Remi’s Dragon leaned down to better see Cristie, his front legs folded beneath him like a huge cat, with his ass and tail still lifted into the air. He chuffed at her and she mimicked his position, playing with him as though he was another Panther. Then his wings spread away from his back, he flapped them once and lifted from the ground, twice and he was higher still, then with the third flap he was already cruising along the tops of trees, leaving her behind as she ran as fast as she could beneath him, as they roared back and forth to one another.
Back on the rise Lucas, Roman, Laz, and Richie stood in the rain, watching the outline of the huge Dragon circling over the trees in the distance as he waited for the Panther running beneath him to catch up.
“That is fucking amazing,” Lazarus said.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. Anahla’s Dragon thinks it’s that big, but it’s not. It’s only horse sized. A big horse, but still, nothing like this,” Lucas said.
“The power in that male is almost inexplicable,” Richie said.
“He’s so graceful in the air,” Roman said.
Running footsteps could be heard behind them, and all four turned ready to intercept some unwanted human intruder. But instead they found Riley running toward them. “I came to see his Dragon!” Riley said, grinning through the rain at the first members of his Pride. He came to a stop at the top of the rise and watched as he could just barely make out the outline of the huge black Dragon flying just over the trees in the distance.
“It’s fucking unbelievable,” Lazarus said, looking out over the trees and into the storm.
“You guys not running with him?” Riley asked.
Roman shook his head. “Cristie’s out there with him. We thought we’d give them some privacy.”
Riley looked over at his friends. “I think I’ll stay here, too,” he said, shaking his head back and forth insistently now that he knew Cristie was running with Remi. But none of them walked away, transfixed by the sight of Remi as he flew higher when the rain was harder, roared with the thunder to disguise the sound of his Dragon’s voice, and dipped lower from time to time to wait for Cristie.
It took about fifteen minutes before Remi flew even lower and landed somewhere in the distance.
Once he landed, he lay on the ground as flat as he could make himself.
When Cristie ran up from the copse of trees she’d been climbing in, it gave him an idea. Instead of expecting her to climb up his body while they were both wet, during a torrential downpour, he sidled up to a tree and lay still beside it, turning his massive head toward her expectantly.
It only took her a second to realize what he was doing. She quickly approached the tree and scrambled up its trunk and into its limbs before she chose a spot and made a jump for hisback. Once she was balanced on his back she shifted back to her human self and sat astride his neck.
“You’re sure about this?” she asked.
He tilted his head back just slightly, and the folds on the back of his neck rolled against her legs, pressing against her.
“Oh, that works!” she said. “Just don’t look down!”
He extended his wings, flapped them only once and lifted them off the ground.
Cristie squealed in excitement.
He flapped his wings again, careful to keep his neck in the same position, and flapped again, until they were soaring just over the tops of the trees.
She kept her hands on his skin, doing the best she could to try to steady herself, but she soon figured out it wasn’t necessary. He was keeping his body as steady as he could, and as long as his neck stayed in the position it was, she was tucked safely against him. Cristie squealed again with delight, then threw her head back and laughed as she lifted her hands above her head while the wind blew past, lifting her hair and making it trail behind her despite the fact that it was dripping wet and getting more wet with each second.
“Is Cristie flying with him?!” Richie asked.
“I think so! Her voice is coming from as high up as he is!” Roman exclaimed.
Standing on the rise, the five friends laughed when they heard the sound of her laughter and realized what was happening. Riley was thankful for the rain soaking him to the skin, so no one could see the tears of gratitude that had started to pool in his eyes. His heart was full listening to his daughter find happiness with her mate.
“I don’t think she’ll be mad at you anymore,” Lucas said.
“No, I think it’s all going to work out now,” Riley said.
“You think he’d take me for a spin,” Lucas asked.
“I’m pretty sure he’s only interested in taking Cristie flying,” Lazarus said.
“Let’s go inside and give them some alone time,” Riley said.
