Guardian's Life

Katrina and Leon headed back to Zelenia after what felt like an eternity of a day. Helios fixed himself onto Leon's shoulder.

After the touching moment between the two, Leon and Katrina explained to Helios that his mother was too sick to take care of him. It was a blatant lie to protect him, but necessary.

"Are you okay, Leon?"

"I feel sick to my stomach."

"If it makes you feel any better, Helios seems to like you."

"I don't know how that makes me feel. I look into his eyes and I see his mother's last moments. It's...heartbreaking."

Katrina sighed out loud. Catching the attention of the small four foot long dragon. "Hmm? What is it, Helios?"

The dragon stared at her, before sniffing in her direction.

"Are you hiding food, Katrina?" Leon asked.

"Oh you….ugh." She pulled out cooked strips of meat from her armor pad.

"And the secrets come out."

"Shush!"

Helios looked at them with big, bright eyes. Katrina gave up her stash to him one by one by one. He took them gently but happily consumed them with ease.

"Don't say a word to anyone."

"I won't be the one that gives it up."

The trio pressed on, making it to the capital after nightfall. Thankfully the streets were so thinned out that no one noticed a dragon just sitting on Leon's shoulder. When they got to the castle they had a different demon to wrestle, they couldn't let Atticus see it at all.

Leon could try getting to the third floor to his room but he'd need to get the inside unlocked.

Katrina heaved the pair up together and attached, then opened the inside lock.

Leon went into his room through the balcony and locked it behind him.

Katrina went inside down below, finding the whole bottom floor to be completely clear.

Meanwhile, as soon as Leon turned on the lights the door opened. Serena looked to her right to find Helios looking up at her. "Well. Aren't you an adorable little one?"

She boldly picked him up and he just sat quietly in her arms as she sat on the edge of the bed, Leon looked at her with a nervous smile.

"Mind telling me how human kidnappings led to this, Leon?"

Katrina got to his room and sighed at the sight of her mother, closing the door behind her. "Of course you'd be steps ahead of us. Ugh, Leon, tell it to her since you technically know more."

He explained the whole thing in his mind to Serena, who had her eyes opened by the incredible scenario. "Wow. This is really Sepheron's kin? This is a massive surprise!"

Leon couldn't share the enjoyment from it and laid in his bed sulking. Serena looked at him with a gentle smile. "I'm sorry you had to do what you did Leon. But you did the right thing in spite of the pain you feel. You're not alone in taking care of Helios, you have us here with you.

And Katrina, that was very mature of you to so boldly make that decision when Leon couldn't. When you're not bickering, you two can actually get something accomplished."

"He's the Guardian not me, all I could do was make sure spider legs don't fall on a village." Katrina responded dismissively.

"We accomplished things, but to say we weren't bickering is a bold lie." Leon said promptly.

"Yet. You killed a Class B creature, and helped a mother dragon stop herself and brought her kin home. Leon, you even gave them a proper burial. And Katrina, you made sure those people got out safe, without them hurting small Helios." Serena ruffled both their heads as they sighed in unison.

"Milady, you treat us like siblings. Even though we're nothing alike." He said.

"Mother. He does have a point there. Why do you treat us like some sort of weird related pair?" Katrina questioned with a bit of an annoyed look.

"Well. You two fight like them for sure, and siblings aren't necessarily the same. In fact they could be opposites. Your brother wasn't similar to you Katrina, he was much more of a free spirit. Alexander and Leon probably could've been best friends. But, in spite of your differences, this dragon made you two have to make a joint decision on how to handle it. For Leon, especially on his first day, which I'm really sorry about, if I'd known I would've helped you both. He was too emotionally connected to what the situation was, and didn't feel worthy to care for this precious being."

"I even mentioned taking care of an iguana for a month...that was so idiotic…"

"Katrina, you helped him a lot with your mindset going in. When he wept you were strong for him and your joint compassion for Helios brought you together. Who knows, maybe that's the true power Celia talked about. Bringing the two who hate each other the most as friends."

The pair looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.

Leon then asked the most important question.

"Do you know how to take care of a dragon, Milady?"

"Nope!" She responded enthusiastically.

Leon facepalmed with a deep sigh. "We are so in over our heads."

"For now, Helios stays in your room." Serena said.

"He likes you the most after all. He just wanted me for food…" Katrina pouted.

"You kept dried meat on you again didn't you?" Serena asked teasingly.

"I...er..let's just go to sleep!" She exclaimed walking out of the room.

Serena giggled to herself a bit, as Leon looked at Helios after he'd fallen asleep.

"Poor guy, he's been through so much today. I just hope he can feel safe here." Leon said, as he took one of the blankets that was off to the side and balled it up into a bed for him.

"We can only do our best. That's all we're capable of. But, I have a feeling he'll turn out fine. Just really watch what you say from here on." Serena said as she picked him up gently and laid him in the bed.

"You know. My mom always jokes with me about when I'll make her a grandma and I'd always scoff at her, thinking there's no way in hell that'll ever happen. But now, I'm a co-parent of a baby dragon."

"The universe has a way of creating situations that will make us grow, or we ignore the gift of raising ourselves and continue on with the repetition that we always have. No matter what happens, it's our choice." Serena aptly responded.

"Sleep, grand philosopher. Your mind is probably tired after that one." Leon said jokingly as Serena chuckled softly heading out of his room.

Leon laid his head to rest a while after. "Sleep well, Helios."

The next morning came, and as usual, Courtney did. But today was a bit different, instead Helios heard her arrival as soon as she was on the balcony. She gasped the moment she saw him. "Who are you little one?!" She asked excitedly. She opened the door and knelt down to see him.

The dragon attacked her and licked her face like a small dog. She laughed away, giving him a firm hug against her as Leon was awoken by the commotion.

Courtney noticed and thought she was going to hear it from him like usual.

"I see Helios introduced himself, huh little guy?"

"Huh? You're not...upset?" Courtney questioned.

"Not at all, actually. You're the...boost I need today." Leon responded, as Helios left Courtney and hopped into the bed with Leon licking his face, making him laugh from the ticklishness of his tongue.

"What's the story with him?" Courtney asked, trying not to chuckle.

After Leon could calm down he was finally able to speak. "Something I can't say at this moment." He pointed to Helios implying why he couldn't and Courtney understood.

The door opened as Serena came through it, looking exhausted.

Leon got himself up seeing her face, and had an immediate look of concern. "You didn't sleep did you?!"

"I stayed up all night looking through books we had here on how to take care of young dragons...there's a meal prepped for him downstairs…you ready to come get breakfast Helios?" Serena said tiredly as she yawned, with Helios immediately following her out of the room.

Leon held his face in his hands for a moment before looking at the increasingly worried Courtney.

"You guys have no idea do you?"

"Noooppe."

"Figures….so what happened yesterday?"

Leon explained the events that transpired the day prior, which almost made Courtney yell out loud.

"You're kidding me? That's Sepheron's kid?! Leon..you don't understand how major that is. He was the strongest dragon not considered a myth." Courtney explained.

"So I've heard. Katrina said the major thing he did some time ago."

"No no! You don't know. That meteor made the one that destroyed the dinosaurs on yours, child's play. Like...it would've gotten rid of half the planet instantly. If Helios gets anywhere close to that, you'll have the most powerful ally on Zeleon. More so than me."

"Until he knows the truth…"

Courtney sighed, and hugged Leon exceptionally tight in her arms. "You don't have to blame yourself. You saved her mind, you saved his eyes witnessing her brutalizing humans, and essentially giving him the okay to do it too. That little guy was sleeping in your bed before he saw me."

"He moved to my bed?" Leon asked.

"Mmhmm. He probably thought you were really down and lonely, or you could've had a nightmare too. So, don't be afraid of him because of your own mind. Embrace him and further prove what you did was right." Courtney said as she released him.

Leon heard his mother's voice in his head. "A woman who gets my approval will likely never exist. But a woman who can help you relax the thousands of worries that go through your head, is someone I can settle my head about."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that I'm supported by a bunch of women here. While not romantic, it's more than I would've ever asked for."

Leon got himself out of bed, and as soon as he opened the door, Helios ran to Leon crawling up his back and dug his claws into his shoulder making him almost yell in pain but let out a strained squeak.

Before him, was Katrina who had pajamas that got ripped at the shoulder, Courtney peeked over Leon's opposite shoulder to see the commotion.

"He ripped my good pajamas…." Katrina said, trying to not burst in anger.

"Why did he rip it at the shoulder? They're more like a toy at your feet cause they're frilly." Courtney stated.

"Hehehe….tell her why Katrina.." Leon responded with a strain as his shoulder was bleeding from Helios' claws digging in him.

"I….had a snack stash there yesterday…."

Courtney started gigging immediately.

"It's not funny…!"

"Awww. It's okay, I keep a blood pouch in my chest in case I need it."

"How does it not explode?!" Leon and Katrina spoke in unison.

"Erm...let's just say when I have one...I never cross my arms..."

Helios looked at Katrina with glossy eyes and held out his little foot. "Snacks...sorry…"

Katrina was touched, she couldn't stay mad at his absolute apologetic face. "Aww. It's ok. Come here let me hug you."

Helios gently crawled himself up on Leon's shoulder and leaped into Katrina's arms. "Snacks!"

"Just ask me next time if I have something ok? And not after you just had a meal either, we don't want you getting too chubby." Katrina walked away with him as the realization hit Leon of where Serena was.

"Hey, where's your mother? I thought she was feeding him?" Leon asked.

Helios said a word that probably explained it away. "Sleepy!"

"Dammit...she's passed out down there isn't she?"

Sure enough, Serena the mighty Queen of Zeleon sat down to mix his food for him and completely faded out, her head laying flat on the table.

Leon went to check his wounds initially, before he noticed Courtney was quiet. He turned back around to find her sipping on a blood bag.

"You were serious about that…"

Her face became flushed as she stopped sipping immediately. "You guys brought up snacks and you were bleeding! I got hungry…."

"A Queen that's likely napping, a Princess who carries shoulder snacks, a baby dragon that is too adorable to get upset with and a vampire that definitely thought of licking my wounds. I think I found what my toughest Guardian duties are."

Courtney sighed. "That may be true, but you wouldn't be saying something like that if you didn't care."

"You're right, you all are my life now." He paused trying to get his bandages on but struggled because of where the wounds are. "Can….you help me with these bandages? I can't get them around my shoulder…."

She finished her blood bag as Leon walked out with bandages comically around his head and face from failing to wrap them.

"Sheesh. Imagine if you were still a loner, you wouldn't have ever asked." She said.

She aided him in wrapping his wounds after applying a salve to help them heal. Once she finished, she spoke softly to him.

"I'm glad you stayed. I know you're a guy alone amongst all of us, but Serena is proud of you, Katrina has softened a bit, Maeva got the chance of her life, and I have a friend to say these kinds of things to. And now, a young dragon's life can be enriched. I know you don't believe that you make a huge difference, but the difference you do make is what we all needed. So...I say it for all of us when I say, thank you for dealing with us."

"Don't make me cry again….." Leon said as he looked down, then put his shirt back on with a sigh. "You're welcome. I...needed you guys to get that petty bitterness out of me. Though Katrina is definitely the lightning rod for the leftovers."

The pair laughed, as the daily life of a Guardian was more than monster slaying. It's about the day to day fix ups and mishaps as well.