Orian ran to his uncle's legs and he raised on his hind legs to pick him up in his forlimbs.
"Hey there, little guy!! How's my favorite nephew doing?"
Storm pretended to get a hurt expression.
"I thought I was your favorite?!" Complained Storm.
"You were... until you decided to grow up!!!" Replied Pyros.
Aurora held out her forelimbs and Pyros reluctantly handed Orian over to his mother.
"Come, little one!! Let's give your uncle and farther some space to talk. Would you like something to eat?" Asked Aurora.
"Sweets!!!" Exclaimed Orian excitedly.
"Absolutely not!! You have enough energy as it is!!" Exclaimed his mother.
Orian pouted and tears began to form in his eyes, causing his mother to roll her eyes.
"Fine!! But only a little bit!!" Relented Aurora.
Pyros waited until Orian was out of earshot before they decided to speak.
"You asked for me?"
"Yes, You should know that I've asked the Dwarven engineer Brenda to give you a checkup and ensure all your mechanical parts are working as intended. "
"I appreciate your concern for me, Storm. But it's unnecessary. The Grans gave me a clean bill of health. And if I'm perfectly honest, I've never felt better!" Said Pyros.
"That may be the case, but The Grans doesn't know this kind of technology. Brenda does, it will set both Aurora and my worries at ease if she had a look and ensured that everything was as it should be." Explained Storm.
Pyros sighed.
"I still feel this is unnecessary, but if it will make you and Aurora feel better, then I agree to this."
Storm nodded his head in thanks.
"I get the feeling this isn't all that you wanted to talk about though?! So are you going to tell me or not?"
Storm swallowed nervously before he pressed on with his request.
"I would also like her to help you understand these new additions and how they work and what they're capable of." Said Storm.
Pyros was completely silent and didn't show any reaction, but Storm knew he was upset.
The way he clenched his claws was proof enough, Storm was relieved that his uncle wasn't holding Orian anymore, as he could have crushed the poor hatchling in his grip inadvertently if he did.
"By 'understand' and 'help' I assume you mean she will 'experiment' on me!" Said Pyros.
"No!! Think of it more like a 'mentorship'! She knows more about machines than anyone else we have currently. If anyone knew how you can use these things, it would be her." Explained Storm.
"I AM NOT A MACHINE!!! I AM A DRAGON!!
AND I WILL NOT BE TREATED LIKE AN OBJECT OR WEAPON THAT NEEDS AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL!!" Bellowed Pyros.
"That isn't what we're trying to do here!! We're trying to help you!!" Retorted Storm.
"I don't need anyone's help!! I was already old while you were still swimming in your father's...!" Said Pyros.
Storm stopped him with a gesture.
"I get the picture! You don't have to traumatize me with tales of how I came into being!" Said Storm.
Despite the mood, both dragons chuckled.
"Don't act all innocent!! I know what you and Aurora do at night! The entire city knows!" Joked Pyros.
Growing serious again Storm continued the debate.
"I know you're struggling to come to terms with what was done to you! Maybe once you figure out how these things work, you'll feel better about yourself. " said Storm.
"The truth is that I don't want to rely on these things, Storm. I don't need them."
"Prove it to me then!" Said Storm.
He looked around until his eyes fell on a large oak.
"Use your fire breath to incinerate that oak over there." Ordered Storm.
"I'm not going to destroy an elf or fairy's hard work just to prove a point!" Exclaimed Pyros.
"I'll compensate them for it! You say you don't need these mechanical parts? Destroy the tree without them!" Said Storm.
Pyros averted his eyes.
"You can't, can you?! Your fire breath doesn't work anymore! Nor can you shapeshift, or even access your magic!These things stole it from you!" Said Storm.
He gestured towards the machine parts.
"I can't give you back what was taken from you! But I can maybe help you find a suitable replacement. "
"These things can never replace what I've lost, Storm. " said Pyros.
Storm studied his uncle for a moment, until he suddenly realized something.
"You met someone, didn't you!!?" Asked Storm.
Pyros was completely silent for so long, that Storm began to think his uncle wasn't planning to answer.
"After our home was destroyed and my best friend killed, I struggled with survivor's guilt for a time. Why should I be alive when everyone else I cared about was dead!?
During this time, a female dragon from the Wyrm Tooth mountains clan took pity on me and tried to pull me out of my depression.
She helped me find a purpose again and our relationship grew more serious. She eventually grew pregnant. I planned to settle down with her after my mission in Arcadia was completed. " Explained Pyros.
"Congratulations, uncle!! Why haven't you introduced me to her yet?!" Asked Storm.
"I haven't met with her again after I was freed."
"Uncle...." started Storm.
"How can I face her and my child looking like this!? Do you see why I want nothing to do with these additions!? By using them, I'm almost showing 'gratitude' for what was done to me! I cannot do that, nephew!" Said Pyros.
Storm was silent as he considered how to address his uncle's insecurities.
"Do you remember how I reacted after my accident?" Asked Storm.
Pyros nodded his head.
"I was pretty insecure about the changes to my body as well. And that caused me to push everyone away, including Aurora!
You helped me come to terms with what I was becoming!" Said Storm.
"Our circumstances are somewhat different, Storm. " replied Pyros
"Is it? Was I really so different to what you are now? Was my scar so different to your chest? Was my body weakness and pain so different to your own? Was my loss of fire breath so different to yours?" Asked Storm.
"...."
"I suppose it was not." Pyros finally replied.
"I realize now that I misdiagnosed your mind state. I thought that by helping you understand these new abilities, You would be able to accept them and move on with your life.
But I see now that your trauma runs deeper than that! I first need to help you reconcile with your estranged family." Said Storm.
Pyros shook his head in panic.
"Please don't do this, Storm!
I doubt I would be able to live with myself if she rejected me and feared me!" Exclaimed Pyros.
"She won't!! Not if what you told me was true! You remember the grief you had when our old family died! Do you want her to go through the same thing?! Do you want your child to grow up without a father?!" Exclaimed Storm.
"..."
"..."
"... No... I don't..." Said Pyros.
Storm placed a claw on his uncle's shoulder.
"Tell me her name."
"...Lumera..." replied Pyros.