Scales and Hooves (BxB) (Unicorn X Dragon)

Ch. 7 Meet the Families (pt. 1)

After spending over an hour answering questions for three of the princesses—Mona said nothing, she just continued to stare at Molten, making him rather uncomfortable—Zion made his excuses to spend alone with Molten. They were walking from the games room—as the five siblings called it—down the corridor Zion's room was on. The soft-lit passage was as comforting as it was unsettling for Molten because the wall-mounted lights were lit with a spell—he could feel magic radiate from each one.

Your family and the Queen of the Dragons are here. The words came to Molten's attention soon after they had left the games room. Where in the castle were they? And by family, was it just his parents or were Firestrike and Blaze here also?

As if to answer his questions, the door, just ahead of them, opened. Out of the room strolled a young drake, about four years old. She had sky blue scales and fair hair down to her shoulders; small, white, rounded horns poked through the thin layer of hair, already beginning to curl down by her face like ram horns. She was dressed in a pair of striped black and white leggings and a grey, star-scattered tee. She shifted her gaze to the couple, her soft turquoise eyes looking up at them.

Molten squatted down as a feminine voice called out from inside the room she had come from, "Ember?"

Molten winked at the dragonet who giggled amusingly. The sound of her laughter was music to Zion's ears. A dragoness came to the doorway and stood there, an almost white shade of grey was her main scale colour, the same sky blue scales as the dragonet as her underbelly colour, which ran down the front of her neck and down on to her chest, viewable because of the off the shoulder top she wore. She didn't look like the typical dam of a four-year-old.

The dragonet didn't seem to notice her mother in the doorway and moved towards Molten, wrapping her small arms around his neck. "Hi uncle," she chirped and let go.

Molten rustled her hair a bit, getting a disapproving look from the young drake. He then reached into the back of his jeans, getting a Werther's toffee out of the pocket. The dragonet held out her hand, slightly cupped, and he placed the toffee in it. "For you, Miss Ember," he said in a complimentary, childish way.

Ember smiled a satisfied smile and walked back into the room. Once she felt the dragonet was out of earshot, her dam moved a step closer to Molten. He stood up as she stopped less than a foot from him.

Molten's tail twitched with tension.

Then, finally, she spoke. "Why do you always have an exciting life?" She said with a hint of envy.

Molten let out a loud sigh of relief. "Firestrike, I thought you were gonna beat my ass or somethin'."

Firestrike let out a hearty, amused laugh. "Yeah, cos that's somethin' I'd do."

Molten chuckled and put his hand behind Zion, and with his spare hand gestured to Firestrike. "Zion, meet my sister Firestrike." He looked from him to her in a gesturing way. "Firestrike, meet Zion," he looked from her to him, "my chosen one."

Zion was surprised—but he hid it well—that Molten was so open about them being chosen ones, but was happy that he acknowledged the title. Then he remembered what Molten had said when they had first met; how younger generations wanted to see Roania.

Firestrike showed a clear look of shock at the words chosen ones. Her gaze dropped for a moment; she was thinking.

Molten felt his heart drop. A wave of unease came over him. He absentmindedly dug his nails into Zion's side, causing a feeling of mild discomfort for him.

"That... Actually explains," she started calmly, "why the fuck you crossed the border!" Her tone was now teasingly childish and accusing, as she punched him on the shoulder in a sibling way.

Molten held up his hands. "Guilty as charged."

After she had laughed off her surprise, she turned to Zion. "So, where's the kitchen? I'm starvin'," she asked, sounding ravenous as she said the words. The dragonet in the bedroom heard the word kitchen and ran towards her dam.

Zion smiled. "I know somewhere better," the four of them started down the hall. Molten noticed Ember was right beside him and hoisted her onto his shoulders.

"Up ya go, Ember," he said as he raised her up.

Zion led them to the dining room, using the main flight of stairs which led down to the entrance the royal family used to avoid unwanted attention. Each time Molten dropped a step on the staircase, Ember would let out little bursts of giggles. It made Zion smile the entire way down.

At the end of the stairs stood an anthropomorphic drake with the same cobalt scales as Molten, with tight dark hair, which age had added on several strands of silver too. He was in a black buttoned shirt and dark jeans. He was still fit, despite what his hair and face said about his age. Zion guessed he was about as old as his own sire.

Molten stopped on the second last step and took Ember off his shoulders. He saw a look of concern in Firestrike's eyes. He gave her a reassuring look back and got on his haunches. "Go get something to eat," he said to Embert softly. Firestrike took her hand and walked off toward the room Zion had directed them to on the way down.

As Molten got off the stairs, he pecked Zion on the cheek and whispered, "I'll see you in a few,"

"I'll try to save you a spot with your family," he replied, returning the kiss and heading off towards the dining room, his hoofbeats echoing through the hall on the black and white tiled floor.

Molten let out a slow breath as he got off the stairs. He turned to the older drake beside him as he moved closer. "Hi, Dad."