Obstacles

This is the story of Leila. Well, in short.
Somewhere in the planet Nexus, one summer day came the cries of a female baby. Her mother had tears of pain and joy and named her Leila, after the legendary first Rider.
Leila grew up to be a strong girl overcoming all the obstacles put before her yet the eyes of jealous and disapproving people were always watching her. Waiting for her to fail. But Leila never gave up. She excelled in everything until the day came when she had to prove herself as a Rider.

As she stood in a long queue to visit the Elders who were responsible for the Ascension Ritual she noticed something really really disconcerting. There were a handful of women amongst the innumerable men there. For the first time in her life she felt nervous. She was scared that she'd fail and prove all those condescending men true who believe that women don't deserve to be Riders. But she decided to put all that away and waited for her name to be called.
As the roll call reached her(finally), she went in the tent to stand before the 8 elders. Each elder was a short person with frail hands holding a simple staff before them. In unison they all said, "Let the dragons choose your path. Let there be fire. Let there be flesh. Let there be bonds. Let there be victory." and thumped their staff on the ground.
Leila was wide-eyed at the amount of energy that was around her and in the tent and closed her eyes and waited for an aura to choose her. She stood there waiting for what seemed like an eternity until one of the Elders finally said, "The dragons do not approve. We are sorry."
Leila cried, "But this energy! I feel it! Just another minute. Please!"
The Elders respected her wish but after a while Leila realized, she wasn't going to be chosen. She had for the first time, failed. She fell to her knees and started crying until the Elders spoke in unison again, "Visit the eldest. Visit the eldest. Visit the eldest."
Leila looked up to the Elders and wiped her tears and stood up. She bowed, took a deep breath and walked out. She could distinctly here the jests and boos that her fellow mates were throwing at her.
The next day, Leila embarked on a journey to find the eldest dragon. The dragon of her namesake, the first dragon to ever have a Rider.
She travelled for days. Days became weeks. Weeks became months. Months became seasons. Seasons became years. Yet she never gave up until one summer day she finally found the First.
It was an enormous dragon. Bigger than any dragon she had ever seen. She could feel it's old aura pierce her like icicles. She could feel it's wisdom. She approached him and touched her hand against it's snout. A jolt of electricity raced through her arm tearing her sleeve into shreds yet she maintained contact.
O wise one. O old one. Heed my plea. Help me.
Who awakes me?
I am Leila Firstborn. I have come to you because the Elders told me to. I was rejected by all dragons as a Rider even though I could feel all their auras. What does this mean?
Child, a dragon doesn't ride a dragon. It lives free. Ruled by none. Fly high, Leila Firstborn.
But, is that all you have to offer me?

....
.......
Thank you, First.

Leila opened her eyes to find that the sun had already set. As she removed her hand from the great dragon's snout, she tried to make sense of what the dragon had to offer. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't make head or tails of his words. In frustration she started crying and looked up to the skies and demanded answers. She punched the ground again and again until she passed out.
When she woke in the morning she saw something strange had happened. There were small pits everywhere she had punched the ground. She looked at her fist expecting blood but it was completely unscathed. She went back to the dragon's resting site only to find that the dragon was gone instead there was a single rock that had glyphs of humans with wings and they were breathing fire. Beneath that was a glyph that read:
Humans and dragons have always been different. Yet when Leila Firstrider Bonded she changed that. She brought out a different possibility. Of humans that bear powers of dragons. These humans shall be different. They shall not Ride. They shall fly.

And at that moment Leila realized what the dragon meant. She laughed for the first time in ages. She went straight back to her village and unsheathed her sword and challenged any Rider for a duel. Subsequently, she won almost every duel she took and slowly worked her way into the Rider army. For the first time in history, a non-Rider had joined the Rider army. She worked her way up the ranks regardless of what was thrown at her until one day she joined the starting line of the army. She had become one of the strongest in the planet.
In the Battle of 175, she charged for her world in the front lines with a smile on her face and fought until she died. That was the story of Leila Firstborn. That was the story of the first non-Rider to join the Riders. That was the story of a woman who never gave up.

To all the ladies out there, never take shit people throw in the name of you being a girl and not being able to do what men can do. Overcome all the obstacles thrown at you and prove them wrong. Show them that you're stronger than you look. That you're better than what they expect of you. Show them that how wrong they are.
Show them what you're made of.

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So this was another something I decided to write based on my man Hazem Ameen's work. You can check out more of his work at https://m.facebook.com/TheArtOfHazem