It was funny how easily she'd slept after nearly tearing the limb of their captive. She'd nearly vomited afterward her brain echoing the haunting knowledge of what she'd done to someone who looked to be little more than a year old. A child still in terms of longevity and the timespan of the average life. After that she'd grown ill and unable to hold down anything nutricious except a cracked coconut that she'd gnawed disgustedly at only because Takara insisted she try it. That had stayed down....but she would never touch those disgusting fruits ever again. Despite the ache in her gut and the dull, listless sort of look her eyes had taken on the sound of someone outside the den had her lift her head and nudge Naoyuki and Miwa backward as she stood up already half stumbling half marching from the den her eyes sharp before she spotted the visitor. Her eyes went wide and she looked him over marvelling once more at his growth and this time managing to ignore the missing leg. "Orochi" she said and winced at the sound of her children squalling all too aware of how strongly she would smell of them on top of his mother. Her tongue froze within her maw and her thoughts did the same within her head....for once she didn't know what to say or whether anything should be said at all.

The hatred.
It radiated from him strongly.
Minori's ears shifted back and she stared at the young dragon, eyes roaming his face for a long moment. If it weren't for Takara's presence the boy would never have gotten any fondness from her. If not for Deku always seeing something good within the explosive fire she probably would have tossed him away from her in the beginning. The promise...that she'd protect him was one she'd taken as seriously as she could when dealing with a violent child who wouldn't accept any of the care she offered when she had. The guilt for the loss of her temper before Issun died, it weighed heavily on her heart. That moment when her fallen and foolish love lay broken on the ground bleeding out with his last movements, all she had seen was the look on Orochi's face. It was a reminder that he was only still just a boy if not one with mutiple problems and it was the moment she'd promised to try. She had....she had tried to find him but the cliffs had fallen and the sea swept her away.

He said she had nerve coming here and she gave a short laugh as she'd been here months and he'd been gone...she had as much of a right as he did though she wasn't dumb to the fact she'd stalked him to the island before he'd vanished. The hostile words were something she was used to but it wasn't welcomed near her den and she tossed a glance over her shoulder at her children who'd be left without warmth if she didn't stay put and return to them soon. "I deserve a fresh start from the hell we both experienced before everyone got seperated. Do you blame me for the earth shaking too?" she was tired of dancing around the issue between them, her eyes flashing as she stepped further outside her den and closer to him. She didn't care if he attacked her, she figured it was a long time coming anyway but she wanted him away from the children. 

He snapped and she held steady remembering the tiny lives behind her. Tail flagging high she stared into his eyes as he spewed more venom....but this time they missed their mark. "You dont want me here" she corrected her voice going hard as steel as she bared her fangs snarling to warn him against taking another step. "I am Jiàngguān​. Hua wanted me here. I have fought by her side, hunted with her. I have helped save a packmate's life" she uttered the words hoping they'd be a smack to his face while the real poison was rising up her throat with the lift of her hackles "Your mother wants me here...I found her and brought her back. You won't chase me or her away, she is my wife now and we have children" she was growling now the passionate declaration bursting out without a care about overwhelming him. It was time that someone else be held responsible for their actions instead of her shouldering the blame, she desired peace and she'd come to Yuelong to work for it. "Your entire life I tried with you, to keep you from wandering off, I tried to approach you nicely. Deku loved you and you hurt him too. You blame me for everything that you've brought on yourself by not staying with me as I have only ever asked you to do. I asked you to stay, to help me protect your mother and survive together. You just wanted to go fight"  the angry tirade paused and she stood sucking in a breath through parted fangs before hissing out  "I finally have everyone together and if you don't want to be our family then get the fuck away from my den" the words were cold but final, her heart thumping rapidly inside her chest as she tensed expecting to fight him away from her den. 

Her breath rose fast from her lungs, the emotion building within her at the gurgled noise her words caused. She hated it. She hated this. Issun had caused this by being the one to bring Orochi into this world. Issun was the one who gave life to this strife...all of it. Causing Takara to shatter and leave her with the embodiment of an inferno to raise with her gentle son. It was Issun who'd abandoned her when she was working hard for Cry on top of that and Issun who refused to acknowledge his mistake and take care of his son. 

Orochi hadn't known his father so the blame was hers. 

Minori had tried though..the best she could with everything life threw at them.  The fireflies...she'd wanted him to hear the stories that Deku had found so fascinating. When she'd learned he enjoyed fighting she'd tried to encourage it with safety. When he vanished she would be the one to do what Takara should have been there to do...scold him. All at once she realised her life and it seemed that she had focused on Orochi and Takara....and not her own child or fixing things with Issun before he died. The dragon who survived while Megumi could be anywhere..even turned into life for the earth by now. The dragon who still greeted her with seething hatred when she'd lost everything too.  The thought snapped something inside of her like a twig "I brought her inca-" the hushed words were still like ice but cut off as he screamed at her, denying any fault and blaming her again. Sucking in a breath she growled deep within her chest the countdown ticking on when she'd lose it. As he backed away she stood firm swallowing down the lump in her throat that was equal parts rage and angst "She's hear because I kn-" once again she tried to explain she brought Takara here to see if he'd be back. To fight against the urge to get him down and make him eat sand to silence his screams.  It wasn't her fault Hua threw her into the General rank, she hadn't expected it and while it brought her honor she truly hadn't done enough to warrant it. Before she could finish he roared at her and she sucked in a sharp breath as he collided into her his jaws tearing across her shoulder as she sprawled into the sand. Within seconds she was twisting and rising to her paws surging back toward him with her jaws parted, head turned to the side to try and grip him by the side of the neck where she'd use her momentum to knock him further from the den. The General's temper had exploded, snarls tearing through the air and shattering whatever peace was left around them. 

Releasing his neck the sharp taste of blood filled her mouth and she let the saliva pool before spitting it the sand just as he launched again. His body sent hers to the ground and she fell to her back his jaws coming toward her face, ducking her head she managed to avoid taking fangs to the face but where her left ear had once been there was fire. Screaming her eyes went wide and she tucked her hind legs against her body, thrusting them upward aiming toward his sensitive bits. If contact was made she would lunge upward and slam her head into his windpipe to knock the breath from his lungs before she'd twist free and regain her footing. The blood poured down her forehead in crimson rivulets and she shook her head flinging it to the sand in droplets before it could go into her eyes. She flicked her ears and only felt one, the other erupted in pain once more and she stared at him with nothing but hatred, sensing the true intent he had to hurt her. 

Eyes of different hues moved to the sand and hers followed staring at the removed ear. Where she felt a surge of horror and disgust Orochu must have been proud because he came for her again. Not moving she dug her paws into the sand his body colliding with hers and this time only sending her back a few feet as she reared up to meet him her forelegs going to wrap around his neck. Staring down there was only a second's pause, a breath where she saw the little dragon with a hot temper and not the vicious young man assaulting her. Then as fangs tore across her chest the warmth of blood that pooled speaking to the depth of it she lost all sense of control. Jaws parted she began to bite and tear in frenzies going for his face, his neck, his shoulders...wherever she could manage to land as she balanced on her hind legs her enraged snarls loud enough that most of Yuèlóng probably heard it. "You are a disgrace!" she screamed into his ears pausing from her assault and dropping back slipping toward her den opening taking back her defensive stance, realising as she looked down that there was a good bit of blood pouring to the sand. "Hua will know" she spoke the words that weren't a threat but a promise, their leader would be hearing from her soon. The negativity surrounding their home on top of Orochi's threat and assault had a massive stick shoved deep up her butt that she wasn't going to keep up there very long. 

Breathing raggedly she stumbled inside her den watching him back in the opposite direction. She took note of the way her limbs shook, the violent trembling on every inch of her body as her heart hammered dangerously against her chest. Why had such a quick fight taken so much out of her? Her eyes remained cold and focused on the dragon unfazed by the way blood poured from his wounds. She'd lost an ear and taken a good gash to the chest, he'd earned every single slice she had made with her fangs. "It is done" she panted out between sucks in of breath her eyes narrowing "You try again and you'll be seen as an enemy. I'll kill you" she growled the last threat out. It was done...all of it...The boy was no longer her son nor her ward but rather someone she deemed a threat to her family. She'd stay put bleeding into the sand until he has vanished and then slid to the sand calling out weakly for Takara.