Chapter Text
“Alright, keep up boys! We’re almost there…”
Little squeaks reply to him while Bubba marches forward at a slow pace, so that the two baby dragons at his feet can keep up. His eyes are ever vigilant, scanning the area for any potential threat that may pop out of the bushes.
You can never be too careful when you live in a place like Misty Bog. Boars, attack frogs, piranhas, any step you take could be your last if you let your guard down. Especially if it's those darn Dragon-Eating plants.
Nobody remembers who originally created them, but one thing for certain, they're one of the worst types of bastards the local dragons have to deal with on a daily basis. Anything can set them off. Most of the time, they don’t even need an excuse, they’ll just bite and chase after anything that's within their line of sight. They’ll even attempt to go after big fellas like Bubba, which are twice their size, but they don't care.
Because they're assholes.
But damn, do they taste delicious.
Despite how terrifying they can be, those things are essentially overgrown potatoes. Once you pull them out of the ground, with their roots included, they’re completely defenseless and there's plenty of ways they can be cooked. Mashed, fried, chipped, boiled, seasoned, the whole itinerary. And they have a natural spicy flavor to them that's quite sought after in the typical cuisine of the Beast Makers. That's the sole reason that has stopped the clan from fully eradicating those pests.
Although, Bubba had a feeling that might change. Lately, he noticed a few specimens had mysterious bite marks on their bark and leaves. They’re small morsels, but whatever did try to devour them, must have quite the sharp teeths, since entire chunks of their body are missing.
The first assumption he made is that there could be potentially a new predator in the area that hunts those walking radishes. So he tried to ask his fellow Makers if anyone created anything of the sorts recently. All of them told him no.
He went to Bruno to notify him of his sightings, but his leader is just as clueless as him. His only recommendation is that he keeps an eye out for anything suspicious and to report back to him if the situation becomes severe. Because either those plants have started to cannibalize each other or there's an invasive species from outside of the swamps that could damage the ecosystem if left unchecked. Hopefully that's the only worst case scenario.
Hence why Bubba is a bit more cautious than usual that morning.
He needed to retrieve some items he left on the dock and while he didn't plan to take Eddie and Patrick with him, the boys had been restless from the moment they woke up. They need their morning walkies after breakfast, or they might chew everything they can find in the house out of boredom. If they get to take a swim as well, it's even better. But only if their papa will permit it.
Because as of now, his paranoia it's not without merits.
In fact, he hears a growl and the rustle of leaves coming from behind the stone arc they're supposed to traverse. He stops dead in his tracks, with his tail instinctively wrapping around the two babies to shield them. A familiar ugly mug full of sharp teeths peeks out from behind the ruins. The plant glares at him to intimidate them, but the beast wrangler doesn't back down.
He knows it has its eyes on the twins, which are easy prey. It could try to strike at any second now…
“Boys…. Stay behind me…” His words are but a low snarl as he slowly crouches down on his haunches. His wings flare up to make himself look even bigger.
If that bastard plant makes one wrong move, he’ll be ready to pounce and then squash it like a bug. He can handle a few bites, as long as it doesn't get to the boys. But despite how imposing he is, the dragon eater runs up to them with its jaws wide open. Guess they’ll be having chips for lunch-
CRUNCH
But suddenly, the potato screams bloody murder. Something bit it from behind. The beast starts to trash wildly left and right to shake off it's attacker, but whatever it is, it's got quite a grip. But the most shocking part for Bubba is that it's Eddie.
He has no idea how the little one managed to sneak past him and get there, but before he can react, a second chubby ball of scales jumps up and grabs at the crunchy leaves of the plant. For being just a baby, Patrick has quite a pull, enough to stop that sentient weed from escaping them. But with one rough tug, he snaps off the whole leaf and it takes the chance to make a run for it. While also finally throwing off that bitey nuisance, even if it's at the cost of a whole chunk of its body.
Bubba stands there, completely flabbergasted. His brain needs a couple of seconds to fully process what just went down. But the two infants don’t seem to care at all, too busy chewing happily on their bits of raw spicy potato they ‘acquired’. This is just a normal after breakfast snack for them.
“.... That's my boys.” Despite the initial shock, he feels a sense of pride grow in his chest and he smiles at the two rascals.
At least now he discovered who’s the ‘mysterious predator’ lurking around Misty Bog. And it's an unlikely pair of baby dragons that have an appetite bigger than themselves.
“ Burp! ”
******
Cryprin likes to consider himself as a pretty laid back dragon. There's very few things in this world that can truly shake him to his core.
Once you live long enough in a realm like Terrance Village, that's pretty par for the course. Even those fancy thingamajiggers called Electric Floors that the Gnorns left behind after their failed invasion don’t impress him. You just gotta watch where you step and you’ll be fine.
But there's just something about those boys, that gives him a feeling that trouble will always be brewing ahead. Not in a malicious kinda way, but more so in a ‘dumb baby dragons doing dumb baby things’ way.
Even babysitting them can be seen as a challenge on how long you can last before you need to call for assistance. Be it to help you get a break or to get them out of trouble, that’ll be completely up to chance. Such is life when raising future Beast Makers.
Now, he’s next on the roulette wheel of watching over Eddie and Patrick for the afternoon and see what happens. So far, things are going smoothly for the three. After taking the coziest nap possible, the twins have become hungry. He’s pretty sure that's what the problem is since Eddie tried to chew his hat multiple times while he was asleep.
And how could he refuse to feed such adorable little muzzles and resist their needy squeaks?
Fishing it's one of his strong suits after all. He’s got the patience and he knows the best spots where there's plenty of tasty fish to catch.
The real issue is keeping the twins at bay so they don’t try to jump off the deck and into the water to chase after the fishes for themselves. He admires their enthusiasm, but they have a long way to go before they're ready for fishing lessons.
Which is how he found himself holding his rod in one hand and with the other he grasps their chubby tails so they can’t escape him. All they can do is just stare at their reflection in the water and observe their prey swim around. One of them will eventually take the bait.
At one point, Eddie leans in closer to the water to have a better look. Right then, a bright orange koi fish pokes its head out of the calm surface of the lake, immediately noticing the baby dragon. It approaches him slowly, out of curiousity. Eddie doesn't back away when the big fish gets so close, they're almost touching his nose. It's like they’re ‘kissing’ in a way.
The two stare down at each for a long second… then the fish jumps up and tries to swallow his head whole.
Patrick sees the exchange and tilts his head at his brother in confusion, not at all alarmed by the aquatic critter trying to gulp his entire face. Eddie himself only lets a muffled squeak of surprise and flinches back, with the koy still attached to him.
Hearing the commotion, Cyprin takes a glance down at two and his eyes widen at the sight.
“Bloody-!! Boy how did you?!?”
The fish suddenly begins to flail around in a panic from being involuntarily pulled out of the water. Eddie still doesn't look in a rush to get the thing off of him. In fact, the older dragon could hear the sound of… munching???
As the koy keeps struggling, Patrick grabs the tail. The two babies pull at both ends, like a game of tug o’ war. Neither willing to relent first.
RIIIIIIIIIIIIPPP
Until their victim is torn in half, its insides spilling on the wooden floor and Eddie is freed from his prison, with a couple of fish guts in his mouth too. Without hesitation, the twins scarf down on the remains of their ‘catch’ to satisfy their empty bellies, squealing enthusiastically at the taste of fresh meat.
Cyprin just stands there, baffled at what he just witnessed. But after a few seconds, he chuckles at their antics and shakes his head.
“Careful boys. Don’t wanna choke on them fish bones, do ya?”
The only reply they have to give him is a hiccup and a gassy belch. Well, at least they’re happy. And they spared him the job.
********
“Mmmmhhhhh…. Now where did I put it??”
Damon mumbles to himself as he rummages through the shelfs of his cabinet for potion ingredients. All the bottles and jars look the same in the dark, forcing him to pick them one by one to examine their contents and find the right one he needs.
Maybe he should install lamps in his workshop, but the ominous glow emanating from his bubbling cauldron creates a certain atmosphere that he's not willing to trade for better lighting.
Besides, too much light in the room would disturb the baby twins' nap. Whom currently, they're cuddling together in a makeshift nest made of soft leaves and hay he has placed on his spacious counter. Their little snores sound like adorable squeaks. They're not exactly ideal ‘assistants’, what with their nasty habit to put anything they find in their mouth, but their cuteness grants the potion maker a nice distraction. At least they can't get up to too much trouble when they're sleeping.
“Oh!!! There it is.”
And just as he thought about that, he finally found the missing ingredient. A jar filled with Pinkitip leaves.
Despite its humorous name, they're one of the most poisonous plants that grow in the swamps. Their sweet mint scent and colorful pink spots are extremely deceptive. If any poor soul tries to ingest it, their poison causes instant rashes and painful swellings in the throat that can suffocate their victim. Without an antidote in hand, it can spell your death in minutes. Funnily enough, if used with moderation in potions and ointments, they're pretty effective in helping treat rashes and burns.
Although, where did those bite marks come from? His eyesight might be getting weaker with his aging, but there was no mistaking the small nibbles on the leaf he plucked out of the jar.
Perhaps a bug did this? If so, he’ll have to make a count of his inventory to be certain that other bugs and parasites haven’t infiltrated his lab. It would be a disaster, and a hassle to restock everything.
While he wonders about this conundrum, baby Patrick stirs in his sleep. Without waking up his twin, the little dragon raises his head to yawn. His breath smells minty and fresh. His little gums appear to have pieces of green and pink gunk stuck in between his teeth.
He looks perfectly healthy and spry as usual, just a little dizzy from the sleepiness. Which prompts him to go back to his peaceful nap. He burrows his snout into his brother's side, curling up into a perfect cinnamon roll position and drifting off into the realm of slumber. Where he'll probably dream of tasty foods and munching on more spicy leaves you find by chance in grandpa's jars when he isn't looking.
It's fun being a baby dragon in the Beast Makers clan.