Chapter 2: Escape

     The air around Velicity whooshed around her like an invisible hand, sucking  them forward. Velicity closed her stinging eyes and felt a strange pressure as if the sky was compressing around her.

     Then suddenly, they burst out of the strange funnel of air. Velicity gasped for air and looked around. She was back. Back in Earth.

     The sudden revelation was so surprising that Velicity just stared for a moment. After a several more seconds, Velicity recollected herself and managed to ask Skywing, “What did you do? H-how did we get here?”

     That was one of the portals from the Dragon’s Realm to Earth. I found it just in time to get away from those nasty Diamond wings. Skywing flapped his wings harder, as if flying was suddenly difficult. I can’t fly much more. Not enough magic. Different air.

     He nosedived uncontrollably downwards to the ground which nearly unseated Velicity despite her earlier training. She gave a scream as they dropped from the sky.

     The ground was rushing towards him, he couldn’t brake, he couldn’t even control his flight. CRASH!!! The ground shook with the impact.

     When the dust cleared, Skywing had created a giant crater. He was dazed and quite covered with dirt but was otherwise unharmed while Velicity was also covered with dirt but was in a state of shock.

     Ooops! That was probably my worst landing yet besides the time I fell out of a tree when I was a hatchling, mused Skywing to himself.

     Velicity blinked. Skywing had made a huge crater. At least it’s not in some person’s yard, but someone probably heard that or at least felt that. She looked around. They were in a forest of some sort. Velicity felt Skywing shift beneath her. He was climbing out of the twenty feet deep crater in the middle of what seemed like a forest.

     Skywing clambered clumsily out of the giant hole. “I’ll get off.” He heard Velicity say, and felt her climb off his back. Skywing shook himself ridding his scales of the itchy dirt.

     Velicity was showered with dirt as Skywing shook himself. I am so going to need a bath after all this. “Skywing! Can you please stop that?!” Her large blue dragon stopped.

     “Sorry,” he said.

     “When did you learn how to speak out loud?” asked Velicity surprised, forgetting all about how they just teleported back to Earth and that she was still covered with grime.

     Skywing shrugged and said, “I always did. I just like talking mind to mind better.”

     “I think we better find out where we are,” Velicity cut off her sentence abruptly. She spotted a human walking towards them.

     It’s a human. What should we do? Run? Hide? Velicity asked to Skywing’s mind.

     We should just stay here, see what happens, replied Skywing. Velicity’s jaw dropped. What was he thinking? But it was too late to run or hide now. The person had spotted them and was coming over.

     “What are you doing here?!” It was a middle aged woman. “This is a private reserve for endangered species!”

     “Um, I was just, uh . . .” Velicity trailed off not knowing what to say. Doesn’t she notice Skywing?

     “You’re all dirty! What did you do?” the woman’s voice changed to a motherly tone. “Come with me, you can use my house and shower. You can call me Angela, everyone does.”

     “Thanks.”

     Velicity followed Angela uncertainly, Skywing pacing behind them. “Um, Angela? Where are we?” She gestured to their surroundings.

     “Well, you’re in a nature reserve for a start, how you got in here I haven’t got a clue; there are guards at every entrance,” she paused and waited for an explanation. When she didn’t get one she continued, “Anyways, I work here. My house is just over this way . . .”

     A few minutes later, they arrived at an orderly looking house. Velicity looked around, they were in the country . . . the hills! Velicity remembered them; they were the same ones at the beach! “The hills . . .” she stammered, looking for a beach and finding none.

     The elder woman looked at her, concerned. “Are you okay, dear?”

     “There used to be a beach here,” Velicity mumbled vaguely.

     “Well, yes, there was . . . about fifty years ago.”

     “F-fift-ty y-years ago?!”Velicity shrieked. What in the world was happening? I wasn’t even alive fifty years ago! Her mind spun.

     “You don’t look so good, dear. Why don’t you sit down for a second, I’ll get you some water.” She hurried off after directing Velicity to a chair. Velicity sat down, stunned. What had happened when I was in the Dragon Realm? What became of my friends? My family?

     “Here you go. If you’re feeling better, you should go take a shower. I’m going to call my boss to tell him that I’m taking a day off.”

     I’ll stay outside, call me if you need me! It was Skywing. Velicity shook her head, she should really take a shower; she was dripping mud on the carpet.

     After a steaming hot bath, Velicity found Angela again. “Angela, thanks for the shower and all, but my drag�"I mean I have to go.”

     “There’s no reason to leave so quickly.” She caught the determined look on Velicity’s face.  “Where do you live? I can give you a ride if you really want to get home.” Just then, the front door opened.

    “Mommy, I’m home!” a little girl’s voice drifted into the living room seconds before the girl herself entered the room.

     “This is my daughter, Jade,” said Angela. Jade had wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. She was the kind of girl who everyone adored and said she was cute.

     “Who’s she?” asked Jade, staring at Velicity’s strange Dragonrider clothes.

     “This is . . .I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name yet.”

     “Er . . .I’m Velicity. Hi Jade.”

     The little girl turned back to her mother. “Mommy, you know there’s a dragon in our backyard? It’s all blue and pretty!” Velicity’s jaw dropped.

     Angela didn’t notice. She laughed, playing along, “That’s really nice Jade, now go outside and play with the dragon.” The little girl ran outside, squealing with delight.

     “Sorry about my daughter, so, where do you live again?” Angela asked, eyes twinkling. Velicity noticed that she had the same blue eyes as Jade.

     “U-um,” Velicity glanced out the window to where the little girl was running towards Skywing who was shying away. “I-I can walk.” And with that, Velicity bolted out the door. “Nice meeting you!” she called over her shoulder.

     Velicity hear the young child’s delighted shrieks and a second later, Skywing dashed around Angela’s house with the little blonde girl at his heels.