Kethri fluffed up his feathers and peered at Arquia, eyes shooting down to the berry. He snatched it up and stared at it, before slowly looking at Arquia.

"You have venom," he said, "... Hm. Come."

He took flight and flew off, eyes searching the ground. He circled back around above Arquia, eyes narrowed.

"First, you'll learn to fly, then I'll catch you something and we'll test your venom on it," he said, "That could be useful. Very useful."

Kethri hid the berry away for later, it could be useful. Hm. Evil eyes and this new venom could prove very useful indeed.

"Take a running start," Kethri instructed, perching on a branch, "Spread your wings and try to flap them as hard as you can, and jump. I promise you, flying isn't as bad as you think."

And that was the truth. Flying was amazing, at least to Kethri.

@Arquia

Arquia expected the owl to get angry at her again for wasting food. After all, that's what Kethri was like. Her eyes did not connect with his, but she could feel his burning gaze on her. But nothing came. A comment, then an order to follow. Okay that was good. The small dragon trudged along on the ground until the owl came back with arrowed eyes. Not good.

Sure enough, the owl was going to teach her to fly. Ugh! but Arquia really didn't want Kethri to do the thing again, she was pretty scared of him. But there was something else. She actually liked hearing his voice of approval, and she found herself wanting to please him. And so, she followed his instructions. She couldn't do this, no way. Arquia beat her wings, but not in sync. Left front, right back, left front, right front. She was lifted into the air all right, but the unnatural pattern of her wings caused her to turn circles, finally landing unceremoniously on the ground. It was strange how the more you thought about doing something, the harder it was too do.

@Kethri

Kethri alighted on a branch and looked down at Arquia, watching closely, "An admirable attempt. Flap your wings so they all flap at the same time, or at least your main pair at the same time and your rear ones a bit later."

He fluffed his own wings and swooped down again, landing next to her, "I'll teach you to steer and land once you're in the air. Just keep trying, you'll get it."

It was difficult to sound condescending and encouraging at the same time, but Kethri managed. He flew off again and watched from above, clearing his throat.

"Again!", he said.

@Arquia

Arquia really didn't feel like trying again, especially not after her first mistake, but the owl was not one to be messed with. She brushed herself off a bit, enough time for the owl to demand that she do it again. Flapping her wings, this time trying to force them to go in the same rhythm, she felt herself launched high into the air, thirty feet in fact. The sudden change of height made her wing beats start to go off rhythm, but she managed to stay in one place at least. Her tail curled around a nearby tree branch to try and help her regain balance.

@Kethri

”Fantastic!”, Kethri hooted, flying up to the branch and landing, ruffling his feathers, pride clear on his features, ”That was good. Once you learn to fly, you never forget.”

He had visions of Arquia, terror of the skies, so brilliant and fantastic that it made him puff up even more. Yes, Arquia would be amazing.

”Now, fly higher,” he instructed, ”Once you can fly, I will teach you to hunt. Soon you won't fit in my hollow, and will have to sleep in the branches above, and it'll be a useful skill to learn.”

@Arquia

Kethri's praise meant a lot to her. Not in the way a child feels happy with praise from a parent, or a student from a teacher, but rather, the kind from a servant who has pleased their master. That was what she felt. Then came the next instruction. Higher? Arquia couldn't fly higher, she couldn't! "No. This high good. No higher." her fear of the owl was great, but her fear of flying any higher was greater. The ground was so far down and she was sure her wings would fail her.

@Kethri

Kethri sighed and narrowed his eyes, ”Why.”

Not a question. A demand.

”Higher means you can't be chased by ground creatures,” he said, ”I can't believe you. A winged creature who can't fly high? Preposterous.”

She shook her head and approached the dragon wings spreading, ”Fly. HIGHER!”

@Arquia

Arquia was extremely alarmed by Kethri's dangerous narrowing of her eyes. She did not like that. She really did not like that. The spreading of the owl's wings frightened her, and her tail released the branch. Beating her wings, she obeyed the owl in fear of what would happen if she didn't. Kethri could certainly be very scary.

Unfortunately, her wings had lost some strength as she had beaten them too rapidly and wasted too much energy as she didn't know how to use them very well. When she tried to go higher, they cramped and she was sent crashing onto the ground. Whoops. Hopefully Kethri wouldn't get angry at her for that.

@Kethri

Kethri stared down at Arquia as she fell and raised a wing, dragging feathers down his face with a tired grown. Children... why did so many willingly have these things? They were so... useless. Ugh.

”You'll get it,” he grumbled, taking flight again and landing beside Arquia, ”You have to. You will be amazing and Master Vargas will praise me for my work, for bringing such a fantastic creature into his ranks.”

He preened and placed a wing over his breast, ”Do you know what he'll say? 'I underestimated you, Kethri. You are, indeed, a fantastic doctor and a valuable asset.'”

He would be praised and Arquia hailed as a specimen of great value. A soldier. His child of greatness.

@Arquia

Arquia did not see Kethri's facepalm as she rubbed a bruise on her arm. Oh well, at least she might get out of flying more now. Oh, Vargas that name was mentioned before. "Vargas?" she asked, and wondered who the 'fantastic creature' Kethri was talking about was. Surely couldn't be her.

Then out came some big words that she didn't know the meanings of. Kethri seemed very proud, however. "No more fly. Do something. Else."

@Kethri