The Story of Icarus

The vermin had shot him down 20 leagues ago. Luckily, he flew close to a river and fell into it as an escape. They had gotten crafty, scarily good at hunting his kind for being so small and weak. Icarus shifted uncomfortably, the wound trickled blood slowly. How shameful to be lying here when he belonged in the sky. He needed time for his magic to heal him and unfortunately the wooded area seemed the safest place. He huffed and shifted his wings, stopping his movement suddenly at the snap of a twig. A low rumble began deep within his chest as he prepared for whatever may come. He didn't think the humans could follow him so far and so fast being as slow as they were. The rumble abruptly stopped when he beheld a small human, staring at him wide-eyed and bearing its teeth. "Are you proud of yourselves to see me in such a state?" The small human's mouth fell open as it took several hesitant steps towards him. "Back away you filthy mongrel," he growled, laying his head down between his mighty paws. The tiny human did not listen. It instead continued its tottering journey towards him. It smelled like a man, but with that sweet smell of innocence. No ounce of fear. A man child then. Its hair at the top of its head was wild, dirt smudged every space of tanned skin. It wore a filthy, tattered piece of clothing. Lost? Or abandoned? Icarus wondered. Either way he figured, the small thing would not last long in the wilderness. One less dragon hunter then. The toddling thing finally reached him, placing his small hands between his nostrils. He huffed a breath that ruffled the child's hair. One of the most beautiful sounds Icarus had ever heard came out of the child's mouth. A laugh, he realized. He didn't know humans could make such noises. He had only ever heard them scream. Yet, here this small human was making a noise as beautiful as the wind on his face and the sun warming his scales. The child looked at him expectantly. Icarus chuckled at the look, the movement causing the child to fall. The familiar screaming came with tears but the small child looked so pathetic, Icarus felt a twinge of guilt. The child sniffled and said, "Bad Birdy!" He wailed and pointed his finger at the dragon. "I'm sorry little one," he responded, bemused. A mighty dragon being swayed by something as small as his claws. One flick of his claws and the thing would be dead, however it trusted him. Implicitly. "It okay Birdy." The child said, wiping his teary face with a dirty arm. Icarus grimaced at the filth. "I am no bird, Child. I am a mighty dragon!" He huffed again, sending the child into laughter as the air ruffled the child's clothing.

The child got up and walked towards Icarus. Apparently, once the human had set its mind towards something, nothing could stop it. However, this time it ignored his head all together and went to his side. He looked up and said, "Oh no!" The child looked at Icarus with worry. "Owie?" The dragon chuckled, "It's okay, little one. It will be better soon." The child gingerly touched his side and sighed. It leaned his head against the dragon, pressing its lips against his hide and said, "Mwah! All better!" And fanned his hands out as he looked up. The dragon felt a warm sensation within him as he peered at this small child. The child's eyes grew big as he stared up and climbed up on his leg. It teetered unsteadily on his leg as it reached its small fingers towards the sky. He screeched in frustration. "The sky is quite high, little one." Icarus stated, peering up through the trees. The sun peeked through the branches, falling upon the toddler like a holy ray of light. The boy looked at him with a frown and reached again. This time, the mighty dragon realized it was not the sky, but his wing the child wished to touch. He let his wing sag lower for the child to touch. "Birdy…" the child whispered as he touched his leathery wing. He pet the wing several times as Icarus watched him. "Dragon." Icarus corrected. He stopped petting and looked at the giant eye of the dragon. He jumped when the dragon blinked. The child sat on his arm and placed both hands upon his scales, bending forward until his nose almost touched the dragon's scales. "Pretty!" He yelled suddenly sitting up and slapping his hands on his scales. "Pretty Birdy!" Icarus laughed as the child continued to slap his golden scales. "You humans sure are set in your beliefs." The child looked to his right and stopped slapping his leg. He slid off his arm and walked towards the water and stared. Icarus became nervous, knowing that humans weren't strong swimmers and he assumed the especially tiny ones definitely were not. The child pointed to the glittering water and looked at the dragon. "Pretty Birdy!" He yelled again. Then turned and stared at the water more. Icarus turned his attention to the water. The sun bounced and shined off the water as it rushed past. A river of jewels. A fish broke the surface and disappeared in the glittering water. The child screeched in delight. "Silly fishy" he said, shaking his head.

Icarus watched the child in amazement. He had thought humans to be a destructive plague on the world. Everything they touched they destroyed. Yet, here was a young one. They were inherently curious. They were appreciative of the beauty around them. They were accepting of others and caring. They were remarkable, yet he was not wrong that they were also destructive. Their minds are hard to change. They live for such short amounts of time that their histories became muddled and they forgot that there was much more to life than survival. Icarus was no fool. He knew that he could not leave the child alone without guaranteeing his death. Yet to stay with the child might guarantee his own death. The fates, god's, or the masters that be put this child on the path to him. He had a choice but he knew what he would choose without a thought. He was one of the mightiest beings in this world. How mighty would he be if he walked away? If he stayed? The child curled up next to Icarus. Icarus curled his tail around them and laid his head next to the tiny child. His breathing was fast yet calm while he slept. Icarus smiled.

Hours turned to days, days to months, and months to years.

The dragon and the boy grew together. They played together, hunted together, flew together. Icarus named the boy Daedalus. Daedalus was special in many ways. He was able to see the beauty in all things, he laughed easily and readily, he was understanding, and he was a builder. Daedalus built many things. He built himself shelter, food storages, even things to help him sow the earth and wash his clothes. He made himself a saddle when he was 6 in order to fly with Icarus. When he turned 16 he made a device to help a local village bring in water from far away when their well dried up. Daedalus was a giver and Icarus was proud of the human his boy had become. Icarus and Daedalus enjoyed discussions together about the world they lived in, things they saw, what they would change. Daedalus liked to make everything seem beautiful, and Icarus started to forget the ugly things he hated, the sorrows he had before he met Daedalus. Icarus also forgot some of the things he loved. Sometimes they came up in conversation and Icarus remembered them fondly, but he had made his choice years ago. He chose to leave that world behind, and the world of his brethren to watch his human grow. He was content with those memories because the world that Daedalus saw, was the world Icarus wanted to see.

The boy and the dragon became renown. The help they brought villages spread faster than wildfire. Sometimes they would stay near villages for a time. They became part of the village, started to grow roots, but Daedalus never wanted to stay in one spot. The older he got, the wilder his heart became. He wanted to see more, do more, experience more. Icarus was obliged to show him. Until one day they arrived to a village that would not accept Daedalus in. "I don't understand these mad men!" He fumed. "Why won't they let us talk to their people? Why won't they let us in?" Icarus smiled and huffed a breath. "Calm yourself little one. This was bound to happen at some point. A dragon cannot go everywhere with you." Daedalus looked at him exacerbated. "Obviously not, you're huge. But why leave me out?" Icarus flicked his tail. "Well you might call me in anyway." Daedalus ran his fingers through his windblown hair. "Good point. Well I suppose we better make our way forward." Icarus sighed. "You know, my child, the closer we get to the human king, the more villages like this we may come across." The child crossed his arms and began to pace the clearing in the woods. "What a fool of a king to think you a danger because you come in the form of a beast. Does he not converse with his subjects? Does he not venture to his peoples and see the help we have brought?" Icarus chuckled. "Here here, we should crown you king! For who could stop a man with a beast?" Daedalus paused. "I see your point, Birdy, however I do not see the path." The mighty dragon spread his wings in a stretch or to dispel an emotion he had never felt. "I do, " he said. The boy looked at the dragon, his eyes as wide as they were when he first met him. That day felt lifetimes away and yet as if it were just yesterday. My how tall his child had grown. How strong he was. "It is time for you to become your own man. Find your place in their world. I've given you all I can give, my little one. There are some things in life, you'll find, that you must learn and experience yourself. They are lessons that I cannot help you learn." It was something he had realized a while ago, but never had the courage to say. He so desperately wanted to see the world that Daedalus saw. The one he had created. But Icarus knew, probably from the day he chose to stay, that he could not follow his child forever. He knew he would have to let him spread his own wings, per say, and fly on his own. "Do you not love me, Birdy?" The child's eyes pleaded with the dragon for an answer. "My child," he said. "I love you more than the sun on my scales or the wind in my face. I love you more than the sparkle on the water or the fire in my breath. You have grown too big for me. I love you enough to know that you can grow much bigger than I can stand. So, my child, I must let you go so you can grow into what you were meant to be." Daedalus sighed. "I will make you proud. Just know that a piece of me stays with you, for I will never be completely me without you." Icarus flicked his tail. He did not say what he truly thought, which was that Daedalus took his whole heart with him. That he would forever fear the humans he so long ago hated. Not for himself, but for the Child, no, the Man who now held his heart and forever would. "Let us have one more flight together. Let us go to the next village over. You can set us down just outside and we can part ways then." Icarus bowed his head. "Of course."

They feasted in their usual way. Found a spot near water and under the trees to sleep. They felt each other's warmth for the last night, knowing that tomorrow they would part ways and begin new journeys of their own. Icarus found sleep difficult as he looked up at the moon and the stars. However, he did not see. Instead he saw their first hunt, his first invention, his smile, his laugh. He saw those first few years where falling was an every day thing. He saw him run and jump and climb. He saw him learning to talk, question, and look. He saw him talking with villagers, laughing with them, fighting beside them. The mighty dragon looked down at the small human and saw his whole world sleeping like he did the first night he met him. Daedalus would be okay without him.

The next morning both were quiet. The broke camp and Daedalus climbed in the saddle. They flew high, the morning sun casting shades of pink and orange throughout the sky, kissing the clouds. The crisp air filled the dragons lungs, energizing and cleansing him. Judging by the breathing, Daedalus was feeling the same. After some time of companionship, Icarus landed them in a clearing a few miles out from the village. Daedalus began to unsaddle the dragon as they talked about future plans and stressing the importance of meeting up in the future to share what they had been doing. Just because they were to live separate lives, didn't mean they never had to see each other again, Daedalus pressed. Icarus knew he'd always be able to find Daedalus. His deeds would follow him wherever he went. As the Man finally unsaddled the Dragon they heard chain mail and horse hooves. "Hark! State your name and business!" A man yelled towards them a top his white steed. Daedalus bowed. "I come to learn trade in the city." The horses nickered and swayed. "Why do you bring a beast with you?" Icarus flicked his tail, but did not say the retort that came to mind for fear or ruining any chance Daedalus had of starting new. However the Dragon felt the Man's anger bubbling. "This is no beast, for he taught me more civility than you have shown in this short meeting." Icarus shook his head. "I mean you no harm human, for I was just leaving." The man a top the horse took notice of the saddle on the ground. "You are a dragon rider? The seers for told of a Dragonrider. They said he used his dragon to destroy the world as we know it. They saw him burn the whole world down." Icarus laughed. "This boy has done nothing but help others. He has a large heart made for building, not destroying." The horses nickered again. "Hush you foul beast, for we have not asked for you to speak!" Icarus again held his tongue. Daedalus, did not. He unsheathed his sword, "I will not permit you to speak to him in such a manner any longer. He has not threatened you. All he has done is breathe the same air and speak the same language as you. Can we not assuage these feelings by thinking thusly?" The men looked at each other and nodded. "You stand to make a good point. We shall escort you to the city. The dragon cannot come." Icarus moved his head to level ground as Daedalus. "Thank you for all you've shown me." Daedalus chuckled, "Isn't that my line, Dragon?" He placed his hand between his nostrils, like he had done eons ago. "I shall see you soon." And left without looking back.

The Dragon was not comfortable with the terms of this departure, so he stayed within the clearing to ensure the Man was happy with his decision and had no changes of heart. Icarus had a heavy chest. He curled up under the moonlit sky and closed his eyes. He awoke to a familiar scent and voice. A steady quick tapping on his nose. He opened an eye to find Daedalus panting and looking distraught. "Dragon, you must leave! Quickly! They are talking about killing you! I could not dissuade them." Icarus shifted, Daedalus moved away and looked over a shoulder. He unsheathed his sword, "Leave the dragon be!" He hollard. The dragon heard only the twang of an arrow being let loose. Daedalus batted the projectile away, rage and fear consuming his scent, a familiar scent to Icarus of the humans. He had not smelled it on his Man before. He smelled it on the men in the forest. "I do not mean you harm, humans. I mean for my human to be safe." Icarus remained laying, in an attempt to appear less threatening. "Your human? Is he a pet?" The dragon chuckled. "He is more free than I." Daedalus looked back to the dragon with a questioning look, but the look cost him. At the distraction, a mechanical sound filled the air and a thick, wet thump. The dragon could not stand to see the face of pain Daedalus made as he saw the shaft of a thicker than normal arrow protruding from the dragon's side. "More craftiness from my foes I see." The time for diplomacy had ended, for fear had clouded sense. With a mighty swing of his tail and a loud roar, Icarus destroyed the trees around the clearing and leapt to his feet. The men in the trees yelled as the trees fell on them. Daedalus clambered up his side and grabbed hold of one of his spikes. Icarus took flight.

The sun was not yet up, but the coming morning was bright and crisp. The sweet smell of apples and berries filled the air as the sound of birds filled their ears. Icarus landed swiftly on top of a hill. The sun peaked out from its resting place. "What a beautiful morning." Icarus sighed. Daedalus promptly slid down the dragon's side to inspect the wound. "It is deep…" Icarus knew it was more than that, as his legs felt weak and his mind clouded. He lay gingerly on the hill and looked at the Man before him. "My magic will not help me this time, little one." This, he thought, was better. Dragons had long lives, humans lived but a fraction. To watch him grow and die would have been too much. "But what will I do without you?" The dragon could not determine whether he was speaking or thinking, but the Man heard him anyway. "You will grow, just like we've talked about." The boy sobbed and the Dragon opened an eye to see the boy as we had when he first met him. "You are a brave young boy. Don't take the path of revenge. Do not be like them, but teach them how to be like you." The dragon lifted his heavy head and the boy touched his nose. With the touch, the Dragon bestowed the last and only give he could think of. The remainder of his magic coursed through Daedalus. He filled it with love, protection, and strength. If he could not be with him the remainder of the boy's life, he could give this last piece of him to keep with him. The mighty dragon was content with this goodbye. Icarus sighed one last time, realizing the moment he met the boy, he had finally been at peace with the world.