Spirit Fire - Amos

Chapter 9 - Egg

As we flew, I explained to Pyrinthia why I was returning to see my uncle again.

     "I am just so blown away by our first meeting that sincerely, I cannot let it go."

     You are riding dangerous waters young one, there is a reason Vitalli had told you to forget about all of this. I will not stop you, but I will say that you will have to make a decision.

     I stopped to think. Watching a couple of birds in front of us veer away as the dragon passed. "And, what is that?" I asked.

     Between your life at home, with your family, or leave all that behind in a constant search to discover more about this new world you've fallen upon.

     I nodded, not expecting her to know, but just an acknowledgement of my own.

We were silent the rest of the way until the house appeared around the mountain. Pyrinthia landed beside the house and leaned to her side so I could climb off. I thanked her, but she just puffed smoke through her nostrils and left.

     Remember what I said young one, she commented as she flew away.

     I stood and watched her disappear behind the peaks and then turned around to face the house. I remembered Icarus and Pyrinthia talking to me in my mind and I thought to let Icarus know I was here before I knocked.

     I closed my eyes, trying to find the connection in my mind when the dragons had spoken to me. As I searched, I felt a faint presence. It was clouded and when I pushed into it, my mind entered a dream.

     I saw Icarus in the night, standing on the edge of a cliff, staring out into the landscape. I quickly pulled out and opened my eyes, hoping I had not awakened him. Unsuccessful, I knocked on the door.

     Waiting for it to open, I thought of what my uncle might say, but when it did, Vitalli only smiled. He stepped out of the doorway and gestured for me to enter.

     As I stepped through the doorway, my uncle said, "Welcome back, nephew. I figured you would return," then closed the door.

     "Hello Uncle," I replied before I put my pack down against the wall beside the door, just below pegs on the wall. I looked at them, and then I hung my vest on one. I looked over at Icarus's room and noticed the dragon poking his head through the round window again. He looked drowsy, as if he had just woken up.

     I silently mouthed, "Sorry," before I continued into the living room where my uncle had water in a glass pitcher on the table, two full cups on either side.

     I sat down and took a glass, draining it. My uncle sat across from me on the other chair and noticed, asking, "Thirsty?" While he picked his own glass, sipped it and set it back down.

     I nodded and set my cup down, three quarters of the water gone. "Long trip."

     "So, what brought you back here?" he asked as he leaned back in his chair, which creaked as he did.

     "I need to talk with you." I replied calmly.

     He waved his hand as if telling me to continue.

     "Well there is a few things," I began. "Since the day I left, before Father got home, I had a dream. However, it was not an ordinary dream. Everything I saw before was full of destruction and death. Except I was not myself, instead, I was in the form of a wolf."

     Vitalli leaned forward and listened closer.

     "Burnt trees, destroyed buildings and dead bodies of men and dragons lay scattered about. There was a dead woman laying against a dragon, and a man, dressed as a soldier, grieved over her. She wore a green amulet on a silver chain across her neck."