Flying is a lot like swimming (Open)

Flying is a lot like swimming.

Except, no, it's not.

Ruisen had seen a western dragon flying over the ocean and asked him what it was like to fly, to which he has answered saying that flying is like swimming. Clearly, that dragon had never dipped his claws into water before. Ruisen made that revelation as he stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking ocean waves. He couldn't fly, but he could glide, but even then, gliding was nothing like swimming. Western dragons are crazy.

He shook his head to clear those thoughts and just focus on the string of sea stacks opposite of the cliff. He placed his claws on the cliff side and pushed off, forcing himself into the open air. Ruisen opened his front set of wings and tilted them up, doing the same with his back set. Air caught under the membranes and slowly guided him down to land on the sea stack. After he settled his talons to latch onto the rock, he looked down onto the shore below, where his satchel was abandoned temporarily.

Ruisen shook out his wings and did the same routine to the next sea stack, still not getting what similarities flying had with swimming. Flying was just gliding, only flapping your wings here and there, right? Swimming was paddling, finding currents to follow and propelling yourself using your body. He didn't get the appeal of flying, and wouldn't be able to on his own..

Rapid was busily speeding through the waves, enjoying her time away from the tribe. Recently, it seemed like things had been falling apart with the Lakara. Ever since the ash had arrived, dragons rarely ventured out of their homes. Even the Orca seemed to be reluctant to interact with others. And Rapid couldn't quite figure out why. Maybe it had something to do with that ash that had spilled all over the place? Regardless, the main city just felt crowded, so she had fled to the coast for the chance to breath in fresher waters.

She would swim absently, poking her head up out of the water when she noticed the depth begin to change. Sure enough, she spotted the shore. Now what? She noticed that this shoreline seemed to be more cliffs and less sand. There were also quite a few sea stacks scattered around. She looked up at one. They had an odd charm to them. Strange how something like one could form, and stay like it is, even grow vegetation.

As Rapid was musing in her thoughts, she noticed a blur leap above her. Blinking, she realized it had been the form of a dragon. Cautious, Rapid ducked her head back in to the water. Had the dragon spotted her?! She wondered, holding her breath.