Dragon Blossom

To conquer the sky

Frey had a few days to master Canvas, the pegasus had accepted him as a rider on its own free will, but it wasn't exactly obedient, especially in flight. It would suddenly change direction or descend without being asked, largely Frey's fault, as he used commands meant for horses, which didn't include ascending or descending. Also, Frey had trouble understanding that he couldn't decelerate and descend simultaneously or he risked falling. Fortunately, Canvas was an expert in the art of flying and hadn't let him fall once. Still, he used Runa's floating enchantment and tried to fly over the lake, just in case.

He had thought Eri would insist on joining him in flight, but that girl had pride, saying that since she had wings, she should fly alone. This gave Frey mixed feelings. On the one hand, he wanted to share what made him so happy with his family, but neither Runa nor Eri wanted to ride Canvas. On the other hand, he was worried about their safety, and finally, he himself was proud that Eri wanted to do something for herself without ever giving up. Fortunately, in Unermia, she could jump from a high diving board into the lake over and over again without hiding from her mother. There, it was just another normal amusement for children.

The scouts still hadn't been able to locate the dragon. They had seen it a few times, but always flying and not seeming to follow a pattern, as if it was looking for something or wandering aimlessly. The area they thought was its lair turned out to be a fiasco; there were no caves where it could hide, and it no longer approached there. Frustrating, Frey wondered if they would have to think of another plan or if there was a way to attract a dragon.

He practiced going through the gap under the waterfall's ledge a few times before returning to the city. He flew over the area of the lake where the diving board was, and Eri waved to him from it before throwing herself down, flapping her little wings. She crashed into the water as always. They should build a pool in Artemia or put a diving board in the canals. That would give poor Runa some peace, and himself too. Eri's jumps were getting more and more daring, who knows when she would finally get hurt. And he didn't want that...

Upon landing and dismounting his pegasus, Frey wondered about his feelings. At first, he had made an effort not to get attached to Eri, believing that in the end, they would have to hurt her or leave her with someone else. Remembering that stung his heart, especially because he recognized that he had loved his daughter from the beginning. So much, although differently from how he had loved his wife from the first time he saw her, even though he was a child and had no idea who she was.

He went looking for Runa and found her watching Eri from the shore of the lake, ready to swim to her aid if necessary. She was wearing a tight two-piece suit in the Unermia fashion, designed for the warm climate of the area and for swimming. She looked so beautiful, her bronze skin, so exotic, seemed to glow with its own light, speckled with small drops from her thighs to her forehead. She was sitting on the shore with her legs submerged, splashing her feet from time to time. Frey wasn't wearing full armor, but he felt out of place in his uniform, like a bear among cats. He took off his shoes and rolled up his sleeves before sitting next to his wife.

"Any news, love?" he asked casually.

"Not much, Moonlight is pregnant. I'll use your old horse for a few weeks until she gives birth, I don't want to strain her."

"What good news! I hope Jumper is the father."

"Seriously, Frey, you're bad with names. It's a good thing I named Eri."

"Hey, Jumper is a great name."

"If your horse were lively or jumped like you, but he's a warhorse, made for short races or long marches. If he turns out to be the father, I hope the foal is as agile as Moonlight."

They moved a little closer.

"Look at her, she wastes no time getting out of the water and jumping again. She reminds me of you, goblin-head, always putting yourself at risk."