The Raven Flame [The Crown Saga III] (First Draft)

Challenging the Wind

"Willow!"

I ripped my eyes away from Nariyath's golden eyes to see Pangea maneuvering through the pebbles still hanging in the air.

Warm hands slid onto my cheeks, Pangea's wide smile distorting the scars on her face. "Marvelous child," she muttered, the ocean eyes—a mirror of Caiden's—wide and filled with so much happiness it made my heart skitter. "The star has blessed you with strong powers, Willow, and you are now officially one of the Golden Warriors. She is expecting for you, but first, you must fly."

My heart dropped to my stomach. "F-fly?"

Pangea nodded with a smile and raised her head to proudly look at the dragon by my side. "Let go of your powers, Child. Your dragon is waiting for you."

The pebbles hanging in the air dropped to the ground around us as I let my hold on them go. Did she mean on Nariyath?

Pangea's hands moved from my face to grab my shoulders before she turned me toward Nariyath.

"H-hold on, Pangea," I said as she started pushing me toward the storm dragon. "You want me to ride her?"

"Of course," Nariyath said, raising her head. "The bond between a dragon and an Iridis is only properly sealed once they have conquered the skies as one."

My tongue shriveled as my mouth desiccated. I had barely survived surfing the wind on a simplified Caeli Board. How was I supposed to survive riding a beast as grand and imposing as a dragon?

"You will be fine," Pangea said. "There is no experience greater than riding your dragon for the first time. Trust me."

I clenched my jaw and gripped the hem of my tunic as we stopped before Nariyath's leg. She was so big. Her back reached at least twice my height if not more.

"How do I get up there?" I asked, swallowing tensely.

"Normally, I would tell you to use your powers—wind or star-blessed—but based on your training, I do not yet feel comfortable asking you to perform such precise maneuvers. For now, I will help you." She knitted her fingers and bent her knees as if she wanted me to place my foot in her human net. "We will forge a saddle once you return for an easier flight in the future."

Nariyath growled. "No human shall tie a saddle to me like some domesticated mount. You will learn to fly without or not fly at all."

I sighed. "I don't think Nariyath is too fond of that idea." Stubborn creature.

"Nariyath." Pangea looked up with a soft smile, meeting Nariyath's narrowed eyes. "What a beautiful name."

A surge of worry rippled through me. "Was I not supposed to have said that?"

Nariyath huffed an irked breath, but I think I sensed a hint of pride grazing the bond, tying me to Nariyath. "It matters not. She is Torrach's rider. She would know eventually. Now, climb, Willow Aldwyn. Patience is hardly a virtue I value."

I shook the jitters from my skin, grabbed Pangea's shoulder with one hand, and braced the other against Nariyath's pointed elbow. She felt so warm under my palm.

"Okay," I whispered, taking a deep breath. "Let's do this."

Pangea nodded and gave me the boost I needed to place my other foot in the grove of Nariyath's horned elbow. "Grab onto her shoulder," Pangea instructed me. I did and pulled myself further up to grab one of the smaller spikes cascading down her long neck.

I'd made it to her back.

"Good," Pangea shouted from the ground. "Now place yourself at the base of Nariyath's neck and place your feet against the shoulder muscles of the wings. You can grab one of her spikes for balance while you fly."