I was dreaming again. About the day The Haze came. About how Tyler and I were separated. I can still see him. His green eyes gleaming and how his black hair whipped in the wind. The way he looked when he was driving. How he smiled at me.
I loved and hated this dream. I loved it because I can still remember him, remember how he looked and acted. I hated it because it only showed me this day. The day I lost him. It always felt like waste of a dream, but only when it was over.
Some times I find myself thinking about my friends. I haven't seen them for over a year. Yet, only when I dream do I see Tyler. How is it when I sit down and think, I think about my friends. About our times together. However I dream about Tyler and only about that day. I probably know, but won't admit it.
"Coooh coooh" Hestia goes quietly.
Opening my eyes I take a good look at my new companion. She's at least fifty feet tall and thirty feet long. Hestia really is a miniature of her mother. The blue and gold scales. Golden eyes, the curved horns. Elegant and smooth body. She was as beautiful and powerful, though only half the size, but she still growing.
"Good morning." I grumbled.
{_Morning Anna._} Hess says. {_Can we go hunting?_}
I nod. Hestia's appetite had increased. If we don't stock, she grows more ansty. Still young at eight months, she still learning how to do things on her own. She's able to fly but not for long. So when it comes time to hunt, I'm there to help.
I prepare a travel pack and my axe before we set out. As we set off from the shack, I let my mind wonder to my dream. I can still see Tylerin my minds eye. Hestia can tell I'm distracted, but says nothing. She knows she's my world now, but understands that before her was different. Before my world revolved around me and my friends. My career as a mechanic, my hobby as a singer and my hope to find my family. She knows that back then I was living a different life with different priorities. How I would always hangout with Alice, Maddie, Jesse and Lia. How Simon and Brent were like big brothers, Clay and Lawrence acting like my little brothers. She knows about them all. All except Tyler. When it comes to him I just can't bring myself to talk about how we were, but I think she knows. After all she can read my memories.
{_And your thoughts too._} Hess said.
I damn near jumped out of my skin. Whipping my head around to glare at her, she just shrugs and continues walking. Still getting used to the idea that a dragon can talk in my head. I shake off the fright and pull my hair into a pony tail. It's gotten much longer, the brown locks tangled up.
After fixing the mass of hair, I jog up to Hestia so we can continue with our hunt. In an hour we reached the highway that was still crowded with vehicles. Looking at the over turned cars I feel a knot forming in my gut. Even though I've healed from the crash, my body trembles with Phantom pain. Hestia whines as she sees me fall to my knees, the pain forcing my body down and tears in my eyes. Black spots cloud my vision and there's a ringing in my ears. I clutch my head as it throbs in pain.
{_Anna, Anna get up! Please get up!_} Hestia whines.
How could I? My head hurts. My body hurts. My heart hurts. How could I get up with this pain? My god it hurts so bad. Why can't this pain ever go away. Just once could it not remind me of that day. Of that pain. All of a sudden the pain disappears. I feel warmth, and comfort that seems to melt the pain away. Opening my eyes, I see Hestia pressing her head to mine. Her golden eyes looking into mine with such love and pain that I can't help but feel sorry. Sorry she has to be the one to comfort me in a world like this. I wrap my arms around her and bury my face into her neck, taking the time to regulate my breathing.
I decided to scavenge what I can before continuing our hunt. Going from car to car I was able to find bandages, eight ramen packs, three unopened water bottles, two peanut butter jars, some unopened gummy bear bags and blankets and pillows. Stuffing them all in my backpack, I sling the pack on my shoulder then signal to Hestia to start moving again. Hestia stares at me for a few moments before following the road back to the nearest town. I know she's worried about me, but we have to hunt for more food for her.
{_Coming on a pack of hellhounds._} Hestia comments.
I nod. We reach a barricade of over turned or vehicles. I circled the barricade looking for an opening. Once I found it, I could see about five hounds eating a deer.
{_They're Big!_} Hestia exclaims.
"Big enough to take us down." I muttered.
Hestia gives me a glare, but doesn't argue with me. I sigh and in act our hunting method. Slipping through the gap, I lift my axe and step forward as a distraction. Hestia creeps behind the barricade and then places herself behind the pack to get the jump on them. The biggest one sees me first and immediately growls in warning. When I don't back down it decides to charge. When it's five feet away, I swung my axe cutting the hounds neck. The hound falls and its pack mates charge me, but Hess jumps up and torches two of them. I swing my axe and impale the closes of the remaining hellhounds deep in the head. It falls dead immediately. Hestia swipes the last with her claws, tearing it in half. The leader has bled out and now is dead. All five hellhounds are now Hestia next meal. She eats one before deciding to head back.
{_Ready partner?_} She asks, now in a playful mood.
"You bet." I say, sighing in relief.
{_Alright, step right up and climb on._} She exclaims.
I snap head at her, mouth and eyes wide open, like she grew two heads. Did I hear her right?She did not just say climb on. Like what the hell is she thinking. Yet her facial expression is completely serious. What If I add to much weight along with the hounds she's carrying? What if I fall off?
{_Come on, atleast you won't have to walk. I know you're tired, and you shouldn't have to walk all the way back. What if you have more phantom pains?_} Hestia reasons.
"What if it's too much for you? What if I fall off?" I counter.
{_You won't, you're my rider after all. You are meant to do this, so don't over think it and climb on. I'll be fine okay._} She assures me.
Unable to convince her otherwise, I reluctantly decide to do it. Stepping carefully around the bodies, I reach her side and manage to use the rubble as a stepping stool. Using her wing, I'm able to crawl on her back and hold onto the tuffs of fur. After, Hestia used her front claws and grabbed the remaining hounds.
With that done, she spreads her wings and ascends into the air. Setting a steady pace, she flies higher and higher before the road is no longer visible. As Hestia heads home, I can't help but gaze a the view. The forest is bigger the I had first thought, then again I tried to stay close to the shack.
With the skill only a dragon could have, Hestia glides effortlessly through the air, her wings steadily moving again and again. I can't help but think of the movie eragoen, and the scene of him and Saphira flying for the first time. It was definitely amazing to know I'm experiencing the same feeling right now. The wind in my hair, the land layed out for my eyes, and the restless beating of my heart as we fly all the way home.
{_Not bad for the first time huh._} Hess states as she land gently on the ground.
"Nope, not at all." I say.
A big smile on my face and a giddy feeling washing over me. Our first flight. Now I just can't wait for the next one.