11/11/2023 0 Comments Amaya dragon prince sign language![]() Scars that Janai herself had burned there, the day her sister had died. Amaya seemed surprised, but softened as Janai brushed a thumb over the scars on Amaya’s palm. Then she used her other hand to tap inquiringly against the vial. “ It’s fun,” she signed, touching her nose with two fingers and then tapping them to her other hand. She waited until Janai had finished rubbing the ointment into her fingers. “Perhaps Crackledrake was not my best idea.”įrowning, Amaya shook her head stubbornly. “It is easier for Sunfire elves,” Janai said, slow enough that Amaya could read her lips, as her hands were occupied. Janai poured some Sun’s Tears ointment onto her fingertips, gently soothing it against the general’s mild burns. Amaya peered at her, then rested her injured hand on Janai’s palm. Hardly thinking, she lifted a slender vial from her belt and reached out. Janai gasped at the sight of Amaya’s singed skin. She kept her eyes on Janai while she reached into the brandy-and hissed in pain as her fingers lingered a split second too long. “Friends.” She fidgeted, and distracted herself by tucking her braids up into a knot to keep them from the flames.Īmaya must’ve been distracted as well. Janai felt a heat in her cheeks that did not come from the burning brandy. Amaya thought for a long moment, the blue flames dancing in her eyes, and then she signed, “ Friends?” She stumbled through the signing, but Amaya was patient. “Crackledrake is for family, friends, and former prisoners who have become friends.” She snatched a fruit from the fire and ate it while she remembered how to sign what she wanted to say very carefully. “ A few more times,” Amaya signed, entirely too pleased with herself. “Amaya! How many times must I apologize?” “ You’re close to your prisoners, Queen Janai?” “It is fun! Crackledrake is for family, and friends, and… people you are close to.”Īmaya met her eyes and her grin widened playfully. “Well done,” Janai said, and signed the words after. She blew hard on a burning dawnfruit to put out the flames before biting into its warmed, tender flesh. The General pulled off her gloves, cracked her knuckles, and reached into the burning brandy, too. It tasted of treasured winters past, and of sweet hope for the future. Janai demonstrated: she struck fast, plucking a glowing kindlecorn from the burning brandy, shook loose the flames, then placed it in her mouth. So now, it is a winter tradition in Lux Aurea to remember her bravery, and to share a celebratory Crackledrake meal-”Īmaya’s brows rose, and Janai halted to carefully watch her hands. She used her quick hands to rescue every last morsel from the fire, and brought them home to feed her family. She gulped and concluded, “But the traveler did not despair. ![]() Janai watched her hands and recognized one of the first signs Kazi had taught her: the sign for “ beautiful.” ![]() ![]() The fire reflected in Amaya’s eyes, and she smiled in wonder. The kindlecorns began to glow golden, and the pink dawnfruits peeled open like six-petaled flowers. It caught fire with a quiet whuff, deep blue flames flickering bright and filling the bowl. She touched a smoldering fingertip to the brandy. “The emberdrakes trampled everything and set the traveler’s wagon and its goods ablaze with their fiery paws! The brandy spread the fire, and all seemed lost.” The General tilted her head, waiting for the next part of the story.Ĭlearing her throat, Janai scattered plump dawnfruits and brown-capped kindlecorns into the gleaming brandy. The air, cool and gentle on her skin, tasted nothing like the dust of the ruins where her people had made their temporary home, and it was far enough away that she could not see the terrible haze that still shrouded the city of Lux Aurea. They’d come to one of Janai’s favorite places: an overlook that faced to the north, where they could see the snow-capped mountains that bordered the Frozen Sea in the distance. When Amaya’s brown eyes sharpened and she nodded in understanding, Janai felt her confidence settle, but her heart sparked. With her fingers, she spelled the word- emberdrakes-with extra care, so that each letter was what she’d practiced. “But north of the city, her wagon was overrun by a herd of emberdrakes.” She poured a golden liquid into a wide, shallow bowl that rested in the grass between her and Amaya. “Once upon a sunrise,” Janai began, “a brave traveler returned home to Lux Aurea with a wagonful of fruits, nuts, and brandy.” The Dragon Prince: Reflections “Crackledrake” Written by Kris James ![]()
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