Heatwave

Part 8

There was a light before the sun, about two miles away, behind the rolling range of hills around us, thousands of bright, iridescent lights shone up at the sky like a beacon.

I guess we were closer to Wormster than I thought, the landscape is hiding the bulk of the city from our view but now that the lights betrayed its location I could make out the spindly tips of skyscrapers and air ships.

"Rahn, look." I said, pushing against his warm belly to wake him.

He lifted one eye lid slowly and looked out over the expanse of hills. "Mm-hmm." He grumbled, shifting his weight as he prepared himself to stir. "Wormster."

"It's so close," I stood and reached my hand out toward the man-made light on the horizon surrounded by dark morning sky. All my life I've lived in Wormster's suburb, but never have I so much as seen pictures of the gleaming city. All my life I've been hidden from all the wonderful things.

"We'll get there just before noon." Rahn observed, rising and stretching cat-like over the ground. "Wormster isn't a very liberal place, so you'll have to take a tram or trolley through alone."

I froze, "you're going to leave me?"

"Only for a little while," Rahn admitted, bowing his head apologetically, "the officials there are very much against dragons joining everyday society."

"Ah," I breathed, understanding the distrust of some men towards dragons, "then how will you get to the coast?"

In response, Rahn spread his wings, letting the wind catch them thunderously. The grey of his scales had turned dark under the navy sky and his vast, tough wings bellowed and ruffled like the sails on a ship. It was then I noticed Rahn's collection of grey shades matched that of a rain heavy cloud. His color resembled objects of the sky he roamed.