Reflections

Chapter 13

It was past 10 and Callisto found herself marching through the woods. Her new night vision, as she liked to call it, allowed her to easily navigate her way through the tall trees and dark shadows that somehow didn't scare her as much as she would have thought they would.

Her strides were determined and fast. She wasn't going to change her mind.

Breaking through the tree line she saw them waiting for her. Their backs turned to her as she stood watching them.

"I'll do it." Callisto said and they turned around.

"What?" Caspian asked a knowing smirk written across his face.

"I'll help you find the demon guy because you are the only people with the answers to the questions I have." She said and they looked at her almost impressed.

"So we train you to defeat the guy we've been struggling to find and in return we give you answers?" Tal asked slowly, almost like he was ensuring he had gathered the whole picture.

"So do we have a deal?" Callisto asked as her breath came out in a puff of white smoke around her.

"Welcome back Little Demon." Oriana said as they walked forward and pulled the familiar onyx sword out from the scabbard at their hip.

Taking a step forward, she felt a surge of comfort flow over her as she reached out and took the sword by the grip.

Even at the grasp of the sword, Callisto felt stronger. Her mind felt settled and her body stood taller. At the mere acceptance of a sword which laid in her hand, the balance spread evenly across its body like it was made for her. Its material seemed to buzz as she closed her hand around the grip finally.

"We begin tonight." Caspian said as he grabbed her arm before he yanked her to the edge of the cliff, the sword fell from her hand as she grabbed Caspians wrist to try to free her own.

"Wai-"

It was too late.

She was already falling, the cool air kissed her skin as she looked at the four above her. They stared down at her as her arms flayed around her reaching for something, anything to save her.

"Help!" The words barely left her throat as she twisted around to see the water creeping closer and closer with every second.

Seconds closer to splat.

She'd be dead, before the real adventure even started.

And before her body could reach the water, a quick black monster flew underneath her catching her body before lifting her towards the air. Callisto's hands gripped the harness on the things back with an iron grip.

Her eyes remained shut as the air grew colder and colder. The wind becoming harsher and harsher and the feeling of almost dying clung to her stomach relentlessly.

Yet when the air turned warm, and the winds were gone she froze. Her eyes slowly opened as she took in her surroundings.

"Oh dear god." She whispered as she looked down, the water below her looked infinitely smaller and the campsite was completely out of her sight.

With a small cry Callisto placed her head against the back of the thing she was on before she froze. Yelping she flung herself back and dropped the rope, only to tumble through the air once again.

And mere seconds later, the thing had caught her only this time she held on tight. She shivered as she looked down at the thing under her, her hands rested on sleek black scales and the rope was tied around the front arms of the thing. Her legs moved instinctively underneath her.

Callisto leant to the side to try to get a look of the things face, only for its body to move in the same direction. She straightened quickly and so did the thing. She leant the other way, and so did it.

"Wow." she murmured softly, running a hand down its neck and it reared its head back and let out a thunderous roar, she felt its echoes in her bones.

Her breathing was labored as she lifted her arms slowly, her hands sifted through the clouds and a laugh escaped from her lips.

"Woohooo!" Callisto cheered as she placed her hands on the rope and leant down towards the neck of the thing.

"How about we go up?" she asked and the beast shook its head before it tilted its head backwards, and the freefall began.

"I said up!!" Callisto screeched only to feel the beast take a dip and the flight upwards began, just like the start, it was cold, windy and it blocked her ears.

Her hands touched its neck gently and it leveled out almost immediately.

"Brilliant." She said softly and the beast huffed, smoke lifted from the front of its face.

"His name is Orion, he's a Tarragon." Tal's voice came from the right and when she looked over, her breath hitched.

"Tarragon?" she asked softly.

"Like dragons, but better." Tal laughed and she looked at him.

Tal rode his stark white Tarragon, whose skin was almost see through, looking at them and the contrast to the dark night sky behind them. Callisto wasn't sure she wasn't looking at a ghost.

"Ghost Rider. Draugur." Callisto whispered, her brain flashing back to something oddly familiar and Tal tossed his head back with a laugh.

"Yes Akumu, I am the Ghost Rider." He grinned and suddenly three other bodies rose around her.

Caspain with his midnight blue Tarragon with huge wings and flippers of sorts as its legs. His Tarragon was huge and moved to the flow of the air, like it was trying to fly with the current, as if it was in water. Thelonius rode a Tarragon whose neck was longer than the rest of them, the color of its scales were a brownish green with large horns, Thelonius sat on the base of the neck of the Tarragon who seemed to have a viney sort of armor covering most of its back, stomach and neck. And lastly was Oriana, their Tarragon was different. Their Tarragon was a dark red that seemed to have an inner red glow that could be seen in between its scaled armor.

Callisto looked forward as they rode further and further away. The night sky above them and the ground so far below. The calmness, the silence, these people. Callisto closed her eyes as she let a sense of familiarity wash over her.

Her hands grabbed the rope and a smile slipped onto her face as she tipped her backwards. Orion tilted his head back and for the third time that evening, Callisto plunged towards the water. Only this time, she placed her trust in Orion to save her.