The funny thing about life is how people change, how you think you know someone and you realize, you only covered the surface of their being. Interestingly enough, it is usually after some time and hardship that they come through and reveal their hidden truths.

I bid farewell to Rose and walked out of her house, back onto the bustling street. I had new questions to ask and one person who could answer them. It was a short walk to the edge of the village, passing by people who stopped and stared as if I were a dragon.

It was an uncomfortable feeling to be singled out from everyone else. Children scurried out of the way and hid behind their parents. I didn't understand why people were afraid. It's not like I'd never stepped foot in the town. People had seen me around over the years and made fun of me, but never looked at me like I was going to kill them. I glanced at a mirror outside of someone's house as I passed by to check if I had horns, but it was just me in the reflection.

Maybe people had seen wanted signs along the border with a drawing of me and thought I was trying to start a war, but most people in Antaham wouldn't know of much beyond the town limits. There was no point in stressing over a few judgemental people and in no time I crossed the town limits. A couple hundred yards further, I could fly home.

The air was cold above the clouds. A flock of geese passed by, honking their bits and pieces of nonsense. I often picked up phrases here and there, living in the forest around so many animals. Goose was a hard one but they weren't happy to share the sky with me. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

No. I shook the smile off my face. I needed to look serious if I was going to get an answer from my mother. She had that unexplainable power to make you feel nervous just asking a simple question. Her left eyebrow would lift just higher than the right and her amber eyes bored into your soul, sending chills down your spine. I often thought she did it intentionally because I asked about my father more than I should have. I landed in the garden and picked a dragonberry from the small plant we kept next to the cabbage.

I tossed it into my mouth and opened the back door of my house. "Mother, do you know anything about the King of the High Kingdom?" I asked as I casually walked in. I didnt know where I was going to go with this. I just wanted answers. The question seemed to take her by surprise when she turned around and dropped the wooden spoon she had been using in the pot that was now in the open oven.

"I know he's not very nice to his subjects," she replied passively while regaining her composure. "Why do you ask?" She looked at me and her eyes reflected the late afternoon sun that shone through the window behind me.

"I don't know. Rose told me he had been insisting that he had cursed by a witch. I was just curious since you know so much about magic, maybe you could help him," I rambled. I thought I sounded too obvious, but her face hardened and I could feel her anger as a painful throbbing in my body erupted from my core.

"Mother-" I managed as she realized what she was doing.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Just, please dont ask me about King Actaeon again," she said with a stern voice that I hadnt heard since I was ten. "We're forbidden to go there and you know that," she continued.

"Why?" I asked. I had never asked before but I never really cared back then. 

"It was your fathers fault. That is why we don't talk about him," my mother replied.

"But what do you know about this curse put on the king?" I pushed.

"I don't know. Please, Novia, don't ask me again!" she raised her voice. 

I knew it was time to leave before I lost some privilege for a week or two. "I think I'm just gonna leave," I said and backed out of the room. She looked at me with an apologetic look but I saw no emotion in her eyes. A part of me knew that she resented me because of my appearance. I recalled her saying that I was the spitting image of my father a few years ago. It was upsetting to think that she hated some part of me because of what he did. For that, I was angry at him, but I wished I knew who he was.

I climbed up to the roof and looked out over the horizon. There were still a few hours of daylight  left and I didn't want to go back inside. I heard Anantas claws grip the wooden beam that ran across the side of the roof. I installed it a couple of years ago when she struggled to keep her footing when she landed.

What are you doing? She took a seat next to me and stared out at the blazing trees.

I'm just thinking. My mental voice trailed off. I was distracted by my thoughts.

Can we go somewhere? Ananta stretched out her wings and flapped them restlessly in the air. Please? She ran to the other end of the roof and back.

I knew shed keep bugging me to go. Ananta was stubborn. She called it a good quality in a dragon, but I disagreed.

How about the old temple? Ananta bounced up and down, shaking the roof.

I shook my head. All I wanted was to sit up here and be alone.

She looked at me and with all her strength, conjured the most adorable dragon eyes she could make. She lowered her head and looked up at me, widening her eyes and letting the corners of her mouth drop down just a hair.

That's not going to work. I looked back out at the horizon. The sun was a few inches above the trees. The sky was turning a soft orange against the clouds.

Then look at my backup. Ananta nudged me with her head.

I looked over and a small green dragon with the same big eyes looked back up at me. Oh Rivit, has Ananta dragged you into this? I smiled at the little dragon who was sitting under Anantas wing.

Please, can we go somewhere? Rivit lowered his head even more, giving him that helpless baby dragon look.

How was I supposed to say no? Sighing in defeat, I nodded and gave Ananta a dirty look. That dragon could be so selfish sometimes.

To the old temple! Ananta took off at a pace too fast for her wings to catch the air and she tumbled off the side of the roof. A loud crash confirmed that she hit the flower pots that were stacked on the side of the house.

Ananta! I rushed to the edge of the roof and looked down at her.

Ananta was sprawled on the ground, surrounded by bits of a shattered pot. She groaned, letting out smoke through her nostrils.

I quickly climbed down and Rivit followed. Ananta, are you able to get up? I watched the red dragon shake her head. She couldn't get up. I knew Ananta was too heavy for me to lift. Rivit, stay here with Ananta, I am going to get some help. I left Rivit and ran around to the door. "Mother! I need help with Ananta!"

"Novia, if shes getting into the garden again, thats your responsibility to tell her she cant be in there!" she yelled from the kitchen.

"Its not that. Ananta fell off the roof!" I yelled. "I need help getting her inside!"

My mother was at the door before I could get another word out. "She really is a clumsy dragon."

I led her to the side of the house where Rivit was trying to help Ananta up. He grunted every time he pushed her wings up and puffed out smoke when they fell on top of him.

Rivit, my mother is here to help.

He crawled out from under Anantas wing and looked up at my mother. He was a little intimidated by her and ran behind my legs.

My mother got to work without a word. I knew she was still mad at me. It was the way she glanced at me every now and then as I watched. She waved her hands and muttered some words. Words that I didn't understand. Many of the spells she used were written in languages that hadn't been spoken in centuries. She moved her hands in an upward motion, lifting Ananta effortlessly.

We brought Ananta inside and laid her down by the fireplace. Youre not going to leave me here, are you? She looked up at me with wide eyes.

I knelt down next to Ananta. You need to rest. I'm taking Rivit out for a while but I promise we can go exploring when you can fly again.

You promise. She looked at me with doubt.

I promise. I held Rivit in my arms and waved goodbye to Ananta.

"Remember to be back by moonrise!" my mother called from the other room.

I didn't reply. She didn't want me here and I knew it. I opened the door and stretched out my wings. Lets get out of here Rivit.

We flew above the treetops and around the plumes of smoke. Burning ashes rose into the sky around us as we headed for the old temple in the woods just south of the river. Right now I wanted to be anywhere but at home.