Chapter 3: A first lesson of flight

A month later…

Darkstalker and Whiteout are on the meadow with their parents, being taught how to fly for the first time. Their parents first introducing them to the anatomy of a dragon, both unfolding their wings, pointing at all the muscles and moving them to explain the mechanics of flight.

While icewings and nightwings have significant differences in body, their wings are similar enough like with all others tribes, so the mechanics remain the same.

- "Can you see and feel it? Wings are like talons, having extremely long and thin fingers, merged together with a large membrane." Says Foeslayer.

Whiteout gently unfolds her wings and rubs the delicate white membrane with her paw, trying to feel the most about that part of her body, and even turning her neck to lick it.

Darkstalker however, focuses more on moving his wings and watching the result, not waiting more than necessary before contracting or extending another one.

Both parents smile at their children, taking the time to relax and be there for them. While they have duties and threats in the future, these can wait for now, passing time with their dragonets is more important.

- "No problem moving each part of your wings? Good. Now rise them and unfold them vertically, then beat them with all your strength!"

Says Arctic while following his own instructions, flapping his wings mercilessly and producing a burst of wind a bit too strong, hitting his children and wife. Being annoyed by this accident, her wife replies by beating her black wings in his face to tease him.

The two dragonets chuckle at the sight of their father being hit in return, who now lost the imposing image of an icewing. Trying to get out of that embarrassing moment, Arctic continues the lesson.

"See, if you want to rise from the ground and remain in the sky, you will have to be able to beat your wings with that much effort at any moment. It might be exhausting, and often it is, because flight is a test of strength and endurance."

Wanting to experience flight right now, Darkstalker jumps and try to beat his wing with all the energy he can muster, not taking the time to check the outcome with his foresight.

A moment later, the dragonet stands on the same ground as before, confused, while the rest of his family stares at him with each having their reaction.

Whiteout seems captivated by him, despite his failure, telling him some words in a kind tone.

- "You didn't succeed, but it's good you tried, you are closer to it now."

Arctic can't hide his disappointment, but a smile quickly forms on his face as he sees that what happened is more absurd than anything else.

And finally, Foeslayer comes closer to her son, accepting his eagerness to try at flying. She doesn't even need to voice what she will do with him, the black dragonet has seen it in her mind and jumps in her talons, ready for it.

Putting him on the back of her neck, the nightwing dragoness runs faster and faster, then jumps in the air, immediately flapping her wings hastily and gaining enough speed to maintain her flight. Now above the ground and with the air embracing them forcefully, Darkstalker enjoys everything about it, and one day, it will be his turn to fly on his own.

Watching his wife flying with her son despite poorer visibility at night, Arctic thinks of doing the same thing with his daughter, approaching her.

- "You can take my being, I would love to be free in the sky!" Answers his very motivated dragonet.

The icewing takes her gently in his cold and white talons, elevating her so she can climb on his back. However, his daughter does not directly go to his neck, preferring to walk over his tail and wings first, but Arctic isn't surprised, he now has enough experience with her to know she often likes to take her time and explore things in her own manner.

Now that both are ready, the father takes flight in a slower way than his wife before him, culminating in calm and more steady movements. Whiteout lays on his neck, her grip tight despite her less energetic nature. Now in the sky, her daughter can discover and enjoy the moment while he keeps his flight simple.

Arctic is truly happy at his satisfied dragonet. Spotting quite quickly after her hatching that she is peculiar in her behaviour, he realized that despite looking more icewing, she is anything but the stereotype of one, nor the stereotype of a nightwing.

She is herself, and beside her stranger choice of wording that just needs him to take a bit more time to understand, he recognizes all the traits of a more calm and pensive child. Something he barely had the time to read about in this new kingdom.

Still, when she is in contact with him like right now, he can feel her aura, the bit of unreal and otherworldly energy coming from her, magic. While both his children have an aura, Whiteout is different from his son, who he can feel his capacity for magic like any animus dragon, and the powers the three moons had gifted him.

Focusing on her being over his neck, Arctic tries to determine what her aura is. She definitely doesn't have the slightest drop of power originating from the moons, but he can see traces of magic, but its signal is bent, shifted, like a sheet of paper one would have folded into a complex and very different shape that is unique and meaningful on its own...

Curious about his own daughter, and wanting to end his doubt about her magic, the father decides after some hesitation to ask her about it.

- "Do you feel like you have power little Whiteout?"

- "Power of what? I have power like any dragon, or maybe you think of brother."

- "Yes, I think of him. Being an animus, I can sense magic in others, but when I feel you, I see you seem to have magic in an odd way."

Whiteout blinks, not knowing what to say to the doubt of her more knowledgable father.

"It's difficult to explain, but I feel a magical aura that is both familiar and unfamiliar. I think you have magical potential, but it must have taken a strange shape inside you if you understand what I mean."

- "Brother thinks I'm magical. He loves to watch me, he often say I'm beautiful, but sometimes I wonder if doesn't mean something else…"

- "I see… Well, we'll talk about it another time, maybe I can find a scroll about it."

- "Then I wish fate is with you father."

And so both continue their flight, but Arctic is still focused on his doubt. Magic is a lot to bear, with the power itself weighting on you the more you use it, and the expectations and rules an animus is under. He lived enough in the ice kingdom to understand that.

The pressure, the eyes of everyone, including the queen on you, it all makes a volatile mix. Having cracked under the stress, the erratic use of his power killed six of his tribe, not that they would have let them escape and spared his mate.

Arctic clenches his paw. Since the day his magic was discovered, all his tribe told him to prepare himself to make the ultimate gift with his power, his mother even training him directly, so that when the day come, he would try to pour all of his power into a masterpiece that would benefit his tribe.

But all of that was for naught! All this time, he couldn't be more than a dragon, even with great powers. So when he saw one that would accept his heart and give him affection, he took the chance and betrayed his tribe. Now he can only hope the dragoness that hold his heart will always be here for him.

Then again, what if he did stay, he would have to prepare all his life for that day, when he can only hope his gift would be satisfying, worthy of his whole tribe, not a waste. What if he failed? What if it wasn't enough, or he regret something?

And even if he creates the best masterpiece of all time, then he can't use his magic anymore, it's done. Surely it would be painful to be forbidden such power when one worked all his life with it, to make the best out of it. For that dragon, continuing to use magic is a no-brainer, stopping would be crazy.

And if one train with magic, live with magic, magic become a part of them. It would be sad for one to let it go, to never use it again, effectively killing a part of oneself voluntarily while the temptation remains.

Arctic frows, it sounds like death, it is bleak, very bleak. Is that what animus dragons are supposed to be? To do good with their powers by being the servant of others, and only being thanked when that part of them is discarded. Was he just a tool all this time in the tribe? It felt like it...

- "Father, you seem lost in your shadows."

Arctic comes back to reality as he hears his daughter's words. She stares at him worried, and that is something best to confront now.

- "You're right Whiteout, I was lost in thought about… what animus dragons go trough. But I promise you, I will find the time to properly explain myself to all of you. Beside, such feelings and thoughts of mine are better spoken out loud, so I won't be not alone in that."

- "I kind of felt a lot was over your mind, and how your never really used the essences..."

- "You really are perceptive about your father, and I'm happy for that, happy I have someone that can listen to me."

- "Father…"

- "Don't say anything if you don't need to, I can see what you mean dear daughter."

- "But I have something to tell. I won't give up on you."

- "…"

Realizing they have stayed longer in the air than their wife and son, Arctic lands as soon as he can to complete the family.

- "Took you long enough. I guess Whiteout really wanted to stay in the skies." Says Foeslayer in a half-joking half-serious tone.

The icewing lowers his wings, allowing his daughter to get to the ground. Once she had done it, the dragonet walks to her mother and replies to her in a content tone.

- "The celestial sheet was a marvel to look at, but we also took more time because father was in his mind."

- "Really? So he was daydreaming. Good to know his mind hasn't turned to stone." Says Foeslayer more teasingly, changing her gaze to her husband for a moment.

- "He spoke to me about magic, he wanted to be heard and I was there."

Foeslayer instantly takes a step forward and speaks to Arctic in a more serious tone, letting the two dragonets running into each other and watching their parents.

- "A bit too soon to talk to them about them, don't you think? And have that much faith in your daughter? If that's the case, I can only congratulate you on being a good father."

- "Foeslayer… What I said to her wasn't beyond her, just simple questions. But it also felt good to talk a bit more with her about myself."

- "I understand what you're going trough. Trying to be a good parent when you are an icewing… But what did you ask her?"

- "If she had power, more specifically magic. I can feel she is magical, but it doesn't seem to express itself as direct powers."

- "That… doesn't change much. The queen already wanted her for the magic in her blood, our daughter having that doesn't make her more valuable in her eyes."

- "Still, we should prepare in case she really develops powers."

- "I agree, I don't want our daughter to surprise us in the middle of the war."

Finishing their discussion, the two parents take the children without trouble and return home. The two dragonets quickly ascend the stairs and go to their chamber, their bed being a solution to their moderate tiredness.

Half an hour later, the two children are in front of the desk, each trying to write on their own scroll. While they had two month to become better, writing more than single words is close to impossible, the dragonets only being able to correctly draw isolated letters.

Despite the two using the feather on the paper, it is easy to spot the differences between them.

Darkstalker is more orderly and focused on writing words and numbers, going straight to point and trying to copy sentences with accuracy.

Whiteout, on the other talon, is more creative and passionate, drawing all kinds of symbols and sometimes letting the feather flow with her feelings and staring at the final result. She doesn't try to force her claw to write until the end if they put too much resistance.

As time passes while they act on their desk, it is Whiteout who finally falls asleep on the table. Seeing that, her brother carefully takes her to the bed, and lays beside her body, closing his eye as well...