"Hey Sarah how are you?" Cody asked as he laid down and lowered his head so he was eye level with her.
"Good and from what I've been told I'll be better as time goes on," Sarah said as she pointed to Beatrice.
"You'll get better?" Cody asked, twisting his head to the side slightly.
"Hello Sir," Beatrice said, stepping closer and asked Sarah, "May I explain?"
"Please do, I won't be able to do it as well as you," Sarah replied.
"I'll start from the beginning, When those with dragon bloodlines have children with non draconic species there can be some minor changes or big changes depending on the purity of the children. Your mother for example was a dragonewt, She looked like one but couldn't breath fire while pregnant with Kevin she gained the ability to breath fire," Beatrice explained as she twisted herself sideways and gestured to her draconic lower half.
"I myself was a normal centaur, after having twins I had a slightly painful transformation into a dragontaur," Beatrice explained then looked up at cody and said, "But seeing as your a pureblood we can't even begin to guess what changes you'll bring out in your partners."
Cody looked at Sarah and then down as he thought a bit, after a few moments he looked at Beatrice and asked, "So because I'm a pure blood dragon I'll change everyone I sleep with into some kind of dragon, doesn't that mean I have to explain what will happen after being with me?"
Beatrice looked nervous as Cody asked his question, before she could respond Sarah spoke up, "Cody before I even met you I was told while growing up that if I met any of the big families that I could evolve or become something else entirely if I stayed with them, I don't know about every race but from I heard all of them are told the same thing while growing up and that they should be ready for it."
"Son I was told the same when I was little and if you're afraid of changing people tell them what you are and let them decide, most will say yes because it's seen as an honor to be chosen," Mina explained, helping to ease Cody's thoughts.
"What about you Sarah? You seemed pretty shocked about becoming pregnant," Cody asked her.
"At first I was scared and nervous but after meeting everyone I have I feel safe and protected, I did consider other options but I won't choose any of them," Sarah said determined while looking into Cody's eyes, "The changes are just another part of this and I'm not scared of them, nervous yes but not scared."
"I understand and won't ask again," Cody said as Sarah relaxed, Before anyone could say anything Cody felt a tug on his wings.
Cody looked back and saw an older man smirking, "Greetings youngblood, have you flown yet?" He asked Cody.
"Not really why?" Cody asked him.
"I pride myself on teaching everyone to fly, I've taught just about everyone here and was wondering if you would like some lessons so you don't embarrass yourself when you try yourself." The old man said teasingly as his wings snapped open and started to hover nearby.
"I won't embarrass myself trying to fly," Cody said defensively.
"HA, everyone says that at the start but they do, your grandpa's brother once flew into a wall trying to impress everyone with his wings," He said, holding his hands out towards Jeromy, Jeralds brother, causing some of the people to laugh.
Jeromy blushed and said, "Yes, laugh it up everyone," He said as he looked away smiling.
Cody looked at the old man hovering nearby and asked, "So how will you teach me there's not enough room here,"
The old man simply smiled and flew to the top of the cave wall and disappeared over the edge, "Come up here and find out," He yelled over the edge.
Cody stood and slowly spread his wings but stopped when he almost knocked over nearby decorations, so he turned and started to climb the rock face using the cave entrances as footholds, as Cody climbed many people with wings flew up, others climbed up.
Cody stopped as he climbed over the edge and stared in wonder at the vast shallow lake filled with many crystals and smooth stones, with a visible current that resembled the aurora borealis, "What is this place?" Cody asked.
"The lake of peace, it's for people to come and relax mainly, you can swim, fly and do various things here to help relax," The old man said as he went to land and the crystals rose to meet his feet keeping him dry. As others landed or came over the edge the crystals lifted to meet them.
"Now before I start my lessons my name is Alexander, I will give you the basics of flight until you start to do it instinctively," Alexander said as he held out his wings and asked, "Please hold them out."
Cody did the same with his wings as everyone took a few steps away from Cody to give him room.
"Now that their flat I want you to pay attention to mine," Alexander slowly raised his wings at an angle with the front higher than the back.
Cody tried to copy his movement but kept his wings flat.
"Not like that, at an angle," Alexander said as he showed Cody again.
Cody grumbled and after a few attempts finally did the right angle, "I did it," Cody said, sounding proud.
"Good now you will be able to glide without going face first into the ground. In order to take off copy this movement, slow up hard down," Alexander said as his wings pulled inwards lifting up slowly then fully extended and came down hard causing him to lift off the ground slightly.
"Why teach me to glide first when I haven't even taken off?" Cody asked as he tried to and failed to gain lift.
"Not hard enough down force, and because I would rather you not crash after taking off," Alexander said to Cody as he showed the same movement again.
"That's fair," Cody said as he copied the movement and felt himself raise slightly, Cody did it again this time raising himself slowly.
"Harder with the downward force for higher elevation and slow the pace if you want to land," Alexander told Cody who was smiling widely.
Cody listened and added force pushing himself higher until he was a few meters above the water level, Cody then slowed the pace and gently landed, "That was fun, what's next?" Cody asked excitedly.
"Take off and hover for thirty seconds and once you do that I'll show you how to move forward from a hover position," Alexander told Cody as he started to hover.
Cody started to rise into the air, once he was level with Alexander he started to count, "There are two ways to move forward from a hover position, first lean forward and hold your wings out, second when you press downwards angle your wings further and not flat. That will push you forward."
Once Cody finished his counting he leaned forward and quickly fell into a glide, Alexander moved out of his way and started to follow him easily keeping pace, "There you go,now remember what I told you before," Alexander said as he watched the large dragon slowly glide.
Cody listened to what Alexander said as he glided while trying to suppress giggles of excitement, Cody looked forward and smirked. He started to flap his wings faster and harder, lifting and speeding up, after a few moments Alexander and the others slowed and hovered, unable to keep up.
Cody started to laugh out loud as he flew around, He started to turn around and once he was going back to everyone he looked up and tried to do a flip and succeeded whooping in joy, next Cody tried to do a barrel roll and yelled as he quickly fell the stones sunk further letting the water cushion Cody's fall which in turn splashed some of the spectators.
Cody pushed his head above the water and looked around in annoyance as some of the people were laughing while others tried to suppress themselves, Alexander hovered close by with his pants noticeably wet, "Don't worry Cody no one has a perfect flight the first time," Alexander said as cody stood and walked into the shallower area.
Cody shook himself a bit causing everyone to stop laughing and move away to avoid the water coming off of him, "I tried to roll, I don't understand how I crashed," Cody said to Alexander.
"When you tried to roll did you pull your wings in or did you shift their angle?" Alexander asked Cody.
"I pulled them in," Cody responded as he looked at Alexander.
"That's why you fell, you tucked in your wings when you needed to shift the angle," Alexander explained as Cody sighed.
"Note to self shift not tuck when flying," Cody said to himself.
"Unless you're diving then you tuck for extra speed, When you have time watch a movie or two about birds and pay attention to how they fly, particularly falcons and eagles," Alexander said as Cody started to grimace.
"Got it," Cody grunted as he lowered his head in pain.
"I think he's changing back into his human form," one of the spectators said as Cody roared in pain while his form started to shrink.
After a lot of screaming Cody laid on the stone floor that rose above the water during his change, Cody raised his head and looked around and grumbled as he tried to stand.
"Stay down," A small winged woman said as she draped a small blanket over his shoulders, "Let yourself adjust first," She said as Cody nodded and stayed seated.
Cody lifted his head and noticed almost everyone had gone back, "Thank you for the blanket," Cody said as she looked down and grumbled, "Wish my clothes were not destroyed."
"Here son," Mina said, handing Cody a pair of shorts, "I thought you might need these so I took them from the medicine cave.
"Thanks Mom," Cody said as he slipped them on and then handed back the blanket to the nearby woman who draped it over her shoulders. She nodded and took flight going back to the common grounds.
"Want us to fly you back?" Mina asked Cody as Alexander landed beside her, the rest of the spectators flew back once they knew Cody was fine.
