That night, Edward was dreaming. He found himself standing atop a large stone pillar. The wind ran through his shoulder-length black hair and his short beard as it cooled his head and cleared his mind. He spread his arms to his sides and closed his eyes. Then, as he took a deep breath, he listened to the wind howling at this height of giants. The sea below him crashed against the rock pillars like armies against the gates, but the rock pillars stood strong.
The other stone pillars surrounding him weren't nearly as tall as his own— each of them falling short of a few dozen feet. Edward looked to the horizon in the distance and smiled once more. Then, he heard a roar from behind him. Without even looking back, Edward confidently ran forward and jumped. His body sailed through the air unaided by a parachute or a glider. His body began to fall to the sea below, but he did not fear.
Edward spread his arms and legs to the sides as he closed his eyes once more. Another roar echoed through the canyon of mountains— the sound bouncing off the walls enough to confuse even Edward. Yet he knew he was safe.
"Roooar!" The creature shouted once again. Edward heard the wind near him move, cut aside by a superior force. Then, as Edward neared the halfway point of no return, he felt a creature scoop him up from the air. Edward immediately used his legs to grasp onto the sides as his hands searched for a proper surface to clutch onto. He opened his eyes and was faced with the strong mane of a platinum dragon.
Its four strong wings pushed against the wind behind him as its strong neck gazed upon the horizon from in front of him. The tail, hidden behind the curtain of wings, trailed with the wind to provide the beast with balance and superiority in the skies.
As Edward put his buttocks against the dragon's saddle, he quickly took note of the saddle's make. The dragon's saddle was built out of its own scales and strong leather— but it didn't function to keep its rider comfortable. No, this saddle was built for speed.
Edward tapped the dragon's main, signaling that he had a strong hold over the saddle. Then, the dragon used all of its strength to push itself forward. Its four wings all acted at once. The upper wings provided the dragon with maneuverability and balance while the lower wings provided the dragon with pure power.
As the dragon pushed its way through the wind, Edward leaned forward to match his chest with the flat saddle. His butt hovered at the same angle as his feet rested perpendicular to the sea below. His hands gripped the center of the saddle— greatly helping him balance himself— as the dragon's speed increased.
Soon enough, the world around Edward turned into a blur. The wind pushing against his hair grew stronger and stronger until Edward began to regret the absence of his riding helmet. He felt the air move around his riding armor until it seemed like the very element itself was making way for him. The stone pillars surrounding him blurred into the background until he began to forget their very existence.
His dragon barely moved, yet still managed to dodge any obstacle in his way. Edward was already aware of the dragon's talent— his four wings proved their supremacy in the air— yet he was still impressed with his skill at moving through the skies.
After all, he had raised the creature himself.
Edward awoke with a start— Ikarus tucked silently between his chest and blanket. His alarm clock rang angrily from the bedside table. It seemed willing to strange Edward in his sleep. Edward reluctantly turned the alarm clock off— his body feeling energized as soon as the incessant noise was silenced. He looked at the small dragon snoozing near his throat and smiled. He had already forgotten his dream— yet he knew it was among the best he had ever dreamt.
"Damn shame," Edward muttered, disappointed in his memory's lack of foundation. He slowly sat up, carefully cradling Ikarus as he transferred the creature from his chest to his pillow. Ikarus didn't seem to even notice the new location— as he was still snoozing as peacefully as a newborn babe.
Edward slowly walked into the bathroom. Usually, Edward would be groaning and rubbing his eyes, yet this morning seemed different. He felt ready. As he entered the bathroom and gazed at the mirror, he saw the massive problem was still waiting for him.
His black hair and black eyes stood out like police sirens to him. Perhaps it was because he was always used to his lighter features, but now he seemed like a complete stranger. It was still only five AM, which meant he had to get to work in an hour.
"Let's hope they'll believe my story," Edward said as he turned his shower knob. He was hoping to say that he had a hair dye, though he didn't know how to explain the new eye color or the massive scar on his lip. As Edward was waiting for the water to warm up, he turned to look at the sleeping creature on his bed and groaned once more, "Guess I'm bringing him. I have no idea how that'll go."
Edward had no idea what Ikarus could do if left alone. In the best-case scenario, he would only raid the fridge. If the worst happened, though, Ikarus could potentially escape into the open city and become noticed by a passerby. He didn't have a way to unsummon him, either, considering the dragon would always be present in whichever plane his consciousness was in. For now, that was Earth.
Half an hour later, after Ikarus had woken up on his own, Edward stood in front of the door. He already had his work uniform on— though it was still the casual kind of uniform. This time, however, he also held a backpack. He was hoping Ikarus would be alright with climbing into it, though Edward was extremely nervous that the dragon would get claustrophobic halfway through the workday.
"I'll have to periodically visit the roof to let him walk around. God, I hope he's too young to fly," Edward whispered to himself as he set the backpack on the ground. As soon as Ikarus saw it, his eyes widened with glee. He quickly jumped into the backpack and curled up onto the blanket already placed at the base. Edward looked down at Ikarus and smiled, "Stay like that, okay buddy? Today will be really long, but I'll award you with more ice cream if you could hold out all day."
Naturally, Ikarus had no idea what Edward was saying. The young office worker desperately hoped Ikarus understood the gist of what he was asking, but he didn't hold too much hope. Then, after confirming that Ikarus was comfortable, he closed the backpack— save for a tiny sliver to allow air— and began walking to work.