Standing next to Cyg, she showed him the way to use wings, her own cosmic feathers gently flapping in the air as they brought her a few inches up, although he seemed to have picked it up well from the familiar she'd summoned. However, she noticed, as he tried the same motions as her, perhaps more enthusiastic then necessary, but correct nonetheless, he stayed stuck to the ground. His flight feathers were small, she noticed, not fully grown in, hopefully.

She landed and reached forward to nuzzle his head. "It's okay. You just need to practice is all. Go on, try again, I'll help this time." And this time, when he would try to lift off, she'd augment him with some magic. Not enough that he'd go shooting straight up or that it was effortless, but enough to support wings that were not quite ready for solo flight.

When he stopped flapping his wings, Wilder released him gently. He would slowly fall a couple of inches to land on the ground. She purred, whiskers twitching with her amusement. "You did! I helped you a little this time, so you'll have to keep practicing until you can do it on your own. Don't worry if it takes a while to get used to, we all have to learn."

She looked up towards the dark ceiling of Andromeda, towards the upper walls where glowing crystals still shown and pointed. "Would you like to fly a little more, together? I will help you again, but you have to keep flapping your wings!" In response to her words, Cyg would feel himself grow a bit lighter as Wilder's magic lifted just a bit of his body weight off the ground, ready to support him if he chose to lift off again. She also spread her own cosmic wings, which she'd follow with if he did.

Wilder nodded. "Okay. You've done a lot today! We can go rest." She released the spell on him and let her cosmic wings shimmer away. Perhaps another day they would go flying again, when Cyg could fly on his own.

She led the way back into the den where the other two were sleeping and Wilder waited sat for a moment, reaching back to briefly groom her flank. Vaati, who had stayed inside and was curled next to the other kids, opened an eye to watch them enter. She'd wait for Cyg to pick his spot to curl up before sitting down to rest next to the rest of the family.

Wilder purred and moved back a bit to make room for Cyg, pressing her nose into his feathers again. "Mama is very proud of you." She lay there for a little bit, looking over the three of them, a gently purr in her chest until she was sure Cyg had fallen asleep. She glanced at Vaati, who silently turned and trotted over to the opening of the den, where he laid himself down, watching out the entrance.

Wilder finally allowed herself to put her head down and let herself fall asleep as well, a much-needed respite.

*exit