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// SA1-C2: Scales of Desire 
// Story: A Deer Named John - Teapot Tales 
// by Tael_Spinner 
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Cremator

Flying. It was oh so freeing.
Not being bound to the wants or rules or restrictions of others. Able to go wherever I wanted. Not even the ground itself could keep me down.
The wind in my face. No hair to get in the way. With wings of my own to catch and tame it, there was nothing I would need in order to come close to such an exhilarating experience compared to if I was still trapped in my formerly human body.
I had so much control. Where I went. How I did it. It was all up to me. It was finally all up to me.
To prove it, I was currently performing long barrel rolls around Boo who continued to push on toward our destination. That soured the moment for me a little. I guess I was still bound by some things.
The disappointment passed quickly when I remembered exactly what awaited me at this journey’s end. My snout broke into the broadest grin. I started chuckling to myself then let out a series of ‘whoops’ as I performed more celebratory rolls and loops around Boo.
“Well, good to see you’re excited,” Boo called. She did her best to watch me while keeping us headed in the right direction.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I replied, still laughing and revelling in the freedom of flight.
“You are heading to dragon territory.”
“And?” I asked, ending my latest roll to slip in beside Boo while trying to look as casual and calm as possible. It was a losing battle. I was just too excited! This world. The freedom. Actual real live dragons! I voiced as much to Boo.
“Just thinking you should try and not get your hopes up,” Boo warned. “Dragons are, putting it politely and present company excepted, considered to be jerks.”
I rolled my eyes. “And all dragons I’ve ever seen depicted are territorial and command respect from just their sheer presence.”
“I think there’s more to it than that. Doubt what we humans have in literature and cinema holds a candle to the real thing.” With that said, Boo streaked toward a distant rocky peak. She circled it once then settled carefully on the summit.
I followed, looping lazily before landing dramatically in front of Boo. I held out my arms from my sides and beamed at her with a grin. All she did was gently shake her head then turn her attention to the surrounding skies. Following her lead, I scanned the horizon. The sky itself was oddly orange and immense dark clouds blocked out much of the sky above. All around us was a barren, rocky landscape. Oddly, it looked and felt just as I had expected.
With little else to do, we settled in to wait. It didn’t take long.
Boo was first to spot her. Not really a surprise. She was trained for military reconnaissance after all. She drew my attention to a spot in the sky with a silent nod. It wasn’t much to see at first, but quickly grew into a form I recognised from a few days earlier when my friends and I first arrived at the camp after the battle.
This slender bipedal dragon of caribbean blue scales and dark cornflower blue spines was an oddly welcome sight. I shuddered and shook my head violently. Okay, brain. Knock it off already! By the time I finished my mental berating, this other dragon stood before us on the peak.
She eyed me in curiosity mixed with a hint of scorn. Her look turned to complete disdain when she focused on Boo.
“Your job is done,” she stated. “Return to the other ponies.”
Without giving Boo another moment, this dragon turned to me, drew herself up to her full height and declared, “I am Princess Ember. I will be your teacher in the ways of dragonkind.”
I glanced at Boo. She appeared oddly stoic, yet I caught a faint ruffle of her wings. I know she was supposed to stay with me, but this Ember clearly didn’t want a non-dragon hanging around. Looking to Ember, I knew what I was about to do was going to suck, but I really did need to learn what she could possibly teach me if I was going to be a dragon for any real length of time.
I turned to Boo and, even as I did my best to fight the cringe of both my face and in my voice, I said, “Maybe it would be best if you didn’t come with. No knowing how dragons will react to you.”
Boo’s tail and shoulders dropped the tiniest fraction but she quickly caught herself and drew herself up into a strong military stance. “My duty is done.”
I nodded and did my best to bolster her with a smile. “Thank you.”
I then turned away from her to face Ember again. The moment I was looking at her, Ember spread her wings and said, “Follow.”
It was a simple order and one I quickly obeyed. I looked back at Boo as I hovered in the air above the peak. I waved to her then turned and followed after Ember.
As I flew away from the rocky peak with Ember in the lead, I heard a frustrated cry followed quickly by a distinctive flash of magic. I slowed to a stop, turning to face the rocky peak again, my wings flapping to keep me aloft. My face pinched in when I discovered that Boo was no longer standing there. In fact, the peak was just as barren as before we had arrived.
Shrugging it off, I turned my attention to Ember and, seeing the gap between us had widened, I forced my wings to flap even harder. Quickly catching up, I shot the dragon princess a grin, one she stoically brushed aside with a simple roll away from me and down.
I tucked my wings and followed, smiling at the feeling of the wind kissing my scales as it rushed past. We flew on over the rugged landscape, skirting some of the larger plumes of smoke and ash rising from the vents and open fissures below to mingle with that ever-present cloud above.
When I realised where Ember intended for us to land, I broke away, pulled in my wings and shot for the target. Only at the last second did I momentarily flare my wings and kick out with my legs beneath me. I hit hard, a shockwave passing through my body as my feet slammed into the ground. My body compacted itself as it bled off much of my momentum. All it did was cause me to skid across the ground. My claws tried to dig in, creating a line of tiny trenches in the looser gravel.
Feeling like I was starting to tumble forward, I threw open my wings and quickly flapped them to keep myself up. I soon staggered to a halt, thankfully still vertical. I looked to my left as Ember came in, flapping her wings to slow herself before landing far more gracefully than I.
Settling her wings behind her, she looked me over then shook her head. “Don’t see why they sent you to us. You’re as reckless as any dragon here.”
She spread a hand and gestured to those around us with a wide sweep. Following the movement, I caught sight of many dragons of widely differing colours and physical builds, all hanging around the edge of a red and yellow glowing pool. Some of them were even lounging in the odd-looking liquid. My brain started rattling off all of the different colour names but I did my best to ignore it by focusing on the rest of my surroundings. In particular the pool itself.
I arched an eyebrow at what I was seeing. Was that magma? The thought was quickly pushed aside by another. With how close we were standing to it, why didn’t I feel much in the way of heat? I raised a hand to test the air and, like I could already tell, it was like a normal summer day to me.
Then I spotted him!
Knowing there were others around, I did my best to appear suave and collected. But, instead of the coolness I wished to convey, I let out a barely audible squeak. The cinderblock-grey dragon continued to stand, posed with his head raised as if staring into the distance and pondering life itself. With the light breeze flowing through the area, causing his flopped head scales to flap, he gave a flick of his head to get it back under control.
Like when I had first seen him, my heart was pounding. He was just so deep!
I just wish I could have been the same size as him, then I could see everything the way he did. I shook the idea aside then continued to gaze up at this perfect drake before me. If we were the same size then I couldn’t admire him like I was now.
Oh, such difficult choices!
The wonderful view was soon spoiled as Ember came sharply into focus. She was standing right in front of me, leaning down, the tip of her snout only barely not touching my own. I could no longer see the cinderblock-grey dragon. Instead, I got a very close up glimpse of the twin ivory horns which curved around, framing Ember’s face.
It wasn’t until she was certain that I was paying attention to her that she next spoke.
“Good to see you’re still with us,” said Ember. “First thing you need to be a dragon is your name. Something to put fear into all who dare to speak it.”
“That’s easy,” I said, waving dismissively as I looked around in search of the gloomy object of my focus. I frowned when I could no longer spot him anywhere. “Already got one.”
Looking at Ember again, I drew in a deep breath to puff out my chest before declaring to any and all around in my loudest voice. “I am Cremator!”
Ember cocked an eyebrow as she looked at me. Doing my best to make my statement even clearer, I pressed my fists against my hips and raised my head proudly, jutting out my chin in defiance.
“That’s… an interesting name,” Ember said.
“The one who turned me into a dragon gave it to me,” I stated.
“The pony who changed you then dared to enslave you. Enslave a dragon…” said Ember. “You don’t see anything wrong with that?”
“Should I?” I shot back, sounding as determined as possible. “Even if a pony gave it to me, even if he controlled me with magic, why should I give it up?”
Ember’s gaze hardened. “Even without the part of the pony enslaving you, it sounds more like a name for a drakon than a drakaina.”
I shrugged, letting the terminology bounce off my scales. “Works for me.”
“Maybe you should go with something like Cinders?” Ember suggested. She rubbed a claw beneath her chin in thought. “Or, how about Emerald. Like your scales?”
I stuck out my tongue at both options and made an exaggerated retching sound. It was at this time that another dragon, one I hadn’t noticed before, landed beside us and gave their own suggestion. “She looks more like a Little Green to me.”
I shot this newcomer a strong glare. This was one of brown scales with blue spikes which ran down the ridge of their back from crown to tail tip. He was powerfully built and stood much taller than me. I swear I would be lucky to come up to the middle of his chest in height.
“Haven’t seen you before,” said Ember, quickly gauging this new arrival’s stature and stance.
“New to this dragon thing myself,” the brown dragon stated.
Ember frowned at that. “I was not made aware of another needing such training.”
She crinkled her snout in annoyance “The ponies will pay extra for this.”
“Whatever,” said the brown dragon before pointing a claw at me. “We should get back to her name.”
Ember nodded. “Still needs something appropriate.”
The brown shrugged. “Is why I suggested Little Green.”
He towered over me and patted me on the top of my head. “Cause she’s so small and green coloured.”
I did my best to knock his hand aside and glowered up at him. “Maybe I want to own this name, to prove that slave maker I’m more than his tool. Ever think of that?”
I spread my wings wide and shouted for all to hear. “I won’t shrink from him or my past. I’ll take this name and make it my own! Let none stand in my way, I am Cremator!”
I stood there proudly, huffing as if I had just triumphantly defeated a beast of yore.
The brown dragon eyed me then looked to Ember. “She’s a feisty one.”
Ember smiled, showing off her vicious teeth. “She’ll make a great dragon.”
Good. At least I had made the right impression on these dragons. Even if this newcomer was rude, and ruggedly looking. And strong. And…
I shook my head violently again and inwardly groaned. This whole change of species and gender was starting to do my head in. Turning my attention back to the others, I heard them discussing me. I snorted huffily at that. I was standing right in front of them and they were talking about me without talking to me. Rude!
Maybe Boo was right about dragons?
It was just then that my stomach decided to let out a growl which could easily have been mistaken for the grumbling roar of a dragon.
Ember let out a chuckle. “Sounds like someone’s hungry. Looks like we need some gems before we get started.”
“I don’t know, but considering she came from the ponies, maybe she wants something fancy?” His mouth broke into the broadest knowing grin. “Like a cheese omelette?”
And my jaw hit the floor. This handsome piece of dragon was Boo?! She can become a dragon?! I think my brain just let out its own puff of smoke. I did my best to shake off my surprise and refocus. Sure, the similarities of colour were there. Maybe she did that on purpose? But the rest of her… him… whatever! This form was so much more than the cinderblock-grey dragon I had been eyeing off. And his attitude… Wow, Boo could play a part!
I felt my snout breaking into a sly grin and I said, “Nah, I’d rather get these lessons started.”
Oh this was going to be fun!