Chapter 24 #2
Mir whipped around at the sound of his voice, her eyes lighting up as she hopped wildly, shaking the ground with each thunderous step.
The massive dragon marched toward us, and my heart pounded in instinctive alarm.
Yes, I knew Mir was kind and friendly—unless you were a sheep, of course—but I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to the sight of her barreling toward me, fangs and talons glinting in the afternoon sun like sharpened daggers.
Glade, on the other hand, had the complete opposite reaction.
Grinning like a child, he bounced around the crater, hyping Mir up as though she were a dog.
The enormous, winged creature chortled in delight and flopped onto her stomach in front of him, completely submitting.
He took his chance to leap onto her head, burying his face in hers.
There was something so endearing about the way he interacted with Mir. The connection the two had was almost palpable. He genuinely loved this creature that stood before us, and she appeared to love him just as much, if not more.
A warm sensation I couldn’t quite name washed over me, and I felt my cheeks flush with heat, though I did not feel shame. I tried to look away from the two lovebirds in their affectionate embrace, but my stare lingered, unwilling to pull away.
“Why is it that Mir lives here alone? Does she not have any family?” I wondered aloud as the couple recalled my presence among them.
Glade stroked Mir’s head, which was the size of a small car.
“Dragons are peculiar creatures,” he explained.
Mir’s ears twitched at his words. “No offence, my love,” he kindly added, and she settled back into his lap, her massive form relaxing against him.
“Humans aren’t privy to all the secrets of dragon-kind, but from what we’ve seen, they have their own ways.
Some choose to live in herds, mating, breeding, traveling the world together.
Others are more reclusive, keeping to themselves. Much like humans, really.”
Mir nuzzled deeper into Glade’s chest and purred. At that moment, I understood. Mir wasn’t alone in this world at all. Her family was right here with her.
Glade gave her head a rough, affectionate scratch before rising and strolling to the far side of the crater.
There, lying on the ground, was an enormous, worn-out leather harness with straps frayed from years of use.
As he began to untangle it, Mir crept toward me, her head low to the ground.
She sniffed at my tunic, and every nerve in my body froze, even though she showed no signs of aggression—only curiosity.
Mir moved her giant snout to my feet then whipped her head back and sneezed right on top of my boots. A splat of warm dragon snot splashed across them.
Despite the sticky mess pooling on my shoes, I couldn’t help but laugh, clutching my stomach as I tried to steady myself. “Oh, come on,” I managed between fits of cackling, “they can’t smell that bad, can they?”
Mir lifted her head, her bright yellow eyes locking onto mine before she tilted her snout toward the sky, then lowered it back to the ground. For a fleeting moment, I wondered: had she just…nodded at me?
After a while, I found myself sitting cross-legged on the cold stone ground, idly playing with small pebbles while Glade moved around Mir’s back, securing the harness to various points.
Two large loops of leather were fastened around her shoulders, and an exceptionally large piece was cinched around the broad barrel of her chest. A saddle, much like one you’d see on a horse, rested on the middle of her back.
With every command Glade gave, Mir shifted her colossal body to help him attach each band where it was meant to go.
I called out to the prince, who sat atop the dragon across the plateau, “Does she like it? Being ridden?”
Glade paused mid-pull, yanking a strap tight with all his strength. He glanced toward me, his devilish grin spreading wide. “I mean, don’t we all?”
“Urgh.” I shook my head in revulsion. I felt ridiculous for even giving him the chance to respond in such a way.
Glade sat up tall and proud, one hand resting on his hip while the other cupped his chin, feigning deep thought.
“Well, maybe not all,” he said, his gaze flicking toward me.
“But all who’ve been ridden by me seem to thoroughly enjoy it.
” His eyes burned with heat, and his eyebrows arched as his grin amplified.
I raised an eyebrow and held it there, staring him down. “Are you done?”
Glade’s eyes locked with mine, his smile stretching to reveal his pearly white teeth. “Yes.” He chuckled faintly.
Then, with a fluid motion, he slid down the side of Mir’s back, landing gracefully on the ground. He wiped his hands on his shirt before sauntering toward me.
“We’ve been flying together for nearly two decades now,” he shared. “I’d say she likes it. Never thrown me off…yet.” He eyed Mir, squinting as if considering the possibility. “Hopefully, she doesn’t throw you off, either.”
I swallowed a thick gulp of saliva, beads of sweat forming under my arms. She wouldn’t do that. He was just messing with me…right?
Striving to find the right words to feign confidence in dragon riding, I stammered, “She wouldn’t do that to me. You said yourself that dragons don’t harm humans. That the two species are friends.”
Glade seemed irked with himself, muttering under his breath as he kicked pebbles a few feet away. “Did I say that…” He straightened, his voice louder now. “Welp, I guess there’s nothing left to do. Let’s go.”
Glade raced to Mir’s side and climbed up the small leather rope leading to the saddle on her back. “What are you waiting for? Come on!” he called down to me from above.
I hesitated, my feet reluctant to move toward the gigantic animal. Mir turned her snout in my direction, inspecting my stance.
“Erm, Mir,” I began, my entire body quivering, “do you mind if I climb onto your back?”
Mir’s body language shifted from uncertainty to permission as she moved her head back into a forward position, waiting for me to join. It seemed that, no matter the species, every creature wanted the choice of consent.
The rope ladder felt unbearably rough against my hands as I gripped it to pull myself up. Within moments, the jagged fibres cut into my skin, tearing at the soft tissue. Yet I didn’t give up. I kept climbing, even as my arms screamed in protest, the muscles trembling with each pull.
Glade watched from above, a smug look on his face, as if he were hoping I’d falter. But I refused to give him the satisfaction.
I was going to Cylvaris. I was going to meet the elder Fae and learn the history of Amantius’ Light. I was going to train with Glade, mastering the power of my Light, becoming proficient and unstoppable. I would help end this universal genocide, once and for all.
When I reached the top, Glade seized me by the arm and hoisted me into the saddle in front of him.
Once again, I felt his hard chest press against my back, his pelvis brushing against mine, and I sucked in a sharp breath as a wave of temptation washed over me.
I would never act on it, I reminded myself, but there was no denying how my body responded to his proximity.
All I could do was push the thoughts aside and focus on the task at hand.
Still, his arms wrapped around my waist, and his hands rested on the leather bar in front of my lap, just inches above a place I couldn’t ignore. A tingling sensation tinged that very same spot, and I shuddered as his face appeared over my shoulder, his breath warm against my skin.
“Are you ready?” he whispered sultrily into my ear, and I couldn’t help but bite my bottom lip in response. His flyaway hairs brushed against the side of my neck, tickling me in the most bizarrely pleasurable way.
It was enough to make my breath catch, but the only response I could manage was a quick, stiff nod, my attention desperately focused on anything—anything—other than the muscular man wrapped around me.
In an instant, Glade kicked his heel against Mir’s side, and she surged into a brisk jog.
All the unwanted temptation and desire melted away as my body was jerked up and down with each of the dragon’s powerful trots.
Then, with a final leap, Mir flapped her wings in a giant thrust, lifting us into the air.
Each mighty beat sent us higher, the ground falling away beneath us.
My first instinct was to grip the leather bar in front of me, squeezing my eyes shut in fear as my body trembled.
Amantius’ Light flows through you… Amantius’ Light flows through you…
An arm wrapped around my midsection, pulling me in tightly against a solid wall. Glade held me firm with his left hand while his right gripped the leather bar.
“It’s alright, Jane,” he said softly, his breath brushing against my ear. “I would never let you fall. You can open your eyes now.”
Despite being hundreds of feet in the air, miles above the world below, I felt an unexpected sense of calm as I relaxed into the stability of Glade’s grip. Slowly, I opened my eyes, my gaze drawn to the clouds—so close, I could almost reach out and touch them.
A nervous chuckle escaped me, but the awe quickly replaced it as I looked down. The little village below now seemed no larger than a colony of ants, and the castle looked like a miniature dollhouse, reminiscent of the ones I used to play with as a child.
I had never been on an airplane, and this was the first time I had seen a world from such a height.
The planet stretched out beneath me, a swirling mosaic of greens and blues, a patchwork of life and colour.
Here and there, I spotted clusters of white marble buildings, their shapes blending to form new towns and bustling centres.
The air rushed past my face, whipping my braided hair free in the wind.
Glade dodged it by keeping his face toward my right side, still close to my ear.
The sun beat down warmly on my skin, and I welcomed the heat as I inhaled deeply.
My body felt at peace, serene among the clouds, as if this moment had been destined all along.
Finally relaxed, I lifted my arms straight above me, reaching for the sky like I was on a rollercoaster. Glade chuckled behind me, still holding me close, as always. This was the biggest trust exercise I could imagine, but I believed him when he said he would never let me fall.
I hooted and hollered with joy as Mir soared higher, cutting through the sky, carrying us farther into the distance.
Off to Cylvaris we went.