After Dagan took that first bite of fish, the rest was history. He scarfed it down so fast that Io worried that he'd eat his fingers. The ensuing hours comprised Io catching more fish, feeding the kids, and some minor exploration around the river.
Io's thoughts wondered idle circles about the twins' diet. In her reading, such sharp teeth would suggest that'd be a yes. However, there was a distinct possibility that they were related to lizards. Io's ears went flat and a small stream of steam curled out of her nostrils. Regardless of whether she liked it, this was vital information. Hopefully, like many lizards, Dagan, Sorcha, and Io were omnivorous. This led to another question. If they were omnivorous, how would they figure out which berries were innocuous or poisonous?
Io could feel a headache form as she watched the children play. She nonchalantly followed, paying extra attention to their surroundings for any further potential surprises. The twin ran from place to place but never venturing too close to the bush. They brought her various rocks, flowers, and even sticks. The kids shrieked in delight and Io glanced over and burst into chuffs.
Her little flame had attached himself to a Dagan-and-Sorcha-sized rock and was rubbing his scaled cheek against it as he had done her tail. Bemusedly, she nudged at the boy for him to detach himself, and Sorcha dropped from an adjacent tree she had climbed in order to 'find all the pretty stones'.
"Dagan, Dagan, is soft?" Sorcha inquired as she orbited around the rock five or six times as if struggling to verify that this rock was suitable for snuggles. "Mm," Dagan acknowledged, with a soulful expression. Huffing from laughter, Io slipped her tail around the boy and placed him on top of the rock.
"Io, Sorcha lookit lookit! A fwower!" Dagan exclaimed, his yellow eyes sparkling like citrines as he pointed at the tender pink flower sprouting from the top of the rock. Io gave a toothy grin and licked her adorable brother's scaled cheek, ignoring the slight twinge from her inner human. Some things are just instinct, just roll with it.
"F-f-l-l-ow-er Dagan. Fllllo-wer, not fwower." Sorcha corrected as Io dropped the girl next to her brother.
"Pretty," Dagan said, not even deigning to reply to Sorcha's attempt at fixing his mispronunciation. When Sorcha bent over to touch the flower, Dagan gently shoved her hand away.
"No touch. Touch hurt flower. We just wook." The little flame lecture his sibling, yellow eyes narrowed in disdain.
Sorcha flinched and stared at her twin in shock. It was rare that Dagan ever put something else before her or Io. Sure, they could be stubborn, but Dagan never acted like this. Sorcha glared at the little pink flower.
"Dagan like flower?"
"Yes like flower."
"Dagan like flower better than Sorcha."
Dagan froze and spluttered, completely taken aback. "No, I-"
"Hmph! Brother no longer loves Sorcha!" The little girl stomped a delicate foot, ice spreading out from where her foot landed. The five-year-old simply could not rationalize why a flower was so important that she could not touch it. Sorcha tried to push past Dagan, but the little flame stood steadfastly in front of her.
"Sorcha mad. No touch flower." Dagan held one small finger up. "You break flower."
Sorcha's jaw dropped, and she gasped in outrage. "Io! Dagan no love Sorcha. Dagan love flower! Take the flower away!" She wailed, ran towards as she cried, the minuscule snowflakes floating carried by the breeze behind.
Io had watched the exchange and knew something was up. Dagan never acted like this. He always put Sorcha's needs first. It wasn't exactly healthy, but through time, effort, and unconditional love, Dagan had been learning to communicate his own needs as well. However, this extreme sort of reaction to the flower was way out of the norm for Dagan, even with all the progress he'd made.
Io's wolf-like ears laid back as her chest rumbled. Something was not right. This was wrong. She tugged Sorcha to her side. The way Dagan had watched her as soon as she growled told her that this would not be would not be easy. Sorcha must have realized that something was wrong and she backed further from the duo.
Io nodded in appreciation and gave her full attention to their brother. Dagan stared back warily. Io moved closer to the little flame and chuffed questioningly.
Dagan tilted his head a moment before answering. "I fine. Flower important. I not know why, but flower important Io."
Io's eyes narrowed as she glared at Dagan, and let a huff of displeasure break the elongated silence that hung in the air.
Dagan lifted his hands up in a there-there motion. "Io, it's ok." Dagan then put his hand to his heart, "I know flower is important. Flower, keep safe." This just made Io more suspicious. Dagan was so protective of Sorcha, but this? If the flower was so important, then why was it solely Dagan? Why not Sorcha too? They were the same species, sort of.
Dagan suddenly lost his balance and Io didn't have time to think anymore. She wrapped her tail around the little flame and yanked him from the flower. Dagan said not to hurt the flower, and that was ok. Io didn't want to upset him, but she needed to make sure that he was ok. Io lowered her head. As soon as Sorcha grabbed onto the long horns that guarded her next and Io swung the girl onto her back, she walked towards where they had left the stream earlier.
Dagan pulled at Io's tail, repeating over and over, "Io stop, please. Too far from flower. Flower lonely Io. Flower needs me Io," he begged.
Io felt her heart clench, but she didn't go back. They needed to get away from this thing. Whatever it was, this flower was doing something strange to Dagan, and she didn't like it. Once they'd gotten far enough and Dagan had some time to settle down, she'd have him explain it again to see if he still felt the same way. For now, though, she just needed to get him away from here.
As soon as Io reached the five-meter mark, the rock cracked. Io whirled around and growled threateningly and turned to leave the clearing. With Dagan being so compromised, it would be a struggle for Sorcha to handle him on her own, and they had no clue about what they were dealing with.
Io left the area, backtracking to their spot by the river. No, she had taught the twins how to track and it would not too much for Dagan to retrace her steps back to the weird flower. The further she got, the more upset Dagan became while the grinding noise from the rock grew louder.
By the time they had lost sight of the stone with the flower on top, Dagan had darkened from charcoal to a solid back, his orange scales gleaming fiercely and his wild should length red hai seemed to the moving on its own as the little flame incarnate rage against her hold. Dagan's yellow eyes seemed to glow and the air all around him formed waves from the sheer amount of heat radiating from his slight frame.
Sorcha had tried calming the burning little flame, but to no avail. Eventually, she had to move away from her twin because of the sheer amount of heat he was emitting. As for Io? It was also getting uncomfortable for her as well.
Fair enough though where she passed, the dirt melted, leaving a smooth path behind. It only felt like he was getting too warm. It wasn't ideal even with her being able to manage Dagan's fire. Nothing said come find me like an obvious path, taking whoever may or whatever that thing behind them was.
No, she had taught the twins how to track, and it would not be unusual for Dagan to track his way back to the weird flower. Each step caused Dagan to get more distraught while the grating noise from the rock grew louder.
When they had lost sight of the stone with the flower on top, Dagan's charcoal-colored skin had blackened while the orange scales that both decorated and protected gleamed savagely and his wild shoulder-length red hair appeared to be moving on its own. Dagan's yellow eyes glowed like stars in the night sky and the air in their immediate vicinity swirled from the heat that radiated from his slight frame.
Sorcha had struggled to calm the fiery little flame but to no avail. Ultimately, Sorcha had to scoot away from the enraged boy because of how intense the temperature was around her twin. Fair enough. Where she'd passed by back, the dirt melted, leaving a smooth glass-like sheen behind them. It wasn't ideal even with her being able to manage Dagan's fire. Nothing said come find me like an obvious path, taking whoever may or whatever that thing behind them was.
Io sped up, slowing down briefly when she crossed the river. Then she lifted the inferno above the water. Given the intensity of the heat, Io felt that was for the best. She did not like what was going on, that was for sure, but that didn't mean that she wanted to blow everything up.
"Io please, dangerous for flower to be alone. Flower same as me and Sorcha. Io please!"
Io hesitated. Dagan, for all intents and purposes, had consistently shown a firm sense of self-awareness. Yes, he was generous with Sorcha and Io, but he was not one to depend on others easily. Child or not, the boy had been through hell during his short life. Io drew the little inferno around to face her. If Dagan had been a flame in human-ish form when she had first seen him, now he was fire incarnate. Dagan was actually on fire. Io internally shoved away her 'aaah-ing' for further introspection and huffed at the boy.
Dagan reached out both hands stroked Io's muzzle. "Io, flower like me and Sorcha. Flower is family. Io flower black, not white." This sealed the deal for Io. Being on the run as they had been, Io had used black for harmless, and white for threat, to simplify problematic moments and most people who heard the system usually guessed wrong.
For Dagan to suggest that this thing was safe...? With a long exhalation, Io put her forehead against Dagan's and growled softly. 'Fine, we will do this, but we will do it my way.' Io carefully picked up her little cooling ember, carefully put him on her back, and made her way back. Io slid into the water, and while Dagan was no longer hot enough to cause any potential explosions, he was still warm enough to steam the water surrounding Io. Which was just fine with her, her tail collected any unfortunate fishies and hand them to Sorcha. Mmm dinner.
When they got back, the rock was no longer trembling, but the flower had fallen off the top of the rock. 'Well, that takes care of that,' Io thought as she looked up at Dagan, catching him sliding off her back. Io grabbed the boy and set him down on the ground, but she loosely wrapped her tail around his waist. We are here. You can see the flower, though it fell off. The rock is not moving and you can stay right next to me just in case anything else that should not be an issue just decides that it needs to make its presence known.
Dagan put his hand on her side and stared intensely at the rock. Tired of being quiet, Sorcha piped in, "Dagan, flower no attached, grab flower."
"Flower not important anymore. Rock is." Dagan quipped, watching for any changes in the rock. Io didn't know whether she wanted to throttle Dagan or smash the rock at this point. First, it was the flower this, flower that, now it was the damn rock? Io bared a fang at Dagan.
"Io. We family?"
Io, taken aback at the question, nodded. Satisfied with her answer, Dagan nodded.
"We worth it?"
Io nodded again.
"We difficult?"
This time Io shook her head. No, never, Dagan and Sorcha were gifts. They were her soul in a place that had tried to make her a monster. Great, now here she was a literal monster, while her siblings were literal representations of how she saw them.
Sorcha slid slowly off Io's back, leaving the leftover fish behind.
"Dagan, why flower- er rock important?" She asked as she grasped Dagan's free hand, her grey claws intertwining with his black ones. Dagan stopped staring at the rock and made eye contact with Sorcha. He pulled his claw off Io's side, cupped his twin's face, and serenely smiled.
"Sorcha, remember when Io find us?"
"En."
"Io feel like family?"
"No." Sorcha shook her head rapidly as grasped her brother's hand on her face.
"Io scary. Io want to kill me." She sniffled as her grey eyes grew misty.
Io's ears drooped, and she nuzzled Sorcha's back lovingly. If possible, Io would have changed that day. Little did she know the 'sickly one' would eventually be not just Dagan's, but her ray of light as well. Though Dagan shielded Sorcha from the nightmares that had been their life before, and they'd escaped. Sorcha was no fool. Happy and outgoing, yes, but that girl would fight tooth and nail for her loved ones.
Hours passed and during that time, they had devoured more fish and found some green berries that Io collected and brought back to the rock. There'd been two orange flying bugs, but Io did not let the kids eat them as she wasn't sure whether or not the brightly colored insects were poisonous.
Io laid down when the sun had disappeared behind the horizon. Not long after that, Sorcha climbed onto her back, nestled in her fur, and fell asleep. Dagan sat right next to Io's shoulder and kept watch over the rock, occasionally sharing observing observations Io wasn't so sure if Dagan was speaking to Sorcha, Io, or the stupid rock. By this point, Io had no clue what to expect other than whatever it was, it would be 'family.' Io hoped that this would be so, for Dagan's sake. Io couldn't imagine loving anybody else as much as she loved her little brother and sister. They had been through so much together.
The three moons had journeyed mid-sky before the rock began to rock back and forth. Sorcha jolted awake while Dagan's yellow irises narrowed, his claws clutching the soil beneath. Io lazily waved her tail and waited with the patience of a skilled huntress as she observed the shaking rock.
With a loud 'ack', the cracks in the rock spread.
Io growled, her scales fluttering up and down like almost invisible vents. The only thing that made these hundreds, if not thousands of tiny movements visible was the small fires that appeared under each scale when the edges 'breathed'. It created the illusion of thousands of fires twinkling under Io's skin.
WHACK!
Io's ears flattened as she looked over her shoulders at the small girl on her back and had to do a double-take. Sorcha's normally alabaster skin appeared to be flushed with fever. Io's eyes narrowed and tried to touch her tail to Sorcha's forehead, but the girl slapped it away.
"Io!" she snapped menacingly. "Stop right now. You burn-it-id me!"
"Aoru?" Io asked right before Sorcha grabbed hold of Io's ears and tugged hard, slamming her small body backward.
"Ruwarragrrr!"
"Calm down now! It hurts!"
Dagan, distracted from his rock-watching, climbed up to drag Sorcha off but the little ice cube was not having any of it. "Urrrraaa!!!" Io yelped, trying to get Sorcha to stop pulling on her poor ears. Wu Wu!!! Stop, please, you're going to rip them off! Io cried internally. Sorcha had been fine when Dagan was steaming and even bleeding friggin' lava, but her? No! Why?!
The moment Sorcha stilled, Dagan knew he made a mistake. Sorcha whipped around and smiled the sweetest of smiles before she crouched down and shot right back up. Not only did she not let go of Io's ears, she knocked her head right up into Dagan's lower jaw, causing the poor boy to release the little she-devil.
"GrrWwwrrrrRaaawwwrr!!!
Io didn't dare stand up as she was worried that one of them would fall off her and as Io was 180cm at the shoulder, it was a little much for her siblings to fall from. 'Plan B' it is. Io exaggeratedly waved her head, pulled Sorcha off her back and down onto the ground. What Io did not plan for was the ice that had almost instantly wrapped itself all around her heated frame, turning her into a Wulgon-shaped popsicle.
The moment Dagan grabbed Sorcha, he knew he made a mistake. Sorcha smiled the sweetest of smiles before she knelt and shot back up. Not only did she not let go of Io's ears, she slammed her head right up into Dagan's lower jaw, forcing the poor boy to release the little she-devil.
"GrrWwwrrrrRaaawwwrr!!!
Io didn't dare to stand up. As tall as she was, Io was concerned that one of them would fall off her. 'Plan B' it is. Io exaggeratedly swung her head around, grabbed Sorcha's ankle with her tail, yanked Sorcha off, and set the little hellion onto the ground.
What Io did not plan for was the ice that had almost instantly wrapped itself all around her heated frame, turning her into a Wulgon-shaped popsicle. Brrr. Brrr. Brrr. A rumbling sound resonated from behind her. Unfortunately, because of her frozen state, Io was powerless to check if Dagan was ok.
"Ack! Dagan! Why you in ice?! Eh? Io?! First, you burn me! Now you freeze Dagan?! Bad- eh Io why you turn into ice too?" Io felt like cursing and crying at the same time. This time it was not her fault, ok? Sorcha, you cannot blame me for this. She had just wanted to detach Sorcha and prevent her from ripping her poor ears off. Excuse her for not realizing that she could turn into a living furnace! Uwah!!
The rock started swayed once, twice, before it toppled over. There it stopped moving as if trying to figure out what had happened. It must have come to some sort of conclusion because it started rolling in circles. Io wanted to lunge at the potential menace, but thanks to Sorcha, she was stuck. Note to self. Put Sorcha down as hastily as possible when she gets mad.
CrrrRAck!
ccRRACK!
CRACK!
The rock flinched and jumped upright. Don't ask how Io didn't know how an effing rock could jump either. The rock perched upright and cracked like a bud flowering, leaving the trio gobsmacked. Nestled inside the rock-egg, there was a little being that looked exactly like Sorcha and Dagan. The only differences were they had rich earthen-colored skin, golden scales, and claws that appeared as if dipped in gold. The little one's black hair was long, how long Io wasn't sure. Probably because she couldn't get past the idea that before she had woken up, Sorcha and Dagan might have hatched from a rock-like egg.
Sorcha hopped down and poked at the sleeping child. Off to the side, she could almost feel the heat radiating off of Dagan. 'Crap this would not be pretty if she did not get out of here before Dagan did,' Io thought as she redoubled her efforts to escape her icy encasement.
"Wake up!" Sorcha yelled.
Sorcha, please stop. The little one had only hatched and- Oh no, don't do that. Io winced as Sorcha, not getting what she demanded, shook the sleeping child like a rag doll. Irritated and fed up, Io swayed back and forth. Sorry Dagan, but I really need out of this before you get out and smite your sister. Io apologized internally to her little brother.
The two fell over from the force of Io swaying back and forth and sadly for Dagan, Io's mass squished the boy. Somehow, though, the little spitfire finagled his way out and the first thing Dagan did was mow his sister down in his need to get to the sleeping child. Io was fast, but she was a hair too slow to catch him. Io wrapped the angry little ice cube in her tail and dumped her on her back with a threatening growl. Sorcha zipped it immediately and Io flashed her a fang to let her know she meant business this time.
Io turned back, and Dagan had already pulled the sleeping child into his embrace. Io leaned forward to catch the newly born child's scent to check if there was anything to be wary of and to memorize it in case of future need. The little one smelled like green growing things, like the forest had this morning when the dew had dried out.
Dagan tenderly brushed the little one's long black hair away from their face. "I am here, it is time to wake up," and just like that, the little one shifted. Large ruby cat-like eyes met yellow, and Dagan smiled so brilliantly that Io wanted to cry. She had never seen the serious boy look as carefree as he did at that very moment. It was that tender smile that cinched it. This child was now family. Speaking of, Io put the pouting Sorcha down and discreetly huffed. It was time to meet her new family member.
Once she had the little one's attention, Io lowered her head. Dagan raised their new family member's hand and ran it up and down Io's forehead. The twins got on each side and helped the little gemstone stand. Sorcha took this as a sign and clamored around her new sibling, telling them everything she could think of. Io watched, a smile slowly curving her lips, but given her monster-like image and pointed teeth, it was logical that the little one blanched.
Logical… Io slumped. Perhaps her smile was not very comforting, she supposed. Instead of assurance, it is more like the big bad wolf coming to eat the little red-cloaked girl back in the ancient stories on Earth. Effing bells, Io thought to herself, thoroughly amused with her family-building skills. At the rate she was picking up kids, it would not be long before she had a menagerie of the little monsters running amok.