Ch.2: Reality

"Emberlynn"

I wake up from that same dream I have been having since I don't know when. I lift my big, arrow-shaped, horned head towards the entrance of the cave I live in, really I hide in. Humans don't believe in myths, like me, and when they do see something that's supposed to be a myth, something that they don't understand,  they destroy it, permanently. Mother warned me about them before she disappeared, but my curiosity got the best of me. I always fly over towns and cities at night, avoiding planes and poles. I sniff the brisk, dry air in the cave, seeing if it's safe to come out of hiding and stretch my blue, purple-tipped wings. Even though I'm a seventeen-year-old dragon doesn't mean I can't take care of myself, really, I had to.  I sit on my haunches, listening carefully - nothing. I stand up, carefully arranging my claws so they don't scrape on the rocks. 

I come to the entry, looking at the cloudy sky. I'm guessing it's around noon. I think about my dream as I start my hunt on the ground. It has to mean something, I mean it doesn't just pop out of nowhere without a reason. I wonder what the reason is. I catch a scent, a hare, no, pretty certain it's a wolf, a lone wolf. I follow it and stop suddenly catching sight of the prey a few yards from me. I crouch and use my white scales to blend myself in the snow. It stopped eating a hare that I thought I scented. It glances at me warily seeing if I'm a predator, well, sorry Mr. Wolf, bad day for you! I wait for the wolf to go back to eating the hare then I spring towards the wolf and try to pin it against the ground. He yelps loudly trying to bite my claws which are against his chest but his tiny teeth are no match for my silver claws. I growl quietly even though this area is abandoned so I won't be caught by humans. He whimpers staring into my bright sapphire blue eyes, He closes his eyes, waiting for his quick, silent death. 

I bare my teeth and inch towards his tiny throat but something stops me. A sound, towards my left. Crunch, there it is again, like a twig under something, or someone's feet. I face over towards the sound but don't see anything, Crunch. There it is again, but it's slightly closer. I lighten the clawed grip on my prey's chest, he squirms and leaps away from me and the noise. I huff, "so much for stalking," I thought. I sniff and smell… a familiar smell, but I don't know what it is. I slowly back away towards the cave keeping my eyes sharp, looking for any unusual movement. Well, time to get more food.