I banked slowly.Does it feel different now?
Yeah. Like swimming through a current.
That’s it. Now, slowly, close your wings and move them forward.
I watched him out of the corner of my eye.That’s it. Now spread them again.
Okay. Cool.
Tilt them. Do you feel the air against them? What is it trying to do to you?
He hesitated, then offered,It would move me up, or down. I can feel that.
Okay, stay with me. Watch what I do, and then imitate me.
Roger, Wilco.
What was the Dire babbling about now?Who is Roger Wilco?
A mental sigh.Just fly.
I tilted my wings, exaggerating it so that he could do the same with his own. We dropped and rose by small degrees.Okay. To climb, do this.
He copied me, much better this time. He was finding his rhythm. I took him up, then showed him how to bank. I sensed the exact moment when we started to fly in unison, and he no longer just dragged on my tail.
Do you feel it now?
It’s just like swimming.
Well, swimming was something I generally didn’t do a lot of, but okay.Do you feel the wind?
Yes.
Now own it.
He let go of my tail.
I almost panicked. I hadn’t meant for him to do that, but he soared up alongside me, his eyes glowing.
Flyingasa Dragon is so much better than flyingonone.
Well, don’t get too bold. Your flight muscles need to be developed slowly. We should head back down soon.
He ignored me, and banked. I kept pace with him, our wingtips almost touching. And suddenly, I wanted to show him something.
Come with me.I climbed.
His wingbeats were much smoother now, and he stayed with me as we rose through the clouds. I sensed his unease as we were enveloped in the thick vapor.You can grab my tail again if you like.
Nope. I’m fine. Excellent, in fact.
The genuine excitement in his voice touched something within me. We broke through the lowest layer, and I did a lazy somersault that turned into a spiral. The vapor trailed off my wings, and the morning sun’s rays turned it golden.
I sensed his admiration, and it surprised me enough that I straightened and took us through the next layer. And the next.
The sunlight painted everything in silver and gold, lining the thick vapor below. Above us, nothing but sky stretched for as far as the eye could see.
He moved until his wingtip almost touched mine.It’s spectacular.
