Flight

Part 9

“Yes…” Hestia drew her small companion forth with the tip of her wing. “It’s you that helped me find my voice little one…” As he lay on her warm belly; the lullaby she sang to him vanquished all the evil that would torture his dreams.

It was not long until Icarus found his passion.  He grew to love the heavens so much that he decided he wanted to fly side by side with his giant companion.  Her wings fascinated him so much.  They reflected the light of the sun in order to escape its burning rays.  He began writing concepts for his wings…  Hestia observed every aspect of Icarus’s progress.  She knew that humans were capable of anything.  The thought of her friend gliding right by her side thrilled her. Through his friend’s help and comforting words the wax and feathered wings were complete.  

As they stood at the edge of a cliff, ready to take flight, Hestia once again repeated her instructions - “Stay close to me.  My reflective scales should protect you from the sun and stay high above the oceans.  My wings are large, with them I can control the winds.  Do not flap too much, let them carry you.”  Icarus nodded eagerly.  “I’m with you Hestia.”  He replied.  The dragon rubbed her muzzle against his cheek.  “And be careful child.”  With that, Hestia opened her bat like wings and took off, Icarus bringing up the rear.  

The winds she produced kept them side by side; Icarus felt his heart leap as they carried him higher and joy filled the dragon’s heart with her companion flying right next to her.  At her own glee, Hestia had ignored her own warnings and rose both of them higher and higher, where the fiery gas of death awaited them.  The sun reflected its warning breadth right off Hestia’s wings and with that it reached Icarus.  They both were drunk with complete freedom and blind to the burning of the wax wings.  Icarus had not even realized he was falling until he noticed the dragon’s figure growing smaller and the ocean growing larger.

By that time, it was all too late.

Hestia had been too captured by the joys of flight before she realized her missing companion. She plummeted like a falling comet to find him.  She searched the seas from top to bottom; frantically trying to find her only loved one.  But it was all in vain, Icarus’s corpse was never found. When she came to this realization; she screamed.  It tore through the deepest of canyons and split open the seas below.