//------------------------------//
// EPS 6 
// Story: The Dragon Riders 
// by Dragontamer99 
//------------------------------//

I got all of my things together and looked into my backpack to see what Metin had given me. Food an extra pair of clothes and an orb, there was a not on it that read "if you find your dragon and want to fly home then throw this at your horses' feet. It will take him home.

I was a little curious so I threw it at my horses' feet and it cracked open and mist flowed out engulfing all of my horse. When the mist cleared my horse was gone. I shrugged and turned to my dragon. She was ready to go. 

We had eaten our fill beforehand so I swung my leg over with more difficulty than last time. "Have you grown, I almost couldn't swing my leg to sit!" Aradace did a dragon chuckle and said "I grow a lot faster than people.

By the time I am a young adult, I will be bigger than....Well, I have only seen trees so I guess I have nothing to compare but... I will be as tall as those branches. Aradace pointed to a branch that was at least 20 ft above our heads. My jaw dropped that's huge! I patted her neck and she leaped into the air.

We had figured out how to give signals while flying because it was hard to talk in mid-air. Aradace had said that dragons an dragon riders slowly develop a way of talking telepathically but we are too young. I pressed my left leg against her side and she turned left. I set her on a course and we flew. I looked at all the trees and occasional creeks and rivers.

I loved looking at the forest from my top tower but this was amazing. We flew low for some of the time but eventually, we got bored so we took loops high up in the clouds. Sometimes I would jump and after a minute of free falling Aradace would catch me. 

Sometimes when she caught a lot of air and she didn't have to flap just carry on smoothly I would walk along her back. Aradace said that once we were past 25 years old she would have strong wings and I would be able to sit on them if she was not flapping.

We talked all day about what we did at home or in our free time. Then the question came up Aradace asked "so is there any... Boys you fancy?" I shook my head and said, "no, I don't fancy any boys, they are either all princes who are snobby and don't care for a woman or they are not taught well enough, some don't even know how to fight!"

I laid my back against Aradace's neck and thought back to all the princes that have come for my hand. Some even come for my kingdoms money and secrets. I huffed, there is no Prince Charming for this princess. 

After a moment Aradace Said "you'll find your someone someday. Who knows when I'll find mine, there are no forest dragons left and there are no ocean dragons or ice dragons that I know of... I'm the only fire dragon.

Maybe a mountain dragon? I don't know." I turned around and kissed her neck. I said, "we'll find other dragons I promise." I turned back again and looked at the clouds just above us. I promise we'll find another dragon it's close I can feel it.





After 5 hours of flying, we had to land because we needed water and Aradace's wings needed to rest. I had fallen asleep and when I woke we were on the ground. I got up and stretched and walked over to the creek Aradace had found.

I refreshed myself an when I looked into the water a blurry face came up next to me. I scrambled back and looked around frantically but no one was there. I looked into the water again and there was a symbol. 

It was a kingdoms symbol but what was weird about it was that my symbol was next to it and then suddenly they grew close and melted into one. I gasped and scrambled back again. Aradace came over and asked, "what's wrong I heard you gasp." I shook my head and said, "we really new to get home."I climbed back on Aradace and we flew off.

After a while some things started looking familiar, I got excited we just passed over the sorceress's shack we were almost there. I told Aradace to fly as low as she could because there was just field until you got to the castle. After a while of flying low, I saw the gates. When we were about 50 feet away I told Aradace to land.



I jumped off and lead her to the gates as I came closer more guards came to the gate at the ready. I put my arm up and said, "guards it's me, Lily, I've returned home!" They dropped their weapons and dropped to their knees, they repeated their apologies as I and Aradace passed. We walked to the castle doors an I stopped one of the guards an said, "go to my father and tell him I'm waiting at the doors." The guard rose, saluted and ran off. 

I faced Aradace an grabbed her head and said "my family will love you, they were the ones that kept your race going for a long time. They couldn't stop the extinction but I know they will love to see you. I will not let anything happen to you."  


When I finished speaking the doors were flung open and I was immediately engulfed in a hug. I laughed and Aradace chuckled whoever was hugging me backed off and I turned around. My dad was standing with his hand over his mouth and his eyes were as large as our famous plates.

He said, "you...you disappeared for a week to find a-a dragon!" He was in awe an shock. I laughed and hugged him. "Isn't she beautiful?" My Spike had no words so he nodded his head. I took a step towards Aradace and she lowered her head to level with mine, I scratched her head and she purred. 

I smiled an took my dads hand and put it against Aradace's nose. She huffed hot air and Spike smiled.  I looked around and asked "where is mother? Isn't she thrilled I'm home?" Spike stepped away. He frowned and said "I wish... You had come back home sooner... Your mother, uh she died two days ago..." His voice cracked. Everything stopped, my whole world stopped. Froze, stopped, ceased to move. I couldn't even tell if I was still standing.

I felt a claw catch me and lift me from the ground. I was out against my dragons back and she walked to where my dad must have told her to go. I couldn't breathe. I think I was crying and screaming but to me my world was deaf and blind. I moved my hand to reach up and touch Aradace. But I don't think I could move. So I let the blackness engulf me and comfort me and carry me along its thick Silk Road of nothing.





I opened my eye and looked around. I was in a dim room and I couldn't see my dragon. I panicked and called out her name. After a minute a woman entered the room and said "Lily calm down. Your safe." I screamed Aradace again. 

The woman dived and called for something. After a minute my dragon swelled into the room. She glided over an laid her head on my stomach. I held her head and she spoke. "Lily, are you okay? You've been asleep for days." Days? 


(Why I the dragon is, not this big it just looks cool to me)




I've been asleep for days? I looked up at Aradace and smiled and said "you've... Grown." She said "yes I believe I have haven't I?" I sat up and Aradace lifted her head. I stood up and after a few wobbles I walked to my dragon an said "take me home please." She nodded and looked towards the woman who I now recognize as Metin. 

I said "how did... How did my mother die?" Metin signed and said come here. I walked towards her and she projected something on the wall of the room. It was a image, a moving image of how my mother died. She was walking out of the room but when she got to the door, she fell and clutched her chest. She tried to move but fell the Rest of the way to the floor and twitched and after a minute she stopped and her chest moved no more. 

I had tears rolling down my face again and I ran to Aradace. She hugged her neck around my body and whispered comforting words in my ear. After a second I calmed myself down and got on Aradace's back and said "let's go. I nodded my farewell towards Metin and Aradace flew through the wall. We flew through the meadows and then towards the gate. Instead of walking through the gate we flew over it. I smiled it was great to fly. 

We landed at the doors and I turned to Aradace and said "how will you move around the castle when your so big?" Aradace nudged me and said "Metin the sorceress gave me a Vile and said when your in the castle drink this and you will shrink to a little bigger than a large dog. I nodded and took the vile and told Aradace to open her mouth. She did and I poured the stuff into her mouth. She began to shrink, first her body than her wings and then her head and tail together. 

Once she was to my chest she stopped shrinking and I gasped at how crazy it was that the sorceress was so powerful. I looked at Aradace and asked if she was alright she said "yeah I'm alright it felt weird and its awful how I had to look up at you now. I laughed and opened the door. Aradace stepped into the castle and we walked down the hallways towards my fathers room. I got in there and he was sitting at his desk. I cleared my throat and he turned around. 

When he saw me he smiled and stood up. He walked over to me and hugged me. Except this hug was different it wasn't a 'I haven't seen you in forever' hug it was a 'I love you so much and I know we'll get through this' hug. I felt a few tears hit my shoulder and I leaned away from the hug and looked at my fathers face. 

He was crying, after a moment he reached up and wiped away a tear that had so treacherously slid down my face. The information finally hit me. Mom wouldn't ever see my dragon thrive. She was dead.

TBC