Chapter 9: Variety is the spice of life

Well, now that I've seen my parents status', my siblings won't be able to surprise me. My heart has been though enough that I'm now as tranquil as a placid lake. Bring it on.

"Start with Xenia, Nicole." Well, mum has spoken and she's in charge.

*Ding*

---Status---

Name: Xenia

Age: 1

Race: Dragon (Winged)

Title: none

Stigma: Stand your ground

Humanization: 5%

---Status---

It's rather bare compared to mine and our parents, but what can you really expect from a normal baby. Her stigma seems rather interesting too. Let's check it.

Stigma - Stand your ground: when trying to protect someone or something, (like the holders ideals/morals or an object) the holder will never break down. In battle, the holder will take little to no damage unless completely overwhelmed, and other situations, the holders mental state will never waver. They're stupidly stubborn, in other words.

Wow, a whole stigma and life's calling based on how stubborn she is? That's a whole new level. Right, never get into an argument with Xenia, I'll just get angry. Well, I guess I'll just tell her.

"Your stigma is just how stubborn you are." I tell it right to her face, staring right into her eyes, which in hindsight might have been dumb, because I've been promptly punched. "OWW!! Xeniaaaaa, why are you so mean." She got me straight in the nose, and I cower with tears in my eyes at the pain. "Nicole... tell us the actual definition." What, no sympathy from mum? How heartless. Well, might as well actually say the definition.

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In the end, I had to look through all my siblings status', and none of them had anything fun except for their stigmas. They were as follows.

Julian's stigma - Domestic: has very good dexterity. Is good at all domestic activities. Cooking, cleaning, you name it the holder will enjoy it. The holder will make a perfect stay at home spouse, or perhaps a chef. How cute.

Rowans stigma - Heart of gold: A beautiful pure soul who live for the sake of others, the holder improves rapidly when using their abilities for the sake of helping people. Incredibly talented at healing and buff magic. Not the kind of person to get into politics.

Azazel's stigma - Quiet: With the exception of those close to the holder, like family or those with strong feelings towards the holder, the holder always goes unnoticed if they want to. Their footsteps are silent, they don't talk much, they're just eerily quiet; also loved by the darkness.

Stigma's really can be anything, huh. Julian's is funny, Rowan's is cute, and Azazel's is just creepy. My parents seem to agree with my assessment of the situation, because they're looking at the five of us with rather complicated, lukewarm gazes. "Why have none of our children inherited my combat prowess?" Mum seems slightly disappointed about this, but honestly this is for the better mum. None of us want to end up like you, you crazy murderer. Meanwhile dad has picked up Julian with sparkling eyes and decided to teach him how to cook.

… aren't you supposed to mention how men should be fighters? No? Well, toxic masculinity sucks anyways, so I guess this works.

"Mum, can we learn magic?" I've finally asked my long awaited question. I now have proper justification to ask too. According to status, Rowan and I are both talented in magic. It seems Azazel is loved by the darkness, so maybe that also counts as an affinity to magic? Either way, we now have proper reason to learn, and damn I'm excited.

"Hmm, I suppose we could start teaching you all the basics. But, you need to learn how to fight as well. Being totally imbalanced towards only knowing one thing and being unable to defend yourself without that one thing is a good way to get captured by humans and turned into a pet." Mum started nodding and went off to talk to dad about a teaching schedule, but I was still caught on what she said. "Captured by humans and turned into a pet? What? Why would they do that. Do the humans here have some sort of archaic slavery or something? "Mum, why would I become a pet? I don't think I'd become a pet." Mum turns back towards me.

"You're right. Because you're a hybrid, you wouldn't become a pet. Instead, they'd either make you a battle slave or dissect you to figure out what made you the way you are. Your siblings are the ones who would become pets. Except for Xenia, dragons are almost extinct after all. She'd suffer the same fate at you."

Xenia and I shuddered, with a newfound fear of humans and their cruelty put into our small, young minds. And it's good that that fear and wariness was there, because it's going to be what kept us alive in the future.

For the next few days, we trained our bodies. I'd requested to learn magic, but our parents had decided that basic self defence and the ability to run quickly were more important for now. At first I was doubtful, thinking that we were too small and weak to be learning all of this, but I guess because we're animals and not humans, we grew rapidly. To the point that I could feel it when I woke up each day. It seems that our status recognises age as body maturity and not how many years you've lived, because our age is now 4 half a year after our birth. It's strange, but I'm actually glad.

Our daily schedule for the last 3 or so months now consists of:

7am - wake up, freshen up, drink some water,

7:15 - Do basic muscle training, cardio training, flexibility training and some stamina training

8:45 - breakfast ❤

9:30 - more training, this time self defence

10:30 - Xenia and I do flight training, the other 3 go off for hunting and climbing practice and get lunch

Midday - hour long break while dad and Julian make lunch and we eat it.

1pm - anatomy lessons for different humanoids for some reason. I'm not complaining though, it's fascinating.

3pm - nap time. What? We're toddlers.

5pm - another stupid workout. How am I the only one who doesn't enjoy this?!

6:30 - finally, dinner. After we eat, we're allowed to do whatever we want, but after a couple of hours all of us babies are dead to the world.

The days were long, but satisfying enough that they went by all too fast. By the time I've realized it, Things had changed so much. Xenia and I can properly fly, we're all fit and powerful, our minds had matured a bit, we were weaned of mums breast milk, and it's finally time to learn some good old fashioned magic!