As the healing magic flowed into Fredric, he not only became more lucid, but his injuries started to repair themselves. The gash on his chest closed back together, after copious amounts of red blood retreated back inside his human form. Black charring that criss-crossed his chest in the shape of the laminium chains he'd had to sacrifice in order to get away, and the burnt skin around his neck, slowly disappeared, whilst the bones in his broken arm and ribs knitted themselves back together, all under Yoyo's expert guidance.
Aware enough now of what was going on around him, he stared into Peter's eyes, something he'd been desperate to do for so long, part of the motivation that had helped keep him sane in the icy hellhole of Antarctica. As he motioned to be put down, Peter obliged as gently as he could. Unsteady on his feet, it didn't stop the founder of the Crimson Guards from clasping his grandson by the elbow and pulling him in tight. Words wouldn't do that instant justice, a moment both dragons would cherish for the rest of their natural lives, however long that might be.
"My boy..." was all that Fredric could manage, as brilliant, glistening teardrops streamed down his face.
"Grandfather!" the youngster uttered with a certain sense of fulfilment. "I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have been there for so long. When Flash said he'd found you, I tried to get them to launch a rescue mission, but the Council wouldn't have any of it."
"Slow down, son. It's alright. I understand, and it certainly isn't your fault. Besides, we have more pressing matters on our hands. Let's just concentrate on what's in front of us."
Nodding, the young hockey playing dragon acceded to his grandfather's wisdom.
At exactly that moment, a delicate, little pale hand appeared between them, offering a transparent bottle to the barely recovered Fredric. It was Janice, offering out some water she figured might be much needed, something she'd purloined from one of Yoyo's charges.
"Thanks," declared Peter's grandfather, before downing the whole bottle in one, still constantly on the move with all the others.
"And just who would you be?" he asked, tossing away the empty water bottle on the floor.
"This is Janice and she's..."
"A HUMAN!" Fredric snarled.
Scared at the look that had just come over the human shaped dragon's face, the young bar worker retreated back as far as she dared.
"What the hell is a human doing here, in our domain?"
Sensing the tension in the situation, Hook sidled up beside Janice in an effort to give her some moral support.
"TWO OF THEM!" Fredric bellowed, incredulous.
"Grandfather... calm down. PLEASE!" urged Peter.
"What the hell is going on?" the Crimson Guards founder persisted. "Has the world changed this much since I've been away? They should not, under any circumstances, be here!"
"But..." started Peter.
"No buts! Humans shouldn't be anywhere near our world. It just isn't right!"
Head downcast, looking almost tearful, young Peter felt torn apart inside as the battle raged on around them all. Confusion, trepidation, fear, anger and every mixture of love possible surged throughout his body, rolling the insides of his stomach, forcing his legs to weaken. Hearing his grandfather speak like this about the woman he loved, shattered his heart in two, decimating him entirely.
Stepping forward, Hook had heard enough. But Yoyo's outstretched wing prevented him from getting any further.
"Fredric," ventured Yoyo softly. "You know not of what you speak, and given the trouble we find ourselves in, there isn't time to bring you up to speed in detail. Needless to say, those here without fangs and flames are valued as much as those with. While I wasn't there personally, I do know that Janice and Hook here helped provide a rescue, without which, none of us would be here. Without them, Flash would be dead, and you'd still be rotting away in that prison cell in Antarctica. There's more to it than all of that, but take my word, both these beings are as worthy as any dragon I've ever met. They're courageous, fearless, cunning and ruthless. Oh, as well, that weapon out there that saved your life... she's the one controlling and guiding it. Without her, you'd be well and truly dead at least twice over. Please... take my word on all of this."
All the time on the move, gaining ground on the besieged monarch, Fredric ran both freshly repaired hands through his long, straggly hair, taking in everything that was so new, eyeing his grandson, noticing the distress he'd caused him.
Looking up from his self pity and emotional conundrum, courage from somewhere inside he didn't realise he had, raised its head.
"They're my friends, grandfather, and I love each of them to bits." (One a little more than the other... obviously.) "As Yoyo's already explained, we wouldn't have this fighting opportunity without them."
Considering his kin's words, the hulking founder of the Crimson Guards brushed himself off, before turning to address both Janice and Hook, towering over them as he did.
"You both have my sincerest apologies. You must excuse my lack of manners; I'm afraid that the events of today are proving to be a little too much for me. That said... it's no excuse for the way I've acted towards you both. If what I've been told is true, and I've no reason to doubt it, then it will be an honour to fight beside you. The very last thing I am is a racist, and in the past I've fought tooth and nail to protect humankind. I'd give my life in a heartbeat in an effort to keep humanity safe. It was, for me, just a shock realising what you were, and that you were down here fighting beside those of my kind. In my day, that wouldn't have been possible under any circumstances. You have my thanks, and once again my sincerest apologies."
Leaning forward, Fredric grasped Janice's delicate little hand, raised it up and planted a faint kiss on the back of it. After that, it was Hook's turn. Hoping that he wouldn't get the same treatment, he was duly reassured when Fredric clasped his hand in the mother of all handshakes. Donald Trump would have met his match with this one, was all that he could think.
Pleased with the outcome, and proud of the class his grandfather had shown in admitting being wrong, a major doubt sought to engulf the young hockey playing dragon. If he'd acted like this on finding humans battling alongside them, how on earth would he react when he found out about his love for the petite blonde bar worker? Scared almost out of his skin, he shared a split-second look with the love of his life before turning away to face Richie, and beyond the shield, the king and his comrades. As they edged closer, there was just so much for him to worry about.