Aithne Melgren has been in the shadows too long. She has been forgotten, she has been ignored. But she goes for the Riders Quadrant in hopes to escape, to have freedom. To soar through the skies with her very own dragon.
But she has something speci...
No human is allowed in the dragons' sacred hatching grounds: the Vale—no human except the rider bonded to the Mother of all Dragons.
—The Superstitions of Dragons, by (Undisclosed)
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The Vale lies behind Basgiath, guarded by the cliff that protrudes from the side. The very cliff that my fellow squadmates have either died from; or have conquered and are currently waiting for presentation.
This information allows me to calculate that I have little time left to go through with my plan. But when has that ever stopped me?
I land on a patch of grass in the valley after jumping from the—very high—cliff. Clenching my teeth from the pain, I try and brush of my ungraceful fall. I open my eyes to quite a sight.
In front of me, there are dragons of all kinds. Feathertails, Daggertails, Scorpiontails, and I even see some hatchlings. My mouth is agape, my eyes wide. I shake my head, getting into my senses. I glance around, fear nibbling my very soul.
'Since when have I been so stupid? Oh my god, I'm in the Vale and the dragons aren't killing me.' As soon as that thought crosses my head, thundering steps are heard from my right. I whip my head around to find a towering black dragon standing in front of me.
If dragons could scowl, I'm sure that he would be doing so right now.
The gigantic black swordtail glares at me from his height, which is way taller than me, mind you. The nightmare of a creature has ripped wings, possibly from the countless battles he has won alongside my father.
"Well, hello there Codagh," I greet him.
I know that he will answer me. Even though dragons only share a telepathic connection with their bonded rider, almost every dragon that I've met has managed to communicate with me. And I'm here to collect some answers.
Codagh shakes his head as if in disappointment. 'It is not a surprise to see you here, little one.'
My breath hitches in my throat as I hear his booming voice inside my mind. It feels like he has crushed all my internal walls and left me bare. It feels like some sort of intrusion. This has never happened before, never once.
'I knew you would come here, and I know why you're here.' He growls.
I sigh, my breath coming out in a small, misty puff. Albeit subtle, it is one of the earlier signs of winter—about to hit Basgiath in full bloom. "And of course, you'd know. Nothing does slip past you does it, dear old friend?"
I smirk, my teeth glinting against the gleaming sun. Codagh simply huffs out a breath through his nose and angles his body slightly away, as if he's giving me a 'let go'. My eyes soften a bit. I always did have a soft spot for Codagh. He was more of a father-figure than my actual dad ever was.
"Thank you."
And then I'm off. I have an inkling of where I'm going, even if that clue is vague. There's a feeling inside my chest, both pulling and pushing at the same time. It's almost as if the two forces are warring inside me, too indecisive to determine what path I should take.
But I know which force should win if I want to get the answers to my questions. So I continue on. I swerve around bushes, try not to trip over rocks, until there's finally a patch of grass in the middle of the clearing.
And I see a snow-white figure contrasting against the bright green of the grass. My eyes light up as if I was a kid who got handed a lollipop. I break out into a full sprint, hopping over fallen branches and piles of who-knows-what. (Not that I want to know—it's the dragons' secret.)
I see a spark of excitement within the white serpents cerulean eyes, and I mirror it. I can finally get my well-deserved answers. She doesn't move at all as she averts her steely gaze towards mine, but I hear her soothing voice in my head.
'Would you look at that. I wasn't expecting such a surprise, Khalida.'
A/N
Oh my god--it's been a while, hasn't it? That's an understatement.
Firstly, I apologize to all of my dearest readers, both old and new, because I have had such a terrible writers' block and I absolutely have no words left. I physically can make no more promises, as I myself don't know my updating schedule now :(
But please--enjoy this short chapter and don't forget to drink water! Stay safe out there!!
