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A cold wind whipped across the barren, dry ground illuminated by the silver light of a full moon. The occasional tuft of foliage struggled its way out of cracks, and cactuses died luminescent blue by the light stood proud on the lifeless soil. Grains of sand flowed like water with the wind, pushed backward and forward by the occasional twister, while up above stars pierced a night sky. Clouds of purple and blue could be seen, collecting the stars like giant nets, and the moon awaited high above, a giant eye acting as guardian to an open heaven.

A single drake graced the desolate biome, his purple scales reminiscent of a piece of the sky fallen to earth. Six curved and serrated horns grew from the back of his head, each pair smaller than the one above, and two wings were held loosely to his flanks, swaying softly in the wind. His tail dragged raggedly through the sand, and each of his four paws sunk deep with every step. His pointed snout was lowered, and his eyes glowed a soft purple.

There was no direction to his footsteps, nor any purpose to his movement. It was as directionless as the wind, which seemed to push him back and forth with passive ease. He staggered back and forth as if drunk, before eventually collapsing, eyes closed as silent tears gradually formed at the corners, pulled forth by his heaving breaths. The dragon sobbed a great shuddering groan that mourned the very sky. Wind brushed over his face, as though trying to dry his tears, but each one it took away was replaced by more.

"I can't do this anymore," he whimpered to himself, "I... I can't..."

He heaved a couple more tears, before turning his gaze to the sky.

"Did you hear me? I can't do this anymore!" he roared.

The only response was the echo of his own voice. But that was the reason he had come out here in the first place. Blissful solitude. His only companion the freezing wind, the dry ground of the desert, and the moon. There was no struggle, no stresses of life. It was the only place he could truly be free. Yet the dissatisfaction in his chest still pressed against him, bursting forth like a water geyser in the form of tears.

The dragon quickly struggled to his feet, still looking at the sky, "It's too much! There is too much! I can't continue..."

He didn't know who he was talking to, or if he was talking to anyone at all. But he couldn't help himself. The words in his heart needed to be let out, and if the only thing listening was an empty sky then that would have to do.

"I can't continue... doing everything they want me to do. Not by myself," his head lowered again, and he bared his teeth as more tears continued to fall, each being sucked up by the thirsty ground.

A strong gust of wind suddenly brushed past him, causing him to stagger and draw his wings closer to his side in fear of being torn into the sky. The moment was quickly over, however, and he was pulled back into the emotional toil slowly seeping through his body. His thoughts continued to jump back and forth between events done and words spoken, trying to hold back the steadily swelling emotions as his head ached at the pressure of doing so.

"Are you okay, young one?"

The sound spooked the drake. He quickly turned with a frightened gasp, quickly dropping into a defensive stance with his wings spread and his tail raised slightly from the ground. His teeth were bared, and his whimpers turned to a rumbling growl. Standing a dragon-length away, not at all perturbed by the purple dragon's turn to aggression, was a wind drake. He had seemed to appear nearly out of thin air, the creamy scales also tinged blue in the night sky. He was an older dragon, a fair bit larger than the other drake, and had an odd aura that felt similar to what one would experience in the calm before a storm.

"Who are you?" the younger dragon snarled, keenly aware that his eyes were still dripping with tears.

"I mean no harm, young one. I just heard you calling out and was curious. What is a rift dragon doing so far out in the middle of the desert?" the wind drake asked.

"I could ask the same about you," the rift dragon responded, flicking his tail, "This is supposed to be the mental nation."

"So we are both trespassing are we?" the wind dragon seemed faintly amused, "The difference is I am not crying out to the world."

The younger dragon lowered his head in embarrassment, quickly wiping away his tears with the elbow of his wings, "That's none of your business."

There was a soft sigh from the wind dragon as he sat on his haunches, looking to the night sky, "It is a beautiful night, is it not?"

There was a slight hesitation from the rift dragon, before he followed the other's gaze, "I suppose so..."

"I often wonder what it would be like, to fly through the stars. But they always seem so far away."

"They are."

"I've heard rumours that some rift dragons have managed to teleport themselves up, high into the sky, to get closer."

"It's not exactly teleporting... but yes, some of us have tried to go up there. But we only last so long. It's very cold and very dangerous. There isn't any air to breathe."

"I wonder if bringing a wind dragon up there would help?"

"I doubt it. Rift dragons are accustomed to those conditions more than most... a wind dragon would have even less time."

"Aah, of course."

The two fell into silence. The rift dragon shifted his wings, finding himself a little annoyed at this stranger's presence. But before he could say his goodbyes, the wind dragon continued the conversation.

"What is your name young one?"

The rift dragon hesitated a moment, "I'm Konan."

"Well met Konan," the wind drake smiled a kind smile, "I must admit, I spend a large amount of time around here, and I've seen you here before. First time I've heard you crying out like you were though."

Konan frowned. He had never seen this dragon around there before, and he prided himself on being rather observant. Sure, the desert was where he went when he liked to got a little lost in his own head, but even then he kept a careful eye out for any other dragons that might sneak up on him.

"What do you want?" asked Konan.

"Nothing," the wind dragon replied genuinely, "Merely to talk."

Again, this raised Konan's suspicions. No dragon simply wanted to talk. Not from what he had seen anyway. There was always some ulterior motive. A favour to be asked. An argument to be had. A grudge to be settled. And he was a rift dragon after all, renowned for their abilities to send quick messages all around the world.

But there was something oddly calming about this dragon. Whether it was the kind yellow eyes, the soft and unthreatening pose he adopted, or the understanding smile that occupied his mouth. There was a genuine care in this wind dragon's eyes, like one a father would have for their grieving child. It was... nice. But that in itself was suspicious.

"You're not some sort of mind dragon... are you? Manipulating my emotions?" Konan growled as he took a wary step back.

Again, the wind dragon sighed, shaking his head, "So untrusting. What happened to you, young Konan?"

"Are you a mind dragon?" the rift drake repeated more firmly.

"I am not a mind dragon."

Still not trusting the other dragon's words, Konan reached out into the atmosphere around him, gripping at the rift energy that separated dimensions. With a simply thought he split it open, a vertical slit that descended into pitch darkness. With a quick flap of his wings, he jumped through, feeling the blistering cold and darkness of the void overcome him. He opened another portal, quickly returning to the desert, but now behind the wind dragon. Usually, it worked to temporarily disable any mental illusion. But the wind dragon still sat there, looking around in seeming confusion. He turned around and smiled when he saw Konan standing, still somewhat hesitant.

"Have I earned your trust now, young dragon?"

"Hardly," Konan responded with a snort, though he sat down on his haunches, feeling a little more relaxed now knowing he wasn't being mentally manipulated.

"I am concerned for you, Konan," the wind dragon said, copying Konan's movement, "That is all."

"I told you, it is none of your business," snarled the rift drake.

"Then why cry out for an answer you do not seek?"

Konan rumbled, annoyed but unable to answer.

"I merely wish to help," the wind drake bowed his head humbly, "If you would let me."

"You want to help?" growled Konan, feeling a little uneasy again, "You want to help?! Then leave me alone!"

He turned away, shaking a little as he felt the emotions rising in his chest again. Emotions he tried to shove down again, not wanting to let them out. The embarrassment of crying in front of the elder dragon was too much. Another weight laid upon the insurmountable pile that seemed to be constantly growing. No one could possibly understand. They couldn't understand the pain, the pressure... the weakness. It was like he was cracking apart, and the more he held it back, the greater the weight became.

"It is alright to cry. There is no judgement here," came the soft, soothing voice of the other drake.

A whimper escaped Konan as he felt his tears coming back despite painful resistance, "I don't need your pity."

"Not pity, young one. Comfort."

"I... I don't deserve comfort," the rift drake shook with more sobs as he slowly lay on the ground, hiding his head under his wing.

He couldn't stop it now. The frustration, the anger, the stress, it all piled up over into a wailing sobbing mess of a broken dragon. He didn't understand. A drake shouldn't cry. They shouldn't be overwhelmed by simple tasks and expectations. They shouldn't be broken simply by living. Yet here he was, curled into a pathetic ball of purple scales. He couldn't believe he had broken down in front of some strange drake from another nation, but he couldn't stop it. He just wanted to sink into the desert sand and never be seen again.

He felt the other dragon's presence by his side as the wind drake also lay down. But Konan didn't raise his head, even as he felt a soft blanket of a wing fall over his back. He couldn't bear looking the other dragon in the eye. But some part of him felt rather grateful for the wind dragon's presence. So he let everything out. Crying his worries into the sand below, feeding the desert with his tears. He didn't know how long he stayed like this, shaking and crying under the stranger's wing. But eventually, his sobs quietened, and his tears stopped flooding. He couldn't deny that part of him felt far lighter, even if he still felt rather embarrassed.

"Sorry," he murmured with a snuffle.

"No need to be sorry," the wind dragon replied softly.

"I don't usually... do this."

"I can tell."

There was a short silence before the wind dragon continued.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Konan hesitated.

"It's alright if you don't. I just think it might help."

"It's... embarrassing," murmured the rift dragon, "I shouldn't be crying about it."

"It doesn't matter what it is. What matters is that it's tearing you up inside. What your society says about whatever is worrying you doesn't change that."

The rift dragon sniffed again, shuffling a little under the elder dragon's wing, "It's just that... well... my... my carers... all my life they have been pushing me toward something. A position that... that is well respected I guess... and would be cool to do... but I'm just not sure if I... if I can."

"You don't want to?"

"It's not that. I do want to. I really... really want to... but... I can't."

"Why?"

"Because it's hard! And so much responsibility falls onto you... and everyone is looking at you... and you have to make sure you get everything right... make the right decisions... and failure means... it means a lot of pain. I'm not ready for that... I'm not good enough for that. When I look at the other dragons around me... there are so many that would do better than I would... so many that are better than I could ever be."

"Aah..." the wind dragon nodded his head in understanding.

"You see... I can't. I would ruin everything. And if I fail... when I fail... I can't do that to my carers."

"I'm guessing your carers are kind of like parents, am I right?"

Konan nodded his head, rubbing his eye against his wing again, "Yeah... kind of."

"Do your carers love you?"

The question surprised Konan a little, and he glanced at the wind drake with a tilted head. The drake was looking back at him and gave a small smile. No malice adorned it, nor was their judgement in his eyes. Only the same comforting gaze that Konan was only now getting used to.

"I... I think so," Konan responded.

"And do you love them?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then if this is something you want to do... trust them. Let me tell you a story young one. Long ago, when I was new to this world, my... father gathered my siblings and I and gave us a task. One that seemed impossible. He is something of an artist you see, and he wanted us to create something that would match what he had done. A gift, he said. We were all ecstatic of course. Finally, we were going to be able to show our father everything he had done for us, and we wanted him to be proud. But the expectation... was enormous. To match his ability would require all our efforts. We had never done anything like this before, but we never doubted him. Do you want to know why? Because we knew he loved us. We knew he would never give us something that would be too much for us. Because of his faith in us, we knew we were capable. We believed. Then we did it. We created this new thing... that was so much more amazing than we could have ever come up with on our own. We made our father proud. Do you understand what I'm saying, Konan?"

"I... I think so."

"Good. Because your carers love you, and they wouldn't give you a task that they thought you couldn't complete. It may be difficult. It may seem impossible, but when you have the support of those you love... you would be surprised at what is possible."

The warmth of the wind dragon's words curled around Konan, and he nodded his head. The wind dragon was right. He could do this. A small smile curled up on his maw as a sudden excitement sparked through him.

"You really think so."

"Oh, I know so. Also young one, everyone fails at something. Look through the history if this position you are going into, and I think you would be surprised at how those previous to you have failed. What matters Konan isn't failure, it's how you react to it. As long as you go in with that mindset, nothing will stop you."

Again, Konan nodded, "Thank you... aah... I don't think I got your name."

The wind drake chuckled, "Just call me Tan."

"Okay... Tan," Konan smiled, before suddenly giving out a large yawn.

"Ah, I guess it is a little late at night, isn't it? Feel free to sleep young one. I'll keep you safe."

Konan blinked, "Aah... you sure? Aren't you a little cold?"

"Not at all. My species live in snowy mountains, remember? A cool desert night is nothing compared to that."

"Fair enough."

The rift dragon shuffled a little, digging into the sand a bit to get more comfortable, looking to the sky. He grinned, before laying his head back on the sand and allowing his tired eyes to close. Crying was, for some reason, incredibly exhausting.

"Sleep well, young one," he heard Tan say as he drifted off, "And remember, next time the weight of life is crushing down upon you, don't be afraid to lay your heart out under an open heaven. You may be surprised at what will happen."

* * *

Konan woke with a start. He opened his wings and groaned slightly, enjoying the heat of the morning desert sun upon his scales. It made him drowsy. The cool sand his lower body was buried in was a nice contrast to the warmth of his back. He blinked, remembering the events from the previous night.

His head shot up with a start as he looked around. The wind dragon was gone. Not just gone, but there was no presence of him left whatsoever. The sand where he had been laying was undisturbed except for Konan's wings. Not even any footsteps were left in the sand, where Konan's own were clear despite the soft breeze. He frowned, forcing himself to his feet and shaking the sand out of his scales. He looked to the sky, searching the horizon for his new friend. But he couldn't find anything.

"Was it all just a dream?" he murmured to himself.

It had seemed so real. He shrugged. Even if it was, he couldn't deny that his heart felt much lighter, and Tan's final words echoed in his head. He let out a shuddering breath, opening another portal into the void. It was time to head back home, and face the task set out for him. He looked around one last time, before giving a smile and leaping into the portal, disappearing from the desert. The wind curled around where he had disappeared, a soft twister waving as if saying goodbye.

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Hey guys! New Chronicle for the week! Tell me what you think. This was quite a difficult one to write, and I wasn't sure exactly how to do it until I actually started. It was an oddly personal one as well, so I'm curious to see what you think. So vote and comment, and tell me which Chronicle you want next week.

Ocean Depths: Ruba, Water drake - 1Yr BTA

A Tale of Light and Dark: Ender, Shadow drake - 6Yrs BTA

Flightless Wings: Aviosa, Crystal dragoness - 7Yrs BTA

See Ya!

Pennator^^