A Surfeit of Shorts

First Flight

A/N 1 - Written for the 'firsts' contest hosted by  FANTASCI

A/N 2 -Told from the dragon's POV

I shifted against the heated sands of the cave, digging my claws through the grains and allowing each and every particle to trickle, to tickle against my scaled feet. I sighed and a deep purr rumbled in my chest at even that small pleasure; dragons could garner pleasure from anything and I was no exception to the rule. Around me, dragons of all shapes, sizes and colours dozed and snored and even farted in one case, burnished scales seeming to take on extra hues in the flickering of the lanterns that forever illumined our cave.

I was glad to note that I was not the only one unable to sleep, or to rest; unlike some, I had, as yet, to take my first proper flight. Finally, I had been deemed old enough, strong enough, potentially agile enough to take to the skies, to use my wings for what they were intended, although my rider, Arveldir, would be with me at all times, mind connected constantly to mine in an unshakable telepathic link, even if he wouldn't be with me physically whilst I was in the sky. Whilst I was old enough to make first flight, I wasn't large enough yet to carry him a-dragon-back. That wouldn't come for some months yet, I'd been told by Arveldir himself. I'd felt his disappointment through our link, as palpable as my own excitement, yet his emotions were not quite as comfortable or as positive. Still, I'd tried to reassure the kindly Wood Elf by nosing up against his tender belly, staring at him from closer to the level of his shorter vantage point and sent a warm blast of affection through our link. He'd laughed at that, and reached up to run gentle hands against my eye-ridges, knowing full well how sensitive they were, and how that gesture always tickled. I'd reared away, with a sneeze of a dragon laugh, which had made Arveldir laugh again in turn. I'd felt the soft caress of his hand against my chest then, fingers splayed over the place where one of my hearts beat, before he'd sighed and turned away.

I was brought out of my reverie by Arveldir himself arriving, pointed face grinning and excited, as around him, more Wood Elves arrived, to make their own way to the dragons who would be joining me in the skies on their first flight. Excitement rose in the air around me, and I heard a few of the dragons I shared the cave with bellowing and bugling in their excitement. I huffed, sneezed, blatted gently and allowed Arveldir to run his hands over me, to check for potential damage. It wasn't unheard of for a dragon to injure his- or herself in the night whilst excited, impatient, eager to take flight, to do all that came natural to a winged being. I knew that no such thing had happened to me, although judging by an anguished cry from a Wood Elf and an apologetic blat from another dragon nearby, that a drake had done just that; I angled my head to nose gently at Arveldir, huffing in excitement again and Arveldir laughed, before he patted me affectionately on the nose.

"Okay, Maylanth; you're ready to fly today, I see," he said proudly. "Not a mark or a scratch on you. Good boy. Good drake. Do you want to go now?"

I bellowed at him, hot breath snorting through my nostrils at the very thought of being unprepared for it, after what had seemed an interminable wait. Arveldir laughed, and placed both hands against my scaled cheeks when I angled my head down to his level again. I gave him a dragon-grin, and nuzzled his belly again affectionately, closing my eyes and purring when I felt the Elf press a kiss between my nostrils.

"Good Maylanth," he murmured against me. "We can go now, dear one."

I straightened, and followed my rider through the phalanx of scaled bodies around me, and more than one dragon rumbled out a pleasant greeting to me. I returned the greetings, the dragon-smiles, even a few excited muzzle-rubs, with those that would be flying also today. Eventually, I attained the warmth of the early summer's day, and stood for a moment, basking in the heat of the early sun, despite the trees that circled the clearing in front of our dragon-cave. I tilted my head up to the skies, inhaled, closed my eyes and eventually plodded after Arveldir when he called me, impatiently amused, from several feet away. We stood in the middle of the clearing, as the rest of the dragons taking their first flight that day stayed near to the mouth of the cave with their future riders. It seemed as though I would be the first to take to the air today, as I knew that Arveldir was of a high rank amongst his kind. He'd once told me that his family was akin to royalty amongst the Wood Elves, that his name meant literally - Royal Friend. That gave him the advantage of taking first place in anything and everything, and because I was his dragon, that meant I was given first preference too.

"Maylanth," Arveldir said, as he patted my chest gently.

I angled my head down again to stare at him, and gave him a questioning little blat.

"D'you remember what I told you? Don't fly too close to the tops of the trees or you'll get tangled," he said. "Keep your wings stretched out fully, and don't beat them too fast or too slowly. Don't crash into anything either. Birds and stuff."

I grumbled out an impatient huff at that; all that Arveldir had told me seemed painfully obvious to me, despite the fact that I had as yet to try any of it. Arveldir laughed at my impatient displeasure, and caressed my muzzle again.

"Okay," he said. "Pep talk over, dear one, but if you get tired, or you crash, or anything, I'll still be proud of you. Accidents happen. Now go. Show the others what a real dragon looks like."

I grumbled again, and lifted my head up and away from my future rider, before I looked up at the expanse of cloudless blue above me. I stretched my wings out wide, feel the heat of the sun washing over the stretched leather of them, before I began to run, to beat my wings and I jumped, took to the skies in one mighty leap, wings beating and carrying me up high, high, high into the air. I bugled out a scream of triumph as I remained in the air, great body trailing across summer skies as I ducked and swooped and soared over the trees. Below, I could see the cave that I called home, could see Arveldir leaping and waving in the middle of the clearing, could feel his amazement, his love, his utter excitement as I banked and wheeled and flashed proudly through the skies. I could hear the sounds of the other dragons, bugling and blatting their encouragement down below and I twisted and turned over the clearing again, veering up into the sky before my wings or my tail could become snagged in the highest branches and dash me to the ground. I rolled through the skies once more, and I could see, all around me, Dragon Island stretching out in all directions. I could see the town, where the humans, the vampires, the werewolves and other such creatures lived; I could see the expanse of water that bordered the Island on all sides, and could see what Arveldir had called Wales and the Port of Swansea. I had never known such exhilaration, such freedom, such utter incomparable joy before, yet I knew that I would feel it again, every time that I took to the skies and that thought buoyed me, made me look forward to when I could do it again.

I felt Arveldir's laughing nudge in my head, which meant I was to return to the ground once more; I almost pretended that I hadn't 'heard' him, yet I was not a recalcitrant dragon, unlike some I shared space with. I sighed, a heavy sound that rumbled through my chest and on down to the ground, before I angled my wings and my body back to the clearing, and although I stumbled when I made my landing, I did not fall nor did I knock Arveldir over. He was laughing, and he was proud, and he was filled with love for me.

"You were fantastic, Maylanth," he said, as he rubbed his hands against my scaled cheeks in affection. "Really beautiful. I can't wait to join you in the skies."

I bent down to nuzzle his belly, purring affectionately, as I told him that he would join me soon enough, and that it would be fun for us both. I knew, that as first flights went, mine had been a success, and definitely a lot of fun. I knew that I could not wait until I could do it again.