While the others fought to keep order among the clutches that they were assigned to, Cara did exactly the opposite.
Not deliberately causing chaos, it already existed.
Instead, she subtly worked to keep it as the status quo.
Sitting in the grasslands with Thor and Tessa, the badger was teaching the young dragons a calisthenics class. They were close to the same size, as dragons were so much larger than badgers when fully grown.
But against hatchlings, she was just close enough to show them some basic stretching and mobility techniques.
"Sister, what are you up to? It is unlike you to be so devoted to teaching, and I know that your species isn’t known for their matronly instincts." Thor began.
"With the Karl around, how could I not learn new things? I swear, I will help your herd grow up big and strong as well." Cara retorted as she twisted and stretched her arms over her head.
The hatchlings followed along, mimicking her, while Tessa stared suspiciously at them before realizing what she was doing.
Cara was teaching them all how to wiggle out of the most common holding and carrying techniques. But if she made a big deal about it now, the little dragons would realize what they were learning, and they would immediately start to put it into action.
After all, it was one of the first things they had learned after entering the world, and they would definitely want to test it out.
Which would make it nearly impossible for the caretakers to keep them under control.
"Alright, you just keep teaching them, and get those hatchling muscles all limber and strong." Tessa announced instead.
That assured the little ones that what they were learning was important, but also distracted them from the fact that it might be abused later.
However, she had underestimated the level of chaos that a badger could cause without actively trying to.
While she was teaching the hatchlings in her group basic exercises to keep them mobile, they were also memorizing the way that she interacted with with others, and the casual way that everyone else interacted.
To the young dragons, Cara was also a childish figure. They didn’t know that was as big as her species got. They just knew that when she was in humanoid form, she looked younger than the others who treated her with respect, as an equal.
So, if one child was treated as an equal, why not them?
The thought wouldn’t leave the minds of the newborn dragons. Everyone else got treated as more responsible, as a person capable of taking care of themselves. And it never entered their minds that size didn’t equal age, or that they truly weren’t capable of taking care of themselves.
In fact, they were the furthest thing from capable of taking care of themselves.
Most of them struggled to even remember to chew their food if they weren’t given a reminder by the staff. They would grab the bite and immediately try to swallow, desperate to get more food into themselves, and end up nearly choking, despite the bodies of dragons being designed to survive even that level of gluttony.



VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The First Legendary Beast Master