Fly

Chapter 12

~Dane~

The water was ICY.

I scrunched my knees up as far as I could on the slippery scales beneath me as the dragon - I realized I had forgotten to ask if it had a name - plowed chest-first into the waves, like a duck into a pond. Or, rather, a swan. 

Cautiously, I ran a finger over the shimmering surface in front of me, now that it wasn't bouncing up and down and threatening to give me a broken nose with each wing flap. My horseback riding lessons hadn't all been for nothing, helping me to keep my balance with the up-and-down motion of flight better than I thought possible.

The iridescent, shell-like scales under my hand felt much warmer than I anticipated, like glass that had been sitting in the sun in mid-summer. I traced a finger around the edge of one, fascinated, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of freezing water inside my good shoes. The serpentine creature suddenly gave a shudder, it's crest raising and lowering in a mesmerizing way in front of me, before striking out for the shore. It's powerful tail acted like both rudder and motor behind us, coiling from side to side like a snake.

It occurred to me that the dragon, even if it didn't have a name, must have a gender of some kind. I cleared my throat, not wanting to interrupt. A brilliant green eye cast back over one shoulder, blinking at me. "Uh.... I hate to be rude, but... are you a female dragon?" I hazarded a guess, based on both the relatively light build and the fact that it's voice, though very strange and almost birdlike, sounded somehow feminine. That and just something in it's manner said 'female', though I couldn't put my finger on why.

It snorted. "Yes. I suppose it isn't obvious." 

I was relieved to hear the amusement in it's - her - voice. "Ah. Sorry, no, it's not." I shrugged apologetically. 

A few moments passed, during which I noticed that the shore was getting closer much more quickly than I had thought. The dragon's head ducked lower, her wings tucking tighter against her sides as she tried to make herself look smaller. 

Finally I got up the courage to ask another question. "Do you.... do you have a name?"

The line of frills up her neck flickered for a moment in response, as if she was considering the question. "Yes.... you can call me Spark."

"Okay then, Spark," I said, "Where are you dropping me off? I kinda have to meet with someone in the next hour, so..."

"I'll try and bring us in near all those sailboats by the park. You know, where they have the fireworks and stuff every year? We may have to dive at some point, though, so be ready to hold your breath."

I shivered in spite of myself. "I don't think that's a good idea... I might freeze to death."

"Oh!" Her head turned and she looked at me with surprise. "I forgot, the water probably feels cold to you. Hmmm.... I could try drying you off when we get to shore? Just need to find someplace sheltered first."

I nodded slowly. "That could work. It would at least warm me up enough for me to get to someplace indoors without getting hypothermia." I ignored the fact that I already couldn't feel my toes.

"Okay then." She turned back toward the front. "Hang on!" Her head and neck stretched out in front of her, and I grabbed the nearest neck frill as she leaned forward, now laying completely horizontal on the surface of the lake, the water splashing up over her nostrils every so often. I saw her tongue flick out a few times, lapping up the droplets that collected on her snout. I noticed that despite the stereotype, it wasn't forked. 

She powered toward the shore, weaving back and forth like a legendary sea serpent, leaving a white wake behind us. Sooner than I expected, we were weaving between parked sailboats, sails furled and lifejackets stowed. I saw a few empty spots, and once or twice we had to dodge behind one of the tied boats as someone sailed in or out, enjoying the stiff spring breeze.