Silver Soul

Chapter 29: Visitors of a Different Sort

Chapter 29: Visitors of a Different Sort

                 Her presence always made me feel a little depressed, like I regretted something that I did to hurt her.

Lady Star Flower, I was just wondering if you were hungry. Night Shade, Moonshine, and Hawthorn brought a whole pig back for you if you wanted it, Vivian asked respectively.

Thank you, Vivian, but I will go out later this evening. Tell this Night Shade, Moonshine, and Hawthorn that I appreciate their care but I can support myself, I told Vivian.

Yes, Star Flower.

                 I sensed her leave and I heard her tell the other dragons what I had said, they appeared glad as they were still hungry. I drifted in and out of sleep for the next few hours. When I finally awoke, there was no sound coming from the adjacent cave. Curious, I examined every creature’s mind. All were asleep. I realized just how hungry I really was. I had to feed. I slowly got to my feet. I was careful that the only sound I made was my claws scraping across the floor. I could see that all the dragons and humans were all lying against the walls of the cave, leaving a clear path for me. I had a sneaking suspicion that they had purposely fallen asleep like that so I didn’t have to weave my way in-between dragons and watch out for tiny humans under my claws.

               I quickly made my way to the cave’s entrance and I saw to the direct left was a gigantic boulder. I jumped gracefully onto the gigantic rock. Perched on my hind legs I slowly spread my wings letting the wind rush over them. I lifted my head feeling the wind preparing for takeoff. My claws sparkled like pure diamonds. I tensed my hind legs for just a moment before I launched my entire body into the dark sky. I could feel the thrust that I had to use just to get myself off the ground. I knew that I had left whirlwinds on the ground below, but right now I had bigger problems, like filling my ever rumbling stomach.

                       Just feeling the air I was able to pinpoint exactly where a meal would be on the forest floor. I saw a large elk trotting through the forest heading towards a clearing just a few hundred yards away. I flew up and circled. Just as the elk entered I pounced from the sky. The elk was gone before I even got there. The mere sight of my shadow had sent him running back through the words. I hissed in frustration, I may be a natural flyer but obviously I needed to practice my hunting skills. I launched back into the sky obviously I would have to fly high and dive fast, behind the prey. I skimmed over the same patch of trees for minutes, but I had scared anything else off. I headed in another direction to find a meal. I saw a pig snuffling through the leaf-litter looking for food itself.

                   This was the perfect chance. I waited for the right chance with the wind currents to cover my wing flaps. I clipped my wings diving with tremendous speed and precision. The pig saw me at the last second and started to run. Squealing for the trees it was too late for that pig. With a single slice of my claw it was decapitated. I could have roared with pride. I almost inhaled that pig and I was still hungry so I launched into the air, but I soon realized that a dragon with food in its stomach was a clumsy, bumbling dragon. I knew that I would have just one more shot for my next meal. I saw a moose knee-deep in a stream nearby I knew that I would have just a moment and I considered roasting it, but the chances of those flames catching on some brush were too high so I dived. It was lucky for me that the moose had just stuck its head underwater to clip at a couple of the flooded roots.

                Just as it raised its head I was there and I caught the moose between my claws just as I splashed in the water. I knew I was making quite a scene as well as noise. I quickly grabbed the carcass with my claws and launched into the sky once again. I flew back to the cave as the peaks of dawn started to creep over the horizon. I landed on the boulder I had perched from earlier. I quickly ate my kill the lay down on the rock letting the light soak into my scales. I let my meal digest. No one awoke for about another two hours. By then I was already up and flying around practicing flight techniques that might be helpful someday. Of course I knew most of them from when I was Rose and I’d seen the other dragons perform. However that’s not to say that I didn’t invent while flying. By the time Bright Scale and the one called Night Shade awoke I was ready to face anyone who dared stand in my way.