Sam
The sound of heavy breathing wakes me from unconsciousness. My head throbs from last night's event, I open my eyes and all I see is a wing above me. Ember's wing, I raise my head to look around to see her face, I realize that her body is wrapped all around me. Her head was my makeshift pillow, I gently lay my head down and try to communicate with her.
E-Em… Emberlynn… Are you… ok? I'm so lightheaded and my head's all fuzzy, I doubt she can hear me. A few minutes pass and I think that she's not going to answer until I feel her take a deep breath, she moves her arm against me and I look over and see that faint with red and purple straight lines replaces the dark red claw marks on her arm. I look at my arm, my shirt sleeve mangled against it, and they're the same as her's. I stare at it for what I feel like is forever, my chest starts to ache. I realize that I stopped breathing, I inhale quickly, and hear Ember do the same. My heart quickens, a massive question brewing inside my head.
Em-
Yes… If you've already guessed by now… We are connected. I don't know how it works but we are. If one of us is hurt, the other is too. We can feel what the other is feeling. But that's a physical bond there's a mental bond as well, that's why it was so easy to communicate with you. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?
I stare at her wing that hovers over me, as I listened. Yeah, by what you said, we were connected before we even met…
Yes, but how, I don't know. I feel her do a movement like a shrug.
Should we ask your mother? I wince, remembering the big event earlier.
No… she doesn't continue, I'm guessing not wanting to talk about what happened.
Then how about your father? Where's he in the picture? I turn around slowly and look at her face, her scales glimmering. I'm amazed by how her scales form her face, they just all blend together, yet you can see each individual scale. It's amazing how they make this wonderful creature, yet they are a symbol of fear but really they're just beautiful... Seeing this makes me realize that it's a bit different from all the pictures on the internet.
She makes an odd face… I don't know… But I think I know how to find him. She raises her head and looks at me, Those blue eyes seem to know everything. I will always be astonished by them. She continues to look at me and waits for me to answer. I blink and smile.
I'm sorry, what?
I said, I know where to find him. But are you strong enough to leave?
I become blank-faced with surprise, she cares. Or am I just adding weight to the journey?
I hear her laugh and see her mouth form an unworldly smile. No, I do care. I'm just asking to see if you're strong enough to learn how to fly. If you're not, then I'll just carry you to where I think we need to go, if you don't want me to carry you, then we'll just sit here… What do you want to do?
As I listened to her say that I felt happiness grow inside me, I have a dragon on my side! I see her blink happily and sit up, now I have to look up at her.
Hmm, and this dragon will always be on your side. I also feel like you want to begin practice. Shall we? She stands up and walks closer to the ledge of a smooth rock which we laid on and opened her wings more than they were to shade me from the afternoon sun. I stand up to back away from her launch pad, and to see the view. We are so far from the ground every tree looks like an ant from here! The sky is covered in blues, yellows, oranges and reds, and purples! With some clouds speckled across the horizon. It was a beautiful sight to see… Em looks at me from her side. I look into those mesmerizing eyes and nod quickly, my heart pounding like a hummingbird. She widens her wings even more and lifts off into the air. With a blast of air so strong, it almost throws me off-balance. Her body arches down to go along the rocky edge of the cliff. At the same time, she yells,
Then, let's go!
I run to the edge and watch her magnificent flying. Even though she's going so fast, she's like a white, silent breeze. She starts gliding towards the setting sun and she's so low to the trees that I can only see the top of her. Her flying is so graceful. Eventually, she turns around and starts gaining altitude to get closer to the edge.
This is amazing Em!
Now it's your turn! I'm going to teach you as you're flying. Are you ready? She says as she hovers in one place near the cliff edge. I smile, nervous and excited, I feel my back sting, ready to burst and I tense up, not expecting it. But the pain starts fading like the afternoon sun on the horizon. I sit and panic, I lost it and I don't know how to get it back. Em quietly lands and walks to me.
Calm down, Sam. You need to control them, they don't control you… she places her muzzle against my spine, You need to feel them, connect with them… then, only can they do your bidding. I calm down as she says this and I feel my back burn again, I don't tense up and feel my back stretch again, this time the splitting heat doesn't become pain from where the wings meet my back, the heat is comparable to an ache. My hand burns as all this happens in one moment.