Over the Edge

Morning birds sang around me as I climbed to the edge of the canyon that separated my village from his. It would still be a couple hours before my father woke up. His late-night drink will make sure of that. The moon still hung low in the sky; its glow not nearly as bright as it was when I prayed to it last night through my window. Now it felt as though it was mocking me. Maybe it just thought I was as much of a disappointment as my father thought. A jolt of satisfaction coursed through me as I turned my back on it to face the horizon that was about to greet the coming sun. I sat at the edge of the canyon and threw my legs over the cliff so that my legs swung freely over the three-hundred-foot drop.

The grin threatening to rip my face in half couldn’t be avoided as I heard groaning yawns come from the caves that lined the edge of the valley below. Dragons of every color came out of their dwellings and stretched their long necks before going to the river that crashed against the rocks under my suspended feet. They calmly drank their water as if it wasn’t violently smashing against their scales. They were completely immovable, like boulders. Once they all had their fill, they took to the skies to stretch their leathery wings.

A roar shook the ground of the cliff where I was perched. Pebbles broke free of the cliffside and tumbled in to the raging river below. A powerful wind rushed at my back, and I had to dig my nails into the rocks, so I didn’t fall. The smell of sulfur enveloped me as the dragon at my back huffed out an annoyed sigh. Dragons typically have an hour to fly around by themselves before their riders wake up. Ro wasn’t like the other riders though. He thoroughly enjoyed waking up before the sun.

Ronan was the youngest rider in his village. His dragon, Aurora, chose him when he was just fourteen. It was unheard of for such a young hatchling to bond with a rider. But when he and his brother broke their village’s laws to repel into the canyon that was home to hundreds of dragons, Aurora wouldn’t stop following him like a puppy. Their bonding that young also resulted in Ronan being the most powerful caster of his village.

His riding boots clicked against the stone ground as he walked up from behind me. “We’re running out of time,” I said as he plopped down on the edge with me. He kicked his legs back and forth over the canyon.

“I know, but we can’t go out there blind. No one knows what’s beyond the border.” He waved a hand towards his feet. The stone under us reshaped itself so that Ro had somewhere to put his feet.

“Showoff,” I said with a scoff. “I’m running out of time, Ro. My father wants to do the Awakening tonight.”

“What?! We were supposed to have another week.” On the other side of the canyon, everyone from Ronan’s village started to emerge from their homes. The ones that were dressed stepped right up to the edge of the cliff. Some of them had special whistles, but for the most part, the riders just called out their dragons’ names.

“I wish I was born in your village.” I sighed. Not that it would have made any difference unless one of my parents were somehow descended from one of the original dragon riders. “I turned eighteen yesterday, Ro. Father thinks that if my abilities haven’t come in yet, then they never will.”

My village is ruled by the moon. The other village is ruled by the sun. We hold powers of the mind while they hold power over the elements, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Ronan and his people get their abilities when a dragon chooses them. In my village, people have from the age of sixteen until the age of eighteen to show signs of having an ability. A week after their eighteenth birthday, if their powers don’t develop, there is a ceremony in which they walk off the edge of the cliff. The adrenaline mixed with a human’s survival instinct is supposed to trigger their abilities to save their own life. No one has ever fallen to their death. Or, at least, no one who is mentioned today.

“I’m sorry, El,” Ro said before putting his arm around my shoulders. I gazed longingly at the unbonded dragons that were left behind at the bottom of the canyon. All by himself, in one corner, laid a beautiful dragon as dark as the night sky. Ronan followed my gaze to the lonesome dragon. “I don’t think he’s going to make it.” Dragons are supposed to be social creatures. The bond they share with their riders doesn’t just prolong the life of the riders. It also makes the dragon live longer. An unbonded rider will live a normal human life. But a dragon never finding a rider is a tragedy. “The hoard came to the village last week. I’ve never seen a dragon go so long without finding a rider.” My heart broke for the creature. “He probably just has until the end of summer.”

I didn’t realize a tear was sliding down my face until Ronan reached over to wipe it away. “You know,” I began. “Other people who wait for the Awakening to develop their abilities say that they can feel their magic deep inside them just waiting to burst out. But I don’t feel that.” In fact, I feel nothing, like I’m hollow. But I didn’t want to say that in front of Ro. Aurora stamped her feet restlessly. The sun was halfway up past the horizon. I glanced back at the docile beast. Hues of blue and green danced along her scales perfectly mimicking her namesake that occasionally pays us a visit during the winter months. “You should go,” I said, turning away from him. Aurora is going to need to fly in the sunlight. It’s how dragons stay strong for their riders. “My father will be up soon anyway.”

When I got back to our small farmhouse, my father was already sitting in the kitchen shoveling eggs and bacon into his mouth. “Where were you?”

I didn’t answer. I haven’t spoken to him since he told me he wanted to move up the Awakening.

“Answer me, Elara,” he said with a growl.

“What do you want me to say, Father?” I didn’t wait for his response. My bedroom door rattled with the force I used to slam it shut.

Throwing myself onto my bed, I shut my eyes and put my hands on my face. I didn’t even flinch as I heard my bedroom door slowly creak open. Every muscle in my body tensed as he stalked closer. He wrapped his fist in my hair and pulled me up. The sharp sting on my scalp made me cry out as he threw me against my bedroom wall. “You will not disrespect me in my house, girl. Do you understand?” His breath smelled stale from the alcohol he consumed last night as it fanned over my face.

“Y-Yes.” His grip loosened on my hair so that he could grab me by the throat. He squeezed until spots surrounded the outskirts of my vision. When he eased up just enough for me to speak, I corrected myself. “Yes, sir,” I rasped.

He finally released me and said, “Don’t be late for the ceremony. If you’re even one second late, I will find you and throw you off that damn cliff myself.” I took in a deep lungful of fresh air. “Now, answer me. Where were you today?”

“I just went for a walk to clear my head for the ceremony tonight.” The lie rolled easily from my tongue.

“If I find out you went to that village,” he started.

“How would I even get there, Father? It’s a two-day journey around the canyon.” Well, it is, unless you have a dragon. He seemed satisfied with that answer as he stormed out of my room.

The two villages have been feuding for centuries. Ronan always says that my ancestors were just jealous they couldn’t bond with the dragons.

That night found me at the edge of the cliff less than a mile from where I usually meet with Ronan. My feet were bare as was tradition. The plain white dress I was wearing lightly blew in the breeze. The sun had just set, and the moon was larger than usual as it hung low in the sky. A roar echoed through the air making everyone in the village look up at the night sky. High above was Aurora flying in circles with Ronan probably riding her. Flames poured from her jaws; the fire casting shadows across the hard lines of my father’s face.

The first beat of the drum sent my heart into my throat. My hands shook as I neared the edge. My golden curls lifted from my shoulders and danced in the wind. Rock crumbled under my feet and fell into the chasm below. I peeked into the canyon to see the rushing water at the bottom crashing against the rocks. The drums continued to pound behind me echoing the pounding of my heart. I turned my back on the canyon to face the people of the village. Torches were now lit behind everyone making the shadows writhe around us in the increasing moonlight.

The elders stood between the drummers with all the other villagers looking on in anticipation from a distance. My father stood in front of them all with his arms crossed over his chest. I looked him straight in the eye as I felt how close I was to the edge with my bare foot. I searched his eyes for any kindness or compassion, but his face remained neutral. I refused to let my heart break.

With one last look in those cold, dark eyes, I allowed a small smile to cross my lips. I lifted my arms to spread them out at my sides. Just as the drums went silent, so did my heart. I had accepted my fate. I fell backwards into the canyon.

My hair whipped across my face as I tumbled end over end, the rocks and rushing water rising up to meet me. I caught glimpses of Aurora in the sky, orange flames turning into blue in the intensity of their heat. As I fell, I could feel every bruise and scar fade from the inside out. My father would never be able to hurt me again. In one last attempt, I tried to summon magic to my fingertips to no avail. But I wasn’t scared. I felt free.

Just as I was about to meet my end on the rocks below, the world went dark, and my stomach flipped. I hadn’t realized I had shut my eyes until I opened them to see the ground getting farther and farther away. I was no longer falling. I was flying. Talons were wrapped around my upper arms. Craning my neck, I tried to get a glimpse of my savior. All I saw was dark black scales that blended with the night sky. A deafening roar vibrated through my body before I felt the heat of blue flames brush against my skin.

The dragon that always reminded me of the midnight sky flapped his large, leathery wings and carried me away from my village. In that moment, I knew he had chosen me as his own. I wasn’t just free; I was forged.