Dragon Rider

Nasha and Nagil

My blood was starting to rush towards my face. I needed to get out of that place. The ropes were cutting off my circulation and I was having trouble breathing. There were shapes moving underneath the surface. I could see at least ten. Soon they would leap out, grab me, and drown me. But how would I get out? As I tried to think of answers to that question, I noticed I could see the shapes more clearly. That meant they were coming closer to the surface than I would like. But now I also saw that it was two dragons, one just a baby, and just large schools of seahorses surrounding them. I wondered if I could jump on the mother or father when they came up and ride them out of the lake. Then I realized they would be too slippery and I would fall and drown. I had unfortunately refused to take swimming lessons back home. Now I could see their eyes. Strangely enough, their eyes looked kind, almost loving. Their heads popped through the surface. They swam over to me and opened their third eyelid. The baby dragon, which I had decided to call Nasha, squeaked and swam around playfully. The father, Nagil, rumbled deeply. Nasha swam over and sliced through the ropes. Nagil roared to Nasha. She squealed and pried open his tail fin. He gently set me inside. It was like a little pod to fit a few people in it. I felt the rush of water around my ears and thought, for the first time, but not the last, if only I could be a dragon.