Dragon Queen: Book One-Scarlet Reign

Chapter Eleven- First Flight

(((Please keep in mind that this is a rough edit so far, it will be more cleanly edited later!)))

"So, what do you look like?" Gerel took a huge bite out of a shiny, juicy apple. "Your human form, I mean."

Aelwen perched on the top of a big boulder, her tail curled around a pile of more delicious red fruit.

"Well, I had long brown hair and pale skin. I usually wore green dresses, since father said that was the color I looked best in."

"Tall or short?"

"Short. I think. I haven't really been around many people my age." Aelwen scarfed down a few apples, fruit juice running down her chin. She wiped it off with the back of her paw. "Mostly just servants and lords. My horses and cats were some of my best friends."

"Oh, so you didn't really have any friends, then."

"W-well, no. I had a kitsune friend. She and I did a lot of fun things together. We told stories to each other, read books, played in the garden, explored and hid in the castle, stuff like that."

"A nine-tailed fox? What was her purpose in the castle?" Gerel threw an eaten apple core over the side of the hill they rested upon.

Aelwen lowered her eyes. "As you know, Those who use Cainen's wands must use their own energy to cast spells. But a skilled sorcerer can take the energy of magical creatures to use instead. Kitsune generate a lot of life force."

"So she was an energy slave," Gerel said.

"No! She served my mother willingly. She considered it her duty."

"What happened to her?"

"... She was reassigned to a city on the other side of the country a few years ago."

"Oh."

Gerel finished off his apples, disposing of the rest of the cores. Aelwen stood up, arching her back like a cat as she stretched. Her ears flicked in response to a few flies buzzing near her head. Her tail swayed gently back and forth. The air was the perfect summer temperature, just warm enough to be comfortable, yet the slight breeze added the right amount of chill to keep away exhaustion. The blades of grass lining the top of the hill contained spotted ladybugs perched on their sun-touched green tips. Leaves rustled throughout the massive oak tree Gerel leaned against, lines of ants carrying bits of apple marching toward the top. It was a serene scene, save for the waves of smoke billowing in the sky.

Gerel propped his hands behind his head. "I have an older sister. She turned 22 a few months ago. I wonder if she misses me."

"What's her name?" Aelwen sat back down on the sun-warmed rock.

Gerel chuckled. "She likes to call herself Deathsong. Her real name is Kera, though. She taught me almost everything I know about combat magic. It's thanks to her we're alive."

Gerel leaned on his side, gazing down the hill at the trees below. "I'm glad we're going back. I want to see her again. I was so stupid to run off like that without even telling her or dad and mom."

"At least you found me," Aelwen said. "Not a total loss, running off." She tried to give a reassuring smile.

A leaf fell on Gerel's head. He brushed it off. "So, ready to do some flying?"

Aelwen looked to the sky. Several white, puffy clouds tinted with silver drifted by. A longing had sprouted in Aelwen's heart ever since she had glided down in the city. A longing to fly.

"Yes," she breathed, subconsciously spreading her wings.

"Ok, then jump off the hill and glide down a few times," Gerel said. He closed his eyes as if he was taking a nap.