The next day was Sunday, so, thankfully, we didn't have any training.

The night before I had waited until the sun had completely disappeared then sneaked down the mountain and through town, making sure my dad wasn't waiting for me, before slipping into bed unnoticed.

After collecting my food, early when no one was awake so the other trainees wouldn't question why I was leaving breakfast early, I skirted the outskirts of town, taking the long way to the mountain as an extra precaution.

_____

I reached Dragon's Keep just as the sun became fully visible above the horizon. Caelea was bouncing up and down in the mouth of the cave, excited partially because I had told her that I would be able to spend the whole day, but more so because I was bringing food. For once, she didn't practically attack me for it, but instead sat there staring at me, waiting for me to empty the sack.

I gave here a weird look, vaguely wondering why. Then I shook my head. If it was important, she would tell me.

I paused to sit down and took off my shirt, and then the leather armor, arching my back from an uncomfortable itch, stubbornly refusing to scratch it.

And as we were eating, Caelea finally spoke.

Hey, Fin? I heard some people talking through your ears, and now I have to ask, what is a buttface?

I stopped mid-bite on the apple I had been eating, and stared at Caelea. "Um."

Well?

"It's an insult, Caelea, isn't that obvious?"

Oh. Okay! Silence. Then: So if buttface is an insult, and the opposite would be facebutt, does that mean that facebutt is a compliment?

I stared at her again. "Where do you even come up with this stuff?!"

So that's a no?

"I would not take "facebutt" as a compliment, Caelea. So yes, that's a no."

Okay, okay, got it.

"Good." We both fell silent as we continued to eat.

Hey Fin! Caelea suddenly jumped to her feet. Want to see me fly!? Who am I kidding? Of course you do!

She scampered over to a boulder and hauled herself up. Okay, watch. She backed up a step then hurled herself forward and spread her wings. She pumped them a few times, rising unsteadily into the air, then turning, she flew back, and unceremoniously crashed into the ground.

See! I can fly! and it wasn't gliding! She announced glaring at me.

"Well, it was good, up until you landed," I smirked, "If you could call that a landing."

She glared at me. Like you could do better!

"If I could fly, I would be able to do better." I said decisively.

Whatever, not like you can prove it. 'Cause you don't have wings!

"Honestly, Caelea, I don't want wings." I shrugged.

She scrunched up her nose. Oh, yeah, Fin, forgot to tell you something. You have scales on your back.

"What?! Caelea, why didn't you say something?!" I said twisting my neck to try to see my back.

Maybe it was because I knew you would freak out. She snorted.

I turned so my back faced Caelea then concentrated on looking through her eyes. Sure enough, a spread of scales now lay across my shoulder blades, trailed down my back, around my spikes and stopping at the small of my back.

The scales seemed to accentuate my shoulder blades, making them look as if the were bulging out. "What the heck am I supposed to do now?!" once again, I was on the verge of hysteria.

Fin, calm down. First of all, you shouldn't pass out again, because it's really annoying. Second of all, I don't think it'll really be noticeable if you keep wearing the armor under your shirt and you pull it tight.

I took a few deep breaths and tried to slow my heart, which was pounding away in my chest, and attempted to turn my mind to other things.

"So, what do you want to do now?" I asked, forcing a smile on my face that probably looked closer to a grimace.

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm gonna fly! You... you can sit there and watch.

She scampered over to the boulder pile and hauled herself up again. I sat back down and watched as she launched herself off, and attempted some circles in the air.

Her flight was really uneven as she dipped down then hurriedly pulled herself up.

She turned her course towards me, trying to touch down, but stumbling on her face instead.

"Why don't you try to fly without jumping off something first?" I encouraged.

While Caelea practiced flying, I was concentrating on seeing through her eyes without closing mine.

I let my vision glaze over then filled my mind with and image of Caelea. As the image began to take it's place, I was overcome with a sense of vertigo. It was like two different images over top of each other, seeing both my vision and hers completely and not at all at the same time.

Will you stop it? Caelea said, irritably, as she crashed into the ground once more.

"Stop what?"

You're making me nauseous.

"What?"

Whatever you're doing that's making you so dizzy is affecting me too. So stop it.

I let the image of Caelea's view fade, and the vertigo retreated. "Better?"

Much. Don't do that again without telling me first. What if I were flying? I would have crashed.

"You already do crash." I pointed out helpfully.

Yeah, but that's while I'm trying to land. You would've made me just... plummet.

"Well, honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you did that without my help." I smirked.

She glared down her snout at me then turned away from me, sitting down with a thump, her snout up and eyes closed.

"Oh, come on Caelea, you know I didn't mean it, don't get offended." She just swung her head the other direction.

I smiled, took a step back, then running forward, tackled her to the ground. "Ha!" I exclaimed pinning her down. Caelea let out a high pitched squeal before turing her face towards me and huffing, sent a whiff of smoke into my face.

Coughing and choking I crawled off her, "Okay, okay, truce."

No! She shouted in my head. NEVER! And then she pounced on me, sending me sprawling. Peering down at me, she said, I will NEVER make a truce with my enemies!

"Oh, so I'm an enemy now, am I?"I shoved her away, then lunged on top of her, slamming her into the ground with her belly down so she couldn't huff smoke in my face again. "Ha! Whaddya think of your enemy now?"

Caelea struggled under my grip, but I was bigger, and, thanks to my becoming dragon-y, stronger. She couldn't get away.

Okay, then, fine! I suddenly felt exhausted, and knew what was happening. When I imagined the fiery bird of energy, Caelea's bird's claws were fastened tightly onto the shoulders of my bird, siphoning my energy away from me. I willed my bird to struggle away, and we were once again engaged in combat, except in a much different manner this time.

Caelea, who had more experience with energy trading, seemed to be winning. I could see the light in my bird dim and I willed it to steal some from Caelea.

My energy was already low though, and soon I couldn't even concentrate, opening my eyes and slumping to the ground.

I breathed heavily, unable to move. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Caelea performing a victory dance.

She was distracted and I closed my eyes again, stealing as much energy in a few seconds before, on a hunch, building an imaginary invisible wall between our two birds.

Caelea, realizing that her energy had been stolen, turned her bird on mine, and sent it speeding towards mine... Only to crash headfirst into the wall. I let it down as she shook her head, dazed.

What the heck, Fin?! What is this?!

"A wall." I answered smugly.

A wall...?! How'd you do that?!

I stuck my tongue out at her. "I'm not going to tell you." Then, before she could respond, I drained more energy from her and replaced the wall. Caelea growled in frustration, her bird pacing around the wall, searching for an entrance.

Something's not right, though... I realized. Despite the fact that Caelea wasn't draining my energy, I was still losing it. Losing it, in fact, faster than I would be able to gain it. Does the wall take energy...?

I realized that Caelea was looking at me quizzically. "What?" I asked, and, feeling drained, added, "Okay, I'm taking down the wall. Don't steal my energy, I'm trying to figure something out." The minute the wall was removed I could hear Caelea screaming in my head.

"Caelea stop!" I shouted, clutching my head.

She quit screaming but continued babbling in my head. I was insulting you! The least you could do is retort!

"Caelea-"

I mean, come on, Fin! When someone calls you a facebutt, you don't just stand there and stare at them!

"Caelea li-"

Seriously! If someone calls you a facebutt, it's a disgrace to yours and their honor for you to just stare at them!

"CAELEA, SHUT UP!"

She finally quit speaking and listened to me.

"When the wall is up, I can't hear you talking. And I doubt we would be able to see out of each other's eyes."

Hmph! Well, then you shouldn't do that, then.

"Whatever. Shouldn't you be practicing crashing into the ground or something?"

She scrunched up her face, then in an effort to prove me wrong, jumped into the air, pumping her wings fast and hard, trying to get herself off the ground.

"Okay, okay, don't hurt yourself."

Shhh! Don't distract me!

Caelea continued her flight training. She was actually getting pretty good. Her landings were still terrible, but she could take off and direct her flight path now.

"Hey Caelea," I said looking at the sun, which was almost gone, "It's getting late. I have to go."

Noooooo! suddenly a force pushed me to the ground.

"Oww..."

She jumped off me and I sat up rubbing my head, "Get some sleep, okay?" I said pulling on the armor then my shirt.

Ok. She sighed glumly before trudging into the cave.

"See you tomorrow!" I call before bounding down the mountain.

I sprinted down the mountain to come face to face with--my dad.

"Uh..."

"Fin!" he said, surprised. "I was just going to climb up to look for you, it's getting late and I was expecting you back at the academy by now."

"Oh, well, I better be going then." I said, uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I'll walk back with you." he offered.

We walked to the academy, not talking until I was at the door of the barracks. "Well, 'night, Dad." I said slipping inside and only hearing a faint response in return before launching myself into bed, tossing a turning for what seemed like hours before I finally fell asleep.

______

Well. Here's to a good year and high hopes for the upcoming.

Happy new year, everyone. Hope you had a good 2015.

~ManedWolf71