On the seventh day after Jacard’s change, Alara went to the front of the cave system to fetch the day’s cart. Mili had brought food and clothing for them each day. Once Jacard saw Alara return empty, he knew their honeymoon/vacation had ended.

They fell back into their normal rhythm. Jacard spent most of his days under Mili’s tutelage.

Reading the Draconian language was much easier now. A part of his brain had changed, making it simpler to understand. Even simple spells came easy. His principal focus, though not Mili’s, was levitation. It was a dragon’s best friend when flying. Without levitation, most dragons would never take flight. Levitation allowed them to compensate for their weight. In his current form, it was important, but once he became a full dragon, it would be required. No full dragon could lift their weight with their wings alone.

Jacard practiced all the time. Many thought they were seeing wrong. He would float by rather than walk. Staying an inch above the ground and pushing forward when needed. Sometimes he overcompensated and ran into a wall. He adjusted and did not make that mistake very often.

Several weeks later, on a Saturday, a day Jacard did not have to study, he woke. Alara knew something was up. Since the change, the two of them had shared a constant psychic link. Most of the time, it was like a feather touch. Today, she felt his excitement. She opened the connection to him as if holding out a mental hand, waiting for him to take hold.

He connected. They never declined each other.

Jacard thought, Today is the day. I am ready to take my first actual flight test.

Alara, Only if I come with you.

I wouldn’t have it another way. Besides, I have a surprise for you.

Uh oh. She probed, but he would not tell her yet.

After breakfast, they made their way to one of the top entryways. It was higher than the portal. Traveling hundreds of feet in the freezing cold was the only way to get there from the outside. No one used it from the inside anymore.

Before Alara opened the door, Jacard stepped up and made an unfamiliar gesture that she didn’t know. His magic differed from hers but was still effective. The door seal opened, but the door remained shut.

Jacard had to push, bracing himself on the floor. The door made a slight crackling sound and then a burst of ice shattering. The door, frozen shut from the other side, had taken most of Jacard’s strength to push it open.

Outside, the wind was arctic. Lances of biting wind bit through the opening.

Jacard forced the door open. Outside was a medium ledge. Just large enough for a medium-sized dragon to land. Maybe. He thought.

Alara closed her robes around her tight and stepped out.

Jacard raised his voice. “Are you okay with this?”

Alara chuckled. You forget, our people have lived here for many generations. We are used to the cold. I can warm myself if needed.

Jacard nodded, stepped through, and closed the door behind him. He moved to the edge to see the drop. The wind had flurries of snow swirling. He could not see the bottom.

Alara, Do you think we could start at a lower level? Isn’t this advanced?

I need the altitude to get used to flying.

Do not hurt yourself, Jacard. She thought sternly, so he understood the seriousness of the situation.

I’ll be fine, besides you are coming with me.

What!?

That’s my surprise. I want a full psychic embrace together while we do this. You can experience my first time with me.

Alara smiled at this, but he could tell she was worried. She took the blankets she had brought with them; one she spread on the ground to sit on, and the other she wrapped around herself. She closed her eyes for a moment.

Jacard felt the warmth emanate from her. He shifted his vision. Another skill he had learned. It was like infrared, overlaid upon his regular vision. It took a moment to get used to. He laughed. She was a lovely, toasty orange. If she kept up the heat, she would be in a wet puddle of blankets. He knew she hated to get wet like that.

I heard that.

Even when their connection was minor, they shared all their thoughts.

Jacard opened his mind for a full connection. Under normal circumstances, they only did this during intimacy.

Alara responded.

She entered his mind, filling it up with her own thoughts and emotions.
I love being this close to you. He sensed her smile. It is best if you leave your eyes closed during this. Look through my eyes only.

Jacard walked to the edge. The winds were stronger here. A blast pushed him back. He placed himself in a deep trance. He gathered energy, filling his body with as much as he could. The surrounding air whipped. Small cyclones formed around his body. His golden hair, lifted by unseen winds, rippled like water in a river.

Alara opened her eyes to look at him. You know you are really amazing. She closed them so as not to distort his vision.

He unfolded his wings, stretching out to their full length. It feels good to let them loose.

Alara was not sure if he thought that for her or to himself. They were very close to becoming one mind.

Jacard beat his wings once. He lifted. An updraft grabbed hold of him and took him high into the sky.

Alara panicked.

It is okay. I expected as much.

The wind carried him upward. He was weightless now but also had no control. He achieved stability by adjusting his weight via levitation. It was a balancing act. Just sufficient weight to give control, but not ample to cause him to fall. After several attempts, he had the hang of it.

He pushed forward, beating his wings. It was hard. He was fighting the currents. This will never work. I will tire.

He switched his vision once again. It took some adjustments, but he could now see the wind currents. He saw there were updrafts and others were long and flat. They had different speeds and went in different directions.

He saw a current moving the way he wanted. Jacard pushed with his wings towards that current. It picked him up and carried him. He relaxed and let the wind do the work. Once it died, he switched to another and then another. I am flying.

His joy emanated to Alara. A tear of happiness rolled down her cheek. It froze, but she did not mind. We are flying. She felt everything he did. She saw the currents. The muscles in his wings flexed as though they were her own. Once again, she marveled at how lucky she was to be with such an amazing person.

Right back at you, babe. Jacard was getting good at flying. After grabbing an updraft and riding it high, he put his weight back and closed his wings for a dive. Alara gasped at this move. He opened his wings and pulled towards the sky.

Jacard had flown many miles from their home and headed back. As he turned, the wind brought forth a smell of rotting flesh. Then he noticed in the far distance four heat signatures. They were not hot or even warm like Alara. They were cool but not as cold as the surrounding snow. Could that be part of the pack? It might even be Elef.

Jacard went higher just in case it was not any of his friends. Out of instinct, he positioned himself in front of the sun to their location. He dropped in for a closer view. His eagle-sharp eyes zoomed in. It was not anyone he knew. Four people flitted across the ice.

Flitted? asked Alara.

It is when a vampire or vampere moves fast. It almost looks like teleportation. Humans cannot see a movement that fast. They might see a blur. So it appears as though the flitter teleported from one spot to another. They normally do it during hunting. These four are using it often, for no obvious reason. It requires a lot of energy. Plus, they are moving in a random path, but they are staying close together. I have never seen a vampire’s heat signature before, but I can guess it would seem just like this. I need a closer look.