Mystia, Jenna [web based ebook reader txt] 📗

mountains. Dawn wished she had thought to bring her jacket with her. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m going to fly here. The ground is full of snakes. I think I heard one,” said Amethyst, suddenly giving a powerful flap of her wings and rising into the air, paws pointed behind her. Dawn leaned forward and rested her head on the creature’s neck. It was easier to balance this way.

“Shenovela’s cave is in sight,” Amethyst pointed out, staring straight ahead. Dawn looked forward and saw a small, dark hole in the side of one of the mountains. At least, it looked small from where they were.

“What is Shenovela?” asked Dawn.

“You’ll see.” Amethyst gave an especially strong flap of her wings and zoomed forward so that Dawn’s hair whipped out behind her.

Amethyst flew through the maze of the mountaintops and trees, dodging side to side to avoid obstacles without any trouble. Dawn held on easily and before long held her arms out to each side, watching the ground as it zoomed by beneath her. Her heart raced at the thought of meeting another new creature. I think I’ve met enough of them, she thought.

By now Amethyst’s paws were less than twenty yards from the cave. She slowed down and rested on the ledge before it. “Shenovela!” she called into the cave. Her voice echoed on the smooth, rocky walls. “It’s me—Amethyst! A trainee is here!”

As she listened, she was able to hear a faint thump…thump…thump… Shenovela was coming.

The sound grew louder and louder until it was almost deafening. She stared into the cave, squinting against the darkness, and gasped.

What she saw was a dazzlingly white dragon whose scales shimmered orange and yellow in the mid-afternoon sun as she emerged from the gloom of the cave. She was much bigger than the brown dragon but held herself with more dignity; more grace. She bowed her head. “Worshim, orae siera,” said the dragon.

Dawn had to think hard to remember what that meant. Welcome, young warrior…welcome, young warrior, she said over and over again in her head. What was that word for “thank you?” she wondered, and then remembered.

“Kvingwe,” Dawn answered, bowing her own head. She cringed, hoping that was the right word and that she hadn’t just cursed, or worse. She looked over at Amethyst, who nodded in approval.

“So,” said the dragon in a low, ancient-sounding voice, “This human…you want me to train her?” Dawn was getting tired of hearing the word “human” said in a way you might expect to hear the word “cockroach.”

“Yes,” the griffin answered. “She needs it.” She turned to Dawn. “Shenovela has fought in countless battles and has been trained by some of the best warriors in generation. If anyone can teach you to fight, is her.” She turned back to the dragon. “Will you?”

“Is there no one else who can do it?”

“You are best. Everyone knows.”

After a moment of thought, Shenovela answered, “I will teach her what I know. Please, come in and out of the hot sun.”

As Dawn entered the cave she looked upward and realized that her two-story house might have been able to fit in here. It was too dark to see all the way up.

Shenovela puffed a flame out of her mouth, lighting a bit of charred rock on fire. “I’m sorry that there is no light,” she said as she walked around, lighting random pieces of rock on fire. “I was just about to go out for a hunt on the mainland. I’m running a bit short on food.”

Imprint

Publication Date: 02-04-2011

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
Hm...well, I guess I dedicate this to my grandma, who has helped me tons along the way.