Page 37 of Finding Her
“You certainly didn’t choose just any dragon.” I looked down at her proudly. “You selected the one with an attitude.”
I reached my hand up to rest on its scaly neck. It was imperative not to approach a dragon’s blind spot without the physical warning. Once my fingers grazed its shoulder blade, I motioned for Faeryn to follow. She contently mimicked my movements. Once safely out of the way of its chin, I instructed it to lower. Even resting on its belly, its back was too high to grip. I used the thick skin of its elbow to push myself up. Faeryn tookmy hand and climbed using a similar strategy—ever a natural with these wildlife encounters.
Once again, she was perched between my thighs. Last time, I was able to maintain some distance, confident in her ability to lean forward and hold tight. But that had been on the ground—there was an art to staying put during flight. Instead of shifting back, I pressed myself to her. The top of her head leaned softly against my throat. The scale of her shoulders against my chest reminded me how well my embrace could swallow her. She would be more secure folded between my extended arms during the experience. Her arched hips pressed snugly against my pelvis, causing a stir in my groin I hoped she would be distracted from. My mind once again pondered Pyran culture:Only the mates of dragon riders can ride their dragon.This wasn’tmydragon, but in a different time…
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I asked, noticing she was peering at the drop to our left. “Once we’re in the air, we’re at its mercy. The dragon will land eventually, but it might not go down just because you want it to.”
“Can I say the command to make it fly?” She winsomely ignored my warning.
“It might not respond to non-Pyrans.”
“I’ll try.” Her head tilted up so I could see the tops of her cheeks round into their smile. “What’s the command?”
“It is more of a noise. A kiss, and then a ‘jahhah’,” I explained. “You should be firm.”
Hands wrapped around the flexible spike in front of her, she took in a courageous breath. Her kiss sound, although lacking the base of a Pyran inferno organ, was music to my ears. Pride warmed my chest hearing her mimic a language I held so dearly. The beast immediately reared onto its hind legs, lettingout a loud shriek. I locked my knees into the natural grooves of the dragon’s sides, holding onto the scales of its neck evolved to be more flexible for a rider’s grasp.
“Hold on tight!”
The dragon crouched and launched itself up through the branches of the trees. A green blur of leaves passed swiftly before we broke into the open sky. Faeryn let out a screamed squeal, her grip on the horn failing as her weight shifted solely onto me. I wrapped one arm tightly around her waist. As long as she let me keep her close, I would make sure she was safe. It was my reason for living.
The creature was content to level its altitude before hitting the clouds. This was a little lower than where I had in mind, but surely there was time to enjoy both views. No longer fighting gravity, I found her still flush against me, two hands wrapping around my forearm. “Are you going to look down?” I rested my chin on her shoulder, my cheek brushing against her temple.
“I will,” she laughed nervously. Her nails pressed small indents into my skin, and I reflected for the hundredth time how weaponless her anatomy was. The fact that she wasn’t more frightened by everything was impressive. Everything else on this planet had the ability to be lethal. The disguise of our natural features was simply a socialized response to establish trust. A “I put my fangs away please let me rest in your cave” echoing from years of evolution.
“I promise I won’t let you fall.”
I could hear her heart racing in her chest as she leaned away to direct her eyes down.
“Oh.” She inhaled sharply at the view. Directly below us was a blanket of magnificent auburns, burgundies, and golds.The treetops formed small mountains of their own as they rose and dipped in smooth hills. Canopy dragons shook the branches'' leaves as they traveled, creating ripples one could track from a great distance. The occasional clearing below us glimmered bronze with the daytime starlight reflecting against dewy meadows of tall ginger grass.
As we reached the central ring of the island, scarlet red trees began to slowly replace the existing flora. Sparse and broad, they speckled the marigold ground until it opened into a special field, mostly eradicated in the rest of the world.
“I’d like to stop here. Is that okay?” I craned my neck to see her expression. Could she sense that something was important about this land?
“I’d like that.” Her eyes gleamed into the sepia glow.
I tightened my hold and shouted my landing command to the dragon, who immediately lifted into a sharply angled dive. I closed my eyes against her hair scattering into my face, surrounding me with her sweet floral scent. As with takeoff, she squealed with a mixture of glee and anxiety.
With wings extending to act as a buffer against the fall, we landed softly.
“That was incredible!” she howled with laughter, her torso collapsing to lie across the scaly neck while she caught her breath. Her back rose and fell rapidly in between amused gasps.
“I hope you’re up for round two, otherwise, it’ll be a long walk back.” Unsure what to do with my hands now that they were no longer grasping her, I rubbed her lower back.She’s doing so well. Commanding dragons. Facing the unknowns of flight. And finding joy through the evident physiological storm evoked by the experience. She would have made a great Pyran in another life.
“Gladly.” She corrected her posture and swung her legs off of its side. “So how do I get down?” She began to scooch forward.
“Allow me.” It was more of a demand than a request—it was a sizable drop for someone whose head was visibly swaying from the undulations of flight. I quickly swung myself to the ground and lifted my arms to her.
She took my forearms and braced against me to be lowered, feet sinking into the soft amber field. Her eyes beamed as she looked into mine with awe. I wondered if she could already feel the shift in vibrations. I was incredibly fortunate to be able to share this with her, the experience was a privilege lost to many.
“These fields are sacred,” I explained, my heart thrumming at the curiosity softening her features. There was so much to tell her, so much Icouldn’ttell her.
I once again felt a foolish hope bloom within my inferno. If there was anywhere on this planet that could return her memories, it was this field. I wanted desperately to be spared the weight of my secrets. Maybe if the divine fields were the messenger, it wouldn’t be as dangerous for her as if I were to share what I knew myself. Maybe they could repair what had been broken. I searched her wide eyes, waiting for the moment a merciful deity would cause them to shine with understanding.
“Tell me more.” She twirled in a circle to familiarize herself with the land, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her blouse flapped against the sharp breeze. She looked beautiful. She also lookedcold.
“Why didn’t you put on a jacket?” The question left my lips with more frustration than intended.
