Chapter 6: I'm disowning my dad.

Most people would hesitate to drink from someone's breast, or at least in the books I've read they're all embarrassed, but I don't think any of them were hungry. When a baby is hungry, they do not care where that milk is coming from. So, wanna guess what I'm doing right now?

What, breastfeeding? Nope, I finished eating a while ago actually. For now, I'm having a good old lazy digestion moment, while also revisiting all that info packed into the package labelled bedtime story. There are many parts of that story that don't add up, but what interests me the most is the part about the rain. What was that? Clouds are formed by water vapour, but how can there be water vapour when the planet is a burning rock? Hell, how did the fires burn? If the whole planet was rock, what was being used as fuel? I would put it down to magic, but the story explicitly states that mana entered the picture later, and normally that's what you use to do magic, right??

Actually, you know what? Maybe I should save my brainpower for better things then thinking about this; it's probably just a myth. How would they know what happened anyways when life didn't exist? This world doesn't seem very scientific, or at least not to the point of that discovery. So, I should probably focus on my current situation instead. Like for example, how Xenia and I are currently being kidnapped by our own father.

Oh okay, maybe kidnap isn't the right word, but it's pretty dang close. He walked in all chipper, leaned over and whispered suspiciously to mum, only to promptly be given the the stink eye. Eventually after getting a talking to, mum gave him permission, to which he scooped us up and left. So now here we are. Where is here you say? On a mother fucking cliff it appears.

"Now that both of you can move, it's time for flying practice!" Dad is practically oozing happiness at the moment, and it's really only making this whole situation worse. I mean, what the hell, as soon as we can move you're making us learn to fly? Are we in Sparta, dear insane father of mine? Actually, you know what, I'd rather not. I'll practice walking instead. I mean, what's he gonna do, throw me?

'He's fucking insane. He actually threw me. I'm going to die by the hands of my own doting father. Isn't this child abuse?' My wings are desperately flapping, trying to keep me from falling to my doom, however either they aren't strong enough or I'm not doing this right because the ground is still getting closer at an alarming rate. 'Think Nicole, think. How do birds fly? It isn't just flapping desperately that gets them soaring in the wind, is it? They only use the flapping motion to keep momentum but I've got plenty of that right now... I need to catch the draft! Go with the currents, don't try make your own!'

That decided, I stop futilely flapping and instead spread my wings out as far a they can go. It feels like I'm opening my arms super wide for a bear hug, and I can feel my young, tender muscles protest at this new, unfamiliar action. Ignoring it, I try distribute my weight evenly for the best balance in the air currents.

I feel a whoosh, and by some miracle I've done it! Holy shit, I'm flying! Well, actually I'm more gliding then flying but I'll take it if it means I'm spared a horrific death! Getting a bit comfy in this position, I decide to try angle myself back towards the cave I call home and land on beloved ground. I shift my weight over to my right side, leaning down in that direction like planes do when positioning themselves to land, and it seems to be going great as I've turned halfway around. Luck doesn't seem to be my friend though, as just as I lay my eyes on the opening on my family's cave, my wings start to cramp and subsequently buckle, leaving me back to where I was to begin with. Falling straight down.

"Daaaaadd!! I hate youuuuuuu!!" I scream in despair, and just as the tears in my eyes threaten to come pouring down a gust of wind blows past, bringing with it warm tender hands grabbing my sides and pulling me into a protective embrace. It seems this heartless father of mine has finally decided to spare his pitiful daughter. Damn right you should, but I'm not going to be forgiving you. "You did so good Nicole! You're so amazing, learning how to balance that quick! You must be a genius. Hey, Nicole, wasn't that so fun? Do you wanna do it again? I must've heard you wrong earlier, I thought you said you hated daddy, but that can't be right, can it? Hey, Nicole? Nicole, you don't hate daddy, right?" This asshole's been babbling since earlier, and with each passing sentence I'm not responding too he's getting more nervous and panicked. That's right you bastard, you better feel uncomfortable.

"I want mum. I hate dad." I refuse to even look at him while saying this, and appears to have given him a big blow. "h, hate?! Baby girl, what do you mean?! Don't you love your amazing daddy? What do you mean you want your mum??" He sounds on the verge of tears, but I'm not budging on this. "Mum. I want mum." I stare at him with the most indifferent, cold eyes I can muster while saying this, and he seems to give up, flapping the wings that have at some point sprouted out of his back once in a powerful motion that sent us right back up to the cave.

Oh yeah, did I mention where the cave is? Right near the top of a huge mountain range. It's ridiculous. I mean, I get that dad can fly, but how on earth are the rest of us supposed to get up and down without him?? Not to mention how cold it would be up there. I have to wonder if my parents are hiding from something or someone to make their home right up there. Or maybe it's just dad's nesting instinct as a dragon? Do dragons have nesting habits? On top of that, I've not seen any precious metals or anything around either. Isn't that what dragons do? Grab anything expensive and/or shiny? Maybe the dragons here are different to the ones we idolize and obsess over on earth.

Just as I'm getting caught up in my intense desire to learn about everything in this new world, we've reached the platform I was dropped of. Xenia is still there, frozen in fear and staring at my dad like he's about to sell her to the black market. Where she dad putting me down, she toddles over on her short stubby dragon legs and nudges me. "You're ok?" She asks in her low gravelly voice that suddenly feels incredibly soothing, and I can't help but lean over her and whimper. "That, that was so scaaaary!! I hate dad! I want mum!"

Just like that, the concern she shows me makes me burst out into tears. Leaning onto the confused, only slightly larger body of my older sister, we both leave dad to fidget nervously in the background, wondering if he'd made a mistake and was going to be shouted at.