Excerpt from my current work in progress, Flight Moon.
“It
could be several moons before you can fly.”
The
dragon gave him a mischievous grin. “Let's test that theory.”
Flight
Moon sprang forth with such swiftness that Gakulisan didn't have time
to stop her. She rushed towards the cliff's edge, bounding forward on
four legs like a panther. With a powerful leap she thrust herself off
the cliff.
For
a moment she thought she would fall. The wind gusted painfully
against her wings. Pulsing them violently she shook off her
dystrophy. The force of her wings pushed her above the level of the
cliff.
Gakulisan
relaxed, watching her rise higher above him with a great effort. She
rose past the point where fear of falling distracts from the
sensation of sustained flight. She was able to slow her wings and
soar, drifting on air currents. Her gaze lifted to the horizon.
For
the first time in half a season she wondered where she would go.
Should she return to Gorusk and seek out Shirr? That would probably
be the last thing she ever did.
She
could continue to hide. She wondered if Shirr was still searching for
her.
With
a flap of her wings she rose higher, hoping the open wind would strip
away her thoughts. Gliding high above the land, again she looked at
the edge of land in her possible sight. But it wasn't towards Shirr
that her gaze was turned. Something tugged at her from where she had
come, from where she had fallen, but didn't fall. From where...
A
faint blue light flashed far in the distance. Flight Moon squinted to
discern its source, but the light became more intense, seemed to be
coming closer. What is that?
But the dragon didn't have any more time to think as the light rushed
towards her. She tried to back away, in an attempt to dodge it, but
her limbs wouldn't obey her.
With
a shock of pain and light the energy hit her. She
was blinded by blue-hot lightning. No, there was darkness in it. In
the center... a form. A face.
Flight
Moon felt a rush of wind from beneath her. Disoriented, a shock or
awareness made her open her eyes and realize that she was falling.
She was almost to the ground, but she couldn't move. No, she wasn't
falling. The gusting wind wasn't caused by her fall, it was an
unnatural force keeping gravity from claiming her form. The
wizard. She turned to see him on
the cliff, level with her, with both hands raised to the sky,
controlling the wind that was keeping her from pummeling into the
ground.
She
forced her wings to move and drifted more than flew back to the
cliff.
“Under...
attack...” Flight Moon forced out as she landed with a crash.
Gakulisan
collapsed to one knee, but managed to turn towards the north and scan
the skies.
“I
don't see anything.” He looked back to the dragon, hearing her
labored breathing. “What happened?”
“The
light... attacked me.”
“Light?”
the wizard asked. He didn't continue, seeing her eyelids close. He
started to approach her, but withdrew his hand when the hairs on his
harm rose and the fabric of his robe clung together.
