Kootsie

Kootsie is a friend to anyone and everyone.
A joker, he knows every single way to make you laugh. But he definitely has boundaries, and knows when to stop before things get too far. His light wings glow like lights in the black velvet that is the night sky. Kootsie’s incredibly convincing, able to trick the most knowledgeable of dragons. No is not a word in his personal dictionary.
A brilliant hunter, Kootsie is a leader of daily hunting expeditions. His strength is unimaginable; able to handle an imperial ten times his size singlehandedly.
Kootsie sticks by his word, and although he may seem at times childish, Kootisie is no fool.
However, this dragon is far from perfect. Kootsie is often avenged by means of karma, for the traits of his that are…less desirable. He is playful, but sometimes, a dragon that doesn’t understand his intentions might take offense. Kootsie is not by any means disrespectful.
He has never had a mate, but perhaps someday, hopefully someday, Kootsie will find the perfect dragon to love.
Kootsie’s favourite pastime is soaring through the sky, a warm spring breeze carrying him through the air. Sweet scents flooding his nose, the patches of budding wildflowers in the fields below, as he skims past the clouds, sunlight illuminating his wings until they shone like the stars themselves. How he loved the awe-filled cries of hatchlings, waning as he spiraled higher and higher into the sky, until he felt as if he could simply reach up and pluck the sun from its post. The crisp chirping of birds, the thundering feet of beasts, the splashing of fish in warming waters.
But Kootsie was not always like this.
A dark night, a stormy night. The heavens screeched, as Kootsie and his family tried desperately to flee the chaos unfolding behind them. They flew as fast as they could, wings beating frantically as the screams of those not-so-lucky sounded behind them. Kootsie was just a hatchling, struggling to keep up, fighting to keep up.
Alas, he lost sight of his family, and was left alone in the bleak darkness.
Lightning flashed, thunder boomed. Kootsie was terrified, barely able to stay flying. But there was a sudden bolt, a bolt Kootsie swerved. But not in time.
A white-hot pain pierced his entire body, illuminating him like a dying star.
And then he was falling, falling, falling.
Wings broken, heart shattered, soul in pieces.
Kootsie never wanted to fly again.
He cowered at the first sound of thunder, hid at the first sign of a darkening sky. Never again. Never again would he fly again. Kootsie swore on it.
And Kootsie never broke his vows.
But in the clan that took him in, there was a coatl named Roman. Kind and charismatic, the two became fast friends. When Roman learned of Kootsie’s situation, he made it his personal goal to get the scarred dragon back up into the sky, where he belonged.
Through countless words of encouragement, Kootsie’s fear gradually dissolved.
And once again, he was flying, free, a creature unable to control the true delight blossoming in his chest.

It was a dark and stormy night.
A family, a shattered family. Fleeing the wasteland they had once called home. Consumed by the Shade. The once beautiful plains, torn by fire, wracked by the sounds of screaming dragons. A father, who had once amused his children with jokes, now terrified, charging at the front of the flock, shouting out words of encouragement drowned out by the booming thunder. A mother, once so loving, now placing her own life before the ones she had the duty to protect. Their youthful son, outgoing and striving to be just as funny as his father.
The hatchling flapped his wings desperately. He cried out, but his parents were receding into the distance, into the dark, crackling clouds.
“Help-Father, mother, I-can’t-“
He was cut off as the wind suddenly pounded him aside, a sharp bit of debris catching him on the cheek. The young coatl, a once joyful hatchling named Kootsie, cried out, swerving to miss a large branch ripped out of a tree.
Kootsie could only watch as the silhouettes of his parents faded into the distance, screaming pleas only he would ever hear. His breath, whisked away by the howling gale, leaving his lungs empty. His head became lighter, flying with the lightning that flashed like wounds in the velvet air.
It grew harder to breathe; Kootsie’s eyes rolled back into their sockets. He was conscious, but just barely. If only he could sleep, drift away like a leaf lost in the comfortable breeze.
The small coatl opened his eyes just in time to see a blaze flash in front of him. He twisted to dodge.
A moment too late.
A white-hot pain, shooting down his body like a flame. Kootsie screamed, his throat ripping from catching. Agony seared throughout his entire body, from the tips of his claws down to the edge of his feathers.
For a moment, he hung there, suspended in air, an angel illuminated in blinding light.
And then he was falling, a dying star, a phoenix who had lost his wings.
Kootsie landed with a thud on the bare earth, face scraped by rock, but nothing comparable to the unimaginable pain that had numbed him to the core. His eyes fluttered shut.
A bystander had witnessed the accident, an adolescent who, fortunately, was the fastest dragon in his clan. He checked the vitals of the grievously injured hatchling, and when he had confirmed that Kootsie was indeed still alive, frantically flew for help. Roman charged, grabbing two imperials and hauling them with him.
They couldn’t be fast enough. Kootsie was fading fast-breath coming in ragged gasps, eyes rolled back until the whites shone.
The clan saved him, but only could heal his physical wounds. Kootsie’s spirit was damaged, some may say even beyond repair. His newfound fear of flying, his hatred of storms. The wild look in his green eyes at the first hint of the darkening sky.
Roman was worried; his new friend was scarred, scarred by the horror he had experienced. The pale coatl was not one to give up, and made it his personal goal to help Kootsie face his fears.
So many words, so many encouragements, and months of patience, Roman’s efforts paid off.
Now flying is Kootsie’s favourite activity, his joyful laughs, mischievous jokes ringing through the air, wind brushing his face, and Roman by his side, laughing with him.