The morning sun barely made it past the thick canopy outside the cave, but the dim light was enough to wake Icaris. He blinked against the glow and immediately regretted it when Brass snorted beside him.
"Late again, huh?" Brass teased, his tone like he was announcing the apocalypse.
Icaris rolled onto his side and gave him a look. "No. I was... conserving energy."
Brass snorted. "Conserving your dignity would be a better use of time."
Whisper was already sitting up, wings folded neatly, eyes sharper than ever. "You're falling behind."
"Thanks for the pep talk," Icaris muttered.
Their mother was nowhere in sight, but the air felt heavier. The forest beyond hummed with life, its magic thick enough to taste if you knew how to focus.
"Ready to learn about Aether?" Brass asked, stretching his wings in a way that suggested he already thought he knew everything.
Icaris groaned. "Do we have to?"
Whisper ignored him and stood. "We don't have a choice."
Their mother appeared then, stepping quietly into the clearing. Her scales caught the light, making her look less like a mom and more like a queen. "Today, you start understanding what it means to be dragons."
"Finally," Brass said, "some actual lessons instead of 'don't burn the cave down.'"
Icaris smirked. "Yeah, like I'm the one who started the fire last time."
"Focus," their mother said, voice sharp. "Aether is the energy that flows through everything. It connects us to the world and to each other."
"Sounds like a family reunion," Brass said, grinning.
Icaris raised an eyebrow. "I'd rather have a barbecue."
She ignored the sarcasm and continued. "Our bloodlines determine how we interact with Aether. It shapes your abilities, your strengths, your weaknesses."
Whisper nodded. "So the fire in your chest isn't just fire. It's Aether moving through you."
"Yeah, that's the part I'm good at," Icaris said proudly.
"Fire is just one way," their mother said. "Other dragons draw from earth, air, water, or shadows."
Brass scoffed. "Shadows? Sounds creepy."
"Don't knock it till you've felt it," Whisper said.
Icaris looked around. "So, our lineage decides what kind of dragon we are?"
"Yes," their mother said. "And understanding your lineage means understanding your place in the world."
Icaris frowned. "Great. More family drama."
"Not drama," she said. "Balance."
Brass rolled his eyes. "Balance is just a fancy word for rules."
Their mother's gaze softened. "Rules that keep you alive."
Icaris looked up at the trees, the sunlight filtering through the leaves. Somewhere out there, the forest stretched endlessly, filled with magic, danger, and freedom.
"I want to know how to use this Aether better," he said quietly. "I want to fly higher, burn hotter, live longer."
Brass laughed. "Ambitious."
Whisper smiled faintly. "We'll get there."
Their mother stepped forward and lowered her voice. "To start, close your eyes. Feel the Aether around you. Don't fight it. Let it flow."
Icaris shut his eyes, breathing slow and deep. The world faded until all he could sense was a warm pulse—the fire inside him.
"Good," she said. "Now, reach out. Let your Aether connect with the world."
Icaris imagined tendrils of heat stretching from his chest, reaching out and brushing against the magic in the air. It was strange and powerful.
Suddenly, a small flame flickered at his claw tip, steady and alive.
Brass clapped. "See? Not so bad."
Icaris grinned. "Maybe I'm a natural."
Whisper rolled her eyes. "Don't get cocky."
The day wore on with lessons, practice, and more than a few crashes. Icaris fell, stumbled, and laughed at himself, but he also learned—about fire, about Aether, about the strange pull inside him that promised more.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the hatchlings gathered at the cave's mouth. The forest was quiet, but alive.
Icaris looked out into the darkening trees and felt something fierce stir inside him.
This world was big. Dangerous. Beautiful.
And he was ready to burn his mark into it.