The sunless sky above the Dragon Queen's lair swirled with clouds of molten gold and smoke, giving the entire realm a dreamlike haze. Rynhara, still grumbling under her breath about her transformation, now stood at the edge of a jagged cliff with her wings trembling.
"You can't be serious," she said, glaring at Tiamora, who lounged regally a few feet away.
"I'm entirely serious," Tiamora replied, inspecting her claws with feigned disinterest. "You have wings now, darling. It's time you learned how to use them."
"I've had these things for five minutes," Rynhara shot back, gesturing at the iridescent rainbow wings fluttering uncontrollably behind her. "I can barely walk in this body. How am I supposed to fly?"
"By jumping," Tiamora said simply, her tail lazily swishing behind her.
"Jumping?" Rynhara echoed, incredulous.
"Jump. Fall. Flap your wings. Don't die. It's quite straightforward."
Rynhara stared at the sheer drop before her, the abyss below glowing faintly with rivers of molten rock. A gust of wind whipped past, and her wings instinctively flared out, catching the air.
"I'm going to die," she muttered.
"Oh, nonsense," Tiamora said cheerfully. "If you fall, I'll catch you. Probably."
"Probably?!"
Tiamora grinned, her teeth glinting in the dim light. "Life is an adventure, darling. Stop clinging to the edge and embrace it."
Rynhara let out a frustrated groan. "Fine. But If I die, I'm haunting you."
"Good luck with that," Tiamora said, chuckling.
Taking a deep breath, Rynhara stepped closer to the edge. Her small body felt impossibly fragile in the face of the towering cliffs and endless skies. She closed her mismatched eyes, willing herself to jump. Her legs tensed.
"Nope. Yada. Can't do it," she muttered, stepping back.
Before she could retreat any further, Tiamora's massive tail shot out, giving her a not-so-gentle slap off the edge.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Rynhara screamed as she plummeted.
"Helping!" Tiamora called after her, laughing.
---
The wind roared past Rynhara's ears as she tumbled downward, her arms flailing wildly. Her wings snapped open instinctively, the sudden resistance yanking her upward with a jolt.
"Okay, okay!" she shouted, her voice barely audible over the rushing air. "Flap. Just flap. Easy, right?"
Her wings flapped erratically, sending her spinning in circles. She barely avoided crashing into an outcropping of jagged rocks, her tail whipping around to keep her balance.
"This is not easy!" she yelled, glaring up at the cliff where Tiamora was undoubtedly watching and laughing.
Gradually, Rynhara's movements became less frantic. She managed a clumsy glide, her wings catching the thermals rising from the molten rivers below. Her mismatched eyes widened with a mix of terror and exhilaration.
"I'm… I'm flying," she whispered.
It wasn't graceful, nor was it entirely intentional, but she was staying in the air. She whooped in triumph, a sound that quickly turned into a startled scream as a gust of wind sent her careening sideways into a stalagmite.
With a grunt, she bounced off the rock and spiraled downward, barely managing to level out before hitting the ground. She landed in a heap, her wings draped over her like a defeated banner.
"Well, that was embarrassing," she muttered.
---
Moments later, Tiamora descended gracefully, her massive wings barely making a sound as she landed beside Rynhara.
"Not bad for your first attempt," Tiamora said, her tone far too smug for Rynhara's liking.
"I nearly died!" Rynhara snapped, glaring up at her.
"But you didn't," Tiamora pointed out, leaning down to nudge her with the tip of her snout. "And you flew. A bit. Progress, darling."
Rynhara groaned, pushing herself to her feet. "Next time, maybe warn me before shoving me off a cliff."
"Where's the fun in that?" Tiamora asked, smirking.
Rynhara rolled her eyes, brushing the dust off her shimmering scales. She couldn't deny that, despite the terror, there had been a moment—a brief, fleeting moment—when flying had felt… incredible.
"Alright," she said, sighing. "What's next on this nightmare of a to-do list?"
Tiamora's grin widened. "Oh, darling. We haven't even started on fire breathing yet."
Rynhara groaned again. "Of course we haven't. So whens the toture happening?"
As the Dragon Queen led her back toward the lair, Rynhara couldn't help but glance back at the skies. She hated to admit it, but a part of her was already eager to try flying again—preferably without the falling part.
"Maybe this won't be so bad," she muttered under her breath.
Tiamora's laughter echoed ahead, a sound equal parts comforting and infuriating.