The Edge of the World
Flying was an experience that I wouldn't even be able to explain properly as a human.
Believe me, I had tried more than a few times.
It's hard to explain just how freeing it was to take a creature as heavy as I was at the moment, and some how make that creature seem as if it didn't weigh a thing at all.
Magic had a part in it, of course, as- if it was just a matter of physics- I was quite sure my wings would need to be impossibly huge and my bones so hollow that I would never be as beautifully fearsome as I was now.
Watching the males duck and weave amongst one another and the clouds, however, really showed me that as lovely and graceful I was, once in the air, I still had a lot to learn.
I watched them as closely as I could, noting how their muscles moved, how they judged the winds, and what speeds were needed to achieve their swoops and turns.
I would try them myself later. For now I was content just gliding around with them, enjoying the dazzle of the sun on my scales and- when I decided to fly closer to it- my reflection on the lake's surface.
"Have you been to the waterfall yet Allura?
" Asked the friendly Grysbok, swooping in next to me.
If I had tried that, I was quite sure I would have either ran into him, or just plunged straight into the lake.
How did he slow down so fast? It hadn't been done at an angle that I couldn't make it out clearly.
I shook my head, trailing my claws on the surface of the water just for the fun of it. "Not yet. I've been a little busy."
"Lets go take a look then." Stated Jarzan who was now several feet above me. With his silvery scales it looked like I was being stalked by a deadly cloud. "We need to get more height first though."
"Why?" I asked, not liking that I didn't know. These drakes seemed way too pleased to know things that I didn't and it aggravated me.
"If we are this close to the water, we'll get sucked down." Grysbok said as we started our assent. "As soon as we are able to fly, the teacher's warn us of this. Even a dragon will die if they go over those falls."
"Your wings will be the first things to break as you get sucked into the water, then you will be smashed into the rocks on the way down.
" Jarzan said, as if telling some kind of horror story.
"If you manage to survive all that, then you hit the Dark Lake below.
Even if all your bones are miraculously intact after that, the falling water will shove you deep, deep down where you will drown, unable to escape. .."
"That does sound unpleasant..." I said, picturing the whole process with some sort of morbid fascination. I resisted the urge to shiver, not wanting Jarzan to think he had affected me.
"As amazing as dragons are, even we must submit in the face of nature." Nodded Grysbok.
I snorted, annoyed at the thought. Like hell I would let some waterfall take me out after working so hard to get here!
That being said... I wasted no time gaining altitude with Grysbok and Jarzan.
We ascended into the sky at an easy angle, joining the other males who were circling above.
Grysbok informed them of our intended destination and we all headed directly toward the thunderous falls, that seemed to create a much closer horizon than should be proper.
As we drew nearer, we passed several islands that had not been built upon. At first I wondered why, but the question was quickly answered: The falls were just far too loud to comfortably build near. If I had to hear this all day, everyday, I might go crazy.
As we got near enough to see the fall-off I couldn't even hear the others anymore.
I wasn't even sure I could hear my own thoughts, the roar of the falls was so deafening.
I was willing to bet that it might very well not even be safe for humans to spend any time here, unless they wanted their eardrums to bust. I'd imagine that it was akin to standing next to a rocket ship taking off.
Not that that comparison would mean anything to anyone in this world.
With Neumic in the lead, we gained a little more altitude once again. I assumed it was just to be safe, but it really illustrated the power of nature. Even dragons were cautious and fearful before it's might.
We flew over the edge and I was instantly hit with a dizzyingly sense of vertigo briefly, my stomach feeling like it went over the fall, even as I hovered over it.
It was rather breath taking, watching millions of tons of water spill over the edge.
I could see why they all referred to this as the Edge of the World.
It really did look like the land just stopped, cut through by a mighty blade.
I don't know why, but I was surprised to see that the fall was more like 'falls', as they were broken up into many waterfalls. Some were quite small, while others, like the one we were currently flying over, were huge. At least a kilometer long...
I supposed it made sense that it wasn't one huge sheet of falling water, else the whole lake would empty in an instant. It was a wonder there was enough water to feed these falls as it was. Perhaps the lake was like a massive well? Or were there just that many rivers feeding into it?
Not paying attention as I gawked at the falls, we flew a little farther out, now well past the spilling water.
I nearly fell out of the sky when the sound suddenly cut of, going from a deafening roar to not much more than a dull buzz.
I audibly gasped and looked about, confused. Had I actually gone deaf?
Snickering reached my ear slits and I whipped my head around on my slender neck to see the green scaled Flux chuckling behind my back. I glared emerald eyes at the male and growled low and dangerous.
"Don't be mad." stated an amused Parthus. I had to admit that the male was quite beautiful to look at in flight, his violet scales pairing wonderfully with the blue skies. "Everyone reacts the same the first time they pass the bounds of the spell."
"What spell?" I asked, reigning in my irritation. Apparently becoming a dragon was making me grumpy. Though, I hadn't been this moody before... maybe male dragons just easily got on my nerves after all?
"The Elf Queen of the Black Forest has a vast spell placed here to dampen the sounds of the waterfall. Other wise her people will have lost their hearing ages ago."
"Magic? Wouldn't such a spell be very complicated?"
Parthus shrugged. It was an odd thing to see when he was flying, but he managed it all the same.
It looked like a very human gesture. "We dragons are magic incarnate, but we do not use the same magic as the two-foots.
Things like our flames are more of an instinctual magic. We could learn it I suppose..."
"But why bother?" Finished Neumic, playing on the various drafts created by the waterfalls. "We are big, strong, have sharp claws and fangs. Not to mention our various breaths. Even their own magic can't make it past our scales unless cast by a master."
"Its basically the same way wild dragons think learning the two-foot's languages is a waste of time." Explained Jarzan. "We could learn it, but why bother? I'd rather focus on more useful things, than the magics of weaker beings."
I could see their point. But, I also thought it was foolish to dismiss other magics.
Clearly who ever set this spell to dampen sound over such a wide area must be able to do things even more impressive.
I then remembered Hanna, the princess's maid, had stated that she was related to the queen and extended me an invite.
I thought that I would like to meet this elf woman.
Besides, I found that the magics I had invested in were quite useful.
Perhaps once I was full grown I might not have need of them as often, but I didn't regret spending my points on them.
Then again, not everyone had as many surplus points as I did, so my view on the matter may have been a little skewed.
"Have you all been down there?" I asked, indicating what little I could see through the mist and shadow beneath us.
It was very far down, sure, but there wasn't really a reason why I wouldn't be able to see it.
It was day time and I had excellent vision, yet some how the land below was very hard to make out.
It was more difficult than the mist, or shadow of the cliff face could be blamed for.
"Flux hasn't." Said Jarzan, causing the youngest (aside from myself it seemed) green drake to glare. "But it is fairly common to go on flights down that way when our dragoons have days off. The warm air coming up from the jungle are fun to fly through and make carrying a passenger easier too."
"Why can't I see it properly?"
"Magic again." Said Flux, seemingly wanting to say something before the others could pipe in again. "Though I don't think this one is intentional..."
"Right." Stated Grysbok, taking pity when the other drake started to falter.
"The haze is an after effect of all the ambient magic floating around in the elvish city down there.
It isn't as grand or populace as Helios, but all elves can use magic, and they all do it quite freely.
When many are gathered, it can have odd effects on the environment.
Sort of a lesser effect of what happens when many dragons gather, like at the mating grounds. "
Grysbok's statement made so many questions pop into my head at once, but I didn't really want to ask them.
I was embarrassed at my own ignorance at things I was sure that even these two-foot (as the dragons seem to refer to the other races as a collective) raised dragons.
Maybe it was an innate pride as a wild dragon. .. I didn't know.
Either way, I filed such questions aside for when I could ask Leon, or maybe even go to a library. I had a humanoid form for just such a reason, after all.
"We can't go down there today." Said Neumic after I was staring in silence for too long.
Parthus nodded, looking back towards the skyline of Helios behind us. "Our dragoons should be finishing up for the evening by now."
With those words, we all circled over the mist covered, elvish, jungle city- at least that was what I assumed was down there after the male's vague descriptions- and made our way back to the city, then the dragoon training grounds.
Parthus had been right. As we flew in I could see that the cadets were no longer wielding swords or squaring off, but rather, standing near the building talking amongst one another.
As each dragon took turns going in for a landing, I saw that the teachers did not seem to be present. I supposed they probably had lives to get back to, after all, and didn't want to be waiting around with their students for their wayward dragons to return.
Leon was there, however, and he was the only one I really cared about. He too, seemed only focused on me. There were several very large flying lizards landing around him one after another, but his head was firmly pointed upwards, watching me.
Somehow I was the last to land. Great. That meant that everyone else would be watching. Darn it. I shouldn't have been spacing out, and insisted going second or third...
Sighing inwardly, I started my decent. I chose my landing spot near Leon, but not too close incase I royally messed up. It would be bad enough to crash-land in front of everyone, but it would be even worse to smoosh my dragoon in the process. On my first day no less.
As the ground neared I pulled up and lifted my paws, back flapped (Kicking up more than the intended amount of dirt into poor Leon's face) and set my feet on the packed earth of the training grounds as softly as I could manage.
It wasn't till my wings were folded at my side that the prince approached.
"You always land as if on the petals of a flower." He smiled, looking like he wanted to laugh.
I glared at him. "You do it then." I huffed as he set a hand on my neck, looking me over as if he expected there to be injuries.
Did I really look that cautious when landing?
I supposed that I would, given I was being super cautious.
I probably looked like a big cat scared to put a toe in the river. .. ugh.
Still, dainty was better than causing a pile up on the dusty ground. Not the best way to start off my new job as a dragoon's dragon: killing half the dragoons while crash landing, day one. So I guess being cautious was the better option.