"We'll need to figure out a name for you, don't we?" I said as I looked at the adorable little thing.
"Chirp?" an inquisitive sound was my response.
"Hmm, thematically a dragons name is three words of power but you aren't fully dragon. Let's go with Lokjun, Sky ruler. You are part bird after all which is part of Kyne's domain and then dragon too so there's Akatosh. Both gods can claim you as their own." I said with a smile.
"Chirp!" the little thing chimed, demanding food.
I chuckled "Already so tyrannical, maybe Thur(tyrant) would have been more accurate?" I said but moved over to my desk and took out a few fatty fillets of Horker from my refrigerator.
It wasn't exactly fresh but with a little heating it would good enough. I carefully did so before using [telekinesis] to smash it into a paste. I put the bowl in front of the insistent creature and pushed it's head down into the bowl gently. It smelled the food and felt the paste on it's beak and wasted no time at all scarfing it down. To my surprise it finished the whole bowl with a bulging belly and contented squawk.-
"Oh gods, I'm going to go broke feeding you aren't I?" I muttered helplessly as I wrapped the thing back up and cleaned up the mess it made.
The day was already crawling to an end so I whiped up a quick set of spiced skewers for my dinner before calling it a night. I didn't dare leave the little thing unattended and could only helplessly hold it close as I drifted to sleep. I was awoken early in the next morning by an insistent nibbling on my fingers. Not like it was actively trying top hurt me so much as just idly chewing on something to pass the time.-
Even though that was the case it was NOT a pleasant experience at all. In fact I was pretty sure that if my skin wasn't as hard as cured leather I'd probably have lost a finger rather than just been uncomfortable. It was almost too cute to be mad at as I stared at the unrepentant little monster as it stared back at me with big slitted golden eyes. Until it went back to chewing on my finger that is.-
"Stop that!" I said firmly as I lightly flicked it on the beak.
"Chirr-up!" the little fellow actually had the gall to complain!
"You're lucky you're cute." I huffed as I got up letting the thing flop awkwardly on the bed from losing it's support.
I cleaned up and made a quick breakfast for me and the little monster. I then picked it up and held it crooked against my chest like one might a cat or baby as I left my room. I left the hall of attainment that was silent from how early it was and went out to the courtyard. I set the thing on the grass and took a seat on a bench to watch it. -
It was mind meltingly adorable how it wobbled unsteadily across the grass smelling everything and batting at the longer pieces of plant life and flowers. It was like watching a kitten play almost. My soul still ached a bit but a good nights sleep had helped a good amount as I wasn't in nearly as much pain anymore. Honestly everything was peaceful and quiet for a good hour or so. All good things end however, whether naturally or in this case when an asshole ruins them.-
"What is that THING!?" a sharp male voice spoke with clear disgust.
I looked at the source of the voice and to absolutely no surprise saw the Thalmors "college advisor" Ancano. He was a tall elf, six five at least, with sharp pure bred Altmer features and the thin stiff stature they were known for. His face curled in anger and disgust as he stared at the little one playing in the flowers.
"None of your concern." I said calmly with a hint of threatening firmness.
He turned his gaze to stare at me and a flicker of revulsion crossed his features.
"How dare you speak to your betters in that tone mutt!" he spat out that last word like bile on his tongue.
"Your insults mean nothing to me, I don't care for the barking of ants." I said flatly.
"You dare!?" he screamed in anger as lightning sparked into existence in his gloved hands.
"ANCANO!" a firm familiar voice spoke up before the elf could give me a reason to kill him.
The lightning died immediately as the Altmer stiffly faced the unhurried and stern approaching visage of Archmage Aren.
"Archmage." The thalmor spat out as if the very word tasted foul on his tongue.
"You looked about to attack a student of the college, care to explain?" Aren asked calmly but in a tone that said no excuses would work.
"He insulted me." Ancano said with a glare at me.
"Typical thalmor, leaving out the part where they started it. What he isn't telling you is that he insulted myself and my familiar here first. His intended attack only came after I told him of how insignificant he and his insults are to me." I explained calmly.
The look the Altmer gave me was downright venomous at my words, truth being irrelevant to him.
"Is that so?" Aren asked the man for confirmation.
To the slimy fuckers credit he steeled his face into a mask of calm before answering.
"I may have let my biases get a temporary hold of my sensibilities." he said.
"See to it that it does not happen again. Am I understood?" Aren said firmly.
"Yes, archmage." the elf said before walking away like just standing there is hurting him.
"You should have let him attack me." I said with a regretful sigh.
"And have to explain to the thalmor ambassador how their operative was killed by you? I'd prefer not." Aren said with a sigh.
"It would have only been my problem. Not like I'm not already on their shit list. I very much doubt they haven't put out a kill order on me amongst their ranks." I said calmly.
"You misunderstand. Their hostility towards you is not the key here, it's the leverage they'd get against the college. It would be all too easy to twist the narrative if you had killed Ancano." he said taking a seat next to me on the bench.
"Hmmm, I'll have to see about getting him somewhere nobody would find out then." I said thoughtfully.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Now then I happened to have been on my way to ask about this adorable little fellow when that unpleasant business came up." he said with a smile as Lokjun walked up to him fearlessly and sniffed his robes.
"A draconic mutated gryphon, it hatched yesterday. I've named it Lok Jun or Sky ruler in the dragon tongue." I explained as I scooped up the thing before it could try and take a bite of the mans robes.