Malvina stopped by Dardon's cave to tell him she was leaving with Fireball. The pain in his eyes was still so visible. Dardon fought back the tears as he spoke with Malvina. He had travelled east decades ago with a group of wizards and encountered many uninhabited islands, not far from the shores of Khalinor.
"There are many islands nearby. Most of them are uninhabited, and offer an abundance of vegetation and fresh water. All would be very suitable places to live. The islands are easy to reach from here, but they should be far enough away that you can make a fresh start. I would love to join you, if that is okay. Darius is gone and I have nothing left here. Each day I spend in this cave reminds me of the son I lost. I, too, need a change."
Malvina welcomed Dardon's offer. Not wanting Fireball to be completely isolated, Dardon and Malvina invited others in the community to join them. Many families were ready for a change, wanting no connection to wizards. In all over 40 dragons packed up their families and possessions, and prepared to migrate with Malvina. The community had a quiet send-off, respecting Malvina's wishes.
At the break of dawn, Malvina ushered Fireball out of their cave for the last time. They took to the sky to join the others. Dardon took the lead and once they hit the open water, they passed several masses of land, distancing themselves from their old home. Fireball inhaled the ocean breeze. Although he had lived on an island he had never flown over the open ocean, nor had he ever smelled the fresh, salt air. The breeze was cool and fresh and made the long flight more comfortable.
As the sun began to sink low on the horizon, the dragons were actively looking for their new home. Dardon spotted one of the islands he recognized from a visit decades before. It was smaller than he had remembered, but the dense forest at one end of the island offered privacy and more than enough room for their group. The vegetation looked plentiful and there was at least one fresh water lake. Dardon felt drawn to the island, feeling it could be their new home. He watched as Malvina assessed the island. Then she looked at Dardon and nodded her approval. Malvina also felt drawn to the island, as if it were inviting her.
"That is an active volcano." Said Dardon to the other dragons. "I suspect that is why the island is uninhabited. The area around the volcano is open and exposed, but this end of the island has lots of trees for shelter, vegetation for food, a couple lakes for drinking water, and it looks like there are plenty of caves that we can use for our new homes."
Malvina and the others all agreed. The dense woods around the rocky area gave them plenty of shelter and shielded them from direct wind off the ocean. Fireball saw a sandy beach area which he knew would be a great playground for the young dragon and his friends. Feeling better than he had since he lost his father, he chose one of the caves for himself and Malvina. Dardon settled into a smaller cave right next to them. The caves overlooked the larger of the two lakes. The water's surface looked like a mirror. The jagged treeline reflected perfectly on the still water, until the sun finally sunk behind the trees. Malvina hugged her little Fireball and he smiled for a moment. She felt that this could be a home for them, at least for now.
YOU ARE READING
Fireball
FantasíaAlex and Fireball are inseparable, but where did Fireball come from? This is the dragons' story of his journey 500 years before his closest friend, Alex, was born.
