The Soulguard, A Dragon Who Can See Spirits

Chapter 2

The Avengers watched tensely as Wanda froze, her mind reeling. The creature spoke to her. "What does that mean?" Wanda asked out loud, the others growing more and more confused. Wanda had managed to calm the creature and seemed to ask it questions. "I do not understand you, sorry." Wanda resumed her movements after apologizing, slowly once again reaching her hand near one of the wounds. Steve took a step forward, cautiously placing a large hand on the girl's shoulder. "Wanda," He said. "I don't think that is wise. It is unpredictable and dangerous." The creature seemed to listen closely, not happy about the words said. 'Tez'lek' Wanda glanced at the creature before turning to the Captain. "She is scared and hurt, Steve. We cannot just leave her here, she needs our help." Steve sighs, shaking his head with a smile. Wanda had always been the one wanting to help, who would he be to deny her this time. 'I hope that I won't regret my decision...' Steve thinks to himself. "If you can get it out of the cave and into the quinjet, then we can help her. Until recovery she is your responsibility. You take care of her wounds and feed her, clean after her and watch her. I don't want her to attack anyone. Is everything clear?" Wanda beams at the supersoldier, quickly watching the reactions of others. They don't seem to be against the proposal so she turns back to the creature, trying to coax her to come with her. "Come on, we- I am going to take care of you. You just need to come with us." The creature growled, not convinced of the Avengers intention to help her. "Please, you can trust me. I won't let them hurt you." Wanda tried to convince the creature, more desperate this time, her wounds were still bleeding badly. The creature stared at the Sokovian for a second, moving her feet slightly. This made the Avengers move closer to Wanda, ready to defend her with their life. Wanda raises her hand to tell the other to stand down, not worried in the least. She watched as the creature stared at her, the whispers getting slightly louder once again. 'Hife fhyr vi'evd dwin' The tone was no longer aggressive, instead it was sad and desperate. A frown grew on Wanda's face, why was the creature sad when they offered help? She crouched right in front of the creature, trying to understand the tone of its voice. The creature lets out a heavy breath, its strength slowly disappearing. Wanda started to panic, she could feel the life fading from the being. "No, no, no... You are going to be okay, just hold on a little longer..." She murmured, turning to the other she begged them to help the creature, desperate to save its life. "Please, we need to help her! Please!" She had tears gathering in her eyes, ready to fall at any given moment. Natasha was quick to move forward, ready to lend a helping hand for Wanda. The Russian had a first-aid kit with her that she had taken from the quinjet, prepared to patch up her teammates if needed. "I don't know how much we can do with this, but if we can stop the bleeding she has better odds of surviving." The redhead told Wanda, not wanting to get her hopes up too much. "I don't care, we just need to help her." Wanda was getting more frantic, she could feel the creature's life fading at an alarming rate. Natasha starts to work on the largest wounds, managing to stop some of the bleeding. She manages to close almost half of the wounds when Wanda grasps her arm, stopping her movements. She stays silent, turning to look at the younger woman. Wanda sits there on her knees, eyes closed. Natasha could see the tears escaping her closed eyes. "It's too late..." Wanda murmurs, almost inaudible. She moves to lean her forehead on the creature's side, murmuring soft words of farewell, wishing the creature a joyful and prosperous life in the afterlife. The rest of the Avengers watch silently, not wanting to interrupt this quiet moment.

The Avengers decided to bury the creature, not wanting to leave it in the cave. They are about to leave the cave to get the quinjet a bit closer to get tools for digging a grave, but stop in their tracks at a quiet whine. Turning around they can see a small silhouette moving right behind the deceased creature. Wanda, who was closest, took swift steps towards the noise, gasping as she saw a tiny being shivering. The creature had given birth before the Avengers got to the cave. Now Wanda understood why it had been sad and desperate, the creature knew that she would die and her offspring would be orphaned. Wanda picked the small, wet and shivering creature up, holding it close to keep it a bit warmer. She held the creature tight against herself, it was small compared to its mother, only the size of a large domestic cat. Its fur is dark, no noticeable patterns. 'The pattern is probably going to get lighter as it grows...' Wanda thought to herself, stroking the creature softly with her fingertips. The creature lets out quiet whines, calling for its mother. "I am sorry, Little One, your mother is gone..." Wanda murmurs, catching the attention of the others. "What did you find?" Steve asks Wanda, curious to know what keeps making the whines. The Sokovian turns around, a sad smile on her face. "She had a baby before she died..." Wanda lets her tears fall, sobbing slightly. "I can't leave it here... I am going to raise it..." Her statement didn't give room for negotiation, so Steve sighed, knowing that he couldn't say 'no' to the young Avenger. "It is completely your responsibility to take care of it, understood?" "I understand. Can we get the quinjet now though? The poor thing is freezing- and probably hungry." Wanda answers Steve instantly, her instincts telling her to get the creature to warm up and fed, even though the feeding has to wait until they get back to the compound. "Don't worry, Little One, I'll take good care of you." She cooed, promising to herself that she would make sure that this being would grow up and live comfortably.