STLFD - Chapter 6

Getting Ready

When Scar returned, the fire had reduced to ashes and the sun brushed the horizon. He had thought about the journey that was his destiny, and how it now lay out before him like a never-ending trail. The dragon walked into the little room that Siria had carved out herself for guests. Not to his surprise he found both humans still awake.

Ben looked up from his stick he had been shredding. Scar had peered into the room where they were. "I figured you'd be awake." he said as he stepped inside. "We've been thinking about the journey we have to take. The only small problem we found is how to get where Savador's dwelling. He is said to live on top of the highest cloud in the sky." Sarah explained. "You'll have to ride on my back, I guess." Scar told them, annoyed. "What? We'd die!! The flames on your back will toast us as if we're mere bugs!! They're like 2,000 degrees!" protests Ben. "You though my flames would kill you? Oh, come on!! My flames only burn when I tell them to. I guess you didn't know that because you're human." Scar exclaimed. "Yes, that and because that only beings that have a very good knowledge of dragons know that." said Siria, making Scar jump. "Must you always scare me?" Scar says, shaken. "You're just always off guard. You need to toughen up if you are to face larger and more powerful enemies than humans." Siria said. Scar had tried to scare her earlier but she just withstood it.


At dawn the next morning Scar found Ben and Sarah watching the sunrise. Both appeared deep in thought. As Scar walked over to them, Ben raised his head. "Oh, it's just you." he said. "What's the matter, Ben? You seem troubled." Scar asked with concern. "Oh, nothing." Ben turned his head towards the sunrise. Sarah looked over and murmured a greeting then turned her back to him. "What's the matter? I can tell something is bothering you." Scar said again, this time sitting down next to them. Ben sighed heavily then turned. "We're just thinking of the journey, that's all." Scar expected this. "I've been thinking the same thing. The journey ahead and behind seem a million wing-lengths away." Scar sighed and lay his head down between his paws. The humans can't be cheered up by him alone.

At that moment Siria came up behind him. She glanced at him and then looked at Ben and Sarah. At once she seemed to know what to do. "Two steps forward, one step back. Looked at the lost step and try to regain it." Scar looked up. What was she saying? Sarah seemed to be thinking the same thing. She opened her mouth then closed it again. Then said" What do you mean?" Siria looked at her. "All creatures look for a way to sprint forward in life. They never stop and think. All the time we try to find a way to skip the hard parts of life, like going two steps forward. Then they find out that that problem turns bigger and they have to go one step back to control it. We all go through that once in our lives at least. Some time try to take a breath and look at the possibilities instead of looking of ways to skip the troubles in life." Siria explained. Ben seemed to pick up on it. "Oh! You mean that sometimes we can't skip things to go ahead. We have to focus on what is happening now so we don't have to go back and try to fix a bad problem." Scar and Sarah stared at Ben in astonishment. "What?" They said at the same time.  Ben and Sarah started to laugh. Siria giggled. Finally Scar laughed a little.

Around 3 hours later Scar was trying to encourage Ben and Sarah to get on to his back. "I told you my flames won't hurt you!!" Scar slid his tail impatiently in the dirt. "Fine I'll go first, Chicken." Sarah walked up to Scar and hesitantly put her hand on his back. The flames licked around her hand as if they're not there. Next she slung her leg around his back. Finally she pulled herself up and onto his back close to his neck. She leant a hand to Ben who, rather sluggishly, pulled himself up behind her, close to his wings. Siria walked up to them. "Ready?" she asked. "Yup" Scar turned to face her. "I'll miss you." He said. "There's no need to miss me because if you don't mind I'm coming with you." She said. "Just try to keep up!" Scar spread his wings. "Wait!! Shouldn't one of us ride Siria? You know to balance it out?" Ben said quickly. Scar folded his wings. "Go" Siria lay down so Ben could climb onto her back. He firmly grasped one of her spines and lay streamlined across her back. He grabbed his backpack and slung it over her neck. "Now, we're ready" Both dragons stretched their wings and took off into the afternoon sun.