Chapter Text
Date: 20/12/25 - 01/12/25
Time: 10:15 am
Roboute stared at Vulkan, resigned.
He was going to need help. Vulkan was somehow incredibly dirty. He hadn’t looked dirty the last time Roboute had been in The Nest. Roboute wasn’t how he had even gotten that dirty.
At least Rhea would be more than happy to help him if he asked. He turned his attention to the thread that connected him to Durandal who was currently going over the Macragg’s Honor’s inventory.
They were going to need more food and other supplies with his brothers staying on the Macragg’s Honor. He knew Durandal enjoyed the work he was given and didn’t technically need a break but Roboute knew he would enjoy the challenge of trying to find information on how to bathe dragons.
As soon as he asked Mortarion if he could borrow Rhea.
Macragg's Honor - Mortarion's Room
Mortarion was startled when Roboute appeared though a portal, he was covered in soot, dirt, and black clouds. It looked like he had been tackled by someone.
“Can I borrow Rhea for a few hours Ari?” Roboute asked seemingly not noticing the state of his clothes or the fact his hair was messy and he had steaks of dirt on his face. He was weary of letting his Little Moonbeam out of his site for too long.
“I’m just taking her to The Nest Ari. Vulkan is very dirty and I’m going to need help regardless and thought she might like to help me.” Roboute said, Mortarion stared at him, how dirty could Vulkan have gotten. He looked fine the last time Mortarion was in The Nest.
“He was clean when we were last there,” Mortarion said puzzled, Roboute nodded, clearly just as confused as he was on how the 16th Primarch had gotten so dirty in such a short period of time. “You can take her as long as you take plenty of pictures.”
“Of course I’m going to take pictures Ari.” Roboute said, of course he was going to be taking pictures, there was no way he wouldn’t.
The Nest
Father opened a portal and Roboute carried Rhea through and over to where Vulkan was resting in a pillow pit. Rhea stared at him for several long seconds.
“Uncle Vulkan needs brushies,” Rhea said seriously. Roboute bit back a laugh.
“Yes, Uncle Vulkan does need brushies,” Roboute said, putting Rhea on the ground, she grinned and bounced on her toes. Her wings were covered in a shimmering blanket, likely Father’s doing to prevent any of the powder from her wings getting on Vulkan.
“Father, could you-” Roboute was cut off when the necessary supplies appeared, Rhea ran over and picked up a long handled brush that was taller than she was. She paused, tilted her head and stared at Vulkan.
“Uncle Vulkan is very dirty Uncle Ro,” Rhea said, Roboute looked at his brother and stared, he had somehow gotten even more dirty in the short time Roboute had been gone, Roboute wasn’t sure how.
There weren’t even any black clouds anywhere near The Nest. He had only been gone for fifteen minutes. He stared at Vulkan suspiciously.
Upon closer inspection there were dark streaks of soot down Vulkan’s flank, molten lava had been splashed over his back and was trailing down his sides. A black cloud stuck to his wings and obsidian climbed up his horns.
‘Durandal, see if you can find any information about how to bathe a large reptile. Vulkan is very dirty and Rhea insisted he needed ‘brushies to help him shift into a more human form,’ Roboute said.
‘Of course [Lord Guilliman]. Searching now for the best cleaning practices for cleaning dragons, large drakes or similarly sized reptiles,” Durandal replied, Roboute could already feel Durandal searching through the archived data. ‘Will Vulkan allow himself to be submerged or is a dry cleaning necessary?’
The pillow pit Vulkan was laying in allowed Rhea to easily step onto his snout.
“Liklely both. Dry brushing first then an actual bath.” Roboute answered, it’d never been hard to get Vulkan into the bath in the past though he did prefer the water to be hotter. If his warp form was close to or similar to his current form then it made sense.
Roboute activated the small camera he had on him, allowing Durandal to see Vulkan and Rhea. He had promised Mortarion he would take pictures.
‘Hm’ Durandal said as he examined Vulkan and the progress Rhea had already made with getting the soot on his face clean off. He was surprised the soot even stood out against Vulkan’s scales
‘Start with dry brushing first to get most of the soot and dirt off first, then a damp sponge or cloth. A warm water sprayer and mild detergent will help, best to get as much of the soot, clouds and lava off him before attempting to get him into an actual bath. ’ Durandal said after a few moments.
Vulkan seemed to be enjoying the attention.
Vulkan's POV
Vulkan shifted deeper into the pillow pit, doing his best to keep his head stil. Rhea was surprisingly strong for someone so young. He could hear Roboute and Durandal discussing the best way to wash him.
The stiff bristles on the brush left amazing against his scales and were finally scratching and itch he didn’t know was there. He saw the look Roboute was giving him when he realised just how dirty he was.
He saw the look Rob was giving him. No, he absolutely didn’t make himself even messier after Rob left. Absolutely not.
Rhea jumped off his snout and back onto the ground, her face scrunching in concentration as she attached a patch of soot on his cheek with the brush, soot puffed off his scales making her giggle. The soot clumped into little balls that seemed to be… shaking and then … rolled away when Rhea moved.
Roboute stared. The tiny clouds of soot seemed to flee when Rhea turned around with her brush.
“Hold still Uncle Vulkan,” Rhea said and went back to scrubbing. She moved to his neck, Roboute shook his head and turned his attention back to Vulkan’s wings. He’d thought they would need a damp brush or cloth but apparently not. The soot and dirt seemed to be running away.
‘You should use the [spatula] to carefully remove the molten lava, a little water to get it to harden a little. You will probably have to chip the obsidian, collect it in a bucket and he can use it for forging.’ Roboute nodded, doing as he suggested.
Using a [spatula] to gently pull up the lava away from his scales with a little water to help with getting the lava to harden just enough he could remove the lava and gently chipped at the obsidian coming off in large chunks and put it in the bucket.
Vulkan was purring and pushed harder into their brushes. He rolled around when Roboute asked to get all the spots. The purring increased when Roboute started dry brushing his belly.
It took what would have been several hours to dry brush Vulkan and remove the obsidian and the lava. Once all of the soot was removed Roboute handed Rhea the spray bottle that was half her height.
She giggled as she sprayed Vulkan’s snout, he sneezed, the gust of air nearly knocked Rhea off her feet. He blinked innocently as though he hadn’t dispelled the scoot clouds.
Roboute rolled his sleeves back up and went to get a boom to coral the soot clouds. Rhea, however was undeterred, Rhea clambered onto Vulkan’s snout again, grabbing his lava free horns singing about sooty dragons and ‘sparkly brushies’. She had a smaller brush and started scrubbing at a smaller, still glowy dully.
“Papa, can we have a-” Roboute asked but stopped when the large tarp appeared, Vulkan climbed out of the pillow pit and over to the tarp and laid down. Roboute dunked the brush into the bucket and startled, brushing Vulkan and properly cleaning him.
Vulkan started purring harder, rolling when they were asked. If it was possible for Vulkan to melt into a pleased little puddle then he would have. He seemed to like having the spot around his horns and around his wings brushed.
Roboute had to give Rhea a bath, she was covered in soot, water and dirt. She loved playing with the molten lava, thankfully it didn’t burn her, Mortarion would have had his head. Vulkan purred and was finally able to shift into his human form though he still had horns and wings.
“Mm, that’s much better, thank you Roboute, Little Moon Beam”
Rhea grinned up at him, pleased she could help.