02 – My Nursery Is Also Your Nursery
«What is it? Tell me,» said Feilong, still feeling afraid that something terrible was about to happen.
«Hey, hey. There’s no need to be frightened,» began Granny. «You’ll be leaving the cave soon, learning to fly, and then you’ll both come to me.»
«To your home?» Feilong was starting to calm down, though he was still confused. He kept staring at Long Ziran, fascinated by the colour of his scales.
«You’ve spent some time in this cave, growing into the fine little dragon you are now,» said Long Ziran, and continued, «Many adventures are waiting for you. You’ll meet dragons whose scale colours you’ve never seen before.»
Feilong looked at him. «How did you know your scales confused me?»
«I was once a little dragon too. I also spent the first years of my life in this very cave. I remember how amazed I was the first time I saw a dragon with blue scales.»
«You lived in this cave?» Feilong’s confusion didn’t get any better.
His mother spoke up. «That’s what I wanted to explain earlier, before Granny arrived. This cave is where we dragons raise our young until they’re old enough to go out into the world. Many of us spent our early years right here.»
«You too?» asked Feilong eagerly.
Granny joined in. «Not only your mother, I grew up here as well.»
«Papa too?»
His mother smiled. «No, your dear Papa had a different nursery. The damp air here wouldn’t have suited him. You know how he’s always grumbling about the humidity.»
A memory of his father flashed through Feilong’s mind. His father had once come through the waterfall, complaining miserably about how wet it was. He had led Feilong to the back of the cave, where behind a rock covering stood a huge contraption. It was round and had several arms that his father called «wings». The thing itself he called a fan.
When his father blew on it, it began to turn and created a pleasant breeze. He showed Feilong how to blow on the fan to keep it spinning. Then he stood before it, wings spread wide, to dry himself.
After a while, Feilong had practised enough that his father asked him to blow on him directly, so that every single scale would dry properly. At first the air felt too cold, but eventually Feilong managed it perfectly.
Feilong grinned and nodded. «Oh yes, I know how Papa behaves when it’s too damp.»
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