Dragon Blood

Twelve: Taking Care

The sun began to peak over the edge of the horizon, streaking the gray sky with brilliant oranges and pinks. Orion could feel Skylar shifting on his back as she twisted to observe the breathtaking view of the world coming to life once again. He beat his wings in another strong motion, gliding along high above the quiet land. The wind brushed over his scales with the familiarity of an old friend as it welcomed him home to the sky. He hadn't flown this long in nearly a month; they'd always been too close to humans for either of them to risk shifting for long. It felt good to let his other half take over for a while.

He dipped lower, preparing to land, and heard Skylar gasp at the abrupt change in altitude. He wondered what she was thinking. She'd said herself that she'd never flown before. She didn't know it, but her first time in the air was the same as every other dragon's. Young dragons flew on the backs of others before they ever flew themselves. Orion's first flight had been with his mother when he was only three years old. It had been the most amazing experience of his life, and his first vivid memory. He hoped that Skylar's first flight had the same impact on her.

He'd been surprised when Skylar didn't appear frightened when he and Percy shifted. She'd been nervous, but two full grown male dragons were imposing creatures. He could tell that she had wanted to approach him right away, but couldn't make herself. He'd wanted to rush forward and grab her and get out of there, but his dragon had been in control. He had influence when he was in his dragon form, but his dragon had the ultimate say. Most of the time, he and his dragon were on the same page so it didn't matter who was in control, but for once they approached something in different styles. His dragon had quietly walked up to the frozen female and did something Orion never would have expected: he lowered himself to her level and submitted to her.

Skylar didn't know that's what the dragon had been doing, but Orion had been taken completely off guard. His dragon had wanted to meet her from the start, and when he finally did, the first thing he did was offer her his loyalty and trust, allowing her to touch him and gain confidence. Alphas did now submit to someone lightly, so that just showed how entranced he was by this female and had been in no rush to force her into the air. Orion had to admit that his dragon had made a better call by staying relaxed when the knights were so close. It took them longer to get away, but Skylar didn't hate them anymore than she already did.

The dragon hummed with contentment as he and Orion slipped back into one mindset, and lowered once again. He felt Skylar place her hands on either side of his spine as she steadied herself against the shifting of his massive body. It was an odd sensation, he decided. He'd never carried anyone on his back before. He could feel her slight weight, but it in no way impeded the instinctive motion of flight. It was comforting, he supposed, knowing that she was still there and not falling hundreds of feet to the ground.

Above the roaring of the wind, his acute hearing picked up the sound of Skylar's stomach growling. By his estimation, they were still about a day's flight away from home, if they flew fast. Skylar was far too proud to ask them to stop for anything, but he figured that they could all use something to eat. He began a steady descent, Percy close on his tail. Skylar gripped her legs tighter to avoid slipping forward as they angled down toward the clearing in the sparse woods, propelling forward with strong flaps of his immense wings. The normal thrill filled him as gravity took hold, pulling him ever faster toward the ground. His instincts and years of experience would keep them from crashing, but it was still an exhilarating experience. The wind howled in his ears as it raced past them.

He pulled up at the last minute and flapped his wings in great gusts to allow him to land with a soft thud on his powerful hind legs. He fell forward onto his front legs and folded his wings neatly against his sides, shuffling them into place. His incredible weight causes him to sink slightly into the soft ground next to the stream that ran through the small clearing, but it would be firm enough when he shifted back into a human. He turned his limber neck to look down at Skylar, who hadn't made any attempt to climb down yet. She was too busy glaring up at him with her vibrant blue eyes. He tilted his head down at her in confusion. Her red hair flared around her beautiful face, pulled from her braid by the wind from their enthusiastic dive.