Mother landed back in the cave, her wings folding neatly against her back. Her expression was tense, her light-green scales seeming to glow with a soft, ethereal light in the dim cave. "I didn't find him," she said, her voice low and worried. "I searched the usual hunting grounds, but there's no sign of your father."
Lyriath sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Maybe he's just lost?" But Mother's expression suggested she didn't think so.
I felt a chill run down my spine. "What if something happened to him?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Mother's gaze met mine, and for a moment, I saw a flash of fear in her eyes. But then her face set in a determined expression. "We'll find him," she said. "We'll search the entire mountain if we have to."
Without another word, Mother spread her wings again, and this time, she gestured for us to follow. "Let's go," she said. "We'll search together." So me and a few of my siblings (except Kieraxys and Niamon)
The night air was cool and crisp as we took to the skies, our scales glinting in the moonlight. I flew close to Mother, my heart pounding with worry. 'Where could Father be? And what could have kept him out so late?'
As we soared through the darkness, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
Mother's gaze followed mine, and her eyes widened. "That is him." She flew down to the pond, and I followed. Father was indeed in the pond, his albino scales glowing in the moonlight.
He was motionless, and at first, I thought the worst. But then I saw his chest rise and fall with a slow breath. Mother landed beside him and nudged him gently with her snout. "What's wrong, dear?" she asked.
Before I ask (where were you?!) Father's eyes flickered open, and he looked down at Mother. "The crystal creature," he whispered. "It did something to me."
Mother's expression turned worried. "What did it do?" Father's voice was weak. "I don't know, but I feel...different."
Father looked at the water and put his head under water, caught a fish using his maw, and muffled "being hungry!"
Mother rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You were worried sick about you, and you're just hungry? Not just you are 'worried' but we were very worried!"
Father head emerged from the water, fish still flailing in his jaws, and grinned. "Priorities, my love and sorry for making you worried"
I chuckled, relieved that Father was okay. "Let's get out of here and eat, then." Father nodded, and we flew back to the cave, the fish still clutched in his maw.
Father swallowed the fish whole and said, "Just need more fish!" His eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint, and his albino scales seemed to shimmer in the dim cave light. Mother raised an eyebrow, a mixture of amusement and exasperation on her face.
"You just ate a whole fish, and you're already looking for more?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of teasing. Father's grin only grew wider as he rubbed his belly contentedly.
"Hey, a dragon's gotta keep his strength up," he said, his deep voice rumbling through the cave. "Besides, that crystal creature's energy has me feeling hungrier than usual."
Lyriath chuckled, shaking his head. "You're always hungry, Father." Kaidorix, however, looked intrigued. "Do you think the crystal creature's energy is making you hungrier, Father?"
Father nodded thoughtfully, his expression serious for a moment. "I think it might be. I feel...different. Like my body is craving more energy than usual."
Mother's expression turned concerned, and she moved closer to Father. "We should be careful. We don't know what that creature's energy might do to you."
Father's grin returned, and he wrapped an arm around Mother's shoulders. "Don't worry, my love. I'll be fine. I just need to eat a bit more, that's all."
With that, Father headed out of the cave, his eyes scanning the nearby waters for his next meal. "I'll be right back," he called out, his voice fading into the distance.
The rest of us settled in, waiting for Father to return with more fish. Niamon snuggled up close to me, her eyes watching the entrance of the cave with interest. "I hope Father brings back more fish," she said softly.
I smiled, ruffling her hair. "I'm sure he will, little one. Father's always good at catching fish."
As we waited, Lyriath began to tell a story about one of Father's previous fishing adventures, and the cave was filled with the sound of our laughter and chatter. But beneath the surface, I could sense a lingering unease. The encounter with the crystal creature had left us all a bit shaken, and we couldn't help but wonder what other surprises lay in store for us.
Mother gave me a serious look, her eyes locking onto mine as she said, "You can watch over him, right? Make sure he doesn't gluttonous himself again like a few days ago!" I nodded solemnly, trying to look as responsible as possible. Mother seemed to accept my nod, and with a final glance at Father, she turned to take to the skies. A few of my siblings followed her, flying in formation as they headed back to the mountain cave.
As Mother and the others disappeared into the distance, Kaidorix let out a low chuckle. "Gluttonous himself again? Father's always eating, isn't he?" Vyraxys chuckled in agreement, and I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, but Mother's right. We should keep an eye on him."
Kaidorix nodded, his forest-green scales glinting in the sunlight. "I'll help keep an eye on him. Besides, it's not like Father would listen to us if we told him to stop eating."
Vyraxys snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that. Father's got a one-track mind when it comes to food."
Father, who had been quietly observing our conversation, suddenly perked up. "Hey, I'm right here, you know! And I'm starving!"
Kaidorix grinned mischievously. "Oh, really? Well, let's go find you some more fish then!"
With that, Kaidorix and Vyraxys flanked Father, and the three of them set off towards the nearby waters. I followed closely behind, keeping a watchful eye on Father as he eagerly scanned the waters for his next meal.
As me and Kaidorix and Vyraxys stay watching over Father a bit, Father's eyes scanned the waters below, his stomach growling with anticipation. "Ah, perfect spot," he muttered to himself, spotting a school of fish swimming in the shallows.
Father's belly was indeed getting stuffed up. I felt a pang of worry, remembering Mother's concerns about Father's gluttony. Kaidorix and Vyraxys seemed to sense my unease, their eyes flicking between Father's expanding belly and my face.
Kaidorix spoke up, his voice low and measured. "Maybe we should intervene?"
Vyraxys raised an eyebrow. "Good luck with that."
I shot Vyraxys a look, but he just shrugged. "Hey, someone's gotta be realistic."
Father, still eating, seemed completely unaware of our conversation. His focus was solely on the fish, and his hunger seemed to be growing by the minute.
The scene was almost comical, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that Father's gluttony might be more serious than just a joke.
I spread my wings and flew at his eye level and use my puppy dog eyes and my wolf-fox ears drop in worried and Father stop and he couldn't resist my puppy dog eyes and that my ears are drop
Father's gaze met mine, and he couldn't resist my puppy dog eyes and the worried look on my face, combined with my wolf-fox ears drooping in concern. He paused mid-movement, a fish hovering in mid-air, and looked at me with a mixture of surprise and amusement.
For a moment, he seemed taken aback by my expression, and then a gentle smile spread across his face. "Alright, alright," he said, his voice softening. "I think I've had enough."
He swallowed the fish he had been about to eat and took a step back, his belly noticeably fuller than before.
He swallowed the last fish and spread his wings, his movements a bit more labored than usual due to his stuffed belly and said, "Come on, let go back to the mountain cave, sorry that I made you worried my wo.... I mean, little one!"
We flew back to the mountain cave, the setting sun casting a warm orange glow over the landscape. As we settled in for the night, Father's wings spread wide, inviting me to snuggle up beneath them.
I nestled into my favorite spot, feeling the warmth and security of his presence. It was a ritual we shared, one that brought me comfort and peace. The sound of Father's gentle breathing was like music to my ears, soothing my worries away.
As I drifted off to sleep, I could feel Father's gentle breath rustling my hair, his wings wrapped protectively around me. The sound of his steady heartbeat lulled me into a deep sleep, surrounded by the warmth and love of my family.
In that safe haven, I felt my eyelids growing heavy, my body relaxing into the warmth. Father's wings were my sanctuary, my haven. With a contented sigh, I let the darkness wash over me, safe under Father's wings.