"Roia. Andrea. April!"
She roared out her true name like a battle cry.
With a powerful kick of her hind legs, Roia clawed at the cracked shell with her not-quite-healed forelimbs and forced her head through the shattered opening at the top.
The world—
Was immediately blocked by a round, dark-green dragon face.
Way too close.
Four eyes locked.
Kaos clung to the shell, staring down at the freshly hatched green dragon.
Then—
He smiled.
Bright. Friendly. Completely untrustworthy.
"Nice to meet you."
Beat.
"Alright. Time to eat."
Before Roia's newborn brain could process what was happening, a claw grabbed the back of her neck.
Her body froze.
Then—
"What are you doing?!"
Too late.
Kaos lifted her like a sack of vegetables—
—and tossed her.
"Talking wastes time," he muttered mid-throw. "Eating doesn't."
Roia hit the ground.
Rolled once.
Twice.
Three times.
Finally stopped in a dizzy heap.
By the time her vision cleared—
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Her head snapped toward the sound.
He was eating.
Her shell.
Her. Shell.
Her eyes widened.
"You—!"
She shot to her feet and charged, still wobbling, running upright on instinct alone.
Behind her—
Kaos glanced sideways.
Oh?
She learned to run bipedal already?
Talent.
Shame.
She lunged.
Kaos sidestepped casually.
A claw came down on the back of her neck.
Pressed.
Pinned.
Minimal resistance.
"Got you."
His hind claw stepped onto her back like she was a footstool.
"Interrupting someone during a meal," he lectured mildly, "is rude."
"Get off me! Stop eating! That's mine! Mine!"
Her voice wobbled dangerously close to tears.
Ignored.
Absolutely ignored.
Kaos chewed downward through the shell until—
There.
At the bottom.
A small pool of clear egg liquid.
His pupils widened.
"…Jackpot."
His own shell had been bone dry.
His throat still felt like sandpaper.
But this—
This was hydration.
He leaned down.
Paused.
Wait.
Technically…
Wasn't this her bathwater?
He froze.
That sounded extremely questionable.
His throat burned again.
Right.
Chromatic dragons don't believe in morals.
And I am a green dragon.
Conclusion reached.
He stuck out his tongue and tasted it.
Floral.
Cool.
Slightly sweet.
His eyes lit up.
"Ohhh… that's good."
Without further hesitation, he plunged his muzzle in and started drinking.
Big gulps.
Greedy.
Relentless.
"Don't drink it! That's mine! I said stop! Stop!"
Background noise.
Irrelevant.
He drank until the dryness vanished.
Only a thin layer remained.
He licked his lips slowly.
"Not bad at all."
He glanced down at the dragon pinned beneath him.
She looked ready to commit homicide.
…Eh.
Fine.
Leave her a little.
He stepped back.
The instant the pressure lifted—
Roia sprang up and threw herself over her shell like a bodyguard.
She glared.
Hard.
If looks could kill, Kaos would be extremely dead.
He grinned lazily.
"Not happy?"
"Don't get cocky! I'll get revenge!"
Ah.
There it is.
He straightened dramatically.
"Then remember my name."
He paused just long enough to make it feel important.
"Agatha. Tiamat. Thor."
Roia blinked.
"If you're not satisfied," he added, already turning away, "come challenge me anytime."
And with that—
He left.
Three steps.
One hop.
Three steps.
One hop.
Peak villain energy.
Behind him, Roia clenched her claws.
Agatha.
Fine.
After my first slumber—
I'll crush you!
---
Hop. Hop. Hop.
Kaos felt fantastic.
At this rate, if he secured just one more shell, he'd qualify for a full-belly first sleep.
The early dragon gets the eggshell.
Ahead—
Voices.
Arguing voices.
"That's not how you untie it!"
"Then you do it!"
"You're the one who tied it wrong!"
"What did you say?!"
Blue.
Black.
Green.
Four hatchlings.
Four heads.
One extremely complicated tail knot.
Ah.
Right.
Agatha's handiwork.
Which, again—
Had absolutely nothing to do with Kaos.
He peeked from behind a white egg.
The atmosphere crackled.
His heart pounded.
This was it.
This was romance.
[Fight. Fight. Fight.]
He screamed internally.
Suddenly—
The green one turned.
Their eyes met.
"There's another dragon."
All four heads snapped toward him.
Four pairs of vertical pupils locked on.
…Hiding was pointless.
Wait.
Why am I hiding?
He stepped out calmly.
Straight posture.
Composed.
Uninvolved civilian energy.
He could feel their stares drilling into him.
But Kaos was serene.
After all—
"It was Agatha who tied your tails," he thought smugly.
"What does that have to do with me, Kaos?"
He glanced at the four dragons, tails knotted together like a tragic art installation.
They really did look like puppies tied to one leash.
If only there were a sign:
[Four Vicious Dogs — Do Not Approach]
He raised a claw and waved pleasantly.
"Don't mind me. Just passing through."
Then he bounced past them.
Slowly.
Confidently.
Infuriatingly.
Silence.
The black hatchling spoke first.
"…I suddenly really want to beat that guy up."
"Same."
"Me too."
"In that case… once we untie this—"
"We jump him."
"Deal." x3
Alliance formed.
Temporary.
Violent.
And extremely motivated.