Chapter 23

Mirwanna had been excited about my newfound ability to change into a dragon, and back again, at will. We had given a comprehensive report to her, and a couple other people whom Mirwanna had designated as 'needing to know'. They had recorded our time in my other world.

All the stuff I had brought back was in a storage room, with the exception of a few cases I had in my suite. One of those contained coffee. I was experimenting with a non-electric coffee maker. It took a few tries and false starts, but I finally got the hang of it.

Now I had coffee all of the time. I offered some to anyone who wanted to try it. Most said it was too bitter. When I added cream and/or sugar, they found it agreeable. They were fascinated with the sugar I had brought back. Most items here, were sweetened with honey. Sugar was totally unknown, here.

They had an item, that while it substituted for sugar in many ways, I felt it was inferior to sugar itself. Still, they had pastries, here, and they were very good. I had opened a case of candy bars, and passed them out. They were an instant hit. I had a feeling that if I didn't monitor things, the candy would be gone more quickly than I wished.

I stood on the roof of the palace, and looked at the castle on the far side of the valley. I was actually getting twitchy about it. I wanted to go there. It was like I was being drawn. I also wanted to learn how to fly. I was a flying dragon, and it would be very useful to be able to fly!

It was man's most cherished dream... Flight. Unaided flight! And I was a dragon with wings! I was going to fly! There were no ifs ands or buts about it. I sighed, and made my way to the stairs that led back down.

The next day dawned clear and cool. I had gotten a horse, and had ridden out to a quiet place I had noticed from my earlier explorations. I turned the horse over to my ever-present guards, and told them to keep the area clear.

I removed everything except my boxers, and willed the change, to become a Dragon. The shift from human to Dragon was almost instantaneous. It was amazing how my senses changed. My eyesight improved by an incredible factor. As did my sense of smell, and other senses, a couple of which I could not name.

I looked down the slope. I started to run, and extended my wings. I flapped them, to try to gain a little height. I was airborne! I stiffened my wings, and glided. I experimented with angling my wings.

I tried for a landing and went head over heels! I also smacked into one of the few really large trees on the slope. Damn! I righted myself and got to my feet. Ok, flying was a little more difficult than I thought it would be.

As the old song goes: the birds do it, the bees do it, even educated fleas do it... Fly that is. If they all did it, then I as a person at the top of the food chain, and with more intelligence, should be able to do it, too!

I walked back uphill, and noticed I was starting to draw a crowd. Well, as long as they stayed back, it should be no problem. I went back to my starting place, and started my lumbering run. I had four legs. I seemed to be able to operate them just fine, so why could I not get this flying business down, too?

I launched myself into the air, flapping a couple times to gain a little height. I then stiffened my wings and let myself glide down the slope. I could hear cheering. I preened as I dropped lower. I was getting ready to land, when somehow I misjudged, and ran smack into a small sapling that sprang up out of nowhere!

I was sure there hadn't been one there before! I muttered to myself. I could hear the crowd laughing, now. Imagine, laughing at your Duke! I chuckled to myself. Well, it must be a funny sight, really. I went back up the hill.

By now, hundreds of people were gathered watching this young dragon learning to fly. I was larger than a human. I estimated I was probably several hundred pounds heavier than when I was in my normal human body. Wasn't magic wonderful? I knew that a lot of my bulk was due to energy transfer.

Ok, third times the charm, according to folklore from the Earth I grew up on. Yeah, and pigs fly!

I managed to get up and fly, with a lot of wing pumping, around my training area. The people cheered! I was getting the hang of flying, it was the landings that seemed to give me trouble.

Perhaps if I landed going upslope? I came in, flared my wings, and angled myself. I smacked my nose into the ground, digging up a small furrow of soil. I arose spitting dirt. More laughter. Great, I was a plow in my copious spare time, apparently.

After my fourth crash, I seemed to get the idea of how to land. By this time I had the crowd roaring with laughter! Watching my bumbling attempts at landing was amusing, even to me; even if it hurt a bit, occasionally. The small (for a Dragon) Dragon learning to fly, was providing an unexpectedly humorous spectacle.

Despite my guards' efforts to keep the place private, I had an audience of hundreds, with more arriving ever minute.

I walked over to the nearest of my guards and informed him I was flying back to the palace. Despite his protests, I turned and started another run down the hill. This time I flapped my wings hard, and went for altitude!

It was glorious! Flying was everything I had imagined, and so much more! I could feel the wind running over and under my wings. I could sense changes in temperatures, and air pressure. I saw warm rising air, as a blue and shimmery river. I just KNEW what it was, and how to use it.

I caught the updraft, and rose and rose and rose. After I was up several thousand feet, I tipped over. I left my updraft, and started for the Landkur Palace. As I did, I noticed the castle in the distance, and thought, 'why not?'. I changed my direction, and started gliding towards the castle.

I found that while dragons could and did flap their wings, we did so usually for altitude, landings, and take-offs. Dragons, mostly, were gliders. As I soared my way towards the castle, I looked at it with my dragon's sight.

I saw things I had not noticed before. Spells that were not evident before, burst colorfully into my sight. All the underlaying color was one color. Silver. The same silver color that was in me since the Goddess made the adjustments to me. I wondered if the adjustments were the same for my sister.

A short time later, I made a rough landing in front of the castle. I managed not to bruise my nose, this time. I changed into my human form, teleported some clothes, and dressed. After dressing, I walked towards the castle, its walls seemed high above me.

I could feel the spells beating against me. Several were spells trying to get me to leave. I ignored those. I felt a slight pull, and wandered away from the huge gate, located in the center of the wall. I started walking parallel to the wall.

Finally, I came to where the pull originated. I looked, but didn't see anything. Then, when I turned my head just so, I caught a silvery glimmer. I put my hand out. As soon as I touched the wall, I felt the spell change.

A door phased into being in the wall. There was no handle on the outside, or any evidence of a way to open it, yet I somehow KNEW how to open it! I was tempted to open it now, but decided to wait.

To read this story you need a Registration + Premier Membership
If you have an account, then please Log In or Register (Why register?)

Buy at Bookapy.com

P I and Magic — Book 1

Volentrin

$3.99