Twins of Fate

Training

As Aliesia pushed off the branch of the tree that she was on she felt a moment of weightlessness, like a still shot moment where everything seemed to hold it's breath in anticipation before she felt gravity take over and she fell towards the earth. As she fell she felt the air rush around her, whipping the strands of hair that managed to pull loose across her face, stinging her eyes and cheeks. The wind roared with deafening noise, making her hearing to nonexistent as she rushed ever nearer the tangled earth. Slowly she turned her body to face the terrain and let her dragon form burst out, transforming in seconds letting her massive wings spread out.

She closed her eyes, basking in the powerful and free sensation that came with change; the feeling of strength as she pushed her body through the air with the extension of her wings to catch the currents of air that swirled around. Her new muscles rippled as she thrust them down skyrocketing up far past the tops trees and up, reaching for the clouds until she reached them, pushing through their depths and bursting through the crest and moving further past the clouds reaching even stronger winds that new blast of wind tore past her.

Aliesia closed her silver dragon eyes that could see everything around her with staggering clarity, and let out a peaceful sigh. She stayed that way, gliding along the airstream, letting the predawn rays of sunlight warm her scales that had cooled in the cold updraft that she was riding. She felt content to stay that way for a while allowing herself to enjoy how the rising sun felt with its perfect balance of cold and heat.

Having gotten more than comfortable in her new form, she set her senses to reach out, memorizing every bone, sinew, and feeling, flowing down the full length of herself, noticing the differences as she grew with the years. Feeling that enough time had been spent coasting in the air she moved into the next part of her training.

She stretched body once more to warm her cooled muscles before she set about work. Tilting her wings to the side she slowly dipped in the air, going in a wide spiral. Swiftly she pulled her wings to her side dropping right away; she led the drop with her head to keep her righted and in control of the drop.

She used the momentum to complete a few rolls before she pulled back up into the air performing more dips and dives, trying to lessen the time it took to pull her wings to her body before she pushed them back out to catch the air. She wanted her body to perform better than the guards that her clan trained. So she worked as hard as she could to improve her stamina and agility. She kept on for a long time, going faster and faster than she was used to until her muscles burned and her lungs ached. Completely exhausted and with wings shaking, she let her wings take her below the clouds that were still gathering and dipped back to the cover of the trees, weaving and pivoting through the trunks as if they were towering enemies and mountainous obstacles. Twisting and turning, digging her claws into the sod when she got too low to the ground, she wrapped her massive talons around the tree trunks to propel her as she made her way around the forest.

A few more hours later, when she could hardly wheeze in a breath or move her shaking limbs, she maneuvered her way to the floor, dragging her legs forward with her wings sliding along the ground. Unable to move any further she flopped down next to a small, gentle moving stream. She fell heavily on the ground with a tired huff and pulled her wings to her side. Sidled up next to the cool stream she drank deeply before allowing herself to rest under the shade of a tree that was set near her; she laid her head on one of the roots that was exposed.

Aliesia closed her eyes and focused on restoring her breath. When she was finally able to control her breath she inhaled a deep breath, calming and slowing her pulse, enjoying the quiet that the morning and soft breeze brought. After successfully calming her racing heart and labored breathing, she opened her mind to the nature around her while she lay there in the shade listening to the sounds of the birds as the flitted from tree to tree, singing melodies to each other or sounding warning calls when other animals were spotted scurrying around. These sounds filled her senses until she could almost feel where every one of them was while they moved around her.

She was utterly content and so enthralled by what was around her, enjoying the simple fact of life that even the smallest of creatures had. She frowned, though, when a gnawing foreboding began to prick at her mind, feeling as though it was telling her that this might be the last time she would feel this at peace for a long while; tossing her head as if she could brush that feeling aside, favoring instead the peaceful simplicity of the smaller creatures over the negativity that lay just beyond her sights.

Slowly she became aware that there was a steady thrumming beat through the air that was rushing all the tiny creatures away and into their burrows, nests, or places of safety. She recognized the sound and as it came nearer to her and smiled a lazy grin. She opened her eyes and scanned the sky for the source of the sound and slowly lifted her head when she spotted the large , multi-faceted, obsidian dragon that came into view.

She noticed when the dragon saw her and watched as it changed the direction it was flying to head her way. She felt a small thrill when she recognized a mark that was on its right arm. This one was as familiar to Aliesia as her other family members were.

'Cameron' she thought and let a wide grin pull at the corners of her mouth, waiting for him to finally reach her.

***

Thanks to all those who are still reading my story. Please feel free to comment and like this chapter, i'd love to hear what you think!

The picture is kind of how I imagine Aliesia's mother to look. :)