Fleck slept through most of Harmoni’s peaceful morning. He tried not to ruin it for her when she did wake up.

He wouldn’t be joining her today. Asplenium would be teaching him about flight.

Not that that was a surprise. When Fleck wasn’t with Harmoni, Asplenium was teaching him about flight, and which animals were actually safe to eat on this planet. The first day Fleck had tried to spend alone on Iva, he'd eaten something that blocked your sense of smell.

That was already disorienting on its own. Fleck used his sense of smell so much, it was analogous to how most rider's used their sight. He could even make an argument it was how most people used their sense of touch. That was used for everything, in a way people really wouldn't notice unless it was taken away.

'Terrifying idea,' Harmoni agreed, already imagining if she couldn't feel the floor beneath her feet or how hard she clasped her pen. 'But I think you're getting a little carried away.'

'Fine.'

Point was, already not a great time. Then night had arrived, and it was dark with the trees above and no technology around to light it. So. That had been fun.

He was grateful that Asplenium helped. He just wished he felt less like he was being babied. Looked down on.

‘I don’t think you’re being looked down on,’ Harmoni thought from her spot in the castle.

‘I know.’

He’d used “felt” for a reason. It just felt like it.

But enough about the embarrassment. Today, he’d gone up the cliffside the school was at, and joined Asplenium in the small clearing up there.

The older dragon usually had food for them. Usually something humans would consider fish or amphibian. And OK, Fleck was starting to see why elves didn’t eat meat. There wasn’t a lot, at least compared to Xentron. Evolution wise, wouldn’t it be inefficient?

After breakfast, with their bellies full and bodies filled with energy, they would work on an aspect of flight. Today was slightly more complicated than usual. Today, Asplenium was showing him how to work with air currents. If he flew in the right layer, the wind could push him along. And if he had to go against the wind, well, there were certain parts of the sky that wouldn’t fight him as much.

On the plus side, it was nice to learn something challenging. Asplenium wasn’t treating him like a toddler. On the other hand, this seemed a bit overly complicated. They could fly at least in part because of magic. Shouldn’t they be able to ignore the wind?

Asplenium frowned when he questioned that. “Well, I guess you could power through with strength and magic, but that kind of thing takes energy. It’s much more cost effective if you learn to ride the air waves. Or do you not care about that?”

Fleck groaned. Reminded him of his teachers growing up in the cave, before he met Harmoni.

Looked like he’d learn to ride the air waves.

~~~

Fleck dropped down at the edge of the lake. (There was one at the top of the cliff. Near the edge, but not close enough it would run over anytime soon.) Asplenium was already there, watching the water intently.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Fleck lapped at the water with his tongue. Like all their training days, today was demanding.

Asplenium’s neck shot forward, and he grabbed a fish out of the lake, dropping it between them. A big fish too. He and Fleck could both eat some, and while it might not be the most filling, it would do for lunch.

Fleck’s eyes darted from the fish to Asplenium, and he grinned, all pointy teeth flashing. “I thought you didn’t want us taking fish from here.”

Something about large dragons over-fishing in a small lake.

Asplenium huffed. “It’s a large lake, and I’m not a moron. I think I can judge when we can take the occasional fish.”

Harmoni sort of expected Fleck to be offended that Asplenium thought he couldn’t judge that.

And maybe sometimes he would be, but he was too busy processing the fact that Asplenium said the word moron. Seemed too close to a crude swear for his rider.

‘Well, you and I are pretty different too.’

Fleck couldn’t help but smile softly.

'I thought you didn't want to look soft.'

'Hey, I'm not being that bad yet.' He wasn't being sappy. Or . . . gooey.

He and Asplenium ate at the fish, recovering their energy. (Well, probably mostly Fleck’s energy.) it was Asplenium who broke the silence.

“You’re getting good at flying, Fleck.”

Fleck sensed there was a "but" coming.

“Thanks.”

“Have you started breathing fire? Or, anything else, yet? I could help you with that as well.”

Fleck’s shoulders hunched and he turned to the side. “No. Nothing like that.”

Asplenium tilted his head. “That’s unusual.”

Yes, it was. At his age, Fleck should've been showing signs of something by now. But Asplenium wasn’t pressing the issue, so Fleck wasn’t sure why he said what he did next. Maybe he just wanted to talk to someone. The only people he could talk to directly on the planet were Asplenium and Harmoni. And they were good, and he could talk to people through Harmoni, using her as a translator. But the situation often left him bursting with things to say.

Maybe it was because Asplenium had proved himself such casual company, or because there was no one Asplenium could share with. To whisper the information behind Fleck’s back.

“I’m not going to breathe fire. Or anything else for that matter. I never showed signs, and the elders said it wasn’t going to happen.” Maybe he had wyvern genes in the blood or something.

“Ah.”

Fleck jumped, widening his stance and stretching his wings. “And-and I don’t need that look the elders gave me!” It wasn’t pity, when they said it. It was more like he was fragile. It hadn't helped with his sisters either, who already had some idea they should protect their "baby" brother. “But it’s really frustrating! I have to help Harmoni. I’ve already failed so many times! This just makes it more likely I’ll fail again.”

He wasn’t glass. He could take care of himself. But apparently, he couldn’t take care of the person closest to him.

Asplenium just tilted his head. “You want to protect your rider that much?”

“Um, yes?” Wasn’t that obvious?

“Isn’t that a little insulting to Harmoni? Being over protective? She is her own person. Tolith would certainly be upset if I assumed he always needed rescuing.”

Fleck hadn’t thought of it like that. And he might not have, but Asplenium used "over protective" specifically. He had called Harmoni that once. He didn't like that.

Harmoni hadn’t thought of it like that either. She paused in her eating, thinking back through any time Fleck had been a bit over protective.

‘If it helps. . .’ she thought. ‘I don’t think you’re being . . . infantilizing.’

‘Nice word.’

‘Yes, yes.’

Harmoni seemed to wind up in danger a lot. And even when that wasn’t happening, she wasn’t very good at standing up for herself. It wasn’t unreasonable to want to protect her. She certainly wanted the same for him.

She rarely got that feeling of protectiveness she could get from Fleck. She appreciated it. Tolith might not, but he was an immortal with healing powers. That was a bit different, in terms of situations.

‘There, you see?’ Fleck thought to no one. He stood up a little straighter and his tail swayed in pride.

He had a duty to look after Harmoni, and that was what he’d do.

But. . .

"This won't change anything, will it?" Fleck asked. "That I . . . I won't be breathing fire." Ever. His shoulders even hunched a bit as he asked.

Asplenium tilted his head again. Fleck wished he'd just answer. "Perhaps, but not in the way you might be worried about," Asplenium quickly assured him. "It's just, if you can't breath fire, or anything else, I should give you some fighting training as well. It certainly wouldn't hurt for you to be prepared."