Tiene & Dilbert

“Come Dilbert,” Tiene called. “That’s a good dragon.” 

Dilbert, a four legged, blue-purple-teal, irredentist-scaled, leather-winged, flying lizard, approximately the size of a fat house cat, soared across the room and landed on Tiene’s shoulder. 

“I’m 150 years old,” Dilbert said in a soft whine, after perching on Tiene’s shoulder. “You needn’t speak to me like we were kids.”

“If I don’t tease you every once in a while, you sulk. Besides, you’ll always be my little dragon. I was a young pup myself when we met.” 

Tiene caught a glimpse of his reflection in the glass around one of his seed-starter housings. Silver hair had been his since his youth, but faint lines around his eyes and lips betrayed his years of working in the sun. He flashed his sharp teeth, looking for signs of cilantro stuck on them, then wiggled his pointed ears and laughed at himself. One should never take themselves too seriously.

Still, he looked pretty good for middle-aged Wolfeonite of 180 years old. If his lineage was anything to tell by, he would probably make it to 400 at least. His great-grandfather had been 450, though he was an anomaly. How do humans manage to do so much with their time when they barely make it to 200 much of the time (when they’re not fighting and killing each other much earlier)? 

He sighed and turned back to his shop, to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything, which he almost certainly was. The overcast skies parted allowing the heat of Sol to work it's way through the glass greenhouse roof, working it's warmth into Tiene’s sore muscles. Not many H’Eretzers used hand tools these days, but Tiene enjoyed becoming one with the soil in his personal garden. He felt his body attune to the inherent magical resonance of the soil. So he washed his hands in the rock hewn sink, which was fed by the property well.

As Sol washed over and warmed his face, Tiene allowed the cleansing power of Aurorafire to flow over him him, into his arms, out his fingertips, pulsing into nearby plants. The leaves of those closest to Tiene turned toward him, soaking in the radiance gratefully. One by one each plant took on a few new inches it hadn't known, and a few began the budding of the flowers that would become his award winning peppers. Sweet, just enough heat, and a living rainbow, they were the desire of foreign kings, though he always ensured they were available to anyone who desired them. Harnessing Sol’s Aurorafire allowed him the privilege of never being without the power he needed to encourage life in the most barren environments.

A soft tone from the wall, followed by a floating holographic screen wavering into his vision broke his attention from the vibrations of Sol. “Answer,” Tiene spoke to the screen. The smile of his wife's face came into focus.

“They're looking good T,” Shayanne said. “A few more days of this and you'll have the first batch of the season.”

“Perhaps,” Tiene said. “We shall see what the plants decide they want and when.”

Shayanne smiled, “T, there are visitors. Come.”

Tiene nodded, Shayanne nodded, and the screen disappeared.

Tiene raised his hands toward the glass screens, letting the energy of Sol flow through him to the wind screens, which opened to his connection letting Aurorafire fill the rest of the room. Rainbows danced through the open windows.

“Let's go see about these visitors,” Tiene spoke to himself as much as to Dilbert, who nuzzled onto both shoulders like a wrap around scarf. 

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Darrell Wolfe (DG Wolfe)

Storyteller | Writer | Thinker | Consultant @ DarrellWolfe.com

Clifton StrengthsFinder: Intellection, Learner, Ideation, Achiever, Input
16Personalities (Myers-Briggs Type): INFJ