A New Beginning

Chapter 29

Tessa's POV:

I stretched out as far as I could on the warm sand, revelling in the ability to do so without bumping into someone. The complete silence was strange, as well as a bit eerie, but it was the best sleep I had enjoyed in a very long time. I was kind of sad that Dirk already had dibs on this heat lamp tonight.

With a faint sigh, I got to my feet and flew over to land on the floor by the door. It was only open a crack, and I pulled it open far enough for me to walk through.

The house was still quiet. I was surprised to see that I was the first one awake. I already knew that I would get growled at if I woke someone up, so I decided to go outside and look at the stars. It wasn't something that I usually got up early enough to do.

The sky was still fairly dark, so the moon and stars stood out. I sat on the big piece of driftwood and gazed upwards appreciatively. The air was chilly, but not a breath of wind stirred. Other than a few crickets, the world was silent as the stars glittered overhead. There were no words to describe the experience, so I memorized the peaceful feeling to share later.

The stars faded as the sky slowly became lighter. The sound of the flap quietly opening made me look back to see Dad coming outside. He blinked at me in surprise before flying over to sit beside me.

We waited in silence for the sun to rise. It wasn't long before Mom and Dirk joined us as well. I could feel the sun approaching the horizon, sending out its call even though we couldn't see it yet.

The call's strength grew as the sun peeked above the horizon, and we waited motionlessly for the cue to begin. A ripple of the light had us jumping towards the sky as our voices sang of our joy.

The happiness and hope filled my heart, even as I swerved to miss Dad. My aerobatics didn't interfere with my song. My flying had gotten much better. I barely even had to think about it as I flew in loops around my family.

Joy and gladness danced through my veins, chasing away any other emotions. All that mattered was the song and the important message it wanted us to relay. Another day had begun, full of hope and possibilities – and we were a part of it.

Eventually, as it always did, the sun rose above the horizon and brought the song to an end. We flew over to where Taureen and Aeria sat. They already had several bowls of fruit out, so we enjoyed our breakfast while occasionally trading with each other for our favorite pieces.

"So, how did you find your night alone?" Dad asked.

I swallowed a piece of watermelon and grinned. "It was great. Dirk didn't growl at me once for rolling on his tail."

Dirk snorted. "Maybe that explains why I had a better sleep as well. You move almost as much in your sleep as you do during the day."

I flicked him with my tail and proceeded to ignore him.

"What are we doing today?" I asked Taureen and Aeria.

"You get to come with me today," Taureen replied. "We are going to walk through a few of the busier marketplaces and visit a school to do a small presentation about bond animals."

My ear tufts perked up. "That sounds interesting. Are Aeria, Dad, and Dirk going to the training room?"

"No, the training rooms are currently being cleaned and rearranged, so we won't be able to go there until tomorrow."

That was both exciting and unnerving. I would get to learn new things, but I also wouldn't have any idea about what to expect in the training room. That was what the training sessions were for though; to teach me about the variety of things I might encounter. I couldn't wait to see what the Kymari had managed to dream up this time.