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"Hah! What a bunch of weaklings!" Ajaw circles around Kinich, scoffing at the unconscious treasure hoarders on the ground. "Using my powers was a waste on them, Kinich!"
"Whatever you say," Kinich replies, tuning out Ajaw's yapping and scanning the camp for his client's research papers. It was the typical treasure hoarder-related commission – retrieval of stolen goods. He quickly finds them, stacked neatly in one of the tents.
The saurian egg next to the papers catches his eye.
"Huh." Kinich packs away the papers and leans down for a closer look. It's bigger than anything he knew your everyday saurian could lay, the egg being about as long as his forearm. Lost as he is in trying to figure out which species' egg it might be, he almost misses Ajaw going quiet.
"Ajaw?" Kinich turns to him, concerned. Ajaw looks as confused as his pixelated form would allow him to and says, "That's impossible."
"The egg?"
"Well, what else?!" He flies close to the egg, circling it. "It's an ancient saurian egg!"
Kinich's eyes widen at that. "Are you sure?" Please. Not another Ajaw.
"Don't underestimate the wisdom of the Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw!" Ajaw prods the egg with some of his powers, examining it further. "Look, this marking means–"
And the egg starts to crack.
"Ajaw," Kinich starts, eyes locked onto the now hatching egg. "Whatever hatches won't be a clone of you, right?"
"What do you mean by that?! I'll have you know I'm one of a kind! Best of the best! I reigned over–"
A small claw pokes itself out of the egg, silencing them both. They watch as whatever baby saurian starts making its way out of the egg. An arm shows itself first, followed by a leg, until the egg eventually cracks itself open to reveal a small saurian.
Kinich steps closer, slowly, not wanting to scare the baby now observing its surroundings. Its red eyes turn to stare at Kinich, curious. The saurian's scales are green and two hard nubs, horns, sit on the top of its head while on its back is a small pair of wings, not mature enough for flight.
It looks scarily similar to Ajaw in his true form.
"Ajaw."
"I know what you're thinking and it's not mine! I can't lay eggs! I only broke the enchantments!"
"You're the only ancient saurian– well, relic, around these parts." Kinich turns to the baby, reaching out slowly to introduce himself, letting it get used to his scent. "That we know of anyway. And excluding this little guy. You said enchantments?"
"Just a few measly seals, no match for the Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw!" Ajaw puffs in pride, before continuing. "This puny hatchling's probably been asleep all these years because of 'em. You're welcome."
'Little guy' ends up catching him off-guard, jumping towards him. Kinich manages to catch it, holding the baby saurian against his chest as it looks up at him.
"Hah! This fella's good!" Ajaw laughs. "Aim for the head next time, kid!"
The baby ignores him, still raptly staring at Kinich. He tilts his head, confused, to which the baby responds with a head tilt of its own.
Kinich smiles, soft. "You're a cute one," he says, patting its head.
The baby saurian butts its head against his hand, and responds with, "mama!"
Silence fills the tent.
"Well, well, well, Kinich! Did you lay an egg without me kno–"
"I'm not–" Kinich sputters. "I haven't laid any eggs, and I'm not your mama. How are you even talking?"
"Mama!" It ignores him, chirping happily at having found a 'mother'.
Ajaw pushes himself onto Kinich's cheek, still laughing. "Hey, kid! Call me 'father' next!"
"It's a baby. It won't be able to say that." Kinich pauses for a second. "Didn't you just disown it?"
"Circumstances, my dear servant," Ajaw scoffs. "This child has potential! Your chest was almost crushed by its weight! With training by the Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw, this hatchling will end you in no time!"
"You're a bad influence," Kinich sighs and looks down at the saurian. "Don't listen to him."
The hatchling makes an agreeing noise, smiling brightly at Kinich before turning to stick its tongue out at Ajaw.
"The audacity!" Ajaw gasps.
Kinich chuckles. "Good saurian. You're very smart." Do ancient saurians start talking straight out of the egg? "It's getting late. Let's get you settled at home first before I bring you to Aclla tomorrow, okay?"
He gets an agreeing chirp in response. They quickly leave the camp, research papers and hatchling in tow, flying on Ajaw's back. He'd return his client's papers and bring the baby saurian to Aclla for a check-up tomorrow.
"Not that I'm complaining, but you're being awfully quiet," Kinich says after a while, still holding onto the baby. Flying with Ajaw in his true form often came with his usual you should be honored, so-and-so monologue. He asks, softly, "Something on your mind?"
Ajaw scoffs, petulant, "Hmph. Your death, your body becoming mine, the usual!"
Kinich frowns, covering the hatchling's ears. "Don't say that in front of the kid."
'Woe is the Great K'uhul Ajaw! His lover sides with a foundling!" He says, dramatically. Kinich rolls his eyes, before Ajaw adds, "Don't forget about our exclusivity clause, by the way!"
Ah. "Are you jealous?"
Ajaw wobbles a little in the air. "The Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw is above feeling jealous. I just can't have you forgetting our contract!"
"Sure." Kinich frees one of his hands to pat Ajaw's back and leans down to press a light kiss to his scales. "Good saurian, Ajaw, good saurian. You're also very smart."
"K-Kiniiich!"
***
"Well, he's a healthy little saurian!" Aclla says, petting the hatchling – Junior – on his head. "You said he hatched yesterday?"
"We are not naming it Ajaw II," Kinich says, deadpan, cradling not-Ajaw-II as he feeds it quenepa berries.
"Why not!?" Ajaw transforms into his true form and Kinich eyes the glass he very nearly knocked over. "This foolish hatchling may not have acknowledged me as its parent yet, but it should be honored to be named after the Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw!"
"Ajaw Jr., then. If it'll get you to stop whining." Kinich sighs. It's hardly any better, but it seemed like one of the better options when compared to something like 'Ajaw the Second'. They're going for the story of the hatchling being Ajaw's egg anyway – better not to spread around the possibility of more sealed ancient saurian eggs being out in the wild, lest the information falls into the wrong hands.
"Yeah. He can talk, too." Aclla makes a surprised sound at that and Kinich opens his arms as Junior leaps from the table. "He's been calling me 'mama' all the time. Is that normal?"
"He's still not calling me 'father', that can't be normal! I bring this kid into the world and this is the thanks I get!?" Ajaw exclaims from where he's flying, next to Kinich.
Does he have to put it like that? Kinich thinks, petting Junior's head. But he's not wrong.
"Um," Aclla starts. Her eyes dart back and forth between them. "Saurians aren't really supposed to talk. Not modern ones, at least."
"Tch!"
"But to answer your question," she continues, "saurians are most sensitive to imprinting 24 hours after they hatch. Considering how you two were the first things he saw, Junior took you both– ahem, took Kinich as his parent."
"I see." Kinich looks down at Junior in his arms and the hatchling smiles at him. He cradles him closer, giving Junior a small peck on his forehead, and smiles back, soft. "Thanks, Aclla. We'll take good care of him."
He glances up to see Ajaw staring at him, jealous (though Ajaw would be the first to deny that), and Aclla looking at him with shining eyes, hands covering her mouth as she tries to suppress a smile.
"No problem at all! Hatchlings are usually very wary of strangers but Junior's very calm, even though he's basically a carbon copy of Ajaw." ("Hey!") "I guess that's where he takes after you, huh?"
"Sure?" Kinich tilts his head, confused. "Anyway, I guess we better get going now."
"Finally! You owe me juice, Kinich!" Ajaw groans.
"You better stop whining if you want to be Junior's father. See you around, Aclla. Thanks again."
"See ya, Ac-lla!" Junior says, waving.
Everyone's eyes widen at that, stunned.
***
Kinich adjusts his hold on Junior. "And here I thought you were only capable of saying 'mama'."
"Mama! Berry!" Junior says, waving his hands around.
"Yes, yes. I'll give you berries when we get home," Kinich replies, patting Junior's head. They walk through the tribe, on their way home after stopping by the market to restock their pantry. To his side is Ajaw, walking dejectedly in his true form.
"Gah, the Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw, reduced to carrying groceries!" Ajaw cries out, carrying five bags in total. "What has the world come to!"
"You're being dramatic," Kinich sighs, and Junior makes an agreeing noise.
Ajaw gapes at them and holds up one of the bags. "Kid, I'm literally carrying your berries right now!"
"Berry?" Junior reaches out, instantly smiling at hearing just the word.
"Hm? Call me 'father' first."
"Ajaw," Kinich scolds, his brows furrowing. "You're lucky I can't put you in timeout right now."
"Huh!? You're lucky I'm carrying all this for you!"
"I happen to be carrying the kid."
"Well I–"
"Da!"
They both stop, looking down at Junior at the same time.
"Da! Fa-da!" Junior waves excitedly, pointing at the bag of berries. "Berry!"
"Ajaw."
"Yeah, yeah," Ajaw quickly says as he opens up the bag, grinning. "Hmph! And he finally acknowledges me!"
Kinich looks at Junior, shock and awe clear in his face. He smiles fondly at the hatchling, patting his head.
"Berry!" Junior exclaims happily as Ajaw carefully, not wanting to damage the berry with his claw, hands a single quenepa berry to one very happy hatchling.
They continue their walk home, catching the occasional glance or two from passersby. Kinich figures it's Junior, with most of the tribespeople already used to the sight of Ajaw's true form. He supposes they make quite the sight.
"Kiniiiich," Ajaw whines. He looks longingly at the berry Junior is eating.
"Be patient, Da," Kinich replies, teasing. "I'll make you juice as soon as we get home."
"Give me extra!"
"Of course."
***
"Woah." Aether lowers the chicken skewer he was eating. He sees two saurians in the distance, an adult watching over its hatchling play in the grass. "That's not a saurian I've seen around." Horned, green-scaled, and winged – they look nothing like the saurians from any of the tribes he's visited.
"Hm?" Paimon pokes her head from where she was floating behind him. "Ooh! Paimon hasn't seen this species either!"
Aether puts a hand to his chin, humming in thought. "Wanna get a closer look?"
"Sure! But..." Paimon looks over at the saurians again, the adult now trying to stop its child from eating dirt. "Doesn't mama-saurian over there look scary?"
She's right – the adult saurian looks easily to be over 10 feet tall. Not to mention how fiercely protective animals become when their babies are around...
"We're still keeping our distance," Aether reassures her. "Besides, what kind of adventurer would I be if I didn't take risks?"
"Paimon wants to take pictures too..." She folds her arms, thinking. "We run the moment mama-saurian sees us, okay?"
"Yeah," Aether replies, smiling, excited at the prospect of seeing another dragon up close. They approach slowly and observe the pair. The hatchling has moved on to trying to eat tree bark, Aether notices, and its parent is still trying to stop it from consuming questionable things.
(He also sees that the parent isn't doing a good job at that, considering the piece of wood in its child's mouth.)
"Wait." Aether stops, pulling himself and Paimon behind a tree, and whispers, "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Paimon whispers back, tilting her head.
"Listen." He points at the saurians. "I think they're... talking."
"Huh?!"
He puts a finger to his lips. "Shh!"
Paimon covers her mouth with her hands. They glance again at the pair, and heave a collective sigh of relief when the adult saurian seems to not have noticed them.
"I think this is as close as we can get." Aether pokes his head from behind the tree for a look. The adult saurian is distracted, trying to stop its child from eating the grass. "Get your kamera, Paimo– Huh?"
"What's wrong?" Paimon floats to his side. "That's– Kinich?!"
He doesn't shush her this time as they watch Kinich approach the saurians openly. "Does he... know them?"
Paimon hums. "Isn't he a saurian hunter? Is he–" She whispers this time. "–is he on a mission?!"
"I doubt that." He pulls himself back behind the the tree. "Shouldn't a hunter be more subtle?"
"Maybe he's gonna fight them head on?" Her eyes shine with excitement. "Ooh! Paimon would love to see him in action!"
Aether nods in agreement, just as eager to see how Kinich fights, having missed his round during the Pilgrimage. He pokes his head back out to an unexpected sight.
"I... guess they do know each other then?" Aether says. Instead of a fight, they see Kinich giving both saurians headpats – to the hatchling's joy and the adult's visible embarrassment.
He hides behind the tree again, and realizes. "Where's Ajaw?"
"Hmph! Maybe Kinich finally got tired of him and found new saurian companions!" Paimon says, annoyed, and adds, "Mama-saurian can probably crush him in one blow anyway!"
"Who can crush who now?"
They both jump as Kinich suddenly appears in front of them.
Paimon recovers first, pulling leaves out of her hair, having jumped into a tree branch. "Don't scare us like that!"
"Weren't you just?" Aether darts his eyes between Kinich and the saurians, now walking towards them.
"Hm?" Kinich folds his arms, tilting his head. "You said hunters should be more subtle, so I did just that. It's good to see you two."
"Same here, but," Aether scratches his head sheepishly, "you heard all that?"
"My hearing's good, but you two weren't exactly trying to be quiet. Ajaw sensed you before you even saw him."
"Ajaw's here?" Aether looks around, trying to find a flying bunch of yellow pixels. "Is he in, what was it? Timeout?"
"Are your eyes just for show, worm?" A deep, yet somehow familiar voice comes from the adult saurian. "Behold, my true form! Are you scared? Good! The Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw permits you to bow before him! Now, prostrate yourself and kiss my feet!"
"Don't mind him," Kinich cuts in.
"We won't." Aether turns to the hatchling, now standing right next go Kinich. He gasps – it looks even cuter up close! "Aww! Who's this little guy?"
"This is Junior," Kinich replies, smiling. He reaches down to pick Junior up, holding him in his arms. "He hatched last week. Junior, say hi."
"Hi!" Junior waves. "Friend?"
"He talks?!" Aether and Paimon say at the same time, surprised. Junior makes a confused noise, prompting Paimon to say, "Yes! Friend!"
The hatchling smiles at that, waving his hands even more.
Kinich answers them, feeling quite proud. "He talks. Learns quick, too. Just last week the only thing he could say was 'mama' but he's been able to hold basic conversations these past few days." He notes their slightly confused expressions, and adds, "I'm 'mama'."
"That's the child of the Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw, to you! He inherited my wisdom and smarts!" Ajaw says.
Kinich sees the cogs in the two's heads turning, trying to understand.
"So, you," Aether points to him, "and you," to Ajaw. He pauses for a moment, before snapping his fingers in realization. "Oh!"
"What do you mean, oh?!" Paimon exclaims.
"You see, Paimon," Aether starts. "When a human and a dragon love each other very much–"
"Ack! Okay! Paimon gets it!"
"Can we go home already, Kinich! My wings need grooming!" Ajaw groans
"Yeah, yeah." Kinich says, before turning to Aether. "You two need a lift?"
"Ooh! Sure!" Paimon says happily.
"A lift?" Aether asks.
Kinich pats Ajaw's back.
"Hey!"
"I'll reward you."
Ajaw clicks his tongue, grumpy, as he starts lowering himself. He turns towards Aether and Paimon. "Well? The Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw is letting you fly on him! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
***
"I wonder what Junior's doing right now," Kinich says, lying down next to Ajaw in his true form, shrunk to a reasonable size. They're currently curled up on their bed, the early morning sun shining through a window. Kinich thinks he should get up soon, but he's feeling quite comfortable.
It's been a month since Junior hatched. Their "son", he supposes, had gone with Mualani and Kachina on a camping trip yesterday, a suggestion coming from the former who reassured them that he and Ajaw would do well with some "alone time", as she put it (she was right). His two friends had immediately loved Junior the moment they'd set their sights on him weeks ago. He's glad.
"Probably eating grass. Again." Ajaw blinks an eye open, still groggy from sleep. "Or rocks."
"Good thing he's ancient. He's hardy."
"Mhm." Ajaw closes his eyes again, and Kinich stares. It's these private moments with Ajaw that he truly cherishes above all else. He runs a finger from Ajaw's scaly cheek to his chest.
"What'cha staring at?" Ajaw opens his eyes. They're red, just like Junior's. Kinich knows he should think them quite scary, but he can't help finding them rather beautiful.
"There's a dragon in my bed and you're expecting me not to stare?"
"You wake up next to a dragon every day!" He huffs. "Hmph. But I guess if you're so enamored by the Great K'uhul Ajaw then I'll just have to let it slide."
"Very magnanimous of you," Kinich replies, monotone, and glances up at him. "That reminds me, have you heard the rumors?"
Ajaw snuggles closer to him. "Worthless mortal drivel. Not worth my time."
"Count me in on that, but this one's about us," Kinich says. Ajaw raises a (non-existent) eyebrow, so he continues. "They say you put an egg in me, and that's how Junior was born."
"Hah!" He scoffs. "Like I said, worthless drivel. If I did that, you'd be carrying more than one!"
More than one. Kinich stores that information away in his mind for another time. Maybe one day they'd give Junior some siblings.
He draws circles on Ajaw's chest, a small smile on his face. "They're also why I've been getting more commissions lately. I guess people think someone who can take on a dragon in bed is pretty strong."
"Fools got something right, at least." Ajaw curls an arm around Kinich's waist, pressing himself against his human's smaller, softer body.
"Ajaw?" Kinich feels himself melting into Ajaw's hold. His large, scaly hands have never failed to make him fall apart.
"I know what you were thinking about." Ajaw lowers his head, speaking right next to Kinich's ear in a whisper. "You want me to fill you with eggs, don't you?"
"Ah." He hides his face in Ajaw's scaly chest. "Nothing gets by you."
"Heh, I guess I don't have a choice," Ajaw says, chuckling darkly. He pushes himself up, pinning Kinich against the bed. "This Lord of yours is benevolent, servant, so he'll indulge you in your desires just this once."
Kinich has lost count of the amount of times Ajaw has said just this once. He chuckles, hooking his arms around the dragon's neck, pulling him down. "Get on with it, master."
***
That afternoon, he reschedules his commissions for the day, citing a "temporary inability to walk" due to "injury".