CHAPTER FIVE

"Going back to the matter at hand, how are we getting to Alastia? At this point the prince will lose his head!" Isla yells, changing the conversation back to our situation.

"I have a way to get you all there…" Barinor says, taking a glance at his frightful creature.

"You want the Princess to ride that, that thing?" Isla spat struggling to find a word for the dragon.

In all honesty, I was quite curious about the creature, it's claws and eyes a tone of yellow, as it's scales from to bottom turned a dark green to a light blue of it's scales.

The uncertainty of the creature also made me nervous.

What if it swoops down like it did when she scared off the horses to someone else and they aren't as lucky as we were?

"I don't see why not, her mother used to do it all the time. In fact Glyder isn't my dragon, it was Falynn's." We watched Glydor anxiously walk around in circles, making me wonder if the creature could actually understand our language.

The sound of my mother's name made me turn my head, this was my mother's dragon? 

How did I not hear of such a thing?

I have to investigate this. "You said it's my mother's dragon, so if that's the case why do you have her?" 

Standing up from my seat as Aris helped me step down from the carriage, keeping an eye on Barinor as he wrung his hands together as he looked like he was thinking of a way to word things.

"Your mother was afraid that if he found out that the dragon's existed that he would communize them as weapons," he spoke solemnly.

He wasn't wrong about my father, in fact it seems he knows my father as much as I or Mave does.

"You interest me, Sir. Barinor." I continued to walk toward Glydor, my hands clasped together behind my back.

 I heard a bellow laugh coming from behind me.

"Is that so Milady?" His voice had a sense of humor behind it.

I could hear the carriage's weight shift, becoming lighter of his weight. 

He wasn't a heavy man, just large of his toned muscles.

I raised my hand toward Glydor, she slowly placed her snout against my hand as if to say she trusts me, making my smile in response.

Her scales felt rough yet glazy, almost delicate, I turned back to face him before speaking. "You do, and I'll take you up on your offer," 

Isla and Aris followed us, but stopped at a safe distance, wary as if Glydor could bite them if they got too close.

I turned back to her, her yellow eyes curiously sniffing at my hands and we made eye contact.

"If you so much as happen to do what you have done to my carriage to someone else's while I'm on your back. I will not hesitate to incintergrate you." It was an empty threat.

There was no way I'd be able to hurt or destroy such a magnificent creature, especially when my mother had loved her so much to protect her.

For a creature that would terrify humans, Glydor cowards from my hand, it was a bit amusing.

I chuckled quietly as she watched me fearfully with her large eyes. 

I took my hand away and looked at the others who all stared at me in shock, more as Aris, frightened herself it seemed.

"What is everyone looking at?" I began to feel shy placing stray hair back into place.

"You are definitely Falynn's daughter." He laughed, breaking the quietness.

I stood up straighter, fixing my dress as I answered modestly. "I'm not sure what you're talking about." 

My hair was probably in complete disarray from all the jolting and moving from the carriage. 'Great first impression," I thought to myself.

As if Aris could read my mind she spoke. "We can fix it before we get to the town."

"I think the two of you are forgetting some things," Isla spoke up.

"What are we forgetting?" My brows furrowed in confusion.

"All of our luggage, we can't carry everything on Glydors back; it will fall off." Isla sounded tired of having to explain everything. 

She had a point, I can't leave my things nor my mother's portrait, I pondered what to do.

"I can take you to Alastia and then come back for your things," Barinor insisted, his voice in a grungy sigh as he clears his throat.

I thought about it for a moment then nodded. "That may be best, Barinor, do you do other things than ride dragon's?"

"I am a doctor, I practice medicine." He smirked as I looked him over, he didn't seem like someone who would practice medicine.

"Most magic users practice medicine, for good reason." He says as he helped Isla on the back of Glydor.

"I want you to stay with me at Alastia." I stated, as he also helped Aris up.

Aris and Isla were having their own conversation, something about the different rules between Alastia and Erena.

"Not sure if the Prince would be okay with that," he says slyly.

"He won't have a choice, so, what do you say Sir. Barinor?" I ask, Barinor turning to face me.

"Are you sure you want that?" He says stepping towards me to help me up next.

"I want you to teach me," I say, letting him help me up.

He placed me sideways on Glydors back in front of her wings. "I'm not much of a teacher, I'm still learning from my own mistakes." 

"Barinor, please you're the only contact to my mother I have left." I say as he mounted himself up on Glydor.

I wrapped my arms around Barinor tightly, and he patted Glydors head, letting her know to fly.

 "What about Mave, he should have shown you a bit." 

We lifted off the ground and I tightened my grip, I haven't ever been this far off the ground before and I was afraid of falling.

"Mave and I are estranged as of now," I replied sorrowfully.

He took a few minutes to answer. "Let me think about it then."

With that we ended our conversation there, you could see the mountains in their blueish grey and white snow tops.

 The lake we were flying over was so clear it reflected the mountains on the water, the sun high in the sky. 

I closed my eyes feeling the cool misty breeze on my face I inhaled deeply.

Flying felt like the most mystical thing in the world, and I didn't want it to end. 

I wanted to let go of Barinor then, I wanted to lift up my arms and let the sky take me in it's everlasting blue.

"Wow." I was in awe.

Down below the greenery was a color of emeralds, green and yellow reflecting from the sun, meanwhile Aris had her arms around my waist, her eyes shut tight, as I could see her in the corner of my eye.

"Aris, open your eyes, the scenery is beautiful from up here!" I say over the wind excitement in my voice.

"No way, I hate heights!" She tightened her grip making me laugh.

"Come on, just once?" I begged as I watched her slowly open her eyes.

Isla stayed quiet, it looks like she's just focusing on holding on. Maybe afraid that she'd fall.

Aris's eyes turned into complete astonishment as she watched everything go by.

"I've never been up this high before." Aris pointed toward the mountains just like I had noticed prior. "The sun looks like it's dancing on the water sparkling like gemstones mother look!" 

"Don't get used to this Aris, this will be a one time thing." Isla responds.

I looked behind me for a moment, her eyes shut tight not daring to open them, as if she did she might fall.

Aris nodded, not really paying attention as she took in the rest of the scenery.

Luscious emerald leaves on the trees playfully swayed every which way gently against the breeze.

I could feel the breeze against my own now closed eyes, as we soared high against the bright blue sky.

I then slowly unlatched my hands around Barinors waist, without thinking I raised my arms up to my shoulders, letting the wind envelope me into a carefree kind of bliss.

I smiled as we were turning, feeling the curve of Glydors spine turn a sharp right.

"Hold on princess, you're going to fall!" Startled, I held on tighter than before.

I swallowed as I felt a painstaking fear, it didn't feel like my own, I was breathless as I was all of a sudden scared, it shook me to my core.

I held on tighter, my head against Barinor's back, my lungs screamed for oxygen, then the fear disappeared.

In its place a feeling of grief as if my heart had been broken two.

I already knew whose emotions this one was, and it wasn't all of my own.

My eyes stung with tears of sorrow, and with one hand I attempted to wipe them away.

This was Barinor's emotion, I could feel the love he had for my mother. 

His heart yearned for her, he wasn't just her friend, he was her forbidden lover.

"I can feel you reading me, stop it." Barinors voice sounded much calmer than his sadness with holds.

"Reading? Reading what exactly?" I questioned as the emotion stopped as if I had hit a brick wall, and my own emotions went numb as wall.

Glydor shifted downward to the ground, as I looked around to see where we had ended up, the Alastia Kingdom looked a lot more beautiful than expected.

The castle was larger than the one at home, it looked like it had been built out of porcelain.

The kingdom itself wasn't anything to laugh at either, they had houses built with wood instead of mud, the roofs looked secure, barely penetrable.

"What's happening, why does it feel like we are landing?" Isla asked, which suggests that she has her eyes closed again.

"We have arrived." Is all Barinor responded with.

Glydor raised her front talons in the air as she slowly flapped her wings, her back legs gracefully touched the ground.

Isla jumped off as quickly as she could, making a great distance from Glydor.

It made me wonder why she had such a fear of Glydor, maybe even dragon's themselves.

Aris jumped off next and I unwrapped my arms from Barinor's waist, he got off of Glydors back and helped me get down, pulling me into his arms gently placing my feet upon the ground.

I felt a bit dizzy and light on my feet falling against his chest.

"Woah there take it easy, princess don't want you to pass out on your first ride." Barinor placed his hands on my shoulders to keep me upright and I gave him a dazy smile.

"Ahem…" we heard someone clearing their throat behind us trying to get our attention, making us both turn our heads.

"This must be the big ferocious beast we all had been hearing about, that scared away our horses and our driver included." It was the prince, and he held out a hand toward Barinor.

Once he knew I was steady enough he let go of my shoulders and took the prince's hand for a handshake.

Prince Senya had dark chocolate eyes and skin that reminded me of caramel.

His dark brown hair was full of natural beautiful curls that glazed a bit over his eye brows.

He's a bit taller than Barinor, but his strength I doubt would match.

The prince then stepped forward as he bowed and took my hand and brought it to his lips placing a gentle kiss on the back of my hand not once breaking eye contact.

I placed a fake smile upon my face as he slowly lowered my hand down.

"I hope your ride wasn't too, uh," He looked at Glydor and back at me and shook his head. "Nevermind." 

"Well sir I hope you have a safe trip home," Senya placed a hand on the small of my back as he tried to push me toward the castle.

I gave Barinor a sad look, as he eyed me for a moment. "Actually your majesty, the Princess has declared I'd stay," 

That's when we both stopped and he looked at me for a moment. "Is this true?"