FF link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13940589/1/Soaring-Across-Azure-Skies

Large Scaly Swimmer (ocean) = Ophthalmosaurus, think Mo's species!

Large Scaly Swimmer (stream) = Chinlea

Wingfire = The rambunctious and restless nature of young flyers. Specifically young male flyers who are of mating age.

Roost = Basically a flock, except much bigger in size.

---

"They're gone. They've retreated... we made it."

Aharon's voice was as light as a feather, the pent-up tension slowly leaving each muscle in his body, no longer carrying the weight of the entire world on his shoulders. At least that's what it had always felt like. Still, if all his seasons of training had taught him anything, it was never to let his guard down. He kept his gaze fixed on Nightwing and Faris until they were completely out of his line of sight. Soon enough, they and Blue Haven both vanished into the mist.

"Ha!" Aharon bellowed with a certain bravado that was unfitting of his usual conduct, "look at the cowards run! I would have never guessed that the leader of the sentinels was so afraid of getting his wings wet."

"Well, we are past Blue Haven's borders," Vali stated, "they wouldn't dare follow us past this point."

"No turning back now," Illyria reflected, seemingly to herself, but her words resonated with everyone. They were all traitors to their home flock, and what was done was done.

It was then that their current reality began to suddenly sink in for Gale. If he wasn't awake before, he certainly was now. Perhaps it was the fact that they were abandoning everything they'd ever known, and heading into completely unknown territory, but he was beginning to panic— just a bit.

"I shouldn't have done this," he murmured. How was he going to survive? And more importantly, how was he going to find a mate? The only female among them was Illyria, and he'd rather dive beak-first into a fiery pit than ever attempt the challenge of courting her. And he was sure the feeling was mutual.

Suddenly, at some point during his self-reprimand, he remembered who was really to blame. He whirled around to stare Scud in the face. "Why did you let me do this?"

Scud resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Leave it to Gale to start panicking at the worst possible moment.

"Gale," he crooned, "Gale, eyes on me. Listen, you're just psyching yourself out, it's not nearly as bad as you're making it out to be. We'll be just fine."

At that moment, trying to get though to Gale was about the same as talking to a rock. He was scared, and understandably so. "I don't know, will we?! We just left our home-! Left Blue Haven! We just-"

Yuri was just about ready to punt Gale halfway across the Big Water, and made no secret of it. He whipped his head around, and scrunched up his own face to mimic Gale's. "We just- We just- Why don't you just shut your miserable yapper before I just lose my damn mind?"

"Yuri!" Yarrow hissed, "ancestors above, have you no heart? These poor young ones have probably never even left their island before and now, they're taking a huge step and leaving behind the safety of everything they've ever known. And if I recall correctly, we weren't exactly the pinnacle of bravery the first time we set out on our own."

"Hmph!" Yuri tore his scrutinizing glare away from Gale, who was finally beginning to settle down. "Maybe you weren't, but I sure didn't get my wings in a knot."

Yarrow rolled his eyes, flashing a knowing smile at his brother. "Sure you didn't."

Orri had yet to speak up or voice his feelings on the matter, and he probably wasn't even going to bother. He was always sort of a background character in large groups, and he was sure this would be no exception. Blocking out the scattered chatter around him he remained silent, eyes scanning the water's surface for anything interesting... or delicious. He focused on his own reflection on the water, anticipating even the most subtle of movements...

SPLASH!

Orri gasped, scarcely managing to savor the all-too-brief moment the unknown blur breached the water's surface, leaving behind a trail of water and foam before disappearing back underneath, shielded by the watery barrier.

"Did anyone else hear that?" Orri asked hopefully, eyes wide and fixated on the now still and quiet water.

"Hear what? The splash?" Gale responded dryly. "It was probably a scaly swimmer. You do realize we're surrounded by water, don't you?"

Orri chose not to indulge him with a response, instead only briefly scowling at him before resuming his vigil. He watched the vast expanse of blue for what felt like an eternity, and was just about ready to give up. Perhaps it really was nothing more than just another scaly swimmer. What a shame.

Suddenly, a loud splash, about twice as big as the one he'd witnessed before, ripped through the stillness of the waves. Emerging from the water was something that resembled a scaly swimmer, but much bigger, with a remarkable tail that on its own could create a small wave. The creature sang some sort of melody that consisted entirely of clicks and whistles. It was like nothing he'd ever heard before.

"By the seven—!" Scud exclaimed, "Did you all see the size of that thing?"

"What in the world was that?" Vali questioned, almost in disbelief of what he had just witnessed.

"Large scaly swimmers," Yarrow answered, "There's a lot of them out here."

"Scaly swimmers?" A flash of recognition could be seen lighting up Illyria's face. "You mean like the ones you told us about?"

Yarrow beamed, the smile he gave the young flyer absolutely radiating with warmth. "The very same. They usually travel in groups, searching for food, so we should see more of them right about... now!"

Another splash followed his words, succeeded shortly by a cacophony of clicks that ricocheted off of the surrounding cliffs. The large scaly swimmers that now surrounded them came in about every shape and color imaginable, and for the flyers who had never ventured past the safety of their shallow waters, it was quite a spectacle to behold.

"Amazing," Illyria remarked breathlessly, unable to peel her eyes away.

Yarrow took a moment to examine the magnificent scaly swimmers, eyeing their movements closely.

"Chances are good that they're heading towards a food source," he pondered. "If we follow them, we can potentially save ourselves a few days of wandering around aimlessly. Just be careful to maintain a safe distance. We don't want to scare them off."

"Right," Yuri asserted, "Let's go then." He flapped his wings, allowing the thin membranes to carry him effortlessly through the air as he glided across the water's surface.

Yuri's decisive action then prompted the others to do the same. With their old lives far behind them, they charged headlong towards the unknown, disappearing into the horizon.

---

A symphony of distant sounding splashes could be faintly detected underneath the early glow of dawn, fighting and clawing its way through the cover of the night. Beneath the slowly receding shadows however, flashed the unmistakable, silvery sheen of a scaly swimmer. The gleaming scales seemed to form a long and linear trail, making a beeline straight for a small island. And not far behind the swimmers flew Yarrow, followed by his rather odd 'flock'. If one could even call them that.

At first glance, the island didn't seem to have much to offer besides a nice, long shoreline and a couple of trees spread out amongst the moss covered rocks. However, a much closer examination revealed to Yarrow that there was more to the floating patch of earth than met the eye. Seemingly hidden away behind the smaller rocks were a few streams and ponds, which meant one thing: food.

"We're going in for a landing!" Yarrow squawked to the rest of the group, gracefully swooping downwards and providing quite a demonstration. As he drew closer to the earth, he released his resistance and let the wind slowly guide him down to the loose and untrodden sand.

Yuri was the first to follow suit, although not before he took another chance to scoff at his brother's thinly veiled attempt at showing off.

"Ancestors be good... always trying to prove something," he mumbled grouchily with a disapproving shake of his head, flying down with significantly less grandeur.

Upon sticking his own landing, Scud relished the feeling of sand beneath his claws. After flying for so long, the cold, hard ground was a sight for sore eyes. Almost immediately the flyer collapsed, allowing himself to be drenched in the coarse sand that lined the shore.

"This place is just like Blue Haven," he exclaimed in awe and wonder, flexing his talons and letting the sand slip through his fingers, "bit smaller, though."

Yuri couldn't help but sneer. Had these runts never stepped a single foot outside of their nests?

"It's called an island ," he explained, "there's millions more just like it."

"Oh, great," Illyria groaned, "More islands. Just what I needed."

"Well, we're in the middle of the Big Water," Orri attempted to explain, "it's not like the nearest flock is just a hop, skip, and a jump away."

Normally, Illyria was appreciative and understanding of Orri's attempts to offer some insight. But right now, the only response his 'infinite wisdom' elicited was a thoroughly unamused leer in his direction.

"Hey, Orri? The next time I want a pointless and mind-numbing lecture from you, I'll be sure to ask you for it, okay?"

Yarrow could see that everyone was getting a little bit agitated. Not that he blamed them of course, it had been a long and weary journey already, but Yarrow well knew that childish squabbles like these could sometimes be a flock's undoing.

"That's quite enough, you two," Yarrow interjected, chancing a brief glance at the others. "All of you. It's been a long night, and I believe the fatigue may be getting the best of us. Why don't we settle down, and rest our aching joints for a while?"

Luckily, there was no protest to that suggestion. Thank the ancestors. The Bright Circle was now rising, its light creating the most beautiful sparkles on the surface of the water, like stars in the night sky. In an attempt to shield themselves from the light, most of the group sought refuge underneath the shade of the trees.

Yarrow spotted Scud making an attempt to try and curl up next to Gale, who promptly pushed him off, much to the other's chagrin. The elder withheld a laugh, finding a perch of his own to nestle upon as he watched the beginning of yet another beautiful day.

---

Orri couldn't sleep. He wasn't sure whether he was just nervous or excited, or if it was just the fact that for the first time in his life, he was slumbering in a completely different nest. Regardless of the reason, he now found himself wide awake while everyone else was sound asleep. Almost everyone.

Tired blue eyes briefly scanned his surroundings, almost missing a glimpse of Yarrow perched upon one of the taller and more jagged rocks. Looked like Orri wasn't the only one having trouble. Now, Orri was confused. Surely, Yarrow was used to sleeping somewhere new each night, as well traveled as he was.

Well, he was going to find out. It wasn't like he was going to fall asleep any time soon. As quietly as he could, Orri crawled through the sand, making his way towards the new flock's self-elected leader. He grabbed onto a piece of jagged rock, frantically flapping his wings to maintain his balance.

Yarrow had noticed Orri well before he made his way to the top, and peered curiously over at the struggling flyer. "Young Orri, what are you doing awake?"

He extended his hand, pulling him up with ease. "You should be asleep."

"Oh, um... I couldn't sleep," Orri admitted sheepishly before perking up, "But I could ask you the same thing. Why are you awake?"

"Ah, that's right. First time away from home. The first night's always rough." Yarrow nodded in understanding. "As for me, well, I'm just keeping watch. Last time Yuri stayed awake and watched over us, while I rested. I'm just returning the favor. After all, that's what we do in a flock, isn't it? We take care of each other."

"I guess," Orri responded, a bit uncertain. The only flyers who ever looked out for him were Vali and Illyria. If taking care of each other was what a flock did, Orri had yet to see it for himself.

Yarrow took note of the young one's introspectiveness, as it reminded the old flyer so much of himself. "So, Orri... what's on your mind?"

"Hm?" The question caught Orri a bit off guard. "Oh, nothing much, really." A lie. "Well, I'm just not that tired. I guess... I'm kind of excited? I don't know."

Yarrow chuckled softly, careful not to wake the others. Oh, to be young again. "I understand. I remember it well, being your age and full of wingfire. I couldn't wait to strike out on my own, to woo a girl I fancied and eventually have a family with her."

Orri stayed silent, and allowed the old timer to reminisce on his past. Something told him that the hopes and aspirations Yarrow once had remained just that, never truly coming to fruition.

Yarrow laughed wryly, although the sorrowful look in his scarlet eyes betrayed his unbothered facade. "Oh, the circle of life plays such cruel jokes on us sometimes, doesn't it?"

Orri could only manage an empathetic smile. Clearly, the old timer did not end up where he thought he would.

"Take it from an old flyer like me," said Yarrow, turning towards Orri, "if you think your life is going to go a certain way, you're wrong. The circle of life is mischievous, and loves to play tricks. You won't always end up where you want to, but you will always end up where you need to."

Orri hesitated a moment before speaking, not wanting to potentially offend Yarrow. "Do you... regret how things turned out? I mean, I'm sorry if I'm out of line for asking, but I was just wondering... are you satisfied with where you are?"

"Young Orri, I have many, many regrets," Yarrow replied, his voice heavy with the weight of his guilt. "...I didn't go after the girl I loved, I didn't appreciate my mother and all she did for our roost... there are so many things that I wish I could undo. But you have to understand one thing, shortbeak. The past is in the past. You can always go back and dwell on it if you like, but no one is there anymore. What's truly important is who you are right now. So yes, I would say I am satisfied. Although it's not what I planned, I believe I've made a fine life for myself. And that is all that matters."

Orri had gained a bit more than he bargained for with that answer. He hadn't exactly asked Yarrow for his entire life story, but in all likelihood, this was probably the first time in many cycles that the old flyer was able to get those feelings off his chest. Not to mention it was a valuable lesson, all the same. Orri's father never dwelled too much on the past either, at least when he was still around.

Explains why it was so easy for him to leave.

As he became lost in the maze of his thoughts once more, Orri found his gaze wandering absentmindedly towards the horizon. Laid out in front of him were the shimmering waves of the endless Big Water, the humming tide like a gentle melody to his ears. It was the Big Water, the same one he saw everyday on Blue Haven. Yet, seeing it from a completely different point of view, one from which he was free to fly off into the distance if he wished— made it that much more remarkable.

"You know, I could never imagine waking up everyday and having a view like this. I don't know what it is- maybe it's the comfort of knowing that you're free to go wherever the wind takes you, but it's all so... beautiful. Don't you think so?"

Surprisingly wistful words from a flyer his age, Yarrow noted quietly, although he didn't exactly disagree with Orri's sentiment.

Yarrow sighed, resting his head on his talons, "Well, I'll be honest, I haven't really ever had the chance to stop and admire the beauty of the world. Not much time for looking or listening when you're preoccupied with keeping yourself and your kin alive." He pauses, taking a moment to lift his head and do just that— to look and listen.

"But yes," he acknowledged at last, "It is very awe-inspiring, being able to hear every living thing breathing... reminding us that no matter how lonely we may feel, we are never truly alone."

"Well, that wasn't really the point I was trying to make. Kind of makes the whole thing feel more creepy than beautiful, if you ask me," Orri replied, softening his response with an awkward laugh. "Although... I suppose it is a bit reassuring, when you think about it. Knowing that you'll never really be all on your own out here."

"Mhmm," Yarrow hummed in agreement, "just try and make sure you don't get so lost in admiring the beauty that you forget to stay aware of your surroundings. You aren't exactly in Blue Haven anymore."

"I know," Orri mumbled bashfully. He was sure he'd be hearing more of that one.

A moment passed in complete silence, until Yarrow suddenly gasped and nearly jumped, as if recalling something important. "That reminds me, I've been meaning to ask— I assume you lot have no real fighting experience. Is that right?"

Orri's response came in nothing more than a shake of his head. "We never really felt the need to, and nobody told us we should, so..."

"I figured as much," Yarrow mused with a stroke of his chin, "in any case, you'll need to know. At least the basics."

"Well, do you think that maybe you could teach us?" Orri inquired innocently, "I think you'd be a good teacher. Well... as good as we can get out here, anyway."

As much as Yarrow tried to repress it, he couldn't help but laugh at the implication. He slapped his hand over his beak immediately after, feeling bad about so callously quashing a young flyer's hopes like that.

"Sorry, sorry-! I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that... I'm more of a flight type of lad." He flapped his wings for emphasis. "If you get what I mean."

"Oh. I see." Orri understood perfectly, that much was obvious from one glance at his disappointed face.

"Don't be so blue, young Orri," Yarrow hopped down from his perch on the rock and circled his wings around the smaller flyer. "Listen, if you want to learn to face your opponents head on, your best bet is talking to Yuri. I've never known him to be one to back down from a fight. There's no one more suited to the position than him."

"Yuri? You mean your brother?" Orri repeated, his features contorting in a way that would make one think he just smelled something rotten. "Are you serious?"

It dawned on Yarrow right then what the problem with his suggestion was. He'd seen his brother pounce other flyers just for looking at him wrong. "Ah. Good point. Tell you what, I'll spare you the trauma of talking to Yuri, you just worry about getting enough sleep. You'll need that rest for your lesson."

The light made somewhat of a return to Orri's face, although he still didn't look entirely thrilled about having to spend a prolonged amount of time with Yuri. But Yarrow did have a point. He wasn't in Blue Haven anymore. The old rules no longer applied, so the best course of action was to listen to those who knew better— like Yarrow.

"Thanks. I appreciate it," he said with a slight dip of his head. "Well... I'm going to try and get some more sleep while I still can."

"Hm," Yarrow chortled gently, resting his head as he clambered back onto the rock, "That sounds like a good idea. Sleep well, Orri."

---

Most flyers got up along with the bright circle, beginning their day the moment the bright circle's rays peaked over the horizon, turning the mountains red like fire. But this particular flock would be rising with the night circle, having spent much of their day recuperating from the long and tiring journey, while also preparing for the arduous trek that still lay ahead of them.

Yuri was the first to rise, having gotten used to carrying on through several sleepless nights, and therefore used to awakening earlier than most. The nighttime air was strangely warm, leaving his throat parched and desperate for hydration.

"Ugh... damn it," he rasped, forearms sifting through the sand as he made his way over to the nearest source of drinkable water, a rather pathetic watering hole located near the trees, where patches of green began to overtake the barren sand and replace it with vegetation. No sooner had he reached his destination, Yuri wasted not a single second and immersed the lower half of his beak in the cool and still water.

The relief was both immediate and immense. Very few things compared to that first drink of the day. Or night, in Yuri's case. He probably could have remained like that forever, had his wandering gaze not caught Yarrow's reflection in the water.

"Good morning!" Yarrow chirped, his enthusiasm doing very little to improve his brother's attitude. "Hope you slept well."

"It's night," Yuri snarled through clenched teeth, taking a second to splash some water on his face, effectively waking him up. "And I slept just fine. Now what do you want?"

"Straight to the point, I see," remarked Yarrow, who was hoping to ease Yuri into his offer a bit more gradually than that. "Very well. I'll keep this short and sweet. I need you to teach the younger flyers to fight. Nothing too outrageous, just some pretty basic techniques."

"What?" Yuri jerked around so quickly his neck could have snapped. "You must be out of your damn mind. Why in the world would I want to help a bunch of overgrown eggs help themselves?"

Yarrow would have been lying if he said he hadn't been expecting that kind of response from Yuri. For as long as he'd known him, Yuri had always put himself first, always looked out for "number one". But Yarrow wasn't ready to call it quits just yet- all he had to do was speak Yuri's language.

"Well, I was just thinking- I'm sure that one day, we'll end up needing their help to bail us out of a sticky situation, right?" Yarrow began circling him like a predator. "I mean, it's just bound to happen sooner or later, isn't it?"

"Yeah?" Yuri eyed his brother suspiciously. He had that stupid look on his face, the kind he had when he was setting a plan in motion. "What are you getting at?"

All of a sudden, Yarrow stopped in his tracks. He retraced his steps and circled back over to Yarrow, leaning in closer and closer until their beaks were mere inches away from each other. "I'm saying that if we help them now, they'll owe us in the future."

Then, he pulled back. "Besides, if we want this entire... arrangement, to work, we all have to be on board. Including you."

While Yuri could definitely take his brother in a fight, it was undeniable that Yarrow could outwit him any day. This was another one of those days; where brain triumphed over braun, and Yarrow's infallible logic left Yuri fumbling for a counterattack.

"...Dammit, fine! Send the runts over." Yuri huffed, the flame in his crimson eyes hot enough to burn a hole through his brother's head, if looks could kill. "You're so annoying when you get all preachy, you know that?"

"I know," Yarrow laughed, ignoring the murderous look on Yuri's face, "but you won't regret this, I promise you."

---

The night was no longer young when the others finally began to stir. The line where the sky met the Big Water was invisible now, the only thing separating the two being the small, rapidly fading, twinkling lights that dotted the sky. The culmination of the waves crashing onto the shore muffled all else, but what rudely woke them up was the sound of Yarrow's screech piercing through the air.

"Rise and shine, everybody! No time for laying about. Come on!"

Orri was the first to do as told, for he had already been clued into what Yarrow was going on about. He gave his sore limbs a nice, long stretch, shaking the fatigue from them.

"Seriously?" Illyria groaned, falling face first into the sand. "Whatever it is, it can't wait a few more minutes?"

"Afraid not," replied Yarrow, using his own body to prop her up. "Yuri is going to be teaching you young ones to fight, and he is not a patient flyer."

"Well, I don't need to learn to fight," Vali explained, surprisingly alert for having awoken just a few moments before. "I know enough to defend myself."

"And I was a sentinel back on Blue Haven," Aharon chimed in, "not much action, but the other sentinels didn't respect and fear me for no reason." He seemed especially proud of that fact.

"Alright," Yarrow gave in, nodding his head before shifting his attention towards Gale and Scud. "What about you two?"

"Oh, yes, I was a legend back home!" Scud proclaimed, "got plenty of good ones in. You don't need to worry about me."

Yarrow's unimpressed glare spoke loud and clear, letting Scud know that he would really have to sell that claim. So, with a single swift movement, he coiled his arm around Gale's neck, pretending to strangle him while ignoring the very descriptive and specific threats leaving the other flyer's mouth. "See? A legend."

Almost everybody had the same reaction to their antics, either sighing in exasperation or just flat out ignoring them, as Yarrow did. He turned his back towards them, instead facing the only two remaining victims: Orri and Illyria.

"I suppose that just leaves you two, then. Go freshen up and grab a drink. Yuri will be expecting you."

"Fine. Let's just get this over with," huffed Illyria, having a general sense of apathy towards the entire idea. Then, she noticed that Yarrow didn't seem as laid back as her. He actually looked more concerned.

"What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," Yarrow assured her, "just... good luck. You'll need it."

"Ah, I get it." Illyria looked over at Orri, her voice only one pitch above a whisper. "...We're going to die out here."

"Uh..." Orri wasn't sure how to respond to her sarcasm— or at least he hoped it was sarcasm, so he only responded with an uneasy chuckle.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Yarrow barged in, laughing in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "You won't die, Yuri isn't that bad. I would get a move-on though, if you have any desire to see tomorrow."

Orri didn't need to be told twice. He took off in a hurry, Illyria not far behind him. As soon as they were in view, they noticed that Yuri had positioned himself underneath a thicket of trees just a few steps ahead. Once they were close enough, they could also hear Yuri yelling at them to move their sorry tails.

Orri flapped his wings once for some added momentum, his quickening pace only spurred by the urgency in Yuri's gruff tone. He only stopped when he saw that Illyria was moving as fast as a herd of farwalkers- who typically had no other speed apart from "wander".

"Do you have sand in your ears?" Yuri's voice boomed, "I said move it!"

"Could you move any slower?" Orri hissed at Illyria, dragging her along.

"I could," Illyria replied coolly, "and if you keep trying to rush me, I will. Stop getting your wings in a knot. He's all talk."

"But he-"

"Illyria, Orri! If you don't start running over here, I promise you I'll give you a damn good reason to run!"

"Come on!" urged Orri, grabbing her by the wrist and forcibly pulling her with him. "Now's not the time to be acting like a wisehead!"

He hated being so forceful, but he also knew Illyria. He knew that if given the chance, she would do the exact opposite of what she was told just to prove a point. So, with a loudly protesting Illyria in tow, Orri dashed across the grass like his life depended on it, skidding to a halt just a few inches shy of Yuri.

"We're here," Orri greeted, his voice quivering with his undeniable fear of the older male, "...sorry about the wait."

He glanced at a scowling Illyria, who snatched her arm away with an indignant "hmph!". What happened next was far from what either of them expected.

Yuri flung himself right in front of their faces, screaming at the top of his lungs. "That's strike one, you runts!"

The sheer volume of Yuri's gruff voice prompted Orri to instinctively flinch and hide behind Illyria, who refused to take Yuri's nastiness sitting down.

"Huh?!" She retorted, matching his tone with an equal shrillness, "that doesn't make any damn sense! You never even—"

"Imagine if you were being chased!" Yuri interrupted, "You'd both be dead! Orri, you left Illyria behind. Which means that if you two were being hunted, a sharptooth would be sinking their teeth into her neck right now! And what are you doing, hiding?"

He yanked Orri out from behind Illyria by the scruff of his neck. "No female is going to look twice at a male who'll be depending on her for protection."

"Hey! You leave him alone!" Illyria snarled, baring her teeth. She clearly wasn't above fighting Yuri, if it came to that.

"And you!" Yuri swiveled his head towards Illyria, the object of his frustration now the young girl who seemed insistent on defying him every chance she got. "I know you don't like me very much right now, but your constant disregard for orders will land you nowhere except in somebody else's stomach. While you're here with me, you are to do exactly as I say, is that clear?"

"Very," Illyria acknowledged with a disingenuous smile that fell the moment Yuri turned his back.

"Good."

Yuri turned, flapping his wings a short distance until there were a good couple of feet in between him and the two young flyers. Across the stream, the ill-defined silhouette of Yarrow could be seen watching them from a safe distance. Yuri either didn't notice, or just didn't care one way or the other.

"Since I assume neither of you have ever had to actually defend yourselves in a fight, I'm going to start with the basics. As flyers, you likely won't have to use them much, but they'll come in handy in a pinch."

Orri found himself nodding his head every couple of sentences, trying to show that he was present and focused. Beside him, Illyria was uncharacteristically stoic, not breaking eye contact even once.

"Fighting is different for flyers than it is for landwalkers, so the usual rules don't always apply. The three critical spots are still the same, and these are going to be your neck, belly, and head. But you two have to remember- you're flyers. You have wings. Use them. When it comes to fighting an enemy, especially one that has several extra pounds on you, your wings can be your biggest strength. You can use them to shield your weak spots, or even as added momentum to make your attacks have even more of an impact. Now, with all that said... I want you to hit me."

Yuri propelled himself a few inches into the air, positioning himself with his springs spread far apart, as if daring them to attack. He was completely laid back, in stark contrast to Orri and Illyria, who were anything but. "Go on," he tempted, "free shot."

Like a sharptooth drawn to meat, Illyria promptly took the bait. "Hmph. I thought you'd never ask!"

Fueled by the other's insistence, Illyria allowed her wings to carry her higher, until she was face to face with her opponent. She focused directly on his exposed neck, a clear target in her mind and a rough idea of how she intended to strike. Flapping her wings, she went flying at him with full force, a hint of a small smirk on her face. It was plain to see how eager she was to finally land a hit on the flyer who'd been nothing but a nuisance to her from the moment she'd met him.

Her excitement turned to surprise, however, when Yuri danced out of her path at the very last second. His evasive maneuver transitioned into a charge as he pounced on her back, sending her flying towards the trees instead. Orri watched the scene unfold, in awe of Yuri's skill and prowess. He'd made the first strike without even having to lay a single talon on Illyria.

"Ow..." Illyria wasn't actually hurt, but her pride certainly was as she made the humbling flight back down to the ground. She tried to appear unfazed, but Orri could tell she was definitely a bit out of her depth.

"And that takes me to my second point," Yuri stated very matter-of-factly, "you shouldn't rely solely on your wings either. You came at me too fast. You couldn't even control where you were flying. Right now I can't blame you- you don't have enough experience to anticipate what I just did. But most enemies will be able to anticipate very trick you throw at them. And there's no doubt they'll try and throw you off course, like I just did."

"Great," Illyria murmured through gritted teeth, still reeling from how easily Yuri turned the tide on her.

"But there is a way to combat this," he continued, "Illyria, take a quick look around you. What do you see?"

"Huh?" Confused, Illyria briefly scanned her surroundings, her bewildered gaze returning to Yuri after a moment. "All I see are a bunch of trees. I don't get how that's supposed to—"

"Exactly," Yuri said with finality, "you should make a habit of knowing what's around you at all times. You can always use your surroundings to your advantage somehow. Now Illyria, I want you to come at me again. But this time, rely a little less on your wings and a little more on what's already around you."

Still processing her swift and immediate defeat, Illyria begrudgingly took to the air once more, finding a perch on the bark of a nearby tree. Then, using the tree as a launching point, she repeated her previous maneuver, her movements noticeably sluggish. Bouncing from branch to branch as she dodged the older flyer, she let the air do most of the work until she found herself directly behind Yuri. The moment an opening presented itself, Illyria fluttered her wings and propelled herself forwards to pounce on the male flyer. As gentle as it was, this one offensive move threw him off balance, and he nodded in approval.

"Hm. Not bad. You're fast and light on your feet, so that'll come in handy. Orri- your turn."

Orri was caught off guard, having been dreading the moment he'd have to go up there and show off what he had, which wasn't much. Not to mention there couldn't have been a worse time for him to admit that he'd never fought. Sure, he bit Nightwing, but that was in self defense; an action born purely out of a moment of desperation. But to make the conscious decision to use violence against another flyer... he could barely stomach the thought.

"Well?" Yuri's impatient voice broke into his silent musings, forcing him out of his own head and back to reality. He whipped around to exchange glances with Illyria. Her eager eyes, as viridescent as the trees around them, both encouraged and reassured him.

"Um... alright."

Yuri reassumed his position in midair, while Orri hesitantly flapped up to meet him. Images of Illyria's flight pattern flashed through his mind as he attempted to repeat her maneuver, using the trees to spur himself towards his target. Everything was going just as planned. So far.

But just as he was about to make contact, he suddenly flinched and froze in his tracks. All he could do was watch helplessly as the talons on Yuri's feet soared towards him, stopping just an inch away from the young flyer's neck.

"What in the world was that sorry display?!" Yuri bellowed indignantly, "that was pathetic! Were you not paying attention just now?"

Orri was stumbling over himself in his desperate effort to manage a response. "I was, but I just-"

"Hesitate like that in a real fight, and it'll be the last thing you'll ever do!"

"I'm sorry," Orri whimpered, backing up further, "it's just that my gut said-"

"Then use your head!" Yuri rudely cut in, advancing towards the frightened young flyer. He stopped about midway before he reached him, scoffing in disgust as he circled back. "What was Yarrow thinking, asking me to mentor you two? Illyria at least has the basics down, but you, Orri? You'll be lucky if you even last a week out here. Perhaps I should save all of us the time and leave you to the sharpteeth, since you hate the idea of even landing a scratch on them. How does that sound, Orri? Since you can't fight, you can at least do the flock some good and give the sharpteeth something to chew on!"

With each cruel word that left Yuri's mouth, Orri felt smaller and smaller. He shrunk back, eyes cast shamefully towards the ground. He couldn't bring himself to even look at him.

Illyria wasn't sure what she was thinking, or if she even had been. All she knew was that she couldn't stand to watch Yuri bearing down on her friend, and couldn't care less if she'd end up regretting what she did next.

Creeping up behind the gruff old flyer, she ungrounded herself for just a moment, the rippling of her wings traveling through the air. Immediately after, came the slashing of her talons- just barely making contact with the nape of Yuri's neck.

"Illyria, don't-!" Orri couldn't bear to watch. There was no way this wasn't going to end in disaster. Illyria would never able to get the best of Yuri. Not only was he far more experienced, but with his brute strength, he'd be able to stop her in her tracks. Easily.

Except, he didn't.

Eventually, Orri could no longer handle not knowing. He lowered his wings away from his face, gawking at the sight before him in stunned silence. Not only was Illyria standing her ground against the brutish flyer, she'd surprised him enough to make him loose his footing. By then, enough of a ruckus had been made that it started to grab some unwanted attention.

"Get away from him!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs, not even batting an eye at the fact that she'd just raised a claw against Yuri. In that moment, it didn't seem like any consequences existed for the girl. All she cared about was getting her point across.

"Just who do you think you are? I don't give a damn if you're older than us, more experienced than us, it still doesn't give you an excuse to treat us like a pile of rotting clubtail shit. We'll do whatever you say, but if you want our respect, you're going to have to give it first."

"You kids..." Yuri groaned, irately spitting out some of the sand that went flying into his mouth, "you want everything just handed to you. If you're not willing to put in the work, you won't last a day out here!"

"Oh, shut up!" Illyria groaned, rolling her eyes. "I think I've already shown you that I'm willing to work. But if you ever lay a finger on Orri or any of my friends, we're going to have a serious problem. You understand me?"

Orri could practically feel them scowling at each other. And although he expected it, he couldn't help but flinch when Illyria exploded again.

"Say you understand! Say it!"

She braced herself to land another strike, to show that she meant what she said. But before she could deal any further damage, her focus was interrupted by Yarrow physically inserting himself between them.

"Illyria, take it easy," Yarrow coaxed gently yet firmly, effortlessly pushing the female flyer back. "I think that perhaps we both just need to calm down—"

"Both? I'm completely calm," Illyria responded, her eyes wide with a ferocity that hardly suited someone who was 'completely calm', as she put it.

"Just... take a deep breath for me, hm?" Yarrow requested. Although he was smiling, the exasperation in his voice was obvious. "Training is over for today. Look, I think we're all still trying to get used to each other, so let's just forget what just happened here, okay?"

"...Fine. I'm sorry," Illyria relented at last, although it came out less like a genuine admission of guilt and more like a forced apology.

"Well, I ain't," Yuri spat, dusting the sand off of his scales. For a moment, Yarrow could already feel a headache coming on, anticipating yet another brawl that he'd have to break up.

"I haven't met many flyers who could get the best of me like that," Yuri carried on, "especially not ones as young and inexperienced as you, Illyria. I'm impressed."

"Wait, what?" Illyria prided herself on her unshakable resolve, but was so blindsided by the praise that it didn't even occur to her to satisfy her own ego by confirming his statement. Back on Blue Haven, a move like that would have earned her a stern lecture from Faris and several days of being confined to the nest. She expected something similar to happen, but instead, Yuri was commending her on the way she attacked him.

"Yuri, are you alright? Did you hit your head on the way down or something?" Even Yarrow seemed concerned by his brother's sudden change in attitude. Yuri? Paying someone a compliment? Something had to be wrong.

"Just fine, Yarrow," Yuri affirmed without looking at his brother, keeping his eyes on the girl in front of him. "Listen, there's going to be times where you and your friends will be out there on your own, and you'll be faced with a threat. In this case... I was the threat. You saw your friend might be in danger, and you struck without thinking. You got me good."

Having recovered from the initial shock, Illyria returned to her usual, spunky self. She held her head high, and flashed a self-assured, little grin. "Oh. Well, thank you."

"Your form is still a bit sloppy, but I can see you have what it takes," Yuri said, nodding approvingly at the young female. He whirled around to face Orri, his demeanor changing completely.

"As for you," Yuri hissed, causing Orri to instinctively back away in fear, "you'll be lucky if you can even get your wings off the ground."

"Yuri!" Yarrow growled through gritted teeth, causing his brother to turn around. "I said that's enough."

Yuri stared at Yarrow for a moment, contemplating whether it was really worth it to challenge his brother right now. Yarrow looked like he might teach Yuri a lesson himself if he didn't do as told. Yuri wasn't exactly sure of his brother's limits, and to be honest, he really didn't want to spend today finding out.

"Whatever," he sighed, dropping the subject and brushing shoulders with Yarrow as he walked past him. "What are we going to eat? I'm starving."

Yarrow scowled at Yuri as he passed him, making sure Yuri knew that he did not approve of his conduct thus far. Not that it mattered. He shook his head in disgust, sauntering over to where Illyria and Vali were helping Orri to his feet.

"I'm sorry... about him," Yarrow said with remorse, rubbing the boy's shoulder. "That's just how Yuri is. He doesn't mean any harm, really, but he's also never been one to worry about what others think of him."

"It's okay," Orri assured Yarrow with a meek smile, "he wasn't exactly wrong. I've never been the strongest, or the best at... well, anything. I can't be mad at him for telling the truth now, can I?"

"Orri..." Vali cut in, stopping when Orri glowered at him.

"Now listen here," Yarrow said, urging Orri to look at him, "of course you're not the best or the strongest at anything. No one is. Not when they're as young as you, anyway. You idolize your brother so much, but I'm sure that even he has his shortcomings. So try and give yourself a bit of grace, okay?"

"Okay," came the boy's halfhearted response. Orri didn't really believe a single word that left Yarrow's mouth, but nodded along anyway. The sooner he finished coddling Orri, the sooner Orri could leave to wallow in his own self pity. "But I just really want to be alone right now, so... can I go?"

"Certainly," Yarrow granted, although the quick glance he exchanged with Vali hinted that even he had his doubts.

With nothing else keeping him there to humiliate himself any further, Orri dipped his head and retreated towards the thick foliage, where nobody could bother him. Nobody except for Vali, of course.

"I'll handle this," Vali promised Yarrow before taking off after his brother.

---

Finding Orri wasn't difficult. There were many occasions where Orri had been the victim of Gale's abrasiveness and Vali would later discover his brother hiding beneath the shelter of the towering trees. Vali simply headed towards wherever the vegetation seemed to be the densest, knowing that was the only place no one else would even think to look— making it the perfect hiding place.

Vali soon arrived at a clearing, where at first, he couldn't see anything. But when he listened closely, his ears picking up the sound of muffled sniffling, he knew he was close. He looked up and lo and behold, there Orri was, cowering in shame on a tree branch.

Vali flew up and perched himself right next to him, letting the silence in the air simmer for a bit until he finally spoke up. "Hey. You okay?"

"Fine," Orri answered without even meeting his brother's gaze.

"Yarrow's right, you know," Vali continued, "I know for a fact that you have plenty of other qualities that make you a valuable part of our flock."

"Like what?" Orri ventured, finally daring to look at Vali.

"Well, for one thing, you—"

"Besides my instincts," Orri interrupted, "what, besides my instincts, are valuable?"

Vali went quiet. Orri knew him well. Perhaps a little too well, as Vali found himself fumbling to think of his brother's other positive attributes.

"Well... you're incredibly patient and understanding, especially to those who don't deserve it." Vali knew it was a weak and shallow response, concocted out of thin air when he couldn't think of anything else. He tried to sell it with a smile and an eager nod, but Orri was having none of it.

"So... nothing that's actually useful to anyone," he huffed, appearing more disappointed than hurt. It wasn't that he was upset with his brother for coming up with a lie to make him feel better. No, he was more upset with himself for being so pathetic that Vali had to stoop that low.

Vali was at a loss for words. It seemed the more he tried to improve his brother's mood, the more he messed up. He sat there in silence for a moment, trying to think of something, anything, he could say to help his brother out of the hole he'd dug for himself.

"Okay," Vali acknowledged breathlessly, "In that case... what do you think you contribute? And don't say nothing, because every member of a flock brings something, no matter how weak or how strong."

Now it was Orri's turn to be speechless. "I... I don't know. I mean, we've lived on Blue Haven all this time, and I never really felt like part of a flock until now."

"And that's okay," Vali reminded him, "you're still very young, but I know you'll figure it out."

Orri couldn't help but laugh, even in spite of how low he was feeling. "Vali, we're the same age."

Vali gave him a puzzled look, wondering what that had to do with anything. "So?"

"So... you're the same age as me, and you've already accomplished so much more. You've earned everyone's respect without even really having to try. I don't know. I guess we're just too different. You're a leader, someone other flyers can rely on... and I'm just the guy who can only only hope to be as great as you."

"Orri, that's not true," Vali protested, his voice firm, yet beginning to waver.

"Vali, just stop," Orri pleaded, "I'm not trying to get you to pity me. I don't want you to make me feel better, or to tell me it'll all be okay. I'm just telling you how I feel, alright?"

Vali began to extend his arms in an uncertain attempt to embrace his brother, but ended up retracting them when he realized it would only aggravate him further. Yuri's reprimand earlier had clearly unearthed some deep rooted insecurities in Orri, and right then, Vali swore he would wring Yuri's neck the next time he saw him.

"Anyway... thanks for trying," Orri sighed resignedly, "but I really just want to be by myself right now. If you don't mind."

"Okay," Vali reluctantly agreed, "I'll be right down if you need me."

Orri simply gave an apathetic nod, looking on blankly as Vali dove off the tree branch and down towards the stream below, perhaps to catch himself a snack before heading back to the others. Orri had very rarely actually seen Vali in action when it came to catching scaly swimmers, as he realized while watching his brother anticipate the perfect opportunity to swoop in.

From the corner of his eye, the male flyer noticed the glimmer of something silver swooshing about underneath the water's still surface. Vali held his breath, waiting until it got closer and closer...

A loud splash suddenly erupted from the stream, disturbing the quiet tranquility of the water's surface as Vali maneuvered his body in all sorts of directions in his pursuit of the evasive scaly swimmer. But somehow, the swimmer managed to stay just out of his reach, disappearing into the cascade of water and foam, effectively eluding him.

"Damn it!" Vali thought he was whispering under his breath, but the sound of his cursing carried well into the trees above.

Intrigued, Orri descended to the earth, joining his brother by the stream. "You can drop the act, you know."

"What act?" Vali asked without looking back, shaking off the water droplets.

"Yeah, right. You're pretending to be bad at catching scaly swimmers to make me feel better. I told you, I don't need your pity."

"I wish that was an act," Vali scoffed, "that bastard was slippery. The scaly swimmers back on Blue Haven were way slower."

"Looks like these swimmers don't just stay in shallow waters," Orri theorized, examining the way the scaly swimmers swam out to the open sea, "they're probably used to dodging much bigger predators than us."

"Ugh. I'm so hungry," Vali whined pitifully, and he was never one to whine. It looked like being away from Blue Haven was finally starting to get to him.

"Here. Let me try something," Orri offered, which Vali gratefully accepted. Anything to get Orri's mind off of earlier's debacle. Not to mention Vali would finally have something to fill the empty hole in his stomach, so everyone won.

Carefully and quietly, Orri crept up towards the edge of the stream. The water was serene and quiet once again, and he could see the gleaming silver silhouettes of numerous scaly swimmers swirling around underneath the surface. He remained frozen like that for a long time, much longer than Vali felt was necessary.

Then, Orri saw his opening. A lone scaly swimmer moseying by, unsuspecting of the threat that lurked above. Right when the creature paused to feed, Orri forcefully dug his beak into the water, snatching up the scaly swimmer before it even had the chance to flee. It flapped around in the throes of Orri's beak for a moment, until finally, all movement ceased. He plopped the swimmer in front of Vali, who stared at his brother, slack jawed.

"Well damn, shortbeak," Vali exclaimed, playfully bumping their shoulders together, "if I knew you were this good at hunting, I would have had you catch all those scaly swimmers by your damn self!"

"But I'm really not that good," Orri disagreed, nudging his brother back, "I guess I just got lucky this time."

"Still," Vali insisted through a mouthful of meat, "seems you're not as useless as Yuri thinks you are."

The moment Yuri's name left his mouth, an idea seemed to suddenly dawn on Vali. His abrupt silence gave way to a brief pause as he grinned slyly, as if he knew something Orri didn't.

"Listen. Just hold on, I'll be back," Vali told Orri, bubbling with as much excitement as a hatchling on their star day. "I just got the greatest idea ever. I have to tell the others."

"Wait, what?" Orri stared back in bewilderment. "What idea?"

"Can't tell you."

"What?"

"You'll find out!"

"No, wait! What are you- Vali!" Orri tried futilely to call after his brother, but it was no use. Vali had already zipped away, heading off to set his mysterious plan in motion, no doubt. And all the while, Orri could do nothing except sit there and wonder what exactly his brother was up to.

---

Orri had never been one to distrust his brother's advice, or to go out of his way to deliberately disobey Vali. But after waiting for a decent amount of time, Orri decided he'd had enough. He'd had a very long and hard day— or night, he should say. Everybody, including his own brother, was treating him like he couldn't be trusted to do anything except stand there and take up space. Even if they were right to do so, Orri at least wanted to know what exactly he had done to warrant that kind of treatment. So, as daylight finally broke through the clouds, Orri made his way back to the others.

When he returned, the sight that greeted him was not a surprising one. The rest of the flock was simply lounging about, carrying on like he didn't even exist. Even Vali didn't seem to be doing anything important— just chatting away with Yarrow. Orri didn't expect a grand welcome of course, but some acknowledgement would have been nice.

He had the urge to give each of them a piece of his mind, but stormed up to Vali first , practically flinging himself in front of his brother's face. "Was this your big plan?"

Almost immediately, Vali tried to placate him. "Orri, just listen—"

But Orri didn't want to listen. Not now. "If you didn't want to be around me, you could have just said so instead of coming up with the worst lie I've ever heard!"

"It wasn't a lie, you runt," Yuri's familiar voice sounded from behind him, sending a chill up Orri's spine.

Regardless of the fear that Yuri's mere presence instilled in Orri's very being, the boy mustered the courage to turn around and face him. "What are you talking about? Can somebody please just tell me what's going on?"

Yuri traded brief glances with Vali before addressing Orri. "Your brother was just telling Yarrow and myself that you can be quite the skilled little hunter. I don't really believe it, but hey, I've been wrong before."

Before Orri even had the chance to ask, Vali butted in and elaborated further. "So, I proposed a contest. Specifically, a scaly swimmer hunting contest. Whoever has the most valuable contribution wins. Winning is usually a good incentive for most flyers to do their best, and regardless of who wins and who loses, I think we'd all benefit from it."

Orri narrowed his eyes, still perplexed. "But I told you, that was just a one time thing! I don't even know if I can do it again. Besides, who would I even be going up against?"

There it was again- that shrewd little grin. "Well... what about Illyria?"

"Illyria?" Orri blurted out, much louder than he intended, sparking the interest of the flyer in question.

Vali shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, why not? You two make a pretty solid team, so it'd be interesting to see what happens when we pit you against each other."

Illyria then strode right up, carrying herself with an unshakable confidence. "You boys talking about me? Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear- something about a competition?"

"No, no, it was nothing," Orri attempted to lie, but judging from the smirk on her face, she'd already heard what she needed to.

"Well, you know I'm always up for a chance to show off," she piped up, "what do you say, Orri?"

Orri blanched visibly, as much as he tried in vain to hide his visceral reaction to her proposal. Not only was Illyria known for being ridiculously competitive, she was also notorious for not knowing where to draw the line.

He inhaled, attempting to speak up in protest, but decided to save his breath. He could tell when he'd been beaten. "...Well, it's not like I have a choice, do I?"

Vali looked proud as he patted his brother on the back, ushering him towards the stream. "Now we're talking."

---

Orri's gaze fixated on the swollen, shallower waters that churned against the rocks, fighting to escape into the vast depths of the Big Water. The frothing current was unpredictable, always shifting, always changing. Orri had gotten lucky when he caught that scaly swimmer for Vali. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to perform the same trick a second time. He was being set up for failure with this contest, and of course, everyone was gathering round to see him crash and burn a second time.

Vaguely, he wondered if other flyers went through life feeling so nervous about everything. Illyria certainly didn't— she'd always been able to grab life with both claws, ready to take on whatever it threw at her. Trying to be discreet, Orri peered over his shoulder and tried to gauge her state of mind. Illyria was sitting not far from him, examining her talons as if they were the most important thing in the world. She didn't seem worried at all, or at the very least, she was good at not letting it show.

Orri debated whether or not to talk to her for a moment, until he threw caution to the wind and did it anyway. "Hey, Illyria?"

Illyria didn't look up. "Yeah?"

Orri inched just a bit closer to her. "Who do you think is gonna win?"

That seemed to do the trick. Her neck jerked, green eyes staring into Orri's blue ones. She held his gaze for what felt like a long time before producing an incredulous scoff. "It's going to be me. Obviously. The winner's not going to be an idiot, you know."

Had it been anybody else, such words would have scathed him. But it was Illyria, and Orri knew that this was just part of their usual banter. In all the time he'd known her, she was always such a breath of fresh air. Going out of her way to build him up while others sought to tear him down.

"Hm. You're right," Orri agreed, suddenly taking on a more serious and grim disposition, "the winner can't be an idiot. But... also, you're not, because you're an even bigger idiot than I am."

Illyria sat up straight, utterly baffled as she scrunched up her beak. "...Huh?"

"I mean, you know, the winner can't be an idiot," Orri clarified, "you just told me that."

Illyria nodded, indicating that she was following him so far. "Uh huh..."

"But you're more of an idiot than I am," Orri proceeded, "which means you just contradicted yourself, right?"

Illyria didn't respond, only stared blankly back, his logic already lost on her. "...Huh?"

Aharon, who had the misfortune of standing right behind them, had been listening to them go back and forth for what felt like ages. For a while it seemed like the conversation might actually have been going somewhere, but those hopes were soon dashed when the interaction just became an exchange of "huh"s and "what's".

"I've had enough of this," Aharon grumbled, shaking his head. He quickly approached the pair, greeting them both with a good smack to the backs of their heads. That ought to slap some some sense into them.

"You're both idiots," he announced, settling their disagreement for them while ignoring their pained cries. "Now focus up. We're starting."

"Okay, okay," Illyria griped, smacking his hand away in defiance. With a slight huff, she rose to her feet and strolled right past Orri, taking a moment to bump her opponent's shoulder.

"Hey, good luck," she said, feigning an earnest smile, "...you're gonna need it."

Orri gave her jab at him no acknowledgement, simply brushing it off while he braced himself. He chanced one last look at Illyria, who seemed so sure that victory was going to be hers. Like it was all a game. He supposed it was, to her. But not to him. For Orri, this may as well have been his only chance to prove himself. He focused his intense glare onto the water before him, breathing in and out.

The excitement in the air was palpable. Orri could feel it, and he was sure Illyria could feel it too. The others surrounded them in somewhat of a circle, scattered across the trees and the grass, while keeping their eyes peeled. Amidst the thumping underneath his chest, Orri could hear a variety of voices.

"You two better catch us lots of scaly swimmers now, you hear?" Scud's cheerful voice rang out. He was happy so long as he was being fed.

"This is so stupid," Gale could be heard complaining, as usual, "have either of them even hunted before?"

Luckily, Vali's encouragement drowned out all the negativity. "You can do it, Orri! Kick her ass!"

"You're overdoing it," Aharon wearily advised the overenthusiastic flyer, "let's take it down a notch."

Eventually, it was Yarrow's authoritative voice that brought everyone's focus back to the task at hand. He stood on the opposite side of the stream, situated right in front of Orri and Illyria.

"Before we begin, I'd like to go over the rules." He looked at Illyria, and then at Orri before continuing. "...There are no real rules, just like there wouldn't be any rules in a real situation. But the winner will be decided based on what you've caught in the short amount of time you'll have."

"How much time are we going to have?" Orri inquired curiously.

The older flyer smirked. "That's for me to know, and for you two to find out."

Orri sighed in defeat. Yarrow's answer was about as clear as he excepted.

"Ready?" Yarrow's voice boomed, prompting Orri to forget about any questions or anxieties he might have had, and to just focus on doing his best. "...Go!"

Illyria dove right in, nothing more than a faded light green blur as she scooped up scaly swimmers by the mouthful. She was fast, faster than Orri could even fathom. While she'd already gathered a sizable amount just a few moments in, Orri was still attempting to catch his first. Frantic blue eyes scanned the water, his body chasing the numerous scaly swimmers that fled Illyria's grasp, although his beak didn't quite get the hint.

"Damn it!" He cursed as he desperately flapped his wings, twisting and turning, the water sloshing all around him. All to no avail. He just wasn't as fast as Illyria. And just like that, there came those old feelings of inadequacy, rushing back to him like the stream. Not that they ever really left.

Despite the roaring of the foamy current blocking out nearly everything else, some noises still bled through. Like the unmistakeable sound of Gale scoffing in disgust, as if he'd just confirmed something that he already knew. Orri stiffened, physically feeling all the scrutinizing eyes on him. He began to falter, and with him, the violent current dissipated until only small ripples remained. He knew this was a bad idea. He never would have agreed to it, had he not secretly wanted to prove himself to everyone. And now, they would lose even more respect for him.

While standing there uselessly, he caught a glimpse of Illyria. She was still going at it, not lifting her eyes even once. The water around her was volatile and eruptive, never staying still for a moment. The cascade of small waves created such a disturbance that she couldn't even see anything heading her way, not until it got trapped in the current.

Orri then looked out towards the Big Water, specifically homing in on the point where the stream met the sea, the undertow dragging in any creature that happened to swim too close, intentionally or not.

He became lost in the blue murkiness, feeling the Big Water calling out to him. Just as he did that morning. Hazily, Orri thought that he should focus on trying to not make a fool of himself, but something out in the sea felt alive. And close. Maybe he was crazy, but he'd had this feeling before. On the day they left Blue Haven. Some intangible force screaming at him to pay attention.

So, he did. He focused on the gloomy depths, waiting for something, anything. And then, he saw it. A dark shadow, resembling a scaly swimmer, but far bigger than any scaly swimmer he'd ever seen— heading straight for an unsuspecting Illyria.

As soon as he put two and two together, it was like Orri snapped out of a trance. He solidified his stance, using his wings to levitate himself into the air right as he sunk his teeth into the creature, yanking it out of the water. The sheer force created an explosive splash powerful enough to send the smaller scaly swimmers flying into the air.

All eyes went on Orri the moment he forced the large scaly swimmer out of hiding, sending droplets of water splattering everywhere. Even Illyria had to stop what she was doing to take it in. It was definitely a scaly swimmer, she noted, judging from the way it thrashed around in Orri's mouth as he fought to maintain his hold on his catch. In an attempt to give himself the high ground, he slammed the swimmer against the grass, holding it down with one foot, piercing through its iridescent scales with his talon. Within moments, the scaly swimmer stopped moving altogether. Orri released his grip, stepping back to examine his prey.

It was a long while before anyone else said anything. Everyone was too busy gaping at the now dead scaly swimmer that lay in front of them. They'd never seen one so big. Ultimately, it was Yarrow who broke the stunned silence.

"Alright, time's up!" He stated with a bit too much enthusiasm, knowing there was never really a set time limit in the first place, apart from whenever he damn well pleased. "Orri, Illyria, you both did good."

No one was listening to a word Yarrow was saying, still marveling over the scaly swimmer that looked like it was enough to feed an entire roost. The scaly swimmer that was now theirs.

Yuri staggered forward, struggling to close his agape jaw. "By the seven! Shortbeak, this is enough to feed us for an entire week! How did you...?"

"I... I don't know. I thought Illyria might be in danger," Orri admitted shyly, too embarrassed to look his friend in the eye. "I've never seen them that big before, and she didn't see it coming. So I..."

"Protecting those close to you can be a powerful motivator," Yuri said in an uncharacteristically sagely manner, "see? I knew you had something in you."

Illyria was happy for Orri, truly, but she had never been one to accept defeat with grace. "Uh, hello? What about me? I caught a lot of scaly swimmers! Orri's catch isn't the only one that'll keep us fed for a good while!"

"That's true," Yarrow conceded, "then again, you can't really judge the weight of a contribution when it comes to living in a flock. Each and every contribution is equally important, and when you start keeping score, well... that's when we fall apart."

Orri whirled around to face his brother, who beamed proudly, as if he had foreseen the outcome.

"So, was this your plan all along?" Orri asked in exasperation, although the smile on his face said otherwise, "to prove that we're all equally good at catching scaly swimmers?"

Vali shook his head, unsurprised that his brother somehow managed to miss the entire point. "It's not about the scaly swimmers, Orri."

"Yeah, yeah, nobody cares about any of that," Illyria butted in, voicing what they were all thinking, "what we want to know is, who won? This was a contest, wasn't it? There has to be a winner, no?"

With Yarrow being somewhat of the undeclared authority on the matter, everyone looked to him for an answer. The male flyer held his breath, keeping everyone in suspense for just a moment longer.

"Well... neither of you," he stated, delivering his verdict, plain and simple.

"What?" Illyria gawked in disbelief, "what do you mean, neither of us? I ought to kill you for making me waste my morning!"

"Wow, I didn't realize you were so busy," Aharon commented dryly, warning her to curb that rogue tongue of hers.

"It's as I said," Yarrow began to explain, glossing over her comment, "in a flock, there is no weighing one contribution against the other, deciding which one 'wins', which one is more valuable."

"Wait, wait, but what about earlier?" Illyria pressed, "you said the winner would be whoever had the most valuable contribution. Did you just happen to forget about that bit?"

From right beside her, Aharon could be seen massaging his forehead, wondering if she was really this dense. "That was the entire point, shortbeak."

"...Anyway," Yarrow resumed, "what I'm trying to say is that both you and Orri did well, because you both have different strengths. We flyers have always been able to rely on our wings to get us out of a jam, but that won't always be the case out here. Illyria, your strength and agility would be good in a fight, yes, but strength alone isn't enough. You need wits, and you need to think about what effects your choices will have. Because sometimes, instead of flying headlong into a fight, a flyer needs to wait for the right moment to strike— like Orri did. Both are vital in order for a flock to prosper."

Illyria and Orri looked at each other, coming to an unspoken understanding. They never actually fought or outright disagreed, but with her eyes, Illyria apologized for any grief she might have unintentionally caused her best friend.

"Ah, damn it," Yuri grumbled, muttering every foul word underneath the Bright Circle as he approached them. "As much as I hate to agree with the wisehead... he's right. That was a damn impressive stunt, Orri. I guess you are good for something."

Yarrow blinked at him, unbelieving of what he'd just heard. Yuri, saying sorry? Was the world ending?

"Don't look at me like that," Yuri griped, flicking his brother's beak before shifting his gaze towards Orri himself. "Besides, what do I know? Between Yarrow and I, I've always been the braun and he's always been the brain. And I may be strong, but I sure wouldn't know what to do with myself if it weren't for Yarrow's annoying need to be right all the time."

"That's Yuri's way of apologizing," Yarrow explained to Orri. If he knew anything about his brother, it was that expressing remorse was not his forte. "He lets you know he's sorry for hurting your feelings by hurting your feelings some more."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Enjoy your fun while it lasts, wisehead," Yuri quipped dismissively, decisively shoving Yarrow out of the way before shooting him a grin. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood."

As he closed his arms around Orri and Illyria, Yuri proceeded to project his voice towards the rest of their odd little flock. "Now... who wants to help me decide what to do with all this meat?"

The gleeful yet affirmative cacophony of screeches and squawks that answered back all echoed the exact same sentiment— after a grueling first day in the outside world, they were finally going to feast.

---

Well, that took longer than it should have. I have a bad habit of saying I'll get chapters posted soon, and before I know it, it's been a whole year since I updated I've actually had this chapter finished for a little over a month, but it's college application season so you know how that goes between that and working, I just haven't had the drive to hop onto my computer and start formatting and proofreading. But make no mistake, this is one longfic I will see through to the end, given that I have an outline for the entire story this time and am not just playing it by ear. So regardless of how long it takes, I can promise there will be a conclusion to Orri and his friends' journey! Anyhoo, time to get to the reviews!

@rhombus: Great to hear from you again! Glad you enjoyed that last chapter, and that you could feel the tension! This chapter contains a bit less action and focuses more on character development, but I hope you'll enjoy it all the same!

As always, thank you for the kind words, everyone! I might not respond to each of them individually, but I do read them all and I appreciate them <3

been a while since I updated this thread, don’t really have much to post except for this very rough and messy sketch of a character from my fic who has yet to appear, so her identity shall stay hidden for now.  Again, I know it’s not much to look at but this was really mostly just a test to see  if I still remembered how to draw dinosaurs. Spoiler: I do not 

A good night to enjoy the sweets of the land = A sort of secret code among rebellious younger flyers, used when they want to sneak off and do something forbidden without any elders catching on to their plans.

FF link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13940589/3/Soaring-Across-Azure-Skies

---

It took several grueling attempts and a few painstaking moments of making an absolute fool of himself, but Vali soon returned to his brother, clasping a few scaly swimmers in his beak. It wasn't exactly his best work since the swimmers were small and not very fattening but the fact remained that large, decently sized swimmers were rare in the shallow waters that surrounded them. I'm going to kill you the next time I see you, Gale, he swore to himself.

Vali landed in a patch of sand, plopping the scaly swimmers down in front of the other male. He pushed the meal towards Orri with his beak, giving him an encouraging nod. In response, Orri merely looked down at the rather unappetizing swimmers.

"I'm sorry I don't have the kind you like," Vali sighed, lowering his head apologetically, "Someone else beat me to it, I'm afraid. You know Orri, sometimes I feel like clearing out of this forsaken island altogether."

Orri glanced at his brother, tempted to weigh in with his opinion but quickly deciding against it. It wasn't often that Vali voiced his dislike for their current lifestyle. If anything, he usually defended it, but his complaints were starting to become more frequent. Not wanting to upset his brother any further, Orri reluctantly took a bite out of the swimmer. He knew he shouldn't complain- food was food, after all. The unfortunate majority of creatures who lived in the outlands were lucky if they came across a meal at all.

Vali noticed the other's hesitation and sighed inwardly, lowering his head in exhaustion. "If you can't eat it, that's fine. You don't need to pretend to like it."

He tried to keep the frustration out of his voice for his brother's sake. The last thing Vali wanted was for Orri to feel like a burden. No one had ever called the young male a liability to his face, but actions often spoke louder than words. No one needed to tell him he was seen as dead weight, as he could tell by the way most flyers went out of their way to avoid him, and the way he could feel the weight of their scrutinizing stares on the back of his head. Even when they acted polite, Orri's sharp instincts could often decipher the truth behind the smile.

This was no different. Despite his brother's attempts to hide it, Orri still picked up on Vali's agitation. He crouched towards the ground, lowering his head in a submissive position, apologizing for his offense. "It's alright, Vali, really. I should be more grateful. I mean, it is food, isn't it?"

Vali frowned, having picked up on the quivering of Orri's voice. His brother wasn't the only observant one in the family. Having been thrust into the role of a carer as a youngling, Vali knew him the way a father would know his own son.

"Don't start, Orri," Vali warned, "it's alright. I wouldn't exactly want to eat this either, especially if I'm looking for an actual meal."

He scrunched up his beak before touching his beak to his brother's in a display of affection. "I'll go try and find some better ones for you. You are a growing flyer, after all. And with your health, you're going to need some proper sustenance."

"I'm guessing Gale took all the good scaly swimmers for himself again?"

Vali turned to see the tall and slender golden-brown form of a male flyer right behind him. He sat upon a moss covered rock, practically losing it over his own joke- which wasn't even all that funny to begin with.

"Afraid so, Scud," came Vali's utterly exasperated response as he braced himself for the oncoming headache.

"What I wouldn't give to see him choking on one of the scaly swimmers he stole," remarked Scud with a shake of his head, "the Circle of Life bites everyone in the ass at some point or another."

Vali rushed to cover his brother's ears, hissing at Scud to be quiet. "What's wrong with you? I've told you before to curb that foul tongue around my brother."

"I know what 'ass' means, Vali," Orri sighed, wriggling free of his brother's grasp, "I'm not a hatchling anymore."

"That's the problem with you shortbeaks," Vali scolded, "you all want so badly to be grown up but when it finally happens, you wish you were young again."

Scud cocked his head towards the side, hazel eyes glazed over in thought. "Wait... aren't you two the same age?"

"Now that you mention it... yes, we are. Vali just likes to act older than he actually is." Orri craned his head to look at Vali, an uncharacteristically smug grin on his beak.

"I still hatched first," Vali huffed, "but if that's how you're going to be... well, then I suppose you can bid those scaly swimmers goodbye."

Orri's eyes widened in horror. "No! Come on Vali, don't be like that, I was only joking!"

"Got you, shortbeak." The slightly larger flyer winked, laughing while tracing a claw over Orri's chest, causing the other to burst into laughter.

"S-Stop it!" Orri managed through fits of giggles, "Vali, I'm serious! Cut it out!"

"Who's your favorite brother?" Vali added another hand to his barrage of tickles, "Tell me who your favorite brother is and I'll stop."

While the two brothers were curled up into a heap of laughter, Scud spotted Gale making his way down towards the shore, ready to feast. Curious eyes watched the male swallow his unearned catch, only for it to get caught in his throat.

"Alright, alright! It's you!" Orri cackled until his stomach began to ache, tears flowing from his eyes. "It's you! You're my only brother- just let me go-!"

Scud couldn't help but laugh at the display of absurdity. "Vali, look. The Bright Circle's barely risen and already Gale's had more than he can handle."

Vali tore his eyes away from his brother, granting him his freedom. Dark blue eyes softened in a show of sympathy towards the currently choking flyer. "Poor Gale. I suppose somebody should help the lad before he chokes to death."

Both Orri and Scud showed their agreement through affirmative murmurs and nods, despite not budging from their current positions.

Vali rolled his eyes. It was already clear exactly which one of them would end up shouldering the responsibility. "Well, don't everybody fly off at once."

While Vali made his way over and proceeded to chastise Gupta for swallowing the scaly swimmer tail-first rather than headfirst, Orri decided to busy himself with staring at the clouds.

"Orri! Orriii!"

Orri whirled around to see Illyria darting towards him, her hyperactive movements inadvertently causing her to kick sand all over the place.

"Ugh," he winced, spitting out a few bits of sand that he'd accidentally inhaled, "why are you shouting?"

"Sorry," Illyria apologized, making room for herself right next to Orri, "But there's something important I have to tell you. It's a matter of life or death!"

"No offense, Illyria," Orri started, scratching the area behind his ear with his leg, "...but I think you and I have two different definitions of 'life or death'."

She opened her mouth to defend herself, only to close it mere seconds later. She definitely had a tendency to overreact, she'd grant him that much at least. "It's serious this time, I promise you." She lowered her voice to a whisper, "I... I talked to a wanderer."

Orri straightened up almost immediately. "I really hope this is your idea of a joke," he responded with just a glimmer of concern in his eyes, "wanderers never come here. And more importantly, anything about the outside world is forbidden, remember? You could get in serious trouble."

"Ancestors, not you too." Illyria rolled her eyes, "Just listen, alright? The wanderer's name is Yarrow. From what I could gather, he's probably looking for more flyers to join him before he takes off again. Safety in numbers, you know? And he suggested that younger flyers like us should join him!"

Orri drew in a gentle, quivering gasp, basically beaming. "We could know what it's like firsthand...!"

"...A good night to enjoy the sweets of the land?" Illyria peered knowingly at her friend, a mischievous grin laying upon her snaggletoothed beak.

To the adults, specifically the ones that had lived through more than several cold times, it might have seemed like the female was merely spouting nonsense, but Orri recognized the secret riddle. "No," he mouthed, "we shouldn't."

"Oh, come on," Illyria groaned, "You just said you'd like to witness it yourself! Don't be such a shortbeak."

"What are we talking about, kids?" Scud butted in. "Up to some mischief, are we?"

"No!" Orri and Illyria exclaimed in unison.

Scud laughed, thoroughly amused by how quick the kids were to cover up any evidence of their schemes. "Oh, don't you worry. I'm no blabbermouth. I can't say the same for that one over there, though."

He pointed a talon in the direction of Gale, who was too exhausted by his ordeal to even think about eating. Vali was still occupied with lecturing him about proper eating habits, although Scud was sure Gale would have preferred choking to death.

"If you two want to sneak off then by all means, go ahead. You just haven't lived unless you've done something that's against the rules at least once in your life." He gave them both an encouraging nudge, urging them forward. "Go on. I'll cover you."

Fresh out of excuses, Orri sighed defeatedly before following in Illyria's footsteps. "I used to be such a sensible flyer..."

---

They approached the thicket of trees, where surely enough, one of the sentinels was standing guard. The same one from earlier, in fact. Illyria smiled and walked right past the dark brown flyer, hoping that he'd let her pass through another time.

"Hold it." He blocked the pair's way in with his left wing, "Orri, Illyria, where do you two think you're going?" A pause. "...those are your names, right?"

Orri nodded affirmatively while Illyria did the talking, surprisingly chipper. "Good day, Aharon! How are you?"

"Cut the crap," he hissed, "I know you're on your way to meet the wanderer. You realize I saw you sneak off earlier, right?."

Illyria winced, clenching her fists while cursing herself for being so careless. The sentinels were loyal only to Faris, and no one else. She knew that. "...You're not going to tell him, are you?"

"Well, I didn't tell him the first time I saw you, so I won't tell him now since I'd like to keep my head on my shoulders." He bent over, looking Illyria in the eye. "So long as you two don't get caught. But I have to warn you, if Faris realizes where you are, there's nothing I can do. I'm sticking my neck out for you shortbeaks, but I'm not about to put my job on the line. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Orri answered, his body as rigid as a stick.

"Loosen up, son. Just Aharon is fine." Aharon then lowered his wing, stepping aside to let them through while scanning his surroundings. Once all was clear, he nodded to signal that they could go on ahead.

Illyria and Orri scampered into the foliage, Orri briefly circling back to the lone sentinel. "Thank you for this, Aharon. We both really appreciate it."

"Yes, yes, you're welcome," Aharon mumbled impatiently, "Just hurry and go before anyone else sees you."

"Right." Orri dipped his head respectfully, sauntering back over to where Illyria was waiting for him. Before long, both flyers had disappeared into the verdant forest, leaving not a single trace except for the very discernible footprints that were now embedded in the soil.

---

"Ah, I see you've brought a friend." Yarrow stepped out into the clearing as he saw Illyria approach with another flyer in tow. A welcoming smile on his face, he made his way over to the newcomer. "My name is Yarrow. What's yours?"

"Orri," he answered, still not able to muster the courage to look right at him just yet. Meeting new flyers always made Orri feel smaller than a buzzer.

The young one's nervousness was not lost on Yarrow, who chose not to acknowledge it for Orri's sake. "It's wonderful to meet you, Orri. Are you interested in seeing the outside world as well?"

Orri felt his heart drop, crouching lower and lower towards the ground. He was sure this was a trap, somehow. "Well, not really..."

"Come on, Orri," Illyria nudged him in the side, prompting him to let out a nearly comical sounding 'oof', "you can be honest."

"Vali will kill me if he finds out," Orri stated, still visibly afraid.

"Don't be so dramatic," Illyria laughed, "I mean, he goes into a tizzy if you have the smallest scratch on you! Look, I know you hate disappointing him, but you have to start living for yourself at some point."

"That's exactly right. There's really nothing to be afraid of, young one," Yarrow assured after directing an approving nod in Illyria's direction, "all we have to fear is fear itself."

"Here we go." Yuri glared scathingly at Yarrow, turning around to eat so he wouldn't have to listen to another one of his brother's cryptic riddles.

"I see you've now met my brother," Yarrow said in breathless exasperation, reciprocating the glare with one of his own, "his name is Yuri. He talks a big game, but he's harmless. Mostly."

"You kids should turn back right now if you don't wanna be bored to death," Yuri advised the two young flyers, not even making the slightest effort to be discreet about his lack of support for the other's plan.

Yarrow scowled at his brother and craned his neck to look back at Orri and Illyria. "Anyways... I figure I should explain myself a bit, just to clear the air, hm? If we are to survive in the outlands, or the Mysterious Beyond as many others call it, we must learn to trust each other first."

Orri couldn't help but feel like that comment was directed at him. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, taking shelter behind Illyria's forewing.

"My brother and I have been on our own for quite some time," Yarrow continued, "We chose to leave our flock, right about when we were your age, actually. We were young, eager and overconfident. What we had yet to learn was that the beyond does not discriminate. It can and will swallow you whole, regardless of how old or young you are. That's just the truth. We've seen so many wonders and we hope to see many more, but we're also looking for a place to settle down. Maybe a high, lonely place with enough water to sustain us. We were actually thinking of this place when we saw it, but... well, Illyria can tell you just how smoothly that went."

Illyria let a shrug roll off of her shoulders, a light but awkward chuckle escaping her beak. "Mhm. Faris doesn't exactly take too kindly to others encroaching on his so-called territory."

"It's just how things have always been done," Orri reasoned, coming to Faris' defense, "He's only trying to keep us safe."

"Just by that sentence alone, I can tell you have a kind heart," Yarrow pointed out, unfazed, "make sure you keep it that way, Orri. It's rare to find a soul in the Mysterious Beyond that hasn't been embittered."

"Yep," Yuri agreed through a mouthful of water, "the Mysterious Beyond will chew you up and spit you out a hundred times over. If you can keep that same attitude after all that crap, even I would be impressed."

Yarrow nodded his head, concurring with his brother's statement. "If you lose hope, then you lose. You'll just become fodder for the Mysterious Beyond, just another name. I know it sounds sappy, but hope is what kept my brother and I alive. Of course you can't survive on hope alone, but believing you can is already half of the journey."

Hope. That wasn't something Orri ever had much of, and perhaps that was exactly the problem. He dared to dream of a better place, but never dared to hope of one. With an optimistic glimmer in his eyes, he finally summoned the courage to look directly at the elder. "...Please, can you tell us more?"

---

Outside the thick cover of green, Aharon diligently stood guard, sending anyone who even glanced at him wrong fleeing in the opposite direction. Or at least he was prepared to do so, if it ever came to that. As someone who'd ventured off on many escapades as a young flyer, he understood what it was like, wanting the slightest taste of thrill and adventure.

Suddenly, a faint rustle from the grass caught his attention. His pupils constricted, his entire body poised to attack as he sniffed the air, trying to gauge the supposed threat. When he saw Faris emerge from the thin blades of green, Aharon felt a sense of relief, only to resume panicking less than a second later. Anyone else he could handle, but not Faris!

Regardless, he masked his panic and dipped his head respectfully. "Greetings, sir. What brings you here?"

"Have you seen Illyria?" Faris inquired, "Or Orri? Vali informed me that he turned around for a moment and Orri was gone. I wonder where they could have gotten to..."

"I'm afraid I haven't seen them, sir, I've been standing here this whole time, and they haven't passed through." Aharon remained stoic and stony faced, hoping that his superior wouldn't see through his act. If Faris found out he lied... Aharon didn't even want to think about it.

Faris paused to sniff the air. "Strange... Illyria's scent is still fresh. I know because that girl rolls around in the dirt all day, and she has a very strong scent." A hearty laugh escaped his beak, Aharon laughing along with him to guarantee that he stayed on the older flyer's good side.

The laughter came to an abrupt and sudden end when Faris' eye caught a footprint, mere inches away from where Aharon stood. Crouching over, he took a whiff of the soil. Although the footprints quickly disappeared, he could see a trail of leaves directly ahead of him. "That's Illyria's scent, alright. Looks like she went further inland..."

The realization dawned on Faris, and it took all of Aharon's willpower to remain calm and collected. The leader of the sentinels was no fool, there was no doubt that he'd already put the pieces together.

"That little... she went to talk to the wanderer! She probably roped poor Orri into it too," Faris fumed, "Aharon, follow me. I'll need my strongest sentinel in case those murderous outsiders want to try any foul play."

"But sir, my shift is nearly over," Aharon protested. He was looking for any excuse to keep the other from following that trail.

"What about it? The next flyer knows what to do when he gets here. Now come!" He began to advance forward only to stop in his tracks before letting out a high pitched screech, shouting out a single name.

"Nightwing!"

A dark blue flyer, a bit runtish in stature but a swift flyer nonetheless, swooped down. "I'm here, sir. What is it?"

"Nightwing," Faris began, addressing the other flyer by name, "Listen to me. I need you to go find Vali, tell him to come here and to wait for me. Got it?"

Nightwing nodded, setting off to carry out his orders. Left with no further delays or excuses, Aharon had no choice but to follow his superior, and to hope that Orri and Illyria had already cleared out of the area before they arrived.

---

Thank you all for your patience! I know this chapter took a bit longer to get released than it should have, and I do apologize for that. This semester has been incredibly hectic but I only have about two months left so I hope to get some writing in! There's not much happening in this chapter which was intentional, since it's intended to act sort of like a bridge between the previous installment and the one that's to come, and I hope you all are looking forward to that and seeing what'll happen to our hopeful, young flyers. Now with all of that out of the way, it's time to respond to some reviews!


The Rhombus:

Thank you for your helpful feedback as always! Your assessment of Vali and Orri was pretty spot on, haha. But I'm glad to hear that it kept your interest, and I hope it'll continue to do so.

Thanks so much everyone!! I've been making LBT fanart for years, but it's nice to gain some recognition. And of course, congratulations to all the winners!!

I'll be picking this banner:

Thank you everyone!  I’ve been taking more photos, and catching up on editing some old ones, so here’s a little photo dump!

Hey everyone! Before I get the ball rolling with this chapter, I'd just like to attach this mini glossary of sorts. It contains various flyer slang that you'll hear throughout the course of this story, as well as their definitions. I'll most likely end up defining the terms as they come up, but do let me know if there's something I missed! I also know I'm later than usual in crossposting this chapter to the GoF, so that's my bad. I'll be sure to respond to any reviews in the upcoming chapter since this one's already up and published on FF.net

Sharptooth Flyer = Ornithocheirus

Scaly Swimmer = A fish.

Shortbeak = Often used by older flyers to reprimand younglings, implying that their beak is still as short and stubby as it was when they first hatched. It can also be used to do some friendly teasing as well. Depends on the context, really.

Wisehead = An egghead. Someone who's a stickler for the rules and doing things the 'right way'.

FF link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13940589/2/Soaring-Across-Azure-Skies

---

The waves of the Big Water felt cool and soothing against the gray flyer's scales- like a gentle, ticklish sensation. The current rolled towards him, soaking the tips of his wing membranes before retreating back into the depths, as if being pulled back by some unseen force. Above him, multitudes of flyers soared effortlessly through the murky air. But rather than observing them and trying to piece together how they achieved such grace in their movements, his deep blue were lost in the torrent of water and foam. Just looking at the vast expanse of blue brought back some vague yet unpleasant memories, but Orri couldn't tear his eyes away. He couldn't shake the feeling that something about the Big Water was alive, and was calling out to him.

Perhaps a small part of him actually wanted to go beyond those invisible boundaries, like his father before him. Blue Haven was... wonderful, but it left much to be desired. Life was always the same: fly, eat, sleep, fly, eat, sleep. On their little 'patch of paradise' as many called it, they were free from airborne predators, and had convinced themselves that they were the masters of their own fate. That was the sad part. A decorated trap was still a trap and Orri knew it, even if no one else did. He knew that a life where one couldn't even wonder about a better world was no life at all.

"Orri!" A distance voice echoed, barely reaching his ears. Oh, wonderful. Now I'm hearing things, he pondered silently, deciding not to give the imaginary voice the time of day.

"Orriiii!" The voice was closer now, but Orri still refused to acknowledge it. He was sure it was a figment of his imagination, and his imagination had a tendency to run away from him and do more harm than good in the process. He couldn't even count the amount of times he sensed something, was called crazy, only to be proven right later on. The worst part of it all was that it didn't matter if his instincts were right or not. To the rest of the flock, he'd always be seen as someone who would only drag them down.

He closed his eyes for a moment in an attempt to silence the voice in his own head, only to let the most undignified scream when he opened his eyes again.

"AHHH!" He stumbled back, falling over onto his haunches. It was then that he realized the source of his fear was none other than Vali, his brother.

"Finally," Vali sighed, exasperated, "Do you realize how long I've been calling for you? If the Circle of Life gave you ears then you should use them."

"My bad," Orri said apologetically while getting back up onto all fours, shaking the particles of sand and water off of his scales, "I actually heard you calling me, but I thought the voice was in my head."

Vali seemed confused for a moment, but quickly decided it wasn't worth questioning. He gazed into his brother's eyes, his own softening at the other's appearance. They were both the same age, but Orri might as well have been seasons older, as far as appearances went.

"Are you alright?" Vali questioned, visibly concerned. "You look... tired." He tried to be delicate, but he couldn't deny that his brother did indeed look worse for wear.

"I'm fine," Orri answered, once again shaking his head to clear his mind, "I think I might just be hungry. I don't believe I've eaten yet."

Vali narrowed his eyes, shooting a rather doubtful look towards the skinnier flyer. "Right, and I'm a rampaging threehorn. You're my brother, Orri, not some stranger. Now why don't you tell me what's really wrong?"

"It was worth a shot," Orri said in slight jest. He looked towards the horizon and then back at Vali. "There's something strange about the Big Water lately. It sort of feels like it's calling my name, like it wants me to follow it... or like it's warning me. I know that sounds crazy, but I really do feel it."

Vali pondered his brother's words for a moment. Orri's instincts had seldom been wrong before, but he was also susceptible to such cryptic intuitions when he neglected to look after himself properly. He remembered his father advising him as a boy that even the sharpest of senses could go awry if the body was not taken care of. Of course, their treacherous father had also left them to fend for themselves, but it was a good lesson all the same.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Vali assured him, placing a hand to his shoulder, "the Big Water is strange and mysterious, which is why we must never go beyond it. We are safe here, except for when the Great Storm comes, but even then, we can see the signs days before it happens and prepare ourselves in advance..."

He caught himself rambling and realizing that he was probably boring his young brother to tears, shook his head. "Listen, my point is that sometimes, our minds can trick us into worrying ourselves sick over absolutely nothing. It happens to the best of us. Even more so when one doesn't take the best care of themselves, like when they forget to eat, for instance."

Orri couldn't help but beam in admiration of his brother, despite the evident jab at him. He was always so strong, so logical, and so kind. He'd certainly make a great leader one day, if he was ever given the chance. "Well, if you say so, then you know I'm with you."

"There's a lad!" Vali exclaimed, playfully nudging the other male with his beak, "Now, you said you were hungry? I'll go and fetch you some scaly swimmers. Stay here, and try not to get carried away by your own thoughts." He scurried off and Orri went right back to overthinking, despite his brother suggesting he do the opposite.

At least, he was planning on doing so until Vali reappeared in front of him, stretching on all fours with a gleeful smile, torso facing the sky. "Look. We're both upside down."

An old fail safe that Vali often relied on to lift Orri's spirits when they were both younglings, Vali was both surprised and disappointed to see that the only reaction he got from the male was a half-hearted smile. Whatever was bothering Orri must have really been eating at him. Even if he wasn't feeling the best, that stupid 'upside down' joke always managed to pull a laugh out of his brother. Realizing there wasn't much else he could do, he decided to cut his losses and gave the other a loving nudge on the shoulder before setting off to find some food.

---

A single green eye peered through the bushes, the dark hue perfectly concealed by the shadow of the foliage. The eye's narrow, black slit trailed the area, dilating when it landed on two flyers who appeared to be engaged in a friendly conversation. Upon closer inspection, Illyria realized that she recognized the bigger one of the two, a flyer with a faded gray hide and harsh verdant eyes that looked down upon the newcomer.

Faris. As the head of the sentinels, he'd forgotten more about fighting than she'd ever know.

As for the other flyer, Illyria didn't quite recognize him. He was smaller in stature, but he carried himself in a way that told the disgruntled, older flyer that he wasn't about to back down. Scarlet eyes practically bore a hole through Faris' forehead, letting him know that his intimidation tactics were of no use, and that he'd be better off saving his breath.

"We have no place for wanderers here," Faris reiterated, repeating the exact same thing he had yelled in the other's face mere moments ago.

"No place? This island has enough room for another flock!" The wanderer exclaimed incredulously.

"That's precisely why we have no place for the likes of you. We have a peaceful life here, and we can't let every flyer that passes by eat up all of our food. They might spread word of our home, or worse, they might try to seize our land for themselves."

The smaller flyer frowned. "Well, that's not the least bit fair, is it? And you know, that sort of narrow mindedness will only end up causing you all more grief in the long run. You can't hide yourselves forever. It just won't last."

"I don't think you're in any position to be giving me a lecture," Faris hissed, "and you want fair? Well, tough shit. If you don't like how we run things, then you're free to move on. But if you insist on staying, then I can allow you to go further inland. Stay on the far side of the island, where you can't bother anyone. A fair warning though, you'd better be gone by the time the bright circle rises over the mountains, or else I'll make you leave."

With a huff and a snort, the newcomer decided to take what he could get and headed off in the other direction. Faris hummed in satisfaction, resuming the most important task of feasting on some freshly caught scaly swimmers.

A wanderer? We've never had wanderers before, Illyria wondered. It had just occurred to her that the reason behind Blue Haven's lack of visitors could very well be Faris turning them all away. Trying to visualize all the things the wanderer must have seen, it made her shake with excitement just thinking about it!

Unfortunately, in her excitement, Illyria also gave away her hiding spot. A rustle from the bushes caught Faris' attention, after which he sniffed the air and caught wind of the young girl's familiar scent.

"Come on out, Illyria," he sighed, "I know you're there."

A younger, more inexperienced Illyria would have continued the charade. However, she knew by now that trying to hide from Faris once he had her scent was a losing game. She emerged from the bushes, head hanging low in guilt and embarrassment.

Faris sighed, trying to withhold the frustration that gave itself away when he shook his head. "Illyria," he began, "How many times have I told you not to eavesdrop? It's rude, and makes a flyer seem untrustworthy."

"At least a few times every season, since I was a youngling," Illyria responded matter-of-factly, making no effort to hide her annoyance. "Many apologies, oh wise one. I think my curiosity just got the better of me."

"I know," Faris agreed with a nod, his expression more indicative of defeat rather than anger. He was no stranger to the girl's sarcastic attitude, nor did he let it get to him. "It's not your fault. You've never seen newcomers before, so I suppose it's only natural that you'd want to find out more. But I assure you, outsiders are forbidden for a reason."

"I understand," Illyria responded, nodding along to each point he made. The quicker he finished his lecture, the quicker she could leave. "So, um... is it alright if I go now?"

Faris eyed her suspiciously, slanting his head a few inches to his right side. "Well, that all depends on you. Can I trust you to keep your distance from the wanderer?"

"Of course. I promise I won't even look at him." Every word she spoke was a lie, but she'd had seasons upon seasons to master the technique of lying, specifically to Faris.

"Very well. Be careful," he reminded her, finally letting his guard down as he turned his back and gave a wave of his arm, letting her know that she was free to go.

Illyria grinned, quite satisfied with her brilliant performance. She looked back once more as extra insurance that Faris wasn't watching. Sure enough, he was busy snacking on those scaly swimmers of his. She slunk right past him, briefly making eye contact with the lone sentinel that stood watch at the entrance of the forest, right where the vegetation grew denser. The female pretended not to notice him, and the guard even seemed to do the same, much to her pleasure. Soon, she disappeared entirely, using her sniffer to follow the trail that the mysterious wanderer had generously left behind.

---

A cacophony of various screeches and cries filled the air, every single sound and pitch muddling together to the point that Vali couldn't tell them apart or tell what each individual flyer was even saying. However, the background noise did serve a purpose— it helped him direct his attention solely on his catch by blocking out the more sudden, raucous sounds that would usually disturb his concentration. Dark blue eyes focused intently on the water, watching and waiting for even the slightest movement...

SPLASH!

His pupil narrowing as he whipped his head in the direction of the sound, Vali watched a single scaly swimmer break the surface, leaving behind a growing trail of ripples in the water. Vali lunged forward to catch his unsuspecting prey, fully confident in his ability. It was one of the bigger ones, too. Vali couldn't believe his luck. Surely, this would bring Orri out of that slump!

SWISH!

Before he even had a chance to react, a gray-blue blur zipped past him, sweeping up the scaly swimmer in one swing. Instead of some food, all Vali got a mouthful of bitter tasting water. An obnoxious laugh echoed off of the cliffs, prompting Vali to look up at the swift thief, despite being fully aware of who the culprit was. This wasn't the first time he'd been down this path, after all.

"Gale, you slimy thief!" The male squawked, "That was for my brother! Why don't you catch your own food for a change?"

"Too bad, wisehead!" Gale guffawed from the air, the scaly swimmer still trapped within his beak, "You should have been quicker! But don't worry! You know what they say- there's plenty of scaly swimmers in the sea!"

The flyer's cackles sounded through the air as he headed towards the share, presumably to enjoy his unearned meal. Vali watched him leave, scowling. From the corner of his eye he caught sight of another scaly swimmer leaping across the water, and caught it by its tail. The creature was remarkably tiny, with practically no fat on its pathetic little body. Even a hatchling wouldn't want it. Vali released his hold, letting the swimmer retreat back into the water to live another day.

A minor setback, but he wouldn't let that discourage him. He was going to find a good, appetizing meal for his brother, even if he had to circle the water until the Cold Time arrived. Shrugging off the lingering annoyance with a small huff, he reassumed his previous position, eyes watching the water for any sign of life. Only this time, he also made sure to keep an eye out for any no-good, thieving flyers as well.

---

Somewhere within the thicket of trees, a twig snapped. Not long after, a pale brown blur could be seen leaping from one tree branch to the other, the seemingly elusive creature using her own momentum to propel herself forward. She may not have been the strongest or the biggest, or have any redeeming qualities that would be of any use, but Illyria prided herself on how sneaky she was. Her body was so light that she could move without making a single peep, instead of lumbering around everywhere like some of the larger flyers in her flock. It was a shame that her only true skill was rendered useless, unless she actually felt like sneaking off somewhere in the dead of the night without the use of her wings.

Busy with reciting her mental monologue to no one but herself, Illyria hadn't even noticed she'd lost sight of her target. When she looked down, the alleged wanderer was nowhere to be seen. Eyes widened in surprise as she whirled her head from one end of the clearing to the other, unable to spot him. She must have been truly incompetent if she already managed to lose sight of someone who had been there mere seconds ago. The thought of looking behind her didn't even cross her mind until it was too late.

"May I help you?"

"Woah-!"

The voice that suddenly made itself known from above caused her to lose her footing, squeezing out a yelp from the female as she slipped from the branch she had been perched on. She barely managed to prevent any serious injury with a quick flap of her wings seconds before she touched the ground.

Craning her head, she turned to meet her unknown assailant. At least, she assumed they were there to kill her. The one immutable law of the outlands was to either kill or be killed, and she knew that. She looked up, meeting the curious gaze of a male sharptooth flyer. The wanderer.

"Are you alright?" The male inquired, landing right in front of her.

"Fine," Illyria answered curtly. Aside from her bruised ego, she had not a scratch on her.

"Don't feel bad," the other chortled, "It was quite clever, using the branches to launch yourself forward instead of relying solely on your wings. You just need to figure out a way to not make as much noise. I could hear you before I even saw you."

Illyria was inclined to believe that the flyer was only saying that out of pity, but one whiff of his scent suggested otherwise. "Thank you. I'm... still working on it. Clearly."

"Well, in any case, the name's Yarrow. What's yours?"

"I'm Illyria. At least, that's what everyone calls me." As a flyer who grew up without any parents, she simply had to trust that what others called her was actually her real name.

"Illyria," Yarrow repeated to himself, a wistful look in his pale eyes, "a beautiful name. So, Illyria, you look like quite the curious young flyer. Why did you feel the need to follow me, if you don't mind my prying? Don't worry, I'm not upset. I'm just curious."

"Seems to be a lot of that around here lately," Illyria remarked under her breath, earning a slight chuckle from the elder. His reaction brought upon the faintest hint of a smile on her face, as well as an increase of confidence.

"I saw Faris chew you out," she proceeded to explain, "before you, I actually never saw another outsider. But now... I'm starting to think we get more visitors than we actually know about."

"Faris?" Yarrow tapped his beak, racking his memory for a moment before he finally remembered. "Ah! You mean that savage brute? Yes, I've certainly come across his type before... always set in their ways, and trying to reason with them is about the same as talking to a rock."

Illyria snorted at the blunt yet fitting description. "Yes, that's him. But that's not the only reason I'm here. You see, I've been raised by that 'savage brute' my entire life. When I was younger I would ask him about the outside world, but he usually ignored me or he would yell at me. Either way, I never got anything out of him. So, I was wondering if you could tell me what it's like...?"

Upon seeing the almost childish gleam in the young one's eyes, the male smiled fondly. He remembered his youth well, the memories of being a swift young flyer with an insatiable sense of curiosity. He understood exactly where the young female was coming from. In fact, he even saw a little bit of himself in her.

"Well," he began, "it's quite difficult to put into words, but I will say that if you were to see it for yourself, I don't think you'd be let down. Out there, you'll see mountains that spit fire from their tops, and entire lands covered in nothing but ice, with winds that could freeze your beak off."

Illyria instinctively covered her beak, green eyes wide with amazement as she listened to each and every word he said. Faris could only imagine capturing her attention as completely as Yarrow did.

Yarrow thought he had finished listing all that he could off the top of his head, until his eyes widened in realization less than a moment later. "Oh! How could I forget? You know of the Big Water, yes? Well, believe it or not, it actually goes on forever and forever."

"What? No way, you're making that up," Illyria shook her head, narrowing her eyes in suspicion, "if the Big Water really is that huge, everyone would have sipped all the water up seasons ago."

"That's the thing, shortbeak. The Big Water is so huge, it never runs out. And it's not filled with just scaly swimmers. There's all sorts of creatures living down there in those depths! I'm telling you, it's like an entirely different world."

"Yeah, whatever. I'll believe that when I see it. " It wasn't that she didn't want to believe him, it was just that it sounded too good to be true. She'd hate to venture out there herself, only to be disappointed.

"It's the truth, young one," Yarrow insisted, "I've seen it with my own eyes. You've lived quite the sheltered life here, so I don't blame you for being skeptical. Actually... maybe it would be better for you to see it for yourself."

Dark green eyes were as wide as the Night Circle at its fullest, Yarrow's statement prompting the gobsmacked female to meet his gaze. "You mean... I could be there?"

"Well, why not?" Yarrow shrugged rather indolently, "Everyone has to leave home at some point, don't they? And in my opinion, there's no better way to make your mark on the world than setting out to see all that it has to offer."

The gleam had returned to her eyes, even if just for a fleeting moment. With the tip of her beak in her palm, she mulled over the possibility. Going beyond the Big Water? That would be an adventure for the ages, no doubt about it.

She looked up to meet Yarrow's gaze once more. "I'll be right back," she told him before tapping the lower part of her beak with her talon, "...will you still be here?"

"Of course," Yarrow affirmed, nodding his head.

Great. That was one less thing to worry about. Illyria flashed a quick grin and turned back the way she came, unable to contain her excitement as she swept through the vegetation.

As soon as she was gone, another figure drifted down from within the shelter of the trees. A flyer. He had concealed himself at Yarrow's behest, but now that the girl was gone, he could finally give the other a piece of his mind. "Damn it, we're wasting too much time. Why don't we just grab her?"

Yarrow was unable to repress an utterly exhausted sigh. "Because that would be abduction, which is frowned upon in many places, Yuri. Even if we did take her by force, three flyers don't exactly make a flock. And more importantly, I would never stoop as low as holding someone against their will."

"Y'know, I can't tell you how annoying it is when you talk like that, acting like you're the pride of every flock just 'cause you're so smart," Yuri grumbled, "I mean, every time you open your mouth, I just think to myself 'who does this guy think he is?' I mean, everyone looks up to you for no real reason except that you talk good. And you know what? You do talk good. But that's all it is. Talk."

Yarrow drew an inward breath, looking up towards the sky and wondering when his brother would get to the point. After an entire lifetime with Yuri, his long-winded rants had simply become a part of their daily routine. "Are you finished?"

"No," Yuri spat, "But there's no use in talking to you about it, so why waste my breath? Besides, what I'm more annoyed about is the fact that there ain't shit to eat here."

"I can see that." Yarrow sighed again, massaging his forehead, "Listen, I know that we don't really have a whole lot of time, but all I'm asking is for you to trust me. Once we have a decently sized group we can get out of here. We'll settle someplace safe and later on, when we're old— well, older, we can laugh and reminisce about this moment. You have my word on that."

There was a long silence after that, during which Yuri managed to scoop up a scaly swimmer maneuvering its way through the stream. Then, with the swimmer in his mouth, he gave his muffled and unimpressed response. "...Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Thank you all! I appreciate your kind words as always

I actually finally finished this a few days ago but realized I never posted it here, oops  so here it is! the finished version of that WIP of Nimble and her kiddo!

Happy starday!! Hope it’s a good one   

Welcome to the forum!!  I’d love to see some of your fanfics if you ever feel inclined to post them! 

Sharptooth flyer = Ornithocheirus

A note: Italics inside quotations indicate emphasis on words, while italics outside of quotations indicate thoughts.

FF link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13940589/1/Soaring-Across-Azure-Skies

---

The island was completely quiet, save for the melody of the ebbing waves gently dribbling onto the sandy shore. To anyone else, the roaring tide might have been something to fear. But to the island's denizens, the sound of the Big Water was quite welcome. To them, the echo of the foamy water crashing onto the sound was like the presence of an old friend who had been there through thick and thin, like the relief a nesting mother felt when she came home to hear the laughter of her young ones, knowing they were alright. The presence of the Night Circle was a welcome one as well, as its gentle glow was a sign of the arrival of a more peaceful time, during which the flyers could shun their worries and responsibilities for a while. The Night Circle could have shone anywhere, but on that specific night, it chose to cast its light on a nest within a steep cliff laying a little ways from the shore. Nestled safely inside it were two sharptooth flyers, not even old enough to have developed proper use of their wings. One youngling slept peacefully in a carefully crafted nest of leaves and grass, but the other tossed and turned so much he slept just a few feet from his brother lest he accidentally injure him in his sleep.

Then, at the edge of his consciousness, the latter flyer heard a voice. A whisper.

"Orri." A nudge, "Orri, wake up."

Orri stirred slightly, the thick cover of sleep yet to wear off of him. Before the interruption, he had been in the middle of quite the interesting sleep story, and it took him a minute to realize he wasn't in it anymore. He grunted sleepily, blue eyes almost glowing in the darkness of the cave. His dark pupils briefly transformed into narrow slits, his vision taking a moment to adjust.

"Mm... papa? What-?"

"Shhh," the male brought a talon to his beak, scooping the tiny youngling into the palm of his hand, "let's talk outside. We wouldn't want to disturb your brother now, would we?"

Orri looked towards the sleeping form of his brother, who was curled up in his usual protective position. Vali could sleep through just about anything, and didn't move in the slightest. From an outsider's view, it would seem like a typical night for a typical flyer family, save for the fact that there wasn't anything typical about them at all. After Orri and Vali's mother was taken by The Great Storm less than a season ago, give or take a few cycles of the Night Circle, their father was the only family the two boys had left.

The older gray flyer brought his groggy and still confused son to a ledge just outside their nest, the night circle illuminating their faces in a cool, pale light. He assumed a more stoic expression, refusing to let his son catch onto how he truly felt.

Unfortunately, contrary to what his father wanted, young Orri picked up something he didn't quite recognize on the elder. A scent, one of uncertainty and fear, which made the youngling feel the same.

"Papa? What's going on?" he inquired curiously, surveying his surroundings, "What are we doing out here?"

"You've made me very proud, my boy," his father crooned, "Don't ever forget that. And... make sure your brother knows too. I know him and I don't exactly see eye to eye, but I'm sure he'll listen to whatever you have to say. All I ask is that you tell him I'm proud of him."

Orri noticed the tears glistening along the corners of his father's eyes, a feeling of fear washing over him. He recoiled suddenly, like a hapless creature being backed into a corner. "Papa, I-I don't understand. Why are you acting like this...?" The question came out as a painful, choking sob.

"Listen to me, Orri," his father continued despite his son's obvious fear, "I... damn, how do I put this?" He muttered, rubbing the nape of his neck before sighing in resignation. "The reason I'm saying all this is because I have to leave Blue Haven. Tonight."

"No!" came the youngling's immediate, horrified response, "you can't! Please!"

The male didn't even make an attempt to hide his tears, as his scent already gave away exactly what he was feeling. He once again brought a claw to his beak, trying to placate the young one. If anyone, more specifically the sentinels that guarded the island during the day, were to awaken and hear them... everything would be ruined.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I really wish there was more time for me to explain all of this to you."

"But I don't understand!" Orri squeaked, his voice lowering to a quiet whimper, "Mama left us... why are you leaving us too?"

"Trust me, I don't want to." He touched his beak to that of his son's, trying to show his sincerity. But goodness, was it difficult. It was a near impossible task, coaxing his son into trusting him when he was in the process of abandoning both him and his brother.

"I'm doing this because I want what's best for you and your brother, okay?" His raspy voice quivered as he spoke, his words followed by a heavy sigh, "I'm going to find a new place. A safe place, beyond the Big Water, where we don't have to worry about The Great Storm wiping us all out. That's what your mother would have wanted for you. I know it is."

Orri felt something damp on his cheek, then felt his father's talon gently wipe his tears away. The boy hadn't been entirely convinced that he wasn't still asleep, up until now. When he felt his father's touch, he had no choice but to acknowledge the bitter reality.

"...Will you ever come back?"

"I will. I'll do everything in my power to come back for you two, and that's a promise."

That reassurance helped to ease Orri's worries, but it failed to sway him from wanting answers to the many questions that still weighed heavily on his mind.

"If you are leaving to find a safe place, then why can't you take us with you?"

His father nervously shifted his gaze towards the night sky, covered in far too many stars for him to count. Just above the horizon, he could see the faintest tint of light purple reflecting against the water. The Bright Circle would be rising soon enough. His time was running out.

"I'm afraid it's too dangerous," he explained, speaking slowly to mask the slight irritation that plagued him, "you and Vali are still very young and weak. You two barely know how to flap your own wings, let alone fly, and I don't even know what kind of dangers will be waiting for me out there. If something happened to either of you, I don't know what I'd do. But don't you worry. You'll be safe here, far safer than you could ever be with me."

He then leaned in close, his warm breath gently brushing against Orri's scales. "It will be difficult, but I know in my heart that what I'm doing is for the best."

"But papa—" Orri started, but his protests were quickly muffled as his father spoke over them.

"I have to leave now before anyone else sees me, but I promise we will meet again one day. Either in this world or the next. Do you understand me?"

Orri at first refused to meet his father's gaze, but was soon forced to look at him when he felt his beak being tilted gently upwards. "I... I understand," he finally responded, unable to tear his eyes away, even when his sobs began to hit him with full force.

"Good." The other brought his hand closer towards his beak, decreasing the distance between them so that he could give his son a parting embrace. A proper one. "You've been blessed with exceptionally strong instincts, better than any flyer I've ever seen, and I mean that. Use them, and listen to your brother. Watch out for each other."

"I will," Orri promised, sniffling while his father guided him back to the safety of their sleeping area, offering a pleased nod at his son's vow.

With a heavy heart, the lone flyer then took to the skies. He soared past the Big Water, engaged in a battle of wills with the unrelenting waves that were equipped with a mind of their own, the violent current threatening to throw his fragile body against the rocks. It was a battle he'd barely managed to win. Once he had though, he didn't dare to look back. He feared that if he did, he wouldn't be able to fight the urge to return and all would be lost.

Orri watched his only remaining parent disappear into the night, his form blending in perfectly with the night sky as if he had never truly been there at all. While the fact remained that his young son would eventually forget this moment before long, the constant and gentle lull of the Big Water served as a reminder that there was someone out there who would never forget.

---

Yeahhhh I realize this isn't Across The Seasons, but it is another OC centric story!  I've unfortunately seemed to hit a bit of a roadblock with ATS and where I should go with the next chapter, which is why I've set that aside for now. But this is another story I've had in the works for a bit, only my perfectionist self never really deemed it good enough to publish up until this moment. I'm also working on this in hopes that I'll be able to write a fic with more planning and world-building than my previous works. Finally, this is yet another sharptooth narrative of course, but with flyers! I've never actually written many lengthy flyer-centric stories before, so I'm sure it'll be interesting! In any case, I hope you all enjoy this tale of love, survival and adventure, and I hope to see you all soon in the next update. 

-Jassy