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Tommy was crying. He didn't know why, his lungs felt sore and his eyes felt like fire.
He wanted to stop.
He couldn't.
In the middle of his wails he let out small sounds, chirps. He couldn't understand what was happening.
"Shh, shh." he heard someone shushing him, approaching the place he was in. "I'm here hatchling, I'm here, no need to cry." they said softly with a gravely voice.
He didn't recognize them, but he felt like he should.
"It's okay." they cooed.
He squinted open his eyes, but he still couldn't see past the tears stuck in his eyes and the world's blurryiness. He could only see a figure approach, two massive blobs of red entering his vision and then-
"Up you go." The voice chuckled, and at the same time he felt someone grab him by his armpits and lift him up.
There was a coo, a strange one. It made him feel calm enough to stop crying.
"There you are hatchling." the massive red blobs trapped him in a nice and cozy darkness. He wasn't scared, no. There was nothing to be scared of, he was in his- his ... his fa-
"Wake up." a harsh voice woke him up from his dream.
He flinched, lifting his face from the ground. His arms felt sore from using them as pillows but there was nothing more he could use, he folded his wings in his back yawning and rubbing his eye.
His father was on the other side of the bars, lifting the fabric that left his cage in darkness, in his free hand he had his medicine. One he had to take ever since the accident.
Not that he knew what happened in the accident ... but his father said it was medicine for his head, so he must've hit it pretty hard since he also couldn't remember anything before that.
"Drink it."
He obediently did as told, taking the bottle from his father's hands and gulping down the liquid. It had become his routine at this point.
"Good. I'll come feed you later."
And with that the fabric fell once more into the ground, leaving him in darkness once more. He was scared of it ... the darkness, but he couldn't do anything about it. He was much too weak to lift the heavy fabric, and the one time he complained about it with his dad he got punished, he slapped him and left him without food for the day.
That was also why he gave up telling his father about his dreams, (even though he called them nightmares.) the ones he started having ever since that accident. He dreamt of a warm smile and gentle hands running through his wings, he dreamt of red feathers tickling his face and a gravely voice that sounded like the burning ember in his father's fireplace, but everytime he asked or even mentioned that to his father the man would snap at him, rambling about how his medicine was faulty and the next day he would give him a bigger dosis until he had dreamless nights.
He didn't understand him. But he loved him either way. He was his father after all.
Even if he did leave him in darkness until he had important guest he wanted to show him off to, even if he barely fed him or gave him water ... even if he snapped at him and would yell at him mean words ... or even if he had never been allowed outside- (even if he did remember going out, he had memories of sitting under the shadow and being warmed by the sun, of gentle breezes and green fields.). He did love him.
His stomach rumbled, but he wouldn't get food for at least a couple more hours. He laid back down again, thinking of sleeping off the hunger.
"Do you like bubbles?" The voice cooed, and when he opened his eyes there was a bubble in front of him.
He tried to reach and touch it but as soon as he did so the bubble exploded. He whimpered.
"Oh, it's alright nestling, you just have to be more careful."
Gently, his hands were guided into the water and he scooped back a handful of bubbles.
"See?"
He laughed and the voice chuckled.
Suddenly fingers started threading his hair, scratching softly his scalp. He chirped, flapping his wings and splashing the water.
"Hey!" The voice laughed. "It's not me who it's getting a bath."
He chirped more.
There was a coo.
"Look at you, you're so sm-"
BANG-BANG-BANG
The bars of his cage rattled.
"Will you quit it?!"
He swallowed a chirp stuck in his throat.
"'m sorry, I was-" He mumbled, his voice still raspy from thirst and for being just woken up.
"Just shut up, alright?! I don't need your excuses."
"I'm sorry dad-"
The bars rattled once more and the fabric was lifted from their place, suddenly blinding him for a second. Once his eyes adjusted he met sight with his angry father.
"What did I say about calling me that?" He hissed.
"I- I'm sorry, I forgot but-"
"You forgot?" He laughed. "I'll make sure you don't forget."
He yanked his head forward, slamming it over the bars. He hit his head hard, and he couldn't help but let out a pitiful chirp as his father threw him back into the cage.
"You'll get no dinner today, see if that gets you to behave." He snarled, and then the fabric fell to the ground again.
He was shaking, he was scared, but he didn't have the energy or the will to try and lift up the very heavy fabric.
He resigned himself to cry pitifully on the ground, trying to muffle down his hiccups and his chirps.
Sometimes he hated being different than his father, maybe if they were the same, he would treat him nicely.
If he didn't have the small wings in his back or small feathers in his cheeks. If he didn't chirp or coo as the birds outside did, if he wasn't so loud and annoying.
Maybe then he'd like him.
Someone was gently threading their fingers on his hair. It felt nice, specially when their nails scratched softly at his scalp.
He opened his eyes, he wanted to see the person who was doing that, but when he did he was met with the most gorgeous sight he had ever witnessed.
The sun was setting in the horizon and a golden light illuminated everything around him, the leaves in the trees and the grass looked like gold, and the sky was just the perfect mix of orange, blue and pink.
He had his head resting on top of someone's legs, he was comfortable. It was good, it was nice. But he was still curious, he wanted to see just who the person was.
But no matter how much he tried to lift his head he couldn't even get his body to flinch. It was as if his movements were already scripted and he was just playing them out.
The fingers scratched just behind his ear and he couldn't help the coo that fell from his lips.
There was a chuckle.
The voice, it was the voice.
"Are you tired yet, nestling?" The voice whispered, as if trying not to wake him up if he was asleep. "It's almost time to go home."
He didn't want to go home, he didn't want to go back to that cage in the darkness, he wanted to stay here with the voice, and the faint warmth from its body and the sun. He wanted those fingers to keep playing with his hair, not to be met with cold and fear.
But he couldn't speak, he couldn't voice that. He could only hum in agreement, even when he didn't want to.
The voice hummed back.
"Are you sleepy?" It laughed. "Want me to carry you back?"
He nodded, and the voice cooed.
Just as he closed his eyes he was shifted to rest in someone's chest, his head rested on their shoulder. He wanted to look, to see who was holding him so tenderly, but his eyes felt heavy and stuck together.
"Rest, we'll be home soon."
It had been a few days since his father last talked to him, he only saw him on the mornings when he brought him food and his medicine and at nights when brought him dinner.
But this time he had brought him soup! It was warm and good. It filled his stomach and left him wanting for more. But he wasn't going to ask for more he knew his father was already being so generous.
He said some people were coming over today, he told him to behave, to be good. He wanted to be good.
His father came in to clean the grime from his face and his arms, it was nice even thought the touch was rough. He needed those fractions of affection, just to know his father cared.
When the time came his cage was lifted from the ground and the fabric removed completely.
It was the only time he could see his house well.
It was big, and he was in the center of a room in front of the main entrance.
Guests came in an out and he marbled at the sight of his wings, of his feathered cheeks. He stayed quiet, not looking at anyone in the eyes.
Some people asked his father to lower him down, so that they could grab his feathers, but thankfully he always refused. He didn't want anyone touching him, he didn't want anyone touching his feathers, not even his father could touch them.
And once everyone was gone he was allowed a single cookie if he behaved good enough. That was his favorite part.
But he still didn't liked what followed. Being back in the darkness.
"Can I go play outside?" He heard himself ask.
There was a hum, he couldn't see where it came from. He was in the entrance of a much smaller house than his, but he was out the cage, holding a tiny hand to the doorknob.
"Pleaseeee."
There was a chuckle behind him, but he didn't look back.
"Okay nestling, but dinner is almost ready so only for a little bit." He nodded and his hair was ruffled. "You gotta go to bed early too, remember we're meetin' with Kristin and Phil."
He didn't know who those people were, but still he nodded, humming in agreement. He then walked outside the house, still without looking behind.
There was a stick on the ground, he took it. The house was huge on the outside... Or maybe he was just tiny, either way he kept walking down the path in front of it.
He was searching for something.
And he remembered, he remembered the voice telling him not to go beyond the gates of the home. There was something out there, something dangerous.
But he didn't listen.
He wanted to get a pretty flower that he had seen last time, for the voice, because it deserved it. He knew that.
He walked past the wooden gates, the ones that he was told he could only leave with someone to accompany him. But then it wouldn't be a surprise, he wanted it to be a surprise. Nothing bad had ever happened, there would've been no reason for something bad to happen now.
He walked and walked, going through the path he knew by hearth towards the hill. It was getting darker, so in wanting to be quicker he took what he thought was a shortcut. He didn't see the rope on the ground, neither did he react quick enough when he stepped on it.
He was yanked upwards by a rope that tightened painfully around his ankle.
Tommy was so scared he immediately started crying, sobbing loudly between hiccups and chirps.
Flock-flock-danger-help.
Nobody answered.
He heard somepeople approaching and before he could see them properly he was thrown in a bag, and no matter how much he squirmed or chirped and screamed, he couldn't get out.
He wanted- no, he needed his da- his father here. He needed him to help him, to save him.
It was only after days that a blindfold was taken from his eyes.
The last thing he saw his father's face before liquid was forced down his throat and he shut his heavy eyes.
He woke up shaking and crying, panting heavily as he curled on himself, trying to hide behind his tiny wings.
A nightmare.
A real one. That's what that was.
He couldn't describe it as anything but that. It made no sense.
He had never been on a house like that, he didn't know who the voice was, he was so scared and alone, and his father would never do something like that to him.
...
Would he?
When his father came to give his medicine that morning he hesitated. For the first time in what he could remember he looked, really looked at his father.
He was old, with graying hairs, and dark eyes, he had the start of crinkles, and an angry gaze. It was so painfully unfamiliar, for being the man that he grew up with. He looked over his shoulder, there was a man. He had seen him before, sometimes he accompanied his father in the mornings, others he attended the party guests. He wasn't the only one, he had seen more people dressed like him going around the parties.
But that all seemed so- strange and unfamiliar.
"I don't have all day. Drink it." he ordered.
He looked down at the small vial in his hands. For some reason ... he didn't feel like he should drink it.
He had no reason not to, in fact it could be worse if he didn't drink it ... but, he couldn't will himself to lift the vial to his mouth.
His father looked more agitated every second that passed without him drinking it, he seemed close to snapping... and he didn't like when he did that.
Slowly he forced his arms to lift the vial, but before he could get it in his mouth-
Knock-knock.
The sound of the wooden door echoed in the large room.
"Ugh, what now?" His father motioned down for the man behind him to open the door as he lowered down the fabric once more. "You better have finished it by the time whoever's out leaves."
His father threatened before lowering fully the fabric.
He still didn't drank the vial, he could hear the footsteps towards the other room, and then the heavy door opening. He could practically hear his father recoil from all the way of his cell.
"The master doesn't allow any visitors." the friend of his father said, closing the heavy door back, but there was a thud, as if the door had been stopped.
"Please. I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm desperate!" the voice, it was the voice. The one from his dreams. It was pleading.
He shoot up, vial now discarded and spilled on the floor of his cage. He was sure to be punished for that later, but for some reason... he didn't care much. He pressed his head to the cage, so maybe he could hear better past the fabric.
"I've already told you. No visitors! Let alone of your class!"
Their class?
"Please-" the voice chocked. "It's just- my son." the voice had a son? "He dissapeared- or was taken- I've been looking for him, please. He's six and- and about this tall!" The voice sounded like it was struggling, as if battling with something, perhaps the door by the way the hinges screeched. "He has blond hair, and blue eyes-"
Blonde hair? Blue eyes? ... like him?
Could it be a coincidence?
"Go. away."
"He has- he has yellow- almost golden feathers! B-but he still hasn't grown out of his baby feathers!" the voice insisted. "Have you seen him?! Please I need to know! Did he by chance passed by?!"
Golden feathers? He didn't mean ... no, it was impossible.
He unconciously pressed himself closer to the bars.
It couldn't be ... but then again- how did he recognize that voice? Why did his chest filled with longing? Why did his wings lifted up in acknowledgement then? Why was his throat suddenly cloaged with chirps and coos that begged to come out?
His head hurted all of a sudden, a headache starting to form.
"We haven't seen any child like you around here." His father finally said "Nothing comes to mind with that description." the man hissed "Now get out of my property!"
There was a dissapointed and longingly coo.
It made Tommy's stomach churn and his heart do a weird twist. A wrong feeling overcame him then, and the headache came back twice as strong.
"I- I understand, I'm sorry..." the voice said. "I'll go-"
He was unable to hold down the pained chirp that escaped his mouth.
He gasped as the room fell in silence, covering his mouth. His father didn't like when he made those sounds, he didn't want to get punished.
A deeper thrill called back.
He couldn't help the calling thrill that he responded with.
The door was once more tried to be closed, but a louder BANG stopped it.
"Who else is here?" the voice practically hissed.
"That doesn't concern you! Go about your way! Your kind it's not welcomed here!"
He whimpered. And even though the heavy fabric covered him up, he could feel the eyes zero on him.
"What's under the fabric?" he heard the voice ask angrily as it approached.
"Hey! You can't come in! This is MY house!"
He heard someone being thrown on the marbel flooring, a loud hiss and shriek.
Tommy whimpered, a part of his mind screamed wrong-danger-UNSAFE-flock!-help!.
"You can't do that! Hey! Wait!"
The fabric was lifted all of a sudden and he hissed as the light momentarily blinded him, making him squint.
When he opened his eyes he found himself staring into the face of a stranger, a man.
"Tommy..." The man- no. The voice, said reverently, letting out a shaky gasp. Relief and something else dripping from his voice.
How did he know his name?
He inspected the man further, furrowing his brow. He had light skin and dark cherry hair, the tips of it blonde. Like him, he had feathers going from his cheeks all the way to his ears. A quick glance at the man's back let him know of the big red wings that were practically encaging his cage, covering it completely in a way that made his brain feel right. Lastly he locked eyes with the man, completely mesmerized by the so familiar dark blue orbs that were barely there, engulfed by dilated pupils.
The man cooed, reaching a taloned hand with dark claws inside the cage, slowly reaching out to cup his face in such a delicate manner for something that could so easily pierce his skin. He didn't even think to move away. The man rubbed his thumb on his cheek, brushing some of the feathers back and he couldn't help but completely melt into the touch.
The headache spiked then, as his brain struggled with the fuzz, he hissed, curling in closer to the hand. There was a distressed coo and suddenly a second hand was cupping his face, the fabric barely being stopped from falling to the ground by the man's head leaning into the cage. He whimpered as his mind was suddenly overwhelmed and filled with memories he didn't remember he had.
Gentle hands preening his wings, baking afternoons, sweet treats, flower crowns, braids and soft covers and pillows. A warm hug, a gentle kiss in his cheek and- that voice. Soft and low, murmuring sweet nothings as he fell asleep, promising and reassuring him after bad dreams, telling him stories and jokes...
It was here, the voice, the man. His father- the real one. Flock.
"Dad...?" he whispered as his eyes filled with tears.
His dad cooed, shushing him and trying to bring him closer to him.
"D-dad..." He fully sobbed this time as his whole body started to tremble, his wings twitching behind him. He let his dad bring him forward until they could press their foreheads together between the bars, and then his father let out a thrill.
"Shhhh, it's alright nestling, it's okay." He said, voice straining. "I'm here, I'm right here."
"Dad!" He cried, sinking in the embrace, even behind the bars, he couldn't help but feel complete relief curse through his body even as the previous fear came back twice as strong along with his memories.
Horribles memories ... of the cage, the man who he wrongfully called father, the hunters, the trap, the deal-
The warning he had ignored and for why he was here in the first place.
He sobbed even harder.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry dad!" he wailed, a mix of sad and distressed chirps falling from his lips. "I shouldn't have gone out the house! I'm sorry!!!"
"Shh, shh it's okay nestling-"
"I just wanted-" he hiccuped. "I wanted to give you a flower! As a surprise! But I- I-"
There was a deep coo, one that made him fall boneless into his father's hands.
"It's okay." His dad said through teary eyes "I'm sorry too, I'm so so sorry baby. I should've never let you out so late, I should've made sure you were alright sooner."
His father lowered his wings the tiniest bit, he turned to look at him then, as the light grew brighter in his cage in the corner of his eye-
The man- his fa- no. His captor's friend, was approaching his father with a small dagger.
His eyes widened and a fearful chirp escaped him as he tried to summon the words to warn his dad.
He didn't need to, that was enough for his father's hands to leave his face as he sharply turned around, to defend himself.
"DAD!" He screamed out as the fabric fell back on the ground, leaving him in the dark. "DAAAD!"
He clawed and hit at the fabric, hitting himself with the bars of the cage as he couldn't see a thing.
He could hear them struggle with each other, the flapping of wings, groans of pain.
"DAD!!" He cried.
More footsteps.
"HEY! SOMEONE GET RID OF THAT THING!" The man yelled.
There was a shriek, shouts and struggles.
"DAAAAD! DAAAD!" He screamed from the top of his lungs. "PLEASE!! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!" he begged as he tried to claw his way out.
But there was no use... he was too weak... his nails too dull.
He sobbed.
"P-please-!" he hiccupped.
There was a booming hiss-like growl.
He just got his dad back, he thought everything would be alright now, he hoped it was ... but he couldn't see a thing.
He chirped and cheeped and sobbed and cried.
Tommy could still hear the fight going on, he didn't know how long had it been, maybe a couple seconds- minutes? Maybe hours. He didn't care, it had gone on long enough for his whole body to start violently shaking as sobs and hiccups wrecked his form; it had gone long enough for his throat to go sore and his eyes to burn from tears.
"D-dad!" he pleaded.
There was a loud thud... and then nothing.
Complete silence as if everything around in the room had dissapeared.
He gasped, completely terrified. The fight's noise was bad ... but silence was even worse.
His chirps tripled in volume.
"D-dad!!!"
He heard someone gasp then and then start to cough.
He whined and whimpered, the distressed chirps never failing to come out his mouth.
A deep thrilled responded.
He gasped, his eyes once more filling with tears.
And soon enough woobly footsteps came near his cage. Not long after the fabric was slowly lifted, Tommy followed the expanding opening with his whole body, coming once again face to face with his father.
He was panting, completely out of breath and his pupils were made into slits, sweating as blood dripped down his cheek and forehead, his feathers disrrayed.
"D-dad!" he cried out, reaching out to hold his father's face.
His father's eyes seemed to focus on him then, slowly dilatating back into big pools of black. There was a coo.
Gently his father grabbed one of his wrists, holding it closer to his face, nuzzling into his palm ... not realizing some of the blood on his talons got into Tommy's clothes. He closed his eyes with a sigh and a chirp, turning his head to press a kiss to his palm.
"It's okay nestling, I'm okay."
"D-dad..." he sobbed, pressing himself impossibly close to the bars, trying to go through them.
His father let a sad coo, trying to get him out of there, letting his hand go to rip the fabric from his cage. It was way brighter now, and he squinted for a second, fluttering his eyelids open. Instinctively, he tried to peek to his father's side, to see if the danger was really gone. But a wing came down to block his vision.
"Ah, no baby, you shouldn't look." he whispered, bringing his attention back to him. "It's not pretty."
Tommy whimpered.
His father inspected the lock of the cage, frowning.
"Key- I need a key." he mumbled, looking over his shoulder, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "That'll take too much time.." he whispered, a bit exasperated.
He turned to look back at him then, inspecting the rest of the door, locking eyes on its hinges.
"Okay... okay nestling it's alright." He said, the speed in which he talked increasing as if he was losing his mind. "Just-"
For a split second his father let go of the cage, backing up a bit.
Tommy's brain screamed and so he shrieked with it.
LEAVE-LEAVE-LEAVE-FLOCK-LEAVE!!
He reached out to bars, grasping at his father's shirt.
"NO! No! 'm sorry!! Dad! Dad pleasee!!!" he cried and chirped, shaking his head and fluttering his wings, anything to make his father stay.
His father's hands immediately flung to his face, and he was ashamed to say that for a mere second- ... he flinched away from them. His father's eyes widened, and he continued his movement slower, holding his cheeks, Tommy nuzzled into them, trying to glue himself to him.
"Shh, shh baby, it's okay, it's alright." his father's hands shook with something different than cold or fear, maybe impotence, as if he wanted to hold more than Tommy's face but was restricted by the bars "I'm here, I'm here nestling. What's wrong?"
"D-don't leave me, please, I'll be good!"
His father's face broke into something hurt, letting out a comforting thrill.
"Oh nestling, you're already so good, so good for me. I'm sorry- I'm not leaving, I'm not leaving you, I promise. I'm so sorry baby, it's okay." he promised over and over, stopping only to press a kiss on his forehead. "I'm getting you out treasure, I promise I'm not leaving."
Tommy whimpered.
"I'm not going anywhere nestling." Reluctantly, he let his father's shirt go. "I'll be quick, I promise."
His father pressed a last kiss to his forehead before backing up again, he whined and whimpered but tried to stay calm. His father only reached to his cloak, taking it off and gently drapping it around Tommy, putting the hood on.
"Close your eyes, darling. Don't want you to get hurt." His father called, and he did as told, pressing his eyes shut, covering his face with the cloak.
There was a clank and then a louder one, as if the bars were struggling to stay in position and then CLANG!.
Tommy couldn't even open his eyes to see what had happened before he was pulled into warm arms. His brain immediately recognized them this time. Flock-flock-flock.
He sobbed, weeping and crying. Holding tightly to his dad's shirt once more as he tried to hide his face.
"Baby, oh nestling it's okay."
"I'm sorry!!! I was- dad-" he hiccuped. "It was scary!!!" he cried.
His father cupped his face, wiping the snot and tears with his sleeve.
"I know, I know treasure. I was scared too." He let out a wet laugh. "I was scared I would never see you again."
Tommy hiccuped, shaking his head and chirping pitifuly.
"I'm sorry!!!!"
"Shhh, shhh it's okay, it's alright nestling." He let out a sigh, bringing Tommy closer, holding the back of his neck and pressing his head to his shoulder. "Forgive me too baby, but I'm not letting you out of my sight again."
He pressed himself closer to his father, digging his dull nails past his shirt into his skin, afraid to be pried away from him.
"Oh baby, nestling." he sighed. "Let me see you."
He shook his head, burying it on his father's shoulder.
"Baby, let me see you. Please, be good? For me?"
Reluctantly he let his father pull him back, holding his face.
A few tears slipped from his cheeks and his father ran his thumbs on his skin to clean them up.
"Did they hurt you, treasure?"
With a pitiful chirp he nodded.
His father frowned looking back over his shoulder baring his fangs. But then he sighed, gaze softening and shoulders untensing before looking back at him.
"Does anything hurt?" he asked, softer this time.
He thought for a second, trying to be aware of anything more than the sensation of warm and safety his father gave off, then he nodded again.
"Itchy.."
"Itchy? What's itchy, baby?"
He whined, trying to reach behind his back.
"Oh... oh... oh baby..."
His father gently took the cloak off his back, letting the tiny twin limbs be at display.
One of his father's talons gingerly brushed along his feathers, and he couldn't help but melt forward into a pile of goo, letting out a squeaky peep.
The nestling deflated in his arms as soon as he brushed the baby feathers. It was adorable, and he had missed his little peeping feather ... but usually it took more. It took him reaching with his talons between the feathers, massaging the twin scars on the babe's back, it took him thrilling and cooing for Tommy to fall into his instincts ... but how long had it been since he last preened him?
Just the thought made him let out a sad coo.
Tommy whimpered, pressing closer to him, chirping a small flock-flock-upset?-sorry he thrilled back a comforting sound. He could never be upset with his nestling, he was just a small thing that needed to be taken care of and protected. And he had neglected that in the last... weeks.
He was ashamed to say that it took him three months to find the babe, even with his parents' help. They were a long way from home, that's why it had taken so long ... he would've traveled the whole world twice just to find Tommy.
Now he was in his arms, now they could go home, back to the nest. The thought let him let out a small purr.
The babe then peeped again, needily, whining and whimpering as he fluttered his wings, begging him to fix them. And how could he ever say no to his treasured son?
Gingelry he started threading his talons to the feathers. The baby immediately sighed in relief.
His poor baby couldn't reach behind his back, and his wings were still too small for him to bring them forward. He didn't expect his son's captors to know baby's wings needed more care ... and a side of him was glad he didn't know ... he would've regretted not killing those people slower had they laid a single finger on the delicate feathers.
Even though the down feathers were still soft, they were dry and unkept. Elytrans wings needed to be preened with the oil their glands already produced, but baby avians didn't grow that gland until later in life ... that's why it was so important for a babe to be in the care of an adult elytran.
With care he took the oil from his own wings, gently applying it to the baby feathers.
And even though he was also aching to properly preen the baby he only adjusted the worse of the messy feathers, since preening needed to be made in the nest, let the baby imprint on the wrong place.
Flock-flock-help-wings the baby whimpered as he stood up with him in arms, walking away from that horrid place that was starting to reek of blood.
"Shh I know, I know baby. I'm sorry, we'll fly home and I'll preen you there." he pressed a kiss on his forehead.
He was only a step out of the house when two figures sprinted at him. He tensed at first, but soon recognized his flock.
"Techno!" His mother caught up to him first. "You had us worried! We were looking for you!"
His father arrived soon after.
"Mate?! What happened to you? Why are you bleeding?!"
His mother's eyes widened as she clearly hadn't noticed before the blood in his skin, face morphing into concern ... lucky hits, there were too many of that man's servants.
"It's nothing." he sighed.
"Nothing?! You're hurt!" His mother pressed as she cupped his face.
"I'm alright, mom."
His father approached him then, looking curiously at the position of his wings in front of his torso.
"What do you have there, mate?" he asked, pointing at his wings. He hadn't even noticed that he had shielded the little birdie with his wings.
He didn't need to respond as the baby let out a small peep.
"Is that-?!" his mother gasped.
He nodded, opening his wings to show them the nestling, safely kept in his arms.
"TOMMY!" both of them shouted, quick to approach the sleepy babe.
"Oh sunshine! You're okay!" his mother said as he pressed a kiss to Tommy's hair.
"We're glad you're fine, mate. Had us worried sick." his father sighed, holding both his arm and the boy's.
The babe just chirped and peeped, happy to take all of their family's affection.
"Aw baby's lost in instincts." she cooed.
"Where did you find him?" his father asked, brushing some of the smears of blood that he had accidentally passed on to Tommy.
He took a second to regain his composture ... just thinking about Tommy ... his son, his nestling, trapped in that awful cage by those awful people just- it made his blood boil.
"Some bastard had him in a cage."
"What?" both his parents gasped, horrified.
"They what?!" Kristin whined.
"I guess you were right Tech, they took him ... I don't doubt they sold him if he was this far..."
"Are they-?" his mother asked with determined eyes.
"Dead? Yes."
She nodded, keeping an angry expression on her face. He was pretty sure that if even one had stayed alive she would run back in and slaughter them.
"Good."
He sighed, looking down at Tommy, who yawned and peeped, curling closer to him.
"It was my fault... I let him go out alone and they-"
His father interrupted him, holding a taloned hand up, sighing.
"We've been over this, mate ... yes, you should've been more careful, but it's not your fault. You couldn't predict they'll take him ... cooping him up would've done him no good either."
"I know..." he sighed. "I know."
"It's okay, baby." His mother put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You got him back, he's okay."
"Yeah..." he leaned down to press a kiss on the babe's hair. "You're right..."
He held the boy tighter in his arms, completely relieved to have him back.
"I think it's time to head home, mate. Don't you think so?"
"Yeah, let's go home."
"Can't wait to be back in the nest! Those awful inn beds are just no good." his mother huffed, already taking flight. "Neither of you will be leaving the nest in a while!"
His father gave him a small pat in the back before following him.
The nestling was already sleeping peacefully in his arms, safe and protected. It was true, it would take a while before he let the boy leave the nest ... but eventually, things would go back to normal. And that was more than perfect for him.
So with that, he took flight.