Adan Liepsnojantis

Adan had been having a frustrating talk with his friend Zeus when, shattering the current, awkward silence, came three fast, rapid knocks on the door. Adan had spent the night at Cielo's house, instead of the castle. Opening the door with a sour face, Zeus opened the door with Adan behind him. 

“Oh, look who’s here. Adan Liepnojantis,” Bylur snarled, his spines instantly spiking up, creating a menacing mane of white. “ Where is the princess?” he spat, still in the doorway. 

“Did you invite yourself  into my house?” Zeus said, wing barbs rising threateningly. “My parents and grandparents aren’t here, which means that I’m in charge today, and I wouldn’t have let you in here,” he stated. Adan soundly agreed, but he didn’t dare say anything in front of Bylur, who was looking more and more likely to stab something.

Bylur opened his spined snout for a snarky comment, but a small wingbeat stopped him. Normally wingbeats were like the background music of the Cielo manor, but this weekend the servants were sent home because of Queen Sundancer’s decree, and the rest of Zeus’ family were out on vacation. 

Everyone turned to stare upwards. Again, another wingbeat sounded. Looking up, Adan said with a short, clipped laugh, “Is that who you're looking for? You know, most people, especially guards try not to lose track of people. Eridanus, please come down.” 

Adan’s first statement had an icy tone, whereas the last assertion Adan made sure was soft and pleading. 

Eridanus, instead of soaring down, asked, “Why? You don’t want to be my friend anymore,” she snapped stubbornly, making Bylur chortle cruelly and Adan flinch heartily. As for Zeus, a look of bafflement crossed his face and then amusement.

“If anything, being friends with you has been the only thing he –” here, Zeus pointed to Adan, “--can talk about. It’s always ‘ She’s so kind’ or ‘I wish she could have the world her way’ and wayyyy more embarrassing stuff. You do realize that he has this GIANT CR-”

“Why don’t we all go back to the castle? I’m sure Queen Sundancer would like to know where we all are!” Adan yelped, flustered.

“I’ll be going on my own, thank you.” Eridanus declined with an icy tone to her voice. “She already knows that I’m here, but I have chores that I have to do that are easiest to do by myself.”

Adan didn’t know if Eridanus specifically having to perform chores was accurate, but he did know that Eridanus did take away chores from the maids and butlers daily.

“Eridanus, please come down and talk. Some dragons here want to help you.” Adan attempted again to get Eridanus down to the ground. Eridanus instead floated back up to the ceiling and slowly glided forward towards a window. Slowly, she unlatched the top of the window and yanked to open it. The window gave way gradually, and before anyone had time to react, Eridanus was gone through the window. Adan, with a surprised yelp, launched himself upwards to open the base of the window so he could get out and fly after his friend. All the while Zeus and Bylur were too shocked to do or say anything. 

“Eridanus, wait!” Adan called after the small black dragon. “Slow down!” 

In his peripheral vision, Adan saw a pair of silvery-blue wings pounding in the air on his right and a pair of light baby-blue wings on his left side. He exhaled in relief and irritation. Zeus and Bylur were following him.

Soon, he was almost parallel to his friend. “Eridanus! Can we please talk about this? I don’t want to fight.” Adan pleaded, doing a barrel roll to avoid his companion’s flapping wings.

Instead of answering verbally,  Eridanus thundered her wings harder, shoving ahead. “Eri!” Adan tried again. “I just want to talk!”

This time, Eridanus slowed her wings so she stayed in the same place while Adan panted toward her. “What?” Eridanus growled. “I stopped. Now, what do you want? I’ll give you to the count of five.” 

“Eridanus,” Adan started but couldn’t finish because Eridanus had started counting. “One,” she snapped brusquely. 

“I’m sorry for what happened. You weren’t supposed to hear that.” Adan blurted quickly. “The reason was that I don’t want people to treat you badly like they already do to me-” Adan was interrupted because Eridanus had started counting again. “Two.” 

By then, Zeus had caught up, his giant SkyWing wings carrying him in a wide circle around the duo. “THREE!” Eridanus snapped, glaring at Adan.

“Listen, Eri,” Adan begged. “I’m really, really sorry. But you’re my best friend and the princess, and I can’t let you get hurt. If I’ve been called names like ‘traitor’, then what–”

“STOP!” Eridanus yelled, making Adan jump.

“What?” he asked nervously. Eridanus, her shoulders trembling, pointed at the ground beneath them. For a moment, nothing seemed wrong. Then, the outline of four… five, six, no, seven EarthWings slowly emerged from the bracken and heather. Adan had just enough time to cry out to Zeus, “FLY!” before the shapes lunged upwards toward the four dragons.