NOVEL NEXT A New Family
The next day dawned bright and clear, sunlight streaming through the treetops of the great dark forest of Tivaria. Though the sun was high in the sky, its light was filtered through the thick canopy, allowing only scattered beams to touch the forest floor. The atmosphere buzzed with life as creatures stirred from their slumber, going about their daily routines. They hunted, ate, and splashed in the clear streams that wound through the underbrush. Magical spirits flickered in the air like fireflies, their luminous wings leaving trails of sparkles, lending an ethereal quality to the morning.
In a dim cave, the dragon stirred, blinking open his crimson eyes to greet the new day. He let out a long, tired yawn, stretching his massive limbs. “I can’t believe I stayed up all night for this little nuisance,” he muttered to himself, recalling the chaos that had erupted the previous evening. The memory of the baby’s wails gnawed at him, echoing in his mind. “If I’d known this would be my fate, I would’ve just eaten her when I found her!”
Just then, the baby shifted in her makeshift bed of soft leaves. With a sudden start, she awoke, letting out a wail that cut through the peaceful sounds of the forest. “Not again!” the dragon groaned, burying his head beneath his massive claws, hoping to block out the noise. “Why can’t you just be quiet for once?”
Her cries were relentless, bouncing off the cave walls, and he contemplated pushing her away to some other creature. “Maybe one of those monsters from yesterday would take her,” he thought darkly. “I could just drop you off and let someone else deal with you.”
Yet, despite the temptation, something held him back. The baby was helpless, and as much as she annoyed him, he couldn’t bring himself to abandon her. “What’s wrong with me?” he growled in frustration, shaking his head. “I’m a dragon god! I shouldn’t care about some little human!”
Just as he thought he might find a moment of peace, the baby cried out again, her wails slicing through the stillness. “What now?” he snapped, feeling his patience fraying.
As she yawned and opened her violet-grey eyes, her cries escalated once more, her small voice echoing in the vast emptiness of the cave. The dragon frowned, perplexed. “Why are you always crying?” he barked. “What do you want from me?”
He squinted at her, trying to decipher her needs. “Surely you can’t be hungry already,” he mused aloud, leaning closer. But as he approached, a foul odor suddenly assaulted his nostrils. “What in the abyss is that smell?” he exclaimed, recoiling slightly.
Panic surged through him. Is she dying? Curiosity overcame his apprehension, and he gingerly lifted the piece of cloth barely covering her. To his horror, he discovered the grim truth: she had soiled herself. “You’re disgusting!” he exclaimed, incredulous. “What are you, some sort of animal?”
Of course, he didn’t expect an answer, as she was just a helpless baby. He gently scooped her up, cringing at the mess, and carried her deeper into the cave to a spot where a small waterfall gushed. “Maybe this will clean you up,” he muttered, uncertain of how to handle the situation.
With a splash, he stepped into the water, holding her in one claw, thinking the force of the waterfall would wash her clean. However, the baby was too small and fragile to manage on her own, and the cold water nearly overwhelmed her. She sputtered and gasped, instinctively flailing as she struggled to keep her head above water.
“Damn it!” the dragon shouted, realizing his mistake. He quickly snatched her up, pulling her from the water. “I can’t believe I almost drowned you!” He took a moment to gently wash her bottom, careful not to hurt her. As the residue washed away, she lay there naked and vulnerable in his claws.
After her makeshift bath, the baby seemed calmer, but the hunger pangs soon hit her, and she began to whimper again. “What now?” the dragon sighed, feeling his annoyance grow. “I don’t know how to feed you! You should just be quiet!”
As a divine being, the dragon had never known hunger; food was not a requirement for his survival. He glanced around his cave and out into his territory, spotting a peculiar tree whose leaves resembled soft cotton, large enough to be mistaken for banana leaves. “Maybe this will help,” he thought, flying over to it and plucking one of the leaves.
Returning to the entrance of his cave, he held the leaf up, feeling absurd. “I can’t believe I’m actually going to do this,” he muttered, tying the leaf around the baby to form a makeshift diaper. “Is this what babies need? A leaf?”
As he stood there, pondering what else he could give her, a soft rustling broke the serene morning. The dragon’s sharp ears perked up. “What now?” he grumbled, peering into the shadows of the forest.
Suddenly, a small creature darted into view. It was a magical spirit, a being of pure energy, glowing with a soft, warm light. Its body was delicate and almost transparent, resembling a miniature dragonfly with shimmering wings that sparkled in iridescent colors. The spirit had large, luminous eyes that reflected the hues of the forest, and it floated gracefully above the ground. “Hello, mighty dragon!” it chirped, its voice bright and cheerful. “I felt a disturbance in the forest and came to see what was happening!”
“Disturbance?” the dragon scoffed, rolling his eyes. “All I have is this crying nuisance!” He gestured to the baby, who had begun wailing again, her little fists flailing in frustration. “Can’t you do something about her?”
The magical spirit floated closer, tilting its head in curiosity. “A baby? Here? How odd! She’s so small and helpless!” It seemed genuinely intrigued, its luminescence flickering with excitement.
“She’s also incredibly annoying,” the dragon muttered. “What am I supposed to do with her?”
“Why not try feeding her something? Babies need sustenance, after all,” the spirit replied with a bright smile. “You can’t expect her to grow strong on leaves alone!”
The dragon narrowed his eyes. “And what would you suggest, oh wise spirit?” he retorted sarcastically.
The spirit’s wings fluttered as it hovered closer, its voice full of enthusiasm. “Milk! She needs milk! There are magical creatures in this forest that can provide it. Follow me!”
The dragon sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. “Fine! Lead the way, but hurry. I can’t stand this racket much longer.”
With a flick of its shimmering wings, the spirit darted ahead, beckoning the dragon to follow. “Come on! It’s this way!”
Reluctantly, the dragon lumbered after the spirit, his massive form creating tremors in the ground as he navigated through the dense foliage. “This better be worth it,” he grumbled. “I don’t have all day to babysit.”
As they ventured deeper into the heart of Tivaria, the atmosphere shifted. The trees grew taller and denser, their leaves thickening to block out more light. The air was rich with the scent of damp earth and blooming flowers, and strange sounds echoed all around them. The spirit led him to a secluded glade, where a herd of gentle creatures grazed peacefully.
The creatures resembled goats but had luminous fur that sparkled like stardust. Their eyes were large and soft, radiating a gentle aura of magic. “These are the Luminox,” the spirit explained, gesturing toward the creatures. “They produce the purest milk in the forest!”
The dragon raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “Are you sure they’ll just let me take their milk?”
“Just be gentle! They can sense your intentions,” the spirit urged, floating closer to the nearest Luminox. The dragon hesitated but approached slowly, lowering his massive form to avoid intimidating the creatures.
The Luminox looked up, their large eyes meeting the dragon’s. For a moment, there was silence as they regarded him warily. “I’m not here to harm you,” he said, his voice rumbling deep. “I just need some milk for this… baby.”
The spirit chimed in, “They can help you! Just be kind.”
With a gentle nudge from the spirit, one of the Luminox stepped forward, sniffing the air cautiously. The dragon extended a claw, his massive talon carefully brushing the creature’s side. To his surprise, the Luminox leaned into his touch, seemingly reassured.
“See?” the spirit said with a grin. “You’re doing great! Now, just ask for the milk.”
The dragon felt a sense of absurdity wash over him. Here he was, a mighty dragon god, asking for milk from a goat-like creature. But the cries of the baby behind him fueled his determination. “Please, I need some of your milk,” he said, his tone softer than he had anticipated.
In response, the Luminox lowered itself, and with a gentle glow, began to produce a stream of warm, shimmering milk from its udder. The dragon watched, astonished. “Is that… magic?” he asked, leaning closer.
“Yes! It’s infused with the essence of the forest!” the spirit exclaimed, practically dancing in the air with excitement. “It will nourish the baby!”
The dragon carefully collected the warm milk in a large leaf , unsure of how this would work but willing to try anything to quell the baby’s cries. He returned to the cave, the spirit buzzing with excitement beside him. “You did it! Now, feed her!”
With great care, he offered the milk to the baby. “Here goes nothing,” he murmured, tipping the leaf slightly. To his amazement, the baby instinctively latched on, her tiny mouth eagerly suckling. For the first time since he had met her, she quieted, her cries subsiding into contented little coos.
The dragon felt a strange warmth spreading through his chest, something he hadn’t expected. Watching the baby drink, he realized he felt… proud. “I did that,” he muttered in disbelief, glancing at the spirit, who was watching with wide, gleaming eyes. “This isn’t so bad, is it?”
The spirit nodded enthusiastically. “Not bad at all! You’re a natural!”
For the first time since he had found the baby, the dragon felt a flicker of connection, a bond that transcended their differences. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as hopeless as he thought. As the baby drank, he found himself imagining a future where their lives were intertwined, and the thought didn’t seem so terrible after all.