Idris's Flight

The wind was hot, and dry on my skin as I looked down the side of the cliff and back at Toby. He was watching my reaction with a wide grin plastered on his freckled face. His eyes sparkled bright amber as the sun was beginning to set, which made the crashing ocean waves below us turn to the color of tomato soup.

"Are you ready?" He asked, and my heart rose into my throat. My head was spinning and I had no idea what to expect.

"No.." I whispered

"Yes you are, just trust in your heart. You can do this, its a part of you. Feel it in your soul, and let yourself fall into the sensation of being... well, complete, I guess"

He smiled again, and took my hand into his warm soft, one.

"Idris, please... please fly with me"

Blushing horribly, I looked up in astonishment. But he was already gone, and transitioning. His arms began to fill with golden feathers that burned in the sunset glow of the sky. His freckled face was replaced with the strong structured one of a golden falcon. Yet, his amber eyes that always brought comfort to my life, stayed the same no matter which form Toby was a part of. And in the middle of his transformation, he took to the sky. His golden feathers rippled like strings of light against the ocean, turquoise sky. He flew as if he himself were the sun, which had conquered the sky in triumph and might. However, if someone told me that he owned the sky in this very moment, I would believe them. And I wanted with all of my heart, to join him there in his realm of glory.

But, I just couldn't. Unlike Toby, I am not a creature of grace and liberty. But rather one of fire and ruin. I am part of a creature that brings destruction and devastation. Why should I take to the sky to try and become its master? When in all actuality, I could rather just kill it and dictate the realm of the heavens through a tragedy and a fiery end. I am a ticking time bomb of doom. So why should I even let myself take on the form of this beast who can not be controlled? No one can control... me.

As I stood on the edge of the cliff, I could smell the salty mist swell around me. Water and fire do not mix well, but I have always wanted to love the powerful ocean. The wind began to pick up, and I could feel the raw power press against me. Consumed by this feeling, I closed my eyes and felt my lips lift into a melancholy smile. In this moment, I wanted to just let myself go. I had an urge to just jump into the abyss of salt and wind.

Yet, I knew that I must go on. Even with this feeling of nothingness that filled my heart sometimes, I know that I am needed for something of light. Even if I am not too sure what it could be yet. Which means that I need to over come this creature of fire and destruction, and transform it into a creature of redemption and light. If this future is not meant to be, then I will at least know that I had tried.

I looked up, and saw Toby's golden feathers ripple like a golden, twilight star, in the now diminishing sunlight. He cried out to me in his beautiful call of the wild, and it filled me with the nostalgic longing for a childhood innocence we use to have together. And yet, we grew older. He grew into a respected member of our small society of Changlings. And I grew into the most feared and despised creature, even with the common knowledge of me having no choice in being born with the curse. Yet, here I stand, at the edge of the cliff over looking the vast, cold, and mighty ocean. Here I stand, living and breathing, so I must have some reason to live, right? I must have some reason to grow, and become something that I feel like I need to become.

Fire is not only a substance of destruction and heat, but also a substance of light and life.

With this new found confidence and understanding of self, I let out a sigh and held out a thumbs up towards Toby. He let out another mighty cry, and flew in waves of triumph and excitement.

And with that, I shifted all of my focus inside myself and closed my eyes. I deeply breathed in the fresh smell of salt and wild wind from far off lands and seas. I then began to feel a deep warmth from within, almost like a small flame being lit within a dark cave. I put all of my focus on this flame as it began to grow and flourish. And within this new flurry, I felt the change begin to take over my wild soul. It began to consume me and grow throughout what felt like my entire being. Like a strike of lightning, I my wings began take shape and grow, as did my legs and arms. My body molded into a hard, flexible body covered in scales of flame and light. My tail grew into existence next, giving my massive new body balance. And finally, I felt my head change shape and my face form into that of a beast. And my once green eyes burned and changed into those of golden flame. My once human body, was now linked to that of the soul creature that chose to be apart of me long before my time on this earth. I was now a massive beast, covered in scales of red and gold with wings the size of skyscrapers. My tail was as long as streams, and my head was the size of mountains. The scales on my body rippled like that of a fire that now burned and churned within my belly.

I was now an true representation of my spirit animal that chose me so long ago. I was the image of a true fire dragon of Ignis.

I stretched out my nightmarish wings, and began to build power towards flight. And when I was ready, I closed my eyes and ran towards the edge of the world. I felt my heart drop as the ground below my claws gave way to that of wind and mist. I could feel my enormous body begin to crash through the air towards the inky abyss of the waves below. But with one blow of my wings, I began soaring into that of the now velvet sky above. It was littered with scattered stars of past years and souls. Toby's body now glistened like a shadow of light against a canvas of darkness and night. He curved his flight towards me, and began to glide along side my massive head. And as we flew, I could almost feel his smile radiate off of him. Which then in turn, made me smile too.

We flew throughout the shimmery heavens for what felt like hours. However, I wished that it would never end. I wished that I could fly by the side of Toby, forever. But, I new that it must end, and that it would only ever come too soon. And it did, right where it began.

When we landed on the cliff next to the gates of the city, we both changed back into our human body's. When I was back to the form of my human self, I felt the flame inside me get put back into its box, and the fire in my eyes be extinguished. And Toby's falcon structure was replaced my his smiling freckled face, which was hidden under a dark golden mop of curls.