The Difference In Capital Letters

Our 'fate'

  As we stood watching the sunrise I felt strangely like we'd already won, like there wasn't anything to be afraid of, weird what you think when something's coming at you.

  I kept my eyes fixated on the black dot as it came closer and grew to be bigger than two skyscrapers laying side by side. The dragon was the most beautiful animal I'd seen - mostly made of fire but also made of shadow, like a Balrog from the Lord of the Rings. I could feel a smile growing across my face, and at the same time I could feel Loki's eyes searching for my reaction, if this really is going to kill me, I'd prefer to die smiling, knowing I did my best, knowing I died with a friend, and not abandoned and on my own.

'Say hello to Max.' Loki roared over the noise of the dragon's beating wings as it came to land.

'This is Max?'

'Yeah, expecting something more fire-like?'

'No, I just didn't expect you to have style.'  I said with mock surprise.

'I'm wounded.' Loki retorted with mock horror. 'This is the King of style that you're talking to.'

I just laughed as Max stomped over, his eyes a gorgeous red colour and I gently reached up and stoked his nose. All that got me was a dragon-sized sneeze and a cough of flame escaping his mouth.

'He's got a cold.' Loki stated.

'Thank you for telling me sooner. I nearly got roasted there.'

'Oh dear, he'll have to try again, his target practice is obviously off. Would you like a ride?'

'Why wouldn't I?'

'I just didn't think you were one for riding in style.' Loki smirked.

  I jump almost weightlessly onto Max's back with Loki in front of me. As Max takes off, I'm so glad I didn't follow Kazi. Max clears the forest in seconds and soon we're flying over the edge of the woods we were following, over a large cliff-face with a beautiful waterfall. Max dives quite suddenly and plunges straight through, soaking both of us. I can hear Loki whooping in front of me and I can fully understand why. Up here, on Max you feel free, you can go anywhere. Here you can be free of company and yet not without. This is the most beautiful feeling in the world, being able to fly - maybe someday I'll fashion myself a pair of wings, I'd love it.

  Max lets out a contented roar and I let out a delighted squeal as I throw my arms up in the air, Max does an unexpected 360, and I nearly fall off. My enjoyment is cut short when I hear a voice in my head, I think Loki hears it too because I can feel his muscles tense slightly:

'What have you done?' It's Kazi, sounding slightly more than annoyed.

'Gone for a little walk?' I reply rather innocently.

'Well you can come back from your 'little walk in the clouds' right now' He humphed.

'You can't make us, and you can always get your 'oh so majestic' butt up here and just follow us on Viktor.' I heard Loki saying with a little venom, 'We're only having a little bit of fun, and I'd promised Princess here a ride, I can't break a promise can I?'

'Well you can get your 'high and mighty' behind down here and stop gallivanting off, you gave me the scare of my life - I thought you were going to die. I mean I don't care one click for Sparky but if Verity had come to any harm...' his sentance went unfinished as I interrupted him.

'Well just to let the 'oh so concerned person who most definitely tried to save us' know, we're both alive and fine so you can stop your very gentleman-like fight with each other and just let every one do what they want. Am I understood?'

'Mmph.' came Kazi's reply.

Although Loki answered I knew that Kazi couldn't hear him:

'Sorry shadow.' He delicately whispered over his shoulder. 'He's just a bit of a killjoy.'

'I know, but you understand why he's like that.'

We ride on in silence as Max slowly spirals towards the forest and we come to rest in the river (upstream from the waterfall from earlier). I can hear the hiss and am blinded by the steam as Max touches the water, the water fighting with the unquenchable fire. My life summed up in a sentence, water fighting unquenchable fire - with me being the fire. I slide gracefully off Max's back and down his wing onto the shore, coming to land a few centimeters from Kazi.

  We set up camp once more and Loki takes first watch. As soon as I hear the snores rising up from the other tent I rise from mine to come and sit next to Loki in the brightening night. The sky is full of stars and I can't help thinking of the moment as magical, it's so quiet with the world asleep, it feels so special and different that I love it. I don't really fancy going to sleep, not after last time. My legs are still saw and every muscle aches.

  Maybe it's just tiredness mixed with the magic of the night air but I feel myself drooping and the next thing I know I'm leaning on Loki's shoulder falling asleep. I'm frightened of what's coming and for a moment I start fighting awake, but then Loki puts his arm around me and I don't feel afraid any more. He may joke and play around all the time but he can be serious and caring and so moments later I'm in a deep and dreamless sleep.