side of garble like started having feelings for him boy can't wait to see what happens next
Oh wow, what a rollercoaster of a chapter! The way Garble defended Ember & finally admitting Ember's strong, that really tug at my heartstrings!
On another note we see Spike's correctly guessing Ember losing that fight while watching, pretty cool nod to Sparkle Seven when he read all of the Mane Six & Shinning during the heist!
Right now it's really a toss-up for me in terms of who's gonna be the future Dragon Lord between these 2, especially since they both have developed quite a bit, can't wait to see who you will choose when the time comes!
Lastly will the Dragon sibs be encountering ponies for the first time soon? Been wanting to see their reactions to them for a while!
Good chapter all around Hope, till the next one!
Arrow (Whatever is draon f word) Up so bad that a broken nose was the last garble could have done to him and embers a badass and has learned in future to watch out for holes when fighting
Two awesome things here:
1) Ember finally starts to come to terms with her feelings for Garble.
2) Arrow learns he's no longer the biggest, toughest drake in the pit.
On the whole Dragonlord thing, I figure Garble will be smart enough to know it's too much work, and help Ember to claim it.
If garble and ember aren't together by the end of this story I'm gonna................. unsubscribe!!!!!!!!
I hope Arrow eventually becomes friends with Ember and Garble. It would be funny if breaking his nose accidentally fixed his voice he would love whoever was responsible for that. And I also hope Spike still becomes dragon lord and this time stays dragon lord.
It is clear Garble and Ember have feelings for each other and don’t even realize it yet.
The moment where Spike and Smolder found out he gave Ember a piggyback and then argued for their turn was pretty cute.
I honestly don't know who would make a better dragon lord, but one thing is certain. They would make a great team.
This story is really well written, I can't wait to read more, now if you'll excuse me I need to sleep, I just stayed up all night binge reading this story...
I like this
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They won't personally encounter any yet, but I'll have Twilight make a small cameo, and Celestia will be appearing soon. Very soon.
In this universe, where Garble will likely have Spike assisting him instead of Ember, it seems pretty likely Garble ends up Dragon Lord.
When will the new chapter come out
The wait is kill me
Well that kind of depends on what kind of knight are you talking about look at Dragonite
Dawwwww..............
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