Flying To New Heights

Chapter Five

Wind whipped Adelaide's hair so that it looked like brown fire. The ground rolled beneath her, trees and other dragons looking as small as marbles. Adelaide's dress furled like a flag. Her eyes were wide with wonder and her heart beat so fast she thought it might take off. Oh, how she wished she could fly on her own! Oliver was so lucky.
     "Having fun?" Oliver called out over the loud wind.
     "Yes!" Adelaide exclaimed. Oliver laughed a bit, and Adelaide laughed with him. Soon they landed near where they had taken off.
     "Did you like that?" Oliver asked, his soft voice implanting itself into her brain.
      "It was so much fun," Adelaide giggled. "I wish I was a dragon, so we could fly together."
      "We just flew together," Oliver said. "Whether it seems like we did or not, we flew together." Adelaide smiled and sat next to him. Her heart still thumped wildly, and she couldn't stop smiling. Then Oliver froze.
     "Get under my wing," he said very quietly. "Quick." Adelaide scrambled under his wing, crouching low.
      "What are you doing out here on your own?" A voice asked. It was deep and smooth, but was soothing like Oliver's.
       "Just...thinking," Oliver said. "Nothing else, Conrad."
      "Are you sure?" The voice, Conrad, asked.
      "Y-yeah," Oliver said. "I'm sure."
      "All right. We both know you're a bad liar, and also bad at hiding the little lump under your wing...so lift your wing," Conrad said.
       "Uh...no, thanks," Oliver said quickly. Then Oliver's wing was forcibly lifted, and Oliver toppled over. Adelaide stood up and brushed herself off. An orange dragon stood in front of her.
      "Hello," Conrad said.
      "Hi," Adelaide said. She glanced at Oliver, who came and stood by her.
      "Making friends with humans?" Conrad asked, eyeing Adelaide.
      "Y-yes, but she's the only one," Oliver said.
      "She has a name, yes?" Conrad asked.
      "My name is Adelaide," Adelaide said, raising her chin and standing tall. Conrad smiled.
       "She's pretty," Conrad said. "You have good taste, Oliver."
       "Ew!" Both Oliver and Adelaide. Conrad laughed.
       "Is Oliver treating his lady well?"Conrad said, nudging Oliver's side with his snout. Adelaide's face went really red. Did she like him? She honestly didn't know how she felt about him. Her ears and face burned, and Conrad snickered. She could hear Oliver shuffling his feet uncomfortably. Conrad grinned and laughed.
     "All right. I might as well stop teasing you," he said sadly. He then winked at Adelaide and flew away. Adelaide heard Oliver let out a huge breath.
      "Do you know him?" She asked.
      "Yeah...," Oliver began, "he's my older brother." Adelaide didn't know how someone so flirty and crazy and loud could be related to soft spoken, wonderful Oliver. But Adelaide just leaned against Oliver's golden and orangey body and closed her eyes.
      "I hate this war," she said. "I want us to be able to be friends just...openly. And not have to hide it."
      "I feel the same way," Oliver said as he wound his tail around Adelaide's waist. She took a deep breath and her mother's angry face flashed in her mind. Her face stung slightly as if remembering the slap she had received two nights ago. Her mother had always hurt her, slapping and insulting her. Adelaide laughed as the tip of Oliver's tail wound up and tickled her cheek. Oliver was watching a butterfly; not moving the tail. She laughed when she realized the tail must have a mind of its own. It tickled her cheek again and curled around her waist again. Adelaide laughed, happy to be with her only friend. Jube was gone. She was taken and was probably never going to get out. That showed the humans were...horrible. Despicable. Dark-souled. They imprisoned a child! And she was a human to top it all off. Oliver's tail wound around one of her ears and she snuggled into Oliver. He wrapped his long body around her.
      "I do like you...," he said quietly. "I thought you didn't feel the same because...because...you're human."
       "I like you, Oliver," Adelaide said softly. She felt Oliver's body get warmer. She smiled. Everything seemed all right.
       But we all know that things aren't always as they seem.