𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍²~𝐀𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐄𝐍

-Fɪʀsᴛ Fʟɪɢʜᴛ-

Midnight didn't seem to notice the girl's struggle nor care as he moved about in the spacious cave, his footsteps thunderous in the stone space. Turning around, the dragon was quick on his feet to run down the pathway of the caves with master expertise. Balora felt a symphony of emotions as she clutched onto the beast, emotions of wonder and elation to ones of practical worry flooding her.

Her mind was a frenzied and chaotic mess as she held on tight to her mount, watching as the cave grew lighter and lighter the closer they grew to an opening of the dragon pit. Rushing by at an amazing pace and scaring the dragon pit handlers that passed by when they arrived at the heart of Dragon Pits, each ducking and running to avoid the beast's fierce pathway.

"BALORA!"A familiar voice shouted from below.

Sparing a glance behind her, Balora was only able to make out the expression of utter fear and panic across her mother's face as she ran after them with Aeron by her side before Midnight took flight.

"BAL- '' but her mother's voice died out like a candle's flame to the strong winds, as her whole world tilted on its axis for the young Greywood rider.

With a mighty push from strong legs like pillars of a castle, Midnight jumped from the landing ledges of the dragon pit. Wings of glittering obsidian spread out wide under the golden sun, catching the freezing winds under its folds and lifting both rider and mount higher into the skies with a thunderous flap.

Balora shrieked in both delight and terror as they flew together into the skies; clutching on for dear life when she felt the power of the winds pushed back with bruising force into the hard of the saddle. Her knuckles turned stark white as they gripped the reins of the saddle with a strength she didn't know she possessed within her, legs tightening on the back of the leather saddle to give her stability.

The mighty dragon beneath her moved and soared with grace. Wings the same rich shade of Obsidian, flapped in the air with thunderous power fueling them. Each movement of the dragon's leathery wings was like mighty claps of thunder around her.

Balora felt a mixture of a gasp and choked laugh emerged from her lips as the realization settled in her very core, she was riding a dragon. That she had done the very unimaginable and had claimed a glorious creature all for her own.

'I'm doing it! I'm riding a dragon!' Childish excitement bleeds into her inner mind's thoughts.

Eyes of enchanting violet took in the vast north and the beauty it reflected, wide blue skies and winter snow all in her eye's sight. Made even more enthralling by the intoxicating haze of delirious happiness that overtook all of her senses. Cold and delicious freezing winds whipped across her tender cheeks, turning them a lovely and lively shade of blossom pink. Though the freezing winds hardly mattered to Balora, who relished in the burning warmth Midnight offered her as they soared high amongst the clouds of the morning skies.

The laughter of glee couldn't be contained as rider and mount flew high in the glittering sapphire skies, as tiny hands reached above to trace the clouds that hung low and brushed against the delicate of her fingers. Smiles of utter joy breached the delicate balance of her face and a prideful warmth coated her heart's inner walls.

In perfect union, together Balora and Midnight flew against the backdrop of the vast and wild north that she felt proud to call her home. Expansive wings gliding them closer to the shores of the Winter Isle that lapped at the black sands of the iovers coastline, where glaciers and snowy shards of ice floated above the dark tanzanite waves.