“Are you sure this is the best place to do this?” Mike asked, while looking up at the four tall buildings that reached into the heavens. Standing in the center of the gardens that spanned between the buildings, he struggled to make out the details at the tops of the Spires due to their incredible height. The sound of rustling leaves from manicured plants and the white noise of the many water features in the park battled with the chaotic honking and engines of the cars driving by, creating a sanctuary for the residents to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

A deep chuckle resonated from Geevin’s throat as the brown drake watched the man look up. “Why? Are you scared?” he asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, before he glanced over to Meegi and the black-and-white wyrmling, the latter of which seemed intent on not staying still.

“My dad isn't scared of anything!” boasted Siidah proudly, while walking along the edge of the water fountain. His crimson membraned wings flicked out from side to side as he did his best not to fall. Even at his young age, he had learnt that falling into the fountain would result in his fur becoming too heavy to fly.

Mike snorted in amusement and looked back down at his son, Siidah, and watched as he elegantly hopped from the edge of one fountain to the low garden wall near it. The snow white fur that covered his son’s back and sides glowed in the afternoon sunlight, contrasted by the thick, black fur that covered his underside and the purple mane that ran down his neck.

“The higher, the better,” remarked Meegi, before flexing his wings in a stretch. The tan drake was grateful that he was getting paid to help teach Siidah how to fly, and would have done it for free if not for Mike insisting he pay Meegi for his time. Seeing the unconvinced look on Mike’s face, he elaborated. “The wind is more stable at higher altitudes, especially with all these buildings around. Also, we will have more time to recover if something goes wrong.”

“Well, that's reassuring,” Mike said sarcastically, wondering if they should try somewhere outside of the city to teach Siidah how to fly. Somewhere with soft grass and less risk of breaking a wing.

Geevin shuffled his large wings and stepped closer to Mike. “We are going to be with him the whole way. This is a normal rite of passage for us dragons,” he said softly to reassure his friend. “You will be on my back, Meegi is a strong flier and will catch him if his wings get tired. Nothing is gonna go wrong.” Geevin added and saw Mike's jaw tense. “You're ready, aren't you, Siidah?”

“Yeah!” replied Siidah loudly with a happy trill in his voice. The young drake could read his father's expression and leapt down from the garden wall to trot towards him. “I can do it, promise! Meegi taught me how to do a flip yesterday, it was awesome!” he explained rapidly, causing Meegi to stiffen.

“To be clear,” Meegi said, while pulling his wings closer to his body after catching the concerned look from Mike. “I did the flip while carrying him. He was in good paws,” he clarified to ease Mike's concern. “He is ready though. At his age, I was flying solo and he has a good set of wings on him. Don't ya, Siidah?” Meegi grinned and was rewarded with the little drake spreading his wings as wide as he could and holding them open to show how big they were. “That's the spirit,” Meegi added with a friendly smile.

Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling to ease the stress, Mike nodded. “Alright, how high up is your friend's apartment?” he asked, looking back up at the tall columns of metal and glass. He could make out the first two dozen floors, but after that, the frames of glass and the balconies that dotted the exterior blurred together.

“Oh, not too high,” Meegi said with a small smirk, knowing the truth might scare the ground-bound human. “But it's a perfect glide angle from here, all the way down to the park near the port.” He added and glanced at Geevin for support.

“Oh-oh, that's good!” Geevin hastily added. “Siidah knows how to glide, so if his little wings get sore, it's just a matter of locking them out and gliding to Mom and Ben in the park. They promised ice cream-”

“Ice cream!?” squeaked Siidah excitedly, causing Mike to glare at Geevin for giving away the secret. The small white and black drake bounded from his front paws to his rear in excitement and pranced about with wings mantled. “Yus! What are we waiting for? Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!!!” he commanded with a small stomp of his furred paws.

Geevin, turned his head towards Mike and chuckled. “Yeah, Dad. What are we waiting for?”

Mike's eyes flicked between Geevin, Meegi, and his overly enthusiastic son. His stomach was tight and his chest felt heavy at the thought of Siidah flying by himself for the first time. Hours of watching videos on how to teach a hatchling to fly had done little to ease his nerves, many of the videos he found somewhat judgemental as they were clearly designed around the parents being capable of flight themselves, and the videos he had accidentally clicked on that showed what could go wrong did little to educate him. The thought of Siidah getting hurt made his stomach coil in knots and a light sweat break out on his brow. He took another deep breath, knowing this was only a natural fatherly fear and reluctantly nodded, “Alright, let's do this-”

“Yay!” squealed Siidah, his crimson membraned wings fluttering as he pranced about exuberantly. “I'm going flying- I'm going flying- I'm going flying,” he cheered happily, while the rest chuckled.

Together, with Meegi leading the way, they walked towards the base of one of the spires. The four incredible structures dwarfed all other buildings in the city. Designed as residences for dragons and humans alike, their generously proportioned rooms and high ceilings commanded a steep price which had resulted in a quiet judgment amongst the residents as for the higher one lived, the wealthier they must be. They entered the air-conditioned lobby and walked across the marble floor towards the elevators. Although Mike had visited the spires twice before, he had never entered the lobby and, even with the invitation from Meegi, Mike couldn't shake a sense of foreboding. It felt like he was trespassing in a world he didn't belong and after his break up with Taalli, he never would have thought he would step foot in this place again. His lip twitched as he remembered her words of warning, the dragoness he once knew as Leena had told him that not everything was as it seemed when it came to this level of wealth. Many went to great lengths to show themselves in a better light and often it would not take much more than a scratch of the surface to reveal the truth. Thoughts of her name came to mind, he had debated with himself whether or not to call her Taalli or Leena in his mind, only settling on Taalli out of respect for how she had violently rejected her family and taken her new name. 

Every surface was clean, tidy, and professional. The floors were a polished sandy color and made a rhythmic clicking sound under the claws of the dragons. Recessed downlights broke up the reflective mirror that spanned the ceiling and cast the space in a cool, white light. Looking upwards at the mirrored ceiling, Mike compared the sizes of the dragons he walked with, wondering what it would be like once his son was the size of a medium horse like the other two. For now, Siidah was only just larger than a Great Dane, but he knew that his son would have yet another growth spurt during puberty.

As they walked towards the large bank of elevators in the center of the building, Mike couldn't help but look at the numerous potted plants that lined the walls, trying to spot any telltale signs that they were fake. He knew that so much of this building was a facade and caught himself remembering the words of warning Taalli had given him, and how he had ignored her repeatedly. Taking a quiet but deep breath, he forced himself to relax and watched as Meegi reached into the front pouch of his harness and retrieved an access card.

The athletic, tan drake tapped it on a sophisticated touch screen mounted on a wall between two of the elevators and entered a PIN code, before tucking the ivory card back into his harness. Due to the number of floors, and the need to offer privacy and security to its residents, the elevators worked on a complex algorithm to ensure that the residents were shuttled directly to their floors in the most efficient manner possible.

“This is cool,” whispered Siidah, his eyes wide in wonder as he looked about the building's lobby and spotted himself in the mirrored ceiling’s reflection. “Heh-heh, look Dad! We are upside down!” he giggled and fluttered his wings at his copy on the ceiling.

“That IS pretty cool,” Mike mused, looking back down the row of elevators as one dinged a few paces away from them. With a hand placed on the back of Siidah’s purple-maned neck, Mike guided him towards the elevator as its doors opened and they stepped inside.

Despite the many small lights and mirrored walls, the designer’s attempts at making the space inside feel bigger were quickly tested. Mike and Siidah moved all the way to the back of the elevator, where the man had to lean against the wall with his son close beside him to give Meegi and Geevin enough room to turn around and sit with their tails coiled tightly around them. The doors slid closed with a soft thud and they felt the telltale sensation of being lifted upwards. A soft whirring noise filled the space as the elevator's speed rapidly increased and they began the long journey upwards.

“So, which floor does your girlfriend live on?” Mike asked, while he leaned to try and get a look at the panel, only to see that there were no numbers on it. The only features were an emergency stop button, door controls and an access card reader.

The tan drake smiled proudly. His girlfriend's father was the owner of the Cresties Dragonball team and, as such, owned an apartment appropriate for his wealth. “Oh, you are gonna be in for a treat,” he said cheerfully and saw his boss give him a nervous look. “Remember how I said that higher was better? Well, there ain't anywhere higher! Top floor! Hundred and fortieth floor, baby!” He announced happily and grinned as both Mike and Siidah’s jaws dropped for different reasons.

Mike's brow became sweaty and his heart hammered in his tight chest. Suddenly, the elevator seemed to shift from side to side and become incredibly warm. “Wait-wait-wait, the penthouse?” Mike stammered, feeling dizzier as Meegi nodded with a puzzled look on his face. “Your girlfriend, what do her parents do again?”

Meegi cocked his head in confusion. “They own the Cresties—”

“I mean her mother, who is her mother?” Mike asked, his voice strained, as he ran a clammy hand through his son's mane to reassure himself, “She isn't orange, is she?” He didn't know what had happened to Seelena after their last meeting. He had heard that her mate had died in a traffic accident, but the orange harness model had thankfully never visited him since that fateful day.

“Orange?” Meegi asked, turning his head to look back at the clearly flustered man. “No, her mother is like... pink? Like salmon pink? Why? Got something against orange?” he asked with a nervous chuckle. Meegi had witnessed his boss handle difficult customers, including demanding dragons, and had never seen him as pale as he did now.

Geevin looked between Meegi and the sweating Mike. The man’s grip on his son's mane was tight, as if his balance depended on it, and he pieced together the situation. “No, Mike has nothing against orange dragons,” he said with a reassuring smile, but saw Siidah look up at his father in confusion. “Hey Siidah, I think your dad might be a little scared of heights. Do you think we can be big, strong drakes for him?” he asked, addressing the black-and-white-furred drake who nodded and puffed his chest out proudly. Geevin glanced back at Mike and gave him a small nod as if to ask, "Are you okay?"

Mike nodded and relaxed his grip on his son's mane, opting to absent-mindedly stroke the lush white fur to try and ease the tension he still felt in his chest. “Sorry, I just didn't realize that's where your girl lived,” Mike mused, trying hard to calm his racing heart. Despite Meegi's clarification, he still expected the doors to open at any moment and be faced with the wrath of Taalli’s mother.

Meegi turned back to face the elevator door, but could still make out his boss' vague reflection in the brushed, stainless doors. It still felt weird to call Tiiphani his girlfriend. They sure weren't mates, but the title still felt foreign to him. He shrugged and a heavy silence hung in the air as the elevator continued to rocket upwards. He and Tiiphani had regularly used the elevators to deepen their relationship after the weekly dragon ball games and it had become a ritual to find a way to excuse themselves from the post game celebrations to celebrate in their own way. Meegi swallowed and tilted his head. He knew it was his imagination, but he could almost smell the dragoness’ scent still hanging in the air from when they had made out passionately. Clearing his throat, he glanced back and saw that Mike was still looking paler than usual. “I’m sorry, I didn't realize you weren't good with heights,” Meegi stated, relieved when Mike waved a hand to dismiss the notion. Meegi smiled at Siidah. “Your dad is being extra brave and extra cool today. If I didn't have wings, I would be scared too, for sure,” he added, looking back at the elevator door.

Siidah looked up at his father and offered his warmest smile before leaning into him. He was well aware of Mike's limitations, but never saw him as anything other than his father. “A hundred and forty floors, that's a lot!” Siidah said with amazement in his voice. “What building is taller?”

The man buried his emotions and forced a warm smile for his son. “Nothing, only the best for my big boy,” Mike said, ruffling the drake's mane. “It's actually a hundred and forty-two,” he added in a whisper, as if it were a secret, and smiled as Siidah cocked his head in confusion. When both Geevin and Meegi turned their heads to question him, he simply shrugged, “We are going to the roof, and the penthouse has two floors, doesn't it?”

Both of Meegi's eye ridges raised as he realized the man was correct. “How do you know that?” Meegi asked, shuffling his wings as he tried to figure out why the owner of a local coffee shop would know the details of such a prestigious apartment.

“It's a long story,” Mike said as they felt the elevator begin to slow. “A very long story,” he added under his breath, scrubbing his fingers through his son's fur affectionately. The memories of Taalli and her family still hung heavily on his mind even after all these years. Clearing his throat and adjusting the collar of his shirt, he tried to mentally prepare himself for the doors to open and reveal the apartment she once lived in. The corner of his lip twitched in a mixture of sadness and uneasiness as he remembered how his life had changed so drastically after coming here so many years ago. 

Siidah's smile broadened and his wings lifted as the elevator began to decelerate, causing a brief sensation of weightlessness. “Heh-heh!” He giggled and rose to his toes with the help of momentum before the elevator slowed to a gradual stop. He stumbled as his weight returned in force. A polite ‘bong’ noise came from the elevator, as the doors slid open on oiled tracks to reveal the foyer of the penthouse. With elevator access restricted by a swipe card, the doors between the foyer and the residence were left open, revealing the large living room, dining area and the grand staircase that rose up towards the bedrooms on the second floor.

Mike's breath hitched and his eyes instinctively snapped to the staircase, half hoping and half dreading to see Taalli standing there like he remembered. But the stairs were empty, as was the rest of the apartment. As Geevin and Meegi stepped out and walked towards the fire escape, Mike found himself taking a few steps across the foyer towards the living room, with Siidah following suit.

The vast room seemed cold, lifeless and wrong without anyone in the space. The walls had been repainted and different photos adorned them, but the overall layout and marbled floors were exactly as he remembered. While he had only visited during a celebration of Taalli's graduation, and another one of her father's successes, the furniture at the time had been fitting for guests to socialize. Now, he caught a glimpse of what her life might have looked like while she was growing up. Magazines and an empty cup had been left beside an ivory leather sofa, large enough for multiple dragons to lounge on. The seat was positioned perfectly to watch an enormous television that was bigger than most walls in Mike's home. As he recognized the ornate flag of the Cresties Dragonball team hanging proudly next to the inanimate television, an involuntary smile pulled at his lips as he imagined Taalli cheering her team on. Mike's mind was brought back to reality as his son audibly gasped at the display of wealth and he took a few steps forward to hold the drake back from exploring the space.

“Not bad, hey. The whole floor is one giant apartment,” Meegi remarked proudly, stepping to Mike's side at the threshold of the foyer and the great room. “Tiiphani and her folks are out. Would you like the tour?” he asked, surprised when Mike slowly shook his head and held his son closer, placing a hand on Siidah's shoulders.

“Maybe another time,” Mike said, his voice hardly more than a choked whisper. He could feel the disappointment in his son's body by the way the young drake's wing shoulders dropped, his head lifting to look up at him for an explanation. “We have some flying to do, don't we?” he asked rhetorically, forcing a smile while jostling his son’s shoulders. “Are you ready?”

“Yup!” Siidah remarked happily, guided by his father back around and towards the elevator where Geevin stood next to the fire escape.

“Come on, big guy, I bet the view is amazing!” Geevin said cheerfully, using a paw to push the door open to the internal staircase. “Up you go!” he added as Siidah bounded forward, climbing the stairs three at a time. Mike nodded in thanks and followed his son, with Geevin and Meegi bringing up the rear. The fire escape door closed and relocked itself with a satisfying click as the four began the final ascent to the rooftop.

“Geez, you wouldn't want to have to climb down, would you?” Geevin remarked as he scraped his folded wings against the narrow walls. Thankfully, due to the designer not wanting to waste space in the apartments, the stairs were steep, and headroom wasn't impacted too heavily. “Like, what happens if you have to get out in a hurry?”

“You fly,” Meegi chuckled but knew what the brown drake meant. He had asked similar questions on his first visit to the spires. “Apparently, they stagger the floors for evacuations, but flightless folk are often persuaded to buy apartments closer to the ground. That, and apparently in an evacuation, each building has volunteers who fly over and evacuate humans who might be trapped. Like, if there is a fire on level one hundred of this tower, the residents of the other three towers are meant to help get them out,” he explained while climbing the final flight of stairs and emerging onto the roof with the others.

“I take it that means Tiiphani's family are the ones to help others?” Geevin asked as he squeezed around the landing and began climbing the final flight of stairs.

Meegi chuckled and shook his head. “Nope, none of the other spires have this many floors, so they don't have to,” he explained, wondering if Tiiphani would, even if she had to.

Stepping out onto the rooftop, Mike squinted as the midday sun beat down on them and smiled at his son. Siidah's white fur glowed in an angelic radiance as the sun refracted through his countless thick hairs. The young drake's excited, wide eyes and playful smile were infectious and Mike grinned as he walked past the air-conditioning units to catch up to his son while Geevin and Meegi extracted themselves from the stairwell. He couldn't help but notice the faded signs that were erected to warn trespassers of the consequences of their actions and pondered if his initial visit with Taalli was the reason why they were installed.

The small white drake bounced in excitement and explored the roof. The scents of rubbish, exhaust fumes and other fragrances of city life were non-existent at this altitude. With a jump and a scamper, he climbed one of the large air-conditioning units to sit proudly at the top of the world. Grinning from horn to horn, he imagined himself as a great dragon from one of the books his father had read to him, resting atop an endless mountain and surveying his domain or atop a flying city that floated across the land. His mane fluttered in the wind as he let out a joyous attempt at a roar and looked back down at his father for approval, cocking his head to watch the man gravitate towards the edge of the building.

Mike chuckled at his son's ‘fierce’ roar, knowing that one day he would be able to achieve the deafening bellow of a fully grown dragon. Focusing ahead, he felt the wind rush through his hair, turbulent and cool, ruffling his beard. His heart beat faster as he stepped closer and closer to the drop-off. There was no handrail, no protection or anything to stop him from falling, yet he didn't show any hesitation as he stepped to the edge and looked down the impossibly tall structure. The reflective glass of the building mirrored the blue sky and the spiderweb of roads and buildings of the cityscape below. Even the thin gaps between the panes of glass seemed to vanish after a few floors, creating an almost seamless illusion of standing on nothing but the sky itself. A giddy smile pulled at his lips as adrenaline rushed through his body, not from fear but from excitement.

“You good, buddy?” Geevin asked, his voice layered with concern while approaching with his wings partially mantled in case he needed to spring into action. The way the man wobbled slightly on the edge made him quickly step closer, but Mike just gave him a thumbs up without looking away from the drop.

“I used to be so afraid,” Mike murmured under his breath, his voice hushed by the updraft of wind that raced up the spire. Like specks of pollen drifting on a spring breeze, dragons flew far beneath them, each one gliding effortlessly above the thousands of cars and humans that marched along the roads like ants, both species oblivious to the man watching them from above. A deep sense of calm settled over him as he took a deep breath of the brisk air and slowly exhaled. He remembered how Taalli had offered her shoulder for support the first time he had looked over the edge and how he had pretended not to be scared while entertaining her father. Now, he felt a genuine sense of confidence, the vast drop below no longer frightened him as it once did and he found himself simply enjoying the view. He wasn't sure if it was just because he had done it before or if it was something else. Despite the pain, regrets, heartache, and sleepless nights, he was deeply grateful for meeting the orange and black scaled dragoness that had led him to this point in his life.

Mike looked out across the city, squinting to make out the park near the port where his mate now waited for him and their son. When Liiria had proposed the park as their destination, he had balked at the idea, fearing it would resurface memories of his first flight with Taalli. However, she had insisted that experiencing the moment with their son would help him let go of the past. 

He sniffed softly and was glad that no one could see his face but made a mental note to thank Liiria again for the kindness and patience that she had shown him over the last few decades. She had been understanding and a great help during his mourning of Taalli and although he would always feel guilty for expressing his emotions over an ex, she had always been there for him. As he stood at the edge of the building, he was filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the purple furred dragoness coming into his life and wouldn't know what he would have done without her. When he had understood his love of dragons, he had been content with not having children of his own. But after a deep discussion with his mate, he was glad that she had given him a little one to help raise. Even if that meant a few trips to the doctor when their play had become too bitey or Siidah underestimated his strength.

Meegi kept an eye on Siidah, who was sitting happily on the air-conditioning unit and admiring the view in a rare moment of quiet from the young drake. He tore his gaze away from the small drake and looked down across the eastern spire to repeat a secret ritual he would never tell anyone about. While most residents decorated their balconies with lavish furniture or the occasional water feature to display their wealth, Meegi's eyes focused on one balcony far below. Situated halfway down the spire, he could only just make it out from the angle, but knew which apartment it was due to the old wooden table and a collection of vegetable planters situated against the handrail.

While he genuinely enjoyed Tiiphani's company, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for how things had ended between him and Reeva. He had wished to thank her for working on an assignment with him but never found the courage to talk to her and, as time went on, it had just become too awkward between them. His wings shuffled and tucked them close to his body as he remembered she wouldn't be home; the apartment would be empty and Reeva would be with her family across the ocean on vacation. His mind drifted towards the future, with the end of the school year marching tirelessly towards them. The pressures of graduation would be upon him in no time. Tiiphani had already begun making plans for prom. It seemed like every night the dragoness presented him with countless swaths of red material for his opinion, only for his suggestions to be ignored. He allowed himself a small snort of mild amusement as he remembered how the ‘ness had insisted that they take lessons to dance in the sky, so as to not embarrass her. However, the instructor praised Meegi's ability to move with the beat and criticized Tiiphani's clumsy attempts to keep pace. This had resulted in Meegi having to buy ice cream and comfort her late into the evening, only for a new instructor to be hired to teach her privately.

A soft grunt and the sound of paws landing on concrete caused Meegi's attention to snap back to the present. He whipped his head around to see the white drake Siidah pick himself up from the rooftop floor and trot happily past Geevin to join his father. Meegi glanced back at Reeva's apartment one last time, silently wishing her the best for the year and hoped that someone would realize her brilliance and seek her out for prom.

Mike was looking down the length of the building, when his son's head slipped into his field of view. Siidah looked down to see the illusion below. "Woah," Siidah gasped, with his front paws gripping the edge of the building and his head over the edge. The updraft caused his purple mane of hair to whip wildly and his mouth opened in an excited smile.

"Woah indeed," Mike chuckled. "Are you sure you are ready?" he asked and saw Siidah nod excitedly while still peering down at the world below them. "Alright, let's get you flying," Mike said and took a step back from the edge. Instinctively, he ran his hand through his hair to straighten it as he approached Geevin. "This covers your tab, by the way. That cool?"

Geevin smiled, before forcing a pout. "Damn, if I had known that, I would have gotten some caramel today," he teased and lowered himself down on the concrete roof for Mike to climb up. As Mike hooked a hand under his friend's leather harness and began to pull himself up onto the drake's shoulders, Meegi turned his back to Siidah for the white-furred drake to scamper up his tail and assume the position between his wings.

Meegi looked back to make sure that Siidah was holding onto the straps of his harness, before he began to slowly walk towards the edge while Geevin rose to his feet with Mike. “Alright Siidah, I think I'm gonna need your help taking off, is that cool?” the tan drake asked sweetly and mantled his wings. The small white drake on his back gave him a focused nod and lifted his own wings to mirror Meegi's. Walking towards the edge, Meegi knew that he could carry the young drake with ease, but involving the wyrmling was a good way to prepare him for taking off solo. Once he reached the edge, Meegi's claws clicked against the glass exterior panes, and he looked back at the young drake. Siidah was hunkered down slightly, as if to pounce, with a focused expression on his face and his wings lifted and ready. Meegi looked across and smirked when he saw Geevin grinning back at him, the brown drake’s eyes flicked from Siidah to Meegi's in amusement, silently communicating that Meegi might be doing this with his own wyrmlings one day.

Turning his neck, Geevin looked back at Mike and was pleasantly surprised to feel the man was sitting upright on his shoulders. Even after all this time, he remembered not to lean over the dragon's neck, as it would make flying uncomfortable. “Everybody ready?” Geevin asked and received a nod from Mike, Meegi, and Siidah.

“How about you give us a countdown, Siidah?” Mike asked with a smile, empowering the young drake with a sense of inclusion in the plan.

An excited smile pulled at the furred dragon's snout, accentuated by the contrast between the white fur that ran across his face and over his body and the black fur that ran on his underside and his bottom jaw. The wyrmling cocked his head before gripping Meegi's harness tighter. “Now!” he announced with a definitive squeal.

Meegi and Geevin shared a look of amusement, as Siidah stretched his wings out wide and together they launched off the building with a deliberate lunge. Mike gripped the harness of his friend firmly as he felt a brief sense of weightlessness, before Geevin's wings caught the air and carried them away from the building. A part of him had expected a dive down the reflective surface of the building in an attempt to scare him, but he was grateful that they gracefully glided away from the spires and out into the open air above the city.

The sensation of flying would never cease to amaze Mike, the noise of the wind as it whipped at his clothes, the way it pulled his hair back and the feeling of a powerful dragon beneath him reminded him of the dozen times he flew with Taalli. He moved his body with Geevin as they gently banked away from the other spires and looked across to Meegi and his son.

In perfect synchronization, Siidah matched the athletic dragon’s wing movements, feeling the air pressure under the membranes pull at him and how he could adjust his wing fingers to guide the air into lift. All of Meegi's instructions and the hours of practicing came to him and he began to relax his grip on the harness and move on his own while always keeping the safety of Meegi's back below him.

"Are you ready, son?" Mike shouted proudly. He could tell that the wyrmling was only just resting his paws on Meegi's back, almost supporting his own weight with his wings.

Meegi glanced back to see Siidah nod nervously while focusing intently ahead. "You can do it, just like we practiced," Meegi said warmly "I'll be right with you if you need me," he added and saw the drake take a big breath.

Siidah's heart beat rapidly in his chest. He had glided with Meegi many times over parks and sports fields, but this would be different. He gave his wings a tentative flap and instinctively gripped Meegi's harness as he gained lift. His pink tongue darted out of his mouth to taste the air and he tried again, this time with a small hop with his hind legs. He stretched his wings wide and pulled them down, the developing muscles across his chest tensed to control his flap, and before he knew it, he was a foot away from the tan drake's back. His blue eyes widened as his body tipped forward, and his wings fluttered uselessly to try to control his rapid descent into Meegi but he miscalculated and grunted as the wind was driven out of his lungs and he crashed into the drake. With a scramble of claws he managed to latched onto Meegi's shoulders and hold himself steady.

"You're okay," Meegi said with a reassuring smile. Despite the drake's claws under his scales, he tried to maintain a warm expression. "Remember to tuck your paws up, the wind caught them, that's all," he explained and held a steady glide, while Siidah pulled himself up onto his paws and stretched out his wings again.

Mike gripped Geevin's harness so tight; his knuckles were pale. Seeing his son falter while being so high up above the unforgiving city; he was on the verge of stopping their flight when Siidah readied himself for another attempt. The young drake instinctively breathed rapidly to oxygenate his blood and, before Mike could say a thing, he had launched himself into the air and tucked his large paws close to his body.

Siidah's mouth opened in astonishment as he flapped his wings a second time and rose higher. His instincts kicked in and he flapped again, and again, before he soared above his father and friends. "I'm doing it!" he shrieked in excitement. As his audience cheered, he twisted his tail gently and adjusted his wings to bank left and then right, all while keeping Geevin and Meegi below him for safety.

Seeing his son continue to beat his wings and gain altitude, Mike shared a nervous look with Geevin and Meegi, who then flapped their wings and surged upwards to intercept the wyrmling. "Don't forget to glide, let's stretch those wings out," Meegi called out and was relieved when Siidah settled into a glide.

Feeling adventurous, the wyrmling adjusted his wings to shift over to Geevin's wingtip and stole a glance toward his father. “I'm doing it, dad! I'm doing it!” Siidah called out happily and beat his wings to climb briefly before diving back down to the same height as his dad.

“You're doing it!” Mike cheered proudly. The man shifted on Geevin's shoulders and reached into his pocket to retrieve a borrowed action camera. “Do you think you can fly over here?” Mike asked and pointed toward a space ahead and to the left of Geevin.

With a determined nod, Siidah fluttered his wings and climbed above his father to shift over to the desired location. Looking back, he saw his father twist around and raise the camera with an outstretched arm to take a selfie. Understanding the objective, Siidah angled his wings to glide closer to Geevin and looked back at the camera with a wide smile.

Mike smiled as he turned the camera around and reviewed the series of images he had snapped. With his son flying behind him and sharing the same gleeful expression as himself, he knew that he had captured a key moment in their lives.

Meegi lingered behind the group with wings outstretched, happy not to talk as he wasn't sure if his voice would remain stable. He was thankful that his mother had filled in for his absent father and taught him everything she knew about flying, while it wasn’t a requirement that a drake be the teacher for this right of passage, it was as traditional as a father teaching their children to ride a bike. Now, as he watched the young wyrmling beat his wings with a newfound confidence, Meegi’s throat tightened as he felt pride well up inside him. Seeing his boss interact with his son and knowing that he had helped make it possible, it felt as if part of his own absent fathers failings had been made right. He smiled as Mike held the camera out with an outstretched arm to his son to review the image and chuckled as Siidah snatched it out of the man's hand to begin taking photos of his father, or at least the vague direction of his father. He swallowed the lump in his throat and blinked his glossy eyes, as Siidah flared his wings and pulled back to be beside Meegi. With the small fur drake wavering slightly in the wind, Meegi’s lips pulled into a cheesy wide grin as Siidah tried to take selfies with his teacher.

"You can do it," Mike called out to his son as they approached the park. After almost an hour in the air, he knew his son's flight muscles would be getting sore. Below, he saw Liiria waiting with a picnic blanket, a collection of ice-cold desserts to celebrate with and Ben, who held a large camera to his face to capture Siidah's first landing.

"I can't," Siidah called out. He had learned to glide down to the ground from Meegi's back during his first flying lesson. But now, with sore wings and everyone watching, he wasn't sure he could do it.

"How about you watch me and Dad," Geevin called out with a friendly smile. "Just try to do what I do," he added when Siidah nodded. Angling his wings, the brown drake dove towards the park while Mike held on tightly. With a short, quick flap of his large wings, he corrected his descent and touched down.

Mike wasn't used to a dragon landing at a run and gripped the harness tightly to stop himself from being bounced off of the drake's shoulders. Only once Geevin had stopped did Mike realize that every time he had landed with a dragon, they had performed a perfectly controlled stall to land smoothly and landing at a run would be easier for a new flier to achieve.

Meegi waited until Mike had swung his legs over Geevin's shoulder and slipped to the ground before giving Siidah a nod. "You've got this. Get ready with your running paws," he instructed and stayed on Siidah's wingtip while they performed a lazy circle and lined up to land into the wind. "Don't lower your paws until I tell you, okay? The wind will slow you down too much otherwise," he added and flared his wings to fall back behind the black and white drake.

"I can do this, I can do this," muttered Siidah under his breath, as he rotated his wings only slightly and began to fly lower towards the ground. He could remember Meegi's instructions and straightened his tail, kept his eyes on where he wanted to go and took a deep breath to prepare himself.

Mike took a few steps away from Geevin and towards his son as the drake's wings fluttered to correct his course. Even as Liiria approached his side, he didn't dare take his eyes off of Siidah. “How did he go?” Liiria asked, her voice tense as she watched her wyrmling come closer and closer to the ground. Her soft lavender fur brushed his skin as she gently nuzzled his cheek and was rewarded with a quick, tender kiss on her snout. 

“Really good,” Mike replied softly, before he rose onto the balls of his feet in preparation for running out to catch Siidah if something went wrong.

The wyrmling's eyes flicked to the grass below him once he came close enough to make out its individual blades. He knew Meegi was right behind him and he tried to focus on everything he had been taught. As he sank further and further towards the ground, he instinctively wanted to lower his paws to protect himself but hesitated. He angled his wings upwards slightly and felt his speed wash off quickly, falling closer to the ground before flapping his wings rapidly to climb again.

“No, you had it. It's okay,” Meegi called out from behind him. “Let the ground come to you, then attack it!” He added and watched the young drake force his wings outwards and flare slightly. “That's it, you've got this,” he added in encouragement and closed the gap with the hatchling in case he needed to snatch him up.

Huffing rapidly to take quick, sharp breaths, Siidah closed his mouth and clenched his jaw. His heart pounded as he held his breath and let himself sink lower to the ground, but he smiled briefly at his father as he glided down below the height of his Mike's shoulders.

“Now, run!” Meegi shouted and smiled, as the drake lowered his legs. The drag of the wind on his limbs slowing him down quickly and shifting his center of lift forwards. As soon as Siidah's front paws touched down on the soft grass, Meegi surged forwards with a flap in case he was needed, but banked away sharply once the wyrmling began to run at full speed across the ground.

Siidah's smile was from horn to horn as he sprinted across the ground towards his mother and father. With wings still half extended, he giggled madly as Mike extended his arms with a relieved smile. The needle-like talons of his hind legs dug into the ground and, with a powerful lunge, Siidah launched himself into his father's arms, knocking him off of his feet and sending them both crashing to the earth in a tangle of limbs and wings.

The furred drake’s laughter filled the park. “Heh-heh, we made it!” he cheered, wrestling with his father on the soft green grass while his mother smiled warmly down at them. Siidah squirmed and wriggled as his father's fingers tickled the sensitive areas under his wings until he was gasping for breath.

Unbeknownst to Mike and his family, a dragon sat watching them with an ice cream sundae of her own beside her forepaws. Hidden from view by unknown means, the orange dragoness sat with her tail coiled around her body and her black wing arms tucked tight to her sides. Her amber eyes were glossy and filled with both pride and joy as she watched Mike scoop up his son in a warm hug.

“You're still here?” the ghostly silver drake asked as he approached Taalli from behind. Without even turning her head, she simply nodded and gestured with a subtle twitch of her tail for Riimack to sit with her. “How is he doing?” he asked and settled on his haunches to observe the group.

“Better. Much better.” Taalli said warmly and allowed herself a smile as she watched Mike lift his son onto his mate's shoulders. The little black and white drake held his wings out and pretended to fly as his mother walked them towards a picnic rug with Mike at her side and their friends following behind.

“How about you?” Riimack asked and glanced at his friend with a concerned look. Neither of them truly knew how their situation worked, yet they always seemed to be drawn together when one needed the other. “How does that make you feel?” he added with a small nod towards Mike and his family.

Taalli nodded silently in contemplation before taking a deep breath. “I think I get it now,” she said with a determined tone. “I thought this was hell at first, watching our friends suffer without us. But I think I get it,” she added and swatted his paw away from her dessert. “I don’t know what happens when we truly leave, but I could do it easier knowing that he is doing okay.”

“You always were the smart one,” Riimack said warmly and when she looked back towards Mike, he slowly dipped a talon into her dessert and lifted his claw up to give it a lick, only pausing to smile sheepishly as she gave him a playful glare. Holding her gaze, he licked his claw and nudged her with a wing before gesturing towards the group. “Who's the little one’s father?” he asked before dipping his claw back into the ice cream.

“Mike is.” Taalli said flatly and pushed the sundae closer to her sweet-toothed friend.

“I mean, like… who was the—”

“I know what you meant. But does it matter?” Taalli replied softly, shuffling her wings. “For all intents and purposes, Mike is his dad. And a good one at that,” she added defensively, then took a deep breath to calm her emotions. With a sigh, she glanced over and nudged Riimack with a wing, “He is doing a better job than our fathers, don’t you think?”

“That’s not hard. It’s not like they set the bar very high,” Riimack countered, lifting another clawful of ice cream and dipping his snout to take it into his maw. “But I agree, he is doing good,” he added with a mouthful as he watched the man share his ice cream with his winged son.

Taalli nodded in agreement and tore her eyes away from Mike as he sneaked a kiss on his mate’s lavender furred snout. “What about you, Riimack? How’s Reevian?” she asked, trying to distract herself from the scene before her.

“She is doing okay,” he said quickly, but could tell by the look in Taalli’s amber eyes that she could see right through him. “Okay, not great, She is putting on a strong face,” Riimack elaborated, looking over towards Meegi, who was sitting on the edge of the group and politely eating his own ice cream, “Her daughter is hurting right now, and Reevian is trying to make it better. But broken hearts are hard to heal.”

Taalli let out a soft hum of acknowledgement and returned to watching Mike and his family. “You're not wrong there,” Taalli mused. “What about Viina? How is she doing?” she asked and focused back on Riimack when she saw his lip twitch at the mention.

Riimack couldn’t hold her gaze and focused back on Mike and Siidah. “That was a whole other story,” Riimack said softly and gave her a reassuring smile, “I’ll spare you the details,” he added and lifted a wing to invite her for a much needed hug.

“I could see the whole city! It was awesome!” Siidah exclaimed happily as he recounted the flight to his mother. With the addition of sugar, the drake practically vibrated as he stood in the center of the picnic blanket, wings outstretched, flapping them to reenact key moments.

Mike smiled at Siidah’s enthusiasm, while scraping the bottom of the sundae bowl his son had lost interest in. He paused with his spoon held just above the rim as he saw a familiar orange dragoness in the corner of his eye. Afraid to look for fear of confirming it was someone else and not the dragoness he once knew, he focused on his spoonful and tried to make out the details in his peripheral vision. He noticed she was not alone and sat alongside a handsome silver drake with blue markings. The pair shared a dessert and he saw her lean against him warmly. Mike’s shoulders lowered as he felt a tension deep inside his chest ease, like an old knot of rope finally being worked loose, imagining that Taalli wasn’t alone and finally had someone who could truly be with her. With his spoon trembling in his fingers like a leaf, he committed to look up to confirm whether he was seeing his long dead friend or just a stranger of a similar color.

“Dad?” Siidah asked, breaking his father’s train of thought. The black and white drake tilted his head sideways at his father and gave an apologetic smile. “Could we do that?” he asked and repeated the question when he realized his father hadn’t heard him. “When I'm big, can-can we go flying? Together?”

Mike placed the spoon back in his glass and put it aside so he could stretch out. With a warm smile, he gestured for Siidah to come close and pulled him into a tight, fatherly hug. “Of course, you would make me the happiest man in the world.”