Excerpt from Flight Moon

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.