Going out? Not on an empty stomach!

I couldn’t quite see why Sid was so excited about the storm; I was hoping the weather might calm and spare us, though the heavy clouds gathering in the west were less than reassuring.

Since my meeting with the paladin had made me miss the common lunch with friends, I was now having a private meal with Sid in Ju’s room. Our poor kitchen staff were already on their second round of climbing the stairs with dishes from the ground-floor kitchen. Maybe someday I should consider an elevator...

But why Ju’s room? My quarters didn’t have a large enough table, and the council room faced east. Sid had insisted we sit side by side at a table with a clear view of the window to watch the thick, dark clouds amassing in the west.

The room was about the same size as mine, facing the common terrace. Two wide double doors, mostly made of a glass-like mineral, could slide open to let in fresh air. In theory, a spell could adjust their transparency and color, but we hadn’t figured that out yet. Ju hoped some of the scrolls in one of the armoires lining the left and east walls, currently behind us, might hold the answers.

Her bed, a modest ninety centimeters wide, sat along the left wall, while the right side of the room held a few sofas, a door leading to my room, and another to the shared bathroom. The furniture, crafted from a bright, almost white enchanted wood, had survived remarkably well, though the leather upholstery on the sofas—originally enchanted too—was worn and badly in need of repair.

The soft pink pastel marble flooring coordinated well with the furnishings, although a bit too pink for my taste. Ju insisted it was temporary and could be changed once we uncovered the right spells.

Originally just a bedroom, Ju had added a table in the center, which we were now using for lunch.

As I tried to eat as elegantly as possible using my fork and knife with style, trying to set a good example for Sid, I found myself making slow progress through my stew.

“Do you still have a lot of work to do after lunch?” he asked, shifting in his chair as though he couldn’t keep still. “How long will it take for you to finish?”

I glanced at his plates—all empty. When the maid brought honey cookies, he grabbed one, popped it into his mouth, and looked at me expectantly.

“I still have some work,"... but nothing I couldn’t set aside for later. "Why do you ask?”

As I asked, a pang of guilt crept in—I knew I hadn’t been spending enough time with him.

With his mouth full but doing his best to keep it closed, just as I’d taught him, he mumbled his response:

“Oh, come on, Mom. Look at those clouds—it’s getting stormy outside! We should hurry up to the highest hill!”

I snorted. That was certainly a creative interpretation of not talking with your mouth full. And, of course, he was still determined to drag me outside right as the rain was about to start.

“It’s going to rain, and I’ll get soaked again!” I protested, memories of the mine days surfacing.

“Oh, please, Mom, this is different. It’s a storm!”

I sighed. Not just rain but a storm, and he wants to be out in it? Well, if he’s that eager, I suppose I can brave the rain with him...

I was starting to get curious about why he was so eager to head out into the storm, so I stood up with a shrug.

“If you’re done, let’s go, then!”

His enthusiasm was something else. Grabbing another cookie, he darted for the window, clearly planning to fly straight out.

“Hey, hold on! We’re going by foot!” I protested. I wasn’t keen on drawing attention with flying dragons, especially with visitors expected. Plus, I wasn’t certain I’d manage a smooth transformation before I'd hit the yard.

“Alright, Mom,” he answered, looking a bit deflated.

As we stepped into the yard, a burly orc approached us.

“Are you headed out, my lady? Would you like horses?”

I recognized Wortar, one of Drackar’s lieutenants.

Sid glanced at me, then up at the clouds.

"Mom doesn’t know how to ride, so we might be faster on foot,” he said.

“We could bring a very gentle mare that I can lead for the lady,” Wortar offered. “A storm’s on its way, and we should move quickly.”

Sid’s eyes lit up. “Exactly! That’s the whole point! Alright, bring the horses!”

While Sid led our small group eagerly, with two orcs following close behind, I found myself perched atop a “gentle” mare, bouncing along in her rhythm, shaken like a sack of potatoes and struggling to find my balance. I knew Sid had been taking riding lessons, but was surprised to see how skilled he’d already become.

Luckily, the ride didn’t last long. In under ten minutes, we arrived at the base of the highest hill north of the castle. The sky was darkening, and the wind grew stronger with every gust, though the rain hadn’t started yet.

“This is it!” Sid declared, satisfied as he looked up the steep hill. “We’ll take it from here on foot!”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Should I come with you while Gonzack keeps the horses?” Wortar asked, glancing uncomfortable at the hill.

“No!” Sid protested. “We can’t be looking out for you right now—we’re here to have fun! Head back to the castle; we’ll meet you there!”

“But…” Wortar began, though he trailed off as I fumbled a bit, deciding how to dismount. Finally, I took a leap off the horse, which startled it slightly at my sudden move.

“It’s fine,” I assured Wortar, giving him a quick nod. “Besides, Sid’s more than strong enough to keep me safe, aren’t you, Sid?”

Sid chuckled, a bit puffed up by the praise, and Wortar muttered, “Drackar’s going to eat my ears for this,” as he and Gonzack headed back.

As soon as they were gone, Sid grinned and began tugging off his tunic. “Last one to the top’s a lame duck!” he declared, transforming into a dragon and bounding up the hill.

“Oh, we’ll see about that!” I snorted, melding into shadow and racing up the hill as fast as I could.

“Yippee! I’m here first!” Sid’s triumphant voice echoed in my mind.

I reappeared in human form and teased, “I’ve been waiting for you, my dear lame duck!”

“That’s cheating, Mom! I didn’t even fly!” he shot back as he spotted me, though he didn’t seem bothered at all. Instead, his gaze shifted to the dark clouds rolling in, nearly close enough to touch from the hilltop.

The storm was truly upon us now—lightning streaked across the sky in rapid flashes. A crackling thunderbolt struck something nearby, sending a shudder through the ground almost in sync with the blinding light, only adding to his excitement.

“This is so cool!” he exclaimed, grinning wide. “Just like that first day I learned to fly!”

As the rain began pelting down, another flash of lightning struck close by, followed instantly by a booming thunderclap. Wind gusted around us, snapping branches and even toppling a few trees. Sid stretched his wings wide, his face absolutely radiant with joy.

“This is dangerous, Sid. We should get down—lightning can strike us up here!” I warned, remembering the old school warnings.

“Oh, come on, Mom! Lightning can’t hurt us! I know it! My... mama told me! Trust me! Be a dragon and spread your wings, please!”

"My mama told me." - That must have been his real mom, isn't it? I sighed and considered what he had just said: lightning couldn’t harm him? Could that be true? Taking a deep breath, I shifted into dragon form. The spell still took a little time, but I was getting faster. I lifted my head, took in the stormy sky, and spread my wings, though a bit unsure. The wind caught them, nearly toppling me, and I let out a chuckle.

“Feel that, Mom?” he shouted in my mind. “It wants to lift you! Now jump!”

I pushed off the ground, only to drop back down, crashing into some bushes.

Sid rolled over in laughter, crushing a few bushes himself before getting back on his feet. “Isn’t it fun? Try higher! Jump higher!” he urged.

His enthusiasm was infectious. I leaped again, managing to glide a few meters this time. Sid shot down the slope, veering sharply upward and vanishing momentarily from view. His excited trumpet echoed as he landed nearby, shaking the ground.

“Oh yeah! Jump, Mom! Jump higher!”

I put a little more strength into my legs, leapt higher—and this time, I flew. The ground fell away as I soared above the treetops, and a rush of panic made me pull my wings in tight. I plummeted back down, landing hard and taking out a few trees in the process. Sid just laughed, landing gracefully beside me, as if we’d only been rolling in the grass. His excitement was infectious, and I chuckled despite myself.

“Higher! Higher!” he urged. And finally, I did it—I jumped, let my wings take me, and really flew. My instincts kicked in as I glided over the trees, though my first attempt to veer left ended in another crash through the forest. It stung, if only my pride, but little by little, I managed. By the third try, I was able to take a curve, even climb a bit. Each attempt brought more confidence, even as Sid flew circles around me, laughing like the storm itself.

At last, I was truly flying, and it was exhilarating. To stretch my wings wide, defy the rain and wind—there was a wildness in it that resonated with something deep inside. I understood why Sid loved it so much.

He shot past me, fast as a comet, skimming the treetops, weaving between trees, and cutting sharp curves that seemed impossible. His pure, unrestrained joy filled my mind, echoing like the roar of the storm. I’d never seen him so free, so completely alive. His happiness was boundless, spilling over and filling the sky.

*

Later on, after another hard landing, I decided I’d had enough. I could finally manage to fly, take turns, go up and down, but landing was still a challenge—I always seemed to come in too fast, crashing through anything in my path.

"Alright, I’m calling it," I said to Sid, who was still circling high in the sky.

"Already done, Ma?" he asked, sounding surprised.

Already? We were clowning since hours in the pelting rain.

"Mom, can I stay a while longer?" he asked, his voice hopeful.

I considered it. He wouldn’t catch cold, and he certainly wasn’t in any danger from the wildlife. So, why not?

"Alright," I said. "But let me know if anything happens!"

"Sure, Mom, sure!" he called, veering right and vanishing into the clouds.

I took a deep breath. All in all, it had been a good day, and I had to admit I’d missed flying—it was more satisfying than so many other things.

I wondered: should I reshape my human form to have wings, or stay as I was, wingless? Shadowmelding was useful, but flying had its own thrill. I sighed, torn. Keeping my horns hidden under illusions most of the time made me appear perfectly human. Adding wings would complicate things, as they were harder to hide and would only emphasize that I wasn’t fully human. For now, maybe it was best left as it was.

I shrugged, looking around for my clothes, pleasantly surprised to find them without much trouble. As I dressed, I debated whether to take Sid’s clothes too, but ultimately left them neatly draped over a tree branch.

I glanced toward the castle, barely visible through the rain yet glowing softly through the misty darkness, like something out of a fairy tale. Its towers were faintly lit, giving it an enchanted look. I knew Mike had been planning to add some lighting around the walls, but I hadn’t expected it to turn out this beautiful.

The downpour had lessened to a gentle rain, but it was still coming down. Was I really going to walk all the way back down in this weather? That would be at least a half-hour trek, and it was getting quite dark around me.

I snorted at my own indecision, undressed again, and shifted into a dragon. I was not trudging through mud and rain all the way back!

With a leap off the gentle slope, I managed to get airborne just in time, but not without cutting a couple of treetops. I flapped hard, aimed for the castle, and glided down, making a smooth curve before landing with a solid thud a hundred meters from the outer wall, on the river’s side. My best landing yet. With any luck, no one was on guard duty on this side in this rain.

I transformed back, climbed the ravine as a shadow, cloaked myself with illusions of my dress and boots - it didn't make sense to put the wet dress on again - and walked toward the wall. To my surprise, the gate was open and the bridge lowered. An entire troop of orcs was waiting there.

“Lady Lores! You’re back!”