Shock and Awe

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Electra pushed the vines away that were covering the trees. She had noticed the irregular piles of rocks and sticks at the cave mouth and gone to check it out. She stepped back, shocked. Inside there was a golden dragonet, curled up and shaking in mute terror. Electra stepped forwards. The dragonet looked up.

"Electra! Thank goodness you're here! I didn't know what to do and then it was all dark and I couldn't see, and, I have scales,".

"Amy?" Electra said, blankly.


"This creates an issue,". Darren said. "What are we going to tell the dragons - that their mysterious human queen has turned into an actual dragon?".

The dragonet, or Amy was curled up next to Electra at the back of the cave. Several fires had been lit to provide light and the riders were standing at the front of the cave, talking.

Adam looked up, sharply. "Amy is a dragon rider, bonded to Electra. She is not a dragon,".

Stephen sighed. "Adam, you have to admit, she does look like one,".

The golden dragonet butted in. "I am Amy, rider to Electra and a dragon. I just need to figure out how to change back . . ."

Cherry had been noting down everything to do with the dragon, from the colour (dazzling gold) to the sharpness of the teeth (sharp enough to sever an artery). The dragon riders looked at her and she glanced up to say:

"You could try imagining reverting to your human self. Where is she anyway?".

The dragon riders looked around to see Amy leap off the ledge, frantically flapping her wings. Electra raced forwards, only to stop in surprise as she saw flashes of gold darting around the valley. She took off and found, to her shock, that she couldn't even keep up with her rider, who was about half the size of her.

"Tag,". Amy called, tapping Furnace with her tail.

The only reply she received was a teethy smile, before he took off.



That night, as the golden dragonet slept, curled up next to Electra, a peculiar thing happened. The spines receded, the dragonet shrunk and the tail shortened. Once again, in the blink of an eye, a human girl lay, sleeping soundly next to her dragon.

The morning dawned bright and clear, full of dragon calls and the mooing of cattle. The dragons were training, multiple Anchemi doing formation flying inbetween the mountains. In the central pavilion, the human girls lay, chatting, whilst their dragons trained.


"It must be when you are relaxed,". Cherry said.

"Do you think?" I asked.

"Amy, come on. You changed back when you fell asleep. How much more evidence do you need?" I shifted uneasily.

"I don't know!" I exclaimed. "I just, other than the wings and the horns and the whole flying thing, I still feel like, like me. I am still Amy Lily Lanstock, rider of Electra,".

Cherry sighed. "But you can also change into a dragon,".

"Precisely,".

"We need to try and figure it out. It could be a valuable asset and you don't want to change into a dragon in the middle of the battle,". I sighed.

"Ok,".

"Try and transform,". Cherry suggested. "Maybe think about becoming a dragon and picture it,".

I shut my eyes. I pictured horns shooting out of my skull, a tail growing and spines popping out of my back. I opened my eyes. Nothing.

"Hmm,". Cherry commented. "Well that didn't work. Maybe think of your best memory as being a dragon".

I closed my eyes again. Casting my mind out, I remembered the exhilarating feeling of flying. How I could swoop and dive, harness the wind currents and glide. The feeling of being supported by nothing but air. A small headache started, nothing like yesterday and I felt scales creeping up my body, from my Achilles heel to my forehead. I opened my eyes. I could see everything! I could pick out individual features on each of the formation flyers, I could smell the scent of the cows a hundred metres away. It was incredible!

"It worked! Can you extend your wings so I can measure them? And also, what is your element?".

I looked at Cherry before extending my wings. Electra came flying down with Striker.

"Amy, you've grown! What is your element?".

I opened my mouth and spat a mysterious golden liquid out onto the grass. It burrowed through the ground, carving out a small hole before solidifying. Cherry scooted forwards and touched it nervously.

"It doesn't burn but it is very hot. I don't think that its a type of acid. It looks more like liquid gold,".

"Cool,". I commented, bending down to look at it.

"Amy, what's your name?"

We all looked at Striker.

"I meant your dragon name. We can't keep calling you Amy, not yet anyway. What would people think if they discovered a rebellion leader who could turn into a dragon?"

"Pick one,". Electra encouraged.

I thought about it. I didn't want anything cliche like "goldy" or flashy like "Glitzy". I opened my mouth:

"Mida"

Can anyone figure out where I came up with the name Mida? I'll give you a clue - I get lots of my names from Latin and Greek mythology . . .

Whekim

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