Rain dropped on her head as she stood there, against the hard rock of the side of the mountain. Storm clouds loom overheard, drops splayed across her neck, her shoulders, darkened by the water, hiding her beauty. The wind plays against her wings, red marks appearing and disappearing on her light skin from the stings. She shivers. Booming thunder pounds across the sky, streaks of lightning mixing in and out of the pillow greys in the sky. She could not see the moon, could not see the stars, though the sun still trying to ease out its rays from beyond the clouds’ barriers, with no luck.
Luck, she thought, that’s what all of this is about. Even the sun has to count on luck, and the events of another before it can do what it was meant to do. She closed her eyes against the storm, smiling to herself, wrapping her wings closer around herself. There was a chill in the air, her skin showing the cold, though she did not feel cold. Rather, there was a sense of warm emanating from within her belly, a growing flame of inner fire that she held onto, something she found courage in.
She blinked her eyes, looking up into the sky, wondering when the storm would end. It was not the worst of it yet, that much she knew. Even darker clouds were appearing in the distance. She braced herself against the edge of the cliff and took off, her wings opening slowly as she let the winds caress her. The soft skin stretched out within her wings, the light from the great sparks in the sky illuminating them. It was dangerous to fly in these conditions, but there were chances she had to take. On her own, by herself, knowingly. She knew what she was leaving behind, and that she didn’t know what to expect.
Wind curved in and around her body, sometimes striking her a little harder than she liked. But that was how chances worked, she thought to herself. No path is smooth. This was her chance to begin her life, she knew. She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew.
She heard sounds coming from below her, and looked down. A circle of color was swirling, playing in the rain, snapping at the small droplets. She could only make out a couple of them, they were moving so fast, in and out of the clouds. She didn’t want to be seen, didn’t want to partake in the play, so she flapped her wings heavily, rising above the lowest layer of clouds. She felt bad, not wanting to play, fire coming out of her nose at the thought of her craven actions. But that’s what change does, she thought quietly, miserably, alone.
Opportunities come and go, she knew, as the thunder boomed into her head, momentarily making her dizzy. She rolled within the clouds, feeling the pillows touching her skin, cooling her skin, her temper.
The clouds abruptly ended, suddenly she was open and vulnerable. It unnerved her how quickly it stopped. Changed, she mused. How ironic. Once her eyes accustomed to the brightness of the sun, streams of rainbow beaming across the sky, she tried to focus in on where she was. The thunder still shook the very air she flew in, but it was getting fainter as she flew farther away. She beat her wings harder, eager to see his face, his eyes.
And there he was, green, gleaming, sitting still on the edge of a cliff. He was sitting so still, she thought he was sleeping, but then he crouched down suddenly, and lifted into the air, his wings spread so wide, they could wrap around her twice. The sun shone off his muscles, his scales flickering as he climbed higher to meet her in the sky. She huffed, red and orange flaring out of her nose, knowing that he meant to crash into her, his way of showing his excitement. She steeled herself against the impending strength, closing her eyes, slowly beating her wings to maintain her height.
But the crash didn’t come. She peeked through one eye, seeing another fierce black eye staring back at her. He was flying around her, breathing rings of red and gold, smothering the both of them in his flame. His warmth felt good against her wings, allowing the inner fire to grow from within. He flew up next to her, his great wings beating the air so fiercely she struggled to maintain her balance. She could no longer, so she made her way to the cliff he had just been sitting on.
The landing came abruptly, harshly, and she stumbled into the hard, unforgiving rock. He landed lightly behind her, slightly smirking at her unfamiliarity of the mountain. She rose, shaking her head, trying to right her daze. She felt a push against her head. He was looking at her, watching her, hesitant. He sat back, then moved forward, unsure of his movements, uncertain what to do next.
With a little bit of luck, this, he, was what taking chances was about, she thought., as she moved her snout under his jaw, closing her eyes, breathing a heavy sigh.
.
