**Instead of the doors opening, you feel as if your mind was invaded. Images and thoughts that
aren't your own form and flash through your mind. Dragons, trees, caves, winged elves you now
know are called avariels, you even see a couple images of the two carved on the doors. Soon
things begin to fall into two sequences that make sense.**
**Flight**
She left in a fit of anger without bothering to leave a note. She wanted to hurt her mother
as much as she had been hurt. She didn't care about her brothers or sister at the moment either.
She only felt pity for the baby who would have to grow up with that family, grief over the loss of
her father, and anger towards the rest of her family.
She never thought twice. She had grabbed her belt off the table as she got a running start
and took off. Her tears of anger were now replaced with tears of sadness for her father. She had
been flying for a while without knowing where she was going. Her tears blinded her and she just
missed a head-on collision with a tree. After this third narrow avoidance she slowly glided to
the ground. She was about to find a nice spot to mourn for her father in when her mother's
words came back to her:
Unstable, she said to the council, Violent, greedy, deceitful, untrustworthy. I
always knew he would do something like that. He's a traitor!
"No!" she screamed.
No! He's not! she cried to the council. Her older siblings grabbed her and tried to
silence her but she wouldn't be quiet. He never hurt anyone or anything! He's the kindest,
friendliest, most reliable Avariel to ever fly the skies! He loved and protected everyone!
He...
She punched a tree as hard as she could, but it didn't help. The council hadn't listened.
Of course they hadn't. She's only a child, her mother had said, She's too young to
recognize what her father is.
"I'm not too young!" she yelled to no one. "I'm already forty-two!" She hit the tree again
and cut open the bruises that had already formed on her knuckles. "The council would have
listened to me," she said sadly, "if not for you!" She sank to the ground angrily crying again.
She hit the tree one last time and the hollow bones in her hand broke, but she didn't feel the
pain.
She sat crying for hours before she began to calm down. She noticed blood on the
ground and shook her head. She raised her sore hand and saw that the cuts had already healed.
A couple hours more and her bones would be as good as new too. She was tired from all her
crying, and her anger had subsided for now. She decided to try and find a good place to sleep for
the night since she wasn't going back home. She stood up, stretched her wings, and began to fly.
Suddenly a large hand reached out and grabbed her around her waist and legs. She was surprised
but recovered when she saw the rest of the creature. A dragon! She beat her wings hard and
tried to kick her way free but the dragon's grasp was too strong. He pulled her closer and looked
happily at her. Without thinking she cast a Dancing Lights spell in his eyes. He roared in
surprise as the lights blinded him. He let go of the Avariel and she fell to the ground unready to
be let loose. She looked up and saw the dragon blinking as he began to see through the fading
lights.
"Dona," she began, "Schtille duerma." She chanted the first words of a sleep spell as she
reached for her pouch on her belt. "Dona," she repeated as the dragon cautiously approached
her. "Schtille duer..." she stopped when her hand met her hip and not a pouch. She took her
eyes off the dragon and did a double take. No pouch! It was gone, and with it all her spell
components. She looked back and saw the dragon reaching for her again. She did her best to
avoid his claws as fear swept through her. What to do? She couldn't out fly him. She had no
spells without the proper materials. Wait, she did have spells! She had two, but one would take
too long to cast. She ducked out of the dragon's way again and flew towards his face. He
grabbed at her and she cast another Dancing Lights spell in his eyes. This time he was familiar
with the spell and it only stopped him for an instant. She took what she got and sped to the
denser part of forest.
The trees would be too close for him to follow. Or so she thought before she saw him flying
after her, above the trees. He saw her and roared. Suddenly fire engulfed the branches and
leaves around her. She flew from the fire and glanced up at the dragon. She saw him open his
mouth again and the trees in front of her exploded into flames. Without time to veer she flew
into the growing forest fire. The blaze blinded her and the heat singed her clothes and skin. The
fastest, and safest, way out was down so she dove. After the heat subsided she opened her eyes
just in time to see a tree branch and swerve, but not in time to miss it totally. The branch caught
her wing with a sharp piercing pain. She felt the branch rip through to the top of her wing as her
momentum carried her down and the pain overwhelmed her.
She woke up screaming in agony, frustration, and fear. She saw the dragon back off
from her as her scream surprised him. She didn't know what to do. She began crying and the
dragon again stopped his approach. She thought of using a spell but knew it would take too long
to cast with the dragon standing in front of her. She cried harder, unable to stop.
"Please don't cry," the dragon said suddenly, "I'm sorry." Startled at the apology and
kindness in his voice, she calmed a little.
"You can stop crying, I won't hurt you...anymore." There was something in his voice that
calmed her. It wasn't kindness like she originally thought, it was curiosity and regret. His voice
reminded her of a child.
"Why?" she asked timidly. "Why won't you hurt me? Dragons and Avariels are natural
enemies."
"You seem so young and frightened," he replied, "It doesn't feel right to harm you. Will
your wing regenerate?" He seemed to know more about her than a dragon child probably would,
but she couldn't help thinking he wasn't an adult. She looked at her wing and the pain
resurfaced. Would it heal? She didn't know. It didn't feel like it was healing yet.
"I don't know," she said. "Are you as young as I think you are? Are you a dragon child?"
Since they were being open she felt she could ask him.
"I'm old enough to take care of myself, but no one will treat me like I'm as old as I am,"
he said with a touch of anger.
"I have the same problem," she replied. They looked at each other and realized they had
much in common. "My name is Cila."
"Mine is K'tem."
**A Different Perspective**
I'll show them , he thought to himself, I'll prove I'm old enough to have
responsibilities. He sped past the remaining few cliffs towards the forest. Hunters are
respected. They'll have to treat me like an adult if I bring back gold or gems. Except he had
no idea where to find either. He dove after passing the last cliff and accelerated towards the
gigantic forest. It filled his view even though he was still a ways away. The forest is a good
place to start , he reasoned, many adventurers pass through it. Someone's bound to have
something. He pulled out of the dive as he approached the forest. He spread his powerful
wings to an immense length and skimmed over the tree tops.
As he flew he scanned the forest, looking for anything that might impress the others.
How can they say I'm too young? That I won't understand? And I can't possibly realize the
importance of responsibility? I'm already beginning my fourth cycle! I'm old enough! He
puffed smoke out his nostrils as the anger which drove him out here resurfaced. Flames built up
in his mouth and a growl grew in his throat. He thought of how his parents denied him freedom
and responsibility, but let his siblings have anything they wanted, just because he was the
youngest. It wasn't fair! He looked for something to burn, to release his anger on, but all he saw
was trees, bushes, and grass. Well that would have to do as he let out a roar and engulfed a tree
in flames. He beat his wings and climbed high into the sky. He stretched his arms out in front
of him and tried to tear through a cloud with his claws but felt only air. He circled around and
dove for the forest again, straight as an arrow with his long tail following. Using the anger to
fuel his desire and sharpen his power of observation, he picked up his search where he left
off.
After hours of searching the forest he was about to give up when he saw something
glisten in the sun on the forest floor. He turned and saw it again, a small sparkle or reflection of
the sun's rays. This could be what I need, he thought and flew down to the ground. He
looked around but didn't see anything. He took a few steps but couldn't move fast or far because
of all the trees. As he turned his head he saw something rising off the ground. It was small and
its wings glistened as sunlight danced through them. An Avariel! He almost jumped with
excitement. If I brought back an Avariel by myself I would be a hero! I could have whatever
I wanted! He reached out and grabbed it. I wonder why it's alone, he thought. As he drew it
to him it tried to force its way free. He smiled as he looked at her. That was easier than I
thought it would be, he said happily to himself. Suddenly he was blinded by a bunch of
extremely bright lights. He dropped the Avariel and tried to move the lights from his eyes by
hitting them, which he couldn't. The lights began to fade and he blinked as his eyes began to see
again. Magic, he realized and he looked at the Avariel on the ground. He began moving
towards her and saw she was casting another spell. He had to stop her from finishing the spell,
but how? If he burned her he couldn't take her back to the others. She suddenly stopped
chanting and he saw her eyes dart to her waist. This was his chance! He grabbed for her, and
this time he would hold her arms so she couldn't cast another spell. But she was too quick and
avioded his grasp. He thought he saw her tremble with fear and he again tried to grab her. She
ducked and then flew towards him. He reached for her but was momentarily startled by another
set of lights. This time he saw through them and saw the avariel fly away into the forest.
He knew he couldn't follow through the trees, but he could try to catch up with her above
them. He pushed off the ground amd burst through the tree tops. He flew in the direction she
had taken and searched for her. I can't loose her, I can't go back empty clawed! He
quickly found her and, unable to control his mounting anger, let loose a terrible roar with flames.
He saw the trees catch fire as the avariel flew from them. He built up fire in his mouth and
aimed just ahead of her. This time as the trees burst into flames she flew into them instead of
out. He watched the growing forest fire but didn't see the averiel emerge. He circled back
around and noticed the fire was spreading from tree to tree burning leaves and branches but not
the tree trunks or the ground. Hoping she was on the ground he flew to the spot he lost her at
and landed in the middle of the fire, which was now a large ring.
He looked around and spotted her lying on the ground. He began to approach her and
realized she wasn't moving, not even a wing was fluttering. Then he saw her wing. It was
ripped from the center to the top. He grimised as he momentarily imagined that happening to his
own wing. She still wasn't moving. He stopped his approach as he suddenly thought that she
could be dead. "Dead?" he said with horror, "And I killed her..." He had never killed before.
Now that he had, he didn't like the feeling it left inside him. He practically jumped out of his
scales as the avariel began to scream, but recovered quickly. He moved towards her but stopped
when she began to cry. He was relieved she wasn't dead. He looked at her as she sobbed
uncontrolably and thought she was younger than the oter avariels he had seen the Hunters bring
back. He knew she was terrified, she had to be if she was facing a dragon all alone.
"Please don't cry," he said in the common language of the forest creatures, "I'm sorry."
He could she was just as startled as he was at his words. Why had he said that? He looked at her
eyes filled with tears and felt something from her. Eventhough he would be scorned by his
parents for leaving if he didn't return with something, he knew he couldn't hurt her
again.
"You can stop crying, I won't hurt you," he said, trying to keep the regret from his voice.
He saw her wing again and added, "anymore."
"Why?" she asked, looking like she feared the question. "Why won't you hurt me?
Dragons and Avariels are natural enemies." She was right. He didn't know what to sayso he
told her the truth.
"You seem so young and frightened. It doesn't feel right to harm you," he answered. He
looked at her wing and asked, "will your wing regenerate?" He knew avariels had regenerative
powers but their wings seemed almost detached from their bodies because, unlike dragons, their
wings were not the same color as their skin. He noticed a look of pain on her face as she saw
what ahppened to her wing.
"I don't know," she said. "Are you as young as I think you are? Are you a dragon
child?" Her questions reminded him of how the others treated him. True, he had asked her a
personal question, and therefore he should answer hers, but he didn't like the question.
"I'm old enough to take care of myself," he told her, "but no one will treat me as old as I
am." He hoped she would leave the subject alone now that he'd answered her.
"I have the same problem," she said. He looked at her and saw that she understood. He
again felt something from her as she said, "My name in Cila." He then knew they had much in
common.
"Mine is K'tem."
**Just as quickly as they came, the images leave your mind, all except for those you now keep in
your memory. You open your eyes to find you have returned to the
hall.**
"Flight" and "A Different Perspective" both written and copywritted by Jennifer
Michelle German, 1996.