Beautiful Day For A Swim

 

            Jasmine moved her great teal body smoothly through the water. She was the best swimmer in all of Freyland. She had competed in many races, and Jasmine always won. Her body was just built for the water. She looked a little different from the other dragons. They weren’t able to tuck in their wings as close to their bodies as Jasmine could. This allowed her to move through the water like an arrow. She was also longer and more snakelike than the other dragons. She felt more at home in the water than she did on land.

            Now she swam to escape her siblings. They weren’t really her siblings, of course. She had been found as an abandoned egg by her parents on the edge of the ocean. They had taken her in and raised her with their other hatchlings. They all got along for the most part, but there were times when Jasmine just needed to get away. She knew how different she was, and sometimes she could feel the other dragons’ eyes on her because of the way she looked and moved.

            Jasmine spent more and more time in the ocean. She could hold her breath for quite a long time, and she found solace on the ocean floor, beneath the waves. She was swimming in an unfamiliar area when it happened. A series of popping noises made sound waves through the water. She had swum much further than she usually did. Curious, she set off to investigate.

            The strange noises got louder as she got closer to the source, which took a surprisingly long time. She actually had to return to the surface to get another breath of air. The noises got louder and louder until she finally saw what was causing it. A mountain of bubbles was gushing from a fissure in the ocean floor. The water was much warmer, and Jasmine almost felt herself pulled to the strange sight. Cautiously, she approached the streaming, popping cloud of bubbles.

            The water over here feels different, she thought. It was warmer, but not too hot, and anyway, her scales could withstand any heat. Slowly, Jasmine let her snout be enveloped by the bubbles. Suddenly, she felt her body change. She felt like she needed air and just opened her mouth to breathe in the water. It wasn’t something she had to think about, it just happened. “Wow!” Jasmine exclaimed, and was surprised to hear her voice. I can talk underwater now? she thought, a little confused. This bubble water is pretty amazing. I wonder where it comes from. She moved closer to the hole where the bubbles were still streaming.

            She leaned down and actually sniffed the water. What was that smell? she thought, intrigued. It almost smells like I should know this. Maybe once, long ago. She leaned in even closer and thought she could make out voices. Right above the giant fissure now, she saw what looked like a tunnel. I wonder where that leads. Jasmine swam suspended over the hole, debating whether it would be a good idea to go inside it or not.

            Before she could make up her mind, the bubbles stopped appearing, and Jasmine felt the current shift as it pulled her directly into the hole. Caught off guard, she thrashed around and knocked into the tunnel walls before finally righting herself and started swimming with the current.

            Good thing I don’t need air anymore. Jasmine couldn’t do anything except go along with the flow of the water. The tunnel was long and winding, and she started to pay more attention to what was around her. Were those dragon scales? She thought wildly, trying to get a better look. They were teal, the same color as Jasmine’s scales. Never before had she seen another dragon with her coloring. As she continued on, she saw more and more of the teal scales.

            Finally, Jasmine shot out of the tunnel into open water in a surge of popping bubbles. She pulled herself clear before it could suck her back in. Where am I? she thought, slightly worried. She didn’t recognize anything.

            Jasmine decided to swim up toward the surface to see if she could at least spot where land was. Something in the corner of her eye stopped her, however. She turned to get a better look, and was amazed to see an immense, snakelike, teal dragon swimming right toward her.

            Jasmine couldn’t believe it. The dragon pulled up to a stop right in front of her and spoke. “Beautiful day for a swim, right?” he said in a deep voice.

            “Y-yes,” she stammered out. Taking a few deep breaths to recover from her surprise, she said, “I think I’m lost. I was just sucked into a tunnel and got all turned around. I have no idea where I am.”

            The big dragon chuckled and said, “This is your first time here, right? Well, this is Marwen, realm of the sea dragons, and let me be the first to congratulate you on your return.”

            Jasmine had so many questions, that she wasn’t sure which one to ask first. Finally, she asked, “Am I a sea dragon?”

            “Of course. Only sea dragons are able to pass through the gates.” He looked at her kindly and continued, “My name is Troy, and I’m the one that’s been sent to welcome our new resident. I know you must have lots of questions.”

            Jasmine nodded her head vigorously.

            “Sea dragon eggs won’t hatch underwater, so we hide them in other dragon realms. Once the hatchling matures enough, they always seem to find their way back here without too much trouble.”

            Jasmine wasn’t sure what to think about that, but slowly, other thoughts seemed to sink in that she was a sea dragon and that this was her home now. Joy started in her chest and spread throughout her body until it burst out of her with a roar. There were other dragons like her! She didn’t have to be alone!

            Troy nodded appreciatively at her roar and said, “Come with me, and I’ll show you around.” He swam away, and Jasmine followed after him, finally feeling like she belonged.