Welcome to Bridgetown

Author’s Note: One might remember the feeling of relief in the finality of one’s school years; for some it’s bittersweet with the stark reminder that friends will scatter all over the place, while others will stick around. For Diwa, knowing that Kaffi will always be there gives him a sense of comfort and stability. For Kaffi, knowing that Diwa will always be by his side gives him a sense of purpose and drive.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Diwa had been busy with so many different projects that he’d almost forgotten about his mother’s annual dinner and party at the community center, celebrating the end of the school year for all the students at the estate. He was more than happy to carve out some time to help like he always did, but this time his mother had flat out refused. Even Mari had butted in, telling him he had more important things and a certain tintrite to focus on than table settings and catering. He finally relented and let them fuss over their plans without him.

As it happened, this gave him loads of free time during the evenings on the last week of school. He was already halfway through his finals, feeling confident that he did not need to drive himself to exhaustion studying for them. He had two more tests to take and the commencement to attend, and that was it.

No more school. Just him, Kaffi, Annie and Cole, and their estate internships.

Mari and both of his parents headed over to the community center for the party preparations just after dinner. That first evening, he’d decided to relax on the balcony. He leaned against the concrete railing, watching the various tenants milling about on the green below. A surprisingly large number of his neighbors were also gathering at the center. His ina must have something big planned, which did not surprise him at all. She could never pass up the chance of going all out with any kind of celebrations! He listened to the chatter below, catching snippets of conversation. The mood was light and happy.

He peeked over at the concrete five floors down. Not for long, just for a few seconds at a time. He knew he was safe, and these reinforced railings were not going anywhere. He was already used to this height, even though he still felt a ghost of vertigo. He wouldn’t fall. Thanks to Anna-Nassi’s training, he’d realized the one person he had to trust even more than Kaffi was himself. He might feel nervous, but there was no way he could fall.

On the second night, however, he’d decided to relax on the center green instead, reclining on a small knoll near the playground. It was warm and quite peaceful tonight. He said hello or waved to the tenants as they went by, but didn’t get to engage in any long conversations, as they too were heading over to the community center.

A short time later, he heard the familiar flapping of tintrite wings.

Kaffi!

He was much higher than his usual altitude this time out, soaring in a simple figure-eight pattern over the green. Diwa’s heart raced as he suddenly remembered: this was the first night he’d be performing his extended flying exercises with both saddle and deadweight! He watched him closely and in silence, completely enraptured. Kaffi’s usual carefree flight patterns were completely gone, replaced by a smoother, more streamlined movement as he circled above. He was no longer straining with the added weight of the saddle now that he’d prepped himself for it. But that love for the air was still there, stronger and more nuanced, coming through as a fancy curve or a playful swoop. Kaffi loved to learn new things about flight, and Diwa had noticed a significant rise in Kaffi’s confidence because of it. After a few circuits, he noticed a change in pattern as well…he flew a more detailed route, making two double-loops, then a circuit around the entire green, then cutting across it diagonally from one far corner to the other. He repeated it over and over, rarely changing.

It was quite peaceful, watching his friend fly like that. Such dedication…

Kaffi caught his eye during one of the diagonal crossings and gave him a brief wave and a chittering hello before continuing his exercises. Waving back, Diwa smiled and felt a warmth in his heart. Kaffi was amenable to letting Diwa watch him practice.

Kaffi made several more loops that evening before turning back to the roof of Building C. They waved at each other one more time as he soared over. Diwa pushed himself up, brushed himself off, and headed back towards home, absolutely thrilled that he’d witnessed Kaffi’s first flight wearing the saddle and practice deadweight. They’d meet up on the roof of Palm later in the evening, after dinner, which had become a nightly habit for them. He looked forward to asking him all kinds of questions about his flight, comparing notes and asking questions. He wanted to know everything.

*

Kaffi enjoyed having an audience of one, especially when that audience was Diwa. He rarely missed one of Kaffi’s practice sessions. He’d been at his balcony railing across the way, watching him do his stretching exercises. He’d been on the roof of Palm when he began the first of the basic flight exercises. He’d been back on the balcony when he’d started wearing the saddle. And he’d been there earlier tonight, stretched out on the grass, when he’d first flown with the added deadweight.

And here he was now, once more on the roof of Palm, watching him as he came in for a landing on the patio. He stood a short distance away from the edge of the roof, but much closer than he’d seen him go before. He’d waved earlier, even flashed him a smile, but he seemed much more reserved than normal. He got this way whenever things weighed heavy on his mind. He sidled up next to him and gave him a playful sideways nudge.

“You’re being rather introspective today, Dee.”

“Hmm,” he said, nudging him back. “Two more days left of school, Kaff,” he said. “Then it’s full time for us here at the estate.”

Kaffi snorted at him. “No, we still have your manae’s big party tomorrow night. Then we have commencement. Then we fill out the official paperwork with our paddir. Then it’s full time for us. You sound apprehensive about it.”

Diwa waved his concern away. “Just trying to keep track of all the time going by, is all.”

Kaffi fought the urge to nudge him with his snout, like he often did with Iliah. “It’s more than that.”

“Maybe I’m a little freaked out.” He turned and met his eyes. “You know? That we’re really doing this. Part of me can’t wait for us to get started, but part of me is still thinking, how did we get here so quickly? Is this really what we want? Is this the right thing for us to do? Are we even doing it right?”

Kaffi gave him a comforting tap on the shoulder with his talon. “It’s not a prison sentence, Dee.”

Diwa tapped him back on the arm. “True enough.”

“You know we can change it up if need be. Whatever works for both of us.”

“I know.”

Kaffi tilted his snout at him. “What brought this on?”

“Eh,” Diwa grunted. “Samuel. I just got to thinking, is all. Seeing our fathers all chummy and my Pop in a good mood again. Whatever issue they’d had earlier, it’s gone for now.”

“That’s a problem?”

“Heh, no…” he said, flashing an honest smile at him. “It’s actually a plus. It just felt like Pop was, I don’t know…listless? He’s been like that for a few years, like he lost his way. I guess I’m just worried about falling into that same trap myself.”

Kaffi butted up against him and gave him a good hard prod on the arm. “Hah! Like that will happen. I have no plans to make your life boring and miserable, Dee. Trust me on that.”

Diwa laughed and butted him back. “I’m holding you to that, you know.”

“Good.”

Diwa followed that up by walking closer to the edge of the patio. While the platform was not flush against the edge of the roof – there was a wide walkway between the patio railing and the roof edge itself – Diwa had rarely ventured this far before. Kaffi caught up beside him at the railing.

“Nice view,” Kaffi said with a smirk. “Mine’s better.”

“I’m sure it is,” Diwa said, and turned away, laughing quietly. “We must look like our old paddir right now, lording over our estate like this.”

“Sorry if I can’t quite pull off paddir’s scowl.”

“You ever figure we’d make it this far, Kaff?”

“One thing to dream it, another to get to that point.”

“Hmm. You sound like Tassh.” Diwa slid into another silence, lost in thought and passively watching and listening to the central green. It was early evening and not much was going on outside. They could hear a quiet murmur of things going on at the community center, but other than that, it was quiet and peaceful. Kaffi watched Diwa for a few moments, concerned but not worried. He’d known his friend would have fears and worries about what came next, especially so close to when it all became a reality. It was a very human trait, one that he’d seen countless times. He trusted Diwa would find his way out of it somehow.

“Hoy, Diwa,” he said, changing the subject. “I think we need to unplug ourselves from it all for a little while. Get our wings back on stable air. Get the stress of school and training out of our heads for a few hours. Want to go stargazing this weekend? After the commencement and everything?”

Diwa’s smile brightened. “That’s a great idea!” he said. “We haven’t done that in ages. Clear our heads, start fresh when we return. Same place, up at Griffin Park?”

“Sure,” he said, his wings fluttering with joy and maybe a little bit of embarrassment. “We’ll take a transport there as usual…I don’t want to rush our flying just yet. If that’s okay with you.”

“Fine by me,” he smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Kaffi nodded slowly, tapping him on the arm with his talon once more. “So am I.”

Author’s Note: Sometimes when all your friends are experiencing their own life changes, you might feel a little left behind. Do you struggle to catch up? Do you wish you had the same goals and desires? Or are you unsure of what you yourself want?

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Cole had no reason to complain, really. Everyone was far too busy now to take much notice of him as he trudged his way from one class to the another, day after day. They were all focused on finishing their semester projects, daily homework, and studying for final exams. He was doing the same, of course, so he didn’t bother to pay all that much attention to his classmates anyway. Despite distraction, disability, and anxiety, he felt lucky that he was able to be such a good student with impressive grades.

His three best friends were more distracted and busier than he’d ever seen them, so he understood that he might be super high on their list of immediate priorities. Kaffi had been spending the late afternoons with his paddir, learning how to move and fly with a saddle strapped to his back. His body was already starting to show a change, just weeks after he’d started; his wing muscles were becoming stronger, his chest growing broader. He’d known other tintrite at their school who’d done so at a younger age, and Cole was certain that they were viewing Kaffi as a bit of a late bloomer, but Kaffi ignored all that. He kept himself completely focused on his training and preparing for his maiden flight with Diwa.

When Diwa wasn’t busy watching and studying Kaffi’s training sessions – sometimes to the point of obsession – he spent his time with Anna-Nassi. Cole wasn’t quite sure what they were doing, as the energies drifting off them afterwards were strange and unreadable. She was trying to cure Diwa of his nervousness of heights, but it seemed like more than that. They were forming a bond of trust that he hadn’t expected. Between Diwa and Kaffi, sure. That was the end goal, what was needed for when they bonded. And Cole had his own bond with Annie that he treasured daily. But he didn’t know what to make of this special connection between Annie and Diwa. It just seemed so unexpected of them.

It made him feel even more left out than before.

Later that morning, Ms. Powers flagged him down as he was heading towards the library for his free period. Like Annie, he’d been avoiding her office more out of a lack of preparation than fear, but lately he’d grown tired of that charade. Who was he trying to kid here? He already knew what he wanted to do; he just wasn’t sure how to express it with the other three. And he’d grown tired of not sharing that with anyone. He had no reason to say no this time, so he willingly let himself be brought into her office.

“Good morning, Cole,” she said in her quiet, calm voice. She’d pulled herself back as much as possible so her energies wouldn’t intrude or distract him. She’d muted most of her emotions other than the concern and care that went into her everyday job. She didn’t have to go out of her way like that, but he appreciated the gesture. “These final weeks are going well for you?”

“Fine as can be,” he smiled. And they were. Academically he felt no stress at all. It was a matter of just getting it all over with. Finish the projects, do the homework, take the exams, and try to make it through the sensory overloads of commencement and school-end celebrations. Taking it as it comes. “Just counting down the days at this point, Ms. Powers. Doing what needs doing until it’s done.”

“Good, good. Have you made any further considerations regarding your post-school career?” she asked, because that was of course her job to do so. But there was a hint of empathy there as well…she understood that he had a much harder uphill battle than most in life. Again, she didn’t have to go out of her way like that, but he’d appreciated it anyway.

“Some,” he said, shifting in his seat and leaning forward. He wanted to be as active in this conversation as he could. “I’ve been thinking more about the farm co-op with our estate, like we’ve talked about before. My parents will be working there full-time starting in a few weeks, and I’ve been thinking about working there for the summer. That way it will be fully functional and ready for our tenants by harvest.”

Ms. Powers frowned slightly in thought, but she nodded at him, and made a few notes on her tablet. Not concern, but unexpected interest. “Is this something that you’d like to do long term, or is it temporary?”

He felt a wave of irritation – his own – but he held it close. “I’m not sure at this point,” he said. “I’m keeping options open right now.” And because he sensed another frown coming from her, he added, “It depends on whether the co-op is a good fit for me, or if I’d like to return to the estate and help there instead.”

She nodded again, taking more notes. “I’ve spoken to your friend Anna-Nassi recently. She tells me that you and a few of your friends have big plans for the estate.”

Cole smiled briefly. So many people were saying that lately! “I wouldn’t call them big,” he said. “Just long-term future plans. Some of us would like to stay on after our parents retire. The four of us have been talking about it for a while now.”

“Okay,” she said, and slowly placed her tablet down. “You sound like you’re still questioning your role in all of this.”

He flinched without meaning to, but it was too late to hide it. “You might say that, Ms. Powers,” he said. “I’m not entirely sure where I fit in.”

She sat there for a moment thinking it all over. He bowed his head and looked away, fidgeting with his hands. The words were out there in the open now. He was relieved that they were, but the irritation of unresolved issues still nagged at him. He steeled himself for the usual pithy and frankly unhelpful suggestions that he’d come to expect from everyone else.

Her response, however, was unexpected. “I think working at the co-op during the summer might be the perfect thing for you, Cole,” she said kindly. “I know you’ve been looking forward to its evolving connection with your estate, and you want to be a part of it. This is your strength, Cole: you might not want to be the leader, but you’re definitely someone who likes working behind the scenes and observing how everything works, and it’s one of your best strengths. I’d say, go ahead and work at the co-op for the summer, see how it fits you, then see how it fits in with your life at the estate. Sometimes you need to distance yourself from everything temporarily, that way you can look at it with a clearer mind.”

She wasn’t wrong, on multiple levels. That was his exact thinking over the last few weeks anyway. He’d been looking forward to working at the co-op ever since early spring, and now that it was only a short time away, he found himself drawn to the place even more. The only thing holding him back was himself. A wave of relief rushed through him, hearing this from someone else he trusted, and he smiled at her. “Thank you, Ms. Powers,” he said. “I think I might just do that.”

*

Finally having a solid plan made him feel less stressed, but also left him more frustrated.

He sat alone in the far corner of the library, mapping out what he was going to do for the summer. He didn’t worry about explaining his plan to Diwa and Kaffi as they already expected him to spend time there…it was Anna-Nassi he was worried about. She’d happily accept whatever choice he’d make and back that up by respecting it fully, but he was afraid that it would still hurt her somehow. He wouldn’t make a concrete decision until he talked to her first.

But that was just part of the frustration he felt; this was a position that was expected of him by his family and a considerable portion of the tenant’s committee. Between his struggles with the Steiner-Hedraac and his indecision with his Future Calling, he feared they would try to push him into this field of expertise whether he wanted it or not. That was the thing: he did want to work at the co-op. He enjoyed being there with his parents, working with the other farmers and warehouse workers. There was a distinct pride he felt in helping with the harvesting, knowing he was providing food and grain for numerous families and shops in the area. But like Diwa and Kaffi, he wanted to do this all on his own, without their influence. But what did he want to do?

Perhaps Ms. Powers was right; maybe he did need to distance himself from the estate, at least for a little while.

Author’s Note: If your desire is to reach your goals as soon as you can, don’t wait for the right moment to start, as that doesn’t exist. Find a way to make it happen as soon as you’re ready for it, even despite the obstacles that will no doubt arise.

Author’s Second Note: I would not recommend using Anna-Nassi’s quite unconventional method to work through mild basophobia if one is not ready for that kind of thing, though I know her heart was in the right place.

*

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Kaffi felt awkward in this getup, but he refused to give in to embarrassment. This was the first day of training while wearing his own saddle for the first time, and he was not going to be petty about how weird or uncomfortable it might be. To be honest, it wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d expected it to be considering it was in his size and not one of his paddir’s oversize saddles, so he had no real reason to complain. He could easily move his wings and his limbs without anything blocking his movement or chafing at his scales. He could breathe quite easily, and the weight was no more than maybe a few extra pounds on his back. He understood it would put a bit of extra strain on his flight at first. And definitely no more tricky curves or dives for a while, at least until he learned how to maneuver better.

Graymar stood tall before him and adjusted the last belt latch, told him to drop down to all fours, and scuffled back to look over his handiwork. He hummed repeatedly, tilting his head one way and then the other. “It fits well?” he said.

Kaffi nodded. “It fits just fine.”

“Hmm.” He began circling Kaffi, studying him. It made him extremely nervous; his paddir had never watched him with such clinical eyes before. “Extend your limbs, not too far,” he said, and Kaffi responded, stretching his arms forward and his hind legs back. This caused his lower back to arch just a bit, his spine bumping up against the saddle. This in turn caused the straps to tighten ever so slightly. It was snug, but not restricting.

“Hmm,” he continued, coming around his front again. “Straighten up, then wings out, full span.”

Kaffi returned to his previous pose then stretched his wings out as far as they could go without straining. He felt his wing muscles pulling up against the straps; again, not uncomfortably so. No restriction at all.

“Hmm. You may retract them again. This fits you well, Kaffi, better than I thought it would. These strap settings will work for now, until you start building more muscle. Which you will now that you will be carrying extra weight. They should be against your body but only just. As you see, the latches are simple to work, and the straps have a long enough lead so that you can adjust them as necessary.”

“Yes, paddir,” he said. He suddenly felt an itch just underneath the saddle, where the blanket hit his spine. Eiyah, why did that have to happen now? He squirmed just a little bit and it went away, but now it felt as if the saddle had misaligned itself. He moved just a little bit more, and it slid back into place.

“Don’t worry about discomfort,” Graymar said, nodding. “You will get used to it, but the first few weeks may be quite irritating. I sometimes use a little bit of scale polish before putting on the saddle, which helps them from feeling dried out. There shouldn’t be any chafing, but if there is, let me know and we can make further adjustments.”

“I certainly will,” Kaffi said, giving him a quick smile.

“Next, mobility,” he said, and pointed towards the opposite edge of the roof. “Walk to the edge and back, at whatever pace and position suits you.”

It was an easy enough thing to do, though there was a bit of awkwardness to it when he walked on all fours. The saddle’s weight shifted from side to side just enough that had he been walking too fast, it would eventually scrape against his scales. He kept the fours-walking to a minimum and memorized the speed that felt the most natural and with minimal wobbliness. It was much slower than his normal gait, but he’d expected that. Again, something he could get used to over time. Once at the opposite edge of the roof, he turned to face Graymar. He was still standing close to the edge facing the green, on his hinds and holding his hands at his belly, his snout pointing down. It was hard to hear, but Kaffi could just about make out his slow hum of contemplation.

“Good, pahyoh,” he said. “Now back. Try walking on hinds this time.”

He pushed himself up and was surprised at how easy the shift was. The saddle slid ever so slightly, and its weight moved from the middle of his back to his hind legs. It felt no different than if he was carrying something in his arms or in a satchel. There was a lot less movement and no strain at all.

“Eiyah, this is so much more comfortable!” he laughed.

Graymar nodded slowly and smiled at him. “Indeed. This angle is natural for us. This is also the primary reason why we rarely have our rides in saddle when we walk on hinds; the angle is too awkward for them. The only time you’d be in that position with a rider is if you’re about to perform a flat ground take off.”

Kaffi grunted at the thought. “I hate those.”

“We all do, but they must be practiced nonetheless.”

Kaffi came up alongside him and looked out over the central green. “I think I can get used to this,” he said.

“Good,” Graymar said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Because we still have much more training to do.”

Kaffi gave him a big smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Graymar snorted and looked away, back over the green. “I’m sure you are, pahyoh. Soon.”

*

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Diwa said, squirming nervously. Anna-Nassi’s strong arms held him close to her body and facing outwards, but she’d left his arms completely free. They were standing on the roof of the guest house behind her cousin’s place not that far from the estate, with only the grass to catch their fall. It might have been just a three-story drop, but it was enough that a hard landing would hurt. Diwa tried not to glance down if he could help it. They were just a few feet away from the edge, and the distance to the ground didn’t seem all that high at all, but it made him shiver just the same.

“Relax!” she giggled, giving him a playful hug. “Really, I mean it. Relax your body. I promise I will not drop you.”

“And if you do?”

“Then I go down with you, neh?” she teased. “Seriously, Dee. Stop squirming, you’re only making it worse.” She’d opened her wings to full extension and began walking closer to the edge of the roof. Her wingspan wasn’t nearly as wide as Kaffi’s, but they were just as strong and impressive, folds rippling slightly in the breeze. “Now remember: my arms are strong, and they can certainly hold you, but I’m giving you a little bit of freedom to move. Not squirm! But move. Why is that?”

Diwa tried not to squirm. “So I can move around and complement whatever movement you make instead of being floppy deadweight?”

“Precisely!” she chirped. “And why do you need to know about complementing the flight’s movement?”

“…center of gravity?” he offered. His brain hadn’t quite caught up with the situation at hand just yet.

“Well, yeah, that. But it also makes the flight’s movements a hell of a lot easier. If Kaffi needs to do a ground take-off, which way do you move?”

Diwa exhaled. He could do this. Annie was going out of her way to make sure he could. “Rocking, always trying to keep myself vertical,” he said, thinking of how Kaffi launched himself. He could certainly do it, but it looked so strenuous! Being on his saddle would only add to Kaffi’s strain unless he worked with him, and not against him. “Move with his movements, not against them. Rock when he rocks. Lift up when he evens out.”

“Yay! Someone’s been doing their homework!”

He fought off another nervous shiver. “Yay.”

“Ai! Cheer up, Dee. Next question! You are always safe in a regulated saddle because why?”

This one was easy! “It’s connected to the flight with multiple straps,” he said.

“And?”

“The ride is always tethered to the saddle in three places: the pommel belt in front of him, and with each leg in the stirrups.”

“And?”

“My natural posture in a tintrite saddle has my legs gently pushing against his body, keeping me in one place.”

“And?”

Wait. What else? “And…?”

She squeezed him playfully. “Come on, Dee! One more. The most important.”

“The most…?”

Another playful squeeze. “You know this, Dee! The most important reason you are always safe in a regulated tintrite saddle. More than anything else!”

It took him a few moments to understand what she was getting at. “Oh! Right!” He laughed and shook his head. “Because I have complete trust in my ride!” he said proudly.

“Yes!” she chirped and squeezed him once more. “Good! So!”

Anna-Nassi jumped off the roof of the guest house so unexpectedly, he didn’t have time to react.

“Wait—”

“Open your eyes, Diwa,” she hummed calmly. “You’re airborne now. You can do this.”

He caught his breath…but he didn’t freeze up.

He didn’t look down.

“Come on, Dee.”

He felt that cold shiver in the pit of his stomach and fought it. This wasn’t falling.

This wasn’t falling.

“That’s it. You got it.”

He shifted his body until it balanced with Anna-Nassi’s movements and the shiver went away. This wasn’t falling. They were flying. They were circling in the air above this back yard, quiet and calm. Only a slight breeze. A ripple of leathery wings behind him. He could see where he was going, where they were going. They were moving through the air, in complete control. They were descending at a slow, comfortable speed, lifting ever so slightly again, circling around once more. Annie whispering calming words into his ear as they came around one last time, lifting and straightening out once more, his feet coming back under him. Then gently gliding down towards the grassy lawn below them. He exhaled slowly. He could do this.

He could do this. For Kaffi.

They dropped safely down to the ground. Anna-Nassi let go of him and folded up her wings. He stumbled out of her grasp and stood there, gaping at her.

And then they both fell to the ground, breaking into gales of laughter.

“Eiyah! Nababaliw ka ba, Annie?” he yelped, wiping at his eyes. “I can’t believe we just did that! You want to warn me next time?”

“Maybe!” she said, nodding and grinning widely at him. “Hee! Diwa, my friend, I am proud of you! I distracted you on purpose to prove a point: You trust me completely. You knew I wouldn’t drop you. So once we were airborne, that was the last thing on your mind. And your reactions once we were gliding proves that even further.”

Wait. Did he just…? It all came crashing at once: he was airborne, for the first time in his life. And he survived! He blinked, trying to process it all. “Yes, but…”

“And you reacted perfectly!”

“I did?”

She gave him two extremely animated thumbs up. “You already have the instinct, Dee. You moved when you were supposed to.”

“I…I didn’t even notice.”

“I noticed,” she hummed happily. “Like I said, you have the instinct. I knew you had it in you.”

“I guess I do…?”

“And you were too distracted to be conscious of the height and the initial descent. We weren’t up all that high, but it could still be dangerous for both of us. But we did it together, Dee. The most important lesson here is that you trusted me, and I trusted that you would know what to do.”

“Trust,” he said, more to himself than to Anna-Nassi. His shoulders went slack as he let that sink in. She was right; he’d been too distracted to be afraid of falling, and that confirmed what he’d known all along. “I get that now.”

“You do?” She swept to his side, leaned against heavily against his shoulder and prodded him in the arm, giving him one of her wide manic grins. “Explain. Test time.”

Diwa face was flush with pride and excitement. Why hadn’t he seen this before? He could do this! He could fly with Kaffi! Ay, yes! Their dream could be a reality! “It didn’t quite connect with me before because I didn’t have the context,” he said, measuring his words. “I’ve always trusted Kaffi. He’s my best friend. He’s my bond. I know he’ll be there, just like I’ll be there for him. And when I said I trusted you, Annie, I meant it. I knew you wouldn’t harm me, no matter how crazy your ideas might be. When I climb into the saddle to fly with Kaffi, it’s not just about the safety precautions. I’m putting my life in his hands.”

She released her weight on him but remained close, touching his arm. “Wings, but I’m just being pedantic,” she hummed. “And it’s not just that. He’s putting his life in your hands as well. You need to learn how he moves, what he’s thinking. That’s part of the training the two of you will need to work on your own, but I’m giving you the basics.”

Diwa nodded, thinking it all over.

Then gave her an easy smile. “You just wanted to get your hands on me.”

Anna-Nassi chirped out a surprisingly loud “Hah!” and immediately clasped her hands around her mouth, the bridge of her nose turning a dark blue. She punched him hard on the arm and fell into another fit of giggles. “Neh! Diwa! Shut up! I did not!”

“So we’re even?” he smiled.

“I owe you for that particular remark, but otherwise yes!” She pulled him into a fierce hug. “I’m proud of you, Dee! We meet tomorrow afternoon after school, same time. I teach you balance!”

*

Glossary:
“Nababaliw ka ba, Annie?” — (Tagalog) “What is wrong with you, Annie?”

Author’s Note: Samuel and Graymar are certainly proud of their sons and the decisions they’ve made so far…but they can’t help but wonder how those same decisions will affect themselves. For one, there’s parental concern. For the other is wary relief. Two different reactions, yet entwined by their sense of responsibility.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Samuel leaned back in the deck chair, legs crossed, a cold beer on the table and a few more in the cooler next to him. Summer was coming early to the bay, and he was bound and determined to enjoy as much of it outside as he could. Especially up here on the roof deck! Besides, he’d earned it – over the last few weeks, he’d managed to clean out over half of his office with the help of Diwa and Anna-Nassi, and he was feeling so much less stressed out because of it. Granted, cleaning was only half of a bigger project he had in mind. They’d need to create a new filing process and a new workflow that worked both for himself and for Diwa. They’d have to replace the window and purchase some new furniture. And most importantly, he’d need to rip out that old, tattered carpet and either replace it or put down new hardwood flooring. He might even hire Moffer to inspect the walls. The electric seemed fine, but it wouldn’t hurt to have someone on the estate check it out just to be safe.

But right now? Now was the time for relaxation.

He heard the flapping of tintrite wings a few minutes later. He checked his watch: two-fifteen in the afternoon. Right on schedule. He heard the hesitant flapping of a landing, followed by the two-step drop to the roof. Ta-doop. Always the left leg first.

“Afternoon, Graymar,” he said, tipping the neck of his bottle at him. He pulled out a second beer from his cooler, popped it open, and put it out on the table. “Pull up a bench.”

“Hmm.” Graymar approached his table and stood there for a moment with a slight tilt of his head, studying him. “You know, Samuel…I haven’t decided if you’re fully embracing your semi-retirement or if you’ve finally decided to lighten up.”

Samuel laughed at him. “Is that an attempt at humor, Gray? What’s the occasion?”

“A few things,” he said, and dragged one of the low benches towards the table. He slid down into the seat with a louder than normal grunt and took the offered beer. “First, I’m proud to announce that my young pahyoh is about to accelerate his flight training. My ahpadé Nouia and his pahyoh have graciously gifted Kaffi with his own ride’s saddle and practice deadweight. We picked it up yesterday afternoon. He showed it to Diwa last night.”

“Fancy!” Samuel smiled, and tapped the back of Graymar’s beer bottle with his. “Congratulations are in order, I take it?”

Graymar hummed, bobbing his snout slowly. “He’s got to get used to the added weight first, by the time your son is able to ride with him.”

“Think he’ll handle it?”

The tintrite took a long pull from the bottle. “He’s still impatient, but he’s also determined, Samuel. He’s an extremely fast learner, faster than I ever was. I’m nervous that he might not be taking it seriously, but I want to believe that’s not the case. I trust him, Sam. Knowing him, he will be ready for paired flight by the end of the summer.”

“Huh, that soon?” Samuel took a long swig himself, thinking about his son. Anna-Nassi had promised to help Diwa find a way to overcome his basophobia. He wasn’t sure if Diwa would be able to shake it, or at least combat it, by that time. Diwa was determined in his own way, but this wasn’t something that he could easily turn on and off.

Still, this was Kaffi, and that boy would do anything for him.

“What’s the second?” he said.

“That our sons have decided to bond.”

Samuel spat out his beer and nearly choked in response. “What? Wait, when did this happen?”

“A few days previous, it seems,” Graymar said, tipping back his own bottle again. He was also grinning and not bothering to hide it in any way. In fact, he looked rather proud of himself and their boys! “They haven’t told anyone, but the signs are hard to miss,” he continued. “Kaffi has become more tactile with your son, and Diwa is responding positively, and in kind. Diwa will watch Kaffi’s movements, especially when he is flying. They’ve been spending even more time together.”

Samuel shifted in his chair and sat up straight. Bonded…? Graymar was right; it wasn’t surprising at all, considering their closeness all those years. And they were getting older, already making mature decisions that would affect the rest of their lives. But this wasn’t just a business relationship. This was something a lot more personal, even emotional. Samuel wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it, and perhaps he wouldn’t for a while. He wasn’t against it, that was certain…but he was concerned about Diwa’s dedication. Would his son be strong enough to take that step…?

“How do you feel about it?” Samuel asked.

“Me?” Graymar let out a slow breath through his nostrils. “I’m of many minds about it, as you would imagine. On the one hand, I bless them both. I trust them to see it through, one way or another. Their connection is strong. I worry that they’ve bonded at such an early age, but who are we to judge that, Samuel? I have always trusted my pahyoh, and I of course trust yours equally.”

Samuel nodded, and turned back to the view across the central green. Graymar did not need to explain that any further. He took another long swig from his beer and put it back down on the table. “Well. I won’t say anything to them yet if you don’t. They’ll tell us when the time is right.”

“I agree,” Graymar said, and settled in to watch the green himself. “It is up to them.”

Samuel nodded, and kicked his feet up again, a smile slowly crossing his face.

Author’s Note: It’s not just about making the decision to achieve your goals…it’s also about keeping them alive in your heart, and letting them blossom into greater things.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Tassh stopped digging in the soil and looked up, wiping his brow with a sleeve and studying him with interest. “There’s something different about you today, Diwa,” he said. “You seem to be so much more kriishii today.”

Diwa grinned unashamedly at him and continued to pinch away the dead leaves and shoots as he found them in one of the raised beds. He’d been expecting this since they met up on the green that afternoon to tend to Tassh’s allotment. “Just a lot of positive things going on at the moment,” he said, and left it at that.

“Ah yes, enjoying life for what it’s giving you,” Tassh said, winking and pointing his trowel in his direction. He understood and didn’t need to ask any questions. “Embrace it, annh. It will set you off in so many different directions, but your spirit will always know the right way to go.”

“Hmm. I’ll keep that in mind, Tassh,” he said. “How is your family, by the way? I haven’t seen Moffer in a while. I usually see him coming home from work at night.”

Tassh face screwed up into a mean grimace and made a noise that sounded partly like a grunt of frustration and a whine of annoyance. “He’s been recruited for a temporary project in the city,” he said, stabbing at the earth a little harder than usual. “He’s been staying with our family the last few weeks, so he doesn’t have to travel so far. It’s good pay and it’s only for another month, but it’s put a bit of a strain on Kantah and Koie and I’m exhausted. I’ve been doing all I can for both of them.”

Diwa slowed to a halt, turning towards him. “That’s got to be tough. If you need any help at the house, by all means let me know. I can ask around and get you some part time help.”

“I appreciate that,” he said, his broad shoulders dropping with relief. “I will let Kantah know when I see her later today.”

“No worries, it’s what this estate is about. We’re glad to assist any way we can.”

Tassh snorted and pushed himself up to his knees, his fists pushing into his sides. “You are definitely a dreamer, Diwa,” he said, giving him a wily grin. “You and your friends. Mind you, I’m not complaining. It’s refreshing, is what it is. Sometimes such optimism is hard to come by.”

“I always try to be optimistic, but I try to be realistic as well,” he said, pausing to take in Tassh’s comment. He thought of the many times he’d been led to second-guess himself for being too excited about his ideas. He thought of Kaffi sitting next to him on the light rail, worried about their plans. “It’s too easy to set my hopes too high sometimes,” he added.

“Heh. You sound like Samuel.”

“I should!” he laughed. “He’s thrown those exact words at me multiple times over the last few years!”

“Ha! My annoh has given me that same advice as well.”

“Well…” He stood up, wiping sweat from his brow and brushing dirt off his clothes. He looked around the estate grounds; it was a quiet afternoon with not too many tenants milling about, though it was never completely quiet. He could hear the echoes of the younger kids at the playground just beyond the hedges. He could hear a few tenants laughing and talking while they walked one of the outer footpaths on the green. He could hear someone in one of the bungalows behind them practicing scales on a woodwind instrument. All was well, and Diwa felt at peace. He turned back to Tassh, flashing a smile at him. “I guess I just have faith in this estate, yeah? If I’ve learned anything from Pop so far, it’s that everyone has different levels of acceptance. Some of our tenants are more than willing to jump in and give a hand to anyone that needs help. Some are extremely social, want to be a part of whatever’s going on. And some are solitary, would rather keep to ourselves and not make waves.”

Tassh stood as well and brushed himself off. “And what about you?” he asked, tipping his horns in his direction.

“Me? That’s a good question.” He looked away in thought, taking Tassh’s question to heart. “I suppose I’m a bit like Samuel and Graymar mashed up. I make it a point to connect with a lot of people for that exact reason. To learn what levels our tenants work at. Get to know who needs help, who’d rather be left alone, and who goes either way and just enjoys the company.”

Tassh shook his trowel at him again, giving him a wide grin. “Yes, but who are you, youngling Diwa? What kind of tenant are you? An outsider? A busybody? A watcher like your father, or part of the community like your mother?”

Diwa opened his mouth to answer, but to his surprise couldn’t come up with a good response. “I bit of everything…I suppose,” he said.

“This is how you are seen by others, Diwa,” Tassh said, nodding at him. “Something to think about, yeah? Come – Let’s take a break. Our allotment will be waiting for us when we return.”

*

Kaffi swooped down onto the railing outside Diwa’s apartment building and nailed the landing on the first attempt. This surprised him greatly, considering he would usually duff it and slide off to the balcony floor, or he’d overbalance and need to kick back off and hover so he could try it again. He hadn’t been thinking about his technique this time, trusting himself and letting it come naturally. He smiled happily as he hopped down to the balcony floor and knocked on the apartment door. Perhaps he was getting more out of his training than he’d expected!

Maricel answered, a big grin already on her face. “Hey there, Kaffi!” she said. “Come on in. Diwa’s busy helping Pop in the back office right now, but I can get him if you want?”

“No, that’s fine,” he said, dismissing the offer with a quick wave. “I’m in the middle of doing rounds so I can only stay for a few moments. I just wanted to give him a message anyway. Can you tell him to come over after dinner tonight?”

She nodded, but she also crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. He knew that look well, and he steeled himself for the inquisition. Nothing ever got past Maricel, not when he and Diwa were involved. “Anong ginagawa mo, Kaffi?” she said. “He came home yesterday with a big stupid grin on his face, you know. He wouldn’t elaborate, but he was insufferable for the rest of the night!”

Kaffi fluttered his wings and tipped his head innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said.

“Of course you don’t,” she giggled. “I know that look.”

“You do?”

“Yes! You two decided to bond!”

He chittered his fangs together and snorted in amusement. “That is your own opinion, my dear Mari,” he said. “And I am currently in no position to confirm or deny.”

“You are such a bad liar!” she relented with a laugh, and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a squeeze. “Can’t say I didn’t see it coming. Still…ang sayá-sayá ko! Welcome to the family!”

Kaffi’s wings rippled with joy and he draped his arms around her small frame. “Salamat, Mari,” he hummed. “Please…keep it under wraps for now? I don’t want any news to break without Diwa’s okay.”

“You got it,” she said, and planted a kiss on his snout. “You treat him good, Kaff. Or you’ll be hearing it from me!”

He returned to his nestroom later that afternoon, feeling nervous and twitchy. He sat on his pallet bed, looking at the large package he and his paddir had brought back from his uncle’s, sliding his long fingers along the corners. He felt nervous and excited at the same time; the contents of this package were going to assist in one of the biggest advances in his flight training and he couldn’t wait to begin.

He didn’t want to open it just yet, though the temptation was incredibly high, and Graymar had understood his wishes to keep it closed when they brought it home via light rail. He wanted to share it with Diwa first, signifying the start of their long career together. Dee had been sitting in that spot just yesterday, professing that he too wanted to bond, and each time Kaffi thought of that moment he felt another happy chill coursing through him, making his wings flutter.

He wondered if his paddir knew of their bonding plans. He must have figured it out by now, as nothing ever got past him. His manae probably knew as well. Iliah must have known before anyone else; that had to have been one of the reasons why she’d given him that armband.

As long as his family continued to welcome Diwa with open wings…!

His manae soon called him to dinner, even though he was too nervous to eat. He nibbled away at another of Iliah’s delicious dishes, far too distracted. Iliah understood and left him alone. Shahney eyed him once or twice, more out of curiosity than concern. Graymar had said nothing, but he’d already shared his words with him privately earlier in the day. He’d had a long talk with him during the trip back from his uncle’s; one that he hadn’t expected but had treasured. He’d told Kaffi how proud he was of his progress, how pleased he was by his dedication and drive.

But he’d grown silent again by dinnertime, distracted and grumpy and keeping his distance from everyone. It obviously wasn’t anything Kaffi had done or said, so he didn’t feel guilty…but he was still concerned. He’d been tempted to get him to open up, but shied away after Iliah tried and failed, and Shahney had waved the two of them off. He let it go for now. In his heart, he knew that his paddir was indeed proud of him.

*

Diwa arrived a little after seven. He’d brought a few textbooks for a study session, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t be using them right away, considering Kaffi’s bristling excitement. Kaffi let him in and led him towards his nestroom, and his wings would not stop twitching. He hopped onto his pallet bed with much more of a spring in his step than usual, hastily reached over the other side, and placed a large cardboard box in between them. “Come,” he said, flashing a wide smile at him. “Sit. I have something I want to show you.”

Diwa raised his eyebrows, amused. Kaffi could be quite animated on a good day, but he was rarely this close to spilling over with barely contained glee! “Okay,” he said, climbing onto the bed. “What’s in the box?”

Kaffi tapped the top with one of his talons. “Open it and see!” he said.

“You haven’t opened it yourself yet?” he said.

“It’s for both of us,” he said, bobbing his snout. “I want to see what you think of it. I saw it earlier, but I want you to see it now.”

Diwa wasn’t quite used to this side of Kaffi before. Not that he minded, but it would take getting used to. He slipped the interlocked box flaps open and began to push aside the packing pellets that hid the mystery item. His fingers brushed against something hard and round, and took a hold of it try to pull it through the packing material.

His eyes went wide in surprise as he began to uncover what was underneath. No wonder he was so excited! “Whoa! Is that…?”

Sitting in the middle of the box was a ride’s saddle, wrapped up in a light clear plastic. Small and compact, and much lighter than he’d expected.

Diwa couldn’t help but laugh. “It is..!”

“Go on, take it out!” Kaffi said, grinning madly.

Diwa lifted it out of the box and studied it closely. It was a lighter, lower-end style of saddle that was made both of leather and ultra-strong polymers, a perfect starter version for those just starting out in flight. The seat was slightly padded for ride comfort, and the underside was lined with a soft microfiber for flight comfort. The foot wells were hinged for easy storage but locked into place once unfolded. There were also a few small unexplained hooks and eyeholes around the sides that he wasn’t sure about. He’d seen such saddles before, but he’d never seen one up close. He hadn’t expected it to be so light! It was slightly worn and discolored, but it had been cleaned and repaired very recently, and had been kept in good shape.

He placed it on the bed between them. “This was your uncle’s?”

“My cousin’s,” Kaffi said, tapping his fangs together. “He took good care of it after he got a replacement and gave it back to his paddir. And now it’s ours until we buy our own.”

“Yours, you mean?”

He waved a talon between them. “I wear it, you use it,” he said happily. “Ergo, it’s ours.”

“Ours…” Diwa smiled as he let that word sink in. “Hmm. I like the sound of that.”

“So do I, Dee.”

He placed it back in the box, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off it. “Seriously, I love it! Are you going to start training with it soon?”

Kaffi bobbed his head quickly. “Paddir will show me how to wear it and use it this weekend. I’ll need to get used to it first before I start flying anywhere with it.” He reached out and touched Diwa’s hand, patting it twice. “You’ll just have to wait a bit more. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” he said. “Annie still needs to train me, so we have time.”

Kaffi beamed at him, squeezing his hand. “You like it? It’s nothing exciting, but I wanted to share it with you.”

Diwa hummed in response, squeezing back. “It’s great. I’m glad you did.”

*

“Hey, Kaff?”

Kaffi lifted his snout from his reading and glanced at him. “Hmm?”

Diwa pushed his textbook aside and leaned back on the bed. He’d been too distracted to study tonight, even before he’d come over here. He hated to ruin the positive mood they’d shared just a short time ago, but this irritation had been nagging at the back of his mind all day.

“Is there something going on with Graymar?”

Kaffi slowed his movements and held his wings still. “Not that I know of. Why?”

“Well…Pop was in a mood again today. He didn’t seem angry, just upset at something. He won’t tell me what. I thought it might just be his usual thing, but…he was just so happy when they came back from Panooria the other day.”

Kaffi hummed, quiet and extremely low; concerned. “You know how paddir is, Dee. He’s grouchy on any given day. No less than usual lately.” He finally let his wings twitch just a little bit. “He was fine earlier today when we went to pick up the saddle…but he was quiet by the time we got home. I wonder…”

Diwa watched Kaffi flutter his wings again, this time stretching them out to almost full span before pulling them back against his body again. “Flight?” he ventured.

“Hmm. Maybe. He won’t admit to anything, but he has been favoring his right wing lately. If it’s bothering him, it could be affecting his flight.” He hummed again, quick and tight. Concern. “I hope he’s getting it looked at.”

“I’m sure he is,” Diwa said, frowning. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“No, Dee,” he said quickly, his wings fluttering again. “I’m glad you did. I should be more worried about him. I’ll bring it up with my manae.” He rested a hand on his shoulder, brushing a thumb against his skin. “Thank you for telling me. You were concerned about Samuel’s mood. This means they’re aware of an issue. I won’t push him if your paddir is already doing so.”

“I suppose you’re right…” he said, placing his hand over Kaffi’s. “I just want to do the right thing, Kaff. They both needed that positive connection. I just want them to keep it.”

“So do I, Dee,” he said, giving him a soft smile. “So do I.”

*

Glossary:
kriishii (kree-shee) — (aanoupii) in good spirits, emanating a positive outlook
“Anong ginagawa mo, Kaffi?” — (Tagalog) “What are you up to, Kaffi?”
“…ang sayá-sayá ko!” — (Tagalog) “I’m extremely happy!”
“Salamat, Mari…” — (Tagalog) “Thank you, Mari…”

Author’s Note: Everything in this novel has been leading up to this one moment: where their shared future truly begins.

*

CHAPTER TWENTY

Diwa laid at the end of Kaffi’s pallet bed and stared up at the ceiling. They’d both been so busy during the day that they’d almost run out of time to do their schoolwork. He’d been thinking about him off and on throughout the day, wondering where he was and what he might be up to, if he’d enjoyed his trip with Iliah. He’d wanted to ask him about the conversation he’d had with Graymar across the way, as it had started out a little on the tentative side but unexpectedly swerved into an animated exchange of chatter and rippling wings soon after. After their group meeting, however, Kaffi had suggested Diwa come over to his place to study after dinner, and Diwa happily agreed. They’d been wanting to spend more time with each other outside of their estate plans anyway, and this was perfect.

Even if Kaffi wasn’t paying attention to him.

He hunched over his worktable, his eyes glued to the large monitor in front of him as he typed away at the keyboard. He’d been working on one of his term papers for most of the evening, intensely focused and working hard. Diwa watched him, impressed by his dedication. Kaffi might be addicted to flying, but he was also an extremely dedicated student. His grades were often higher than Diwa’s, not that he minded. Kaffi could easily be anything he wanted to be, given time and inclination. Sometimes he wondered if Kaffi truly wanted to stick around the estate with him, but he’d never voiced that concern, knowing how ridiculous it sounded in reality. Kaffi had shown him his conviction so many times over in the last few years, and it never wavered.

Diwa would tell him everything about his basophobia tonight.

Kaffi abruptly stopped typing, rubbed at an eye with the palm of his hand, and leaned closer, reading the text and humming quietly. That was something new; during their vidchats Kaffi always remained silent when he was revising his work. Except that one time, when he thought Diwa had left the room already. It wasn’t just a meandering tune, though, but a full song that he’d heard Kaffi sing before. He said nothing but listened, enjoying the music and silently tapping the beat against his leg as he pretended to read his textbook.

After a few more minutes of work and melodic humming, Kaffi exhaled and uncurled out of his hunch, stretching his arms and wings. “Ai,” he grunted. “I am almost done with this thing,” he said, tipping his head in Diwa’s direction. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a boring host. This one’s taking forever to finish.”

“Doesn’t bother me any,” Diwa said, and pushed himself up. “It’s not as if we’re always yapping at each other when we’re on vidchat.”

“I know, but you’re here, and I’m ignoring you.”

“You need to get that paper done. All I had was some math homework and light reading. Besides, I don’t mind. I like hanging out here. And your room is so much bigger than mine.”

Kaffi snorted and lifted his wings to half-spread. “It kind of has to be.”

Diwa tucked his legs under and looked around the room. “It’s been a while, anyway. Between school and internship, we rarely have time to just hang out. I see you’ve got new shelving up.”

Kaffi glanced up at the wall above his worktable, nodding. “Paddir and I put them up a few weeks ago. The old ones were starting to sag. They were leftovers from Iliah, and I needed more room for my things anyway.”

“Hmm. What’s that?”

Kaffi tipped his head to the side. “Hmm?”

“Above your monitor,” Diwa said, pointing the large folded-up cloth sitting on the highest shelf, well out of his reach. “Looks like a sheet of some kind.”

Kaffi perked up immediately, clicking his fangs in delight, and reached up for it. “Oh! Thanks for reminding me! I’ve been meaning to show this to you when you next came over!” He slid it off the shelf, took two corners and shook it open. It unfurled before him, revealing a large blanket tapestry. It was a simple pattern, going from a dark blue with white dots scattered at the top, fading to white near the bottom; a starfield and a horizon at night. It was bordered by a chevron pattern, alternating light and dark blue.

Kaffi’s snout appeared comically over the top of it with just a little bit of blue showing on the ridge. He flashed such a wide grin his whiskers were twitching. “What do you think? Do you like it?”

“That’s…” Diwa’s brows shot up. “That’s a saddle blanket, isn’t it?” He pushed off the bed and walked up to it, taking up the other corners and running his fingers across it. It was a soft and durable cotton. smooth and strong in his hands. It wasn’t a printed pattern, either…this was hand crafted stitching. It was so new the creases from the folds were still visible. This wasn’t a hand-me-down, this was a brand new, high-end blanket! “Ay, Kaffi! This is lovely! Where did you get it?”

“Paddir bought it for me during their last trip to Panooria,” he said, barely holding back his pride. His wings wouldn’t stop twitching. “My first saddle blanket, Dee. Isn’t it great?”

Diwa smiled in response but he couldn’t quite hide the unexpected shiver he felt. “Ito ang tamang gawin, hindi ba…?” he said after a moment. “It’s wonderful.”

Kaffi tipped his head at him, his wings slowing up. “What?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re holding back, Dee. Is there something wrong?”

“No, no…” he waved at him quickly. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. Here, let me help you fold it up.”

“Hmm,” Kaffi said, and together they wrapped it back up. Kaffi placed it back onto the shelf, eyeing him the entire time. “You’re sure?”

Diwa moved to his side and patted him on the shoulder. “Definitely,” he said. “No worries. When do you think you’ll be ready to use it?”

Kaffi’s wings rippled at the question. “End of summer, looks like,” he said, tapping his fangs together in happiness. “Paddir will be stepping up the flight training. That’s what we were talking about on the roof today. Thing is, he hasn’t given me any details or a schedule yet, so I can’t give you a date.”

“No hurry,” Diwa said, and returned to the pallet bed. “We have all the time we need. I’ve got to do my own studying for it, you know. Being that we have exactly zero experience with flying together.”

“That is true,” he grinned. “No details there either, I assume?”

“Just that Anna-Nassi is involved somehow,” he said tentatively, smirking. “I’m not sure if I should be relieved or terrified. Or both.”

“Hmm.” Kaffi climbed onto the pallet and sat next to him. “I trust her, though. And I know you do too.”

“Hmm,” Diwa said. “I do.”

*

Kaffi sat on all fours on his bed, his paws crossed in front of him, watching Diwa, listening to him talk. He laid across the end and stared at the ceiling, just like he always did, telling him about Anna-Nassi’s unexpected visit at his apartment to help with Samuel. He didn’t seem particularly annoyed or highly bothered by it, but his voice betrayed him. He must be jealous. Kaffi could relate, considering that Graymar still spent more time with Samuel than he did with his own family sometimes. Diwa was indeed hiding something, from earlier. Kaffi wouldn’t push, though. He’d share it soon enough. He always did.

Now if he could only shake his own misgivings…

It was time. He could not wait any longer.

“Dee?” he said during a lull in the conversation. “Can I ask you a question?”

Diwa shifted and glanced at him. “Hmm? Sure.”

Kaffi dipped his head down, looking at his paws, mustering up his courage. Eiyah…now or never. “I’m…” He grumbled and ruffled his wings. Come on, Kaffi, you can do this. “I know I’ve been called a reckless flier, Dee. By my paddir, no less. I know I’m not the most graceful flier here in the estate.”

Diwa smiled and gave him a reassuring tap on the arm. “That’s okay, I’m nowhere near the most graceful human. You’ve seen me trip over my shadow on multiple occasions.”

“This is true.” Kaffi grinned warmly at him, appreciating the levity. “I suppose I’m worried. Worried that I won’t measure up to the flier you expect me to be. Or that I’ll do something dumb and lose your trust. I…I want to earn your trust, Dee. We’ve been friends forever and you trust me on that level, but this is so much more important, yeah? Like the saddle blanket. I wanted to show it to you earlier – practically as soon as paddir gave it to me – but I felt…I don’t know. Worried that you’d feel I was getting ahead of myself? I know it sounds silly, but…”

Diwa rolled over onto his side, propping himself up on an elbow. He expected a smile or a kind laugh, but instead he was unreadable. “Kaff, you worry too much,” he said quietly, without any emotion. He looked down at his hand, fingers tapping on the bed, and took a very slow uneven breath. “Look…I worry too, Kaff,” he said, his voice all too quiet. “I worry that I’m not going to be the best ride. I’ve never flown before. I hardly know anything about flight. I…” he stalled, diverting his eyes. “I want to tell you this, Kaff. I have to.”

“Dee.” He unclenched one of his paws and laid it on Diwa’s flat hand, holding it tight. His skin was warm. Too warm. But he didn’t flinch or pull it away. “Dee,” he said again, his voice low and calm. “Please, I want you to trust me. You can tell me.”

“Hmm,” he said. His face and eyes were reddening, but he didn’t hide it. Instead he pushed himself up into a sitting position, facing him. And he’d taken hold of his paw with both hands, his small fingers wrapped around his larger ones. Briefly rubbed at his eyes, took his hand once more. Held it tighter with more conviction.

“I have…I have mild basophobia. A fear of falling,” he said finally, his shoulders visibly drooping. “It’s not incapacitating. It’s something I’ve had since I was a kid. You’ve seen me on your roof, Kaff. I can go up there and hang out with you for as long as I like. I can even go to the edge and lean up against that same railing Graymar is always at, for a short time. But I get a feeling of vertigo if I’m there for too long.” He lifted his sad eyes and looked deep into his. “I was afraid to tell you since it could be a problem for us. I don’t want this to ruin our plans, Kaff. I can’t let it. I don’t want to give up because of this.”

“Ah…” Kaffi said, his heart fluttering. Dee…my fiiri…!

He let out a long calming hum, refusing to look away. He’d caught Diwa’s gaze at that moment and he couldn’t tear away from it. Diwa needed his strength, and he would gladly give it to him. He would accept this challenge. He would help him. They would fly. Diwa would be his ride. Kaffi would be his flight. They would do this together. “We can work with this,” he said.

Diwa blinked at him. “We…we can?”

He squeezed Diwa’s hand and leaned in close. “Of course we can,” he said softly, tapping his snout against Diwa’s forehead and letting it sit there for a moment. “You and I are ride and flight. We’ll figure this out. We will make this work.”

Diwa let out a shaky laugh and looked away, his eyes moist. “Hindi yata ako nababagay rito…” he mumbled. “Thank you, Kaff.”

“Anytime,” he said, and squeezed his hand again.

“You…you said you had a question?”

Kaffi’s wings fluttered once more and he chittered nervously. This was what he’d originally been leading up to, before Diwa told him his secrets. “Oh. Yeah. Um.” He looked down at their joined hands, allowing himself a furtive grin. Yes, this is what he wanted. “Dee. I know Annie always teases us about it. So does Iliah. But now that they’ve planted it in my head, I’ve had a hard time not thinking about it. They’re right, Dee. I think we are bonded. And.”

His voice started to tremble. “And I think you believe the same. I think we should just stop pretending. You know. Make it happen. On that level.”

Diwa snorted.

Kaffi looked up, catching his eyes again, the response completely unexpected. He felt Diwa’s hands squeeze his so tight, refusing to let go. He had the brightest smile on his face. The tears were coming once more, though they were happy tears. Ecstatic tears.

“Kaff, I…” he said, his own voice caught in his throat.

“Dee, I’m sorry if I—”

Diwa squeezed his hand again, pulling it towards him.

“Kaff!” he said again, giggling. “Ay…higit kang mas malakas kaysa sa’kin…”

“I…?”

“Of course I believe we’re already bonded, you big dork!” He threw his arms around Kaffi’s neck, pulling him into a tight hug, laughing and crying onto his shoulder. “I’m so glad you asked. I’ve been wanting to ask you for months now.”

Kaffi startled and twitched his wings, but he did not pull away. Months…? Eiyah, so his instincts and heart were telling the truth! Oh, this was the best day of his life! They truly were bonded now, leaving nothing unsaid between them. This was the start of their long life together, as ride and flight…and as bonded friends. Always together. He draped his own arms around Diwa, fully embracing him. He let out a long, sonorous hum of pleasure, and let his own happy tears come.

“I’m glad too,” he whispered, leaning his snout against Diwa’s shoulder.

*

Glossary:
“Ito ang tamang gawin, hindi ba…?” — (Tagalog) “This is the real thing, isn’t it…?” This, just like Kaffi’s armband, has more than just one meaning.
fiiri (fee-ree) — (tintrite) best friend, bonded friend
“Ay…higit kang mas malakas kaysa sa’kin…” — (Tagalog) “Ay…you’re so much stronger than I am…”

Author’s Note: Sometimes the biggest changes in your life take place with the smallest of steps.

*

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Graymar and Kaffi stood together at the edge of the roof of Building C as part of their afternoon watch. Kaffi could see Annie and Diwa across the way, having an quiet but intense conversation. Diwa seemed worried, and Annie was doing her best to calm him in her own animated ways. He briefly wished he was over there with them, but knew he couldn’t, not right now. Duty called.

His paddir, on the other hand, seemed highly distracted and irritable today, far more than usual, but as far as Kaffi knew it had nothing to do with any argument with Samuel this time. His ears twitched constantly, and he couldn’t seem to focus on any sounds for too long, and that alone was annoying him. He huffed and scratched at his snout, trying to clear his head. Kaffi said nothing, worried that he’d set him off somehow.

Eventually Graymar’s eyes landed briefly on Kaffi’s arm, and he gestured at it. Not dismissively, but not with any sense of pride, either. “I see you’re wearing an armband,” he grumbled.

“Iliah—” he started.

“She told me,” he said curtly.

Kaffi ruffled his wings and glanced at his paddir with concern. He’d been in such a positive mood a few hours ago when he and Iliah had left. “Is there something wrong?”

Graymar’s snout turned slightly dark, his mouth a tight line. “No…” he said and let out a slow sigh. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

Kaffi knew better than to try to get a clearer answer out of him. He wasn’t angry, or at least not angry at him. Graymar would explain his irritation sooner or later, so he let it go for now.

“Paddir…” he started, changing the subject. “Can we start the flight training soon?”

“Patience!” Graymar said, a little more brusquely than he’d meant to, and immediately felt embarrassed by the outburst. “Ai…” he exhaled, squeezing his eyes shut and grumbling. There was a minute ripple of his wings that he could not quite hide. A moment later, the mood passed and he turned to him once more, touching him on the arm and squeezing it once. “I apologize, pahyoh,” he said quietly, all traces of annoyance now gone. “This is not about you. I’ve just had a lot of personal things on my mind lately, some I am loath to face right now.” He gave him a slow smile, showing just a few fangs. “I know you are eager. I want you up in the air just as badly as you want it. But there are still many things you need to practice. I have watched you over the last month and you have been doing well, but you are still too loose.”

Kaffi bristled and ruffled his wings again, holding back a whine of irritation. “Paddir, I need more experience, I agree. But I can only learn so much doing laps and exercises and carrying packages in my satchels. I’ll be used to that in a few weeks at most. What I need to do is take the next step, paddir. I need to know what it feels like to have a ride with me. Or close to the real thing. How did you practice that before you started flying with Samuel?”

Graymar leaned slightly forward, scratching his snout once more, distracting himself with anything that might be happening on the central green. He hummed low and long; he was irritated, but also maybe a little amused. Embarrassed? “How Samuel and I began flying together is a completely different process,” he said after a moment. “And not one I recommend.”

Kaffi hid a smile. The two of you had no idea what you were doing, he thought. Instead he dipped his snout and faced him directly “How can we make this work, paddir?”

Graymar hummed again, meeting his eyes. His irritation had disappeared for the time being, replaced by a calm appreciation. “I know a way. It will be slow, but it is how many of our relatives learned over the years. I will contact my ahpadé and ask if we can borrow a few things. We will need to go on a short light rail trip.”

Kaffi caught his breath and struggled to keep his wings from rippling with excitement. “Really?” he chirped. “What does it entail?”

His paddir merely grinned at him, humming contentedly. “You shall see.”

*

This might have been just another weekly meeting of future landlords and co-conspirators, but Kaffi was looking forward to it this time out. It had been an unbelievably busy day, and between all that flying and monitoring and errand-running, he couldn’t wait to check in with Diwa again. They’d crossed paths multiple times today, but never for more than a few moments, and he’d grown to miss him since their brief chat this morning. And he really wanted to show off that new armband!

So when they all sat down together at one of the picnic tables on the center green, he sidled up next to Diwa an gave him a happy nudge, glad to be beside him again. “Heya, Dee,” he said. “Long time no see.”

“Well, this is new,” Diwa said, prodding at his arm, already giving it a close study. “You got this today?”

Kaffi smiled proudly, rubbing his talons against the beads. He loved soft clicking sound it made when he did that! He didn’t mind Diwa’s attention either, come to think of it… “Iliah gave it to me during our trip to the city this afternoon. I thought I’d keep it on, get used to wearing it.”

Anna-Nassi had seen it too, and she was practically radiating with excitement, her wings twitching and flittering. “So lovely!” she squeaked. “Diwa, isn’t it? Oh, I can’t believe you’re wearing one of those already!”

“It’s probably past time,” Kaffi smiled. “I’ve always been fascinated by them. My cousins that are around my age are already wearing them. Diwa, what do you think?”

“Interesting pattern,” he said, running a finger over the shapes. “I like how the closer you get to it, the more patterns you see in the beads.”

Kaffi smiled at him, hiding an unexpected shiver of glee. “I’ll explain the symbolism with you sometime.”

“Why not now?” Anna-Nassi asked.

“Later,” he said, giving her a quick wave. “It’s time we started our meeting. I think the fertilizer stink has escaped Diwa’s pores by this point.”

“Hey!”

He playfully prodded Diwa in the arm and quickly changed the subject. “Annie, you said you were looking into having someone come in to look at the apple orchard. Were you able to get anywhere with the committee on that?”

She ruffled her wings and gave an excited nod. “Ooh, yes! It’s looking great! They’ve already discussed the budget for it and they’re meeting tomorrow to put it to a final vote, but my amma is certain that it will pass. They’ve left it to me to research available horticulturalists that might be able to come in and see how healthy our trees are. I’ve got a list from Cole’s parents as well as from Elise-Nooviya, so I’ll go over those in a day or so and see who’s open and what they charge. Once that’s done, we can start in on cleanup. I’m going to ask the tenants for a few volunteers, but I should be able to get enough people, especially if I can get some of the school kids to pitch in. It’s a bit late in the season for some of the varieties we have, but we might be able to save the others. I’ll start phase two upkeep once we have it active again.”

Kaffi nodded, impressed by her level of detail. “That’s great, Annie! Excellent work!”

“Maianni-naahsah, Kaffi,” she nodded, flashing her wide smile at him. “I aim to please.”

“Yes, that’s fantastic!” Diwa added as he scribbled out the meeting notes. “If most of the trees are still healthy, then we should be just fine.” He turned to Cole next, flipping over to another notebook page as he did. “Cole, any word on what might be going on with the co-op farm?”

Cole tapped his fingers against the table in a slow beat, pausing in thought. “There’s not much to report right now. My parents won’t be heading over there for a few more weeks, so I don’t have much information to give. I am, however, researching their hiring practices. I’d like to know how their field workers get paid, available health coverage, and how they would hire those here at the estate. I’d like to be prepared for any questions our tenants might have. It’s quite a complex process that I’m still trying to wrap my head around.”

“Good, good,” Kaffi said. “And you, Diwa?”

Diwa blinked, tapping his pen against the pad for a moment. “Well, uh…Samuel’s back room actually has a bit of a floor to it now,” he said with a lopsided smile.

Anna-Nassi snorted at him. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” he said. “I wish I had more to provide, but I was gardening with Tassh all morning, talking with you afterwards, then assisting at the community center this afternoon. I mean, unless you’d like to know all the different ways you can serve inashikraw squash and the sordid details of kleeat manure.”

“Oh, come on!” she giggled. “You’ve been busy this week, you’ve got to have something!”

“Really, that’s all I have,” he shrugged with a grin. “But spending all that time with Tassh was kind of fun, to be honest. He’s quite talkative once you get to know him. He might know a lot about construction considering that’s his day job, but he knows even more about gardening. It’s been his passion since he was little. The only reason he’s not in farming is because of his family. He makes the most money out of the three of them and it goes into their rent and their savings.”

Cole tapped his fingers on the table again. “Diwa, do you think he would be interested in working at the co-op full time?”

Diwa pondered the idea for a moment. “He might,” he said, his eyes lighting up. “You know, that’s a great idea. Once we’ve got the hiring straightened out, I’ll float the idea his way, see if he’s interested.”

“We could use as many hires as we can. I think he’d be great for the first wave.”

“I believe he would,” he smiled.

Author’s Note: Diwa’s mild basophobia, which I’d hinted at previously, is actually based on my own. I’m not afraid of heights but get a weak feeling of nervousness and vertigo if I’m too close to the edge of high-up open places, giving me a slight fear of falling. A few years back I learned from my eye doctor that my version might be due to prism issues (my eyes are fine, just that they don’t always align when focusing on a narrow point). More to the point, the issue slightly messes with my sense of heights: my brain is well aware of the altitude, but my eyes think it’s not that far at all, and that disconnect is disorienting. Diwa’s description of the issue below — including the comment about City Hall (in my case, the one in downtown Springfield MA when I was six) — comes directly from my own experiences and resolutions to conquer it.

*

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Diwa toweled his hair dry as he stepped into his bedroom. The long and scalding shower had thankfully removed the stink of the fertilizer he’d been elbow deep in all morning…he’d gotten an earful from Maricel as soon as he’d come back, threatening to lock him out of the house if he didn’t get rid of the smell immediately. But he was clean once more, and no one in the house was complaining. He put on fresh clothes, threw the dirty ones in the washing machine and started it, and headed down the hallway.

It was still early in the afternoon, so it came as a bit of a surprise that he could hear his father down the hall. Samuel had told him just this morning that they’d be working on the back office tomorrow. Maybe he’d finally caught the cleaning bug and wanted to keep it going? Diwa shrugged off a momentary feeling of being left out. The sooner they got this room under control the better, with or without him.

The door was open when he approached it, and there was soft music playing. When did he buy a radio for this room…? “Pop?” he called out. “You in here?”

“Hey, Diwa,” he responded from near the back window. Samuel popped his head up from a waist-high line of file boxes and recycling bins that stretched across the room. “Come on in!”

“Ai!” he heard from the same area, followed by a rustle of wings and a scuffle of feet. Anna-Nassi popped up from behind the wall and gave him a toothy smile. She brushed her hands and vaulted over the boxes. “Diwa!” she sang. “I ran into Samuel earlier today while you were still in the garden and thought I’d help him do some moving. I hope you don’t mind?”

“Uh, s-sure,” he said, surprised by her presence. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were here.”

“She’s been a big help today,” Samuel said, climbing over the wall of boxes. “Now that we have more room, I thought it would make more sense to do a bit of arranging as we go to make the sorting process go by quicker. Thanks again, Annie!”

She smiled and waved to Samuel as she headed towards the door. “Anytime, mani,” she said. She turned to Diwa, her expression changed to a worried concern, and prodded him on the arm. “Eiyah,” she said, leveling her eyes. “Come on, you. We need to talk.”

She left Samuel’s office and headed straight for Diwa’s bedroom. He blinked and stared at her for a moment before following. She’d been here countless times before, mainly for school study sessions or just hanging out, but it was a rarity for her to walk through his house as if she too lived here. There was a quickness in her steps as well; he double-timed it to catch up. “What do we need to talk about?” he asked as they entered his room. He cleaned and straightened his bed covers the best he could and offered her a seat. She hopped on, sitting on her hinds and leaning back on the knuckles of her wings.

“You and Kaffi, of course,” she said, flashing her fangs again in a forced smile. “The reason I was here wasn’t just to help your father. He’d pulled me aside because he had a few concerns about your potential flights with Kaffi.”

Diwa’s heart skipped a beat. His father knew…? Oh, this was not good, not good at all! “Concerns? What kind of concerns? And why isn’t he talking with me directly?”

“Oh, he is, or will be. I just wanted to talk to you as well.” She reached out and laid a gentle hand on his. “You see…he confirmed something that’s been bothering me for a while. He knows about your…what is it, basophobia? Is that the right word?”

“Ai…” he groaned and buried his face in his palm, more annoyed than embarrassed. This was supposed to be a secret! And now Pop was telling everyone within earshot that he couldn’t handle a simple thing like tintrite flight! He did not want Kaffi to hear of this. Not like this, anyway. Eiyah…he’d have to act sooner than he’d like. “Nakakaloka ‘to…it’s not…it’s…” He stuttered to a stop, shaking his head. “It’s stupid, Annie. I’m not mad at you for asking. One of you would have figured it out sooner or later. It’s minor. It’s not a fear. It’s just nervousness. I can handle it. What did he tell you?”

Anna-Nassi hummed and squeezed his hand. “It’s okay, Dee. He didn’t tell me anything embarrassing. He’s just concerned. He wants you to fly. I want you to fly! And of course Kaffi has been waiting forever to fly with you, so that’s where I come in.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Umm…?”

She giggled and chittered her fangs quickly, fluttering her wings at him. “Not me, silly! I might be big and have wings, but I’m not built for that sort of thing.” And just like that, all lightness and cheer vanished, replaced by a deep scowl and a finger, waving at him. “But! I need to coach you. Right now the two of you are a disaster waiting to happen, and it’s up to me and Cole to minimize the damage! You both need training toot sweet! I want you to be the best pilot, Diwa!” The scowl wilted just a bit. “Umm…co-pilot? Driver? Rider? What’s the best term here?”

“Ride,” he said between pursed lips, holding back his amusement.

“Ride, then!” she said happily, jumping right back on track, ticking off each point with her fingers. “So! Cole is working out a new schedule at the community center so you two lovey-doveys have more time together. Samuel already gave me the go-ahead for that, and your mother only requests that you join her for a few hours baking on the weekends. Maricel agreed only if you don’t slack off your daily chores at home, and I concur. No laziness there, Diwa! Meanwhile, Kaffi will still be flight training for most of the summer with Graymar and he’ll be doing some tenancy committee work with Shahney as well – oh, and that leaves Iliah, who will be joining Dee and Dari in the kitchen – which leaves me a few months to get you ready. Whew! So! My main plan, then, is when you two finally start flying, it will be like you’ve been flying for years. Neh?”

He stared at her for a few moments, equally shocked and impressed by the level of detail in her outline. He saw the determination and excitement in her eyes…ai, how could he possibly say no to Annie? “What will this entail?”

“Well, we will see when we get to it,” she said, and patted his hand one last time. “All I ask is that you trust me.”

“You know I do,” he said.

“Ut!” She quickly held up her hand. “This is different! I will push you. I will push you hard. I will do stupid things to make you learn! I will make you mad and annoyed! I will make you do things that will make you question my sanity!”

“More so than usual?”

“More so than usual! But this is to help you, Dee. Because I believe in the two of you.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her. She may be a handful, but she was unfalteringly loyal. “Oh, stop it with that!”

“But I do!” she said, giggling again. She prodded him once and then pulled him into a hug. “You’re my ahpé, Dee. I know you can do this. I want you to do this.”

“Okay, okay…!” he said, squirming in her arms. “You win!”

“Come on, let’s go to the roof and talk some more.”

*

“You say this fear is mild and not acute?” she asked. They stood side by side on the roof of Palm, leaning up against the outer railing, past the roof patio. Standing next to the edge like this was second nature to her, so she found it hard imagining how Diwa felt. Then again, she was the one with gliding wings if she fell…Diwa was a human with no flight appendages at all. She watched him as they talked, and on the surface everything was normal. He didn’t give any hits that he might be nervous right now.

That is, until he pushed off the railing and started pacing a short distance from the edge, only a few minutes after they’d come up here. He’d done this in the past, too…so now she wondered how long he’d been hiding it, fighting it, for the sake of others. He distracted himself temporarily by glancing at the roof of Building C across the way, where Graymar and Kaffi stood side by side, looking out over the green. Annie felt the minute change in mood; for a moment, the nervousness disappeared as soon as he locked his eyes on them. He saw them as safe, as visual anchors.

That could be the perfect answer Annie was looking for!

“That’s right,” he said eventually, his hands jammed the pockets of his jacket. “I don’t get too dizzy or freeze up with fear or anything. I just…” He scratched the back of his head, looking away but not frowning. He was uncomfortable, but he was willing to share with her. “I just get nervous. Like a very weak sense of vertigo, or I feel like my sense of balance goes a bit off.” He sighed with worry and turned back to her. “Annie, do we—”

“Yes!” she said, waving both her arms and wings at him. “Dee, this is your future we’re talking about. Now, next question: you’ve been on rollercoasters, yeah? I’ve seen you ride the one at Wesley Park. That’s a crazy ride, even I rarely go on it, but I’ve seen you on that one every time we visit. Multiple times! Those heights don’t bother you, do they?”

“Just the first climb and drop,” he said, amused by the question. “But that bothers everyone.”

“The jostling? The twists and sharp turns?”

“I’m fine. No less than anyone else. I love those, actually.”

“Hmm.” She tapped a finger against her chin. “Do you know where this fear comes from?”

He nodded, slowing his pace again and came closer again, though stopping a few feet from the railing. “I think I do,” he said. “I had a prism issue with my eyes as a kid, and still do to some extent. My eyes don’t always have pinpoint focus, even though my vision is otherwise normal. But as a kid, when I went to bed at night and closed my eyes, sometimes they’d cross. Don’t ask me why, they just did. The eye strain would make me dizzy, and that would give me nightmares. They were usually about falling from a height, like a tower or something. It never bothered me during the day until this one time when my Pop brought us to the city once when I was maybe six, and brought us up to City Hall tower to check out the view. My brain equated the height with the nightmares and scared the hell out of me.”

He exhaled and faced her, his focus strong. “I know where it’s from, Annie. This is why I see it as a lingering anxiety rather than a paralyzing fear. It still kicks in when I’m in open high places, regardless of how safe I actually am. I’ve felt it on Mount Laimora once or twice on a clear day, even, and that has such calm slopes! When I got older, I figured out that it’s a combination of not being able to accurately judge visual distances and sensing the pull of gravity to keep myself stable. Doctors call it a deficiency in postural control. I’ve never been able to completely shake it.”

Anna-Nassi tilted her head and slowly raised her brow. “That’s…huh.”

“I know,” he said, blushing. “It’s dumb and I hate it. It’s why I push through and deal with it.” He walked up to the railing again and leaned up against it. He even peeked over the side and gave the ground below a quick glance. “See? I’m not freezing up. I’m not terrified. Nervous, yes. But that’s it.”

“No, no,” she said quickly, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Not dumb at all. This is good! It’s really good, Dee! You face your fears and learn to understand them instead of running away from them. That is your strength! It also makes my job easier.”

“Your job?” he said, turning to her. “I thought your job was to cure me, or at least get my mind straight so I won’t freak out when I’m flying with Kaffi.”

“That’s what I’m talking about, Dee,” she said, giving him a wide grin. “I don’t know if I can cure you, but I can certainly help you find a way to make you strong. And you already know I wouldn’t throw you off this roof, that would just be mean.”

Diwa snorted. “Yes, it would!”

“What I see here, Dee, is this: You’re leaning up against this railing, slightly nervous but otherwise fine. And I think it’s because you’re familiar with these surroundings, these angles of the estate, and you trust them. What we need to do, then, is find you some high points where you can enjoy the view the way we mandossi and tintrite do.”

“Annie, I doubt you have access to every single tower in the community…” he laughed.

“No, but I do have access to certain ones thanks to my near-infinite number of relatives living around here! I think I know a way to help you get used to this.”

Diwa exhaled and looked out over the estate. A slow smile crept across his face. “Okay. I’m game,” he said. Then, after a moment, he turned back to her. “Why are you doing this, Annie? Why go so far out of your way to help me?”

The question surprised her, and she felt herself blushing, and her wings fluttered just a bit. “Me? I already told you. I love you and Kaffi, you know. I want the two of you to make it work, yeah?” She hummed and turned away. “I’m jealous of the two of you sometimes. But never in a bad way, though.”

“Jealous?” he said.

She nodded and fluttered her wings again. “I would love a connection like the two of you have.”

“You’ll find it soon enough,” he said, giving her a playful nudge. “I’m sure of it.”

She grinned and punched him lightly on the arm. “Yeah, sure. Loudmouth mandossi like me?”

“Especially a loudmouth mandossi like you,” he said, took her hand, and squeezed it.

*

Glossary:
“Nakakaloka ‘to…” — (Tagalog) “This is stupid…”

Author’s Note: Kaffi’s relationship with his older sister is a close one not out of familial duty but because of who they are; they’re both very social and enjoy taking care of others. They both also have a keen interest in tintrite culture, with Iliah’s love for culinary arts and his for craftwork. For both, it’s not just about the end results but also the process.

*

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Kaffi! Just the ahpadé I’ve been looking for!” Iliah sang as he entered their apartment. She sidled up next to him, smiling sweetly and fluttering her wings quickly. “You don’t have anything to do today, do you?”

“Iliah, hi,” he said, tilting his snout at her. “I’ve got plans later around six, why?”

“Great! That’s perfect. I’d like you to fly with me to the city. I have an errand to take care of, and I’d like you to tag along.”

“Eiyah, there it is!”  He snorted in amusement, fluttering his own wings in response. “You want me to carry something, don’t you?”

“Don’t be silly,” she giggled, tapping her snout on his. “I just want you to come along! An ahmané can fly with her ahpadé now and again, can’t she? I miss hanging out with you. We haven’t flown duet in ages!”

It was true, they hadn’t. When Kaffi was younger, he and Iliah would fly to various places around the bay. Sometimes they would fly to a nearby complex to visit friends, other times it would be to the meadows to the northwest in Griffin Park where they could really have fun and stretch their wings. He’d learned so much from Iliah over the years, and he enjoyed every single moment of it. He tapped her snout in return and hummed as he turned to head to his nestroom. “I’d love to, Iliah. Let me get ready.”

He grabbed his satchel harness and put it on; he always brought it along on long flights just in case he wanted to pick something up. As he fixed the buckles, his eyes landed on the folded blanket sitting high on a shelf above his desk. He smiled and hummed, long and lyrical…one of these days, when they were finally ready, he and Diwa would fly together. Hopefully soon.

They took off a few minutes later, launching from their roof and swinging north towards the city center. He lagged behind momentarily to hover above the community garden and let Diwa know he’d be back later that afternoon. Diwa gave him a thumbs-up and turned back to his garden work. He watched him for a few moments longer, humming quietly to himself. Diwa had connected with Tassh almost immediately, and the two of them were already talking and laughing and trading life stories. It was fascinating to watch, observing how different they approached that process of personal connection. It came to Diwa naturally. With one more circle, he turned north once again, by which point Iliah was already far ahead, leaving him to fly double-time to catch up.

“Hey!” he said, gasping as he finally settled into a glide next to her. “You could have waited!”

“You caught up with me, didn’t you?” she countered, flashing a grin at him.

“Yeah, but—”

“I knew you’d do that,” she said, tilting her head in his direction. “You’re so dedicated to him.”

He blushed and had no way to hide it. “So?”

“So it’s commendable,” she said. “You two are so bonded.”

He barked out a frustrated laugh. “Why does everyone say that?”

“Because it’s true?”

He let out a gruff mumble that sounded a little too much like his paddir’s annoyance and gave his wings an extra hard flap.

Iliah hummed as well, this time as consolation. “Eiyah. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Kaffi. I might find it adorable, but I am also impressed. I was never that dedicated at your age.”

“Except for your cooking.”

“Indeed,” she grinned. “Except for my cooking.”

“Where are we going, anyway?”

“To a few warehouse shops in the Wharf District,” she said. “I have some items on order that are ready to be picked up. We can have lunch and do a bit of shopping afterwards if you like.”

Kaffi let out a long hum of interest. He hadn’t visited the Wharf District since it had been redesigned and renovated a year and a half ago, and it was now a popular destination for both locals and tourists alike. Several piers and warehouses had been razed and rebuilt to accommodate new shops and restaurants with offices on the upper floors, many with roof landing pads for tintrite visitors. A wide pedestrian concourse stretched its length, with plenty of seating and scenic vistas, shopping and information kiosks, and even a few playgrounds for the younglings. The central warehouse shops were a favorite for the creative crowd, providing outlet stores for all kinds of crafts and tools of the trade. Kaffi found himself wondering if there was an outlet for rider saddles there…his father had a small collection of them already, but he’d love to own one that he’d bought himself.

“I’d like that,” he said.

“Thought you would.” She punctuated her comment by stretching out her wings to full extension and glided under him then back over again. Kaffi beamed and responded with the same path, looping under and over her. It was a trick they’d learned when Kaffi was still a young flier, and it was still one of his favorites. He loved the drop and lift and playing with the air currents between them.

“Tell me about your plan with Diwa,” she said.

He sniffed and did a minute dip-and-lift next to her. “It’s less of a plan and more of a see-what-happens at this point, to be honest,” he said.

“You don’t have any plans to change anything at the estate, you mean?”

“Eiyah. Only what needs changing, Iliah. Why change what is working perfectly fine?”

“Hmm. That’s a good answer. As long as you focus on what the tenants want and what they need, that’s really what matters most. And as long as they know you’re there, available for them. Like paddir does. And what about Diwa?”

“What about him?”

“Heh. So touchy. When will you be flying with him?”

“Once we’re both trained and ready,” he said after a moment.

“Which I’m sure will be quite soon, knowing the two of you.”

*

Kaffi had seen the skyline of the city center countless times over the years from a distance. His favorite view was from the campsites at the high meadows in Griffin Park, where on a clear day he could see it spreading out along the edge of the wide bay, cleaved neatly down the middle by the mouth of the Siisha River. He’d only seen it up close during the few times he was here.

They approached the Wharf District from the water. Iliah took them low where the air was less turbulent at this point in the day and led them towards a wide pier that served as a landing strip. Kaffi could already hear the bustle of the crowds ahead, full of chatter, laughter, and more. A hint of uplifting music floated nearby from unseen speakers, lightening the mood and creating a welcoming atmosphere. A few cries of upset and impatient younglings and perhaps a few arguments here and there, but these were all the sounds of a public area meant to be enjoyed and experienced fully. Kaffi loved it here already, and he hadn’t even set foot in a single store yet!

Their first visit was to a kitchenware shop in one of the larger warehouses further up the wharf. Iliah barely contained her excitement and skittered double-time down the central concourse. As they entered, Kaffi finally understood why she’d acted so; the place was enormous, filled with all kinds of things that a budding culinary artist could ever want! Her pace suddenly slowed to a crawl as she sauntered down every aisle, stopping frequently to fawn over the pans and the knives and the blenders and everything else. Iliah pointed out a few items that she’d been thinking of buying for Shahney for her upcoming birthday in a few months, and Kaffi nodded excitedly, knowing that whatever Iliah eventually chose, their manae would love it and use it in the community center kitchen along with all her other favorite pans and cooking utensils.

Iliah spent a considerably long time fawning over a large glass cabinet displaying an extensive array of high-quality knives that were specifically made by and for tintrite hands. In particular was an expensive twelve-piece set that included steak, chef and paring knives, scissors, and more, and even came with a hardwood block for storage. She pointed to each one out to Kaffi, explaining how each was used and how to properly take care of it. Eventually she tore herself away and approached the nearby customer service desk where her order was waiting. The mandossi at the desk smiled, checked off her order and handed her a small but fancy wooden box with a sliding cover. She thanked her and immediately put it in her own satchel and closed it up tight.

“I’ve finally picked up the santoku knife!” she sang, hanging on his arm. “That’ll really help when I make those thin beef strips we like. It’s taking forever to get the whole set, but I’m buying them one at a time as I need them. Come, let’s find something to eat.”

After a long and enjoyable lunch at a bayside vending truck, they stood at the edge of the pier, taking in the view. It was a blessedly clear day today so they could see the entire bay stretching out before them. To their left was the peninsula, its low mountains reaching out into the ocean. Mount Laimora was far to their left, its quiet and blessed caldera open to the skies. To their right, the coast gently curved to the south then southeast creating a wide bay, currently dotted with several sailboats. Far off to the south they could see the towers of various apartment complexes sticking up over the trees and other buildings.

“Ours is the tallest cluster to the left of those office towers,” Iliah said, pointing them out. “You can see Building C popping out from behind those hickories that line the rear parking lot.”

Kaffi smiled and thought of Diwa. There he was, miles away, getting his hands and knees dirty with the aanoupii in the community garden. An unexpected wave of contentment washed over him, and he realized it was that he was looking at his home. At the place he belonged.

“Come on,” she said, tapping him on the shoulder. “I want to buy you something.”

“Hmm?”

“You’ll see,” she smiled, and started towards one of the other warehouses. He pushed off and followed, curious about what she had in mind.

What he hadn’t expected was a textile shop. And not just a general all-purpose, multi-species store, of which there were several here, but one catering specifically to tintrite. The walls were lined with high shelving, all filled with rolled bolts of cloth of vivid and amazing colors and patterns. Kaffi’s eyes grew wide as he craned his neck to take it all in! His heart raced as he started looking around further, shifting up and down the several aisles: saddle care kits, knitting needles and skeins of yarn, sewing machines and threads, paints and pencils and art canvases of all sizes, kits for colored arm bands, beaded strings for manes, leatherwork tools…he’d never seen a textile store so complete! Eiyah, he wanted to stay in here for hours!

Iliah led him over to a work table where a small group of tintrite were crafting armbands made of thick organic thread and beads of various sizes. Iliah waved to them and told him to wait while she went to talk to the owner. He hardly noticed her stepping away; he’d been fascinated by armband craftwork for years, a fact she knew well, and this was the first time he’d seen it in action outside of craft fairs. They were professional crafters, their hands moving with amazing speed and agility, completing a pattern in minutes. They were so good at it they weren’t even paying attention to what their hands were doing, focusing on their ongoing conversations instead. He was sorely tempted to join them, but he had little to no practice. He’d be far too slow for these experts.

“Welcome, youngling!” one of the older crafters said. “Care to join us?”

Kaffi gave him a furtive, nervous smile. “O-oh, I’d love to, but…maybe in the future?”

“Come anytime!” he smiled, gesturing at the armband he was working on. “That was your ahmané, yes? Iliah? She comes in here quite often.”

“Thank you,” he said quietly, surprised by the offer. “Perhaps I will.”

“Ai!” Iliah called, returning to his side. “Here you go!” She handed him a freshly made armband.

Kaffi’s wings rippled in surprise. “…Iliah?”

“Go on, take it!” she smiled. “I had this made just for you.”

He held it in his shaking hands, stunned by her gesture. A tintrite armband…! This was not just a simple gift from an older sibling…this was a highly symbolic gesture, an offering of a talisman for good luck and unbreakable bonds. Armbands were an integral part of tintrite culture and held deep personal and emotional meaning to its wearers. Not every tintrite wore them every day – their paddir had worn them in the past but had stopped for years until picking it up again quite recently – but every tintrite knew how important they were in their lives. For someone of Kaffi’s age to wear an armband was to claim that he knew and understood what his calling was, who it might be shared with, and his level of dedication towards it.

And Iliah had just given him his first one.

“I-Iliah…” he started again, his voice catching.

She knew. She had to have known, ages ago.

It was a simple tri-color band with twin yellow strips bordering an alternating pattern of black and orange squares, but it was absolutely lovely and a perfect size for his upper arm. He almost didn’t want to put it on right away; he wanted to treasure this first by taking in its shapes and colors. And to have it gifted to him by Iliah…this was her personal wish for his future. This meant so much more than just a sibling showing her love. It meant she had complete trust and hope in his plans with Diwa.

“…maianni-naahsah, Iliah,” he whispered, tearing up. “Why…?”

She moved closer and leaned up against him, her own talons brushing across the beads and making soft clicking noises. “I wanted to give this to you now as a reminder,” she said. “You’ve been doing so much around the complex over the last month, especially with Diwa. This is to help you in your plans to inherit the position from paddir. Plus, these beads are symbolic, both in color, pattern and shape.”

She extended one finger and tapped her talon along one of the yellow strips of thicker beads. “All armbands have these border strips to hold the pattern in place, signifying stability. All young tintrite wear yellow. To some, it signifies immaturity or that their fate is still in question. To others, it merely signifies clarity of intent, despite not being bound to it.”

Kaffi hummed, brushing a talon over it as well.

Iliah moved her talon to the middle part of the band, touching the small uniform orange beads. “See how tight these are pulled together? This too has a double meaning. I’m going to say for now that this also ties in with clarity of intent – this can mean that your intent is with someone else, and you have decided to follow through with it.”

“And the other meaning?”

She smiled and waved the question away. She moved her finger to the black beads; these were of different sizes but were still in a pattern. “Again, double meaning,” she said. “Again, clarity of intent. This symbolizes that you’ve chosen this intent without outside influence. Lastly, the alternating squares are always uniform, especially when the band is tied on. Signifying balance and stability throughout.”

All at once, Kaffi understood. He gasped again, brushing a trembling hand over it. She understood his true intentions after all, and she had given him this to set him on his way. She not only accepted his thoughts and dreams of remaining with Diwa…she welcomed them with her heart.

He touched his snout over Iliah’s and hummed, long and low; humbled. “I will treasure this, ahmané. Thank you.”

“This is for you,” she said, humming herself. “Make me proud. Oh, and one last thing – these are to be tied on your own, without help – symbolizing that you are doing this of your own volition.”

He studied the ends of the untied band and noticed that there were end strings as well as small metal loops; with a bit of practice, he should be able to put this on quickly and easily. “Does it matter which arm?” he asked.

“No, but most wear them on their right arms.”

“And you…?”

She smiled briefly. “I don’t always wear mine, but yes, I have a few and I wear them on my right arm. I only wear them during important events. You may have seen manae wearing a few now and again.”

He nodded quickly. “I have. I was just thinking of buying a kit here today, come to think of it. I’d like to learn how to make them myself.”

Iliah smiled and tipped her snout at him, rippling her wings slightly. “You always surprise me, Kaffi! These take patience and dedication. Which I’m sure you have in abundance. Here – I will buy you one of those as well.”

“Iliah…!” he stuttered.

“No, this is my gift to you. For your future.”

He nuzzled his sister once more. “You are too kind to me.”

While she took a kit from the shelf and brought it to the main desk to pay for it, Kaffi gazed at his gifted armband. This was indeed a special occasion, a special item that he would treat with care. And for a moment, he thought of Diwa. He’d seen other tintrite on the estate wearing these bands. He didn’t know of any others at his school that wore them, but then again, he wasn’t one to notice such things for others his age. He’d seen many of the teachers wearing them. Diwa might find it interesting, but would he understand its meaning?

“Clarity of intent…” he said to himself.

He held it in his left hand, studying it a little more. Yes, this would be an easy decision. He wrapped it around his upper right arm and fiddled with the strings and the hooks until he understood how it all interconnected. It wasn’t too complex; it was a matter of sliding the strings through the hoops and then doing a tiny knot to hold it in place, something he could do quickly with practice. When he had it fully tied, the ends of the pattern slid together to form a seamless band.

Iliah came back just as he finished. He lifted his right arm slightly in her direction. “Does it look right?”

“Eiyah!” she beamed. “I didn’t expect you to put it on so quickly. Let me see.” She leaned in and studied his knotwork and how he’d placed it on his arm. He’d intentionally placed it higher than normal, above the bulkiest part of his muscles. “You did just fine,” she said. “That should stay on until you take it back off.”

He hummed and smiled with pleasure.

*

Glossary:
ahpadé (tintrite) — brother
maianni-naahsah (tintrite) — ‘thank you so much’, always used with deep emotion

Author’s Note: Have you ever had one of those days that starts off quietly enough but ends changing your life forever? These next five chapters take place in the course of one of those days for our two best friends. Things learned, things admitted, things accepted without fear. And life continues on.

*

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Tassh waved excitedly for Diwa to come over from his stroll across the central green. The aanoupii was standing in the middle of a freshly tilled patch of the community garden, surrounded by various tools and bags of fertilizer, ready to fill this blank canvas. His allotment was small, but he’d already broken it down into individual sectors and added narrow raised beds up against the mesh fence, each already labeled and dated. He was beaming and humming quietly to himself as if he’d been placed in the most heavenly place on earth.

“Good morning, young Diwa!” he said, showing off his large teeth in a wide smile.

“Good morning, Tassh!” he said, leaning up against the fence post. “I see that Samuel gave you a good patch to work with, and you found the leftover frames I told you about. This section was left bare for a few seasons, so you should have a lot of good luck here. What are you growing?”

He pointed down at his feet with his trowel. “Right here, I am about to grow inashikraw squash,” he said proudly. “It is an aanoupii specialty, and I have not had it in years! This is the perfect time of year to grow it.”

Diwa cocked his head, unfamiliar with the name. “Don’t think I’ve heard of it.”

Tassh’s stubby ears twitched excitedly, and he even let out a quick squeak of a laugh. “Oh! You’ll be in for a treat, my young friend! It’s quite sweet for some, but I love it. Once they’re ready for harvesting, they have a thick rind so you can store them away or keep them on a table for a long time and they’ll never go bad. And you can serve it with pretty much anything. I like making soups out of it myself. Best thing to serve come winter. Here, come and help.”

He looked down at his clothes and figured he would be fine in getting these dirty. He didn’t have much to do right now, it being a quiet weekend, and he wouldn’t be working with Samuel on the office cleanup until tomorrow. “Sure,” he said, and entered through the gate, rolling up his sleeves. “What do you need me to do?”

He pointed across the way with his trowel at a bag leaning up against one of the raised beds. “Fertilized soil. Inashikraw squash grows anywhere, but this helps. I need at least three trays, one for the raised beds and the other two just here at the end of the rows. And mind where you step, I just planted fresh seedlings. Though I hear you know these walking boards quite well already.”

“Word gets around,” Diwa smirked. He opened one of the soil bags – and quickly closed it again as the smell overwhelmed his senses and made him gag and tear up. “Gyaaawwh…! Eiyah, Tassh, what the heck is in this?”

Tassh snorted a laugh. “Pure kleeat manure! And a few other organics added in as well. Good nutrients for sturdy plants. Unlike the weak soil that you humans usually like to use. You don’t go far enough!”

Diwa winced, glancing worriedly at the bag. He didn’t want to be rude to Tassh and not help, but gods, did this stuff stink! He would definitely need a long, hot shower after this. Probably at least three of them to get rid of the stench! He steeled himself and tried once more, gingerly opening it back up but keeping his head as far away as he could, hooking his shirt collar over his nose, and started scooping it into one of the trays. “Human olfactory senses are a little different than yours, Tassh,” he coughed. “Just saying.”

Tassh bared his teeth, greatly amused. “I’ll grant you that.” He pointed at a bare spot at the end of one of the rows. “Right here is fine. I’ll spread it out as need be. It won’t be as condensed once I’m done with it, so it won’t smell as bad.”

Diwa spent most of the morning assisting Tassh with the gardening, and to his surprise he found it quite enjoyable and relaxing, even despite the stench. The aanoupii was quite forthcoming with the ins and outs of his planting style, giving as much detail as possible to ensure he caught it all. Diwa did the best he could to remember it, though he’d already explained that his best method of learning was through experience. Tassh seemed to genuinely appreciate that, which meant dedication in his eyes. Diwa wasn’t going to be a pro at gardening by any stretch, but that wasn’t his aim to begin with. He liked learning different things from the other tenants, whether it was a craft or an errand or anything in between. It didn’t matter if the tenans were highly active or mostly sedentary, he just wanted to be a part of their lives. Tassh had taken this to heart early on and was more than happy to let Diwa join in, especially where gardening was involved. This was going to turn out fine.

“Phew!” he heard from above, an hour or so into their garden work. “Eiyah, I can smell that from up here!”

Diwa glanced up; Kaffi was coasting high above them in a lazy figure eight pattern. “Hey Kaff,” he said.

“Dare I ask what you’ve been rolling in?”

Diwa laughed and grabbed a fistful of soil. “Want to come down and find out?”

Kaffi chittered in amusement and dipped his head at him. “Nah, I’ll pass. Are we still up for our group meet tonight?”

“Of course! I’ll text you when I’m ready, after I eat and shower.”

“Please!” Kaffi said. “You’re not going to get that stink on me.”

“I’m tempted!”

“Strong words!” Kaffi said, flapping his wings and swirling around in a quick loop. “Tonight, then!” He swung away and flew towards Building C.

Tassh watched the two of them teasing each other and smiled as he returned to work. “Kaffi is quite an excellent flier, Diwa,” he said. “I watch him when I’m out here on the green sometimes. He’s a good kid. A bit reckless and quite unlike Graymar, but he seems dedicated.”

Diwa watched Kaffi land on the roof. He had a peculiar way of doing it; unlike Graymar, who would usually just decelerate and drop down to land, Kaffi would come close to his landing spot, swoop up, then drop down. An odd but poetic affectation that he’d never seen with other tintrite.

“He is,” Diwa said, watching Tassh for a moment before getting back to digging once more. The aanoupii seemed to have taken a liking to Kaffi early on, which made him happy. “We haven’t flown yet, but we’re planning on it soon. Once we’re both properly trained. I’m looking forward to it.”

“I watch him do laps sometimes,” Tassh said, swirling his trowel back and forth in the air. “He’s born for it. He’ll take good care of you.”

Diwa blushed, though he wasn’t quite sure why. “He’s…he’s a smart flier, sure,” he said, his voice a bit small. “He does take some reckless chances, but he’s never dangerous about it.”

“Graymar is the same with Samuel, I’ve seen,” he said. “Are the two of you bonded?”

He spluttered again, his entire face hot. “N-no. Not yet anyway.” Not yet? Why did I just say that?

The look in Tassh’s eyes meant he completely understood Diwa’s mortification, and thankfully chose not to tease him further. “The two of you will bond well together,” he said instead, giving him a wide smile. “By the looks of things.”