𝒜 ℋℯ𝒶𝓇𝓉 ℴ𝒻 𝒮𝒸𝒶𝓁ℯ𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒮𝓉ℯℯ𝓁

Chapter Four - Ava

Chapter Four - Ava

The air was electric with excitement, a palpable energy that hummed in the atmosphere. It was the day of the festival, a celebration of the moon's fullest light, where we gathered as a family to honor the beauty of our dragon heritage. The night of the Moonlight Festival was a sacred tradition among our kind, one that had been passed down through generations. My parents, proud Moonlight Dragons, had always made it a point to celebrate our true selves, embracing the freedom that came with being a dragon.

I was just a child then, barely six years old, with bright silver scales that shimmered in the sunlight. The world felt so much bigger back then, filled with wonder and magic. That day, the forest itself seemed to breathe with life, every leaf rustling in anticipation, every bird chirping in harmony with the festivity to come. The trees swayed gently as if bowing in reverence to the gathering of dragons. The air was fragrant with the scent of pine and wildflowers, and the distant sound of rushing water from the nearby river filled my ears.

As the sun began to set behind the mountains, the sky was bathed in breathtaking hues of orange, pink, and lavender. The mountains themselves stood like ancient guardians, their peaks touched by the last rays of sunlight. I remember sitting on the grassy hill with my parents, my eyes wide with excitement, watching the sun dip lower and lower, knowing that soon the moon would rise, and the real celebration would begin.

My father, towering and strong even in his human form, knelt down beside me, his hand resting gently on my shoulder. His dark hair, streaked with silver like the night sky, framed his face as he smiled down at me. His eyes, deep and silver like mine, always seemed to twinkle with a secret joy whenever the festival approached. He had the kind of presence that made you feel safe, like nothing in the world could ever harm you.

"Are you ready, little one?" he asked, his voice a deep rumble that always made me feel so small, yet so loved.

I nodded eagerly, my silver scales glinting in the fading sunlight. "I'm ready, Daddy!" I said, bouncing on my feet, unable to contain my excitement.

With a grin, my father stood and, in one swift motion, lifted me high into the air, his strong arms supporting me as if I weighed nothing. My laughter rang out like bells, carried away in the wind. In that moment, I felt weightless, my joy boundless as I was lifted higher and higher.

Then, in a flash of silver light, my father transformed into his true form—his magnificent dragon form. His wings unfurled like a great cloak of stars, stretching wide across the sky. His scales shimmered like molten silver under the twilight, catching the last of the sun's rays. He was beautiful, powerful, and the embodiment of everything I admired.

"Look, Ava!" he called, his voice now deeper, reverberating with the ancient power of his dragon form. "The world is ours! Let us fly!"

With that, we took off into the sky, his massive wings beating against the air as we soared higher and higher. I clung tightly to his talons, the wind whipping against my face and scales as we climbed. My heart raced with exhilaration, my small body vibrating with the thrill of flight. Below us, the village of the dragons became smaller and smaller, a patchwork of colors and movement as more dragons took to the sky to join us.

The world stretched out below, vast and endless, a breathtaking expanse of forests, rivers, and mountains. And above us, the sky began to darken as the stars slowly blinked into existence, each one shining brighter as if to welcome us to the heavens. My mother, in her dragon form, soon joined us, her lithe body weaving through the air with effortless grace. She was a silver ribbon against the darkening sky, her movements fluid and mesmerizing.

Together, we soared through the clouds, laughing and playing like we were the only creatures in the world. I could feel the bond between us, something deeper than just blood. It was the bond of our heritage, of being dragons. There was a purity in that night, a sense of belonging that I would hold onto for the rest of my life.

As the festival continued, more and more dragons took to the sky, their brilliant scales reflecting the light of the rising moon. Families flew together in intricate dances, their wings beating in unison as they twirled and dove through the air. The laughter of children echoed in the night as they played, chasing one another through the clouds, their smaller forms darting between the larger adults like fireflies.

Below us, on the ground, dragons in human form gathered around bonfires, the flames casting flickering shadows as they shared stories and songs of old. The air was filled with the smell of roasted meats and sweet, spiced fruit, and the music of flutes and drums drifted on the breeze, a harmonious melody that seemed to blend with the very rhythm of the night.

The moon was high in the sky now, casting its ethereal light over the world below. It was full, round, and bright, as if blessing us with its presence. In the distance, the great Lake of Stars shimmered beneath its glow, the surface of the water reflecting the sky above, creating the illusion of two worlds, one above and one below, connected only by the shimmering light of the moon.

As the night wore on, we eventually landed on a grassy hilltop, overlooking the festival below. My father folded his wings gracefully and transformed back into his human form, his eyes still filled with the joy of the evening. My mother followed suit, her silver hair cascading down her back as she returned to her human shape.

They sat beside me, pulling me close between them. Their warmth, both physical and emotional, enveloped me like a protective shield. I could hear the steady thrum of their hearts, beating in time with mine, and I knew, in that moment, that I was safe. That we were safe.

My mother's voice was soft, but filled with emotion as she leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Promise us, Ava," she said, her hand resting gently on my head. "Promise us you will always remember this. Remember who you are. We are unbound, free, and strong."

I looked up at her, my young heart swelling with pride and love. "I promise," I whispered back, my voice trembling with the weight of their love. "I'll always remember."

In that moment, I felt as though I could hold onto that joy forever, that nothing in the world could ever take it away.