This is unrefined/unrevised so it may have slight differences from the full chapter.
Note: the notice chapter will be removed soon
I feel like I should clarify something that I should've done a while ago, but haven't due to forgetting it when I'm about to write it
Cinderwing, whilst possessing human intelligence, a fused soul and whatever I mentioned in earlier chapters, is first and foremost a dragon (he could have done better against the Skrill, but a combination of draconic instincts and wanting to fight it "overrode" that idea), his memory of the future is blurred(mentioned in the last chapter) I had more but I can't remember it any more so this is it for now.
Please do consider commenting some suggestions as some of them do help me with completing a chapter a bit faster
"Speech"
'Thought'
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(3rd POV)
(Morning)
It took a while before Cinderwing had begun to convince Heather to follow him to Huttsgalor, something that took a mixture of charades and writing "follow" in the dirt, but he did it in the end. The flight to Huttsgalor was mostly silent, with the only sounds coming from Windshear's wings, the waves of the ocean, and the occasional tidal class dragon that jumped out of the water, before making a large splash as they hit the water. All in all, it was pretty relaxing, and it definitely helped Heather calm down and process whatever she was thinking about.
Cinderwing slowed his pace until he was somewhat next to Windshear—more so in front of her—before doing a quick spin, splashing water in the air that got both her and Heather lightly soaked as they flew through it. Heather grunted with displeasure, whilst Windshear's eyes narrowed as she growled playfully, engaging with Cinder in their water fight whilst being mindful of her rider. Over time, a soft smile grew on Heather's lips, followed closely behind by a chuckle. 'Thank you, Cinder.' She slipped her hand under one of Windshear's scale-plates—more specifically on her neck—and began to gently scratch affectionately.
Heather could feel the tension leaving her dragon's muscles, both from her light scratches and from playing with Cinder. Windshear glanced back at her rider, a glimmer of fondness in her eyes. Laughter ensued as the two dragons continued their playful water fight, with Heather joining in the fun a while later—not that she could do much due to having had to stay on Windshear's saddle, though she still managed to enjoy the moment.
They had continued this until midday, only stopping to avoid being completely exhausted lest they end up being unable to make it to Huttsgalor in one trip. Windshear exhaled loudly, visibly slowing down before taking a breath. "So... you said that there were two kids that could understand us, right?" Cinderwing nodded, not nearly as tired as her. "That's the simplest way of putting it." He replied, before taking a breath of his own. "So, just to be clear, they can translate what I say to Heather, yes?" He nodded once more. Windshear couldn't help the enthusiastic expression growing on her face, nor the giddy feeling in her spines at all the things she could ask Heather.
Cinderwing chuckled. "Hey, don't get too excited. Heather won't talk about her current turmoils in front of strangers, let alone children." He said, spotting one of the first islands that came before Huttsgalor. "Emphasis on the fact that Dak and Leyla are children. Sure they can translate for us, but if all we go to Huttsgalor is that, then are we really friends with them?" Windshear narrowed her eyes in thought, her enthusiasm slowly boiling down to a simmer before glancing at the Night Fury. "I'll try to keep it to 2-3 questions and/or short conversations." Cinderwing smiled, a thoughtful glint came to his eyes when he noticed the silver dragon slowing down unintentionally.
"Hey," he began, getting Windshear's attention. "Since this is obviously not going to be a one flight trip, so let's take a short break." He smiled as a familiar island came into view. "Come on, this is an island I've been to before. You know, the one with the hybrid dragon I told you about." He added, leading Windshear towards the island until they reached the shore of a rocky beach. Windshear moved her head left and right, getting a quick glance of the area as Heather dismounted her saddle, gently rubbing her head before walking over to Cinder and scratching under an ear nub. "Is this where you wanted to bring me, Cinder?" Cinderwing shook his head at Heather's query before attempting to write "rest" in the sand, only to fail and have to perform multiple gestures to get the point across.
"It still baffles me that you can write." Heather muttered, scooping up some sand, watching as it instantly fell between her fingers. "Even though this sand doesn't really let you. You still have other ways to... communicate, no matter how crude they may be." Smoke puffed out of Cinderwing's nostrils to show his annoyance—mainly because of how many he had to repeat those gestures, hence why he called it a terrible game of charades. Cinderwing softly warbled to get Heather to follow him as he moved to get out of the beach and into the nearby forest, until both Heather and Windshear got startled at a native Nadder who got to curious, with Heather instinctively drawing her axe, and Windshear unsheathing her recently acquired back quills.
The three stared at each other for a moment before the Nadder flared its tail spines, growling threateningly, suddenly freezing when it saw Cinder's intense gaze aimed at him before immediately backing away into the dense forest. Windshear turned to him. "What was that about?" Cinderwing smiled. "It has to do with the last time I was here. Though I didn't think the hybrid had that much of a hold on the other dragons, might only be other Nadders though." He mused aloud after answering. "Oh, and you might wanna keep your quills out." He added as they continued trekking through the forest.
(Scene break)