Healed

Screaming, claws scraping against gravel, a sea of metal, mayhem erupted around Glitz as the monstrous ice dragon descended upon the city. Its cobalt wings stretched across the world as it flapped to the ground on a sunken tower, and each wingbeat brought a blizzard, stabbing her skin like thousands of tiny needles. Chaos was everywhere, with people scattering like insects disturbed by a heavy boot, their panic flooding the air with hysteria. Amicabots scrambled into dens or homes constructed with mud and debris, and those with wings took to the skies for safety.

Yet, amidst this whirlwind of terror, Glitz felt a curious disconnect, as if her emotions were locked behind a glass wall. While others reacted instinctively, driven by primal fear, she found herself captivated rather than scared. The dragon, immense and gleaming as if crafted from glaciers, leapt from the tower and landed with a crash that sent tremors through the ground. Instead of a herald of destruction, Glitz saw an animal presenting itself in distress, its massive form curling into a mound of rubble, not unlike a wounded creature seeking comfort in the embrace of the earth.

It was a stark contrast to the frenzy surrounding her; where others saw a fearsome predator, Glitz couldn't shake the sense that this beast was merely following its instinct, lost and out of place in a world that had treated it as an enemy. Why had this herculean creature chosen their city, of all places, to make its presence known? The thought gnawed at her mind like a relentless itch, beckoning her to understand rather than flee. The dragon's shimmering scales caught the remnants of daylight, casting an ethereal glow upon its surroundings—a reminder that beauty could lie within even the most terrifying forms. In that moment, she realized she could either succumb to the panic that enveloped the city or rise above it, offering something that no one else would: compassion in the face of raw ferocity. This was a death wish, but what does she have to live for anyway?

She stepped forward, drawn by a force beyond conscious thought, determined to bridge the chasm between species, fear, and understanding. She begins to plod forward, her large hands raised in front of her, pink claws like pipe cleaners curled into her palm to show no intention of using them, and gently hushes the monster. The incarnation of frostbite is clearly marred with pain, the way it cradled one of its massive arms, refusing to place any weight on it. It revealed a fragility that belied its powerful exterior and it seemed to know this, for it instinctively hidden its injured paw beneath its belly. Glitz came to realize… It wasn’t angry, it was scared.

The raw intensity of the dragon's gaze, clouded with distress, bore down on her like a winter storm, and for a moment, she hesitated, but when she was close enough to touch him, she gently smoothed her palm across his pearlescent shoulder.

Arco’s ears droop, a deep frown scrawling on his maw. The sensation nearly throttled him to rip all his scales off where the robot had touched him, but he relented and reminded himself what he came here for. Hesitantly, as if the very thought of revealing himself was rotten, he showed his paw, stripped of all its blue meat and wiring, leaving only exoskeleton fingers that glinted in the sun. Arco flexed the delicate joints of his exposed digits to emphasize his desperation.

The chromatic robot paused, her mechanical eyes widening in surprise as she took in the sight before her. Arco’s stomach twisted in a knot of anxiety; anxiety mingled with the hope that perhaps she would see beyond the damaged exterior to the essence of who he was. As she gingerly wrapped her hands around his paw, a peculiar warmth radiated from her touch, an unexpected connection that made him shiver. Her movements were slow and deliberate, each inspection of his skeletal digits filled with an odd tenderness. Was it empathy he sensed, or merely the cold, clinical curiosity of a machine? As Arco braced himself for whatever came next, he couldn't help but wonder if this exchange would lead to healing, or if it would only deepen the scars that marked his existence. Uncertainty gripped him like a vice when she pulled away and walked off to a burrow in the cracked soil, thrashing his tail and accidentally summoning a small landslide to bury a nearby hut.

Glitz skipped off to her burrow where various pet supplies lay, kibble, enrichment toys, tiny clothes, but what she needed most was a medkit. Would that even work on an amicabot? On flesh it works wonders, but this was an android that merely resembled an animal, what could be done about this? The scrapped robot girl ponders, and then, the most brilliant idea pops into her head.

Adder, he knows how to heal things, he can help!

She scurries out of her den and runs off to fetch the plague doctor, medkit in hand.

Arco watches as his shining star of hope fades into the fog, slumping to the ground with a dramatic sigh like he was auditioning for the annoyed teen role in a movie. He did all he could, perhaps he deserves to have his core ripped out for this blunder. As long as the treasure is safe… he thought despairingly before fluttering his eyes shut and he succumbed to slumber that hadn’t come to him in days.

But, when he comes to, his ears pivot upward at the sound of scratchy cloth and murmuring, which mostly sounded like two squirrels squeaking “YIBBLE” at each other.

Adder’s heart stops in his chest when the dragon’s eye snaps open, curious onyx gaze branding him even if the beast was cold as ice, and immediately jumpstarts to a sputtering pace when it slowly cranes its head up and cracks its segmented maw ajar to presumably eat him or, at the very least, give him a good scolding for daring to touch it. Suddenly, a flash of movement pulls him from his reverie. Glitz rushes toward the dragon, her actions born out of instinct to soothe animals. She hugs the base of its neck, her small figure dwarfed by the enormity of the beast, yet her determination radiates like a beacon of hope. With gentle whispers, she encourages the dragon to yield, pulling down its neck with a few hops like she was shaking fruits from a branch, and cradling its jaw in a tender gesture that speaks of love. In that moment, the air crackles with unspoken understanding, and the dragon’s eyes flutter shut again.

Perhaps it is not so bad to be loved.

Adder watches, mesmerized, as the tension in the dragon's massive frame begins to dissipate, its once-volatile demeanor settling under Glitz's soothing touch. The once-imposing creature now seems more like a weary guardian, caught between worlds, doing what it thought best.

Working diligently, he reached for the flexible rubber in his pile of debris Glitz had generously offered and began intricately applying it to the dragon's exposed joints. Each gentle push and tuck was infused with a mix of hope and desperation, as he contemplated the ramifications of his modifications. He smoothed the material over the fracture lines, sealing it tightly with a potent resin that would bind it to the ancient bones, ensuring that the majestic creature would once again find some semblance of functionality.

With a discerning eye, the doctor turned his attention to the hunk of scrap metal he had unearthed from the depths of his clinic’s storeroom. The metal was thick and cumbersome, but it was just what he needed to reinforce Arco's damaged fingers. Using heavy-duty cutters, he sliced through the cold steel, meticulously shaping each segment to fit seamlessly over the dragon's talons. It was a crude solution, certainly not without its flaws, but necessity drove innovation. The doctor's heart raced as he screwed the pieces into place, each whirring clang echoing in the otherwise silent landscape.

Finally, with the metal securely fastened, Glitz stepped in with the anti-chew bandages, a last line of defense against the dragon’s instinctual urges. As she wrapped the hand carefully, the playful challenge of their task momentarily overshadowed the anxiety that loomed in the air. Just as Glitz finished, Arco, oblivious to the effort that had gone into its repair, instinctively attempted to gnaw at the unsightly bandages. The instant disgust crinkling its eyes was almost comical. With a huff and a series of expressive snorts, Arco reeled back, scrunching its face as if the incredibly bitter taste of the bandages burned its tongue. The doctor and Glitz shared a knowing glance, part relief and part humor.