Of Fire and Fang

• CHAPTER TWO •

~Amari's POV~

Songbirds trilled merrily as they flitted from tree to tree, warming themselves in the first rays of the morning sun. I opened my eyes and blinked the sleep from them before sitting on the edge of my bed and groggily squinted into the morning sun. I'd never been an early riser, but it never failed that I was up well before Rori, who was snoring violently on the other side of the room. I sat giggling to myself for a moment as I watched her sleep, mouth ajar with a steady stream of drool trickling down her cheek. I stood and stretched deeply before making my way down the hall and to the washroom. After swishing the mint paste Mother makes to keep our mouths clean, I did my business and found Mother in the kitchen prepping breakfast.

"Good morning" I sang, kissing her cheek lightly as I peeked over her shoulder, spying freshly cooked bacon resting on a plate beside her.

"And to you dear, is Rori up yet?" Mother asked, knowing full well she was not.

"Of course she isn't, the Beast still slumbers"

I giggled as I snagged a slice from the plate before mom could swat my hand away, then headed back to the bedroom.

I opened the door as quietly as I could and peeked inside, still asleep! I snuck my way to Rori's side of the room. reaching her bedside, I crouched low and gently wafted the slice of bacon before her nose, moments passed without change. Suddenly, Aurora began to stir; brows furrowing as her nostrils flared slightly. In a flash, she snatched the bacon from my hand and scowled in my direction, unable to see through her sleep-filled eyes.

"Did you just wake me up with bacon?" She grumbled at me before nearly swallowing the slice whole.

"Don't act like that wasn't the best alarm, I know you. Get your ass up, we've got some goats to wrangle!" I shouted with mock excitement as Rori groaned and rolled over in her bed.

An hour later, Aurora emerged from the Cottage looking disheveled, Mother following closely behind as she shooed her on. I trotted up to the two as Mother attempted to smooth Rori's wild hair.

"Mom, are you coming too?" I questioned, seeing she had her hiking gear on instead of her usual apron and dress.

"I am, Dear! It's such a beautiful Fall day, and I could use a good stretch of the legs. I hope it's alright, I promise I won't slow the two of you down!" She looked between Rori and me with a hopeful expression.

"Heck yeah, Mom's on the prowl today, you better look out goats!" Aurora shouted to the air excitedly.

With that, the three of us set off toward the animal pens.

As we crossed the bridge over the river, Rori began to immediately complain.

"These goats don't want anything to do with us, why do we even keep catching them?"

"Because Rori, we need their milk, hide, and meat to survive as we do. without them, we wouldn't have the cheese that you enjoy so much." Mother explained, patient as ever.

Rori walked in quiet contemplation for a moment.

"I do like cheese..." she grumbled, defeated.

Reaching the animal pens, we surveyed the damage the goats had done to the fence as the livestock excitedly announced our arrival. Wooden slats were broken free from their posts, leaving a gap the goats could escape through. I tended to a sow and her piglets as Mom and Aurora fed the animals, then we investigated the tracks around the abandoned pen. We observed the hoof prints left behind as the herd grazed their way to the valley wall, where they disappeared up and over it.

"Of course they aren't going to make it easy.." Aurora scoffed as she began to pick her way up the treacherous terrain, sending pebbles tumbling as she went.

Slowly, we made our way up the ridge, helping each other traverse the unstable terrain. After maneuvering several hundred yards up the ridgeline, the trail hooked to the right and onto a cliffside that ran along the mountain.

"Let's rest here for a moment," Aurora said, plopping onto the ground with a huff.

"You always have the best ideas," Mom said as she gently lowered herself onto the grass next to Aurora

"I hate to admit, I'm not as spry as I used to be!" She chuckled, winded.

I walked to the edge of the cliff and sat, looking out to the wilderness below us. These woods have always been a source of mystery to Rori and me, Mother never having answered any questions we had about it or the outside world. The more I stared into the shadows between the trees, the more I could see those shadows dance about as if to shrink from my gaze. I thought for a while, then turned to mother.

"what lives in the woods, Mom?" I asked, hoping the innocent enough question would garner an answer.

Melody flashed a pained expression before furrowing her brows in thought,

"Amari. We've been over this, there are unknown evils that roam those woods, evils even I have not seen. I only want my girls to be safe, I do this for you." Mother chose her words deliberately before standing and brushing off her hands.

"Alright, the break is over, back at it!" She spoke quickly, hoping to change the subject as usual.

I looked to Rori who rolled her eyes as she stood, also mildly annoyed by mother's question dodging. I sighed bitterly as I continued behind them. Mother now led as she tracked the winding hoof prints along the cliff, pointing out signs of the goat's presence. I stared at the ground as I walked, spying grazing patches And thinking of how to confront my mother about what she was keeping from Rori and me. Suddenly I collided with Rori's back, not noticing she and mother had come to an abrupt halt.

"OW. What th-"

"SHH." Mother interrupted as she stared ahead.

Standing on my tiptoes and using Rori as leverage, I peeked over mom's shoulder. A massive grizzly bear stood a few yards away, hovering over a freshly killed goat.

"Oh, Goddess... Mom, what do we do?" I whispered in a panic.

Mom slowly brought her hands before her, where she made a series of intricate hand motions I immediately recognized as one of her illusion spells.

"He's already caught our scent, but I was able to put an illusion in front of us to make it look as if we aren't here. I need you girls to slowly turn and walk back to the ridge. Do NOT make a sound." Mother urged us quietly, fear in her eyes.

The grizzly huffed in frustration and pawed at the ground before it hoisted itself onto its hind legs, searching for the source of our scent. With a rumble, the beast landed back on all fours and advanced toward us.

"As soon as he passes that barrier he will be able to see us. Quickly now, girls." mother encouraged us.

I picked up my pace as we retreated to the ridgeline, afraid to look behind me as sweat began to form on my brow.

A heart-stopping roar filled the air as the bear passed mother's illusion and spotted us.

"RUN!" Mother cried as she pushed us forward, fear overwhelmed me as I saw the beast barreling toward us. We ran as fast as we could, but I knew the bear could catch up. I heard mother slide to a stop as she turned to face the bear.

"Keep running girls!" She called back to us as she stood to face the beast.

I grabbed Aurora by the wrist and continued running as tears welled in my eyes. Mother was sacrificing herself for us! How could this be happening?! Aurora ripped her arm from my grasp, knocking me off balance and to the ground.

"Aurora, NO!" I called to her as she ran towards mother.

The world around me seemed to slow as I watched the bear advance. My body froze as I realized I was about to watch my family be massacred. The bear closed in on my mother as she tried to cast another spell, knocking her to the ground with its massive paws before sinking its teeth into her shoulder.

A savage howl exploded from Aurora's lips as she leaped at the bear; the air seemed to shimmer around her as I watched her body morph into that of a massive beast in the blink of an eye. Ebony horns burst from Aurora's skull and violet wings erupt from her back as her body changed. Glittering black scales covered her body like thousands of tiny gems as ivory fangs emerged from her newly formed muzzle. She crashed into the bear with dizzying force, ripping it away from mother as they grappled. I gasped as the bear swiped at Rori with its dagger-like claws, only to watch in awe as they pinged off of her scales uselessly. Aurora roared and lunged for the bear's throat, jerking her head and swiftly dispatching the animal. I stared in disbelief for a few moments before I could snap out of it and run to mother.

"Oh Goddess, Mom are you alright?!"

I asked as I dropped to her side. A large bite wound wrapped around her shoulder and claw marks riddled her torso, all weeping a deep crimson. I ripped my shirt and applied pressure to the worst of the bleeding.

"Aurora, I need help!" I cried as I checked for a pulse.

Aurora walked clumsily in her beast form as her wings bounced against her back, her spiked tail swayed in agitation.

"Amari I don't know what's happening to me!" She growled in an inhuman voice.

"It doesn't matter right now, mom is hurt!! Do you think you can carry us home?" I ask, eyeing Rori's newfound wings.

She looked back as she flexed her muscles nervously

"there's only one way to find out.."

With that I gently lifted mother into my arms, causing her to groan in pain.

"I know mom, I'm so sorry. We are going to get you back home and fixed up" I promised through sobs as Rori crouched before me.

I gently lifted mom onto Rori's back before vaulting up as well. With Mother sitting in front of me, I wrapped my arms around her and held on to Rori's keeled neck.

"We are ready! Please don't kill us." I said to Aurora as my heart tried to leap from my chest.

Rori walked to the cliff edge where she hesitated, flapping as she tested her wing muscles.

"You can do it, Rori, just hold them out to your sides and glide down if you have to!" I urged her on, mom murmuring in my arms.

Rori did a few more test flaps before looking back at me and nodding.

"Hold on tight please, I don't know what I'm doing..." she said nervously before she coiled and leaped into the open air.

Rori struggled to open her wings against the frigid current as we plummeted through the air. A desperate cry tore from my lips as we fell, my stomach leaping from my gut. Rori's wings snapped open meters above the ground and caught the air like massive sails, halting our fall as we began to glide down the mountainside. I closed my eyes, struggling not to vomit.

"Were you even trying?" I called ahead, not sure if Aurora could hear; The sudden teetering said she could. What took hours to traverse on the ground took mere moments to fly over as we made our way back down the ridgeline with blinding speed. Our valley came into view moments later, Aurora turned her horned head.

"I have no idea how to land, it might get ugly!" She called back to us as she clumsily angled our descent into the valley below.

I held onto mother tightly and braced myself as Aurora neared the ground, backstroking her wings to try and slow our descent. Rori's talons made contact with the ground where they dug deep as we skid to a jarring stop. Rori collapsed in exhaustion as I leaped from her back, gently pulling our Mother back into my arms. I Made my way into the cottage as quickly as I could, yelling for Aurora to help me gather the medical supplies.

After gently laying mother onto her bed, I ran back outside where Rori remained in her beast form.

"Amari I don't know how to change back..." Aurora sobbed, horror filling her voice as she stared down at me desperately.

"Now is not the time, Rori, Mom NEEDS us!" I shouted impatiently.

"Figure it out and come help me!"

I stormed back into the cottage as Rori cursed, and searched the washroom for our medical supplies. Scooping up anything in reach, I dashed back to our mother's room where I laid everything out on the bed next to her. Grabbing a mixing pot I began quickly throwing in the ingredients I needed to make a healing balm. The soothing scent of lavender filled the air as I mixed the plant with aloe vera gel and other dried herbs we had collected from the mountainside. I took a washcloth and began gently cleansing my mother's wounds as she groaned weakly. Rori came bursting through the bedroom door as I worked.

"I see you got it figured out. Quickly, help me clean these bites, we need to pack them before infection sets in." I instructed Rori, who stared wide-eyed at the bloody mess before her.

"Is... Is she gonna be ok, Amari?" Rori whispered.

"She's going be just fine, honey."

I reassured her, unsure if I was speaking the truth.

We worked together for hours cleansing and packing our mother's wounds as she lay unconscious. After wrapping her torso in cloth bandages, We sat back in exhaustion. The room was silent for a long time before Rori spoke up.

"..Am I a monster?" She whispered, a haunted expression on her face.

"I don't know what happened Rori, but I know you're no monster. We will figure it out. For now, let's just focus on mom, alright? One thing at a time, Hun." I sighed and placed my head into my hands, the rush of adrenaline an hour prior had left me drained.

"You're... A Drakonian. A dragon shifter.." Mother groaned weakly from her bed.

We both sat straight up, shocked to hear our mother's voice.

"Mom! How are you feeling? We've packed your wounds and wrapped them, is there anything-"

"I'm alright Dear, you've both done a wonderful job. I'm so proud of you girls" mother assured me as she squeezed my hand.

"Aurora, my Love. Come here." Mother beckoned to Rori, who was standing against the wall looking uncomfortable.

"Listen to me Dear, you could never be a monster, do you understand? ...There is a chest in the old woodshed out back... I want you girls to go and open it together... I think it's time you understand your past, Aurora."

Mother spoke quietly, beckoning aurora to open the bedside table where she found a small, silver key with a leather cord attached. Aurora scooped up the key and twirled it in her fingers as she inspected it.

"You, my dear, are one of a kind." Mother whispered as she drifted back into unconsciousness.

We sat in confused silence for a while before Aurora gently patted Mother's hair and kissed her forehead.

"Sleep well, Mom..." She whispered before she crept out of the room.

I checked mother's vitals and tended to her a while longer before following Aurora outside.

I walked around our Home to find Aurora standing on the trail to the old woodshed, glaring at the air in clear frustration. As I approached, she turned on me.

"Did you KNOW Mother was keeping this from me?!" She yelled through her teeth as she began hugging herself tightly, visibly disturbed.

I embraced Rori and smoothed her hair.

"I've always had a suspicion there was more she was not saying, but I promise you Rori that I did not know. I have been kept in the dark just as you... We will find your answers soon enough." I spoke soothingly as we began walking the trail to the woodshed.