The Story of Dante

[Ranger of the North]

Hehe, Dante's first deer was kinda amusing. Poor lil thing, though...

Yay, Glory's back!!
I was terrified when he first began turning up; I thought you might make Dave not realise he was Dante's brother and eat him D:

Poor Dave...

OH MY GOSH DANTE DON'T ANNOY HIM FOR PETE'S SAKE YOU JUST BARELY ESCAPED DEATH HHHHHH !!
Dave. Bad. >:c

[Megaguirus]

Amusing is one way to put that deer hunt, Dante would disagree, though.

It didn't even cross my mind in the first place, or Dave's for that matter. He doesn't care for birds, they're too small and too much energy is needed to hunt them. It just isn't worth it. When he was younger, yeah, he hunted them all the time, but his joints don't work like they used to. He used to hunt unicorns more too, but again, age. Dave hates running, actually.

Also, just a note to everyone who's reading this, I edited Dave's age from nine hundred to five hundred. Turns out the latter is what I had planned before (and just forgot, whoops, thank goodness for note paper) and makes more sense. So, yeah, just wanted to give a heads up.

[Megaguirus]

The next night, I had completely forgotten my anger. I was beginning to learn that was how my anger worked. But Dave held onto it. For a whole week he was more silent than normal, barely even uttering a single word. The training also got more brutal, I was still dodging, but he had now stopped giving me warning. Just one hit after another, and some he’d even switch halfway through.

I tripped up, a lot, and began to show a lot of bruising and scars. Some days I was so overworked, it was hard to walk and I limped like him. Eventually, I was fed up. I decided I had to risk conversation with him to save myself.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you, but please don’t take it out on me anymore. I feel like I’m not learning anything, and just being abused.” I told him after we ate.

“You gonna run cryin’ to Solstice?” he said.

I shook my head. “I just want to feel like some serious progress is being made.”

He sighed loudly. “Progress is bein’ made, kid. It’s been a month, and you’re now ready for fightin’.”

I perked up at the mention of fighting. Finally, good training. “So my dodging gets your approval?”

He nodded with a grunt and stood. “Speakin’ of, ready for some tonight?”

I nodded eagerly and jumped to my feet. I was so excited, I flew to the training area and waited for him. My heart was beating out of my chest, and my tail swished along the ground with delight my wings quivered, and my face was stuck with a grin.

When Dave came in, I could see he could barely hold in a smile at my delight. “Okay, kid, here’s how this is gonna go. I’ll be your personal clawin’ tree, so if you’ve any pent up anger from my ‘abuse’, nows a good time to use it. But, don’t flail wildly, use some restraint, as I’m teachin’ you how to fight. If I tell you to give me your best right swipe, you give me your best right swipe. If it’s bad, I’ll tell you how to fix it. If it’s weak, I’ll tell you how to make it stronger. Got it?” he explained.

I nodded. It made more sense than the dodging explanation.

He grinned madly. “Good. So then, let’s begin.”

That we did. I did exactly as he explained, and gave him the right swipe he asked for. It struck him perfectly, in my opinion, though it did no harm through his thick hide.

“Poor form, too weak.” he described. “Put your body into it, all your measly weight needs to be in the claw when you strike. Raise your claw higher, and extend your arm further. Repeat after me,” he advised and walked over to a tree. He did exactly as he described, a cut thick claw marks into the tree, sending wood flying.

But I wasn’t watching the carnage, I was watching his body. I thought I had it, so we tried again. And again, I failed.

“Again,” he said, and I obeyed.

By the time the night was over, I almost had it perfected. At least I wasn’t panting as hard as I was from the dodging. On the way back, he gave me more advice. I was surprised with how much he was talking, but I knew it wouldn’t last long.

“Tomorrow, put more anger into it. Be more vicious. Find the joy in fightin’, just as you’ve found the joy in huntin’. Don’t be ‘fraid to hurt me, I can take a lot.” he advised.

I nodded. “Okay, I got it.”

He chuckled. “I see you’ve already found the joy in fightin’, good, we got a long way to go.”

We finally made it back to the cave and both collapsed in sleepy heaps in our respective nests.


This continued for a week, and I seemed to be flying through each part. I completed the right strike, according to Dave, halfway through the next night, so we moved on to the left strike. I also finished that in one and a half nights. It continued like this, and I was now starting to find some joy in my training.

I especially enjoyed it because I could beat up Dave freely, and he kept reminding me why I did with his continued cruelties. He barely spoke to me, as usual, and as usual he did tiny things to upset me, as if he knew what was happening. I also felt myself growing stronger and tougher.

However, my time with Glory reminded me that this wasn’t me. I played gently with him, preened him, and even flew a bit around the forest with him. This new schedule had worked out perfectly. But after he left so I could get my sleep, I was left awake as I thought back on the past days.

What was I becoming? What monster was Dave bringing out? I enjoyed the fighting, and laughed triumphantly when he complimented it. But this wasn’t me. A chill went down my spine as it hit me, I was becoming Dragon King. I slowly turned to look at the sleeping drake. His expression was not peaceful, it never was, even while he slept he looked angry and in pain.

Kyori gave me a brief explanation of the pain he went through, and I thought that was enough for me, but I wanted to know more. I smiled. Of course, Solstice would tell me. I remembered Cobblestone suggested I ask her about Dave, if I was curious. It was then I planned to meet her the next night, with Dave’s permission, I wasn’t in the mood to get smacked again.


Thankfully, Dave woke in a good mood. He approached me as I slowly awoke in my nest and nudged me with his snout, as usual.

“Mornin’, kid,” he greeted.

I yawned. “I think you mean night, but whatever works for you,” I replied.

He chuckled. “You should like Kyori, correctin’ me all the time. If you start I may have to stop your trainin’,” he warned jokingly.

“Yes, and that would be a horrible loss,” I replied in the same manner as I stretched out my claws and wings.

“Ready to go huntin’? It’s your turn again.”

“Yeah, but I was wondering if I could ask you a question,” I said.

There was a brief silence as he stared at me. “What is it?”

“I was wondering that since I’ve been doing so well in my training that I could see Solstice,” I asked, not even wanting to take a breath for fear he’d refuse and cut me off.

Another pause, longer this time, as he thought. “Okay, I’ll let you,” he replied slowly.

I had to do everything I could to not start jumping for joy.

“However,” he added, making my excitement pause, “you must be back by sunrise so that you can get enough sleep for tomorrow.”

I nodded excitedly. “I will, I promise.”

“Good, now come on, let’s get some huntin’ in before you fly off to see the other flightless one.” he said and walked off to start.

I eagerly followed after.

He let me catch the deer and after we’d eaten I took off to meet with Solstice. It was a fairly long flight, but it felt good, because I hadn’t flown in awhile. I did many tricks just for that reason. I twisted and twirled in the night sky, which I had all to myself except for some bats and dragons here and there. When I finally came upon Solstice, purposefully dodging The Circle of Mountains, I let out with a screech to tell her I was coming. She looked up, smiled and stood on her haunches to greet me properly.

She lifted her neck as high as she could and I dove down, flew around her head and tapped her nose with my tail. She laughed and returned to her flowers and I landed in front. We nuzzled each other for a bit before we actually began to talk.

“Oh, Dante, how long has it been since I’ve seen you? You’re so much bigger now, it’s amazing.” she said.

“Thanks, and I think it’s been a month since I’ve seen you.” I replied.

“Oh no, that is much too long. I’m glad to see you again, though.” she studied me for a moment before smiling again. “So how is Dave treating you?”

I shifted uncomfortably. “Not too well, if I’m honest. He’s very cruel and strict, but he is a great teacher, there’s no denying that.”

“Yeah, I know, he’s rather rough around the edges, but he’s a great friend of mine, and I know he won’t hurt you.”

I cocked my head when the thought of them being friends came up again. “How? You two seem so different.”

“It may look that way, but we’re more similar than you think. For one thing, we don’t like sharing our feelings and for another, we both have small anger issues. I just have a better grip on them because I actually care about what anybody thinks. Dave doesn’t.” she said before leaning in to me and speaking quieter. “However, he likes to make everybody think that, but he actually does. He’s just too prideful to apologize. He’s very troubled.”

She pulled back and I was left to chew on what she said. “Kyori said something like that, that it was because of the loss of his mate and hatchling.”

Her face fell a little when I told her that. “So she told you?” she sighed and shook her head. “Yeah, that’s the main reason. But there are others. I don’t want to tell them, though, sorry. Dave would hate me if I shared with you secrets that only I know. Even if he didn’t know, he still would. I can’t break his trust, I’m the only friend he has.”

I sighed. Well, there goes my further info. “That’s okay, I understand. I’ll just try and understand him with the little I know.”

She smiled. “That’s the spirit. Maybe one day I can tell you, but not right now.”

There was a pause as we just enjoyed each other’s company. Soon, though, I spoke up again, remembering another thing I wanted to know. “Can you tell me how Dragon King became evil?”

“Of course,” she motioned for me to snuggle beside her and I obeyed. “Firstly, even as a hatchling his future was evident. He always had a superiority complex. This was partly to blame for the war, making him hate griffins. But nobody knows exactly what got into his head about being better than dragons.

“It definitely wasn’t his parents, after all, they raised Cobblestone, and you know how nice he is. I don’t believe that anyone is born evil, but everybody is born with the potential for evil, it just depends on what you choose to do with it. Dragon King, or should I say, Brimstone, chose to capitalize it. He always wanted to become the next leader, and eagerly waited until he was old enough.

“This took longer than he expected, and of course, Dante came into the scene, messing up his plans of defeating the old leader. Some dragons theorize that he was a part of the assassins who conspired against Dante, but I’m not so easily inclined to believe that theory. Anyway, once Dante was dead, he was still too young to take his place. But that didn’t stop him from trying, and challenging the other leader.

“Then came the last war, which left the other leader injured. Dragon King took this as his opportunity to finally become king of the dragons. He killed the leader, even though he didn’t need to, as if to fully assert his dominance. It was after that that his reign of tyranny began. He started it by creating strict rules, and violently enforcing them when they weren’t followed. Then he demanded everyone call him ‘Dragon King’, because that was his true role now, and he swore he’d keep it until the day he died.

“It has worked ever since. Anyone who tried to go up against him were brutally slaughtered until we finally learned our lessons and stayed put. But then your parents came into the scene, and gave us hope that Dragon King’s tyranny wouldn’t last until the day he died. Because now we hopefully had someone strong enough to defeat him. That’s another reason they wanted you to be part dragon, it makes you stronger.” she finished.

I was left with a gaping beak as I took in all that she said. It was a whole lot to take in, but I understood it all. It reminded me of Dimidas, who also had a strong potential for evil, and also acted upon it. My heart stung as I remembered the harsh words he said to me. It hurt so much that I had to lay down. And if Dimidas is like Dragon King, then Kage was like Cobblestone.

“Reminds me of Dimidas. He also acted upon his evil potential.” I replied.

She nuzzled me softly. “I know, and I’m sorry that some are like that. You have a chance to act upon it as well, except I know you won’t. That was why I decided to allow Dave to teach you. He can easily bring out the evil in someone, as he is very cruel himself, but I know you won’t act upon it. Because you care about others too, and aren’t afraid to admit it. Dante, no matter what Dave tells you, there is strength in weakness. Power in timidity. I only want Dave to teach you how to withstand Dragon King, not kill him.” she comforted.

I nuzzled her back with a chirp. “Thank you, I came upon that revelation awhile ago. It’s hard, though, he pushes me a lot. He wants me to kill Dragon King, as if I am a means to his revenge.”

She sighed. “In a way, you are to all of us. We just want revenge in different ways.”

I sighed as well and leaned against her warm side. I soaked in her comforting warmth and slowly beating heart. She nuzzled me a couple more times before resting her head down on the ground, looking at me tenderly.

“You’re the last mother I have,” I told her softly after awhile.

“Oh Dante, and you are my dear son, the one I can never have.”

I blinked. “Never?” I asked her. That didn’t seem the right choice of words. I hoped she just misspoke.

The long pause and sigh told me otherwise. “Oh dear,” I heard her whisper. She lifted up her head and looked around before looking at me. “Well, I might as well tell you now.” she said and prepared her words.

“I have a secret nobody knows, and a secret many know. The one many know is the fact that moon dragons are not real species,” she began.

I gasped. “What?”

“There’s a reason you haven’t seen others. I’m the only moon dragon for a reason. Back when the Ancient One was king, he and Kyori’s father made a special type of flower, one that could heal all illnesses and wounds. The only thing it couldn’t cure was old age, because they believed immortality is something no one should have. It wasn’t that plentiful, but nobody ever minded, because barely anybody got sick or injured during Dante’s reign.

“However, there was one problem with these flowers, they grow best in the moonlight, and can even die without enough moonlight. The problem is, it isn’t always night, nor is it always clear skies. They didn’t know that this would be an issue at first, but when they started dying, something had to be done.

“I always loved plants and flowers, so without asking my mother’s permission, I volunteered to be the moon for these flowers. With a spell, my pitch black scales could now glow like the moon whenever I chose. It was amazing, but some were afraid of it, especially Dragon King, who was still going as Brimstone, naturally. I didn’t mind, though, wasn’t too good at making friends anyway.” she sighed and paused for a moment.

“But then, everything changed. Dante was assassinated, Kyori’s father died of old age and war broke out. Most of the moon flowers were destroyed during the war, either stolen or simply burned. However, some dragons kept the seeds, which Dragon King stole when he became king. He then planted them in Dragon’s Land, to keep them to himself and the dragons, and since I was the caretaker, he ordered me to constantly lay by them. He forbid me to leave the flowers alone, but since I was flightless by then, I wasn’t too upset.

“Most just ignore me now, but some, like Cobblestone and Dave, visit and feed me. I can get exercise, too, I just wander around the flowers to stretch my legs and simply flap my wings to keep them in shape.” she finished with a smile, flapping her wings as comparison. The flowers didn’t seem to mind at all, they just moved lightly in the great wind.

I wanted to be sorry for her, but the way she ended it, and her smile, made me break out in one too. “That’s so cool, Solstice. But, uh, why did you call me the son you couldn’t have?” I asked, remembering my original question.

Her smile quickly faded and she looked away from me. “Right,” she said with a sigh. “Well, there was one side effect of the spell. Because the spell altered my body, it made me barren. Kyori’s father told me it was to prevent other moon dragons being born, since glowing like the moon isn’t natural. But I knew this getting into it, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise. The surprise is that nobody knows. They tell me that I’d make a great mother, and they’re right, but I can’t, it’s impossible.” she said with a shake of her head.

I nuzzled her with a purr. “But I know now, so you don’t have to carry that burden all by yourself.”

She chuckled and I saw a tear fall to the hard ground with a quiet splash. “Oh Dante, that’s so unbelievably sweet. I don’t mind carrying the burden, but Cobblestone doesn’t know, and he constantly flirts with me. I don’t want to tell him the truth, because I’m afraid he won’t talk to me anymore.” her large body quivered and I heard a stifled sob.

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just purred again and rested heavily on her. I didn’t even apologize, Dave was teaching me that it isn’t always necessary. She quickly calmed down and looked at me again, her face wet from her tears. She nuzzled me softly with her wet snout.

“Thank you for listening, I guess it was weighing heavier than I thought.” she said.

“You’re welcome, Solstice. I’m glad to be there for you. Isn’t that what a son is for?”

She chuckled softly. “One of the things, yes. I love you, Dante, I truly do.”

I chuckled back. “I love you too,”

For a long while we laid there, just resting in each other’s presence, with only the sounds of the night to break the silence. I closed my eyes and listened to her slow breathing, and her steady heartbeat. I didn’t know how much I missed snuggling up with someone, especially a mother figure.

Eventually, though, the silence was starting to wear. I rarely talked with Dave, and I loved talking. “I guess the few times Dave hasn’t been at the cave he was talking with you,” I said, going off of what she said earlier.

“Probably, yeah. That or he’s visiting the graves of his son and mate. And before you ask, no, I have no idea where they are, not that I’d pursue them anyway. It’s a very private matter, not something I like to stick my nose into.”

“I agree with you, death is a very private matter, that’s why I gave Kage’s body to his family. Despite feeling like a brother to him, I’m not related by blood. But Dimidas doesn’t seem to agree, what with having the skull and claw of Blackbird on the pillar.” I said, shaking my head.

She gasped. “So that’s the griffin bones that the others have spoken of? I mean, I guess that’s obvious, but I never really thought much on it. That’s horrible, though, absolutely horrible.” she sighed and shook her head. “Why did he even do it? To scare others off?”

“No, I think he did it to remind me of what I did, of who I am. As if I don’t get a daily reminder every time I preen. I still don’t like this, I’m trying to like it, but sometimes I do hate my difference.”

“Yes, it can feel like a burden at times, especially when you didn’t ask for it. There’s nothing else I can say, you just have to learn to accept who you are.”

I sighed and rested my head on her side. “I know, at least Dave ignores it. Then again, he ignores mostly everything. I don’t think he cares about me.”

There was a long moment of silence where Solstice stared out into the Forest. “He’s just guarded, my child, he does care about you. He just doesn’t want you to see. He got it into his head that everyone he forms a bond with gets killed, the only reason why he’s bonded with me is because we basically grew up together, and he sees me as a sister. My mother was sick for most of my hatchling life, and my father had died in the war. Most of my older siblings were dead too. Our bond increased even more when I became flightless like him, too. He hates that he can’t fly, even if he doesn’t show it.” she explained and then shook her head, turning to look at my interested face.

“Well,” she began slowly, biting her lip. “Now I’ve said too much, I think.” she shook her head with a small chuckle. “Oh child, I feel too comfortable around you.”

I purred and nuzzled her side. “And that’s not a bad thing. We can change the subject.”

She sighed and rested her head on the ground, still looking at me. “No, I just want to rest in more silence.”

“Okay, we can do that,” I replied with a smile and watched her close her eyes with a peaceful sigh.

I went back to resting on her side and looked at the stars. There were so many, and I tried finding shapes again, like I did when I was younger. My eyes always seemed to rest on the one of Dante, and it gave me peace. I soon grew bored of the stars and looked at Solstice.

Her face was peaceful, bearing a tiny smile even as she slept. I looked up at her wings that were draped over me enough to protect me, but not to smother me. I examined the tears and cracks, they were long healed, but they still looked painful. The number of the tears on this wing seemed to almost equal the number of the ones on Dave’s face and neck alone. I wondered if the other wing had the same number as his body.

I then looked at my wings, and felt guilty. Here were these two who couldn’t fly, and here I was with practically two sets of wings, as my feathers still covered my membranes. I wished I could give the feathers to Solstice. That was when a thought came to me. If I could become part dragon, and if she could glow like the moon, couldn’t she heal her wings?

Unless she didn’t want to, maybe it would make her lose her bond with Dave, or make Dragon King want to kill her, since he couldn’t force her to guard the flowers anymore. But what if she simply hadn’t thought of it? Kyori was a scatterbrain, maybe she didn’t think of it either. I made a serious mental note to ask her next time I saw her. I wanted to ask Solstice, too, but she was sleeping so peacefully, I dared not wake her with a possibly touchy subject.

I sighed and began to think about Dave. So he did like me? Solstice may have told me, but I still couldn’t see it. Even if he was tough love, it didn’t feel like love. He even beat me when I went to see Kyori while he was gone, that isn’t love. That’s cruelty, that’s something Blackbird would do. And there was no way that was love.

I looked over at Solstice again and smiled at her sleeping face. Now that is love. I didn’t want to nap, in fact, I couldn’t, so I just laid there until the morning, more thoughts swimming in my head.

Morning seemed to have come quickly, and soon the sky had begun to brighten. I remembered what Dave told me and sat up, stretching out every single limb. I quietly walked away from Solstice’s body, creeping around the flowers as I watched them close up for the day. Once I was free from her coil, I moved to her face and kissed her nose.

She didn’t wake, so I crept up to her ear and whispered a goodbye, which again, didn’t wake her. To make sure she hadn’t died, I waited until I saw another breath before turning to the sky. I paused, it was the time the griffins would be leaving the Circle. Curiosity and fear made me turn to watch them.

They were pretty far, but close enough for me to see their tiny silhouettes as they swarmed out and split into their different groups, breaking off to their different hunting grounds. A place in my heart twinged as it longed to have that, and as it remembered my first and last time of that.

Once the tiny little griffins were completely out of sight, I said one more whisper of a goodbye to Solstice before flying back to Dave’s cave. I flew slowly, not completely sleepy yet and to take in the beautiful morning surroundings. As I flew I also noticed some dark clouds looming on the horizon and sighed. Rain. It didn’t rain much, thankfully, but I hated it when it did.

It was late morning once I got to Dave’s cave, I quietly landed in front of it and glanced at the drake. I had almost crawled off to my nest when I saw his eyes were open, and following me.

He simply smiled, a perfectly genuine smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back. Without a word, he closed his eyes and turned away from me.

I was too sleepy to ponder much on his expression and behavior, and just crawled to my nest, gently settling down and closing my weary eyes. And despite my scattered thoughts, I slept well.

[Megaguirus]

I awoke to the pattering noise of rain as it fell off the forest trees. This was not a light rain, it was a heavy rain. I let out with a tiny sigh and opened my eyes. I wasn’t sure what time it was, but was somehow sure I slept in a little. After all, I did go to sleep late. I stepped out of the nest and stretched and yawned, not at all ready to step out into the rain.

It made it darker in the forest, and I realized that this was my first heavy rain in the forest, others were light rains, and my only other heavy rain was when I still in The Circle of Mountains. The forest seemed more ominous, and I didn’t feel too comfortable in it.

I looked out trying to keep my head still inside the cave, and looked around for Dave. To my surprise, he was laying on his back, feet sticking up, and rain falling off his thick hide. A half eaten deer was laying next to him. The deer looked terribly appetizing, but the heavy rain kept me back.

I noticed he was watching me with one of his eyes, a contended grin on his face. “The rain ain’t gonna hurt you, kid. C’mon, eat, I caught it for you and let you sleep in.”

“Thank you,” I said and dashed out towards the deer. I grabbed hold of its neck with my talons and stood on my hind legs, using my wings and legs to pull it through the muddy grass and into the cave.

“Don’t let that thin’ in my cave!” Dave roared, making me freeze and stare at him. He was standing on all four feet and I saw a slight glow behind his bared teeth.

I dropped the deer and fell to the ground submissively, the rain helped me look extra pathetic and sorry, as it soaked through my feathers.

The glow faded and he closed his lips, laying back on the ground, keeping both eyes on me. “You can put it in front of the cave,” he said with a light chuckle.

I sighed, it was too late now, I was already soaking. I approached the deer and began to dig in. My ears, which were mostly feathers, were now stuck to my head, and I constantly had to shake to make them perk back up.

Dave laughed at me. “You look like a drowned rat,”

“Shut up,” I mumbled back to him through a full beak. “I don’t like the rain, okay? I hate getting wet.”

“You hate gettin’ dirty more, tho, ‘cause I’ve seen you take a lot of baths.”

“Baths are different, I can control those. Rain, on the other hand, has a mind of its own. It lasts a couple of days, too.”

“Yes, I know, you’ve complained before. This is the third rain we’ve been through. So shut up, eat your deer, and let’s get trainin’.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied and resumed my meal.

Once I had finished, Dave walked up and threw each bone and scrap far into the forest. The distance they flew astonished me. They were thrown so hard that some broke the small branches of dead trees. I knew I wasn’t allowed to ask questions, I finally learned, so I just looked at him with a puzzled expression.

He noticed my expression as he walked past me, leading me to the training ground. “Scavengers. Don’t want their dirty hides lingerin’ by my cave.” he replied.

As I trotted to my place beside him, I noticed that his limp was worse. I racked my brain as I looked for a way to ask him about it without asking a question. “That limp looks like it hurts,” I finally came up with.

“Used to but I’m used to it. Happens when you get into fights.” he told me.

“I enjoyed my night with Solstice, by the way,” I said after a couple of minutes. I was tired of all this silence.

“Good,” he replied sharply.

I huffed and stopped in my tracks. “It’s been a month and we’ve barely spoken to each other. I want to know more about you.”

He stopped and looked over at me. “Why? What’s there to know? The others have probably hinted at thin’s to you, I’m not stupid. Don’t worry ‘bout me, kid. I’m not in the mood to talk.” he said and continued walking.

“You never are in the mood to talk!” I called back, staying put.

“And you talk too much!” he roared back. “Now c’mere, before I have to force you.”

I obeyed and trotted back to his side. “I don’t talk too much,” I defended once I had caught up.

He sighed and shook his head, but didn’t say another word.

We reached the typical training grounds, and I slowly strolled to my spot, dragging my sopping wings beside me. I let out with a heavy sigh, to let him know I was upset, and readied myself for the next attack to try.

He seemed to have read my mind. “Oh no, you’re not fightin’ me today. I just remembered that I haven’t taught you how to dodge fire. And, seein’ as we have this rain, I thought today would be a great day.” he said, sporting a demented grin.

My face turned to panic. “But why?”

“‘Cause Brimstone loves his fire, and will use it any chance he gets. Now, there are two types of fire. Full blast,” he said and turned away from me to demonstrate what the “full blast” looked like. A long burst of hot fire shot from his mouth, illuminating the dark forest. It caught on the wet trees with a hiss, and it hissed even louder when the down-pouring rain snuffed it out. He snapped his mouth shut and the fire stopped. Smoke exited through his nostrils as the fire went out. He gave me a proud toothy grin, causing more fire to seep through what was left of his teeth.

“And this,” he said, and even as he spoke more smoke left his mouth in great plumes. I was now wishing I had actually paid attention to Kyori’s lesson on dragons, because I was now deeply interested to know just how their fire worked. “Is the fireball.” He took a deep breath before letting out a large ball of fire, almost in the form of a cough. It seemed more directed as it hit a single tree, burning a large crater in its trunk before the rain snuffed it out.

This was definitely the more intimidating type, and one he’d launched at me a couple of times before. Less smoke seemed to come out of his nostrils, too, and I found that even more intriguing.

“By your face, you find fireballs more frightenin’. And you would be right, ‘cause as you’ve seen with that tree, they hurt more. I ain’t gonna tell you how they’re formed 'cause I dunno, but I do know that they can burn an even worse hole in flesh.” his demented grin returned after he said that, and he stared at me knowingly.

I shuddered, remembering that he’d been through wars, and that griffins were flammable, unlike dragons. “Then why did you fire some at me?” I asked fearfully.

He laughed loudly. “‘Cause it’s fun! They’re louder, faster and easier to aim than fire blasts. I never intended to hit you when I shot them, or else you’d be dead by now. Lighten up, kid, I may dislike you, but I ain’t gonna kill you! How many times do I have to say that?”

“A lot, you have to say it a lot to remind me.” I replied simply, regaining my composure and standing up straighter.

“Enough talk, ready to get to dodgin’?” he asked.

I got into my dodging stance and nodded. “Better now than later,”

He chuckled and the training began. He started out giving me small fireballs that were easy to dodge, and small fire blasts. He even charged at me a couple of times and showed the different ways fire could be launched at something. Even through he was a wingless creature, he could leap like no other, and showed me what it was like to dodge fire from above.

Whenever fire did hit me, which it inevitably did, my feathers were so wet they didn’t even catch. It was hard dodging in the downpour, but the last month of dodging had strengthened my muscles, so even my wet wings could take to the sky in a flash. I was amazed at my own ability. And when the training ended for the night, I wasn’t even that worn out.

Dave seemed to have noticed as well and smiled at me proudly. “Well done, kid.” he said as we walked home.

I paused, this was the first time he actually congratulated me.

He noticed I stopped and looked back at me. “What? Didn’t think I could be proud of you?”

Instinctively, I shook my head, but it soon devolved into a nod. I smiled. “Thanks, I tried.”

He shook his head. “You’re adorable. Now, c’mon, let’s get a good day’s sleep before we get back to fightin’.” he said and continued walking.

I agreed to that and trotted up to him. Even though he showed some kindness, he still wouldn’t let me get too close to him, or even touch him. And when we reached the cave, I was still stuck to sleeping alone.

As I laid in my wet nest, watching the rain gently let up and the sky brighten with the morning sun, I smiled, finally content with my circumstances and my trainer. I glanced over at Dave, who was also staring out into the forest, looking equally as content. His eyes moved to look at me and I quickly glanced away, not wanting him to get mad at me for staring at him.

“See you tonight, kid,” he said from his nest.

I smiled, but didn’t look back. “Sleep well, flightless one.”

With that, I slowly closed my eyes, ready to take on another day.


The following week passed normally, and my fighting grew increasingly better. It got to a point where I had mastered an attack in half a day. The one thing I was most amazed of was how many types of attacks there were. I wanted to question him about it, but I knew he’d forbid it.

Even if he seemed to be growing a fondness for me, he still stuck to his rules. I had grown okay with this. Glory seemed to be growing as well, and I could’ve sworn there was something else different about him. A certain dreaminess in his eyes that I couldn’t place.

Dave kept me busy, and that made me miss the griffins less and less. But sometimes, as I laid down to sleep, a loneliness crept in and reminded me of Trinity and Erion, and how they must’ve missed me. Did they even remember me? I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t, I was almost forgetting them myself.

Times like these I wished I could snuggle up to Solstice and have her comfort me. But alas, there I lay, all alone with only a grumpy old drake to keep me company. He even started to teach me how to hunt different types of animals, which included other predators, like bears. I didn’t even know what they were until he taught me how to hunt one. I hadn’t ever seen one during my months in the forest.

“That’s ‘cause they’re very rare on this island.” he replied when I asked.

“Then why are we eating one, if they’re rare?”

He smirked. “‘Cause they’re tasty and it ticks off Kyori.”

I stared down at the carcass, the bear suddenly coming back to life in my stomach. “You did this just to anger her?”

“It’ll only anger her if she finds out,” he said and picked up the remains, carrying them off somewhere. I followed him through the forest until we came upon an end of the island. I first heard the intense roaring of the waves, even before the trees began to grow more sparse and a great wide blue appeared in front of us. I paused, completely dumbstruck. I remembered this. It was what surrounded this entire island. What did Lofty call it again?

He walked to the churning shore and with a whip of his head tossed the carcass into the waters. It sunk slightly, but part of it could still be seen. I was at a loss for words and just watched as he sat down and had the waves wash over his feet.

I slowly made my way beside him, my claws touching the cool water. It smelled different, and I bent down to lick it. That was a bad idea. A sour taste came upon my tongue and I coughed and sputtered to get it out.

Dave laughed at me. “Disgustin’, huh?”

I looked at him, hurt by his laughter and nodded. “What is this stuff?”

“Water, just like what’s in our pond. ‘Cept this has somethin’ in it. Don’t know what, but there’s somethin’ that makes it horrible to drink.” he replied.

“I guess I’ll ask Kyori about it when I see her again.”

“You do that. But don’t tell me, I don’t care.” he said and laid down.

The soil was very much like the sand of the plains, except it was softer and squishier. I watched Dave’s relaxation as the water washed up against his face. I knew I was pressing my luck with the amount of questions, but I was deeply curious. “If it tastes bad, why do you like laying in it?”

“Feels good on the skin. You won’t understand if you hate rainwater.” he told me.

I believed him and backed away from the waves. I looked out into the vastness and saw that the carcass was still floating on the top. I was beginning to wonder what this would accomplish, because couldn’t Kyori still find out? But right when I opened my beak, my question was answered when something large popped up out of the water and enveloped the carcass.

I let out with a frightened squeak as I was reminded of my trauma of losing Lofty. The creature’s colors were the same, except it was much, much larger. “What was that monster?!” I exclaimed, everything inside me telling me to flee.

“A sea dragon. They’re like drakes or dragons, but dumber.” he explained calmly, rolling over on his side.

“And you’re okay with this?!” I screeched.

“Why shouldn’t I be? They stay out there, I stay here. I just have to stay out of the water.” he then realized that he was slightly in the water. “Well, deeper water.”

My terror slowly died down as the images of Lofty’s death faded from my mind. But the noise of the waves was starting to get to me, as well as the bitter smell. “Can we go back now? I’d like more training please.”

He sighed and slowly got up. “You’re right, we are done eatin’ after all.” he agreed and walked by me. As he did he studied the look in my eyes, which still held the terror I felt moments earlier. “Brought back somethin’ bad, did it?” he asked.

I nodded as I walked beside him. “A smaller version of that monster ate my adoptive mother right in front of my eyes.” I told him, my eyes widening in terror. I stopped walking, the memory fully taking a hold of me. I began to shake violently. “I-it grabbed her by the legs and dragged her under. Blood, there was so much blood.”

He stopped and looked over at me. “Where was this?” he asked.

“The Cove.”

He nodded. “Makes sense for a baby to get stuck there.”

I could barely comprehend his words as my legs crumbled beneath me. I began to let out with intense sobs as I saw her face, pleading and in pain as she got pulled out of the sky.

“Hey, kid!” he shouted in my face, turning my sorrowful terror into just terror. I leapt back and looked up at him as I hunkered down. His expression was strict, but soft. “It’s over. That was months ago. It’s okay, I won’t take you anymore, okay?”

I sniffed and nodded. “Okay,” I squeaked, but was still unable to move.

He nudged me with his snout, which I first thought was him helping me up, until next thing I knew I was on his snout, my legs extending to either side. He looked up and I slid over his horns and gently onto his back.

The shock of what he did pulled me out of my shock a little. “What are you doing?” I asked him, finding it very difficult to move as I was laying across his back.

“Takin’ you home,” he replied simply as he trudged through the forest. I was amazed that he was able to carry me like this. I was half his size, at yet he didn’t seem to show any discomfort or change of pace.

As he walked, I calmed down and looked back on my little panic attack. “Sorry about that, I don’t know what came over me.”

“No need to apologize, kid, I understand. Trauma is tough, and nobody ever gets over it completely. You’ll be okay, though.” he told me.

He walked the rest of the way in silence, and once we got back to his cave, he gently slid me off. Once on solid ground I took a deep breath. “Thank you for carrying me,” I said.

“No problem. Still up for some fighting?” he asked.

I nodded and managed a smile. “Sure.”


The next day, Dave led me away from our usual hunting places and it didn’t take me long to deduce where we were going. “More unicorn hunting?” I asked him the moment we left The Forest.

He simply grunted a reply as we kept walking. The closer we got to their location, the more strange noises we heard. We crept up until we could see what was going on. A single dragon was simply tormenting the unicorns, flying above them and unleashing blasts of fire while they whinnied and tried to get at it.

I felt very sorry for the poor tormented creatures and took a step forward, wondering if I could help. I looked over at Dave who had a bitter sneer on his face.

He let out with a couple of grumbles in a language I didn’t understand, and took this to be him swearing in Man’s language again. “Look at that fool,” he murmured to me. “One of Brimstone’s greatest followers. Cruel, just like the rest of ‘em. He ain’t even eatin’ ‘em!”

Without any warning to me, he bellowed and gave a charge at the scene. This was a different type of bellow and charge, one that wasn’t directed at the unicorns. The dragon and unicorns heard the noise and stopped what they were doing. The dragon roared at Dave and dove down at him, while the unicorns just slowly backed away.

Once next to Dave, I noticed that this dragon was his size, just skinnier and with wings. They shared no words that I could hear, they just roared at each other again and joined in combat. Dave was winning by a landslide, the poor dragon barely even stood a chance. I watched, and learned, in wonder. When he was fighting, Dave didn’t act like a limping old beast.

Dave brought the bloodied dragon to the ground and put his jaws around the dragon’s, holding them shut. He huffed and snarled before letting go and backing away. The dragon looked defeated, not only physically, but emotionally. Its wings drooped and it held its neck low. Dave let out with a roar and the dragon flew away, small flecks of blood dripping off of it.

The drake approached me, looking completely unharmed except for a new scratch above his eye. He even walked the same. “Now,” he told me once he was back at my side. “Huntin’ the unicorns will be a bit more difficult, since we don’t have the element of surprise, but, I am still eatin’ me a unicorn.”

“So we’re not going to talk about that dragon you just attacked?” I asked him, still focused on that quick and brutal fight.

“What’s there to talk ‘bout? He was messin’ with my prey, and I taught him a lesson to not cross me.” he replied. “Now, as I was sayin’, this time, its your turn to tackle one. And losin’ our shot and sneakin’ up on ‘em will benefit you, winged one.”

I blinked. Okay, no talking about it. Got it. I looked over at the unicorns, who had moved away quite a bit, but were now resuming their sleep, except for a couple of males glancing nervously at us from time to time.

“So I’m supposed to catch one, all by myself?” I asked.

He nodded. “Just fly up there and take one down. Shouldn’t be too difficult.”

I wanted to ask more questions, but I knew I was again pressing my luck, and stalling. With a sigh I took to the sky and went as high as possible, hoping they didn’t see me. He didn’t give me any specific instructions on how to catch one from the sky, but I guessed that was because he couldn’t. Surprisingly, they didn’t seem to notice me, so I guessed I was high enough.

I tried to remember the tips Kage gave me for catching rabbits, way back when.

“Get as high up as possible and wait until they’re not looking before diving down at them.”

“How do I dive?” I asked.

“Face downward and fold in your wings, then use them to guide your descent, especially your fall, because you want to fly up after grabbing the rabbit without smashing into the ground.” he explained.

“Can you show me?”

“Of course,” and he gave a demonstration.

After my flashback and looked down at the unsuspecting animals and tried to picture them as rabbits, except bigger and with a deadly horn. I circled them a couple of times to gain speed before picking a target, which was harder than I thought, since they stayed close together. I would have to grab one by the neck and drag it, if, of course, none of the others decided to save it.

Soon, I had my target, a male standing a couple of feet away from the group, glaring at Dave. I tucked in my wings and fell down towards it. Just as I suspected, it glanced up and noticed me. Its panicked triggered the others to run away from me. But I still had my target and closed in, stretching out my front talons and back claws.

It was fast, making me grab onto its rear instead of its neck. It whinnied and bucked as it tried to get me off. I held on for dear life as I bit at it, hoping to make it stop. To make matters worse, the other males stepped in to try and help. They charged at me with their horns ready, causing me to fly away in terror.

The unicorn got away with only a few scratches and all I had to show for it was a bloody face and claws. I watched, defeated, as they ran even further away. The struggle took a lot out of me, and I flew back to Dave, panting heavily. I landed beside him, waiting for him to scold me for missing. But instead, he looked at me proudly.

“You did better than I thought you would. I’ll catch us a deer or some rabbits to eat and we can try again tomorrow.” he told me.

My eyes widened. “You’re not upset that I missed?”

“They’re unicorns, the hardest prey on this island. I expect you to miss more than once, but you will catch one.”

“Can you teach me how?”

He smiled as we started walking again. “No need, you have it down.”

I smiled back at him, reassured by his words. “Thanks,”

“No problem,”


And so the next couple days were devoted to unicorn hunting. It seemed to me that he was extending the months with me by doing menial things, and that he was running out of ways to train me. Maybe I had already accomplished all of the moves.

I deduced this because every time I failed the attack, he didn’t seem any less proud of me, and didn’t seem any more annoyed. I hated it, though. Sure, I did get closer every time, but I didn’t see how this was going to affect anything. While unicorns did taste good, I would’ve rather just watched them. They were very beautiful and regal creatures.

But something I learned early on with Dave, beauty and regality mean nothing when you’re prey. Even deer had their beauty, with their sleek bodies and large antlers. Though, since I practically lived off of them, I only saw them as a food source. I wished I could be Kyori and just eat plants. But even she told me that if I did that I would die.

It was on the fifth day of hunting unicorns that I started to show my distaste for this game. “If I don’t catch one tonight, I’m done.”

Dave sighed. “Why? You’re so close.”

“Because I’m tired of exerting myself for nothing, and injuring these poor beautiful creatures.”

He growled and shook his head. “Even when you don’t spend time with ‘em, you still sound like ‘em.”

I knew exactly who “they” were, and smiled back at his anger. “Thank you, my mother raised me well. Yes, Solstice and Kyori may be my major influences now, but it was Lofty who taught me to be kind.”

He laughed with disgust. “Oh yes, that useless word Solstice loves to throw around. All it does is get you into trouble. So I’m s’posed to be kind even when my enemy nearly rips out my throat? Am I s’posed to react with kindness when I watch my love fall to his cruelty?” he snarled and stopped walking. The tone of his voice had changed, and I opened my wings, ready to fly if he attacked.

“No, I’m not goin’ to stand down and smile. I’m going to bring fire down upon him! If he had any family, I would take ‘em out, one by one, and slaughter ‘em before his eyes! A monster like him doesn’t deserve kindness! He deserves to be slowly torn limb from limb, each tear for each victim he has claimed. That is how you treat a predator that preys on weakness and kindness.”

I stood far away from him as he ranted and lashed out at nothing. Each sentence, each word, carried enough anger with them to fuel two dragons. But between each word, hidden to those who hadn’t grown to know him were two deeply buried emotions, ones I knew all too well. Bitterness and pain. It was watching this rant, in the middle of The Plains, that I discovered where these words truly came from.

Loss.

I tapped into that, and slowly approached the seething beast, deciding to play a game with him. “Yes, he should pay for all the wrong he has done. He should suffer for all the innocent blood he has spilled.”

Dave laughed. “But not just him,” he replied. “All those who have wronged me. All those who have wronged others. They all should pay with brutal justice.”

“Yes!” I exclaimed. “Brutal justice upon all your enemies. And once they have all been eliminated, what then? Who then will you go after? And where are those who have perished at the claws of your enemies, will they be beside you?”

He shook his head and let out with a roar, that also came with a fireball. “I’ll wait ‘til someone else kills, and I’ll go after ‘em! And avenge the families they have ruined!”

“And where are those that have died? Are they by your side?” I echoed.

Dave paused, his angry, murderous expression melted away a little, to show fear and loneliness. “No, they are gone. Long dead, slaughtered by those monsters.”

“Then what was all that avenging for?” my voice turned softer, echoing the mellowness in his. “If it didn’t bring them back, what was all that death and pain for?”

He stared off into the vastness of The Plains, completely defeated. The world had fallen into silence, obviously scared of his wrath, so that all that could be heard was his heavy and strained breathing.

“But I avenged them!” he roared suddenly, breaking the silence and causing me to leap ten feet into the air. I was lucky I did that, though, because he also lunged at the spot I was standing. “I saved the future generations.”

My heart leapt into my throat when he looked up at me as I hovered. “And you! Oh Great King, you gave us all hope! But even your life got stolen by those monsters! I avenged you, even after you abandoned us!” pain was now perfectly clear in his voice.

I blinked, at first not knowing just who he was talking about, but then it clicked. In his blind rage, or whatever he was doing right now, he thought I was The Ancient One.

He let out with a roar, directly at me, before looking away and furiously attacking the ground. “I just want them back! I just want you to suffer, Brimstone, suffer! I want you to feel what they felt! You took them from me! You took them from me!”

He had soon wore a significant hole in the ground before each swipe got slower and slower. He then let out with many heavy sighs, before curling into a heap in the hole he dug. Once I was sure he was settled, I flew down and landed in front of him.

He looked at me with tired eyes. “Hey, kid, can we call of unicorn huntin’ for the night?”

I nodded.

“Thanks. I just don’t feel like it anymore.” he said with another sigh and closed his eyes.

I sat in front of him and watched him breathe. Each breath and gentle and relaxed, and soon all of the animals around us began to sing once more.

“Kid,” he said after a long time, long enough for me to lay down. “Even if you don’t kill Brimstone, can you promise me somethin’?”

“Yes, I can do that.”

“Make him suffer. Hurt him. Give him a scar he won’t forget, a scar worthy of me. Promise me?” he asked while looking directly in my eyes.

I wasn’t sure how to feel about making such a promise, but after watching his furious rage, I had to. “Okay, yes, I promise. I’ll give him a scar.”

“Thank you, kid.” he simply said and looked away from me. “I’ll be ready to go home in a bit, just give me a few.”

“Okay,” I nodded and laid back down, watching him close his eyes and let out with yet another heavy sigh. Oh, what have you seen? I thought with a shake of my head. What did he do?

[Ranger of the North]

I love Dante's character development; it's really good <3

[Megaguirus]

(Thanks!)

The next night, Dave seemed to have fully recovered from his fury, but he also appeared to ignore that it happened. He made no mention of it, and I decided not to press him. It was a terrifying sight, and I didn’t want to do anything to trigger it. Not for fear of my safety, but for his. I didn’t want him to hurt himself.

Because, through all of the abuse he dealt me, I felt pity for him and had started to view him as a father, or at least, what I believed a father should be. Not the abusive part, but the trainer and teacher part.

As we walked back to The Plains, hopefully for the last time, I watched him walk. He hid it well, but he was getting older, I could see it clearly. I felt guilty for my training, if that was what was hurting him. He did limp more now, and I did almost all of the hunting now. His breathing was more strained, too, and he winced with every step.

I wished he would allow me to show concern, but I didn’t blame him for denying it. It made sense, why be pitied when there’s nothing that can be done about it? But did he have to be so mean about it? He seemed to chase everyone away, or at least keep them at bay.

I stopped my thoughts when we reached the herd. Dave was grinning as he licked his lips in anticipation. “Alright, kid, go get ‘em.” he told me.

I hesitated, seriously doubting that I’d catch one, but nevertheless, I took off and repeated my previous attempt. I spotted the unicorn I had tried to grab many times before. His rear was scarred and didn’t seem to be healing right, as he was starting to limp a little.

I wanted to go after him, but he had wizened up to me, and was more difficult to catch. I had tried before. But he wasn’t as injured. I didn’t want him to suffer, and maybe if he was weaker he would be easier to catch, it worked for deer.

With one last circle I started my dive, which had grown quicker with all of the practice from previous days. The moment they spotted me, they started to scatter, with the injured one staying close to another. I flew over them, chasing the few that the injured one tried to hide beside. But he couldn’t run as fast, and soon started to lag behind.

This was where I took my chance. I dove down and clawed into his hide, my claws hitting the same cuts they made before. He cried out in pain as I closed up my wings, trying to drag him down with my weight. As I did this, I also dug into his back with my beak, trying to sever the spine and paralyze him.

After a couple of more minutes of intense struggling, he let me overpower him. I quickly lunged toward his neck and bit and clawed down to slice it and kill him. I knew it worked when I was drenched in blood and he stopped moving.

As I stood atop the corpse to catch my breath, I heard Dave’s proud laughter as he trotted towards me.

“Great job, kid!” he congratulated me. “I knew you’d catch one tonight, and all by your own strategy too. Couldn’t be prouder.”

“Thanks,” I said half-heartedly. “I really do hate that you congratulate me more when I kill something than when I complete a move.” I told him as I stared at the corpse.

“Killin’ somethin’ is the best achievement! That’s why I compliment you. But, if you hate it, I’ll stop. Don’t expect me to congratulate you more when you complete some trainin’, though.” he replied.

I was stunned by his reply. That was the first time he told me he’d stop doing something I hate. Normally he would do it more. I smiled, so he really was starting to like me.With those sweet thoughts, I ravenously dug into the sweet tasting animal like the vicious predator I was.

On the way back to his cave, with full bellies and a unicorn horn, Dave spoke up.

“Hope you enjoyed the last week, kid, ‘cause now we’re goin’ back to trainin’. The second month is almost over, and then we can get to the fun part, the test. See how much of my teachin’ you’ve remembered, and if you can stand up against Brimstone.” he told me.

I smiled. “Okay, I’ll look forward to it.”


The next day we did not resume training like Dave wanted. I had just caught our breakfast, a nice lean buck, when a familiar voice came from the trees.

“Hey, Dante! Hey, Dave!”

“Hello, Cobblestone!” I called back as the dragon came into view, landing on the ground in front of us after awkwardly dodging the tree limbs.

Dave grumbled at Cobble and glared at him. He didn’t say a word, but his eyes said it all.

Cobble shifted uncomfortably under Dave’s glare. “I-I see that you were busy with something now, I just wanted to drop in and say hi, since I was in the area.”

I shot a glare at Dave and smiled at my friend. “I have no problem with it. I like that you’ve dropped by, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you.”

“Yeah! I know. I’ve been meaning to come by sooner, but I keep getting distracted with other things.” he laughed nervously. “Anyways, how about you and I leave to talk elsewhere? With Dave’s permission, of course.” he said, giving a slight bow to the drake.

“Sure!” he grumbled bitterly. “It’s not like the kid had a long break from trainin’ or anythin’.” he said sarcastically and grabbed the deer carcass, dragging it off.

“Wait, now, to the victor go the spoils!” I yelled at him and grabbed one of the back legs, ripping it off. “Now you can drag it away.”

Dave said nothing as he continued to slowly drag the carcass.

I sighed, the leg grasped firmly between my talons. I noticed Cobblestone’s concerned face and glanced back at Dave. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go!” I told him with a smile.

“Okay, I know of a nice place, follow me!” he said and we took off.

It was a short flight to the same place we’ve been before. The same peaceful lake we’d chatted in for many times, and the lake Kage and I bathed in. This seemed to be a very brotherly lake.

Cobblestone dove right in while I just sat on the shore. He popped his head up and looked at me curiously.

“Are you coming in?” he asked.

“Maybe,” I said with a shrug. “I don’t know, I’m not feeling too friendly with water right now. Afterall, I did take a bath just yesterday to clean unicorn blood off of me.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Really? You hunted a unicorn last night?”

I nodded. “My fifth attempt. I used a method Kage taught me for rabbits, and it finally payed off. They are very tasty, but that’s probably the only one I’m going to catch. I find them to be very beautiful.”

“I’ll agree with you there, they are very beautiful animals. But they are also quite tasty, my brother was the first to convince me to hunt and eat one. They are the only animal I don’t frequently eat, however, because of their beauty.” he replied. “Oh, also, congrats on catching one, I know how difficult it is.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Have you tried bear before?”

“Bear? Once, I think, but that was with my brother. Kyori tries to protect them the best she can, since they are the only other major predator here. The one that I tried my brother caught out of spite, and actually left the carcass near her home. I guess he was trying to show her who’s boss.” he explained. He cocked his head. “Did Dave make you eat one?”

I shifted uncomfortably. “Well, not make, but encourage me.” I replied. “But he hid it from Kyori by tossing it in The Great Waters.”

“Ooh, crafty, as always.” he said with a slight chuckle and shake of his head, causing the water to ripple away from him, making the reflection of the stars above look like they were dancing.

“That’s one way to put it. Sneaky and devious is another.”

A moment of silence passed between us, giving enough time for an owl to let out with a haunting cry. A sound I was all too familiar with.

“So how’s it going with the old beast?” he asked.

“Oh fine. Better than usual. He’s been teaching me individual moves now, so that’s been fun. I also think he’s starting to like me, though he won’t admit it.” I replied.

He laughed, causing an even greater disturbance on the water. “Solstice told me that would happen. I wish he was the same to me.”

I frowned and cocked my head at him. “Why doesn’t he like you, anyway?”

“I don’t know,” he replied with a shake of his head. “I think it’s because I look very similar to my brother, which stirs up unhappy memories. Or maybe I’m too light and cheerful for him, too much sun to his night. I don’t worry too much about it, though. It is what it is.”

“How is your brother, anyway?” I decided to ask after another moment of silence.

“Oh, well, he’s fine. He’s angry every day now. He hates that his wing is taking so long to heal, and that you’re getting training from his nemesis. But other than that, he’s his usual self.” he replied.

A chill ran down my spine as I envisioned Dragon King roaring viciously at other dragons, demanding things from them while he dragged his broken wing.

“I know why Kyori did it, and I don’t blame her, but I hate seeing him in pain. He may be a monster, but he’s still my brother, and I still look up to him in a way.” Cobblestone continued. “I can’t help but love him. And even when you defeat him, I will still love him.”

I smiled at his words as they reminded me of Kage. “As you should,” I agreed. “A brother is a brother, I learned that many times with Kage. It’s okay to keep loving him, despite his issues.”

He smiled back at me, tears in his eyes. “Thank you, Dante. I appreciate the sympathy.”

“You’re welcome,” I replied and we fell, once again, back into silence. He rested in the lake and I rested on the shore, the animals of the night chattering and chittering around us. I couldn’t even remember the lonely quiet of the secluded Circle of Mountains. This was where I belonged. Wild and free in this great forest.

“So,” Cobble spoke up, swimming over to me. “I was wondering, maybe to help with your training, if you’d be okay fighting me. I look nearly identical to my brother, I’m just smaller.”

I thought on his suggestion. “Sure, I have nothing against it. I mean, he did just teach me how to perfect each strike, and I already have dodging down.” I stood, shook my feathers and walked backwards to put some space between us.

He climbed out of the water and didn’t even need to shake off as it slid off his smooth scales. He grinned and trotted in place with an excited bounce. Once he was in his stance he hardened his gaze and glared at me. “So, Little King, I see you have come to challenge me,” he said in a voice that sounded like his brother.

I cocked my head at him. “What are you doing?” I asked.

He dropped character quickly, “Pretending to be my brother to make the experience even more real!” he exclaimed, his smile seemed to be unsure of whether it wanted to show or hide. “Is that okay? We don’t have to do that if you don’t want to,”

I chuckled and shook my head. “No, that’s fine, I’m okay with that. It sounds like fun.”

His smile bounced right back and seemed to stick. He tried his best to hide it as he resumed character. “What is your challenge, Little King?”

I decided to get into character myself, imagining how I’d act if I was facing him. “I challenge you to a fight for the throne. Just a simple fight until one of us can fight no longer,”

“No killing?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No killing,” I replied sternly.

He laughed the same cruel sound Dragon King made. “I can’t promise that, but I will stick to your challenge. To the victor goes the crown.”

I snarled. “No more talking, let’s fight!” I yelled and charged at him.

He charged the moment I did and we collided mid charge, scales and feathers flying. Not literally, because we were not hitting to kill. I was holding back my strongest attacks, and I believed Cobble was doing the same. I had no reason to really hurt him, just like the times I wrestled with Kage. I doubted Dave would be the same, if he did challenge me to a fight, which seemed like a thing he’d do.

Either Cobblestone was a good fighter, or he was trying his hardest to beat me. We slashed and bit and clawed. We even took it to the air, and he even shot plumes of fire my way. I was thankful of Dave’s training. The fight lasted for a long time with neither faltering. But Cobble slowly began to tire, his dodges and strikes slowing down with each move. I wasn’t getting tired at all, in fact, I was growing energized.

It took one final tackle to knock him to the ground, even though he was twice my size. I stood on him for a moment in victory before stepping off. I was panting a little, while he was panting heavily.

“Good.... job,” he wheezed.

I craned my head toward him. “Are you okay?” I asked, concerned.

He managed a nod even while his head was still on the ground. “Fine,” he replied. “Just.. defeated.”

It was my turn to be elated as I bounced on my toes with a chuckle. “Wow! Thank you so much for that fight. I feel so energized now.” I exclaimed.

He lifted his tired neck to look at me and smiled proudly. “Dave’s taught you well,” he replied, slowly getting to his knees. His wings were drooping flatly to his sides and he was still breathing hard. “Solstice is right, I kind of suck at this,”

I frowned and shook my head. “Nonsense, you did quite well! I just have the best trainer on the island.” I smiled. “And most abusive,” I added.

He sighed. “As I’ve said before, he’s just a grumpy old beast. He means well.”

I sat down as my energy wained. I smiled softly as I remembered the talks Kage and I used to have after wrestling. My eyes began to grow wet. “I wish Kage was still here,” I said. “Then the three of us could’ve wrestled together.”

Cobble expression suddenly became very hidden and dodgy. “I’m not sure if I should tell you this, but I’ve heard Dragon King brag about his death.” he told me slowly.

My ears twitched. “What?” I asked. “He brags about that?”

He nodded slowly, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. “Yeah, he, uh, talks about how Kage, or ‘that griffin’ was so stupid. He laughs at the last words Kage spoke as he stood between you and him.” he managed, his eyes darting about, afraid to lock with mine.

My heart fluttered at the thought of Kage’s last words. I never got to say goodbye. “Did Dragon King, possibly, speak those words?” I asked, hopeful.

He nodded, his careful eyes finally settling. “My brother is very good with remembering, and won’t lie when he’s bragging, so I’m positive these were the real words. Anyway, here they are; ‘I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care, but I won’t let you kill my friend. I challenge you, oh great king.’ Then my brother says that he laughed and shot a large plume of flame just as the little griffin flew at him.” he replied.

My eyes were watering profusely now, I was crying. Oh, Kage, you challenged him. I thought. “Thank you for sharing, Cobble.” I told him with a smile.

He smiled back. “You’re welcome. I can’t imagine what that would feel like, seeing a loved one dead in front of you, without even a chance to say goodbye.”

“So you didn’t see your parents die?” I asked,

“Funnily enough, my brother kept me from seeing them after they got slaughtered by the griffins during the war. I was too young for those things, he told me. See, there are still good qualities in the worst of folks, if you know where to look.”

I smiled, “That is awfully nice of him.” I looked up, shaking the last bit of tears out of my eyes and noticed the sky starting to lighten. I looked back at him. “Thank you again for sharing Kage’s last words, it’s brought a peace I didn’t know was possible. But it looks like it’s almost sunrise. I guess I should head back to Dave, I want to be fully rested for whatever tomorrow brings.” I told him.

He smiled back at me as he stood. “You’re very welcome, and I should return back to my home, probably to tend to my brother.” he chuckled and flapped his wings. “I hope to run into you again soon, it’s been nice.”

I spread my wings with him. “Yeah, you too,” I replied and we both took off at once, heading in our different directions.

Short chapter this time. It was running a little long, so I decided to cut it. I'm trying to like Cobblestone here, he's an okay character, but man, I feel like I just added him for extra filler.

Does anybody else think that, or just me?

[Ranger of the North]

Poor, foolish Kage.

I like Cobblestone, he seems useful to me ^.^ Knowing that Kage challenged the king could be pivotal information, depending on how you use it, and I feel like Dante really needs a light-hearted friend at the moment. Also, now that Dave's given Dante the basics, wrestling with Cobble could be just the kind of practice he needs; old, disabled firedrakes aren't healthy, fully-grown dragons, after all :p

[Megaguirus]

Poor, foolish Kage.

I like Cobblestone, he seems useful to me ^.^ Knowing that Kage challenged the king could be pivotal information, depending on how you use it, and I feel like Dante really needs a light-hearted friend at the moment. Also, now that Dave's given Dante the basics, wrestling with Cobble could be just the kind of practice he needs; old, disabled firedrakes aren't healthy, fully-grown dragons, after all :p

Thanks for the opinion! Yeah, you're right about Cobble. I added him because after the death of Kage, Dante did need a light hearted male friend, not a mother figure or a teacher, but someone to act as his brother. And to give Dante further reason to not kill Dragon King, because now there's family involved. It's not just "Well, Kyori and Solstice say it's bad" it's a "Kyori and Solstice say it's bad, and I'd hurt Cobblestone". He needs that reminder because you know Dave ain't tellin' him! A wrestling buddy doesn't hurt either. And don't tell Dave he's disabled, he'll show you otherwise, LOL.

[Ranger of the North]

Poor, foolish Kage.

I like Cobblestone, he seems useful to me ^.^ Knowing that Kage challenged the king could be pivotal information, depending on how you use it, and I feel like Dante really needs a light-hearted friend at the moment. Also, now that Dave's given Dante the basics, wrestling with Cobble could be just the kind of practice he needs; old, disabled firedrakes aren't healthy, fully-grown dragons, after all :p

Thanks for the opinion! Yeah, you're right about Cobble. I added him because after the death of Kage, Dante did need a light hearted male friend, not a mother figure or a teacher, but someone to act as his brother. And to give Dante further reason to not kill Dragon King, because now there's family involved. It's not just "Well, Kyori and Solstice say it's bad" it's a "Kyori and Solstice say it's bad, and I'd hurt Cobblestone". He needs that reminder because you know Dave ain't tellin' him! A wrestling buddy doesn't hurt either. And don't tell Dave he's disabled, he'll show you otherwise, LOL.

Indeed, that's what I thought ^^ c:
Aaaah yEAh, he really doesn't need to know, aha XD

[Megaguirus]

The next night, I woke to a grumpy Dave, moping outside the cave. I walked up to him but before I could even speak he slowly turned to glare at me and spoke.

“Yes, I’m sure you had a nice night with him. I don’t need to hear ‘bout it. Yes, I am fine.” he stood and started walking. “Yes, you can see Kyori next week.”

He may have spoken bluntly and quickly but it took me awhile to fully comprehend what he said. “Uh, okay, thanks.” I replied and followed after him. “So, I’m catching breakfast again?” I asked.

“When don’t you?” he replied. “‘Course you are, I need to save my bones for fighting you.” he said and started limping more, as if to remind me.

I hurried to the front and he stopped limping as much. I shook my head, but stayed silent. I was so happy for Cobblestone’s visit, because I wouldn’t have anyone but Glory to talk to, and Glory can’t talk back. I glanced behind at Dave and noticed a pained expression on his face. But the pain didn’t seem to just be physical, it looked emotional. He covered it up in a blink when he saw me staring. I felt a pang in my heart as I remembered everything he’d gone through. He had a loved one die in front of him twice. And he probably didn’t get a chance to say goodbye, either.

“I’m so sorry,” I unintentionally muttered outloud. My feathers stood straight up and a chill ran down my spine as I readied myself for a scolding. Instead, all I got was a mutter back.

“Don’t be, it wasn’t your fault.”

I glanced back at him and he acted like he didn’t say a thing. I decided to leave it and resume my hunt. My hunger driving me forward.

When the deer was finally caught, I hungrily dug into it, knowing that I’d need to get as much as possible so that I wouldn’t fail my next attack. I soon finished and stood back to let him eat, but he only ate a couple of bites before he walked off, continuing to the training spot.

He caught my concerned look and replied, “I already had somethin’. Wasn’t that hungry.”

I wanted to argue with that, but let it slide. Maybe he was getting irritated with all of my visits, maybe he was getting annoyed by all of my friends. He was very grumpy and disinterested today. Or maybe it was something else. I had a feeling I’d never get the answer.

The training was normal, just another simple attack that I mastered quickly. This seemed to bring him back to his usual murderously joyful self. But once we had finished and headed back to the cave for the day, his mood decreased. I started to feel concern for him and guilt for all of my visits. But I reminded myself that what he was doing was normal for him, and he’d be better the next day.

Just as I assumed, he was. He still didn’t talk, but he had a quicker step and ate more. The week seemed to fly by, and as I saw Dave in a better mood, my mood increased. We had formed the strangest friendship. I liked him now, and I knew he liked me.



He was not better the next night. He was still grumpy, and was still awake before me. When he watched me walk out of the cave, he slowly stood with a sigh. I knew I shouldn’t have, but I’d regret it if I didn’t.

“Are you okay?” I asked him.

He glared down at me, and I shrunk under his gaze, ready to quickly apologize. He grit his teeth and looked away from me. “You need to stop carin’ ‘bout others so much,” he replied and started walking.

“Stop? When did I start?” I asked.

He let out with a snort. “When I first looked sad. You didn’t say anythin’, but I know that look. If I was your father, I’d stop you from seein’ Kyori and Solstice. They’re a bad influence on your youn’ mind.”

I looked curiously at him and shook my head. “Then I’m thankful you’re not my father, and they say you’re the bad influence.”

He laughed. “That’s why!”

I squeaked, now growing agitated. “And I never had a father, so I don’t even know what that’s like!” I snapped back at him.

I was behind him, so I wasn’t able to see his face when he paused for a moment. I thought this was going to bring something good, but instead it brought something painful. Typical of Dave. “Oh cry me a river,” he mumbled and continued walking. “That does explain your kindness, though, females are like that.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, deeply hurt by his words. “I’m not hungry anymore!” I called out to him.

“Fine by me!” he called back as he kept walking.

“And I don’t want to fight today, either!”

He broke out into laughter. “Now that’s more like it! Now you sound like a hatchling!”

I blinked in confusion. What did that mean?

“See you at the cave!” he called as he faded from view.

I was left hurt and confused in the middle of the woods. I moped there for awhile, just thinking on everything. What he said hurt, and I did realize I was throwing a little tantrum. Something I vaguely remember from my earlier days. How long could I throw it? I knew he’d never apologize, so waiting for one would be hopeless. But I wanted to make an impact.

Satisfied by my decision, I flew back to the cave. I didn’t fly enough, so I did every chance I got. I made it there quickly, since flying was so much faster than walking, and promptly sat myself in my nest. I would wait there until sunrise to show him I meant business.

But sunrise wasn’t for a long while, and soon I got bored. I laid in the nest for awhile, just enjoying the rest and relaxation. It reminded me a lot of The Circle of Mountains, where I could rest or play all day. Dave overworked me.

My tail gave away the first signs of restlessness, as it started to twitch back and fourth. I watched it as it seemed to have a mind of its own. It swung in front of my face and I leaned out to bite it, but it pulled back. I whipped around and tried going for it again, but it pulled out of the way.

I let out with a chirp and lunged for it even harder, flinging myself out of the nest. I tumbled, but caught it in my beak. I didn’t bite down hard, I knew it was my tail and I would hurt myself. I let go of it with a sigh and stretched back out, since I had to curl to catch my tail.

I looked around Dave’s lonely little cave, and noticed my tumble led me to right beside his nest. I looked over at it. It looked horribly uncomfortable, being made of nothing but sticks and leaves. Mine was mostly fluff. Then again, Dave didn’t have fluff. Now standing so close to it, I realized it also had a smell. An old rotten smell.

I leaned in closer to notice old and dried blood stained to the leaves and sticks. My jaw dropped, how horrible! These were too old to come from the fights we had, these must’ve come from the many scars that covered his body. I felt like cleaning it, or putting new sticks and leaves in, but I stopped myself when I realized it would probably anger him.

Shaking my head, I backed away from the nest and returned to mine. But the night was still young, as was I. As my tail resumed twitching, I thought on what I could do with this free night. I could meet Kyori, but I already had Dave’s permission to see her later. Seeing her two times in one week wouldn’t be bad, except I would get annoyed with her endless amount of information.

I didn’t know where Cobblestone was, typically he was the one who found me. Glory was sleeping, I knew that. But Solstice, she was available, and I didn’t know when Dave would allow me to see her. Yes, that would be fun, meeting her. I smiled and leapt out of my nest. After landing gently on the ground outside, I spread my wings and took to the sky. Once I was above the trees, I was able to get my bearings and flew towards the faint shadow of The Circle of Mountains. Beyond that was Dragon’s Land and Solstice.

I flew with purpose, not thinking on much. I didn’t know what we’d talk about, but I knew we’d find something. As before, once I made it to The Circle of Mountains, I slowed a little and looked down at the sleepy griffins. None were visible, of course, all safely tucked in their caves. This saddened me, because I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Trinity. Would I be able to see her again? I was almost forgetting what she looked like.

Blackbird’s skull and claw still lingered, a constant reminder of what I did. Dimidas didn’t have to rub it in. I shook my head and sped up, hoping that if I flew away from my old home, I would leave the memories behind too. I kept my eyes to Dragon’s Land, and flew a little lower to catch the glow of Solstice’s flowers.

That was when I saw somebody else standing in front of Solstice. I flew a little closer and saw the familiar form of Dave. He seemed to have just got there, at least, I hoped. He didn’t walk fast at all, so there was now way he got to her before me. Unless he started walking the moment I flew back to the cave.

I hovered in the sky and thought about where I could hide and watch them. I was curious to hear what they were talking about. I hoped Dave wasn’t complaining about me. Thankfully, a large rock sat maybe thirty feet away from them. It was the perfect place for me to hide behind and listen.

I quickly and silently flew behind it, peeking over just the edge to watch as my ears were focused forward to catch as many words as I could. From what I could see, they were in the middle of conversation.

“I just told Dante to get over not having a father,” Dave told her.

My eyes widened. They were talking about me!

“And what conversation preceeded that?” she asked.

He sighed. “He said you told him I was a bad influence, and agreed by saying that if I was his father, I’d forbid him from seein’ you. Then he said he never had a father, and I told him to get over it.”

“Dave!” she scolded so loudly even I jumped from thirty feet away. “That is not how you talk to him! A hatchling that age would start seeing someone like you as a parent figure, he already told me he sees me as his mother. What if he sees you as a father? You just told him that it was impossible.”

“That’s ‘cause it is!” he yelled back. “I’m too old to be a father, you know that! He shouldn’t get attached to me.”

“He can’t help but get attached to you, and don’t deny that you like him too. Don’t forget the things you told me earlier.” she replied in a calmer tone.

“‘Course I like him! He’s a good kid, but that’s his problem. He’s too good. I’m tryin’ to harden him up, and you and Kyori keep stoppin’ me. I told you not to interfere.”

“We’re not interfering, Dave, you know that. He’s seeing us by his own free will. We’re just telling him what we believe, he can only choose what to do with it.”

“Then I need to train him harder. Get him stronger and fiercer. Brimstone must die when the kid faces him.” he replied with a demented glare.

She cocked her head. “Now why’s that so important? He’s not going to make it a fight to the death, he can get a second chance.”

He sighed. “You know Brimstone, that beast only holds to the Laws that matter to him. He’ll kill the kid no matter what.”

She studied him. “No, there’s more than that. I can see it in your eyes.”

He grit his teeth and huffed. “I won’t make it to next time.” he spit out, like it was poison to him.

Solstice gasped, “What?

I echoed her surprise in a whisper.

“Don’t be so surprised, you know I’ve had it comin’.”

“How do you know you won’t make it, then? You could have two more years left on you.”

“‘Cause I know my bones, I know my hide, I know my strength. Each night I am overworkin’ myself, pushin’ my body to the limit to train the kid. And I still have one more month!”

“If that’s the case, then maybe Cobblestone can finish his training. Or maybe I could ask around to see if anyone else is interested.” she suggested.

He shook his head. “No, I’m two months in, gotta finish what I started. He’s doin’ all the huntin’ anyway, and he’s a quick learner.”

“Okay,” she said, but it was clear she was uncomfortable about this. She wasn’t the only one. “But just tell me or Kyori when you think you can’t take it anymore. You could even tell Dante, I don’t think he’d mind.”

“Got it,” he simply replied.

“So are you going to tell him?” she asked him after a moment of silence.

He scoffed. “You really have to ask? I thought you knew me,” he grumbled. “‘Course I’m not! Then he’ll go easy on me, and I hate that. He already knows my mate and hatchlin’ were killed, and ever since then he’s shown concern!”

She sighed and shook her head. “You need to let others care about you the way you care about them. It’s only fair.”

“Not when I’m trainin’ him to kill a monster! He must know to fight with anger and violence, not pity.” he spat.

Solstice looked clearly upset as she bit her tongue. Maybe she’d had this conversation more than once.

Dave looked up at the night sky for a minute before looking at her. “I guess I better be goin’. I want to be back before sunrise.”

“Okay,” she sighed. “What do you think Dante will be doing?”

He chuckled. “Probably poutin’ in the cave, still throwin’ his tantrum.”

“I know it’s stupid of me to ask this, but are you going to apologize? Or better yet, please apologize.” she asked.

He grit his teeth. “No, I’m not that weak.” he replied and walked off. He moved quickly for such an old drake, and it did look like every step hurt him, just as always.

Solstice watched him walk away with sorrow and pity in her eyes. “No, you just don’t want others to like you,” she mumbled. “You are very weak, Dave, stuck in your vengeance and anger.” she looked up at the stars as tears fell from her eyes.

I tried to follow what she was looking at, and noticed that the constellation of The Ancient One hanged right above her.

“Please, watch over him, give him strength. I need him, Dante needs him.” she sniffed and laid down, resting her head beside her flowers.

I resisted every urge in me to run out and comfort her, but I didn’t want anybody to know I listened in to an obviously private conversation. I looked up at the sky myself, realizing that I needed to get back too. I knew I’d get there before Dave, but I needed to look like I’d been there all night.

I took another glance at Solstice to make sure her eyes were closed and took off as silently and quickly as possible. Once I was in the air I ascended as high as possible to make sure nobody would see me and headed home.

When I reached the cave I plopped myself into my nest and resumed the position I was in earlier. I processed everything I had heard as quickly as possible, smothering every last bit of pity and sorrow. I didn’t want Dave to sense anything.

The wait was longer than I had anticipated, and soon I began to grow weary. I sighed and curled up in my nest. I trusted that he would be here in the morning, he always was, there was no reason for him not to. Slowly, I shut my eyes and let sleep take me.


I awoke normally, and the first thing I saw was a thickly scarred face staring right at me. Too close for comfort. I yelped and jumped backwards, shivering from my fright. It was then that I noticed the face was Dave, who was now laughing.

“Glad to see you’re awake, kid!” he laughed.

I ruffled my feathers and smiled. He was in a good mood, which was strange, given his argument with Solstice.

He finished laughing and his smile dropped as quick as rain. “You done with you’re tantrum?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, but I still don’t like you.”

He smiled his cruel twisted grin. “Good, now c’mon, we have to get huntin’ if you’re to be trained today.” he said and started to walk away.

“Okay!” I called and trotted after him.

The walk and hunt were silent as normal. He didn’t speak again until we were ready to get training. “Today we learn the headbutt, which can be a powerful move if done right.”

My eyes widened. I vaguely remembered that word, and what it meant. I shook my head and body in protest. “A headbutt? Are you crazy? I don’t have horns or a thick skull, I’ll die!”

“Oh, right,” he said, “Forgot you were a weak griffin. I knew that Guardian should’ve taken my suggestion to add horns to your spell.”

“Well, I’m thankful she didn’t,” I simply replied, sensing that he wouldn’t be willing to answer my questions about my parents.

“Well, this isn’t in my ability, but how ‘bout I teach you some sky tricks?”

I smiled and nodded. “Now that’s more like it!”

He chuckled. “Good. Since I don’t have any of my own, I shall teach you Brimstone’s tricks,” he smirked. “I would love to see the look on that fool’s face when he sees you use his style.”

With that, it began. Due to Cobble and my tantrum, Dave only had five days left in this week to train me. And since we neglected aerial acrobatics, I spent the last five days perfecting those. I loved every minute of it, because I didn’t use my wings around him.

“Alright, kid,” Dave began once we were at the cave. “If I’m keepin’ my days correct, fightin’ trainin’ is over.”

I squeaked and jumped up and down. “Yeah!”

“Don’t get too excited. You know how to dodge, you know how to attack, but now you need to put those together. Tomorrow I will test you on everythin’ you’ve learned.” he told me.

I shook my head. “Not tomorrow, I’m seeing Kyori then. You allowed me to.”

He grumbled. “Right, I did. Fine, then after tomorrow the third month will begin.”

I jumped with excitement yet again.

“Everything is a game to you, isn’t it?” he asked as he shook his head at my antics.

“Of course!” I replied with a grin. “I have to make it fun somehow.”

Dave settled in his nest and sighed. “Don’t keep that attitude, kid. Fightin’ is not fun. It is needed, but it is not fun.”

I frowned and settled in my own nest. “I know, but I can’t help but see it like that. I’ve always play fought.”

He locked eyes with me, sad and tormented eyes. Maybe, even, pitying eyes. They sent chills down my spine. “Then keep that last bit of innocence while you still can, kid. Brimstone will make you lose it.” he advised and turned away.

All of my prior joy had been sapped out of me. I just laid there, shivering at his sorry expression. He looked at me as if I was about to die. As if Dragon King would be the death of me. Would he? Was all of this, all of these tough and grueling months, for nothing?

Fun fact, Dante also chased his tail in the original. Dave also has issues, but I think everybody knows that by now.