The Dawn’s Dusk - 6. Chapter 6- Sepherus's Sister

"Rhyad."

My wide eyes sought out the Scholar. I was more distracted than I had any right to be. Eld Emery deserved my complete focus while he taught. However, my thoughts kept drifting back to the events of the day before. When I was a whelp, I felt that my problems and behaviors would somehow sort themselves when I became an adult wyvern. The way I had hidden in shame under the scolding of my mother was a reaction I had duped myself into believing was long gone.

"Eld Emery, is there a way to stop reacting a certain way….especially if it makes you appear childish?" I asked aloud.

The ebony wyvern didn't respond right away. He reached out a hand to cradle one of the blossoming plants in his hand. Thieplum, if I wasn't mistaken.

"Each person is as diverse as the plants that thrive within the many biomes of our planet," He began. "Some require little to thrive. Others need more dedication. The same goes for our emotions and how we react to them." His lavender eyes sought mine, and, for a moment, I caught a glimpse of the pain behind them.

"You must learn to take a moment to think as soon as the reaction begins," Emery continued. "It takes much practice to be able to catch yourself amid rising emotions, but when you can separate yourself from them, you will finally be able to react in the way that you want."

To me, it sounded like learning how to dance or learning an ancient, complex language. In regards to emotions, I felt that my brother and I were similar. We were both quick to show them. But, Owin tended to recover faster. I must have appeared troubled about it because Emery called my attention to him again.

"Rhyad, even I can't manage to catch all of my reactions, especially when caught by surprise," He admitted. "It's even more important to forgive yourself whenever you do fail to catch yourself. As much as some wyverns appear to have it together, everyone struggles in one way or another...like how I ended up growling at your mother."

I shook my head at the thought. If someone as calm and collected as Emery was able to move past the moments where he reacted in ways he wasn't proud of, then I needed to give it my all, as well. I wanted to make him proud.

"Then, I'll never stop trying," I stated.

The Eld reached over to brush a flower petal off my shoulder. But, the warm hand remained there, grasping firmly, as he glanced down at me. His gentle smile took me by surprise. The contrast of those white teeth with that dark skin was both stunning and lovely.

"Never compare your progress through others. Trust in yourself more." He advised, shifting my attention from his facial features to the words coming out of the melodious mouth. "Now then, can you name this plant and its properties?" Emery questioned as he motioned towards it.

I recognized the colors almost immediately. The bright blue splashed with violets, warm pinks, and white was what had inspired me to draw it. How could such a beautiful plant be so deadly?

"I-Iloden," I answered. "The colors warn that it's poisonous. Mainly used to temporarily stun pests and frighten them away from crops."

"Correct. Plants like Iloden, Mialat, and Riulean can become dangerous in the wrong hands. It's far too easy to misjudge the dosage," Emery explained. "I frequently argue with vendors about it. Only learned botanists should have access to that kind of raw vegetation."

Too much Iloden could kill entire swarms, as it would deprive them of air for too long. My hand subconsciously pressed against my collarbone. I knew very well what being deprived of air felt like. So, I firmly agreed with Emery about the danger of high doses.

"In addition to what you've learned, I want you to familiarize yourself with the scent, texture, and taste of the plants on your list," Emery instructed. "Be sure to wait for half a day between each tasting sample that I provided you with."

"I'll do my best," I replied. The Scholar's doses were safe to consume and only resulted in mild side effects. Plants, especially the ones assigned by Emery, fascinated me. If only I could tell Owin everything I had learned and how excited I was to continue.

The platinum-haired wyvern sent me an encouraging smile. "All that's left is to take your dedication to your studies and apply it towards flying."

My body tensed up when he mentioned the "F" word. I took a deep breath and tried to focus. What were his words? Try to catch my own reactions? My father had shoved me off a cliff during a storm on my first flight. Emery was far too kind and proper to do such a thing. That fact alone helped bring my heartbeat back down.

"Understood. I won't give up," I replied. The words were forced, but I was determined not to let the Eld down.

"I'm glad to hear that," Emery stated. "By the way, Sepherus will be joining us today."

"Vis Sepherus?" The squeak that escaped me filled me with embarrassment. "Isn't he too busy for this sort of thing?"

"He volunteered on his own," the older wyvern responded. I could have sworn I saw the tiniest flash of anger in those lavender eyes. But, I didn't know whether it was good or bad.

::

Vis Sepherus was agile in his winged form. He wasn't much bigger than Emery. The scales were a viridian green, the frills were jet black, and those turquoise eyes were as lovely as ever. Despite the alpha's size, Seph's flying technique was graceful. The ability to glide for such an extended amount of time screamed skill. That was the control in flying that I longed for.

My head tilted back as the green wyvern soared higher and began to perform aerial maneuvers that I was certain even my brother couldn't match.

"Tch!" Eld Emery grumbled. "I thought I told him not to show off. That is not the point of this lesson."

The two of us remained in our squill forms on the ground. Emery had Sepherus spread his massive wings earlier and pointed out the different joints and their purpose. At first, he had Sepherus show me maneuvers for regaining balance after different kinds of disturbances, such as sharp gusts of wind. But, I felt that our patron's zeal for flying was just as helpful as the lessons themselves. All I needed was a fraction of the Vis's confidence to keep pushing ahead.

When I glanced over, the Eld had his back towards me. Platinum hair that was usually tied back tidily was in disarray. Had he been rushing? The older man seemed to go out of his way to provide me with the Crafts and skills I needed to live independently without fear. My admiration towards him grew by the day. The only problem was figuring out how to repay that kindness.

The ground began to rumble at my feet, startling me right out of my thoughts. "Wh-what is this?"

"Rhyad!" Emery called out as he rushed towards me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I was able to see what he was shielding me from by craning my neck to the side. Several omegas in their winged forms all but stampeded past us in their hunt for Sepherus.

Though omegas were smaller in form than alphas and most betas, they were still at least twice the height of a wyvern in squill form and five times as long. The group that passed us by was as colorful as one of the Eld's best gardens, but we could still feel their collective movements beneath our feet. In their haste to catch up with our aerial patron, they barely peered down enough to curb their way around us.

"Azure above," I whispered when they were gone. As startling as it was, a small part of me found it funny. An alpha in the sky could be spotted from miles. Emery was right. "Now I see why you told him not to show off."

The ebony wyvern was unusually quiet. When I turned my gaze back to him, his lavender eyes were already on me. I found no humor in them. In fact, I couldn't even decipher what I saw in them.

"Eld Emery?" I questioned softly as I curled my hand around the side of the arms that were still wrapped around my shoulders. The warmth of them was comforting. Somehow, it made me feel safe.

The Eld sighed and lowered his head. "My apologies," he responded as he took a few steps back. "Why don't you start heading back? I'll check in on Sepherus."