Peyote's eye shot wide. "W-what's going on guys!" His tail immediately went limp and he retracted it from around Vireo's.
Apex, a large dragon with scales the color of gold with a stroke of a darker yellow running down his spine, strolled forward. He had a wide, toothy grin and amber eyes similar to Vireo's. Beside him, Scoria, who was a bit smaller but looked quite graceful in Vireo's humble opinion, flicked her tail impatiently. Her scales were a dark, smoky ochre color, and her eyes glinted like hot coals.
"We were just walking around," Apex said with a gesture of a wing. He took a step forward. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Pretty much the same," Peyote replied. It was common for dragons to bask at the fields, so running into them wasn't that rare.
"That's great! We can share more info about the flight to the island then," Scoria beamed. Her gaze ended up on Vireo and she added, "did Peyote tell you the plan?"
Vireo shook his head. "Just that it was happening in two days."
"Then this is the perfect chance for us to fill you in some more," Apex mentioned.
"That would be awesome," Vireo said, blowing a small bug off of his snout.
Apex nodded, his amber eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Alright then! The main thing is, we need to leave before sunrise. The currents are best then, it gives us the most daylight for the journey, and no dragons are on guard. I'm sure most know its general direction, but we're pretty sure its somewhere off shore in front of the bell tower."
Scoria took a step closer, her coaly eyes fixed on Vireo. "And we'll be flying in a V-formation. Apex will lead, of course." She gave Apex a quick glance. "It helps with the wind resistance, makes it easier for everyone, especially on a longer flight like this. We'll have some other dragons coming with as well."
"Peyote already knows the route, mostly," Apex added, "but we'll stick together. No one goes off on their own, understand? Safety first." He tapped his claw on the ground for emphasis. "It will take a while to get there and come back as well."
Vireo's brow furrowed. "How long?" He asked.
"About four hours there and back," said Apex.
Vireo's eyes widened a little. "Four hours? Wow, that's... a good stretch of flying." He flexed his wings slightly, as if testing them just thinking about it.
Peyote chuckled. "It is. But the island is worth it, trust me. Lots of interesting things there."
Scoria nodded in agreement. "And we'll be landing on the island for a bit, of course," she explained. "It's not four hours of non-stop flapping without a break. We'll rest and explore before heading back."
Apex puffed his chest out a bit. "Exactly. Plenty of time to see the sights, maybe even catch a tasty fish or two if we're lucky. The currents around the island are usually good for that. I heard there are many of those unique primates on the island as well. Cloth Monkeys, Scaled Monkeys, and a few others."
"Oh yeah," Peyote exclaimed, quivering in excitement. "That's one of the reasons why I'm so looking forward to this! Remember the tricks they did at studies? They're super intelligent apparently."
"Makes them annoying to hunt," Scoria scoffed, shifting her weight. "They don't even taste that good. And they're so rare to come across as well."
"You've eaten them?" Vireo asked.
"Yeah," Scoria nodded. "Not worth it. The screeching they make is terrible as well."
Vireo shivered. He always was fond of the various unique primate groups. He'd never eat them. They were so different from the average cow or antelope.
Apex chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. "Well, to each their own, Scoria. But even if you're not planning on a monkey snack, they are quite a sight to behold. Especially the Cloth Monkeys, with their bright, cloths they wear and the fur on their head."
Peyote nodded eagerly. "And the Scaled Monkeys are so shiny! Almost like tiny dragons, but they stand on two legs at all times. It's fascinating." He looked at Vireo. "You'll see, Vireo. The wild ones are apparently much more energetic than the captured ones in the study hall."
Vireo managed a small smile, though Scoria's words still made him a bit uneasy. "I'm sure they are," he said, trying to sound enthusiastic. He glanced at Scoria, then quickly looked away. "So, um, what else should we know about the flight? Anything we need to bring?"
Apex shook his head, the golden scales on his neck shifting. "Not much, really. The island has fresh water, and like I said, we can hunt if we get hungry. Just bring yourselves and be ready for a good flight."
Scoria chimed in, "And maybe a good attitude. Four hours is a long time to listen to complaining." She gave a playful nudge to Peyote with her snout.
"Hey! I'm always in a good mood when there's exploring involved," Peyote protested, puffing up his chest slightly.
"The most important thing is to get a good night's sleep the night before," Apex said, his voice turning a bit more serious. "We leave at the crack of dawn, and we don't want anyone falling asleep mid-air." He winked, but there was a firm note in his tone. "So, eat well tonight and tomorrow, rest up, and meet us at the usual spot by the river, just as the sun starts to peek over the mountains. Got it?"
"Understood," Vireo confirmed.
Apex and Scoria took their leave, leaving Vireo and Peyote alone again. The sun was high in the sky at this point, radiating heat on their scales. Vireo and Peyote played some games together, like re-trying the tail-wrestling match (Vireo won), playing catch with a ball they found, and tag with some of the dragons they knew from their study hall.
Vireo and Peyote spent the next couple of hours thoroughly enjoying the warm day. After their games, they found a patch of juicy sunberries and gorged themselves, their snouts stained purple. They then lay side-by-side on a sun-warmed rock, lazily watching the clouds drift by, pointing out shapes they saw – a grumpy-looking badger, a sprawling mountain range, even one that Peyote insisted looked like Apex trying to swallow a whole cow. Laughter echoed through the field. Later, they even tried a bit of synchronized flying, practicing some simple turns and dives, though Vireo was still a bit wobbly compared to Peyote's more confident swoops.
As the sun began its slow descent towards the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Vireo knew it was time to head home. "I should probably get going," he said, stretching his wings. "Mom will be wondering where I am."
Peyote nodded. "Yeah, me too. See you in two days then, super early!" He gave Vireo a friendly bump on his shoulder.
"Definitely," Vireo replied, a thrill of anticipation mixing with a tiny knot of nervousness in his stomach. He took to the air, circling once to wave a wing at Peyote before angling towards his own home.
As he flew, the wind cool against his scales, he thought about the island trip. Four hours there and back, plus some time on the island... so maybe five, six hours total? That's not too bad, he thought. I'll be back before it even gets dark. It's just a slightly longer day out. I can do this. The thought of seeing the Cloth Monkeys and Scaled Monkeys in the wild, as Peyote described, was genuinely exciting.
He swooped down and landed onto the small patio at the front of their house. Their house was quite boring, to say the least. Grey, stoney, not much design. Just a few carved patterns, but it worked as a house. His mom would definitely be home by now. He wasn't that excited to see her—not because of the shattered pot that she'd inevitably get mad about—but because of her perpetually pissy attitude in general. Well, it felt like that at least. His dad wouldn't be home for another week. Some diplomatic mission with a nation of Fire-Claws. He didn't know the exact name of the nation. The nation he lived in, Ventifact, mostly consisted of desert dragons. Or Sand-Claws as other dragons call them.
He turned the knob and pushed open the heavy wooden door. The inside of the house was just as plain as the outside. Grey stone walls, a simple wooden table and a couple of chairs in the main living area. The air smelled faintly of herbs and something cooking, probably dinner.
Xylia was standing by the stone hearth, stirring a pot with a long wooden spoon. Her tan scales dotted with patterns of auburn scales seemed to reflect the dim light of the den. She glanced over her shoulder as he entered with her strikingly blue eyes, her expression unreadable.
"You're back," she stated, her voice flat. It wasn't a warm welcome, but it wasn't angry either. Just neutral, which to Vireo often felt like disapproval. What Vireo was surprised about, was that the shattered pot had been entirely cleaned up and he hadn't been lectured yet by his mother. It might be a miracle, maybe she's just tired from working all day, he thought.
"Yeah," Vireo replied, closing the door behind him. He shuffled his feet slightly.
"Dinner's almost ready," she said, turning back to the pot. "Been out all day, I suppose?"
"Just playing with Peyote and some others at the fields," he said, trying to sound casual. "I'll be out all day today and tomorrow, probably"
Xylia made a small noise, a little "hmm" that could mean anything. "Well, wash up. And don't forget you have your chores tomorrow before you go running off again."
"I won't," Vireo said.