47. A Flight to Find Himself
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(Continued from our last post…)
Pierre Jr.'s father descended further into madness. He never recovered from the loss of the business. The banks pressed relentlessly to reclaim the family’s estate, but he refused all communication with the debt collectors. His days blurred between long hibernations, endless wanderings in the forest, and, at worst, explosive fits of incoherent rage. When he was home, he was not truly there. His body moved like a ghost, tormented and searching for the great dragon who no longer remained.
Rose began taking the boys most weekends to visit her sister on the coast. The mini retreats allowed a space for healing and peace that she and the boys needed during this time. More than the visit, Pierre Jr. loved the flights. In the time to and from his aunt’s home, he saw a new side of his mom. The proper and dutiful dragoness was carefree, relaxed and a bit wild spirited in the sky. She taught him proper flight techniques and recovery formations. After just a few trips, he took on the journeys eventually memorizing the path without any need for directions.
Pierre Jr. gained a sense of independence and benevolence through these trips. The experience redesigned his world view. Previously restricted to the narrow influence of his parents and schoolmates, his new autonomy cultivated a belief in himself. His inner voice became less critical and more empathetic.
Twilight painted Scalesville in jewel tones. The clouds stretched across the sky in bright orange and light pink over a gradient of deep burgundy and purple. Lights from the lizards’ tree houses flickered on in the distance, glowing one at a time like fireflies. Beyond the treeline, a rainbow of neon colors from signs in the western business district pulsed beside the schools and the sports complex. The center of town lay much darker, home to the snake community with some of the oldest ground dwellings, and historic dragon dens in the valley. Farther east, mansions and grand estates dotted the mountain ridges, their warm white porch lights flooding into the wooded lots.
The town’s mix of reptile and dragon cultures showed its eclectic personality at dusk. Even after the year he had endured, Pierre Jr. still felt a familiar comfort every time the skyline came into view during their flight home from the coast.
But tonight, that comfort was suspended. As they glided toward their neighborhood, a dark mass rose above the ridges. It appeared to be a storm cloud, thick and black against the pink sky. As details came into better view, Pierre noticed the way it moved, drafting from a point below. His nose verified what his eyes already knew. It wasn’t a storm cloud. It was a smoke cloud. Sediment from the billow pricked his scales. The air became thicker and hotter as they moved foward. With each breath, Pierre felt a heaviness in his wings to stay aflight as he feared the worst.
To be continued… New dragon story installments each Friday. Subscribe below to follow the dragons. Read the beginning of it all at Blog 1: New Adventure Awaits.
