Wild Kratts: Here Be Dragons (Wild Kratts X Monster Hunter)

Chapter 17: Anxious

"Guys, I need to tell you about something," said Mizutsune. "This is important."

She'd called together the Wild Kratts to tell them about Guanzorumu's letter to her. It was the day before his royal guards were to come and escort them to his palace to that he might explain the warning of Archangel Uriel.

"What's the matter?" asked Chris.

"Emperor Guanzorumu sent me a letter three weeks ago to ask me to pick a date as to when to invite you to his palace. Tomorrow is the day. So I called you here to prepare for that."

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Aviva chewed on the end of a pen. "We could have prepared ahead of time."

"I didn't want it to weigh on your minds. Besides, the emperor is famous for his hospitality and patience. You won't have too much to worry about. Just remember what I told you about etiquette and showing respect to elder dragons."

"Why does the emperor want to see us?" Koki asked nervously.

"Uh... he'll address that when we get there."

"So what do we expect?" Jimmy stuffed another slice of pizza in his mouth.

"Well, it's likely that other dragons will be there, considering how important the matter is. Most of the dragons I've met are quite friendly, actually. The only dragon who'll probably be a little less open towards you is - if he's there, of course - Teostra. He has a bit of a habit of underestimating humans."

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Martin stared up at the rock ceiling above him. Despite Mizutsune's repeated assurances that the dragons would be friendly, he still felt a little... anxious? apprehensive? at meeting - and possibly speaking to - beings old enough to have seen the rise of the Ancient Civilization. That meant that they had to be, at the very least, eons old.

"Hey, Martin?"

Martin turned to look at his brother. "Bro?"

"You nervous about meeting the dragons?"

Martin hesitated. "Yeah. A little. You?"

"Me too. But I'm also thinking about studying them. I read that bestiary Aviva borrowed from the Grand Library, and even though most of it's pretty scientific for a civilization with this level of technology, some of the stuff that dragons can do is-"

"Attributed to supernatural powers?"

"Yeah. I haven't come up with an explanation for some of the thing that can do yet, but I'm pretty sure I will eventually. 'Specially for stuff like Dragon element, nightmares supposedly caused by usage of equipment made with black dragon materials, black dragons causing eclipses, and a couple of other things. I feel like some of those things are just legends or coincidences."

"But if they do turn out to be true, and some dragons do have supernatural powers... I don't know. I won't know what to think," Martin admitted.

"Yeah, neither would I."

"What'd you think the dragons are gonna be like?"

"Well, Miztusune said that they're nice, but she's a monster, like they are. We're humans, and humans haven't been in contact with monsters ever since the Great Dragon War. That's like... before recorded history."

"Guys?" Aviva said drowsily. "Just... go to sleep. We'll worry about this in the morning."

"Alright, fine. Goodnight Chris."

"Goodnight Martin."