It was not a skull, but the bone white, shelled countenance of a male Carapace Paragon. The rest of the his body, save for the spikes on his tail, was a dappled mix of pitch black and dark green, which made his face stand out in the darkness. Upon his back were a set of six, iridescent dragonfly wings, glowly eeriely in the moonlight. His eyes, too, looked rather sinister- two red orbs floating in the deathly mask that was his head. Karin felt something tighten within her. Was Ralkner sure that this fellow could be trusted?
"Is this your daughter?" the Carapace rasped, stepping into the den. If a rattlesnake could talk, Karin imagined it would sound like him. "She seems perfectly fit."
"Oh, she's not the one who's sick," Ralkner explained. He pushed past the apothecary and pointed to Rafale, sleeping soundly in her nest. "The hatchling is the one I want you to look at."
As the stranger walked towards Rafale, Karin sidled up to her father and whispered in his ear. "Um, dad, are you sure this guy is...reputable?"
"I'll have you know that I'm perfectly trustworthy!" the Carapace hissed in response, turning to glare at her. Karin jumped. She hadn't expected the doctor to be able to hear her. "My name is Mercurio. I travel all around the world, making curatives for anyone who needs them. Your father was wise to seek me out. There is no one better qualified to treat your sister than me."
"Karin, please give our guest some respect," Ralkner scolded. "He's come a long way. We need to let him do his work."
Karin flinched. She wasn't used to being reprimanded, and it stung like a wasp. Glowering, she backed up into a shadowy corner of the den and made herself comfortable.
So be it, she thought.
I guess I'll just sit here and watch what this creep does.