Lovely crimson eyes fluttered open to a warm glow of the cave in silence. The Dragoness lifted upward to her feet, body ached as if she went a few rounds with a bear. Her head pounded much like the Hammer of Thor, with one step forward she plummeted to the ground in a cloud of dust.
“I can't.” She whispered in shame as her wings wrapped around her shoulders pathetically.
What had she done?
She knew nothing about hatching dragon eggs. More importantly, she had no idea what it took to be a mother, during a moment of kindness she totally screwed the pooch on this one. With body racked in pain, she rolled onto her side, eyes gazed to the illuminated wall with a bruised ego.
“My dearest Ember, look within your heart if ever lost. ~ May the fire of our species never falter in your claws.”
She read the freshly clawed message left by a faded spirit. A single tear femininely rolled down her cheek, she did make a promise to rebuild a lost legacy. She was a lone Dragoness in a world of no magic, no longer a young man who simply let himself be carried through life in a haze of fleeting memories.
She wasn't Tom, not anymore.
She was Ember, mother to all dragons.
Digging her razor-sharp claws into the solid stone floors, she lifted up to her feet blocking out all sense of pain. With a deep breath, she proudly extended her wings out elegantly, body engulfed with horrid thunderbolts of agony. This body was still sore from the metamorphosis, but like all mothers, she'd bear this pain as a badge of honor.
And look forward to the future.
With calm collected steps Ember entered into the light of the new morning. Fiery eyes narrowed from the bright glow of the golden sun, her slender claw lifted to block out a few rays. The mountainside was vast and covered in fresh resources. She had much work to complete before the nightfall.
With a large inhale of air, she darted off towards the edge of a nearby cliff. Her eyes were able to pierce the flowing mist of the mountain peak with ease, taking in the beautiful scenery of her new kingdom with a soft curl of feminine lips.
Her energy felt endless as the crisp wind caressed her smooth scales, wings stretched out from her back the Dragoness wondered how the experience of flight felt. Heart soared inside her torso, she focused her mind on the clear blue sky above her.
Ember performed a mighty leap upwards with a joyous smile across her narrowed muzzle. Only to come crashing back down to the cliff's edge with a thud, her body rolled off as she began to plummet to the unknown.
With a piercing scream of horror, she slammed both razor-sharp claws deep into the stony foundation of her mountain. “No, no, no!” Ember narrowed both eyes in a panic, struggling to pull herself up to the ground level.
Her helpless cries echoed in a melody of tragedy around her, both feet clawing into the rock for stability. With a strained pull of her slender frame, she was finally able to lift herself back to safety. Body collapsed on the edge with frantic heaving breaths, the near-death experience sending a cold shiver down her spine.
“I think I'll hold off on flying.” Ember sighed her voice full of anxiety.
Sitting up after a few moments of collecting her courage, Ember felt her long thin tail sway on her backside cutely. With flight, not yet a thing, she needed to collect something to eat for a quick burst of energy.
Eyes darted over her little slice of nothing, taking in the beauty around her yet nothing else really. She had an abundance of fruit on the many trees around her, so with little choice, she decided on something sweet. Ember walked towards a towering apple tree, leaping upward to snatch herself a treat, she missed her mark by a mile.
“Well, I feel short as heck!” She jumped in place once more, not really reaching high enough to even swat a bright red apple loose.
“I WANT AN APPLE!!” She hissed a stream of molten fire onto the edge of the vibrant green treetop.
Her voice echoed mockingly around her as dozens of blazing fruits came showering down over her slender body. The Dragoness growled under her breath in near defeat, a scorching hot apple pelting her upside the head gently.
The inner sanctuary of her cave was nice and warm, the flames from the lake of lava danced across the massive grey walls. Ember traced her delicate claw across a pink spotted egg lovingly, her eyes happily locked upon a large blue and white egg near the center.
“Don't worry hatchlings, I promise you all will be equal in my eyes. ~ From my beautiful girls to my big strong boys, I love you all!” Ember let a loud squee escape her muzzle.
Climbing into the nest near the lava's edge, she positioned herself to sit completely upright atop the large healthy blue egg. Silence quickly crept into the cave awkwardly, she crossed her long legs femininely with a pop of her lips.
“Hmm, if I have to sit on one at a time…” Ember bit her lower lip in uncertainty, loud belching of flames from the right making her beyond hungry.
After a few moments perched atop the largest egg, she decided to shift her position to something more comfortable. Curling into a little ball on her belly, she pulled a few of the smaller eggs under her protective bosom. The sensation of protecting another living creature filled her heart with purpose, a loving warmth spread down to her claws in a dreamy haze.
“Nothing will ever harm you.” Ember closed her eyes as she hummed a melody that danced across the room full of peace.
For a moment she felt whole.
“Thomas, are you coming?” James Hook asked with a voice of concern eyes hidden behind a pair of dark red glasses.
“Maybe later.” Tom sat on the edge of a retired antique caboose that was placed at the local park as a decorative object, such a sad fate for a proud machine relegated to obscurity by an uncaring world.
“Something wrong?” James asked taking a seat beside his friend.
“Just thinking about the future.” Tom felt his voice trail off into the calm night sky.
“Anything in particular?” James chuckled in a hearty tune.
“Can't say for certain, do you ever believe that something bigger is on the horizon?” Tom lifted his gaze to the star-filled ballet dancing high above them both.
“I tend to try and live in the now, too much thinking and you might just get lost.” Tom felt his friend firmly give his shoulder a squeeze.
“What if we're already lost?” Tom whispered in a nearly audible voice.
A star shooting across the cosmos, lighting up the darkness for the briefest of seconds.
“Huh!?” Ember woke up from her slumber in a light daze.
The Dragoness stepped out of her nest on all fours giving a long stretch, her surroundings seeming out of place for a moment. Shaking off the weariness from her eyes, she stood up and walked out into the crisp night air.
The whole day had escaped her with ease and she had absolutely gotten nothing done. Groaning aloud femininely she stomped off towards the edge of the cliff, her dark red hues burned through the abyss spotting glimmers of light in the far distance.
Would she ever be able to create something out of this legacy, or had she bit off way more than she could chew?
Plopping down in defeat she blew out a lazy trail of fire from between her lips. “Tomorrow, nothing will stop me.” Her eyes narrowed in growing anxiety.
“Baaaaa!” A gruff old goat beckoned from above her, Ember lifted her head up to spot it near the peak beside a few withered bushes.
“I'm serious!” Ember blew a raspberry.
The goat snorted in reply, totally reassuring his belief in her.
Totally.