The large quantities of food that Virgo prepared the next morning couldn't keep up with my appetite. It was like I had a black hole for a stomach. It only took a few minutes for me to devour my breakfast of sautéed dandelion greens, almonds, and kale—lots and lots of kale. Yet, I craved more, even if she gave me another serving of kale.

I nestled my bowl in the sand beside me and looked up at Virgo, seated on the opposite side of our make-shift fire pit. She must have watched me ravage my bowl, quite the contrast to her slow savoring consumption of her own portion.

"Would you like anything else to eat before you go?" she asked. Her voice was as serene as the pastel sunrise.

Though hungry, I didn't want to be an imposition. It might take Virgo a long time to collect the ingredients for breakfast, cook it, and then wait for me to finish before sending me off to the Gemini. Surely she'd want to get back to her work on the island. I opened my mouth to say no.

What are you doing? the dragon screamed. You won't last through the day if you aren't fed properly.

"Yes." The word tumbled out without a second thought.

Virgo reached into her trusty basket. It followed her everywhere and always seemed to carry what she needed. Right now, it provided an oblong fruit, reminiscent of a melon.

Of course she'd be prepared with more food. I didn't know why I thought it'd be challenging for her to satiate my appetite.

The dragon appeared satisfied. See? Everything worked out.

"May I borrow your knife to open this?" Virgo asked.

"Sure." I handed her the gilt-metal. Virgo split the fruit easily, revealing a soft peach-colored interior. Small black spheres filled the center, kind of like boba. I assumed that in reality, they were seeds. "What is it?"

"It's a papaya," Virgo said. She scooped the seeds out with her large wooden spoon. Then she sliced the fruit diagonally and horizontally, so the fruit released from the hard exterior. She handed both halves to me as well as my knife. "You can have the whole fruit. It should fill you up and will give you lots of carbohydrates for your journey."

I'd heard of papaya a few times before, but I'd never tasted it. With the tip of my knife, I stabbed a chunk and popped it into my mouth. Sweet juice gushed onto my tongue from the creamy flesh. It was a delicious, one-of-a-kind flavor, closest to a mixture of cantaloupe and baked pumpkin. Once I got home, I knew I had to buy another one. Lani simply had to try it. If anything came from this adventure, at least I discovered a new fruit.

"Now, while you're eating, let me tell you how to get to the Gemini," Virgo said. "The Gemini like to stick with a few people and places that they know best. There's about three locations that you'll find them: in the stars, in the air, or on a certain Island in the Caribbean."

"In the air?" I said, gulping down a piece of papaya.

"It's complicated," Virgo stated. "Your best chance of finding them is on the Island of Tocona Isla, off the coast of Bermuda."

That caught my attention. I set down the chunk of fruit I was about to eat. "Bermuda? Like, the Island of Bermuda?"

Virgo nodded firmly.

My heart plummeted in my chest. I knew little about Caribbean geography, but I did know that Bermuda was far from the Bahamas. Already, the distance between Lani and me felt infinitely greater.

"Isn't there any other place?" I asked.

"Unfortunately not. The Islanders there have a good rapport with the Gemini. So even if the Gemini aren't there when you arrive, the tribe can summon them for you." Virgo's mouth widened in a motherly smile. It coaxed me to believe that everything would be alright.

I inhaled the fresh morning air, trying to collect my thoughts. Maybe the storm washed me farther from home than I thought. Maybe I was already close to the new island.

"How far is it?" I asked.

"Don't worry," she assured me, "your journey should go quickly, since you can fly."

"Whoa, what?" We had never agreed upon this.

"It's the most direct route."

Anxiety rose within me, stamping out my longing for home. The situation sounded too precarious. I was traveling by air to another island that could be hundreds of miles away based solely on Virgo's directions from who knows where. I wasn't even sure if I could fly, since I'd never used my wings before. And that wasn't even mentioning the fact that the Gemini might not be there.

"I-I don't know if I'm strong enough to fly," was all I could stammer out.

Virgo didn't seem to hear me. "In order to get to the Island, just keep flying straight North, which is perpendicular to the rising sun. You'll know you've reached it when you see an island with five volcanoes, four clustered around a central one."

Those directions were awfully vague—too vague for comfort. What if I got off track? I placed an untouched papaya half in the sand. My stomach was wrung into too many knots to finish it.

The sun climbed overhead, bathing the beach in its yellow rays. Virgo snuffed out the dying fire with a jar of seawater.

"You'd better get going," she said. "I'll pack some kale for you to take in your belt."

Of course she'd give us kale to-go, the dragon grumbled.

There's no 'us,' I thought. And for the record, kale is beginning to grow on me.

The dragon harrumphed, but spoke no further. I smiled to myself. I was learning just what to say in order to irk him.

Virgo handed a cloth parcel to me. "This ought to sustain you. The trip shouldn't be too long, but knowing how strenuous flying can be for amateurs, I imagine you'll need it."

The key word in her statement was "shouldn't." The trip shouldn't be too long, but that didn't mean it couldn't be long.

My face turned to the sky. Just enough clouds fluffed the endless blue expanse. It stretched all the way from here to Tocona Isla, from Tocona Isla to the Bahamas.

To Lani.

The world kept magnifying, and I couldn't keep up. I wondered if it was still possible for me to get home, especially now that this new problem arose. How on earth was I going to fly?

But I needed to make this journey. It was my last hope. Even if my attempt failed, I had to try to reach Tocona Isla.

"How—how do I fly?" I asked.

Virgo's eyebrows knit together. I didn't know why I expected her to be less clueless than I. She just exuded wisdom in her tall posture, her astute eyes. It made me think she could solve any problem, whether it be her own or someone else's. But this wasn't where her skill set lay. At least, I didn't think so. I wondered how many dragons she'd met in her life, and out of that number, how many she had to teach to fly. Probably few, if any. Weren't dragons extinct, anyway?

"Personally, I am not an expert," she began slowly, "but I believe you just spread your wings, jump, and let your muscles pull you upward."

She made it sound simple—as simple as swimming. I doubted it would be so straightforward, but it was worth a try.

I had to try.

I clambered to my hind legs. My wings unfolded from behind my back. It felt good to stretch them, roll out the kinks that plagued my muscles due to inactivity. It was my first time using them, time to see if they'd support my weight.

I broke into a run. My feet pushed off the ground, and my wings stiffened. I flapped them up and down, trying to pull myself to the heavens. I hovered in the air, right at the edge of the beach. My muscles strained, burned from the exertion. Tension mounted, pain shot through my rigid wings. The movements grew tinier, more jolted. I sank lower and lower, until all the pressure released, my wings relaxed.

Sand smacked my back. The air in my lungs lurched out. I shut my eyes, gasping a breath.

"Are you okay?" Virgo called.

My paws pushed me upright as she knelt beside me, eyes scanning me for injuries.

"I don't think I can do this," I said. "I'm not strong enough. I think I need a day to rest after all the work I did yesterday."

Virgo's gaze dropped to the ground. I instantly regretted what I said. She probably thought it was her fault that I was tired right now. Because of all my help, I couldn't get home.

"I-It's okay," I quickly added. "It'll be fine."

Virgo was silent for a long bit, her voice replaced by the rolling waves. Finally, her eyes pierced mine. "Remember what I said yesterday? About having a goal?" I nodded slowly. "Don't you have a goal, a dream, to get home? Don't you want to do everything in your power to achieve it? You're much stronger than you realize. And if you're determined enough, you'll make a way to reach your sister."

Lani. She was somewhere in the distance, somewhere I could reach.

She shouldn't have to wait for me any longer.

I shoved myself onto my feet. I towered over Virgo, tall and proud—a dragon. A flying dragon who'd make a way home.

"I'll try again," I said. "And I'll keep trying until I succeed."

Virgo beamed. "That's what I want to hear."

Me too! the dragon piped up.

Quit ruining the moment, I thought.

"Come back and visit me sometime," Virgo chuckled.

"I will." For some reason, the words carried a finality. A promise that I intended to keep. Virgo's gaze wavered. She didn't want to get her hopes up.

"Well, you'd better get going before it gets any later," she said. I turned, about to leave, when a sudden thought crossed my mind.

"What about my sister, Lani? Is there any way that you can tell her I'm safe?"

"I'll make sure that she gets a message that you are on your way, and that she does not need to worry. What's her full name? Lani..."

"Vatelle. Lani Vatelle."

"I'll get it to her as soon as I can."

I sighed in relief. Though it might take a while, at least she'd know I was still alive.

"Goodbye, Virgo." I reached out, my humongous arms enveloping her slender frame in a hug.

"Goodbye, Kiara."

I pulled back and broadened my wings. They relaxed at my sides, not limp, but not tense. My feet pounded the sand, then leapt in the air. The mighty wings swept in the air, tugged me higher. For a second, I looked down at the swirling sea below.

My wings faltered, and I dipped in the sky. Dragon's weight bore down on me, pressing me back to Earth. Panic gripped my heart. In a frenzy, my wings tightened, trying to force me back up. Knots tied in my muscles, throbbing with every movement. I flailed helplessly, unstable.

Fly Kiara, the dragon whispered. Fly.

I breathed. In, out. In, out.

Up, down. Up, down.

My wings pumped with every bit of energy in my body. I felt myself being pulled higher and higher, and higher still, until I soared just below the clouds.

I knew that I shouldn't look down, but I did. As my keen eyes fell on the Island, I saw Virgo waving. I stopped, forcing my wings to move while I waved back.

I'll miss you, I thought.

Turning back to the course ahead, I started straight north, just like Virgo directed. My wings spread wide, and I glided forward. The cool air brushed my scales, a breeze generated from my wing's motion. Icy droplets sprayed in my face as I dove through a fluffy cloud, but I didn't care. I didn't have a care in the world. I was on cloud nine, physically and mentally. My wings flitted a little faster and just...soared.

Suddenly, flying didn't feel like a strain. The weight from before was gone. I felt my muscles relax as momentum propelled me forward. My spine curved, and I drew a loop in the air. Laughter spilled from my chest.

This was the way life should be. It was free.

It's not too late to pursue your dreams, the dragon said. You can be just like Virgo. You can be a dragon. Discover what suits your gifts best and go after it.

I shoved the dragon's voice aside—because I knew it was right.