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.

@Cyg

Cyg was unsure that he could even fly, but he trusted his mama when she said that he could. And then Mama said she would help, and Cyg trusted that even more, because Cyg truly believe his mama could do anything. If she could make her own wings, there was no limits to her power. And also, she was his mama, and so she was the cave's mightiest being in his mind.

"Okay! Cyg will try!" he proclaimed, focusing on the motions even more so this time. And this time, with a delighted laugh, he lifted off a bit. He was flying! He stopped the motions from the sheer surprise. And Wilder might choose to place him down now or might not, but Cyg was full of excited gratitude all the same.

"Mama, I flew! Thank you, Mama!" the little half-kitten hybrid proclaimed with enthusiastic awe and love and delight.

@Wilder

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.

@Cyg

Mama purred, and so Cyg happily purred back, the rumbling loud and clear from the bird-cat. "Okay, mama!" he agreed, taking the advice in mind.

As Cyg looked at the ceiling with awe, a yawn came over him, stretching his beak for a moment. Cyg had done a lot of magic today for the first time, combined with being only a few days old.

"Fly... sounds nice," Cyg started, more than a little apologetic, his eye was wide with regret. "Cyg sleepy, though..." the child informed his mama, and then yawned again, glancing back at their home with a sense of longing.

@Wilder

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.

@Cyg

"Mama proud?" Cyg asked, voice hopeful even with the fog of sleepiness overcoming the young child. He contentedly returned to the den, circling around a bit inside, trying to find the best position for sleep.

But then Mama sat down, and Cyg knew exactly where he wanted to sleep. By his mama's side. He stopped there, curling up next to Wilder with yet another beaked yawn. "Sleep good, Mama," he murmured with some degree of tiredness.

Then he was slipping into unconsciousness, sleep consuming him.

[Exit Cyg]

@Wilder

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