Spirit Fire - Amos

Chapter 10 - Book of Dragons

I carefully put the egg on the table and stared at my reflection. The egg wobbled a little and I jumped back.

     "Why did you give me the egg? I don't know anything about this stuff." I started.

     "I believe that you have potential. In time, you will learn, that is, if you are willing."

     "Willing to . . . ?"

     Vitalli met my gaze and answered. "Chose."

     I tilted my head, "Chose wha—" I stopped, remembering what Pyrinthia had said. '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—I don't . . ." I tripped over my words, trying to think of an answer. What will I chose?

     My uncle nodded. "I see." He said as he picked the egg back up.

     "Wait!" I panicked. "Wait. I'm not sure what to chose. I know I want to see my family, and you're family. And of course I want to explore and accept this . . ." I stumbled again. "Anyways, I will chose eventually, but please, don't make it now."

     He sighed and looked down, thinking. "There will be a time, when you must chose, and if you don't, it will be chosen for you, understand?"

     I nodded quickly.

     "Alright," he clapped his hands together. "Let's see what you can do then! Come upstairs with me for a minute. I test and educate you for now."

     After he returned the egg to the chest, we walked past Icarus in the dragon stable, entered a door at the side of the room and walked up the stairs and into my uncle's room and study.

     The walls were blue, and the floor was worn hardwood. His quilt-covered bed sat in the corner of the room against the wall, which had a window with drapes on either side. Beside the bed, was a wooden nightstand with a small, lit lantern on it. The lantern gave the room around the bed a subtle glow; besides the afternoon sun that shone through the window on the right.

     Outside, I could see a river winding through the middle of the valley in between the mountains. In front of us was a desk with a quill and papers scattered about, a candle in the small window in front of it. In between the desk and the bed, a small fireplace burned peacefully, occasionally popping and sizzling.

     I peered around and said, "Cozy."

     "We're not here for sight-seeing . . . but thank-you." He smiled while walking towards a closet in the wall beside the desk. He opened it, grabbed a few things and came back with his arms full.

     He had a target with a straw backing, a few arrows and a short sword in a leather sheath.

     "You can keep your own arrows; these are old practice arrows." He pinched the tip of an arrow and walked downstairs. I followed close behind, going downstairs and outside through a back door in the dragon stable, which rested beside Icarus's giant, round dragon door.

     The backyard was small and covered with a thin sheet of snow but a few plants poked up out of the snow, refusing to accept that it was winter. Vitalli positioned the target against a bale of hay against the side of the mountain and asked me to grab my bow.

     I walked back inside to retrieve it but Icarus stopped me on the way. He stared at me with his nostrils flaring and eyes unblinking.

     "Hello Icarus, is something bothering you?"