Blood-tied Lies

~Chapter 8~

The Fire-Ring Ceremony is one of the biggest events for dragons in the Flaming Forest. Six years ago, Xynuss brought me to the festival and had to argue several times for me to gain entry. After that, I was always welcome, which I took my invitation quite seriously. This year, I would be able to participate in the sky activities as I was now able to fly on my own. Xynuss had promised to teach me how to fly the loops and turns beforehand as I only knew the basics from Ananta.

My mother hadn't gotten up yet when I left so I put out her breakfast with a note saying I'd be back by sundown. I grabbed the spell book, just in case there was more to flying in its many pages. Xynuss picked me up a couple hundred yards from the house where there was enough space for his large body to fit. His long, scaly tail curled around to lift me onto his back before taking off, blowing loose leaves off of nearby trees.

I had Xynuss glide slowly over the treetops so I could read the book I had brought. Leaning back against his spinal frills, the book was propped on my knees so it was at eye level.

Hey Xynuss, did you know dragon bones were hollow, yet practically indestructible? I asked, reading a dragon bone spell.

Yes, I did, cause I'm a dragon. Xynuss proceeded to shake his head in disapproval.

I mentally facepalmed before settling back into my book, not aware of the thunder of young dragons coming up from behind me. Wind hit the pages of my book, flipping them quickly past my face.

You brought a bunch of dragons to watch me attempt to fly? I questioned angrily in my head.

They are there to learn as well. I have been requested by the king of dragons to polish their flight skills for the Fire-Ring Ceremony. Xynuss was so calm when I was angry.

It bothered me at how his mood didn't match my temper, how he seemed unaffected by my sudden explosion. Shaking my head, I returned to my book, turning to the page my mother had shown me.

My finger traced the deep blue and gold bookmark, three ancient runes inscribed with metallic gold thread. Gazing at them, their familiar strokes, I realized I could read them.

Years ago, my mother taught me to read these runes, ancient spells that I may one day use. Alas Draco Formare, the characters read. It's a dragon spell, written in Latin. I recognized two words from my newly acquired spell, Alas Dracones. The last rune, Formare, meant form. The spell turns you into a dragon, like the old tale of Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent becomes a dragon. Although the story may be fiction, the spell is quite real, and I just so happened to have stumbled upon it.

You can get off now, we've arrived. Xynuss poked me with his tail half scaring me off his back. I hadn't been paying attention along the trip so looking up to unfamiliar surroundings was a shock. I closed the book and jumped down from Xynuss's back, taking in my new surroundings. An old dusty path wound through the forest where large trees stood tall, reaching up to the sky. We were on the western border of the Flaming forest. Perched upon the large branches were Xynuss's class of young dragons not much older than me. It wasn't quite noon as the sun cast moderately long shadows across the clearing. Light poured through the canopy into the forest floor, glinting on shiny leaves of the underbrush, the occasional tree branch or two on fire. Dragging my gaze along the line of dragons, I spotted Ananta. Clumsy dragon can't fly in a straight line! Xynuss turned from me to his class, probably giving instructions.

I opened my book to the marked page and read out the spell. "Alas Draco Formare," I said. An odd feeling sparked in me as I was lifted into the air a couple of feet. I was enveloped in dark black and grey smoke. I could barely see Xynuss as I was lifted from the ground. I felt strange, my head arms and legs, like a tingling feeling creeping up my limbs and down my spine.