Do Witches Whisper in The Sky?

Short Fiction (Fantasy)

The only thing better than gliding over clouds on dragonback is an orgasm during a full moon. I always feel incredibly powerful with Yedelah underneath me. The warmth from her scales keeps me from freezing as we continue to climb higher into the skies. From here the world belongs to us. I rest my face against her neck and she growls in acknowledgement. Love is an act best shared through the skies. 

I wonder, what would happen if we just kept flying? I imagine the worry, the chaos, the intense rage from Helud my Fort Primo. He hates it when I take off with no warning and no Tails to keep an eye on me. Tails are annoying though, Yedelah get annoyed having to fly at a slow pace and I get annoyed having to be more reserved than I’d like. Sometimes a woman just wants to scream “FUCK YEAH” into the sky with no concern for protocol, tradition, blah blah blah. My brain is melting at the thought of the speech I’ll get once I return home. I contemplate not heading back once more.

I decide to ignore what I know is the best course of action and let Yedelah land. The view here is nice. This high up on this mountain it feels like we could be part of the landscape. Yedi’s dark green scale blends so effortlessly especially as the sun begins to set. I rest my head against her massive side and enjoy the hues of the sky. She lifts her head right before I hear the rustling. I follow her gaze and draw my dagger out. Although I know there’s almost nothing Yedi can’t protect me from, I despise feeling vulnerable as much as I hate having Yedi out of my sight. A girl comes dashing through the trees and lets out a yelp at the site of Yedi and I. She probably regrets running in this direction.

“Help! Help!” she says having made the split-second decision that I was probably more menacing than whatever was chasing her.

She is filthy and I don’t mean that as an insult but as a matter of fact. Her locs are matted and full of dirt. Her face is covered in muck and I can smell her from a distance. I can hear a ruckus following her and don’t have to wait long before two men break through the trees where she had recently broken through.

“Get your ass back here you stupid bitch–” The rest of the words evaporate from the throat of the smallest of the two. I watch their eyes widen as they take in the sight before them.

“Your– your–your highness,” the bigger of the two bumbles like an fool. The girl looks back and forth as if clueless as to who I am, which I admit is refreshing.

The bigger of the two elbows the smaller and they both kneel with haste.

“Slavers? In my forest?”

Neither of the two lifts their head. I can’t tell if it’s out of fear or reverence or a delicious combination of both.

“Well, are one of you going to answer me?”

“She’s no good! She’s no good at all. The last village sold her off for dark magic.” the smaller chokes out.

“Ah, so the justice in my kingdom is shit?” I close the distance and lift the head of the smallest with my dagger. He avoids my gaze. Smart. In the back, Yedi shifts her weight out of boredom probably… or just getting hungry.

“It’s not shit, not shit at all we we–” I thrust my dagger under the chin of the bigger one.

“And who asked you to speak?” He clamps his jaws shut in embarrassment and fear. Yedi moves closer and rests her head behind me. The larger one pisses himself and I try not to burst into giggles.

“You, witch girl. Come over here. Is it true you’re a witch?”

She doesn’t walk like someone that’s been chained but there is a softness to her.

“I’ve been called a witch my whole life but I have no control over the things I make happen. They just… happen.”

“An accidental witch then?”

“Perhaps.”

“Tell me of these things,” I say to her as I make my way over to Yedi to grab some rope. I know Helud is gonna chew my head off for this. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t already on his way to find me so I needed to be quick. The lecture was always worse if I had to be found.

“Well, there was the one time my neighbor turned into a goat after shouting at me to get away from his plum tree. Then there was the time it rained every day I cried after my mother passed. Then there was the time three cows appeared in my yard during a famine. Then–”

“Did your neighbor turn back from being a goat?” She looked surprised at my question.

“Well yes, about two weeks later he did. He did still bleat sometimes though.”

I burst into laughter at the absurdity.

“How long have these two had you?”

“It’s only been about four days. Only four days. Then I woke up and the bindings were gone and I just ran.”

“More accidental magic then?” I tilt my head at her. In the golden light of the sunset it struck me that she was stunning even with a dirty face and reeking of whatever it was that had accumulated over days.

She stares at me wide almond eyes confused and desperate. I decide then I want to keep her.

“You two, on the floor.” They lay flat hands behind their backs. I restrain them with rope and Blessed Words. I’d have to tell Butch, my Head Herder about this. He’d be proud of my rope work. I’m certain they wouldn’t have escaped it; the Blessed Words were just insurance in case they had some tricks up their sleeves. I’d send some Tails to collect them.

“You, girl, what’s your name?”

“Osellia.”

“Osellia, I’m Kasla. Her Highness. Follow me and no accidental magic… got it?”

She nods and struggles to climb up Yedi. Yedi is not pleased and lets me know it. I rub her scaly side as an apology making sure to spend extra time on the soft spot that makes her purr.

Yedi takes into the sky and I whoop! I love the power, the rush of air, the unbridled freedom. Osellia is holding on to me like I am the only difference between life and death.

“Osellia,” I have to shout to be heard. “You do know that you’re strapped in. You need to relax before you accidentally make Yedi disappear and we start free-falling.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers and I just barely catch it as her grip around my waist loosens.

“Witches don’t whisper in the sky girl. Speak up and if you’re going to apologize say it with some boom in your voice.” I whoop again as Yedi glides down and spins as if to make a point Osellia grips me tightly again out of instinct. When Yedi finishes and spreads her massive wings and glides again Osellia relaxes. I whoop again a raw and liberated one that carries over Yedi’s wings and drops down to the land.

“Well…?” I wait for Osellia. “Didn’t you want to be free? Your magic did the work. Aren’t you gonna celebrate?” She whispers an answer that I can’t catch over the roar of the wind.

“WITCHES DON’T WHISPER IN THE SKY!!” I shout again.

“I’m terrified!” She yelps out.

“Of your own power?! Would it harm you? Has it?”

She thinks long and then I see the moment she realizes that it hasn’t. I nod at her and smile. She smiles back and then she giggles and then she cackles and whoops so loud it feels like we are a forest’s weight lighter. Then she sighs.

“Do you want to learn to control it? The power?”

“I think I would. I think I’d like that very much.”

“I’ll teach you but first let’s get you a bath.” Yedi roars in agreement and I chuckle.

We are two brown bodies pressed against green scales harboring power more lethal than anything the realm has ever seen. Helud will be mad. He’ll be furious actually but I’ll save that for the soon to be.

Yedi roars again. I whoop and whoop and laugh an infectious laugh and Osellia joins in. Laughter is a sound best heard on dragonback, in the sky, when hope is on the horizon

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This one I wrote for Sope.

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Can you guys believe this is my first dragon rider story? Dragon story?? I don’t know what I’ve been doing all this time but I really did enjoy writing this. Kasla is such a badass.

TELL ME:
Do you trust Osellia? Which line(s) was your favorite? Are you a fan of Kasla? If you had a dragon what color would you like it to be?

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As usual tune in next Tuesday for my next newsletter.

Read some of my other pieces here:

1. Ehnee's Body
2. Smiling With No Teeth
3. Rejecting The Gift
4. Champagne Tongues
5. Ennoui's Hunger

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