Chereads / Ignited / Chapter 23 - Ch.23: Lesson

Chapter 23 - Ch.23: Lesson

Sam

As I fall to the ground, I try to open up my wings but I am too scared, my body doesn't respond, so I continue to fall. I can't breathe, my mind won't work. The only thing that I could think of is Em. I come out of this space of my mind being fuzzy. Everything speeds past me but time seems to go slow. My mind and body have to catch up with me before I run my body facing the violet sky and yell as loud as I can.

Emberlynn! Help me!!! 

I see her tiny slender body in the distance turn with unbelievable agility and she dives down towards me like an arrow. I have a sense that her eyes are locked on me…  

Move your body to mirror mine. You'll get enough momentum to push yourself up in the air!

I could feel that she was scared… because of the chance it won't work. Or was that me, I still haven't isolated whose feelings are who's yet. But I nod and she keeps her giant reptilian body next to mine and I quickly set mine like hers. I notice I start to go faster, the wind pushing my auburn hair back from my face, my wings close to my body, the only thing I hear is the harsh wind but behind the sound Em's voice rushes into my head faintly,

You'll know when it's time to fly… I'm here…

My mind grasps her words and listens to her voice, I close my eyes… my body concentrates on the gravitational pull of the world, the world takes me into her arms and cradles me like Em holds me to her body and protects me from the world. I need to trust her. Right here, right now. I open my eyes and look at her from the corner of my eye, and she does the same. She hasn't moved, she waits for me to open my wings and let the air carry me. I smirk and open my wings quickly and I feel my membranes stretch as they catch the air and my wings bring me to a halt and I stop falling and I stay at the altitude I look for Em and she's under me. I move my wings hesitantly to lower myself and glide along her back. I reach for her and I stroke my hand along her back as I fly and she keeps her wings straight as I do mine. Keeping her in mind helps me not to worry or panic. With her in mind, I'm sure and relaxed. I'm at peace with her presence. Her soul. Her spirit. My heart beats loud and confident. I move to the side by tilting my wings I look at her with a smile. She looks back and her words sneak into my mind.

You're a natural Sam. How does it feel to be in the air? I smile more and shake my head looking for the words to describe what I feel. I look back at her. 

It's exhilarating! I feel free… I feel like I can do whatever I want! I love it! 

I stay next to her the entire time not realizing that she was leading me back to the cliff. The sky has turned into a dark purple, blue, a hint of orange and red on the horizon. I notice that my muscles near my shoulder disks ache slightly, I'll need to stop soon. So I start the climb to the ledge. Pumping my wings hard, the ache transforms into a burn. I hear Em's wings moving the air behind me, moving higher in elevation, accelerating in speed. When we're close enough to land I panic for a second. Sure, now I know how to fly but touching the ground again on the move is different. I suddenly become unsteady and waver in the air, I feel surprised and suddenly concerned, I'm guessing from Em. 

Sam are you alright?! What's wrong? I try to breathe normally and regain my stability. I close my eyes momentarily and open them again focusing on the spot I chose to land. I nod,

Yeah, I'm okay… I panicked because I don't know how to land Em. What should I do? 

I lean to hover in the air ignoring my muscles screaming at me in pain.

Alright, I'll land first so you can see how I do it and you can mimic me. I nod and watch her. She moves to the ledge and she moves her wings back to become stationary in the air. She looks at the ground and she slightly weakens the force of her wings to let gravity pull her to the ground and her body lightly touches the ground starting with her back feet and her body moves to her forward to when she's on all fours. She flaps her wings to keep her steady and slowly closing her wings lightly against her body. She looks up at me. I nod sternly and try to do the same moves to hover above the ledge. I watch the ground I urge my wings to loosen up and weaken the power in my strokes. The ground comes closer to me slowly with each stroke, I bend my knees to absorb the impact, gravity suddenly does my work for me and pulls me to the ground and I lightly close my wings to my back and i walk up to her. She lowers her muzzle and looks at my eyes. I wrap my arms around her muzzle brushing my thumb against the soft spot between her jaw, right where her tongue should set. I feel her throat start vibrating and I realize that she's purring. I smile at the thought of her. Whenever we touch, the spark of electricity runs between her scales and my skin. 

You did well Sam… you did well.

I smile softly and I set my forehead against her snout, my wings absorb into my body. The electric feeling intensifies and runs through my body until my very soul is vibrating. But the feeling doesn't bother me, it actually soothes me. The pain in my back turns into an ache, the vibrations soothing my pain. For a few minutes outside my being, which felt like a few years… that was the longest moment in my life, the second-longest was when I met Chris. Wait, Chris! I totally forgot the whole escape from Em's mother. I hope he's safe at home. I see Ember look at me and a feeling of understanding resonates off her.

We need to move soon. Or else my mother will find us again, she'll smell us out. But I think I know who to try and find: my father. But in not certain that we'll find him there.

I look at her with a smirk,

Can't you just telepathically talk to him? She shakes her head sadly.

We dragons have a range of communication. That's how I knew that I was farther away from my mother. But eventually, she'll find us again. She'll feel my presence in her mind, as I'll feel her's. She's very persistent. There's a low probability that she'll stop. She mentioned that someone wanted you alive. Do you have an idea who that'll be?

I start thinking of everyone I know who I have tension with. But I can't think of anyone. I've always been very friendly with people. Even though I've been shy all my life, I wasn't very good at introducing myself to new faces but after I know them I'm as open as the sea. The only thing that pops out in my past is a few weeks before the winter formal that Chris and I were going to, he seemed odd, he seemed like he was hiding something. But we just started dating and I felt like I should just ignore it, but that's unusual in any of my relationships with anyone. My dad wouldn't hide anything from me except if it's a birthday surprise.

I stay silent as my mind scales the list of people I know. I think of the events that have gone on, I look at Emberlynn she looks at me, I feel her read my thoughts. She practically blends Into the night. As the moonlight, sharpens the edges of her body and of her scales. She moves her body to the side, and lies down, her right side facing the view. I go to sit next to her chest and watch the moon. We silently sit there until both fall asleep into the starry night.