Beginning To Fly

A Discovery

I strode down the streets. My cape swished behind me as I wove my way through the crowd.

I glanced at the sky. It had been too long. But I couldn't risk it. Too many eyes.

My eyes slid to the shadow following me. I rolled my eyes as I continued to walk toward the forest. Whoever was following me was no amateur. I shook my head at the roaring inside of me as my other form clawed to get out, to be free. I scowled. Too long. I needed to shift soon. I needed to fly. But... not yet, not here.

I shook my head as I refocused on the shadow. Tracking them as they followed me. I didn't even bother trying to lose them as I swept into the forest. They didn't make a sound on the fallen sticks and twigs.

However, the unsheathing of a knife caught my attention. I whirled as the knife was thrown at me and caught it a millimetre before it struck my face. I looked up from beneath my hood and smiled. The woman had a shocked expression on her face as I lowered my hood. She had copper-brown skin, dark brown eyes and short black hair that was tied in a bun. She was actually quite beautiful, and I tilted my head sideways as she took a step backwards.

"You're quite the remarkable huntress," I told her. "Although, I did realize that you were tracking me when since I left the library. And you missed the trap I had laid out for you," I spoke calmly.

"Well, one does not expect an old man to be as swift as you," she spoke with an accent I recognized immediately. She was from France. I fought the tears welling in my eyes. Those thoughts would help no one and nothing.

"I must admit that it was foolish of me." I tilted my head, the movement draconic from my childhood in the Hidden World.

"Now, I would like it if you'd stop stalking me." Calculation flashed in her eyes as I watched her make a decision.

"You are clearly skilled, probably more skilled than me, and it would be disappointing to have to dispose of such a worthy advisory," she responded. She smiled and walked away, vanishing with a flick of her cape into the shadows of the trees.

I vanished, too. Leaving not a trace for her to follow me by. When I had walked a decent distance away, I felt my grief finally overwhelm me and I punched a tree.

Osmund. Maylis. Henri. Asa. Vera. Zephyr. They'd all spoken French. And it felt like a lifetime ago. Had been a thousand lifetimes ago.

Zephyr. I remembered the day she disappeared. I had never seen her again. She was long dead now, though.

I was so lost in my grief for all that I had suffered that I didn't hear the snap of a branch. And I didn't smell them on the slight shift of the wind. That was until it was too late. The knife at my throat was starting to slice when I gave into my instincts.

My wings spread wide as I bared my teeth at the woman from earlier. She started slowly backing away from me as I flared my wings. I glanced up at the awaiting thunderstorm. It was beckoning me. I snarled and advanced on her.

The storm beckoned me again and this time I didn't hesitate. The dragon side of me finally felt at peace as I flew into the awaiting winds.

I shot to the North. Towards the place that had once been my home.

The Arctic circle was freezing. I should've come later in the summer. But it was too late now.

The ice shone in a thousand shades of blue and white. And even with the piercing bite of the wind, it was beautiful. Even more so when the Aurora Borealis shone with the brilliant light of a billion shining stars.

I walked to the cliff under the chilly summer sun. The ice reflected the blinding light into my eyes as I hiked to the edge.

Today, I would climb down the crevice a bit and see what might be hiding, likely nothing, but it was a brand new crack, and that also meant it was unexplored. It was perfect really. All this time and I would finally get to explore a brand new section of the cryosphere.

I checked my anchor before hooking myself in and starting the climb down.

-----

I shone my lamp around and when I turned back to the wall I was climbing down, I came face to face with a giant blue eye. It was slitted and perfectly preserved by the ice.

I pulled out my heating rod and pushed it into the ice slowly around the eye, making sure to keep it completely encased in the ice preserving it. Who knew how long this creature has been here.

I blinked as the rod stopped and wouldn't go further. I pulled it back out and peered into the hole I created, only to be met with my reflection. Frowning, I pushed it into the other side and got the same result before creating a hole large enough for me to put my hand through.

As I reached in, I came across a solid wall of... not exactly warmth, but it wasn't the numbing cold of ice, either. Realization dawned on me. This wasn't just an eye, but an entire creature. I pulled my hand back, already excited to uncover this creature.

-----

I could hardly see the creature despite the thinness of the ice surrounding it. Its hide was almost the same colour as the ice. In fact, I had never seen a creature like this one, with its spikes and wings. Unfortunately, due to its colouration and the darkness of the ice crevice, some of its scales peeked through the ice.

I busied myself with unstrapping the straps from the crane I'd used to bring the creature back to the surface. They fell to the ground one by one and I found myself smiling.

The pterodactyls I'd seen at museums were as beautiful as a slug in comparison to the creature that now stood before me. I removed the last strap from around the ice block before circling it slowly.

I bent over the tip of its tail, where I had accidentally melted the ice too close and touched the glistening, silver scales. 'Whatever it had been when it was-' The tail yanked out of my hands. '-Alive.'

My eyes widened as I stumbled backwards; this creature was still alive. I stared at the twitching tail as it tried to free itself from the ice. I took another step back before realizing that I couldn't just leave it there to break free.

So stepping back towards the block, I raised my rod straight up and plunged down with all the power I possessed in my body.

Over the years, I never forgot my heart's sister. The only one, besides my husband, that had ever understood me. Even when I didn't see her for five years, I never forgot her.

A/N

Kieran (August 12), 16

Valkaria (January 5), 16

Nuffink (January 6), 16

Alice (May 28), 39

April (December 31), 15