Up and Away

"What?!" Renat and Alaron rose to their feet in objection.

"I accept," Mairwen overlapped their words.

More protests were mounted from all sides. Everyone had an opinion.

"Quiet," Aurora's command was soft but firm. "My dear, why do you want to go when you are not well?"

Mairwen shied away from the question for a moment before confirming her resolve.

"My entire goal on this journey has been to help, and ever since I have hit my head, everyone is treating me like I am glass. I may be broken but I still have my place in this mission. Let me contribute. I can do this." Mairwen's eyes reminded the Empress of when she was a child and was asking for a few more minutes before bed.

Only this time the girl wasn't wanting more reading time. She was wanting to do something far more dangerous.

Aurora sighed. "In the interest of time, I think Mairwen shall accompany me. My body is also growing tired and the Keeper said that I cannot let go of the Seed until it is planted."

"Please be safe, both of you," Devrim leaned down and kissed the top of his wife's head. Like that, the traveling party was selected.

The Emperor helped Aurora to her feet and Smokey knelt for her to climb on.

"I once rode on your father. Do you remember? I am so happy you are able to help us." The Empress scratched behind Smokey's ear.

The child purred softly, happy to have the attention.

Mairwen and Aurora climbed on board the dragon's back and were immediately taken into the air. The princess barely had time to wrap her arms around her mother and keep them both from falling.

The ride upward was a little bumpy, but not unpleasant.

"Don't worry about me," Aurora told Mairwen. "This is the second time I've done this today."

"Really?" The princess looked down at the retreating ground. Renat was waving his unspoken goodbye.

"The last time was on the back of the leopard, but yes, much of my day has been spent in the air." Aurora used their flight to describe the Keeper and the events that had occurred in the Forbidden Tower.

"Someday we will write all this down," Mairwen said at the end. Not that anyone will believe it." Mairwen laughed softly. "I am just glad I am able to be a part of it. Thank you for letting me come up with you."

Aurora shrugged. "Thank Smokey. He chose you."

"I don't know why he did. Would you mind thanking him and asking him about it?" Mairwen's curiosity got the better of her.

A short conversation between Aurora and Smokey took place in the Ancient Tongue.

"He says he didn't like the way the others were babying you. He doesn't like being treated baby either and thought you deserved a chance to be a hero like him." Aurora relayed the message without comment.

"Thank you," Mairwen told the dragon. She had no other words to use. It was very thoughtful.

It wasn't long before the women could feel some resistance in the air. A force was pressing on them.

Smokey could feel it too. His pace slowed considerably.

"Is this the barrier?" Mairwen looked down. They were higher than she had seen any of the dragons fly.

"Yes. Hopefully, it is just a small area and doesn't push on us the rest of the way." Aurora pursed her lips.

"Very…hard," Smokey struggled against the air. It wasn't exactly windy, but there was a pulse in the atmosphere which threatened to throw them back toward the ground.

"Is there anything you can do?" Aurora's breath brushed up against the white petals of the flower. Aurora began to hum the song that Nanny taught her.

"What are you…oh!"

Even from behind Aurora's back, Mairwen could see the light grow. The pressure around them lessened.

Smokey continued to climb. His wingbeats pushed against the air.

"You can do it!" The Empress believed it would be so. The Seed had helped lower the burden. That had to be enough.

But as they came within an arrow shot of the Mystic Spires, Smokey began to whine.

"It is too hard. I cannot make it." The little dragon's chest could not take in air fast enough. His heart was beating wildly. Much longer, and the child feared it might burst.

They were so close! Aurora felt she could almost reach up to reach the hole in the bottom of the white foundation.

With Mairwen's help, the Empress stood on Smokey's back and tried to reach the wide ledge. She missed by a hair's breadth. 

"A little more! Please!" she coaxed the little dragon. But she could feel he was already at his capacity. Any moment, his strength would give out and he would have to return to the ground. 

Aurora needed to act quickly. 

She tried climbing onto Smokey's head to get a little extra height. It was helpful, but not quite enough. With her good foot, she stepped on the spiny crest on the child's head. "I'm sorry!" 

Smokey closed his eyes but did not respond. He pumped his wings as hard as he could.

"Be careful, you are going to slip!" Mairwen was behind her climbing the child's neck. 

The princess caught hold of Aurora's foot as it was tumbling from the spine. But there was nothing she could do to steady it. 

Aurora began to fall. 

But just when she thought she would begin another descent to the ground, a hand shot out from the Mystic Spires and caught hold of her outstretched wrist. 

"I'm sorry!" Smokey whined. "I cannot stay!" 

His little wings stopped fluttering and began to glide. Mairwen started to descend with him. 

"No!" She leapt from the creature's back and grabbed around her waist. Now both ladies dangled perilously from the opening. 

"Help!" Aurora called. "Please pull us up!"

"You are too heavy!" came the desperate response. 

With strength beyond herself, Mairwen dug deep and climbed. She bent her knee and hooked it around her mother's leg, then used the leverage to wrap one arm around Aurora's shoulders.

"Keep holding on! I'm almost there!" She called. 

Mairwen leveraged her thin frame to sit and then stand on the Empress's shoulders until she could climb inside.

Together, the princess and the final Fate brought Aurora to safety as well. 

The trio laid out on the white marble floor, heaving from exhaustion. Aurora rested the flower above her chest, making her look like a memorial in a mausoleum. 

"Thank you. Thank you both," the Empress said once she finally caught her breath. 

Justum shook his hands and, rolling over, pressed them against the floor to stand. 

"You should have notified me of your impending arrival. You are most lucky that I was doing my nightly rounds when you approached. If not for your glowing light, I would not have seen you at all." 

"The Seed has been most helpful," the Empress agreed. It had helped her more than once. 

"That is the Seed?!" Justum got closer and examined the flower. "I do not remember it looking like that." 

"The Seed is inside the flower. It needed a pure vessel to travel." Aurora felt strange giving a lesson to the Fate. Shouldn't he already know that?

"Yes, of course. I suppose my interest was more in the type of vessel chosen." The ethereal being hummed softly. "It seems to be doing a decent job, especially considering it was made by humans." 

Aurora sat up and sighed. Her body ached. She was so close to victory and to resting. "Can you help us get to the tower so that we can plant the seed where it belongs?" 

Justum frowned. "I can take you there, but it will do no good." 

"What do you mean? You are the one who sent Hanna to us to get the Seed. Now you do not think it will work?" Aurora's voice raised to an unnatural pitch.

"Ah," Justum rubbed his head. "I can see your confusion. When I sent Hanna, the Seed would have fixed the problem. But things have changed. Perhaps it is easier if I show you."