Chapter 17

7 0 0
                                    


'Shit. I'm running late.' Dehious said, rushing around. 'Have you seen my keys? Oh, there they are.' He grabbed the keys, and ran out the door. 'Have a good day, honey!' he said, running out the door. 'You too!' Aidey called out to him, but the door was already closing and she could hear her mate's Camaro start up. He was really late. They both got too exhausted yesterday, and slept in. She looked at the hatchlings who were walking around her paws. They had curious eyes which were asking where their father had went. 'Your father has gone to work, little ones.' She said to the hatchlings. They whined, wanting their father back. 'He'll be back.'Aidey laughed, and walked towards the kitchen. 'Come on. Let's get you all fed up. Maybe we can play until he comes back after that.' She said. The hatchlings instantly brightened up at the word 'play', and happily followed her. She quickly prepared some food for her hatchlings, and laid them on the plate and helped the hatchlings onto their chairs. They literally inhaled the food, and Aidey, only having finished half her food, looked at them in surprise. She didn't know if the hatchlings were trying to look innocent, but they looked at her with wide and cute eyes. She laughed again, and took the plate from them and put some more on it from her plate. They started to eat again, and smiling, Aidey ate hers as well. This time the group almost finished at the same time, and when Aidey saw her hatchlings' bellies, they were round with food. After a bit of chuckling and quickly doing the dishes, she rounded up the hatchlings and walked outside her house. She knew the hatchlings would start destroying the house if they didn't go out, and she wanted some fresh air anyways.

'Aidey!' Someone called her when the family was out walking around. She turned around at the caller, and saw her friend. It was Ilina. She smiled immediately. 'Ilina! How are you doing these days? We haven't seen each other in months!' she said, walking over to her friend. 'Good. Hey, are they your hatchlings? They're so cute!' her friend said, and crouched down and looked at the hatchlings. 'What are their names?' she asked, looking at each of the hatchlings. 'This is Tasin, this is Green, this is Edward, and this is Lee.' She said. 'Say hi to aunt Ilina!' she then said, turning to the hatchlings. Tasin, Green, and Edward squeaked and Tasin jumped over to Ilina, while Lee hid behind his mother. 'Oh, how cute! They must be the joy of your life!' Ilina said, looking at Tasin and letting her play around with her tail. 'They are. Though they really have too much energy for me or Dehious.' Aidey said, smiling. 'That's why we are all out for a walk. So, what are you doing around here?' 'Nothing important. Just to go get some stuff, that's all.' Her friend answered. 'Got a mate yet?' 'Nope. Not yet.' 'Boyfriend?' 'No.' 'Well, we're still young. Still, hope you find one soon! It really makes your life different, you know. Having someone you love.' 'Yeah. It seems like that. Up for some coffee? I could use some rest, you know.'

So they went to have some coffee. The adults, that is. The hatchlings couldn't have coffee, and because they whined when they saw a row of cakes in the coffee shop, Aidey bought some. The coffee shop was where Aidey and her friends went often, so the coffee shop's owner knew her, and gave her hatchlings some cookies for service. Aidey thanked her, and rounded up the hatchlings and sat down with her friend. They talked for about an hour, then Ilina had to go somewhere, so they said their goodbyes and departed. By the time they departed, Tasin was chewing on Aidey's tail in boredom, Green and Edward fast asleep, and Lee looking at the texts on some fallen paper in curiosity. Aidey woke Green and Edward up, and took her tail from Tasin, and called Lee over and went out the coffee shop. They continued to walk around, but then Aidey suddenly just wanted to feel some air under her wings. It had been some time since she last flew. She didn't know if she could carry all four of her hatchlings, but decided to try. Lowering her back, she beckoned to the hatchlings to climb up. But she could only put two on her back. Specifically, one between her horns and one on her back. They were already bigger than what she thought. So she decided to grab Tasin and Lee by their stomach, and flapped her wings experimentally. Edward grabbed onto her wing joints to hold on, and Green squealed in delight. Grabbing the last two hatchlings, Aidey took off, slowly and steadily, into the sky. The hatchlings squealed in delight, and Aidey, smiling, sped up just a bit. Yes. This was what flying felt like. She hasn't been able to feel it for a few months as the hatchlings were making her busy. And now that she felt it, she knew how much she missed it. Maybe she should convince Dehious to fly with her when he came home.

She flew for about an hour when she decided to go back home. It was because of the hatchlings. They squealed in delight at first, but as time passed, they tired out. She felt the hatchlings getting tired, and changed her direction towards her home. She hadn't flown far, so it was a short flight back. When she landed, she carefully lowered Tasin and Lee, and lowered her back so Edward and Green could climb down. The hatchlings slowly climbed down off her, and she led them inside the house. Although they hadn't done anything but hold onto her, they looked exhausted. Even Tasin, who was usually energetic. She made them wash their paws, to which they whined in exhaustion, and put them to bed. By the time they were all sleeping, it was only 8. 'They haven't eaten dinner... guess they'll wake us up early tomorrow.' Aidey thought, and phoned her mate to see where he was. Turns out he was just about to open the front door. He just declined the call and entered the house. 'Where are out hatchlings?' he asked when he could see none of them. 'They're asleep. We went out for a flight and they got exhausted.' Aidey replied. 'What? Just you guys? What about me? Your mate?' Dehious exclaimed, a bit hurt. Aidey wrapped a wing over his, and nuzzled his neck. 'We'll go flying soon. Just the two of us. Sounds good for you?' Dehious smiled. 'Yeah. But make it soon? I miss just being with you.' 'Of course. I miss that too.'

'So where did you go?' Dehious asked after he showered, getting all the grime and dust off him from the day's work. 'Not far. Just around the town. Met Ilina though. You remember her? From our wedding?' 'Isn't she the violet dragoness?' 'That's Hasin.' Aidey said, unimpressed. 'Let me guess again. The red dragoness with two white horns, and looks energetic.' 'Yeah. That's her. Congrats.' 'So what did you two...' 'Do?' 'Yeah.' Aidey walked over to the kitchen, and picked up the coffee mug from the coffee maker. 'Want some?' 'Yeah. So what did you and the hatchlings do? Must have been great to meet her. I know you haven't been able to meet any of your friends after you laid those eggs.' 'Yup. Unfortunately we weren't able to hang out like we used to. Though that's understandable as I'm mother of four hatchlings.' Aidey said. 'Hey. What if I took care of Tasin, Green, Lee and Edward for a day and you do the same for me when I get a break from the dealer? I could sure use some time doing what I want and it seems like you could as well.' 'Great! So when does your break start?'

########

'You're going to play with me today, kids.' Dehious said, after waking up from his long sleep. The hatchlings stopped wrestling with each other and looked at Dehious with curious eyes. They yipped and yapped meaning something, but they couldn't talk yet, so Dehious just thought they were either asking what they were going to do or them being happy. 'Flying?' he asked. All the hatchlings jumped in joy when they heard it. 'Walking?' Now the hatchlings growled. Dehious laughed. 'Ok, ok! Now, what so flying it is. But I can't fly for very long, as you will tire out quickly. So we're going to walk in the woods after a bit of flying. Deal?' All the hatchlings nodded, except for Tasin, who took a moment then nodded. 'Great! Now follow me!' Dehious said, enthusiastically. The hatchlings happily followed their father, and soon Tasin and Lee was on their father's back while the other two were held by their father's paws. Dehious headed for the near mountain. The family reached their destination soon, and the hatchlings climbed down from their father's back.

They trotted up the mountain. Good thing Dehious brought some water, as the hatchlings needed it frequently. Dehious at first estimated that they would be able to hike halfway up the mountain, but he was wrong. Somehow, the hatchlings trotted on, and somehow they were able to reach the top. It was a little past noon when they reached the peak. The hatchlings looked around. Even to Dehious, it was beautiful. Yeah, he could fly around higher than the peak of the mountain, but to see it with all the greens around them, it was different. You couldn't see around as much as you could when you were high up in the air, but looking around from a mountain top had a merit of its own. They ate lunch on the peak of the mountain, and started to climb down. Climbing down was much easier and less time-consuming than climbing up. So it was only near dinner time when they reached home once again. Aidey was already home, waiting for them.

'Had fun with the kids?' she asked him. Aidey made dinner already for them, and all were digging in eagerly. They were all hungry from the day's activity. 'Yeah. I guess they got stronger while I wasn't aware. They really did exceed my expectations climbing up the mountain.' 'Oh, so you went hiking?' 'Yup.' Dehious answered with his mouth full. 'So, what are you going to do tomorrow?' Aidey asked. 'It's your turn, you know.' 'Well... I was thinking of some family time, you know. But that doesn't mean that I won't drink!' he laughed.

HatchlingsWhere stories live. Discover now