81 Infan (2/2)

”The egg's hatched.”

Under broad daylight, there wriggled the clumsy form of a baby wyrm. Although covered in amniotic fluids, the wyrm was surprisingly developed. Li knew that many reptiles were basically just miniature versions of their parents at birth, but he had underestimated what it was like when the reptile in question was the size of a large building.

The baby wyrm was nearly half the size of a man. Its skin was a dark green, almost black, and its scales were flat and smooth. Its four legs were thin compared to its thick body. The legs lacked the cords of powerful muscle that had propelled its mother, so they trembled as it raised itself up. But its eyes were almost exactly like its mothers, fierce and gleaming with a feral yellow shine with intelligence hidden beneath.

”Gods, a dragon!” shouted a builder. His eyes were so wide they looked like they were about to pop out of his bald head. He flailed his arm out to the main road. ”Quick, boys, call an adventurer, knights, something!”

The wyrm glared at the builder and its nostrils flared, taking in the stink of fear and adrenaline: the smell of prey. Its instincts kicked in, and it opened its mouth, revealing a single set of needle-like teeth that, though not nearly as impressive as its mother whose teeth were like swords, could still rend an average human with no problem.

Before the builder could scream, Li was already there, so quick that it appeared as if he had teleported. He knocked the builder back to stop him from being unnecessarily loud and stared at the wyrm. The wyrm sat on its haunches and cocked its head, glancing at Li with a questioning glint in its eyes.

Thankfully, too, because if the wyrm had tried to attack Li, then he was sure Zagan would have immediately tried to unleash some hellborne fury upon the poor infant. Would not have been the worst thing the demon had done when considering his wartime stories.

”That's a good wyrm,” said Li gently. He had no idea how to actually raise the wyrm, and its mother had given a very, very barebones explanation that essentially amounted to just letting the baby fight for itself, but at the least, he remembered there was an imprinting process involved.

And, it seemed, judging by the way the wyrm had calmed down, that process had already happened.

Li reached a hand out, holding it in front of the wyrm's nose. He did not know how to train a wyrm, so he just tried applying dog training principles that he was familiar with. His family had raised a dog in their tiny apartment when he was young, and though it was utterly laughable to compare that little furball to this beast, he figured some basic rules were the same.

Like not petting over the head to keep the wyrm comfortable and holding a hand out to get it familiar with his smell.

But, to Li's surprise, the wyrm ignored his hand and nuzzled straight into his chest, leaning its full weight into him with abandon. An ordinary man would probably have toppled over with this, but Li remained a rock-solid support pillar, and he stroked his hand up and down the wyrm's stubby neck.

Like its appearance suggested, the wyrm was smooth. Its scales were far undeveloped. Especially compared to its mother who held scales tough like diamonds and shingled like armor. Li could feel the wyrm's heart beating against him, and its heartrate was slow, far slower than that of a human's. The wyrm was surprisingly cold to the touch, too, and he realized that it, cold-blooded as it was, had wanted Li's body warmth.

”The good sir's got it held down! exclaimed another builder. ”Pick Thornn up and call a patrol down while the sir's struggling!”

Did this honestly look like a struggle?

Li looked down at the wyrm nestled in his arms. Its eyes were beginning to slowly close as slumber took a hold of it. The creature was the very image of peace and calm, but at the same time, human fear was perhaps one of the strongest sources of irrationality in all of nature.

”O-oh, it's Triple Threat!” The relief was palpable in the builder's voice, and Li decided he would let the team handle this situation for him. In the meanwhile, he would try and lull the wyrm to sleep to assess what he would do a little more calmly.

”All of you, shut the hells up.”

Li looked back.

Azhar faced down the builders. He stood just as tall as Li, so when he scowled down at them, the builders shrunk away. Jeanne and Sylvie stood a ways back, letting Azhar handle the situation.

”I get that you're all afraid, that you're all ordinary folk, but ain't panic gonna do you any good, ever.” Azhar nodded over to Li. ”He can tame creatures, but wyrms are sensitive creatures. If ya reek of fear-”

He took a sniff of the air and crinkled his nose. ”And trust me, every single one of you absolutely stinks of it, it'll try and hunt you down like a cat with mice.”

Iona called over from her stall, her expression still bored and her chin still cupped in her hands. ”For feeble hearts and impotent wills that will crumble under the slightest of threats, I have brews to help.”

”Hear that?” Azhar shooed the builders away. ”We got this under control, so why don't you all buy somethin' for your nerves and take it easy. Adventurer's guild oughta' cover your day's wages if ya file a report.”