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Atlas was sitting on a balcony, leaning against the closed doors. The young drake was hunched over and reading from a library book he held, passing the time as he waited.

His attention was occasionally drawn upwards by the thumping sound of wingbeats, from other dragons flying across the nearby airspace. A quick few seconds' glance was enough for him to discern their altitude, speed, and direction--it was an instinctual action, for a dragon, to understand movement through the air. While you were flying, simple good habit was to watch the airspace around you to make sure you didn't fly straight into another dragon.

But Atlas wasn't flying. He was sitting on a balcony and waiting. Another couple of dragons passed by low overhead, but they flew onwards towards other houses in the neighbourhood. Finally, after a few more minutes, Atlas looked up from his book to see a fledgling with vibrant amber-orange scales flapping her way right towards him, making a speedy approach.

"Skryah!" His friend announced her return home with a roar, or at least the slightly screechy, best-fledgling-attempt at a roar. Jarzyl flared out her wings as she approached, setting her flight scales and slowing down only at the very last moment. The downdraft from her flight caused the pages of Atlas's book to flip.

With a nimble movement, Jarzyl touched down on the balcony ledge right beside Atlas. She grinned, happy to see him. "Why, hello--oh!" Her greeting was cut off midsentence as she missed her step, and her left hindleg slipped off the balcony edge. The young drakka fluttered her wings to try and regain balance, but before Atlas could even try to help, Jarzyl tumbled off the balcony with a dramatic flail of her wings. "Aaahh!!"

Atlas closed his book and stuck out his head to peek over the ledge. Jarzyl and her parents lived at the top edge of a city sector--the City of Wings was made from stone and steel, with numerous vast sectors each the size of a town, all linked together to form the colossal, flying city of the dragons. The top and bottom of each sector was covered in buildings like geometric stalactites and stalagmites, with vast interconnecting bridges spanning between each city sector.

The edge of each sector was considered a prime location to live in, because looking out a window gave a view to the wide-open space towards the next sector, as well as clear view to both the sky above and the ground far below the flying city.

It did, however, also mean that you had to watch your step, because you could literally fall out of the city. Atlas watched as Jarzyl spun through the air.

"Oohh!" With a yelp, the orange-coloured fledgling bounced off the balcony from the neighbouring home located right below, and then she flailed her wings and managed to flip her fall into controlled flight, levelling off and moving away from the vertical metal cliff that was the city sector border before she hit any more balconies. With much flapping of her wings, Jarzyl circled around and quickly climbed back through the open air to land beside Atlas again.

Jarzyl made sure she landed with all four limbs on the balcony this time. Her neck frill drooped slightly, from well-earned embarrassment. She was breathing heavily from the exertion of her rapid flight, and took a moment to catch her breath and fold in her wings neatly. "Ahem. Whew. Hello," she repeated.

Atlas opened a pouch on his flight harness and carefully stowed away the library book he'd been reading. "How is it possible that you are simultaneously the most graceful, acrobatic person I know, while also being the most clumsy?"

Jarzyl winked at him. "Too much energy and not enough patience."

"How do you miss a landing at your own home? You should be familiar with the approach pattern. Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. Hungry, perhaps." Jarzyl fished out a key from her harness and used it to unlock the balcony doors. "You're a little early."

Atlas checked his pocket watch. "I'm not. I'm right on time. You told me to be here... five minutes ago."

"Did I?" Jarzyl used her wings to push aside the curtains, and she strolled into her home. "Caden, Nerlin, and maybe Indry will be coming over later to hang out. But I told them to come over at... three. You're early. It's just you and me, until then." She glanced over her shoulder, throwing a look at Atlas. "Were you waiting long?"

"Just a few minutes." Atlas followed Jarzyl into the living room of her home. "I knocked, but your parents aren't home."

Jarzyl snorted. "They're still out for lunch then. My mother's been eating a lot because of... because." The first thing she did was to head to the side of the living room, where there was a large rectangular glass box placed on a table, with a warm reddish glow emanating from lamps placed in the lid of the box. This was a nesting box, and it contained the most valuable object in the entire home, by far--a single large white ovoid, carefully being kept at the perfect temperature for incubation.

Jarzyl bent down and peered closely at the dragon egg--her future sibling, whenever it eventually hatched. She pointed at the egg, being careful not to bump the glass. "Egg." Then she pointed at a spot right beside the egg, where there was a second, empty slot inside the nesting box. The fledgling glanced at her friend. "Hey, have I told you that my... my mother is gravid again?"

"No, you haven't mentioned that before." Atlas shrugged. He'd had his suspicions. He sat down beside Jarzyl, and the two fledglings stared at the egg in the nesting box. "I suppose your parents are doing a clutch? It's not uncommon."

Jarzyl sighed. "Apparently so. I thought one sibling would be trouble enough. I don't know how I'll deal with two pesky little hatchlings."

"You're an older sister either way. I think it'll be the same. Easier, even. Your two younger siblings can play with each other instead of always wanting to play with you."

Jarzyl made a dismissive sound. "Bah. At least I still have months before I worry about any of this. Can you believe that my father wants to reduce the size of my bedroom, to make a new room for number two and number three? Unbelievable!"

Atlas nodded. "I know how it feels to not have enough of your own space."

"I suppose you would. I shouldn't really complain. I know your room at the clanless home is much smaller." Jarzyl gave him a sheepish look. "No offence."

"None taken, of course." Atlas smiled. "Does it make you feel better about your life, thinking about how much poorer I am than you?"

"It really does. It makes me feel grateful to my clan, and my family." Jarzyl shrugged. "But you'll get your own clan one day. I have no doubt of that."

Then followed a few moments of quiet, comfortable silence. Jarzyl rested her head on the table and continued staring at the egg in the nesting box, her gaze unfocused and distant. "Egg. You know what this makes me think of?"

While Jarzyl watched the egg, Atlas watched her. The warm glow of the heating crystals made her scales look even more orange than normal. "What?"

Jarzyl made a thoughtful noise. "Hmmm... Eggs."

"Eggs?"

"Eggs," Jarzyl confirmed. "I want to make some."

Several thoughts quickly went through Atlas's head, some of which were decidedly not appropriate. The one which finally made it to his mouth was, "Elaborate on this statement?"

"I want to eat something." Turning away, Jarzyl headed to the kitchen and pushed open the lid of the icebox. The frost enchantments caused wispy vapour to wash over her scales as she reached inside to grab several eggs--not a dragon's egg, of course, but instead just chicken eggs, with brown speckled shells. "I'm hungry. I'm going to cook an omelette."

"Ah. Right." Atlas stood at the entrance to the kitchen, watching as his friend moved around. "So that's the type of egg you want to make."

"Easiest type to make. Just throw everything over a fire and stir." Jarzyl grabbed a bowl and grinned at him. "Or did you think I meant something else?"

"The thought did occur to me."

"Heh. What were you thinking of--me making eggs? How bold of you. How tasty." Jarzyl's neck frill perked up, and she had the sheer audacity to even wink at him.

Atlas chuckled. "Funny." He was well familiar with Jarzyl's playfulness and her teasing, which had over the past few months rapidly escalated into what was arguably just flirting--even if neither of them admitted it. Two could play at this game. Casually he walked over to his friend's side as she stood at the counter, and he flipped out his wing to rest it on her back. Jarzyl shivered, just a little, when his scales brushed against hers. "You like having your fun, don't you? You like playing around," he murmured.

Jarzyl tried to crack an egg into a bowl, but she splatted it messily instead. "I got shell in. Bother. You are distracting me."

Atlas opened his mouth to make a snappy retort, then he changed his mind and instead lightly bumped his snout against Jarzyl's shoulder. He sniffed at her neck, then gently nuzzled against her scales, and he stuck out his tongue to lightly lick at a spot that was sensitive. This wasn't difficult--her frill, her scruff, her throat, the side of her neck, the back of her neck, and more--Jarzyl had quite a few sensitive spots.

"Bllragghh." Jarzyl made a sound like she'd been electrocuted, and she trembled and leaned towards him. "Hey. Hey. Oh. Atlas! Heeeyyy. You couldn't have done this before I started? Very distracting! If you don't... don't stop, I will not... be getting these eggs cooked..."

Atlas laughed. It was amusing and addicting to see the effect he could have on Jarzyl, the way he could make her react. He pulled back but left his wing loosely resting against her back. "I've rarely seen you cook before. This is new?"

"No, I've always known how to cook. My father taught me the basics. I don't like to cook as a hobby, but I do like to eat, and these are related." Jarzyl kept picking eggshell pieces out of the bowl. "Are you hungry? I can cook some eggs for you too."

"Didn't you eat lunch at school already?"

"Yes but I'm still hungry. Do you want some or not?"

"Sure. If you're offering food, I'll eat it."

"Alright!" Jarzyl cracked more eggs into the bowl, and with quick movements she stirred in milk, salt, and various already chopped up chunks of meat or vegetable that she took from storage in the icebox. The she went to grab a pan. She opened a cabinet beside the stove, and from the metal rack inside, she drew out a single, red, cloudy-translucent chunk of crystal, gripping it with her claws extended from her paw.

"That's a large fire crystal," Atlas noted.

"High heat means things cook faster!" Jarzyl declared.

Atlas didn't argue, but he did take a step back. He didn't know too much about cooking, but he did know that you were normally supposed to lightly crack then slowly crush a fire crystal, getting it to gradually release its stored magical energy in a controlled manner.

Jarzyl tossed the large crystal onto the flat stovetop, then she smacked the pan down on top of it, completely pulverising the crystal. Flames exploded out from below the pan, briefly engulfing the cookware in a large fireball that rose through the air before dissipating.

Atlas squinted from the brief brightness, but Jarzyl was grinning. As the flames died back down to a more reasonable, yet still intense heat, she grabbed a bottle of oil and sprinkled it into the pan, then tossed in the eggs. They immediately sizzled and started to fry. "Fire is so cool. I really want to get firebreath! Feels like we're overdue to be getting our magical affinities."

"Overdue? I don't think so." Atlas did a quick estimate in his head. "I'd stay it's only around... one fifth of our cohort that has started to show any signs of magical affinity. And arguably no one has properly stabilized magic. It would be earlier than average if you were already showing magic."

Jarzyl used a spatula to impatiently stir her eggs in the pan. "But I want to be better than average. I just can't wait! My father has his carvings all made using his stone affinity, not to mention how he can just rebuild the house however he wants, and my mother heals wounds with a touch. My aunt teleports everywhere--oh_,_ how I wish I could teleport! Magic is so useful! It's unfair that we can't use it yet."

"You think you're ready for it?"

"Of course I'm ready for it! Sure, I wouldn't trust idiot, dumb hatchlings with magical power, but I think we could be trusted. I wish we would get magical affinity at the same time we became fledglings and learned how to fly." Jarzyl gestured at her pan. "Look, I'm cooking. That's a very adult action. I'm mature enough to use magic responsibly!"

Atlas chuckled. "It's not like your mental maturity determines when your magic comes. Two separate development transitions to go from hatchling to adult--the fledgling growth spurt when you get big enough to fly, and then arcanasence when you get magic. They're separate. Sure you might wish they came together, but they don't. It's just biology."

It's biology, but we have science." With a smooth flick of the pan, Jarzyl flipped her omelette over. "Hey, did you know that arcanecese--I mean, arcanence--no, arca... arcana... That word is a mouthful. The change where you get your magic. Arcanasence, yes. Did you know that the age for arcanasence has been getting younger over time? It used to be that people only got magic at age twenty-five to thirty-five."

Atlas hadn't known this. "Really?"

"Yeah, that was mentioned in my history class. Have you ever heard about how when Avaeria was first built, they had both adults and fledglings working on the city construction? Nowadays some people think that was exploitative child labour and harmful to have fledglings working, but that's because in the current day, fledgling means the same thing as juvenile or adolescent. The truth is that back in that era, you were a fledgling for _much_longer. There was less food back then. People grew slower."

"Interesting." Atlas nodded, genuinely intrigued. "Imagine being thirty-five years old and not having your magic yet, and still not being considered a mature drakken. You could be a working adult, building the city, but still a fledgling at the same time."

"It's crazy! Can you imagine? There were people who became parents_before they even got their magic. They were adults, yet they were still fledglings at the same time. That's _insane. All those centuries ago, life was different. Dragons then were so different from dragons now."

"Things have changed," Atlas agreed.

"Besides being able to fly and being able to use magic, there's a third bit of maturity which makes you an adult," Jarzyl cut in, glancing slyly at him out the corner of her eye. "The ability to make eggs. Heheh."

Lifting her pan off the stove, she picked up a plate and poured out the steaming hot omelette, then she used the empty pan to nudge the still-burning flame crystal into a metal-lined disposal box behind the stove. "Behold! I can make eggs," Jarzyl boasted.

Atlas stared curiously. "Really? Can you?"

Jarzyl's confident grin lasted for a few seconds before cracking into mild embarrassment. "Not in that way. I can cook eggs. I can't make a dragon egg. An egg is... a growing little hatchling... who will be a whole new other person who wasn't there before. Made from... nothing? Or half from me? Blast, that is a terrifying concept." The young drakka shook her head firmly. She thought for a moment then glared at Atlas, pretending to be offended. "Have I ever ranted about this to you before? Do you know how lucky you, and your entire collective half of the population is? As part of the fledgling growth spurt you drakes just... get the ability to make an egg, whenever, with minimal effort required on your part."

Atlas raised an eye ridge but said nothing. It was technically true, biologically.

"But for us drakka," Jarzyl continued, waving her pan around, "it takes years more before we could do it, and then it involves going into heat which is the worst. It sounds like the most uncomfortable, bothersome, inconvenient part of life imaginable, and you will never have to experience it, but I eventually will. From the first moment they taught us this adult mature biology whatever stuff in school, I have always thought this was a gross injustice. Ridiculous."

Atlas waited for Jarzyl to finish, then he nodded slowly. "I don't think I have anything to add, but you are correct."

"I'm just saying." Jarzyl picked up her plate of eggs and brought it over to the dining table. Then she went to wash the pan in the sink. "You can eat first. Cut the eggs in two, and we can have half each."

Atlas went over to the sink to wash his forepaw first. Jarzyl stepped aside to let him. Sitting at the dining table, Atlas extended a claw and divided up the eggs, but then he paused. "Thanks. I'll wait for you."

"Ok." Jarzyl impatiently scrubbed the pan with soap and a sponge. "Have you heard the rumour about Exilion?" she asked, mentioning one of their classmates.

"Exilion? I've heard a rumour that she and Flicher are dating now," Atlas replied.

"That's not a rumour, that's confirmed--Caden told me. But I meant, the rumour is that Exilion went into heat this week."

Atlas only paid modest attention to the drama and gossip that constantly played out through their school and class. "Oh. I heard someone joking about that to Flicher, but he denied it. Is it true?"

"No idea. It's just a rumour I heard too. Exilion really is first among our year, isn't she? First to get her magical affinity, and now first to go into heat."

"I think her hatchday is near the very start of the year, so she's got a few more months of age."

"Good point. That must be why she's first." Jarzyl finished soaping then rinsing out the pan, and she hung it on a wall hook to dry. Then she joined Atlas at the dining table, sitting on the floor cushion beside him. "Let's eat!"

Atlas carefully touched the omelette, checking that it wasn't too hot to hold, then he used his paw to break off pieces and start eating. "This tastes great! It's got a good texture."

"Really?" Jarzyl took her own half of the omelette and lowered her head to eat right off the plate. "It does. Huh. I've always been somewhat bad at cooking. Maybe I'm improving."

"Well done," Atlas told her.

The two fledglings kept eating. Atlas ate carefully, whereas Jarzyl just stuffed her face and scarfed down the omelette with her usual impatient speed.

"Can I ask you something?" Atlas said.

Jarzyl nodded. "Ask away."

"So... I take it that you haven't ever gone into heat yet?"

Jarzyl froze, with her mouth half open to bite. Then she blinked and shrugged. "No, I haven't. And I dread that day, whenever it happens! Flying is great, being able to use magic will be great, but this whole heat cycle nonsense is the worst. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. I've read descriptions about it in books, but like you pointed out, it's something that I won't ever get to experience myself."

You're lucky for that." With a shudder, Jarzyl grimaced, but then she casually flicked her neck frill. "Atlas, I trust you. You're a good friend and you have this talent for listening. You listen to whatever I say, and you can understand me better than anyone else. But for all our quality chats, we've never talked about this sort of thing because, ah, because I don't think it matters for you. I've talked about it with Caden, or with Pyxis occasionally, but you are lucky for not having to worry about any of it."

"We can talk about something else if you prefer?" Atlas offered, but Jarzyl shook her head.

"Hey, you want to know something? My clan has its own special education sessions separate from school, once every few months or so, just like many clans do. But one of the things that they taught us Mintaka fledglings, earlier then they teach in school, was all this adult stuff like how eggs are made, and how relationships work."

Atlas nodded. "Yeah?"

"And the first time I learned about what heat was, it really scared me. How my body would go all weird and stinky, or mess with my mood or thoughts--I don't like the sound of that at all." Jarzyl shrugged. "I've only ever told this story to Caden before, no one else. But after I learned that, I went to my mother and asked if I could always be eating that heat suppressor medicine, to make sure I never went into heat, ever." The fledgling let out an embarrassed chuckle. "She said no, of course. Not medically advisable."

Atlas could see how vulnerable Jarzyl was, explaining deeply personal thoughts and emotions. He just tried to listen and empathise. "Are you scared of going into heat?"

"Not anymore." Jarzyl finished off her half of the omelette with one big bite. She chewed quickly and swallowed fast, then licked her paw clean. "It'll happen when it happens, and I'll deal with it. I am prepared. My mother gave me this little bottle of suppressor medicine, and the moment I realize I am actually going into heat, I will chug that medicine down and be done with all of it."

"You mean the medicine that supresses heat temporarily for that one cycle, not permanently, right?" Atlas asked.

Jarzyl nodded. "Yeah. I don't think there's any medicine that can permanently stop a heat cycle, or I'd take it."

Atlas looked at her. "Would you really?"

"Absolutely. The only reason to go into heat is if you want to make an egg, and I don't want to do that ever," Jarzyl insisted, but she immediately hesitated and reconsidered her words. "I think. Maybe. Hmm. Maybe in... in many years, when I'm actually an adult, I'll be mature enough to raise a hatchling, but right now, no, no, no." She gestured towards the living room, where the incubator box was. "I'm more similar to that helpless, useless, immature egg, than I am similar to my parents, who are experienced and responsible and wise--if that makes sense? I'm an idiot. I would not trust myself to nurture a child."

Atlas nodded supportively. "You're not an idiot. But I know what you mean. Don't worry about it."

"I don't worry about it. I take life one day at a time. Hah!" Jarzyl made a light-hearted noise, and she stood up to stroll around the room. "What about you? What are your thoughts about... I don't know, heat, or eggs, or growing up, or all this complicated stuff?"

Atlas took another bite of the eggs. "I have no opinion on heat, since I can't go into heat. As for eggs? Sometimes I do think it would be nice to have siblings. But then again, I feel like the other clanless dragons at the shelter are already my family, even if we aren't related by blood."

"I hear you." Jarzyl was silent for a few moments, then she sighed. "I wish I had magic though. I think it would be so fun to teleport wherever I wanted."

---

Jarzyl impatiently tapped her paws against the table. She stared at Atlas as they sat side by side. "Eat your eggs faster..."

Atlas laughed. "I'm enjoying the food you made. It's tasty and I want to savour it."

Turning around, Jarzyl used her paw to impatiently slap at the tip of Atlas's tail. "Earlier you were being all polite, not starting first and waiting for me. But you didn't need to! You know I can eat faster than you."

Atlas laughed even harder. "Haha. Why the rush?"

"The rush, and there is a rush," Jarzyl replied, "is because Caden, Indry, and Nerlin will be coming over mid-afternoon, and so we need to settle our business before they get here."

"We have business? What business?"

"The business is that you haven't kissed me today, or yesterday, and we are well overdue for that!" Jarzyl nodded at Atlas. "Now the faster you eat your eggs, the faster I can use your mouth!"

Atlas laughed. "Ok, that is a valid reason to rush." He took a bigger bite.

"Not fast enough," Jarzyl muttered. Standing up from the floor cushion, she shifted over and squeezed onto Atlas's cushion, behind him. "I'll settle for some cuddling first..." With a soft sigh, she draped her body over his, hugging him from behind. Jarzyl flipped open her wings and then wrapped them around her friend. "Mmh. Mine."

Atlas used his paw to nudge Jarzyl's wings, from underneath her hug. "I could finish these eggs faster if you let me move my paw."

Jarzyl responded by hugging Atlas tighter, then resting her chin against his shoulder and pressing her snout against his neck to sniff at his scales. "Warm, you're warm, I like it."

"Right then." Giving up on using his paw, Atlas bent down his head to eat right off the plate.

Jarzyl enjoyed the snuggles. It was a good, comforting feeling, to hug her friend tightly and feel the warmth of his body radiating outwards, spreading to her limbs and filling her up. It was familiar, it was calming, and she basked in the sensation. With a soft sigh, Jarzyl closed her eyes and relaxed. "I'm just going to take brief nap."

"Here? Now? While lying on top of me?" Atlas asked.

"Yes," Jarzyl said. And then she did. It was good.

---

END