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// Chapter 2. Awake 
// Story: What Dreams Can Come 
// by EsotericPhantasm 
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	A very apparent discomfort permeated my body. A sort of tingling and restlessness that demanded I start moving. I opened my eyes to find myself staring at a stone ceiling, while moving my hands a bit to discover I was lying on a stone floor. Well, that explains why I’m so uncomfortable.
 
With my eyes open I found something looked off with my nose. Or rather, in this case, you would call it a snout. It most certainly wasn’t human. I soon realized everything about my body felt different.
 
I quickly sat up to get a better look at myself. I seemed to be reptilian and covered in scales, which I almost thought were black but turned out to be more of a navy blue. Examining my hands and feet they looked to be claws. Only now I just had three fingers and a thumb.
 
I was beginning to feel a slight panic set in. “What the?!” After losing my composure for a moment I took a deep breath to calm down a bit and then recounted my situation. “Okay, so I got off the plane, and met that strange man named Hypnos I saw in my dreams. I sort of wish this was a dream, but it feels too real.”
 
I took a moment to consider myself more fully after positioning my legs Indian style. My body was proportioned nearly the same at what I had before, which was lean and muscular but still humanoid. Although it was still a little weird since I had no belly button on my abdomen. Now it was only smooth scales and muscle.
 
There was a loincloth around my waist, but after giving myself a brief examination I found it wasn’t really necessary because I was now like a lizard: retractable. The loincloth color was a dark earthy red, but I couldn’t tell what the loincloth was made of.
 
I also had large wings and a tail, and I took a minute to get a feel for the muscles in my new appendages. The unfamiliar sensations coming from my new limbs felt bizarre, and the tail felt like having an extra arm or leg, only a lot more flexible. I’m glad no one was around to see me slap myself with my new tail as I got used to moving it.
 
The wings were a little harder to get the hang of, but I was eventually able to flap them around a bit. I guess I can fly. Or at least I’ll learn to fly. Maybe my situation isn’t so bad if I can at least do that. Where am I anyway?
 
Taking stock of my surroundings, it seemed I was in a large grey chamber that was rectangular, and about a hundred square feet. There were words all along the walls in Latin along with the occasional arcane looking symbol. I had taken Latin in high school along with a friend of mine, so I could read bits and pieces of it. The language wasn’t that useful, but it was fun to learn and made reading Harry Potter again more interesting.
 
In each corner of the room, and in the middle of each wall to my sides, there was a glowing white orb that just floated. They gave off a pure white radiance that provided light for the chamber.
 
On one end of the chamber was a set of metal doors and on the other was a large circular mirror. Its framing was a silver colored metal, which completely surrounded the mirror. The framing was attached a stand made of the same material. The stand itself was anchored to a small dais attached to the floor.

Reminds me of that big mirror in one of the Zelda games.

The mirror itself was completely smooth, and there markings along the metal frame.
 
I decided to go examine it, so I picked myself up from my sitting position and stood up. I almost fell over as I did this. My legs and feet were structured differently than what I had before. Having a tail was also an issue, and I found I was taller. Where before I was and even 6’ I guessed I was now about 6’6” or 6’7”. I couldn’t be sure since I didn’t have any way to measure myself, and not only that I didn’t know the size of the place I was in. I could actually be giant, and I was in a truly colossal chamber, but that was unlikely. Then again waking up a different species then you were before was unlikely as well.
 
After steadying myself I examined my whole frame. My body was nearly proportional to a tall human athlete, so about what I was before, except with added height. My wings looked to be about seven to eight feet in diameter when open. My tail was about three and a half feet long reaching slightly above my raised ankles.
 
A peculiar thing that I noted was that I seemed to have what would be described as a cartoon outline. I brought one of my arms right to my eyes to see if was just a trick of the light, but it didn’t change that it still had an outline. How is that possible? Either the physics that govern light have changed, or my brain processes photons differently now.

Glancing at the mirror I saw that it too had an outline. I wished that I had the resources to find the answer to why that was, but there were more important things to do at the moment. Like trying to walk.
 
Looking at my feet showed I had three large claws where my toes once were, and a smaller claw further back. I was standing on the front of my feet with my ankles in the air, and it felt uncomfortable to try to force the ankles down. In fact when I tried I lost my balance and ended up in a heap on the floor.
 
After picking myself off the floor and standing up again I took a few tentative steps. It felt awkward at first since I had to account for my tail as well as get used to my leg and foot structure, but I eventually got the hang of it.
 
Making calculated steps I made my way towards the mirror. I was about one foot in front of it when I stopped. Looking into the mirror now I tried to determine what I was.
 
My face was definitely what you would call draconic, and my eyes were the color of gold. They almost looked like they were glowing, but it was really just the lighting. My pupils were slitted, and I had two horns protruding from the back of my head.
 
I stuck out my tongue to find it was much like a lizard’s, and I could taste the air. That was going to take getting used to. Of course it was just another things in my already odd quandary. My teeth were also clearly carnivorous.
 
Am I supposed to be a dragon? I don’t think so since I seem too anthropomorphic, but it's probably the case.
 
I finally took a good look at the mirror’s metal frame. It too had Latin written on it like the walls did. Part of it basically said stuff about delving into the mind. I didn’t examine the rest of it as I felt there was more pressing matters to attend to, and I could always look at it later.
 
The first issue was where exactly was I? I had said I wanted to go to Equestria. So was that where I was? In that case I would now consider my situation as awesome, however sudden it may have been.
 
Did that mean I was dragon from the show? Likely, but I’ll just have to see.
 
I turned around and made my way across the chamber and up to the metal doors. They weren’t made of any metal I’d ever seen before and were dark crimson. Pushing them didn’t seem to get a response. So I pushed a little harder for a few seconds and still nothing. Wait, I’m not falling for one of the oldest mistakes in the book am I? Taking a look at the hinges on each door I easily surmised that I was supposed to be pulling.
 
I quickly did a big facepalm. I just know it’s going to be one of those days now, isn’t it.
 
Now actually pulling, with a little effort, I got one of the doors open. I wonder how strong I am now? These doors look like they weigh a freaking ton, but I can’t really gauge that completely since the hinges lessen the weight by a large margin. Magic also might factor into this somewhere.
 
Looking out past what I now knew was the entrance to a single roomed structure; I beheld what seemed to be an elaborate cave. It was completely dark except for the light that bled out of the building I was in.
 
Retreating back into the chamber I made my way over to examine one of the light sources in the corner to the right of me. It was a sphere that seemed to be made of diamond. I couldn’t be sure, as it could’ve also been a kind of crystal. It was suspended mid air next to a string of words along with some symbols set in the wall.
 
The words were Latin, and it talked about siphoning energy from the sphere. Perhaps the arcane symbols also facilitated that. Evidently the orbs weren’t just lighting fixtures but also power sources for the structure, or at least facilitated with that.
 
I gingerly grabbed the orb in my left hand, or now claw in this case. Oddly, it wasn’t hot or even warm. It felt like a gemstone and pretty solid, but was completely smooth to the touch. It fit perfectly in my palm, and was about the size of a baseball. It didn’t feel like it weighed anything either.
 
Tossing the orb a bit in my hand it didn’t come back down, but rather suspended itself at the apex of the toss. This should be useful. At least I have a light source, and can find my way out of the cave I’m in.
 
I held the orb as I made my way back through the open door and stepped out into the cavern.
 
After walking a few feet I turned around to examine the building I was just in. My eyes widened as I examined it. First off, it was covered in faintly glowing words and symbols. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to be discernible. Sort of like a flashlight on its last few moments of life.
 
Second, the walls were completely smooth. It wasn’t like it was all cut from the same stone, but rather melted and poured into a mold. It wasn’t concrete either since concrete has easily discernible marring and texture. The edifice before me was instead what could best be described as flawless. Well, except for what was carved into it.
 
The walls were the same grey color of the interior, which I took a moment to scrutinize further. It turned out the interior was just as immaculate. I suppose I didn’t notice since the carvings nearly obscured that fact, and I was a little distracted earlier.
 
Leaving the orb suspended in the air I went to take a closer look at the outside walls and door. The doors as well as the walls of the building had Latin and other symbols carved elegantly into them similar to the inside of the building. The gist from what I examined was basically stuff about protection, preservation and concealment.
 
Wait, concealed? Does that mean the structure should be invisible or camouflaged in some way to just look like the back of the cave or something. Why can I see it?
 
Studying the section for concealment a few more moments I found a symbol that looked like four arrowheads surrounded by four bigger arrowheads. It seemed familiar to me.
 
Searching through my memories for a few seconds I realized where I’d seen it. It didn’t seem possible, but then again my whole situation was pretty improbable.
  
It’s the symbol of the Dragonkin from Gielinor. How would that be here if this is supposed to be Equestria? 

The Dragonkin were a race of incredibly powerful draconic humanoids created by an elder god named Jas. They actually created the regular dragons on Gielinor, but were far more powerful than their creations. In fact they were probably the strongest race that ever set foot on Gielinor. They couldn’t die of age or disease, but could be killed, although this was extremely difficult. However, they were also completely infertile, which was why they experimented and eventually spawned dragons.

Studying the section with the Dragonkin symbol once more I found that the building wouldn’t be hidden from whatever race the symbol represented.
 
I wonder if the symbol was being used as shorthand of some kind. Either the intention of what race they meant could be imbued into whatever enchantments was on the glowing symbol, or maybe there was a section among the thousands of words and symbols that basically said let x = Dragonkin where x is the Dragonkin symbol.
 
That would be pretty cool. I had a degree in computer science along with my degree in business. Perhaps there is type of programming that uses magic, or I could just invent it.
 
At this thought I just burst out laughing, and nearly lost my balance again. I’m who knows where in, supposedly, Equestria, and I’m already thinking of ways to improve or expound on what is, apparently, some sophisticated enchantments.
 
That still begs the question of why a Dragonkin structure would be in Equestria. Then again, they could travel to different realms. It’s highly doubtful any of them are still here, but I hope not. Most weren’t very friendly, and that’s putting it mildly for what could better be described as murderous. At least the first ones that were known.
 
As for now, I need to get my bearings. There wasn’t anything here but the building I woke up in. The back wall of structure was hugging a dead end, with about seven feet of space between its sidewalls and the walls of the cave, so I couldn’t go that way.
 
The only available path out seemed to be the tunnel opposite the metal doors.

Therefore, after grabbing my floating orb, I made my way towards what I hoped was the way out.
 
Had I known what I was heading towards I would have stayed put.