Alone with his thoughts, Gadalik went over everything he learned as he made his way back to the den. I accept that I'll never be able to fly… But I'd at least want to know why I ended up with wings that I can’t use. Then there was the mystery around the light dragons’ aggression, but that didn't seem like one that could be solved easily, so he dismissed it for now. Upon entering, the young green dragon was relieved to see that both of his parental figures were still getting along, despite maintaining their usual distance from one another.

“Welcome back, big guy,” Glacia greeted him with a wave of her purple-and-teal back fin. “How did things go with Gretel?”

“We had a lot of fun,” her adoptive son replied honestly.

“But?” Guinevere spoke up, her golden antennae angling slightly at the hybrid, who was reminded she could detect his feelings.

“There's…something I need to tell you,” he confessed. That got both of their attention. “That bruise from this morning actually came from my last attempt to fly. Even with Gretel’s wind, I still couldn't stay airborne. So…flight really is impossible for me.”

“Gadalik…” The water dragoness approached to embrace him, and the glow of Guinevere’s wings shifted to blue.

“I'm not saying this for sympathy,” he stopped them. “I just...want to know why. My biological mother had wide wings, and crossed the ocean on them to get here. But mine are nothing like hers... It doesn't make sense.”

“While you are half-seer, you take mostly after your father; your wings are actually an earth dragon’s type,” Guinevere informed him.

“Huh? Earth dragons don't have wings,” Glacia pointed out, confused.

“Not anymore, but they used to. The wings were of no benefit to them once they chose to stay on earth, so over time they evolved to lose them,” the fairy dragoness continued. “The remnants are still in their genes, though, and because seers also have wings, the earth dragon’s wings became a recessive trait for the latter’s type-leaning hybrid.”

Gadalik let her words sink in. “Could earth dragons fly when they did have wings…?”

“The answer depends on how long ago we're talking about. They never used to be earth dragons in the first place; they were mountain dragons, who had average-sized wings capable of basic flight. Change began when the light dragons established territory on the mountaintops.”

“You mean light dragons weren't always on the mountaintops?”

“Correct. They had descended from the heavens, but that's a story for another time,” she murmured. “Light dragons didn't take kindly to the mountain types flying around their territory, so the former began striking them down from the sky. The mountain dragons feared their wrath and stopped flying altogether, forced to survive on the mountainside and cliffs. They began to associate their own wings with death, so mountain dragons with prominent wings were cast out of society or killed. This led to their wings getting smaller over the generations, until eventually, they had none–becoming the wingless earth dragons known today.”

“But why did the light dragons attack them? I thought they had powers to heal others, not kill them…”

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“Light dragons do have healing powers,” she confirmed. “And until they left the heavens, they were peaceful. As for why they left the heavens, I do not know… However, the only dragons who could reach them before then were types that could fly. Perhaps that contributed to the light dragons’ downfall and subsequent aggression toward flighted dragons.”

“Wait…so they are only targeting dragons that can fly?”

“As far as I'm aware, yes,” Guinevere said, “because flying is the only way to reach them on the mountaintops.”

“No, it's not,” Gadalik disagreed, standing straighter with a new sense of purpose. “I can reach them by climbing…! And since I can't fly, they wouldn't have a reason to attack me.” I can do this…! I can bring peace between light dragons and the others. For once in my life, my heritage might be the reason I succeed at something!

“Let's not forget that the base of the mountains are inhabited by earth dragons,” Guinevere said.

He hesitated. “Why would earth dragons stop me? I'm one of them, aren't I?”

“Earth dragons had cast out or killed their own kind just for having wings. And…you are a hybrid of their own kind who has wings.”

Gadalik heard himself growl.

The adults were taken aback by his uncharacteristic anger. They exchanged a concerned glance.

“You’re telling me that earth dragons won’t accept me just because I'm a seer hybrid,” he recapped, seething with frustration. He rounded on his adoptive mother. “And you have said that the seer from my visions was targeting me because I'm an earth dragon hybrid. So, tell me: just where am I able to go? What types won't want me dead?!”

Glacia was completely caught off guard by his outburst. She moved her hand forward to comfort him, but he backed out of her reach, his watered striped blue eyes challenging her. She sighed. “You're able to stay with me… I don't want you dead,” she answered quietly. “Why are you so desperate to leave…?”

The hurt in her voice snapped him out of his rage. He instantly felt remorse. “I'm sorry… I didn't mean it like that… I just…feel so…limited. Like I'm trapped in one place, while everyone around me is free to travel and make new friends…”

“Everyone is limited in some capacity,” Guinevere empathized. “I, for one, cannot leave the shelter of my forest, since I lack the combative skills of other dragon types. My hypnotism is especially ineffective against light dragons, as their light can overpower my wings’ glow. Fairy dragons are seen as pushovers, or easy prey, by other types, so we're forced to hide even when we're in our own territories if we detect the presence of unfamiliar dragons. And even then, wind dragons may still see us from out of our range, as was the case with your friend--but not all wind dragons are friendly.”

Gadalik quailed. He had the impression that her abilities made her untouchable. The thought of her dying so easily tied his stomach in a knot.

“And water dragons will dry out and die if we don't have ready access to enough water or snow,” Glacia added, “but you knew that already.”

“Limitations are part of all life, young one, regardless of your heritage,” the other dragoness concluded.

“That still doesn't make it fair…” he argued, despite hating how childish that made him sound.

His adoptive mother thought for a moment. She opened her mouth to speak, then reconsidered. Just as quickly, she drew in a breath and braced herself before announcing, “If you really want to see the earth dragons, then…I'm coming with you.”

Gadalik stared at her, shocked. “But…you just said you'd dry out if we left–”

“That’s something I considered long before you hatched. If we leave in late fall this year, the upcoming snow will let me survive the journey.”

He sniffled, feeling ashamed that she'd give up the safety of her environment yet again, just to support his unrealistic goal. “Staying here isn't a big deal, compared to what you and Guinevere have to live with… Besides, wouldn't the earth dragons hate me since I have wings…?”

“Pure earth dragons don't fare well against my water attacks. So if they try to hurt you, I'll show ‘em who’s boss,” Glacia assured him with a half-playful smirk.

He chuckled genuinely through his sadness. “There's no stopping you once you make your mind up, is there…?”

“You, neither,” she laughed. “You must've got that from me.”