Chapter 3

I'm starting to get bored again. It has been six months since I was "born," I have thoroughly explored this cave, which is not very deep. The only thing I found was more stalactites. I even took time to identify the minerals and ores here: limestone, calcite, and dolomite. Luckily, those are farther back in the cave, so my mother and I aren't constantly exposed to them. They are toxic to humans and animals. Mother spends most of her time eating, sleeping, hunting, or watching me fondly as I explore. I miss my smartphone.

Luckily, today was a change in routine. When I woke up in the morning, I stretched long from the tip of my claws to the end of my tail like a cat. Looking around, I first noticed that the usual spot where my Mother would be lounging was empty. Turning, I found her at the entrance of our cave, looking down the cliff at something below. Making my way to her, I bumped my nose against her hind leg affectionately and peered over at what she was gazing at. Far below and as far as the eye can see, there was nothing but ice, snow, and exposed sharp rocks. My eyesight was better than a human's, and I could not pick out a single blade of grass or even a gnarled piece of wood. It seems we live in a wasteland.

Turning back to look at my Mom, I found her staring at me intently. I was getting nervous. She straightened up and extended her wings slowly as she would fly, but instead of leaping off and flying off, she continued to look at me.

After a second thought, I realized she wanted me to spread my wings. We are starting flying lessons.

Leaning back onto my tail like a third leg for support, I spread my "arms" out like embracing the rain as if I were still human. Giving a satisfied snort, she lowered her wings and herself to the ground. She then approached me, careful not to stir up any wind that could topple me over, which, while embarrassing, wouldn't harm me and my tough scales. I was far enough from the cliff that she would have to shove me with force for me to go over.

Sniffing my wings, she seemed to be studying them. Most likely, they are trying to see how far along they are in their growth. After a while, she released another satisfied huff before returning to her usual level. With a jerk of her head, she indicated for me to follow her.

With cautiousness, we approach the cliff once more. Honestly, she seemed way more nervous about this than I was, and I've seen baby birds fail to make their first flight out of the nest. I guess it's time to learn to fly. Huh, that was a bar.

Taking a deep breath, I puffed out my chest. I'm ready. The world better watch out. The first step is learning how to fly. Once I do that, I can go anywhere and see the whole world without anything holding me back. From the corner of my eye, I can see my mother huffing in amusement at my little display of bravado. Did I forget to mention that I'm scared of heights?