Discoveries

This was the first of the three images for my fourth annual coloring contest.
CONTEST HOME Contest closed.

It is Ryu exploring his wings shortly after he learned that he has them.

To access the lines, follow this link: These lines Layered

Coloring Info
This is not my coloring. What I did was (with permission from the colorists) take my favorite entries and combine them to make a new coloring that I feel brings out the best of each one.

These are the images I used, make sure you visit them and praise them for the work. They did it all.


To see more of Ryu, follow the links below:
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From in the time of Dragons:

His mind was distracted as he waded through the water. He couldn't focus on the task at hand. Washing seemed to be too mundane... to normal... to ordinary. As of last night, he now knew that he couldn't use those words to describe himself.

Wings. He had wings... The idea was too unreal for him to wrap his mind around. Maybe if he could see them again. He looked at his shoulders, trying to see wings extending from his back, but of course, they weren't there. The transformational powers of Samo-Yans come from nowhere and leave no trace. Except for the rip in his shirt, that is.

Perhaps if he could see them again he would get more used to the idea. He focused on the memory, trying to figure out what made them appear in the first place. He was fighting, and Kiala slipped. The memory of her falling came back to him like a tsunami on the shoreline. Just thinking about it, he felt a strong fear and sense of desperation flow through him, and with that, a strange feeling in the back of his mind... an instinct? Was it the desperation? The fear? The anger he felt toward the one who made her fall? The instinct whispered more strongly... but it was still just an afterthought; one he was familiar with... one he was used to ignoring.

That was when he remembered what his sensei told him. Remember to keep your emotions under control. Don't let them control you. If you can call upon the right feelings at the right time, you will have the greatest of weapons... however, if you let your emotions run free, it could mean your downfall. It was all very clear to him now. Isoruku sensei had been talking about this. He told him to control his emotions because his feelings would some day be the key to unlocking this potential.

He started to laugh. It wasn't funny, but he still laughed. Was it relief, or was he feeling foolish? Maybe both. All his life, he thought he was just a human... but now it was so obvious that he wasn't. Reddish brown hair... like the color of a hawk's feathered plumage. His love of high places... His sensei always telling him that he was far more than he knew he was and that someday he would understand. Half human... half Samo-Yan. He didn't blame his sensei for keeping that a secret... halflings like him... they were often looked down upon by full blooded humans... seen as blights... or as tools to be used. He would have to be careful to keep this a secret from everyone if he wanted to continue to be seen the same way by his friends and comrades.

That is when an idea crossed his mind. If his emotions were the key to unlocking the wings... did they have to be bad feelings... or could they be something more positive... but still strong? To try this out, he closed his eyes. Remembering the rip in his shirt, he started to unfasten it and let it slide down his shoulders. No need for more tears. He concentrated. What could be strong enough to release the wings? The image of Kiala suddenly came to him. He imagined her sitting next to him, her fingers toying with his in fresh green grass, her hair blowing lightly in the breeze. He saw her eyes looking at him. Perhaps this was after training all day. They liked to sit together like that after a long day of training.

How he longed to take her in his arms when they sat like that. He longed to tell her how he felt, to stroke her cheek. He always sealed those thoughts away before they could get the better of him though... because that is how he had been taught. Control your feelings, don't let them control you. But this time, standing waste deep in water, he let his feelings and thoughts go. He imagined caressing her cheek. He kissed her, and stroked her hair behind her ear. He imagined her blushing at him. How pleasant. As his thoughts wandered, the instinct inside of him grew stronger, but he wasn't paying attention anymore. He was lost in a delightful daydream; something he never allowed himself to do.

Then it came. The air shifted around him, and with a light gust of wind, the world changed. When he opened his eyes, everything was different. No... it was the same... but more... more. The world was sharper, clearer, more vivid, more lovely, and extending from his back, he saw two russet colored wings. The same color as his hair.

Concern swept over him. He didn't know what to think of them, or what they meant. It felt like he was in someone else's body. Then he noticed the instinct starting to fade. No. He wasn't done! He pulled up the image of Kiala. This time, it only took imagining her smile, and the feeling was strong again. Cautiously, he folded and unfolded his wings, he extended one and looked at it. It seemed so alien to him...

"It's beautiful." He heard Kiala's voice saying. Shocked, he turned his attention to her. She was standing in a robe, damp because she had just washed herself further down stream. "I'm sorry, I was getting worried about you, it had been so long, so I came..." She started to explain, but her voice faded into a smile. It was even more dazzling to Ryu than he had imagined it to be, and his heart started to pound.

"You think it is beautiful?" He asked tentatively.

"You are. Yes." She whispered back, a delicate blush starting to take control of her cheeks.

You look like a big bird to me. Can I pounce on you? Miakai's voice chirruped in his mind, shattering the train of thought he had been entertaining with an overdose of mirth. And when his feelings of adoration vanished, so did his wings.