The Heirs

Average Dinner In The Haddock Household

"Changewing!" I whispered, holding The Book Of Dragons. I had compared my sketch of the dragon I had spotted earlier to the ones in the old Book Of Dragons and had found Changwing's. They spit acid when fighting and could camouflage into its surroundings. Hmm fitting name.

"Zephyr!" My mother called. I set down the books and jumped off the stairs. I spotted my dad engrossed in paperwork standing near the fire. I sauntered over and peeked over his shoulder. I was nearly tall enough to do so.

 "Zephyr, were you the one responsible for your brother jumping off a hill to get away from that yak again?" He asked with a look on his face. 

"Not this time." I grinned 

My brother chose that moment to stumble into the room and sit at the table with a scowl at me. It was because I ditched him. Again.

"Oh, Nuffink don't be so sore about it" I laughed. "There were some things I had to do without you."

"Like what?" He prodded. Nuffink was always the nosy sibling.

"I spotted A changwing in the forest today, near one of the main waterfalls." I beamed.

Both of my parents stopped in their tracks and looked at me. I immediately knew what they were going to say. "Don't worry he went back into the forest and didn't spew that acid stuff anywhere. He just needed water." I reassured 

They shared a look and my father asked "How did you know it was a changwing?"

I leapt up the stairs and plucked the book of my floor to show them. "I had time to sketch him before he sauntered off" 

My father took the book from my hands and studied it, nodding. But I could see questions on his face. Nuffink asked those questions aloud.

"Why would a dragon like that be all the way out here? Unless something is drawing them in?" he inquired. "Or pushing them out." I finished.

My parents looked to each other again and my father handed the book back to me. "Its to late for this." My mom sighed "Lets eat and we can talk about it tomorrow." 

Gobber then walked in with dinner. He was our cook, and mentor. His half grin stopped as he took in my parents faces. "What happened now?" he asked as set down dinner and Nuffink dove in. My parents filled him in while dinner was being eaten. I sat quiet, listening to every detail they said. After dinner the adults took to the fireplace and I wondered upstairs with Nuffink on my heels. I grabbed him by shoulders as we reached the hallway and put him in a headlock. Ruffling his hair, I whispered "Come with me" and let him go. He followed after quieting his laugh. I opened the wooden attic door and crept up the ladder. I flicked on a lantern and opened the nearest chest, revealing our parents old dragon armor.

"WHOAH!" Nuffink gasped and I held a finger to my lips and giggled at his reaction. I held up dads helmet and ran my fingers over the Night Fury scales that made it. It never ceased to amaze me just how much father did when he was younger. Nuffink took up an axe which held mom's initials on it. He swung it around and seemed to take a natural ease to it. I laughed and dug unitl I found what i was looking for. I held up the leather straps and began attaching them to me. 

Nuffink stopped and looked at me, mouth agape. I walked over to the mirror and admired the suit-like outfit I adorned. The pouch I strapped to my thigh would hold my sketchbook and map. The one to my forearm is where I kept my paper to expand the map and the gloves on my wrist and hands would keep them braced. My leather skirt adorned in studs and the red fabric covering my stomach up to the start of my ribs would keep my core stabilized along with the lose leather corset. 

I turned to grin at my brother. "Wanna go on an adventure Nuffink?"