Burning Flame

Chapter Sixteen

Blaze trotted happily behind his mother, his eyes bright with excitement . Today she had promised him that she would teach him how to fly.
"Every dragon's wings grow strong when they're about five years of age," Magma explained as they walked towards the entrance of the cave, "but, even when I teach you how to fly and use your wings properly, you must promise me that you will not leave this cave unless I tell you it's okay."
She stopped and turned her head to look back at him. He grinned.
"I promise I won't leave the cave, mother."
She smiled, clearly relieved.
"Good. Now, watch me first, then copy my exact movements."
They were at the entrance of the cave when suddenly she burst forward, wings stretched out slightly. Then she bent her legs before leaping into the air in one swift movement. Her wings exploded from her sides when she lost momentum and she started to flap as she soared higher and higher into the sky.
Blaze watched in utter fascination, wondering if he could really do the exact same thing that she did.
"Come on, son!" she called as she dove down and suspended herself in the air nearby.
He gulped and put his wings out a little bit. Then he tentatively took a few steps forward.
"Faster, Blaze! Otherwise you won't get enough oomph to fly!"
He nodded and darted forward. Then he leaped... and realized that he wasn't nearly fast enough. He started to plummet as soon as he got into the air and he flapped his wings wildly to regain control.
Suddenly he felt talons grip his body and he started soaring upward. He looked up and saw his mother holding him with her front claws. She soared high into the sky, and Blaze almost fainted when he looked down. The cave was so small below him and he immediately felt queasy.
"Okay, Blaze! You need to get ready to flap! Now!"
Before he could protest he felt the claws release their grip and he was tossed into the roaring wind.
He screeched and started flapping madly.
"Slow, steady strokes!" she shouted over the wind.
He did as he was told, and immediately his body straightened out as he bobbed along on the wind.
He grinned and shrieked in triumph.
He looked over and saw his mother drifting along beside him.
"I did it, mother! I actually did it!"
She smiled.
"I knew you could. You just needed a little push to get you started."
She turned on the wind and Blaze followed slowly after her.
The freedom of the air was exhilarating, and Blaze watched in awe as the landscape moved and changed slowly beneath them.
Then Magma turned her neck and looked back at him, a mischievous look in her eyes.
"Once you become more experienced, you'll be able to do things like this."
She turned her neck back to its normal position and tucked her legs further under her body simultaneously. She stretched her body forward rapidly, her wings pinning back to her sides in one swift movement. She started to plummet and Blaze watched in wonder as she twirled her body like a great spinning arrow. Then her wings blasted from her sides and she was caught safely on a gust of wind.
She flapped back up to him with strong strokes of her wings, a huge smile bright on her face.
"Wow," Blaze said.
She nodded once in agreement.
"That was a challenge that I issued your father when we became a mated pair. We wanted to test each other's metal, not only on the ground, but in the air as well. We locked claws and twisted like that until we got close to the ground. We opened our wings, but we never let go."
She closed her eyes, lost in her thoughts.
"You didn't get hurt?!" Blaze asked.
She laughed lightly and opened her eyes.
"No... It only made me stronger. Love does strange things to you, Blaze. It makes you do things that you would never do in your right mind, but most of the time you don't regret doing those things afterwards."
She looked over at him with a gentle expression and he growled softly.

They flew for a while when Blaze started to drag on the wind. His eyes were half closed in exhaustion and Magma quickly noticed. She scooped him up with her talons, cautiously helping him up onto her back so as not to let him fall. Then he hooked his tail around her spikes and sprawled out on her back.
"Tired?" she asked.
He yawned in reply and she chuckled to herself.
"I guess we should head home then. I can teach you how to land another day."
She turned back towards the direction of the cave. She started to glide slowly back while Blaze drifted into a light sleep, dreaming blissfully of open skies and vast changing landscapes.

***

Serenity stood in front of her father, her head high and her mind eager to learn.
Cyclone folded his wings and looked down at his daughter. He grinned at her eagerness.
"Today I'll teach you a new spell," he stated with proud authority.
Serenity nodded enthusiastically, and she could hear a light laugh from her mother grazing nearby.
"Now, clear your mind and stand tall and proud... that's it! Focus all of your energy and think of it as one great swirling ball. Now, send that ball forward with a flick of your hoof."
She saw him tense up as she tried to send the energy forward, but she guessed that it hadn't worked because he had a disappointed look on his face and his body relaxed.
"We can try again. The energy, or magic, was supposed to send me back, or at least knock the air out of me. It's okay, you're new at this, so I'm not worried about you hurting me."
Serenity nodded and focused again.
She imagined a great ball of energy, swirling to be sent forward at her will. Suddenly she felt a great surge of energy run through her body and she flicked her hoof forward, releasing it towards Cyclone. She watched in wonder as he was thrown back onto the ground, his eyes wide and his body gasping wildly for breath. He stayed on the ground for a few moments before rolling onto his side and getting to his hooves.
"That... was perfect," he said, shock clear in his majestic features.
Serenity's eyes glinted and she whinnied.
"Really?!"
"Yes, it was far better than I was expecting. Let's try it again."
This time he stood braced and ready for a hard impact. Serenity watched his muscles tense in awe, and she suddenly had no doubt as to why he was King.
My father is the best. He is kind, strong, fast, and brave. How could he ever do anything wrong?
She stood tall and focused on the magic deep inside her. It started forming into a ball of pulsing energy that made her shudder. She flicked her hoof forward and he was thrown back again, but this time it was even farther. She heard him grunt as he fell and she wondered if she should stop.
She looked over at her mother and she was grinning, so she couldn't be too concerned. Then she glanced back at her father, and he was already getting back on his hooves. She shook the feeling off, knowing that she was doing what they wanted her to do.
Cyclone walked over to her and nipped at her ears affectionately. She snorted and flared her wings.
As he pulled away and stood in front of her she realized how drained she felt, and her legs started to buckle beneath her. She looked up at her father and he immediately sensed the exhaustion in her expression.
"We should probably rest. Using magic is a very tiring thing, and it takes a while to build up a large capacity for it. We can train again later."
With that he walked over to Snow and they nuzzled each other. Serenity trotted over and nuzzled her mother, too.
"I'm proud of you," Snow whispered as she pulled away from Serenity.
Serenity gave a happy snort and lowered her head to rest. Her parents both put a wing around her, and soon she was embraced in a sound sleep.

Wind tousled her mane as she stared into the eye of a very large red dragon. She was standing on a hill facing the dragon, and she could feel another presence by her side. She looked over and saw a familiar red male dragon, but he was older and a lot larger. He looked over at her, and concern was clear on his face. She nodded and she felt the energy pulsing within her. The female dragon roared and lunged at her, and she sent the energy forward. The dragon choked on her roar and was sent back into the ground. When she got up next, smoke was billowing from her nostrils and her pupils were merely slits in her eyes. She lunged again, her razor-sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight...

Serenity woke with a start, only to find that she was still tucked between her parents' wings. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that the nightmare had been all too real.