I tighten my armor as I again face the blue dragon, its amber eyes glaring at me.

“I will ride you!” I shout, wiping the mud from my pants.

“Have you tried asking?” The dragon growls.

I slack my arms, a bit embarrassed that the thought hadn’t occurred.

“May I please ride you…uh what’s your name?” I say, gently.

“Seraphine, and I’ll allow you a ride if you tell me your secret,” she whispers, her eyes suddenly intrigued by me.

“Secret?”

She walks closer, her long talons gripping the mud beneath her. “I know you hold a secret, one that holds you down. I can smell it.”

I gulp.

Do I really need to explain myself to a dragon?

“Yes, you do,” Seraphine says, her voice thundering in my head.

I sigh.

I walk reluctantly to a nearby rock and seat myself. Seraphine lies beside me, awaiting my story.

“The one person I loved with my whole heart died a month ago. He was killed. Ever since, a gapping hole lies in my heart. I tried filling it with everything…nothing soothes the pain.”

Tears prickle at my eyes. “I just want to be complete, not perfect. I just want that hole to seal so I can have a heart again.”

Seraphine looks at me with a hint of sorrow.

“I too lost my companion. But I think I know how to heal. You may ride me, Celia, but in return I desire your friendship.”

I bow my head before her. “You may take anyhting, friend.”

We rocket into the sky, Seraphine’s blue wings beating against the wind. I let out a loose cry and we sail over mountains and trees.

Friends we became.