35 – The Breath of the Sky

 

The higher they climbed, the better Feilong felt. He was still weak, but he began to feel more and more at ease. There, waiting for them, was Great-Grandpa, wings spread wide, lost in meditation.

«Can we go higher?» he asked.
«If you think you can manage, we should,» Father replied.
«Yes,» said Great-Grandpa, straightening up before shooting straight upwards.

«Feilong, hold on! We’re going straight up now!» Father warned.
Feilong gripped even tighter, and in the next moment they too rose straight up like lightning.

«Oh, wonderful!» cried Great-Grandpa in relief as they reached him. «That feels good.»
«It’s more than icy cold up here,» Father muttered.
«Don’t make such a fuss. Your son seems to be enjoying it,» teased Great-Grandpa.

«Feilong, how are you feeling?» asked Father.
«Much better. Are we flying tandem again?»
Father untied the cloth. «If you want to, of course. But take some time to meditate as well. Do as Great-Grandpa does; this is the right time for it.»
«While we meditate, you could wrap that cloth around your neck as a scarf, in case you’re freezing,» teased Great-Grandpa.
«Hey! I’m not a snowman,» Father laughed. «I often fly at this height. I’ll be fine.»

The three set off towards the mountains. When they arrived, they found the cave Long Ziran had told them about. Exhausted and tired, they all lay down and fell asleep.

Feilong was the first to wake. Curious as ever, he slowly stepped out of the cave and looked around.
«The world is quite an interesting place, isn’t it?» came Great-Grandpa’s voice behind him.
He turned to face him. «Good morning, Great-Grandpa.»
«Good morning, my great-grandson,» he replied with a nod.
«You two are dreadful early risers,» came Father’s voice from inside the cave.
«Good morning, Papa,» said Feilong cheerfully.
«Good morning, my son. Good morning, Grandpa,» answered Father.

After getting used to the fresh morning air, Feilong and Father prepared to leave. For Feilong, this meant flying together with his father to his new home. His feelings were still mixed, but there was also a quiet excitement growing inside him at the thought of finally seeing it for himself.

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