THE FLIGHT OF AISLINN AND FYREDAN

Aislinn was the shadow of her family's household, the unwanted black sheep among seven siblings whose every thought and whim seemed to matter more than her whole existence. Her elder brothers were strong and skilled with weapons, her sisters graceful, charming, and always willing to help mother out at the bakehouse, but Aislinn, with her raggedy chestnut hair and propensity for wandering off all the time, was little more than a nuisance. Her father barely acknowledged her, and her mother had simply grown tired, her patience unraveled by years of disobedience and recalcitrance.

And so, Aislinn found solace and peace in the quiet places- the eerie woods, the forest paths, the winding streams, and most of all, the cave that sat in the hills overlooking their village. It was in that same cave, about two years ago, that she had stumbled upon a secret that changed everything.

The day had been overcast, the sky all but filled up with clouds, and Aislinn ventured farther than usual, hoping she could avoid her mother's scolding for yet another chore left undone. She had clambered up the rocky slope, panting with exhaustion as the wind whipped through her thin, worn, woolen cloak. It was then that she saw the opening- a jagged, dark maw in the hillside.

Curiosity tugged at her, and she skulked inside. Her feet crunched over gravel, and the air grew warm, almost stifling. Then came the sound- a sound that was halfway between a roar and a purr. She gulped, heart pounding. And then she saw it.

The dragon was curled in the shadows, it's scales the color of molten bronze with flecks of red and gold, shimmering faintly. Its eyes, a piercing amber, locked onto hers, and Aislinn froze, rooted on the spot. She has heard tales of dragons that had ravaged their lands decades before her birth, fierce and destructive, yet this creature in front of her seemed....... different. Fierce, yes, but majestic, and not destructive. It was smaller than she had imagined, about the size of a grown man, its wings tucked against it's body. It's gaze held a wary intelligence, not malice.

Slowly, she had extended a trembling hand, and the dragon had sniffed her fingers before letting out a soft croon. Emboldened, she had let her fingertips graze the dragon's snout. The scales were warm to the touch. The dragon crooned again. She scratched the snout gingerly, the sound the dragon made, a melody to her ears. That was the beginning.

After that day, many months passed, and Aislinn visited the cave as often as she could, sneaking scraps of food from her home- a leg of lamb here, a rack of ribs there- to feed the creature she had named Fyredan, although she quickly learnt that he was more than capable of finding his own food, though how he was able to move through the trees unseen was a mystery to her, with his dazzling scales and sparkling armor. She learned his moods, his quirks- the way he purred like a great cat when she scratched beneath his chin, the playful nip he gave her boots when he wanted her attention. She spoke to him, pouring out her frustrations and dreams, and though he didn't answer, he understood. She knew he did, with all her heart.

Fyredan grew speedily, his wings stretching till they could block the entrance of the cave when unfurled, his claws lengthening until they were longer than her fingers. Aislinn's heart beat with pride at the sight of him, but she knew the day would come when he could no longer stay hidden in the cave, yet she pushed the thought away. Here, in this secret place, she was not the forgotten, overlooked daughter of a disapproving family. Here, she was something else, something much more.

One cool evening, as Aislinn climbed to the cave, she saw Fyredan pacing restlessly, his tail lashing this way and that, and his wings twitching uneasily, as if he were itching to stretch them.

“What's wrong, Fyredan?"she asked, setting down the sack of smokes meat she had brought.

The dragon let out a low growl, his gaze fixed on the mouth of the cave. Aislinn followed his eyes and saw the world beyond- rolling hills, dense forests, and the vast sky, with its blossoming russet clouds of sunset.

“You want to fly,"she whispered.

Fyredan snorted, a small plume of white smoke curling from his nostrils.

Aislinn hesitated. She had dreamed of this moment, but also dreaded it. Once Fyredan took to the skies, he would no longer be hers alone. The whole world would know of him, and danger would follow. No one had seen a dragon in a very long time, but the stories of how feared they were among humans still lingered. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

But she saw the yearning in his eyes, the need to be free, and she knew she couldn't hold him back.

“Alright,"she said, her voice low and shaky with each breath. “Let's try."

The wind howled as Aislinn led Fyredan out of the cave. His scales gleamed in the setting sun, and his wings unfurled, casting a shadow over the rocky ground. He lowered a wing, and Aislinn climbed onto it, her heart pounding as she steadied herself, gripping a ridge on his back.

“Easy, Fyredan,"she muttered.

The dragon crouched, his muscles taut and coiled like a spring, and then he leaped.

The world fell away.
Aislinn screamed a scream of equal parts terror and exhilaration, as Fyredan's wings beat against the air. The ground blurred beneath them, the trees shrinking into a patchwork of green and brown. The wind grasped at her hair, her cheeks stung with cold, and her eyes were streaming with tears, but she didn't care.

They soared higher, Fyredan's powerful wings carrying them. The sky was an endless expanse of blue, red, orange and purple, and for the first time, Aislinn felt truly free.

She laughed, a sound of pure, carefree joy, carried by the wind, and Fyredan let out a roar of triumph.

But the joy was short-lived. As they dipped below the clouds, Aislinn spotted movement among the trees- a group of men, some on horseback, some on foot, all armed with spears and bows with full quivers. Her stomach twisted.

“Down, Fyredan, down!"she cried, tugging the ridge of his neck.

The dragon banked sharply, his wings cutting the air cleanly as they descended. But the men had seen them. Shouts rang out, and arrows whistled past.

“Faster, Fyredan!"

The dragon roared, his body twisting in midair as he dodged the projectiles. Aislinn clung to him, her heart racing. She could see their cave in the distance, but the men were not so far behind. The barrage of missiles was ceaseless, and Fyredan was getting tired. Suddenly, there was a loud, wet thump, and Fyredan roared in pain. Aislinn glanced back. There was a spear lodged in his flank. A moment later, two arrows tore through his right wing in quick succession, and Fyredan screeched with fury. He veered left, his jaw opening wide. A torrent of flame poured from his mouth, forcing the men to scatter. Fyredan continued, bathing the area with a blue-green flame. It was beautiful to watch, and Aislinn stared, open-mouthed, until the radiating heat forced her to turn away. She was proud, and afraid, all at once. Proud of her dragon's power, and afraid for his life.

Luckily, the flames had chased the men away, and gathering what remained of his strength, Fyredan shot towards the cave, his wings straining. They landed hard, and Aislinn scrambled off his back, her legs trembling.

She sank to her knees, her hands shaking. Fyredan crawled over to her and nuzzled her shoulder, his warm breath washing over her.

Aislinn knew what she had to do. Fyredan was no longer safe- she was certain that the men would come in the dead of the night, moe numerous and armed with deadly weapons, so there was only one solution.

When the sun had fully set, and the twilight sky bathed the forest in soft light, Aislinn led Fyredan out to the mouth of the cave. She winced as he limped, remembering the way his hideous screams had permeated through the forest as she had pulled out the spear lodged in his body.

“It has to be this way. You're not safe here. They'll come for you....... They'll kill you. You have to go, Fyredan."

The dragon let out a roar, a sound full of pain and anguish. Aislinn leaned against him, and he crouched down and let her wrap her arms against his thick neck. He crooned softly, and she knew he understood.

He paced to the nearby wall of rock, and brushed his side against it repeatedly. He then scooped something and limped over to drop it at Aislinn's feet. She picked it up. A gleaming copper scale, almost as big as her palm. She looked up, into his eyes.

“A present........ For me."
Her eyes shimmered brightly. Her dragon raised his head up and shot a great plume of green flame into the air, illuminating the sky, a last act of defiance.

He then limped over to the ledge. He stretched his wings, and swished his tail. Aislinn's breath caught in her throat. Fyredan looked back, taking one last glimpse of her, let out a mournful wail, and leapt into the sky once more.

As he flew, Aislinn wailed, tears streaming freely from her eyes. Fyredan returned her cries with wails of his own, but he didn't come back. Instead, he flew farther and farther away, until he was no more than a speck in the sky.

Aislinn sat, her palms cradling the only part of her friend that was left with her. There was no other way, she said to herself.

Now, she could only reminisce on the happy days she had spent in his cave, and hope that he would be happy where he was going to, wherever that was. She hoped there were dragons there. Fyredan would like that. He would like that very much.

No matter what happened, she would always remember her greatest friend, Fyredan, for together, they had conquered the skies, and no one could take that away.

All images generated by AI