Wyvern of the Wind

Extra Chapter: The First Gift

-Flashback-

"Aether!" Dawn called. "Look what Tempest brought you from the Imperii."

A small, tiny figure perked up from below his mother's tail. His wide, gray eyes rummaged around, trying to find the elder dragon.

Dawn nudged her son and helped him face Tempest's direction. "Look there, look there."

Aether's head flopped towards where Dawn wanted him to look. Tempest let out a chuckle.

"Let the little guy figure it out, Dawn. He grows up fast after all. He won't stay little for long after that good hunt he did, am I right Aether?"

Aether tipped his head towards her clumsily and nodded, his wide eyes sparkled as she praised him.

"Aww," Dawn cooed as she ruffled her son, patting him on the head. "It's true, you helped a great deal with the hunt."

Aether went to fetch the rabbit he caught. The morsel was reduced to bones, but he picked it's skull up and showed it to Tempest.

"That's good, kid." the elder wyvern said as she picked up the skull and examined it. "These little guys are hard to catch, especially since they roam around a lot at high speeds." She nodded in approval. "You taught him well, Dawn."

Dawn looked away bashfully. "He probably got that from his father.."

"Nonsense," Tempest replied. "You are a fine hunter. And you surpassed him in every class." Dawn gave her a snarky look.

"Okay, maybe not in everything, but still." Tempest scoffed. "You are quite capable, for a young dragon."

Aether perched up on both his hind legs and tugged at the bag's leather. "What's in here? I wanna see! I wanna see!"

"Alright, alright, kiddo!" Tempest said, ruffling his head. "Let's see what I brought in here."

Dawn, Tempest and Aether sat in a triangle in the middle of the cavern as the elder, sandy colored wyvern slowly let out each book one by one, letting Aether's suspense drag on for as long as he is able to before she presented the gift.

"What is it? What is it?" Aether cried, grappling on Tempest's arm. "Show me!"

"Slow down, kiddo, slow down! You're biting my wing!" Tempest yelled. It took a while for Dawn to calm her son down.

"Alright, Aether. Behave." she cooed calmly. At long last, Aether sat down by his mother, waiting for his gift.

"Alright.." Tempest muttered , before she slowly placed her claws into the bag, and grab onto something.

"For my first gift, I got you a...storybook!"

As she said, she pulled out her gift quickly and showed it to Aether. Aether's eyes sparkled once he saw the cover. 

"So pretty..." he said in awe. Dawn giggled. 

"There's more to a book than a cover Aether." she said to her son that Tempest handed her the book. "Why don't you give it a read?"

Aether slowly lifted the cover and opened the first page. It was adorned with a cute sketch of a bird flying around the title.

"Can you read what it says?" Dawn asked her son gently. Aether opened his mouth and slowly  pronounced the words.

"tes..yep..ver qetnh 'el hervh" he said out loud. "Little Bird on The Wind."

"There ya go." Tempest congratulated as Aether opened the next page. From the moment he laid eyes on the first page, he was already hooked. He kept reading, not paying attention to what other items that Tempest may have had to offer for him.

"Let's leave him be, for now." Dawn said. "Seems like he really likes your gift. Aether? What do you say to Tempest?"

"Thank you.." he replied without looking at her, still highly invested in the book.

Tempest sighed. "Seems like this book took away his manners.." she muttered to herself, seemingly amused at his current behavior.

Throughout the night and the days after, Aether was always found reading the book: during meals, before he slept and right after he wakes up. And whenever he walks outside, he seems to admire the skies and nature a little more, his eyes sparkling every time there is a bird chirping nearby. And once he finally finished the book, he immediately wrote his name on the very first page, and he adorned his first signature with a little bird perched on the last letter.

-End of Flashback-