Jemblaze

Jemblaze was born in Oak Valley, and was

the mother of Dragonflight. Not much is known about her except for what her daughter and surviving creatures of Oak Valley remember about her, for she died in the beating torrents of the Suriem Cycle.

She was known to be kind and powerful with magic, although she was too weak to use it after Dragonflight was born.

## Flight and Death, as Guessed by Dragonflight

In the spring of 4315, the Suriem Cycle was passing over the forests northeast of Draginia, and over Oak Valley as well. Its unrelenting rains drove many creatures to seek higher ground. Among them was a fairy-horse called **Jemblaze**. She had just given birth to a filly when the rains came, and as she was very weak at the time, she was unsure if she could lift her foal into the air, which she knew she'd have to do if the valley began to flood.

She could not climb the mountains that surrounded the valley, because there she would be in danger of lightning and tearing wind. (Fairy-horse's wings are not generally strong.) **Jemblaze** wondered, having heard of the vicious storm cycle, if she and the foal would have to find a new home even if they did survive. She wondered vaguely where she would go, and perhaps her mind strayed to the tales she had heard, back when she was a foal herself, of the floating island called Draginia. She decided that she would call her child Dragonflight, most likely with the vague hope that, even if she herself did not live, her newborn filly would have the strength to *somehow* fly to safety.

The place where Jemblaze had given birth was between two hills, and very dry, and so now it was flooding very quickly. With what seemed the last of her strength, she nudged her daughter to the top of one of the hills and then climbed up beside her. She was certain, as the rain continued, that both of them would die there, but suddenly the flooding seemed to cease—the water stopped where it was and left the hilltop dry. (This was due to the fact that the water had just begun to soak into the ground, and also because the rain had eased slightly.)

But the rain continued. For eight days it poured, washing berry-laden branches onto the hilltop so Jemblaze could eat. She regained her strength quickly, and so did Dragonflight—in three days, both could fly. Jemblaze and her daughter left the hilltop soon after, and they alighted on a larger patch of land that had become an island among the waves of Suriem rain. Here they stayed until the rain stopped. Jemblaze knew that the rain had not stopped for good. They were only between two huge bands of the Suriem's swirling arms, two huge bands of rain. The next spell would begin again soon. Jemblaze searched the island for signs of her husband and friends, but she could find only a couple of rabbits and some birds. When she had left the hilltop with Dragonflight and come to this larger dry patch, the rain had been blinding and she had chosen the first substantial piece of land she saw. She had told herself that there were probably other such islands, and that her mate would be on one of them.

She and Dragonflight lifted into the air, and Jemblaze gazed around, wildly searching for more dry patches as they flapped higher and higher. There were none in sight—it was a good thing they'd left the hilltop, for now even it had disappeared beneath the swirling, muddy water. Perhaps Jemblaze's mate had flown away and found even higher ground. Jemblaze told her filly to stay on the island, and she flew out alone to look for him. She had not returned by sundown, and clouds now roiled overhead. Dragonflight called for her mother, but the first drops of rain had fallen when Jemblaze finally returned, having found no sign of Dragonflight's father.

The rain soon quickened. Jemblaze feared that their island would go under in this next spell of rain. They had to leave, and this they did. They flew away from the storm and towards Draginia, but the rain caught up with them. Jemblaze had thought, when starting out, that she would be strong enough to escape, but flying through the swirling drops, she felt that she was still quite weak. She quickly tired and slowed. Dragonflight was flying at an incredibly young age, but soon—even with her low, uneven flight—she overtook her mother. She was in a panicked state. Now that the small horse could move around, she was desperate to escape the pounding torrents. Jemblaze lagged farther and farther behind as time went on, and finally, yelling to her daughter to flee, she was lost amid the beating sheets of water.