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The Misadventures of an Unexpected Dragon

By Theo Winters

2:

I sat there, staring at the dragon in disbelief. I couldn't quite believe what I had just heard, and I wasn't the only one. Fern had gasped, one hand going up to press against her muzzle while the other arm wrapped around mine. Kiden sputtered and jumped out of his chair, unable to get any real words out.

"What?" was about all I could muster.

"I wish to turn you into a dragon, at least for a short amount of time," Cheasequah said.

It took a few more moments for me to process that, as the whole idea just sounded insane. While I enjoyed being any number of things, I had never really considered being a dragon. It was hard to find anything that could change you into one, as their magic just didn't quite work well with other types. "Why in the world would you want to do that?" I finally asked.

"I have my reasons," he replied, giving me what I was sure he thought as an enigmatic smile, but it really just made him look smug.

I nodded, then reached down and placed my hand on Fern's back. Even though I was back to being myself, there was still enough of a kobold in me to want to just say yes without even thinking twice. Luckily it was only a small part, and it easily outvoted. "Unless you're going to tell me those reasons, then the answer is no."

Fern grabbed me by the side of the shirt, giving it a tug. "You don't tell a dragon no," she hissed at not-quite-a-whisper.

Kiden walked around the table, coming to stand behind me, one of his paws dropping onto my shoulder. He was smaller than me, but I still found myself cowering slightly at the touch. I was expecting him to order me to allow the change, no matter what, so what he said next took me by surprise.

"Theo is right. Unless you tell us your reasons, I will not allow it," he said. He spoke English far better than most kobolds, and didn't use the more typical pidgin grammar.

I gave him a quick glance and a smile before I turned my attention back to Cheasequah. To say that he looked displeased would have been an understatement. There was rage being held in check just under his scales, and his lips were pulled back to show off his fangs. He had also curled his talons up into fists, cutting through the stone table in the process. Even the light from his antlers was starting to grow brighter, beginning to rise up along the tips like a Jacobs Ladder. Maybe he had thought that just because I enjoyed being a kobold, I would roll over like one.

"So, what do you say?" I asked, trying not to show just how freaking terrifying it was to have an angry dragon about five feet away from your face. My tail tried to lash behind me, but Kiden quickly stepped on it, holding it in place, making my nerves a little less obvious. Looking back at it, the odds were good that he wouldn't have hurt me--not in front of the clan, but that wasn't a guarantee... and I was prepared to survive being digested.

"I will not explain myself for your amusement," he growled out, his hot breath blowing over my face and fluttering through my mane.

I nodded, and turned to look back at Kiden. "Then I guess we'll be going. Thank you for inviting us to visit, I'm sure we'll be back soon, won't we Fern?" I asked, rubbing my hand over her back.

My girlfriend-turned-kobold was cowering a bit, pressing up against my side and trying to be as small as possible, but she still gave me a quick nod.

"I need you," Cheasequah said.

I turned my head back to look at him. "Yes, you've said that already. But why?"

There were a few moments of silence before the dragon let out a growl of annoyance, some of his anger dissipating as the light stopped arching across his antlers. "Fine, if I must. I need you because I have no one that I can trust."

That... was not what I had been expecting to hear. "You want to turn me into a dragon, because you can trust me?"

He snorted at that. "No, I want to turn you into a dragon because I can't trust anyone else. You have no reason to betray me, and being a kobold gives you an understanding of what my kind are like. You will know how to fit in, at least long enough to do what needs to be done. That is why I need you," he said, the rest of the anger fading away as he spoke, his shoulders slumping as his talons relaxed.

Dragons were willing to ask for help, if they had no other choice, but that was a rare event. The thought that somehow, I was the only person in the world that he could help him, was weird to say the least. "What's going on that makes you so desperate for someone to help you?"

Cheasequah frowned, the light starting to fade from his points. "You must not tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. At noon tomorrow there will be a summit of the dragons of the New World. They will be deciding on a number of issues, including exposure to humans and land parcels."

"Sounds like you need a politician, not a software guy."

He shook his head. "No, no I need you. There are nearly thirty dragons that will be at this meeting, but there will only be one other Piasa Bird. With our lack of influence, I fear that the arrangements will go poorly for us. Even the Quetzalcoatl have allies among the Asian dragons, but we have no one but ourselves. Not even the Uktena will stand with us. I need someone I can trust, an ally who can add one more voice among them to ensure that we will not be silenced."

I signed and put my head in my hands. "You don't have any allies, so you decided to make one?"

The dragon paused for a moment, then nodded his heavy head. "Yes, yes I did. I have tried all other paths that I have available to me, but I have nothing any of my kin desire. We do not hoard gold or gems, so the old-world dragons care nothing for us, we do not control nature, so our Asian brothers turn away. We keep no knowledge that the Zmei wish to obtain. Even though we share the same land, my kind has a long-standing feud with the Uktena, they will do nothing to aid us."

His body slumped down to the floor as he spoke, like the admission took all the strength he had left. I actually felt bad for him, even if I didn't understand the politics.

"Why me? There must be others that are familiar with all these different types of dragons. They would be able to help you far better then I would," I said.

Cheasequah shook his head. "You know of dragons and of transformations, you are familiar with being something that you are not. Time is far too short for anyone who doesn't have that familiarity. I am not asking you just because I need your help, I am asking out of desperation. Even one ally can help shift the balance in our favor, even if only by the smallest margins."

I could at least understand that logic. "And how would you bring me in? You said there would be nearly thirty dragons there. I can't just show up and expect they would accept me as part of that group, they would know I was an outsider."

"There are ways, but it will require complicated maneuvering that would take far too long to describe to you. As it was, you demanded to know the why of what I wished, not the how."

That wasn't a satisfactory answer, but I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get more out of him, or if I would really understand it. This was really kind of pushing the edge of what I felt comfortable with, I was never one for politics, I just didn't have the patience or the disposition for it. I mean, I could bullshit my way through most things easily enough, but I had learned from hard experience that lying was actually a much smaller part of politics then it first seemed.

"This is tomorrow at noon?" I asked.

"That is what I told you," he replied.

I nodded, closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my muzzle. This just wasn't the sort of thing I did, and what he wanted from me was insanely beyond my ken... yet the guy clearly needed my help, and even though he was trying to hide it, it was clear that he was scared--something that was unbecoming of any sort of dragon.

The very idea was crazy, completely and totally crazy, but he needed my help. I wasn't the sort to walk away when I could actually help someone, even a dragon.

"I need to talk to my mate before I can make any decisions," I finally said.

"If you must," Cheasequah replied, taking a few steps back from the table, but never taking his eyes off of me.

I leaned down, slowly stroking my hand down Fern's back as I looked her deep in the eyes. "Okay, Felicia, can you come out for a few minutes. I really need your advice on this one."

She looked back up at me, blinking her eyes rapidly a number of times as they shifted back to the familiar green. "Oh... it's hard to say anything but 'yes'," she said, rubbing the side of her head.

That made me smile. "I think that's the kobold in you talking, but outside of that, what do you think?" I asked, stroking over the top of her head.

"Maybe, though I really like the idea of seeing you as a dragon, and that's not just because I'm currently a kobold." She giggled as she spoke, which sounded rougher than normal, like fine sandpaper on wood. After a moment she composed herself. "Still, this isn't a small thing for him to ask, and he clearly is desperate. If you think it's the right thing to do, then you should do it."

I gave her a hug, which at her current size meant pulling her into my lap. "I'm just not sure I can actually help."

Cheasequah spoke up at this. "Just by being there, you will be able to help me. Even a few positive words in the right ear can be enough to sway opinions."

With a sigh, I turned my attention back to the dragon. "I'm not sure I can do anything, even if anyone would actually believe that I'm a dragon. What if they found out what I really was?"

"I'm not sure of anything, but I have to take the chance" he replied, his wings twitching against his back. "I will tell you how to act, but I will not be able to watch over you every moment. I promise that you will be safe, and they will not harm you in the event you are discovered. I swear on my name and my blood."

The promise sent a chill down my spine, and even Kiden let out a soft gasp of surprise. Dragons didn't just swear on their blood, not a full-size and full powered dragon like Cheasequah. I wasn't sure if that reassured me or not, as he wouldn't have felt the need to take such an oath if he didn't fear that it would be necessary. Still, it was reassuring, at least to an extent.

Turning my head, I gave Kiden a look. "What do you think, sir?"

The clan leader shrugged his shoulders. "There will be no harm to the clan if you refuse. Whatever choice you make, I will support it."

I was still half expecting him to tell me to just accept it, but he was the leader of the clan for a reason, and being able to think clearly around a dragon was clearly a part of that. It was good to know that whatever choice I made he would have my back. That meant a lot to me.

Leaning down, I gave Felecia a quick kiss on the snout before I turned back to face the dragon. "Very well then, I'll do it."

Cheasequah smiled and clapped his paws together. "Good, very good. You have my undying gratitude for this. Now please, come stand at my side, and if you care for your clothing you should remove it now."

I gently slipped my girlfriend out of my lap, her eyes staying bright green for the moment. I guess she wanted to watch this with a clear head. Once I was standing, I started to remove my clothing, folding them up once piece at a time and setting them on the bench. I didn't mind getting nude given the company, it wasn't anything that Felecia (or Fern for that matter) hadn't seen before, and Kiden just didn't care one way or another. Kobolds didn't really have much a taboo about nudity, and carried even less for the nudity of other species. That was followed by my earrings, bracelet and watch.

Soon the only thing I was wearing was my glasses.

"Don't you wish to take those off?" Cheasequah asked as I walked around the table.

I just smiled, reaching up to adjust them a bit. "Oh no, they will be fine. They are kind of their own type of magic, and I wouldn't be able to see without them no matter what the form."

It looked like he was about to protest, but then he seemed to change his mind. "Very well then. If you are ready, I shall begin," as he spoke, the light from his antlers starting to grow brighter, becoming so bright that the kobolds had to turn away, and even I had to block out some of it with my hand. A moment later the power arched out from his antler points, collecting above his head before blasting out like a laser, hitting me square in the chest.

I stumbled backwards, nearly falling against the table. The impact knocked the wind out of me and I found myself trying to catch my breath even as the familiar feeling of magic washed out over my body, far stronger than I had ever experienced before. Looking down at my hands, I watched as the fur started to press down, taking on a dull shine as it turned into tan scales, while my claws started to grow into a set of sharp looking talons. I wiggled them a little even as my hands started to swell larger.

Looking down, I saw the fur on my belly start to change to scales as well, though they were a lighter tan color then my arms. The color was interesting, as each scale was a slightly different shade than its neighbors.

My legs shifted under me, and I pitched forward, landing on my new paws as I felt my back and neck popping and shifting as my shoulders and hips changed position, becoming a quadruped. It didn't hurt at all, and in fact it felt rather nice, like a release of tension I wasn't aware I had. I quickly glanced down between my legs and watched them change as well, my feet growing thicker while the legs themselves became shorter. Behind me, my tail was starting to fatten, becoming progressively thicker in a surge that ran down the length. The tail tuft was starting to flatten as well, not becoming scales though, but membrane.

A surge ran down my neck, as I felt it growing longer, my head pushing back even as my head started to reshape. I rocked my jaw from side to side, feeling it as it popped and stretched, my muzzle growing out to fill my whole face as my teeth grew into sharp points. My ears twitched as they grew out into fins, even as a pair of short horns started growing between them.

With a flash, the room was suddenly brighter, my eyes changing to match my new form. My glasses were also keeping pace, forming to rest on the edge of my new muzzle. They didn't seem like they had grown much bigger, though my vision seemed to be becoming sharper by the moment, it was possible they were more for reading then general use.

I found myself letting out a deep growl as the final change washed over me, my back rippling before a pair of wings fanned out, arching over my back, the thick membranes pulling tight between the fingers of each wing. It was easy enough to fan them out, stretching them as far as they would go. It wasn't just the wings though, I could feel smaller... winglets I guess, attached between my hips and tail, and even the tip of my tail flexed and moved.

Then it was done, and I was a dragon.

"Oh my," I said, my voice sounding deeper, rumbling out from somewhere low in my chest. I pulled my wings back, and quickly turned around in place--moving easily on all fours--to take in my new body. I didn't look anything like Cheasequah, which was what I was expecting, but I also didn't look like any other dragon that I had seen before. I gave my tail a quick sweep across the floor, flexing the V-shaped fin at the tip, finding that it felt natural to do.

A second later Fern pounced on the end of it, hugging it tightly.

My new friend chuckled softly, his head tilting to the side as he gave me an intent look. "Well now, that's interesting," he said.

That sent a shiver down my spine. I had worked with enough magic users in the past to know that when they said that _'__ s interesting_, what they really meant was, that shouldn _'__ t have happened_. "What?"

"I did not know what kind of dragon you would become, only that it would fit who you were, and would be a living creature. You have turned into a dragon that is so rare that it has been centuries since I had ever encountered one. Though the coloring is a bit different then I would have expected," he said, leaning in closer so we were almost nose to snout.

"Do you have a mirror?" I asked, taking a step back from him. I had grown larger, and now was maybe a third of his size.

The big dragon flicked his head, and the light from his antlers flashed out to wash over the wall, turning it not into a mirror, but a pool of some silver fluid, maybe mercury. It hung on the wall in violation of all laws of physics, ripples running up the length of it.

I walked up to the pool, looking at the reflection, and let out a gasp. The colors might have been tan and brows, and my eyes were still dark blue, but I instantly recognized the sort of dragon I had become.

"Night fury," I whispered softly. "I thought they were extinct?" I asked as I shifted around to look at my reflection from every angle. I did look good as a dragon, big and powerful yet not so large as to be intimidating. I could feel the power held just under my skin, ready to move at a moment's notice.

Cheasequah let out a soft huff. "I'm surprised you would have even heard of it, and no, they are not extinct. They are rare and solitary, living in the farthest north, and do not like to be bothered by even other dragons. No one will question that you are a night fury, though they will still be shocked to see you. You are going to stand out."

"I'm familiar with them from the movies," I said.

"What?" he asked in return.

I chuckled and shook my head, turning back away from the reflective pool. Fern was no longer on my tail, but had climbed up to rest between my wings. I could smell her, the familiar scent of my girlfriend, plus the more natural musk of a kobold. In fact, I could smell better then I ever had before. Not just the usual scents of the cave, but even the slight dampness in the air and even the heat from the ground itself.

Turning my head, I looked back at Fern with one eye. "So, my wonderful mate, care to join me as my personal kobold? Assuming that Kiden and Cheasequah will allow it." I turned to look at the clan leader, watching his reaction. He was just staring at me, his eyes wide and tail curled against his side.

A few seconds later he snapped himself out of it, giving his head a shake and rubbing his temple. "Yes, Theo, I would find that acceptable while you are a dragon."

"That would be acceptable. There will be others with kobolds, so no one will notice," Cheasequah added.

Before I could respond to that, my stomach let out a deep rolling growl that was almost as deep as my voice was. I felt myself blush as I leaned back on my hunches and placed a paw over my belly. "I think some dinner might be in order."

"It is near sundown, so we should have no trouble flying for some prey. We will return soon," Cheasequah said, the last being direction to Kiden.

"Do not be long, and do not venture past the forest on this mountain. It is protected but the areas outside of it are not. Fern, you will stay with me, if you will, as I would like to speak with Felicia," he added with a smile.

Fern didn't have to be told twice, sliding down my back and leaping off the base of my tail to land on the stone floor. She then paused, reaching out to touch my side for a moment before she stepped away.

I bent down and gave her a kiss on the top of the head, which nearly ended up with her whole head in my muzzle due to the size difference.

As she stepped away, Cheasequah came up to my side, fanning out a wing and dropping it down over my body. There was a surge of magic and suddenly I found myself standing on dirt and brush instead of stone.

I took in a deep breath as the world came into focus around me. We were near the top of the mountain (which really wasn't all that high compared to the cascades in the distance), in one of the many clearings just off the hiking trails. The sun was just starting to set off to the west, casting everything with long shadows. I was shocked at just how much I could smell! The pine trees all around us, the fresh water, the dirt, the scent of animals and even the distant smell of the city. It was all strange and familiar at the same time, and somehow it made me even more hungry then I had thought I was.

"Ready?" Cheasequah asked, smirking a little as he flutters out his feathered wings.

"Ready," I replied, shifting my weight on my four legs and fanning out my wings over my back.

He lifted off a moment later, and with a leap and a downbeat of my wings I was following right after him, on the hunt.

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This story was written and copyright 2020-2021 by Theo Winters, reposting and archiving are allowed as long as this copyright notice and the author's name are not removed. This story cannot be published without permission of the author, violators will be given to the dragons.