“I hear no screams back there,” Myka said as her head turned to look at Marak. “Ah, so you are still with me. I was not sure.”
“Your flying skills are phenomenal,” complimented the Torak. “Have you ever misjudged and ended up in the sea?”
“Of course not,” replied the dragon. “Why did you not scream? Were you not afraid?”
“Fear is in each of us all the time,” answered the Torak, “but that does not mean that we must always acknowledge it.”
“You are a strange human,” grumbled Myka as she soared into the sky again. “How am I to have any fun if you do not show your fear?”
“Fun?” echoed the Torak. “I cannot imagine you not having fun just flying around. What an exhilarating feeling to be so high in the sky. I bet you take it for granted, don’t you?”
“Flying?” frowned the dragon. “Of course I do. I am a dragon. What good would it be to be a dragon and not fly?”
“What does it feel like?” asked the Torak.
The dragon was silent for a moment and Marak looked around again. Fakara was barely visible in the distance, and another land mass appeared far to the right.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Myka finally answered. “How would you describe the sensation of walking? Flying in itself is nothing, but maneuvering is everything. When you soar and dive, it is a feeling of being alive. An energy races through your body, and when your path calls for precision, that becomes exciting.”
“Is that the Island of Darkness to our right?” shouted Emperor Marak.
“It is an island,” answered Myka, “a very large island. I have heard it called Motanga, but I do not know the name Island of Darkness. Look far ahead of us. You will see little bumps on the horizon. Those are the Barrier Islands. They separate Elvangar from the human lands.”
Marak shook his head. He had felt lightheaded during the dive, and the feeling had suddenly returned. He also noticed that he was breathing heavily, almost as if there was not enough air to breath. As he started thinking about how he was feeling, he realized that his body was chilled. He removed his hands from the knife and rubbed them to warm them.
“So you have finally decided to trust my flying skills?” quipped the dragon.
Marak suddenly realized that the dragon must have felt him burying his knife in the scale. He felt embarrassed.
“I apologize,” replied the Torak. “I did not mean to cause you pain. I thought you could not feel it.”
“It is not painful,” shrugged Myka, “but I can feel it. How did you know that I would dive?”
“Rejji warned me,” admitted Marak. “It really was scary. I just try not to show my fear. Showing fear gives an advantage to your opponent.”
“And you consider me an opponent?” asked Myka.
“No,” answered Marak. “I consider you a magnificent flying creature. I know that you do not like people riding on your back, but I love it up here. To me, flying is new and exciting. It also allows me to see the world in a way that I could never imagine. I really feel bad that the thrill of flying is gone for you. If I had your capabilities, I would fly every day.”
The dragon was silent for a long time. The Barrier Islands passed beneath them, and another landmass appeared before them. Unlike the desolation of Fakara, the new landmass was a vibrant green.
“Going down,” announced Myka. “Grab your knife.”
Marak quickly grabbed the knife as Myka headed downward. The rate of descent was not as harsh as before, but Marak eye’s still watered freely. When the dragon leveled off again, the Torak could see the Gates of Elvangar before them. Huge massive cliffs ran across the face of the island, and a tiny narrow gap ran straight down to the water. Tiny figures appeared atop the tall cliffs, and sparkling white buildings were visible beyond.
“Thank you for the warning,” Marak said to the dragon.
“You have shown your resourcefulness,” quipped Myka, “I do not need another hole in my scales.”
“I am sorry for the hole,” apologized Marak. “Can I make it up to you somehow?”
“You will,” grinned the dragon. “Just make sure that you always use the same hole. I don’t want every one of my scales perforated.”
“I will never use the knife again,” promised the Torak. “I now know that you would feel me falling and save me. I will have no need of the knife on the way back.”
“You will use the knife again, Torak,” replied Myka. “Just make sure that it is the same scale.”
Marak frowned as he tried to decipher the dragon’s words. He wondered if she planned a wild ride for the trip back, but he did not pursue it.
“Elvangar,” announced Myka as she soared over the Gates of Elvangar. “Where do I land?”
“I was told to land near the Royal Tree,” replied Marak as he saw men on top of the Gates of Elvangar holding their swords high and pointing at the dragon. “They said that we would recognize it.”
“And so we do,” replied Myka as she banked slightly and changed course. “That huge tree in the center of the city must be the Royal Tree.”
“Are you going to swoop down and scare the elves?” asked Marak.
“The elves do not fear dragons,” replied Myka. “In fact, they revere us. You could learn a great deal from the elves, Torak. Spend your time with them wisely, and listen carefully. They are wiser than even they know.”
Marak let the dragon’s words roll around in his head, but the sights of the elven city soon distracted him. Morada was neatly laid out with green parks scattered throughout the city. He saw wooden buildings in some of the tall trees, and others on the ground made out of stone. The elven people all stopped what they were doing and pointed at the dragon. Those with swords raised their blades high, while those without weapons raised an empty hand. Marak turned and saw the elves running after the dragon.
“What a difference between this city and Angragar,” commented Marak. “The elves are chasing you.”
“They will converge at the Royal Tree when I land,” declared the dragon with a grin. “The elves love me. I hope they have something to eat.”
Marak laughed and shook his head as Myka dropped lower. The Torak gripped his knife as the land sped up to meet them, but Myka’s landing was smooth and gentle. She landed on the grass underneath the Royal Tree.
King Avalar and the two princesses were there to greet the dragon. A beautiful elven woman wearing a simple golden crown was with them. Marak assumed that she was the queen. As Marak pulled his knife free and slid down the back of the dragon, he saw the Royal Family bowing slightly to the dragon.
“Welcome Winged Warrior,” greeted King Avalar. “It has been a long time since one of you has visited us. How are you called?”
“I am Myka,” answered the dragon. “I come bearing the Torak.”
“We thank you for bringing the Torak to Elvangar, Myka,” nodded King Avalar. “We shall have a feast in honor of this historic visit.”
“I am honored by your gesture, King of the Elves,” replied the dragon.
Marak noticed that the area where the dragon had landed was ringed by thousands of elves. They stared at the dragon with emotionless eyes, but many a smile dotted their faces. There was no fear among them. Marak walked around the dragon and bowed to King Avalar.
“Welcome to Elvangar, Torak,” smiled King Avalar. “Allow me to introduce my wife, Queen Alycia.”
Marak and Alycia bowed to each other. Her broad smile was genuine and Marak yearned to hear what happened after Avalar’s return from the Island of Darkness.