Lexson of Aerolite

Chapter 2 Glimmer

Warm words beneath a blue sky,

A fleeting hope, arrives.

The horn's clear note eventually rose to resonate through the wind, usurping it and reaching a distant, sheltered glade. Nestled within a delicate encirclement of wood, there beneath the warm afternoon sun, hectic preparations continued. Compared to the main camp there were fewer tents, but those that remained were larger and more broad in size, built for communal living—but more luxurious than those used to house an everyday soldier. On the edge of the encampment, secluded beneath the shade of old oak, stood great wooden enclosures. Their timber was carved out of the hardy oak forest and as the trees were felled, so too was the glade born.

Nearby the enclosures, on a patch of dirt, worn barren, creatures of scale stood: legs firmly extended, long claws breaking into the soft, dry earth beneath their feet. They are befitting many names. Their ancient record tracks back to the mainstay of oral tradition, which has long since muddled any form of truth amongst which the common man dwells leaving an impenetrable veil as murky as the fabric upon which the stars shine.

Their skin warmed beneath the sun and scales radiated, shimmering as they scattered the light. Stationary, standing as tall as fifty men laid in a coarse pile, they endured as saddles were tied upon them, by long-haired, cloaked shadows. The hooded creatures spun around draping intricate ropes across their slender elongated bodies; securing the saddles with a quick fervour, never letting their silhouettes sit still. The drakes kept their wings closed as their attendants worked. It was an after effect of their rigorous training so as not to be lethal to their riders. It was commonly known that the pressure from a surprise blast generated by a wing was a cause for broken bones. Long studied and publicly regarded as a wonderful occupational hazard.

Through the sparse woods to the western edge of the glade, a figure emerged. Draped in a longer cloak, obfuscating the face. It dashed over and began conversing, quickly making hurried marks on a piece of parchment, moving from person to person. Suddenly she froze whilst examining the second line of drakes. Her feet unwittingly frolicked, below her deceptively concealing clothes.

"Alexera!" her bright, crystal voice rang out. The figure turned and dropped her hood. Out spilled her long locks of golden blonde hair, striking and luscious. As she turned, the small figure crashed into her, after tripping and snagging herself on a long dead root, concealed in the sparse patch of grass. The examiner, glared joyously into her azure eyes, seeing the sky reflected in all its beauty. She couldn't tell which colour held a purer allure.

"I didn't know they'd release you so quickly! And, I never expected to see you again, and in the same detachment!" Alexa's face grimaced for a moment then broke into a strained smile. She pushed her arms out and tried to separate herself from the clinging mass, thrusting her deceptively strong but slender limbs out, forcing a crack.

"Marcy, by now I thought you'd be promoted... " she paused for a moment considering her thoughts. Blushing and looking away.

"Is it because you don't like being around me?" she quickly froze realizing Alexa began speaking nearly at the same time.

"—But I am glad to see you again." those words resounded in Marcy's ears for a moment who blushed in turn. "So could you rise up off of me. I hate to admit it..." her voice sundered softly. "But I am still sore. The scars aren't fresh anymore, but the muscles were badly injured." Mary nodded her brows drooping in response, alongside her withering, yet vibrant smile.

"I am sorry to ask Alexa, will you be okay to ride and how is she? ...Having been separated so long." Alexa grinned.

"She is just like I remember her... She could never forget about me." She hopped forward and began to voraciously rub her snout. The drake quickly began to rock on its four feet. It's nostrils puffing hot air. It's teeth flaring in a makeshift smile—even the wings began to echo their desire to beat, reaching the height of its spunky elation. "She is a beautiful little mind reader, of all the drakes she is my one and only, my love." She crossed her arms gazing up and down the drake's body affectionately. The drake reciprocated, and bowed its head, settling down and spreading its torso out, as if all tension had left it.