Under His Wings

Chapter 1: Hatching

“Mom, what was it like when you changed into a dragon for the first time?” Troye barged into the kitchen, where his mom was busy checking the supplies and writing out a list of groceries they needed.

She didn't even look up from her task.

“Terrifying.” She deadpanned, while neatly writing down the word carrots.

“Nooo, mom, come on!” Troye slumped against the counter, clearly not satisfied with her answer.

“But it's the truth! I didn't know what was going on; no one knew, and I was terrified.” Laurelle looked up shortly, explaining her past struggle as if she was talking about nothing more interesting than the weather.

“Ugh! That's not helping!” Troye groaned before leaving the kitchen again.

*#*#*#*

“Mooom! Did you ever feel, like, a strange tingling in your hands and feet before you changed for the first time?” Troye shouted from the bathroom after washing his hands, knowing his mom was just outside the door stacking towels into the hallway closet.

“No, Troye. At least not any different ones than those everyone else feels every now and again.”

Troye's face fell.

*#*#*#*

Troye dried his hands on the towel by the sink, just finishing helping with washing the dishes.

“Do you know those shivers I get sometimes, mom? I am getting them quite a lot more often recently. Could that be a sign that I'm going to change soon?”

Laurelle rested a comforting hand on her son's shoulder.

“I don't think those shivers have anything to do with changing, Tok, I'm sorry...”

Disappointed, Troye dropped the towel and slouched back towards his room.

*#*#*#*

“Holy...! Is it really this hot in here?” Troye sat up straighter on the couch, pulling his shirt away from his body and shaking it to cause some form of air movement to cool his burning skin.

The rest of his family looked at him as if he'd completely lost it; Sage even wrapped her fuzzy blanket closer around herself.

“What? Oh, wait! Could this be a sign that I'm changing?” His voice grew an octave higher as excitement took over.

“Honey... That's a sign that you have a hellish sunburn. Go, put some Aloe Vera on that.” Laurelle sighed.

*#*#*#*

Troye stumbled down the stairs from his room, clutching his stomach.

“Mom, I'm feeling really weird. Like, inside. It's all queasy and churning and I don't know. Is this something that could happen when you change?”

“No, Troye. What you're feeling is hunger. You've been locked in your room since after breakfast and eaten nothing all day. Here. That should tide you over until dinner.” She handed him a half empty jar of nutella. Troye took it out of her hands, but for once not even nutella could cheer him up. Shoulders hanging low, he made his way back to his room.

*#*#*#*

“Mom, if I never change into a dragon, will I at least have powers, like Steele?”

“I don't know, hon. There aren't many human-dragon hybrid children... It could very well be that you'll have some, but I can't guarantee you.”

*#*#*#*

“Hey, what's wrong, son?” Shaun elbowed him softly, making him look up from the noodles he'd been staring at for the past ten minutes.