A.D. 754, 1st MONTH, DAY 5

ONE MONTH LATER

Bright was sitting together with Flashwing and chewed on the fish with his small teeth. His teeth was beginning to grow, thanks to the lessons of Arne who had instructed Flashwing to let him learn Norse in exchange for giving him proper mannerism and lectures.

Bright was only over a year old. He had white hair — which he received as a blessing by one of the Bewilderbeasts called King Frost — and he had small clothing, which was a short sleeved woolen tunic and short-legged, brown jeans.

As he was about to finish his last chew of meat, Bright heard his father speak up. "Bright, there is something I'd wish to discuss with you."

"Sure, Dad," said Bright.

"Listen, I know you wanted to save the Alpha from Blackhorn," started Flashwing. "But you should know it is dangerous to interrupt a fight between dragons. If you get caught up in another one, then I wouldn't know what I should do. I cannot interfere a duel between dragons who see themselves as enemies. It would only end up badly."

Bright blinked, listening to each and every word he spoke. "Me sorry, Dad. Me won't do it again," he promised.

Flashwing smiled. "Good. There is something else, I'd like to say, and it is about your lessons with the other dragons."

"Me being lectured?" groaned Bright.

"I understand how you feel," said Flashwing, placing a paw on his shoulder. "But remember, this is for the best to bring you closer to all of us. We are in this together, my son."

Bright gave him a wide smile, then nodded.

"Good," said Flashwing, pleased. "Then, there isn't anything more I would need to address to you."

Bright hugged his leg, and he felt his father pull him in. He raised his head, turning around to find Scales walking toward them. "Alpha!" he acknowledged him with an energetic nod as he ran over to him and hugged the Light Fury.

Scales chuckled, placing a paw on his back and rubbed it. "It's good to see you as well, young Bright. I hope your father hasn't been hard on you with what he wanted to make you understand?"

"No, Alpha." Bright shook his head. "Dad making sure me having lessons with others."

"Oh, is that so?" Scales looked at Flashwing, who nodded. "That's good. I was just about to let you know, that the Gronckles are expecting you in the Gronckle nest, Bright."

Bright widened his eyes. He ran, on all four, in the direction of the Gronckle nest, almost tripping on a small stone.

"Careful, son!" called Flashwing to him. "Don't fall!"

"Me won't!" called Bright back.

Making his way to the Gronckle nest, Bright made sure not to trip over a single stone on the ground. The sun was shining down, and Bright stopped by the Gronckle nest, where a female Gronckle was sitting patiently when he came to a halt, holding his breath by inhaling.

"You're in good time, Bright," said Ballpaw. "I was just watching over my hatchlings, while they played over there."

Bright followed her paw to the small group of Gronckle hatchlings playing in the dirt. "What we gonna do, Ballpaw?" he asked politely.

"Well," began Ballpaw, "we're going to begin with lesson number one, and I would like to see if you can read this letter." She began drawing in the dirt with a single, extended claw and the letter of 'I' was shown.

Bright recalled the letter. "That easy. An I."

Ballpaw chuckled. "I knew this would be easy for you to recognize, Bright. Next letter."

As Bright was seeing different letters of the dragon language, he began to feel bored after the twenty sixth letter. An hour after the lesson had begun, Bright stretched his short arms.

"You can take a short break, Bright," said Ballpaw. "Afterward, the Deadly Nadders would like to teach you their lessons."

Bright nodded and walked away from the Gronckle nest.

Flashwing was with Scales, who had his eyes closed. "Is there something you'd like to discuss, Alpha?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Scales looked at him. "I take it the lessons for your son is going well, and has he been taken the consequence of interfering a fight well?"

I knew you'd ask that, thought Flashwing. "Yes, he took it well. All he wanted was to keep you in the colony."

Scales chuckled. "Of course he does."

"He sees you as a grandfather," informed Flashwing. "And you know it."

"I do."

"And besides, Umbra and Antumbra are taking a liking to him, as they are Penumbra's sisters," continued Flashwing.

"Oh?" Scales raised a scaly brow.

"Also, I'm grateful you have made a change of mind," finished Flashwing.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. At first you were skeptical of my son, even going so far to isolate us from the other dragons," said Flashwing. "Eventually you began to see him as a grandson."

"That I do," chuckled Scales heartily. "He is like the grandson I never had — and I think if my own son was alive during this time, he would have had a nice family."

"I'd bet," smiled Flashwing.

Bright was now at the Deadly Nadder nest, where a female Nadder was showing him different type of Nadder eggs.

"As you can see, these eggs come in all shape and form," explained Bluetail, pointing with a claw at each differently colored egg. "And now, I need you to talk Dragonese, Bright. Can you do that?"

"Sure," Bright nodded.

"Can you say, 'By my will, my fire will be yours'?"

"Voth dii fen, yol fen kos dii," said Bright.

Bluetail shook her head. "No, you just said 'fire will be mine'. I mean something else, like 'Voth dii fen, dii yol fen kos hin'. 'By my will, my fire will be yours'. I thought you would remember that from the other day, dear."

Bright rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, Bluetail. Me not understand well."

Bluetail smiled. "That's understandable. You will learn eventually to say the words better."

"Me understand," said Bright with a nod.

"Good." Bluetail gave him a knowing look. "Now that my lesson is over, for now, I believe there is someone who wish to have you to be together?"

Bright widened his eyes, realizing who she meant. He turned, waving his short hand a farewell to Bluetail, and ran on all four toward his nest.

Once he arrived at the nest of his family, Bright stopped to look at his mother, who noticed him and gave him an acknowledged nod. "Son, you are here," she spoke.

"What we gotta do, Mom?" asked Bright.

"Relax," Penumbra laughed. "I want you to meet your aunts. They're here at our nest for a visit."

Bright's eyes widened. "Auntie Umbra and Antumbra here?!" He looked frantically around, trying to find them.

"Not yet, but they will be soon." His mother motioned with her paw. "Come, my little sunshine."

Bright followed her into the nest and he noticed Luna resting in her nest, curled in a ball. She seemed to have felt his stare and she opened her eyes, staring back at him with her eyes.

"Have you already gotten your lessons finished, baby brother?" she asked.

"Me say yes, sis," he nodded.

Luna chuckled. "I think you need to work on how you start your sentences, little brother."

"He will learn," spoke Penumbra. "For now, let him take it easy. Bright, come over here. I have something to show you."

Bright tilted his head, curiously, then walked up to her. His mother turned her head to a shiny item laying in the back of the nest. Bright stared at it for long minutes in silence. Finally, he asked: "Mom, what that?"

"A gift, from me to you," she said. She held it in her paw, placing the horned item on his head. "This will give you the symbol of the peace in our colony. Remember, do not go around carelessly with it. There are still many of the dragons who are afraid of the horned humans. Be sure to go with caution, my son."

"Me will, Mom," he promised. He hugged her paw. Bright felt her rub his back.

"That's my sunshine," whispered Penumbra.

"But, Mom, won't the other dragons be suspicious of him with that item?" asked Luna curiously. "I mean…"

"Hush, my little moon," said Penumbra. "Now's not the time."

"Not time for what, Mom?" wondered Bright.

His mother looked at him for a moment, before sighing. "Nothing. If you would please put the item in your nest for the time being, I believe your aunties are here any minute by now."

Bright nodded. He walked to his grass nest, taking the horned item off his head and placed it down. Afterward, he turned to the entrance and he saw three dragons walk inside. One of them was his father, while the other two Night Furies were lighter gray in color on the back, with some darker shade on top of their heads.

"Dad!" Bright ran to his father, who chuckled at his excitement.

"Well, Umbra and Antumbra, this is our son," said Flashwing. "Meet Bright."