When I was young, there were no dragons except my pack. It was all I had ever known. My first real memory of anything was me climbing out of the nest. I fumbled a bit falling headfirst into the ground. I picked myself up and tried waddling over towards my parents. Halfway there though I was consumed by a shadow. My brother had jumped onto my back crushing me. I still remember crying out. What I heard next made my heart stop. My brother had laughed. He then dug his claws deeper into my back digging into my wings. I looked up to our Mother.
She shook her head at me and called to him, "come boy."
He hopped over to her and sat down at her side. From where I was, I could see her pink eyes showering him with maternal adoration.
Thick hot tears pooled in my eyes and sniffling, I curled up into a ball. Again I could hear my brother laughing. My shoulders shook as I shuttered a breath as my cheeks grew wet. I laid a wing over my face to hide the tears. Something brushed across my wing with a tender touch. I peeked up to see our father smiling down at me. His amber eyes looked over me with warmth. Unfurling myself, I crawled between his forelegs still sniffling. He stroked my head and said softly, "it's alright, I'm here."
My brother bounded around my father facing me. Deep red eyes narrowed into slits and locked onto me. He crouched low. On instinct I rolled over showing my belly to him. He still lunged at me. I squeezed my eyes shut.
THUMP.
Opening one eye, I could see my father's foreleg stretched out. He had my brother pinned down. My brother thrashed wildly about; his wings flapping incessantly. Our father sighed and chided him. "None of that. Your sister already yielded to you. I won't have you attacking her without reason," our father tucked his head between his legs. He cast me a similar glance. He then said, "that goes for you too. I don't want you two fighting. Is that clear?"
I nodded.
Smiling, our father turned his gaze onto his son. My brother had tired himself out, all four legs splayed out beneath him. Upon seeing this, our father unpinned him. Still he had put his foreleg between us.
Rising up, my brother puffed up his chest, flared his wings, and growled.
The ground shook around us from our father laughing. He mirrored my brother's actions. I saw my brother flatten his ears and whimper. I lifted my chin up at him. I let out a squeak though when I was pushed towards him. Looking back, I gazed up at my father. He raised a brow.
"You are my babies. I don't want to see you two fight, alright?"
My brother and I both nodded.
A poke to my leg, I looked at my brother. He held his paw out with his ears still flat. He mumbled out, "sorry... I won't do it again. I just like playing with ya."
Knots formed in my stomach though I pushed them away. I nuzzled my brother. I said, "thank you. I'll try to play with you more."
A huge grin plastered over our father's face. He nuzzled us both before picking up my brother in his claws. I sat on the sidelines, happy to watch them wrestle and roll around in the dirt.
"Don't be so submissive."
I jumped. Whipping my head to the right, I saw Mother sitting next to me. Her gaze chilled me to the bone. Digging at the ground, I tilted my head up at her. Quietly, I said, "w-what do you mean m-mama?" She lowered herself to my level.
"You rolled over rather than stand. You blubbered rather than bite. You ran away rather than fight. You could have taken your brother on."
A lump had formed in my throat. I felt the hot sting of tears starting up again. My Mother sighed heavily, her hot breath hitting my face. Her gaze softened then. Nuzzling me, she cooed, "I just don't want you getting hurt my love. You and your brother are my heirs. I want you to be strong. Do you understand?"
Her tone and gaze brought my guard down. My tail wagged behind me as I nodded. Smiling down at me, Mother nuzzled my cheek.
If I had known then what I know now, I would have bit her.
