Dragon Feathers

Encounters

Yorick was caressing absent-mindedly his dragon, trying to get focused enough to compete. He wasn't lacking only concentration, but also motivation. And he had been lacking that for a while.

He loved competitions. He had always loved them. And yet he didn't enjoy them no more: he kept getting second place in the speed competition, behind Leif.

Leif, Leif, Leif. The most wanted guy of the island, the one who got all the cutest girls and boys, one of the youngest and most talented Dragontamers of all the islands.

He loved him like a brother. Sometimes he had even wondered if he wanted to be him or to be with him. Not that the blonde had ever considered him as more than a friend.

He was tired of feeling like a secondary character even in his own life. He surely didn't blame Leif for being a protagonist even in other people's lives, but he was tired, really tired.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't care about beating Leif. He wasn't interested in stealing Mira from him, even though he thought he was adorable. He just wanted to... stand out.

He looked up, away from his thoughts, and his eyes met a pair of dark brown ones, almond shaped.

They belonged to a boy whose hair was of the same colour and whose clothes were light blue and grey. He had never seen him before.

- Beautiful dragon - commented the stranger. Yorick gulped, enraptured by his beauty, and nodded.

- T-thanks...

- My name's Jun - the boy introduced himself. He must have been a little older than him.

- Yorick.

They shook hands. The feather on Jun's wrist was blue.

- I've always wondered what your name was - said Jun.

- Uh?

- I've lost count on how many seasons I've spent watching you, wanting to fly by your side, to beat you. I've found my dragon, Luna, only recently, but we've trained hard for this competition. You have inspired me to follow my dream and I want to achieve it - affirmed the Dragontamer, serious. Yorick's eyes widened. What that boy was telling him was incredible.

- I-I'm... I'm glad then...

- Today or at the next competition, it doesn't matter. I'll beat you, Yorick - promised Jun, determined. He was about to leave, but Yorick grabbed him by the wrist and stopped him.

- If you lose, go out with me tonight - he proposed impulsively. He arched a brow.

- And if I win?

- You choose.

The shadow of a smile appeared on the boy's lips.

- So be it - he accepted, shaking his hand again. He left, leaving the Dragontamer with a heartthrob and the desire to win.

From that moment on he was going to stop being a secondary character, he decided. He was going to become a protagonist worth of his story.

He turned to Lutfi.

- Let's win. For us.

The dragon puffed loudly from his nose. His tamer put a hand under his face and brought it closer to his own, then kissed his nose.

The afternoon came soon. Yorick noticed Jun between the competitors, just for a moment, and that stolen glance was enough to make his heart burn with determination.

He went to Leif. The fire Dragontamer looked at him and smiled, without saying a word. His friend smiled back. They didn't need to talk to understand each other.