Thunder Snow (GOTP AU)

3. The Way Things Are

"Brr...!" Cody shoved his hands into his pockets as he shivered, "Still cold out here."

Chase nodded, looking out across the ranch grounds. Everything was coated in white, the tips of fence posts peeking out of drifts and long, winding trails made through it by the burrowers. The fences branched out towards the horizon, framing the edges of designated fields- though what those fields were primarily used for was buried for the time being.

Those that dared exit the barns and step out into the world were not baring the brunt of the cold alone, instead walking the grounds in groups, pressing against one another for warmth. Cody himself was doing the same against Chase, who gladly pressed into the teenager to keep him from shivering.

"How far is it to town?" Cody asked, looking out towards the horizon as if trying to spot it.

Dr. Parathos crossed his arms, "Normally, about twenty minutes. Quite a bit longer in this weather. Good thing we stocked up..." He gave Chase a glance, "Now don't spend too much time out here, alright? If you start to hurt or get tired, back in the barn with you. Lower Grasslands aren't built for the snow, most of them have migrated south by now."

"Lower Grassland?" Chase tilted his head, "That's what I am?"

"Oh... Yeah, guess you two wouldn't know about that. Yes, there are Lower Grassland, High Grassland, River dragons like Rush, Gliders, Mountain, Burrower, and then there's Forest Dragons, that's what Peri and Arson are. They were thought extinct up until about thirty years ago when a small population was found in the Manet region. They're protected by law since they're so endangered, but it means they're also rare and quite the commodity for poachers."

Cody frowned, "Which is why they must've taken Arson."

"Right. Peri's restricted to the barn for the winter because of her condition, so she wasn't easy for them to snag, but Arson was out in the fields looking after the herd like a good leader does..."

"But you have a hunch on who is responsible?"

"Yeah. Thermon. He's been asking and trying to haggle Arson from me ever since Sigma Twelve arrived here, and more than once he's said he'd get a hold of him someday... But since he wasn't here, I can't exactly prove it was him."

"Are you concerned he'll sell Arson?"

Dr. Parathos sighed, "Nah, he knows I'll be skimming every auction and sale for him..."

"Then what could he want with him? What benefit does he gain by abducting him?" Chase shook his head, "He'll be exposed by selling him or by flaunting him to his peers..."

"Exactly. So my guess is a bit more scandalous, I'm afraid... After all, with the breed itself being so rare, their hatchlings would also be valuable to sellers."

"You mean trying to breed him? But that's wrong!" Cody exclaimed, "He's a sentient being, you can't-"

"Not all humans see the dragons as sentient... You and I are special in that we've gained the trust of a dragon, which enables us to understand their speech, but not all humans can... and those that mistreat them, probably never will understand them like we do. To some, Arson is just an expensive item to own... and a means of gaining more wealth."

Chase shuddered at the thought, "Then we can't wait for me to recover... We have to find him now!"

"Don't worry, Chase. I have a plan. Arson won't be of much use to them, as even male forest dragons aren't able to breed very often, and he and Peri are a very recent development. So for now, until we can locate him, I want you and Cody to work with some of the others to keep Peri safe. Once Thermon finds out that she's expecting, I have no doubt he'll try to take her too."