be four years old, which was very young.
“Four? Wow! On my planet, little children who are four learn how to fly. Would you like to learn how to fly someday?”
The child looked at Tasid’s wings. “I don’t have any wings.”
Tasid gave him a reassuring smile. “That’s ok, you don’t need to be born with wings to fly. All you need is a talon. That is what we call our small flying crafts. We call the males who fly them flyers.”
The child looked once again at his wings. “Can I touch them?”
Tasid nodded his head and carefully spread out one of his battle wings towards the small child. In spite of the strength of the hard, boney arms, Tasid could feel the heat from the little fingers gliding over the features. The webbing was more sensitive, so he felt the tickle from the light touch.
Tasid dramatically squirmed and giggled. “It tickles.”
Liam laughed, and Tasid didn’t think he had ever heard a sweeter sound. The laugh was infectious and filled his heart with joy.
Liam pointed at the other wings Tasid had. “You have four wings.”
“Yes, I do. The hard ones are called battle wings, and these,” Tasid pointed to the lighter blue feathers that were as impenetrable as the toughest metal, “are called guardian wings.”
Liam pointed to the band on his wrist. “What’s that?”
Tasid looked down to where the boy was pointing. “That is my holo-band.” He tapped on the top of it, and a holo-screen popped up. He showed the child how it showed him information, brought up different files, how he wrote notes in it, and he even contacted Horo, who was in charge while he was off ship. Only Horo’s head was showing, but he was very understanding about the call, and even waved and smiled at the boy through the connection.
Tasid’s mother walked up beside him. Tasid looked up at her, surprised it had taken her this long to come forward to gush over the child. Adonna, though a female of his race, was still much taller than the humans. She knelt down and smiled at the child.
Tasid introduced her. “Liam, this is my mother, Adonna.”
“Hi, Liam. Look, I don’t have wings either.” Adonna twisted her body just enough so he could see her back.
The little boy’s eyes scrunched up. “What happened to them?”
“In our species, the females don’t have wings, only the males.” She held out her hand to him. “Can I look at you?”
Liam looked up at his mother, who just smiled back down at him and nodded her head. Liam reached out and took Adonna’s hand, and walked closer to her.
The look on Adonna’s face was one of pure adoration, as she held up his hands and placed them against hers to see the size difference.
“Look how pink you are compared to me,” she said.
Liam looked up at her. “That’s because you’re blue.”
Everyone around them chuckled with amusement. She took off her own personal wristband and handed it to the boy. “Here, Liam, you can have my holo-band if you’d like.”
The boy’s mother gasped. “Oh, we couldn’t.” She looked nervously around at the human officials. Tasid kept his face passive, but inside he was starting to get upset with how frightened this female was. Are all females this timid? What are the males doing to them?
The little boy turned and begged his mother. “Oh please, Mother, please, please, please.”
Tasid encouraged her. “It is ok to take it. We can easily get more.”
The female took in a deep breath and shakily nodded her head. The boy squealed and jumped up and down excitedly.
As Adonna secured the band around the tiny wrist of the little boy, the boy’s mother asked him, “What do you tell her?”
Liam threw his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you!” Then he turned and ran back to his mother. Once there, he turned and waved at Tasid before being led away.
When Tasid helped his mother back up, he saw her eyes welling up with happy tears, which she was trying to hold back.
They resumed their
“Four? Wow! On my planet, little children who are four learn how to fly. Would you like to learn how to fly someday?”
The child looked at Tasid’s wings. “I don’t have any wings.”
Tasid gave him a reassuring smile. “That’s ok, you don’t need to be born with wings to fly. All you need is a talon. That is what we call our small flying crafts. We call the males who fly them flyers.”
The child looked once again at his wings. “Can I touch them?”
Tasid nodded his head and carefully spread out one of his battle wings towards the small child. In spite of the strength of the hard, boney arms, Tasid could feel the heat from the little fingers gliding over the features. The webbing was more sensitive, so he felt the tickle from the light touch.
Tasid dramatically squirmed and giggled. “It tickles.”
Liam laughed, and Tasid didn’t think he had ever heard a sweeter sound. The laugh was infectious and filled his heart with joy.
Liam pointed at the other wings Tasid had. “You have four wings.”
“Yes, I do. The hard ones are called battle wings, and these,” Tasid pointed to the lighter blue feathers that were as impenetrable as the toughest metal, “are called guardian wings.”
Liam pointed to the band on his wrist. “What’s that?”
Tasid looked down to where the boy was pointing. “That is my holo-band.” He tapped on the top of it, and a holo-screen popped up. He showed the child how it showed him information, brought up different files, how he wrote notes in it, and he even contacted Horo, who was in charge while he was off ship. Only Horo’s head was showing, but he was very understanding about the call, and even waved and smiled at the boy through the connection.
Tasid’s mother walked up beside him. Tasid looked up at her, surprised it had taken her this long to come forward to gush over the child. Adonna, though a female of his race, was still much taller than the humans. She knelt down and smiled at the child.
Tasid introduced her. “Liam, this is my mother, Adonna.”
“Hi, Liam. Look, I don’t have wings either.” Adonna twisted her body just enough so he could see her back.
The little boy’s eyes scrunched up. “What happened to them?”
“In our species, the females don’t have wings, only the males.” She held out her hand to him. “Can I look at you?”
Liam looked up at his mother, who just smiled back down at him and nodded her head. Liam reached out and took Adonna’s hand, and walked closer to her.
The look on Adonna’s face was one of pure adoration, as she held up his hands and placed them against hers to see the size difference.
“Look how pink you are compared to me,” she said.
Liam looked up at her. “That’s because you’re blue.”
Everyone around them chuckled with amusement. She took off her own personal wristband and handed it to the boy. “Here, Liam, you can have my holo-band if you’d like.”
The boy’s mother gasped. “Oh, we couldn’t.” She looked nervously around at the human officials. Tasid kept his face passive, but inside he was starting to get upset with how frightened this female was. Are all females this timid? What are the males doing to them?
The little boy turned and begged his mother. “Oh please, Mother, please, please, please.”
Tasid encouraged her. “It is ok to take it. We can easily get more.”
The female took in a deep breath and shakily nodded her head. The boy squealed and jumped up and down excitedly.
As Adonna secured the band around the tiny wrist of the little boy, the boy’s mother asked him, “What do you tell her?”
Liam threw his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you!” Then he turned and ran back to his mother. Once there, he turned and waved at Tasid before being led away.
When Tasid helped his mother back up, he saw her eyes welling up with happy tears, which she was trying to hold back.
They resumed their
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