Page 28 of Gift from the Stone

Way too close…

The sun’s just cresting the treetops as I soar higher, finally leveling out and getting a good balance. Bursting through the veil of white fluff, the rays reflect brightly off my scales, giving me my first glimpse of the color of my beast.

Gleaming like a living cascade of liquid silver, I glide in and out of the clouds, and the sunlight refracts off my massive body into a spectrum of colors, creating an ever-shifting display of iridescence. I stare mesmerized at my wings, like a rainbow after a brutal storm.

After a few minutes of flying alone, beating wings and a warning roar echo through the clouds from behind me. Glancing my head over my shoulder, a massive auburn dragon is catching up to me quickly, and I urge my dragon to the forefront of my mind, sharing the space of control so we can play a game.

Come on, Draken. Catch me.

We take off at unimaginable speeds, a breathtaking pursuit unfolding through the sky. I attempt some wild-ass acrobatics, spiraling and diving to evade him, but he’s undeterred. Matching each move with calculated precision and years of experience, his cobalt eyes blaze with the desire to catch me.

Turning to the right sharply and propelling upward, gliding above the clouds, I think for a minute I lost him, but then I feel his much larger body drift under me, holding my weight on his back and letting out a victory roar.

My laugh echoes in the form of musical roars that reverberate through the open air as he drops back, then flies up beside me. His eyes alight with the joy of the moment, locked onto mine in a shared understanding.

He’s no longer alone, no longer the only dragon to soar the skies of Elementra. I’m here with him now.

Our wings beat in perfect harmony, creating a symphony of wind as we weave through rings of smoke in a playful dance. He intertwines our tails briefly in a loving embrace before letting out a small roar and leading us in a descent back down to the ground.

Draken shifts back almost as soon as his claws touch down. A brilliant smile crosses his face as he jumps up and down, pumping his fist into the air.

“Fuck yeah, little wanderer. That was amazing. You’re so much faster than I thought you’d be on your first flight. You were incredible, perfect,” he yells as he ambushes my snout in a series of kisses and rubs. A sneeze falls from my nose, causing him to go flying backward. Three loud laughs grab my attention, and I swing around, looking for the sound.

“Whoa, whoa, little one. You’re going to take us out with that tail,” Tillman hollers, a huge smile crossing his face as he throws his hands up, encouraging me to take it easy.

My men look so small from up here. I want to nuzzle into them and have them enjoy this moment with me, but I’m clumsily stumbling around on wobbly legs, making it impossible for them to get much closer without potentially getting squashed.

Unconsciously, my magic takes hold, morphing my body without my command. Feeling the sensation run through me, I figured I’d be left standing on two feet, back in my human form, but instead, I’m a much, much smaller version of my dragon. I’m around the size of a small eagle, maybe two feet tall, judging by how my head barely rises higher than Tillman’s knee.

“Well, that’s new,” Draken says, grinning as he approaches us, dusting himself off, not the least bit upset with me.

“There’s my little one. Let me see you.”

Tillman squats in front of me, and I gently crawl into his embrace, careful not to stab him with my claws. He cradles me tenderly to his chest, running his fingers down my scales, causing my whole body to shiver, and a purr passes my lips at the sensation.

“Stunning. You’re a work of art, Will.” He lays a soft kiss to the top of my head before slowly passing me off to Corentin.

“You continue to defy everything we’ve ever known, Willow.” His calculating eyes take in every inch of my small body.

I don’t appreciate the observation he’s giving me. He’s supposed to be mesmerized, astonished, stunned. Not analyzing me. I attempt to roar at him, but it just sounds like a small squawk. Chuckling, his eyes soften with wonder as he runs the back of his finger down my slender throat.

“None of that, baby. Your eyes are violet, matching the purple of your Memoria stone to perfection. You’re captivating, Willow.”

That’s more like it.

Turning us to face the last of my men, Caspian stands a few feet away and beckons me with his finger. Corentin calls forth a small ball of air that I use to glide myself over to him, landing on a bed of shadows in his arms. Folding my wings neatly against my body, I rustle softly and nuzzle deeper as tendrils whisk around me, taking in every inch of detail of my new form.

“You continue to impress and surprise me, Primary. Glorious,” he whispers just for me to hear.

His words wrap around me like velvet, smooth and soft, the opposite of his usually dark demeanor that the rest of the realm gets. I get a gentler side of all of them that they don’t share with any others, only me.

His shadows continue to massage me into a drowsy state, but before I can fully close my eyes and fall asleep in his embrace, Draken tells him to let me down so I can shift back.

Floating me toward the ground a few feet from where Draken is kneeling, his shadows circle me in one last exploration before calling them back.

“Time to shift back, little wanderer. Call your magic forward and picture your human form.” Following Draken’s simple instructions, my body morphs once again and the bright light blinds us all momentarily, leaving me sitting on the ground back in my body.

“That was exhilarating,” I exclaim as four sets of hands pull me to stand in the middle. They caress me in soft strokes, whispering their praises of pride and excitement for me. I glow under their affection, my smile stretching across my face in unfiltered happiness.

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