Lucio

---

______ Living in deep caverns had their merits, Lucio pondered. The dark, cosy cave their clan created with their own claws was always just the right temperature, had enough connection to the outside world that the wind could ventilate the stale air out, and with the unassuming rats and bugs their food supply never needed replenishing.

It was a good life. Lucio loved his colony with all his heart, but sometimes when the Moon turned over and a new Sun came up, Lucio wondered what it’d be like going outside. It’s not worth experiencing, the elders told him, it’s loud and bright with way too much unchecked factors we can’t control. Isn’t it nicer in our home, where we know every nook and cranny?

And still… It was a dream of his. No, not leaving the colony, that’d be insanely brattish of him, but just… peek out. Just for a look.

Today however his thoughts were circling on another matter. The new-born hatchlings were chirping excitedly from above him, small claws clutching clumsily at the rocks and vines. What is the Happy Honey Holiday, Lucio? Will it be great, Lucio? When will it start? I bet it’s food. I’m hungry, Lu, I want food. The questions repeated over and over, and Lucio barked a small laugh.

Finally, just to prevent the hatchling’s tumultuousness to reach its peak, Lucio flew down the cave’s floor and opened his wings wide.

“Gather around, kiddos, because this is a story I’ll only tell once.” Or at least this year, he added in thought. The small nocturnes immediately complied, some immediately taking place near him.

Lucio found himself staring down at a dozen pairs of adoring eyes, and he had to stifle his laugh.

“Our holiday originates from the Age of the Gods,” he started. “After they created the world and balanced it between themselves, everything was peaceful and in harmony. But not every God was happy with this situation. One in particular soon became bored. Can you guess who was it?”

“Shadowbinder!” they shouted in unison. Lucio did have to laugh at that.

“Clever lil’ fellas. Yes, it was our good patron and creator, Shadowbinder. He thought that perfection is stupid – it’s like experiencing the same thing over and over, and expecting to discover something new each time, but since it has no flaws, it’s of no use. It’s not fun. But you know what is fun?“ Lucio lowered his voice, and the hatchlings leaned forward. “Pranks,” he whispered and his young audience cheered.

“He thought up all kinds of pranks, creating our shadows to be present even in daylight, creating blind creatures deep-deep underwater, where they became the peer predators.”

“…but what about the honey?” a tiny female nocturne asked, who was getting impatient.

Lucio chuckled. “Oh, the honey. It was Lightweaver’s favourite nectar, the dish of the Gods, which flow like golden water and had the sweetness of Windsinger’s laugh. It was truly not for any ordinary dragon to taste. Now, as Shadowbinder fooled around with nature and creation, he got this brilliant idea.”

He paused for dramatic effect and looked around before continuing softly. “He stole the honey from Lightweaver.” An appreciative gasp from the hatchlings. “It was a masterpiece. He visited her at night, when her glorious light didn’t shine, and under his trusty shadows, he snatched the recipe of honey. Oh, but Shadowbinder is no fool. He knew that if he gave it to us nocturnes, the trick would be out before he could say Earthshaker’s shake of earth, but he also couldn’t keep it, because with that he would surely bring the wrath of Lightweaver on himself.”

“So instead, he ate the recipe, and in the night he distributed its knowledge in the dreams of the small, innocent creatures.” He mimicked a buzzing sound, gently vibrating his wings. “The bees.”

One purple hatchling moaned. “Oh no, not the bees!” At the others’ confused stares he elaborated with a pained expression. “They are crunchy and they sting.”

“That may be true,” Lucio nodded, “but they are the reason Happy Honey Holiday exists, because on this feast, today, every nocturne in our clan gets to have a taste of the God’s nectar!”

Just as he announced that, the elders flew into the cave, each carrying a hand-made basket of the sticky golden fluid. The hatchlings almost crawled over each other to get a piece for themselves first. Yes, Lucio thought as he slurped on a honeycomb in delight. Maybe the outside world can wait just a little bit longer.


Pippa loved to be a beekeeper. She loved the soft, exotic of flowers on the fields, the bright and warm weather of summer, the breeze which played with her fur whenever she was outside, the buzzing sound of her little helpers collecting nectar.

But more importantly, she especially loved the produce of her and the bees’ work – the honey. Oh, yes, the brightly shining nectar, so sweet and sticky it stuck on her scales if she wasn’t careful.

It wasn’t just that though, she pondered as she carefully collected the combs from the artificial beehive. She carefully filtered out any grit that might have stuck in it, making sure that the end product was almost see-though without bubbles in it; pure, clean nectar. After that she poured it back in the cleaned comb. She believed that the natural flavour cannot be trumped by any kind of artificial seasoning; the bees worked day after day for their honey, it just wouldn’t do to mess with it.

She collected the combs into baskets, making sure that nothing dripped in the process, and took off to her first destination - a cavern not far away from her place.

The nocturne elders she met with every year that time called her half-jokingly the Priestess of the Golden Nectar. They were never degrading, and actually respected her (not like her family, who wanted her to become an aviator; what a joke).

It was a good day with no strong wind current, so she didn’t have to concentrate that much on balancing, like two years ago… agh, better not to mention that year, she didn’t want to jinx herself. A few minutes later, the hidden cave came into view; if she didn’t know where to look, she never would have found it. There were half a dozen of dragons already waiting for her and as she slowed down to steady herself mid-air for the landing, two grey-scaled nocturne flew up to take off her load. They bowed their heads, murmuring Priestess under their maw with a wide smile. She gently tittered, and with a satisfied chirp she landed before the eldest nocturne.

She tilted back her head to show her throat with respect. “Chief Gentlebreeze, it’s good to see you.”

Gentlebreeze’s once deep mahogany scales faded with time into a dull dusty-colour, but his purple eyes still held that fire which indicated his still youthful spirit. “And you too, Priestess Pippa! We have many of a dozen hatchlings to surprise.” He flashed his teeth with mischief as he eyed the gathering around them. “And of course we are also glad that you came. Some of us even counted the Moons to this day. I hope you had a trouble free journey.”

Pippa smiled, and passed her baskets to the other nocturnes impatiently swinging on their feet.

“It was, thank you! I came as soon as I could. I still have many other nests to visit, but if you allow it, I would like to take a peek at the hatchlings briefly.”

The look on the hatchlings faces sticky with nectar as they tasted their first sip with the obvious surprise and glee, she decided as she looked into the cave, was what made her love this work the best.

---

---

---

Wind Flight June 3 Gemini

height: 4,12m weight: 697,1kg wingspan: 6,17m

hobby: daydreaming collects: frogs favourites: the smile of hatchlings