A creatures bath

“Hold on. That’s quite uncomfortable.”

I shook my head while carefully sliding over the wet rocks, hissing loudly when I lost my balance for a split second and barely averted disaster. And that disaster would be plunging over the edge into the glittering lake below. Actually, it was the place where I was going, but what a disgrace it would be to fall into it. No, no, no, I could not let that happen. I would bring shame to my ancestors and to myself. An elegant, intelligent, and stunning being with a hundred years of gracing this world would never ever stumble and fall into a lake! My scales shivered, and a soft but audible rattling sound filled the air. I tried to ground myself by digging my sharp claws into the rocks, pretending it was actually helping. Well, it was not because I felt my left hind leg slowly sliding away over the rocks. I let out a low growl, turning my head to the back, annoyed, only to discover the shameful view of myself almost hanging down the rocks like a bat. Even my beautiful, long tale looked afraid in this position. My stomach grew hot and steam rose up my long neck, which I freed with a long exhale through my nostrils, clouding my vision for a short second. I shifted my body slightly, balancing on the wet rocks, ducking myself down slowly, and with a delightful feeling, I spread my broad wings. A shudder went through them as they spread into the cold air. I chuckled quietly and jumped into the sky, flapping my wings steadily as I rose up with the glittering lake in focus. Might as well escape this distressing situation. Within a few wingbeats, I reached the lake, glittering in the first hazy light of sunrise. I turned to fly a small circle upwards into the air before I suddenly retracted my wings and plummeted headfirst into the clear water. The silence under the lake overcame me when I let myself plunge into the water, bubbles rising around me as I whirled down like a screw. Before I reached the ground, I turned over so that my hind legs hit the lake’s ground, pushing myself back up and spreading my wings simultaneously. The glittering, dazzling light above the water grew bigger and bigger, and in no time I broke through the surface, rising into the sky once again. Water dripped down my scales, making them shimmer even more. I flapped my wings quickly and steadily to reach a fast speed and climb upwards into the sky. The lake with the hellish rocks next to it disappeared from my view as I flew around the mountains. Misty, big, and dark cliffs rising above the light of the morning.

The water on my scales was already gone, but now it was time for the actual wash. I focused my piercing eyes on the thick, white clouds in the distance above and found my target immediately. A cloud shaped like a dragon’s egg drifted slowly over the sky. “That will do,” I thought, and picked up my speed before shooting right into the misty cloud. My body started to tingle from the humidity inside as I slowed down and hovered in the cloud. In a quick movement I turned my body around, so it made me lie in the cloud. Wings spread wide around me for support. I let out a content sigh, blinking my eyes slowly. My scales shivered in a satisfied manner this time, although I could still sense the distress from earlier. “Best to get rid of it as soon as possible,” I sighed and felt the damp air climbing onto my body, making its way into all the ridges between my scales. My nostrils started to feel clammy, and that was my cue to tear open my mouth in a loud roar. But instead of a roar there was silence. Drafts of colourful breath streamed out of my mouth, gliding into the form of a round frame above me. I closed my eyes for a moment, listening to the noises in my head, the images floating around, and my innermost mood, not scaring away when a flash of pain struck me all over, making me shake. The pain vanished, and a powerful need for action took its place. My eyes snapped open, focusing on the whirling colours that filled my vision. With a slow, soft exhale, I forced the colours spin faster until they resolved into a clear but moving scene. A whiff of air swirled into crashing waves, glittering under other strands of air that turned into the picture of a scorching sun with soft clouds snuggling up against it. In the middle of the powerful image of nature stood a massive cliff, waves crashed into it and made the seawater splash onto the rock.

On top stood a majestic, human figure, smiling happily at me. “There you are,” the figure said, taking a step forward. A long, red robe slid over the ground of the rock around her as she came closer. Mazu. My friend. At her sight, I felt a small pang of sorrow deep in my heart but also a sudden warmth of happiness spreading through my chest. “We meet again,” I answered. The wind made her long hair and the rows of hanging pearls under her crown float into the air. “Indeed, at last,” she whispered, still smiling at me. I took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, clouding the image of Mazu in front of me for a small moment. While doing so, I felt the tension and distress fade a little bit, my mind only focusing on the scene before me. The air mixed with the colours and the scene of Mazu, who closed her eyes, shuddering slightly as my breath reached her. Mazu stayed quiet for a while. I watched her closely, waiting for her to understand the concerns I had begun to harbour over time. The air would make her understand, she would feel my spirit, my thoughts, worries, emotions and even bodily pain if I had any. If I was being honest with myself, it had been a while since I had done my last outer and inner cleansing. Nothing to be proud of. My ancestors would pierce me with their gaze of disagreement for sure. An overloaded mind can be quite dangerous for a powerful dragon like myself. Boarding to confusion.

Was it avoidance or did I seek to hold those worries close because I thought they were not meant to be cleansed? They would not disappear with inner cleansing, they would just grow quieter in my mind. Easier to push away and easier to pull closer. Did I think I was doing the right thing by holding them so close? Or was I too proud? Overestimating myself? Probably.

The memory with Mazu was the right choice, I trusted her opinion. She would not remember today’s meeting. Wherever she was, she would not know about our conversation right now. That was the power of the dragon-egg-shaped cloud and my own. It was ancient dragon magic, never to be broken, never to be spoken. Sacred but also sensitive. I was relieving a memory from decades ago, yet a new conversation would be unfolding now. The final meeting between two friends destined to never see each other again had returned to the present. While the original encounter would remain forever unchanged in our shared memory, a new dialogue would take place here. One that only I would remember. Mazu was here to untangle my thoughts and ease my worries, in whatever way she saw fit. Her actions and words would be nothing I could control with my power, it was up to her. My only task was to release my worries and quieten my vast mind.

I felt the moist air warming up around me and thin strands of steam starting to rise around my body. I stretched out my long neck with a sigh and waggled my wings a little before going still. Because Mazu was standing there, shaking with laughter and staring at me amused. “There is nothing to laugh about,” I grumbled, annoyed, knowing very well where it was coming from. The slippery rocks incident from earlier. If a dragon could blush, I would be blushing in the colour of deep ruby. “You can stop now,” I demanded with squinted eyes in her direction. She tilted her head to the side, eyes sparkling, she kept laughing while watching my expression turn into desperation. “Very well,” she said. “This graceful moment shall be remembered-“ I interrupted her with a loud growl of annoyance. “That is not necessary. It shall be forgotten and never be spoken off again.” I rumbled. Mazu let out a loud and ringing laugh before she clasped her hands in front of her mouth, looking at me mischievously. “I will do as you wish, my friend. May we never speak of it again, although I find myself wishing I had been there watching from the edge of the waves. A shame it was a freshwater lake.” She chuckled and turned serious. Mazu moved forward and set down, letting her in-robe-clad-legs dangle over the edge of the big rock. Ocean water sprayed onto her red clothes with every clashing wave, but she was unfazed. She breathed in the salty air with closed eyes deeply and said, “A lot has changed, my friend. There is nothing we can do, we can adjust and try to stop the world from burning. Nature’s power was always ruling with a strength we can’t even imagine. But what I mean by trying to stop the world from burning is to act carefully and in a sensitive manner. One breath of fire too strong can be disastrous, one hard wingbeat over spreading flames can be devastating. Also, when acted out of goodwill, our actions will always have consequences, and they aren’t always good. We need to open our senses, think carefully, gather to move forward and overturn the heat.” She opened her eyes slowly, clear and wise, and looked at me with a fleeting hint of sadness. Mazu stretched out a hand in tune with a rolling wave coming in, splashing her arm with water. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at her soaked arm, and she repeated the same motion with the other arm as well. My eyes followed her every move while I let out another breath, smaller this time, clouding the image once again. She needs to know every bit of my worries before I can push them further away. Freeing myself to think clearly and make room for what was coming next. “The earth is shaking, and the waves are heightening as if trying to reach the mountain tops. Plants are drying under the heat of the sun, burning forests are eating everything in their way under their greedy manner. It is quiet, but at the same time screaming seems to fill the air. The wind carries the sorrows of the world to my ears, death overturning life more and more. So I keep watching and waiting, watching and waiting. A pointless act of hope. Because hope is getting hopeless. Tell me, dear friend, is it lost? Is the balance of nature hurt so deeply?” I stretched out my claws, slicing the air. A deep sorrow rose within me after speaking those words. Mazu folded her wet hands in her lap, deep in thought.

The state of the world was the reason I could not meet my friend. To reach the waters of the ocean, I would have to cross land that had turned into desert. Flying under the heat of the sun and the dry air would ruin my wings. They would desiccate and start to tear, making it impossible to keep flying. Even I, a powerful creature with hundreds of years on my back, would plummet down from the sky and most likely die in the heat of the dessert. Mazu’s voice interrupted my train of thought, and I blinked myself back into the moment. “I too am worried. I can also feel the hopelessness. It is definitely stronger now, but I would never dare to say that all is lost. For us it is most important not to give up hope for the sake of the world. Tides can turn fast, and waves do roll steadily. You and I are both old witnesses of the world’s ways. Now its state is despair, but with care and awareness it can change again. Let it rest. Don’t let your mind overcloud with worry. Because it might distract you from the things you truly need to see.” She smiled slowly. “Focus on today’s journeys first. Although you almost tumbled down a rock, there would have been water to catch you.” I rolled my eyes but did not deny it because it was true. Water would have caught me. I stretched, shook out my wings, and water drops flew around me. I felt my mind clearing slowly but steadily and closed my eyes. With the conversation still fresh on my mind, I felt hope taking over, pushing away the worry and despair. “Thank you,” I told Mazu and opened my eyes, watching her smile quietly before getting up, standing on the rock once more. The wind had picked up, and her red, long robe was dancing in the air around her. She looked so powerful in the light of the sun and the glittering waves around her, reaching out to her, trying to get her attention. She smiled at me quietly once more before I let out a deep breath, and with a whiff of air, the scene in front of me was gone. Mazu as well.

For a moment I soaked in all that just happened before I let it float into a hidden corner of my mind. I would find it sometime soon. For now I was at peace, and so I drew in my humid wings, letting myself fall backwards out of the dragon-egg-shaped cloud. Water drops rose around me as I reached cold, dry air, and I swung around. With my gaze focused on the horizon I adjusted my body into a flying stance and opened my broad wings once more. Glittering with the last drops of water, I spread them wide, flapped them in a steady beat, and soared through the sky. Ready to let the despair of the world swallow me once more.