Tom was the more conservative type of person. He found solace in the smaller things in life, he didn't need fancy trinkets or tinkering toys to be happy. A simple weekend getaway was far more than enough, dark brown eyes absorbed the lovely scenery around him in content silence.
Fresh dew covered the vibrant green grass around him in a way that nearly seemed to sparkle. The sycamore trees towered around him as intimidating guardians of the forest, the echo of creatures creating a melody of beauty from miles away.
His large hand gently smoothed out his short red hair. He wore a simple flannel shirt enough to keep warm on such a chilly Saturday morning, some decent beige slacks and of course a strong pair of hiking boots.
His camp was nothing special, just a normal small blue tent accompanied by a few necessities. The normal stuff such as a lantern, a sleeping bag, and food. The only new part of this particular trip was the location, he usually camped at local parks or recreational facilities places of familiarity.
But not this weekend, he decided to try his luck at a stretch of woodlands many chose not to even step foot in. 'The Dragon Fang Woods.’, a massive mist-covered landscape that crawled in mystery and danger.
Dozens of people claimed to have seen horrifying scaled creatures deep within its confines. Even a few went as far to say it's haunted by restless souls of the dead, but to Tom, all he had found was tranquility and a good night's rest.
With a large yawn, he decided it was time to enjoy a bit of relaxation. His eyes happily trailed to a brand new fishing pole he bought especially for this weekend. “I feel lucky today!” He grinned with untold excitement as he bolted over to grab it.
Never noticing off in the distance a figure composed of thick mist watched his every move with fiery yellow eyes, it moved much like the wind flowing from tree to tree in silence. Most feared these woods and stayed on alert, but this odd human was vastly different, he could see the beauty around him clearly.
Slithering close to the ground the creature decided to follow the male close, perhaps it had finally found someone worthy of the gift.
Tom sat near the edge of a calm Riverbend as he enjoyed the loud rush of water cascade downstream. His eyes watched the pole closely for any sudden movements, the sun sparkled across the surface of the water beautifully. “This is just perfect.” He stretched his legs becoming fully relaxed.
A tug of the line and he grinned with newfound joy. Clutching the pole in his hands he let the catch struggle against the current, adding pressure to the line he enjoyed the fight that played out amongst the calm waves.
Over a few moments, Tom got zealous. He yanked a bit too rough as the line snapped and his catch swam off into the far distance. “Eagerness can be admirable if the time is right.” The eerie voice of something spectral echoed from behind his ear.
Tom could feel a shiver of fright trace down his spine. A cold sweat trailed across his forehead as palms turned clammy and wet. “Who goes there!?” He spun around to absolute silence the thick blanket of mist hiding the world away in a vast void.
“Why is the mist so thick?” He swallowed the lump in his throat, the sound of his pole falling from his grasp echoed into the emptiness.
Tom stood to his feet everything around him blocked out by this enchanted haze. The sky soon blotted out by this excessive shroud, the landscape cast into darkness as everything turned ice cold.
“Where are you!?” He screamed out in a panic his hand extended out to touch the flowing waves of mist around him.
To his horror, this eerie vortex was completely solid. The mist accumulated before him like a vortex taking the shape of a horrifying creature of destruction, a massive dragon of darkness and the unknown. “I am the almighty spirit of, Dragon Fang!” the monster roared with eyes that burned like coals.
“This can't be real!?” Tom screamed out in sheer fright making a dash towards the right, an explosion of mist easily pushed him down to the ground with a crash.
“Reality is ever-changing, destiny is a path into the unknown!” The mist took a more solid form of a massive grey dragon, his wings spread out proudly casting the poor human into the shadows.
“Please, don't kill me! ~ I didn't mean to trespass on your land!” Tom shivered in uncertainty this creature, unlike anything he had ever seen.
The dragon chuckled out heartily towards such allegations of this frightened young human. “Worry not, I don't seek blood nor revenge.” The dragon smirked as his head lowered near the shivering male.
“Then what?” Tom lifted to his feet unsure of this creature's intentions for him.
“I seek a pure heart to entrust with my legacy.” It whispered on the wind with a voice of long-held pain.
“Your legacy?” Tom asked confused as he took a careful step forward, placing a gentle hand on the warm muzzle of this mysterious creature.
“Yes, I once ruled a land ravaged by war.” He sighed, lost in the memory of haunting pain. “The icy grasp of hate engulfed the farthest reaches of my land, in a desperate attempt to find a world of peace.” The dragon shook his head with despair.
“I hastily performed a ritual to open a portal here, transferring my legacy to this unknown land.” His voice paused as the human listened intently offering a caring gaze to the emotionally hurt creature. “Alas before my subjects could follow, the magic withered trapping me here alone and transforming my sanctuary into my tomb!” The dragon pulled away in dire pain.
“You've been trapped here alone?” Tom frowned sadly his heart ached for this poor lonely dragon.
“For nearly a thousand years.” His eyes locked on Tom's, the dark red glow shifted to a softer orange hue.
“Are you?” Tom narrowed his eyes to the creature's spectral form.
“Not of the living? ~ I fear this world has taken a toll on my body, but my spirit can't rest till my legacy has been ensured.” The dragon kneeled to the human as if humbled.
“You're not?” Tom took a step back in a panic.
“I can see into the souls of all living creatures, you dear human have a purity I've waited so many years to find.” The dragon's voice boomed out loudly across the land in a dull sense of hope.
”I'm not special by any means!” Tom sighed knowing he couldn't take on such a burden.
“You're strong-willed, a pure heart, and an eager soul. ~ Everything my legacy needs to flourish and thrive, every quality I sadly lack.”
Tom lifted his gaze in a solemn manner.
The dragon parted the mist around them both in one mighty flap of his wings. ”I'd never force a burden upon any creature, you may leave if it is what you desire.” Tom listened with a simple nod of understanding.
“Magic is quickly fading from this decaying world, all I pray is that one day I'll find a strong enough spirit to entrust my greatest gift.” The spirit began to fade back into the woodlands leaving only a whisper behind.
“I accept your legacy.” Tom held out his hand towards the receding mist in worry, knowing if he allowed such a creature to fade away he'd never forgive himself.
“Are you certain? ~ As with all things, it will require sacrifice.” The voice of the creature spoke from deep within the thick overgrown forest.
“Yes, I'm sure.” Tom felt a gust of mist encase him from all sides, the world quickly spun out of control as he lifted off the ground spirited away towards the far-reaching mountains in the distance.
His equipment left behind as the forest simply grew out over each item, hiding away any trace that anyone was there at all. Tom himself carried upon the wind, cocooned in a sphere of glowing white light as the world below him dwindled ever smaller.
In an explosion of wet mist, he was released. Tom collapsed to the stone ground of a high mountain peak, his lungs burned for oxygen from the frantic trip through the clouds. This peak absolutely enchanting with dark green grass that danced in the wind, the clouds above so close he could nearly touch them.
A pure stream of freshwater trickled out from the massive mountain walls elegantly, Tom slowly crawled on all fours to take a deep drink. The taste beyond anything he could describe, flowers of every color in full bloom across the peak, in a scene straight out of a dream.
Trees overflowed with various fruits and the scent of brimstone wafted out from deep within a nearby area. This place was never meant to be seen by human eyes, the large stream of mist slowly slithered off into the hidden mouth of a massive cave.
Tom knew he must follow, his heart told him that the legacy was near. With each step, he came closer to his new duty for the spirit dragon, an odd maternal feeling building deep within his very frame. Vanishing into the inky darkness he emerged into a room nearly engulfed with lava-like heat, everything cast in a dark red glow of flames.
Tom lifted a hand over his mouth in awe, hundreds of multicolored eggs were safely nestled away near a stream of boiling lava. Placed in massive craters that only the strength of a male dragon could create, each egg laid still and unmoving from years of stasis, lacking a certain element to hatch.
“This is your legacy?” Tom walked near a large volcanic rock, taking a seat upon it feeling no burn at all to his flesh.
Granted the immunity to heat and other new internal defenses to ensure he lived a long healthy life going forward. “Indeed I was able to claim this mountain, calm the ferocity of nature, and protect my legacy with all my heart!” The dragon spoke in a proud booming voice.
“Yet you couldn't hatch them.” Tom could feel the reason he was chosen sink in, his heart picked up pace and his breathing became slower.
“No, I could offer the strength of a father.” He replied swiftly.
“But eggs need the love of a mother.” Tom could feel the words drop from his lips and echo throughout the lonely cave.
The Dragon Spirit nodded with an unblinking gaze. Tom took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “This land, these eggs will all belong to you.” His words washed over the young man who gently picked up an egg, holding it close to his heart.
“What of you?” Tom questioned with a raised brow.
“The last of my energy has been spent.” He let out a weakened groan.
“To grant this legacy?” Tom lifted up bright red eyes as the pupils stretched longer more feminine in shape.
“The future belongs to the dreams of the living, not in the mistakes of the past.” Cool soft mist caressed across the young man gently, the presence of a tired old soul lifted from the mountainside.
The changes were taking hold deep within his mortal body. He watched in awe as his hands began to thin out, soon slender and delicate. Nails pushed outward longer than he'd ever let them grow to encase his fingers as a whole. With a delicate gasp, he clutched the egg in two feminine claws, gently he returned the slumbering child back to the nest of stone.
His muscles were deteriorating over his whole body. He let out a groan of pain each limb stretched ever longer in place, granting the young man a tall thin silhouette. His feet ripped through both shoes with razor-sharp claws, arches lifted in place with elegance.
Tom's voice rang out in a feminine moan of the fairer sex, legs gained much-needed definition around the calves and thighs, both thickened out firm yet toned. His pants became too tight around newly widened hips, a pressure built on his backbone that ripped the fabric to shreds across the floor.
A beautiful long blue tail uncurled out into the open with a sharp scaled spear on the tip. She could feel herself shift across the gender spectrum in a painful morphing of her insides and physical attributes. The blessing of womanhood formed perfectly between her legs, waist constricted inward to take an hourglass shape.
Her shirt ripped off her body as powerful slender wings sprouted elegantly from her upper back. Shoulders popped as they narrowed while her chest pushed forward into a feminine barrel shape out front. Tom could feel her face strain in pain as a large wave of flames erupted out from her open mouth.
She fell to all fours growling outward from the pressure pulsing throughout her skull. “Arggh!” She blew out another stream of fresh fire across the cave. Two long white horns grew forward from the sides of her head, curving low as many Dragoness would grow upon maturity.
Her eyes shifted to a lovely shape, gaining more detail as they grew larger to become far more expressive and bright. Hair fell out in large clumps to the ground bursting into flames, elegant blue spikes taking their place atop her head. With an exhale of air she felt the bones of her face protrude forward, a tiny narrowed muzzle pushed out into the open granting new senses beyond that of a human.
With a thud she collapsed to the warm stone floor, eyes shifted shut in pain as her body began the final step of maturity. Gaining extra padding around the hips and rump, her muscles becoming stronger but still feminine to a fault. Blue scales that sparkled in the darkness spread over every inch of her body.
A Dragoness would soon awaken to a new world of responsibility, ready to ensure her future children would grow strong and powerful. Perhaps in time even bring back magic to this darkened world or even open the portal back home.
No matter what the future held, she'd be proud of her hatchlings forever.
Lovely crimson eyes fluttered open to a warm glow of the cave in silence. The Dragoness lifted upward to her feet, body ached as if she went a few rounds with a bear. Her head pounded much like the Hammer of Thor, with one step forward she plummeted to the ground in a cloud of dust.
“I can't.” She whispered in shame as her wings wrapped around her shoulders pathetically.
What had she done?
She knew nothing about hatching dragon eggs. More importantly, she had no idea what it took to be a mother, during a moment of kindness she totally screwed the pooch on this one. With body racked in pain, she rolled onto her side, eyes gazed to the illuminated wall with a bruised ego.
“My dearest Ember, look within your heart if ever lost. ~ May the fire of our species never falter in your claws.”
She read the freshly clawed message left by a faded spirit. A single tear femininely rolled down her cheek, she did make a promise to rebuild a lost legacy. She was a lone Dragoness in a world of no magic, no longer a young man who simply let himself be carried through life in a haze of fleeting memories.
She wasn't Tom, not anymore.
She was Ember, mother to all dragons.
Digging her razor-sharp claws into the solid stone floors, she lifted up to her feet blocking out all sense of pain. With a deep breath, she proudly extended her wings out elegantly, body engulfed with horrid thunderbolts of agony. This body was still sore from the metamorphosis, but like all mothers, she'd bear this pain as a badge of honor.
And look forward to the future.
With calm collected steps Ember entered into the light of the new morning. Fiery eyes narrowed from the bright glow of the golden sun, her slender claw lifted to block out a few rays. The mountainside was vast and covered in fresh resources. She had much work to complete before the nightfall.
With a large inhale of air, she darted off towards the edge of a nearby cliff. Her eyes were able to pierce the flowing mist of the mountain peak with ease, taking in the beautiful scenery of her new kingdom with a soft curl of feminine lips.
Her energy felt endless as the crisp wind caressed her smooth scales, wings stretched out from her back the Dragoness wondered how the experience of flight felt. Heart soared inside her torso, she focused her mind on the clear blue sky above her.
Ember performed a mighty leap upwards with a joyous smile across her narrowed muzzle. Only to come crashing back down to the cliff's edge with a thud, her body rolled off as she began to plummet to the unknown.
With a piercing scream of horror, she slammed both razor-sharp claws deep into the stony foundation of her mountain. “No, no, no!” Ember narrowed both eyes in a panic, struggling to pull herself up to the ground level.
Her helpless cries echoed in a melody of tragedy around her, both feet clawing into the rock for stability. With a strained pull of her slender frame, she was finally able to lift herself back to safety. Body collapsed on the edge with frantic heaving breaths, the near-death experience sending a cold shiver down her spine.
“I think I'll hold off on flying.” Ember sighed her voice full of anxiety.
Sitting up after a few moments of collecting her courage, Ember felt her long thin tail sway on her backside cutely. With flight, not yet a thing, she needed to collect something to eat for a quick burst of energy.
Eyes darted over her little slice of nothing, taking in the beauty around her yet nothing else really. She had an abundance of fruit on the many trees around her, so with little choice, she decided on something sweet. Ember walked towards a towering apple tree, leaping upward to snatch herself a treat, she missed her mark by a mile.
“Well, I feel short as heck!” She jumped in place once more, not really reaching high enough to even swat a bright red apple loose.
“I WANT AN APPLE!!” She hissed a stream of molten fire onto the edge of the vibrant green treetop.
Her voice echoed mockingly around her as dozens of blazing fruits came showering down over her slender body. The Dragoness growled under her breath in near defeat, a scorching hot apple pelting her upside the head gently.
The inner sanctuary of her cave was nice and warm, the flames from the lake of lava danced across the massive grey walls. Ember traced her delicate claw across a pink spotted egg lovingly, her eyes happily locked upon a large blue and white egg near the center.
“Don't worry hatchlings, I promise you all will be equal in my eyes. ~ From my beautiful girls to my big strong boys, I love you all!” Ember let a loud squee escape her muzzle.
Climbing into the nest near the lava's edge, she positioned herself to sit completely upright atop the large healthy blue egg. Silence quickly crept into the cave awkwardly, she crossed her long legs femininely with a pop of her lips.
“Hmm, if I have to sit on one at a time…” Ember bit her lower lip in uncertainty, loud belching of flames from the right making her beyond hungry.
After a few moments perched atop the largest egg, she decided to shift her position to something more comfortable. Curling into a little ball on her belly, she pulled a few of the smaller eggs under her protective bosom. The sensation of protecting another living creature filled her heart with purpose, a loving warmth spread down to her claws in a dreamy haze.
“Nothing will ever harm you.” Ember closed her eyes as she hummed a melody that danced across the room full of peace.
For a moment she felt whole.
“Thomas, are you coming?” James Hook asked with a voice of concern eyes hidden behind a pair of dark red glasses.
“Maybe later.” Tom sat on the edge of a retired antique caboose that was placed at the local park as a decorative object, such a sad fate for a proud machine relegated to obscurity by an uncaring world.
“Something wrong?” James asked taking a seat beside his friend.
“Just thinking about the future.” Tom felt his voice trail off into the calm night sky.
“Anything in particular?” James chuckled in a hearty tune.
“Can't say for certain, do you ever believe that something bigger is on the horizon?” Tom lifted his gaze to the star-filled ballet dancing high above them both.
“I tend to try and live in the now, too much thinking and you might just get lost.” Tom felt his friend firmly give his shoulder a squeeze.
“What if we're already lost?” Tom whispered in a nearly audible voice.
A star shooting across the cosmos, lighting up the darkness for the briefest of seconds.
“Huh!?” Ember woke up from her slumber in a light daze.
The Dragoness stepped out of her nest on all fours giving a long stretch, her surroundings seeming out of place for a moment. Shaking off the weariness from her eyes, she stood up and walked out into the crisp night air.
The whole day had escaped her with ease and she had absolutely gotten nothing done. Groaning aloud femininely she stomped off towards the edge of the cliff, her dark red hues burned through the abyss spotting glimmers of light in the far distance.
Would she ever be able to create something out of this legacy, or had she bit off way more than she could chew?
Plopping down in defeat she blew out a lazy trail of fire from between her lips. “Tomorrow, nothing will stop me.” Her eyes narrowed in growing anxiety.
“Baaaaa!” A gruff old goat beckoned from above her, Ember lifted her head up to spot it near the peak beside a few withered bushes.
“I'm serious!” Ember blew a raspberry.
The goat snorted in reply, totally reassuring his belief in her.
Ember was ready to start anew for a second time. She crept out of her cave on all fours, the sunlight sparkled across her turquoise scales. With a mighty stretch, she stood poised and collected, inhaling the fresh air with a sly smirk across her muzzle.
“This is a beautiful morning!” She spoke with a proud feminine voice, the local goat who had traveled down the peak into her domain bellowed towards her sarcastically.
“It is, you old goat!” She hissed in reply before darting off towards the distance.
First on her agenda was to learn how to fly. She figured with a few hours of training, that the skies above would be unlocked to her. Ember dug her claws into soft soil near her burned apple tree, crimson hues watched the sky as she worked to clear her mind.
Letting her wings flap in place a few times, she felt confident in being able to control her newly formed muscles. Each wing showed impressive strength as she focused her attention on the task at hand, with a steady breath she daintily lifted her feet off the ground.
“Yes, I'm doing it!” She screamed out in vain pride, allowing her wings to powerfully strike outward as if in battle.
The Dragoness shot upward in a blur of bright blue, her head smashed the branch up high like a rocket. Ember quickly plummeted down to the soil with a loud thud. “Owww!” She groaned a large red apple bonking her upside the head from above.
Perhaps she shouldn't keep opening with flight?
Next on her list was to secure a decent meal for herself. Burnt apples had a twang she wasn't too fond of, she needed to focus her strength to work for her. Though for a few moments she did think the goat looked quite delicious, swiftly dashing such devious thoughts out of her mind.
Head lifted under the cursed burnt tree, she knew exactly how to have a buffet of sweets. It wouldn't cost her much strength except for a single punch. “You dare challenge the power of a dragon!?” Ember erupted in a flood of laughter.
Pulling her arm completely back, she curled her tiny slender claw into a tight fist. She could feel the strength of eons flow through her very body, the spiritual energy of the Dragon Lord's pooling into her fated strike.
With a loud piercing scream, she struck the base of the tree with an explosive sonic boom following, the pathetic wooden surface snapped like a twig. The once towering behemoth flying off into the horizon, smashing onto the ground in a thunderous crash.
Ember could only watch in awe, as her apple tree rolled off the edge of the mountain. Plummeting through the thick mist like a stone, never to be seen again. “My apples…” she whispered in absolute horror a few crystalline tears rolled down her cheeks.
Punching a tree wasn't beneficial, to say the least. Worst yet her remaining tree only had lemons, she should've perhaps thought about practicing on that one instead.”Stay calm, everything is fine!” Ember spoke in a stressed-out tone of voice, calmly shuffling back towards her cave in silence.
The scruffy old goat casually bellowed from above the mouth of her home. Ember narrowed both eyes in a fiery sense of anger. “Don't you dare push me!” The Dragoness snapped her jaws with a loud pop. The creature simply lifted a hoof, nudging a pebble off the edge of his peak as it tumbled down in a lackluster fashion, pelting Ember upside the head.
“RAAAWR!!” She sprayed a gigantic wall of fire in front of the mocking old creature.
He refused to even budge an inch, a snort stormed out of both nostrils as he calmly walked away.
“I hate goats.” She couldn't help but hunch over.
Inside her cave of solitude and seclusion Ember bit reluctantly into a ripe lemon. Muzzle scrunched up cutely from the bitter taste, mind racing with thoughts of her current predicament. Without flight her options of survival were dwindling fast, she needed a new source of food other than fruits.
Her belly hungered for fresh meat. A nice large slab of bloody muscles and fat, her mouth salivated at the mere thought of a fresh kill. “No, I need not falter!” She huffed in despair shaking the thoughts of hunger from her mind, yet each passing moment made it harder to do so.
She needed to find a path off this cursed mountain. If she didn't replenish herself to full energy soon, the children would be the ones to suffer. Ember was in no condition to even attempt a hatch session, her heart shifted lower in her chest out of deep sorrow.
“I wish Jimmy was here, he'd know how to handle this.” She placed her claws upon her cheeks with defeat.
Suddenly she felt a cool caress of fresh air, kiss her cheek. The Dragoness blushed as her attention fell to the wall left behind by the fallen Drake. Soft cold mist poured out from the bottom edges of the stone surface, Ember cautiously stepped forward to inspect the structure.
Extending her claw outward, she was beyond surprised to feel her arm sink easily into the wall. “What in the world?” She spoke in awe before bravely walking forward, in a flash of bright mist she found herself a stone's throw away from her campsite.
In fact, she completely recognized this entire stretch of woodlands. Ember turned around to see she stepped out of a faded stone marker, the only feature unique about it is that it radiated a gust of warm air.
Was this how the spirit had found him?
Or perhaps it was yet another gift from a fallen father?
Whatever the truth, she was happy to be on solid ground. Surrounded by scenery she could actually identify, rushing back to her overgrown campsite, she prayed to find her tent. Heart skipping when she found it covered in vibrant green moss, ripping her way inside she found her old cellphone under a bundle of leaves.
She needed someone to share this crazy story with, only one person coming to mind.
Who would hopefully believe this truly outrageous tale.
“I don't think it'll fit,” Jimmy spoke in a casual if bit apathetic tone.
A tattered brown sofa took up most of the hallway space of Tom's new petite apartment building. The sofa a dingy brown color faded from years of neglect with even a few mismatched patches sewn on the back. Indeed it was the Frankenstein of couches, yet Tom had taken a liking to the poor thing.
It didn't fit with anything, much like himself.
“I can see that, Jimmy!” Tom groaned aloud as his hair frazzled out like a wet dog, he wouldn't have pushed this thing up four flights of stairs if he knew it was a lost cause.
“Maybe if we tilt it?” Jimmy lifted the edge upward with a firm tug as he accidentally ripped the armrest off, the sound of torn leather filling the hallway.
Tom glared silently his friend giving a lackluster shrug in reply. This day was something out of a comedy of errors, nothing was going as planned yet Jimmy stood at his side the whole way. Both young men burst into laughter from this absolutely horrendous project they joined.
Jimmy jumped atop the sofa to rest, his eyes locked on the ceiling, both arms rested behind his head in an attempt at relaxation. “The best-laid plans, eh?” He shifted his eyes towards Tom as dark brunette hair fell over his eyes.
“Indeed, thanks for helping but I'll find a way to get it back down,” Tom grumbled in defeat as he kicked the side of the sofa the left leg snapped causing the troublesome object to slant.
“You're kicking me out!?” Jimmy gasped in a faux surprise.
“I don't want to take up your weekend.” Tom snorted in reply before slouching up against the nearby blue wall.
Jimmy hopped up to his feet with a grin. With a large tug he shifted the sofa onto its side, Tom watched his friend reposition the object to try and fit through the door. “If we came this far, it'd be a shame to quit now!” He chuckled out joyously using his strength to lift the sofa nearly above his head.
“Dude, it won't…” Tom couldn't help but laugh as the sofa suddenly pushed halfway through the narrow opening. He couldn't believe it, his friend nearly single-handedly solved their little problem.
Nearly.
“Ha, I knew it!” Jimmy scoffed as he leaned up against the sofa in triumph.
“I can't really believe you did that?” Tom walked over with a sheepish gaze.
“You're my friend, anytime you need help I'll always be there!” Jimmy wrapped an arm over his buddy's shoulder.
“Why?” Tom questioned curiously.
“It's the right thing to do, if you don't sacrifice a little for friends. ~ Then friendship wouldn't mean much?” Jimmy clutched the lower half of the sofa in his hands, Tom chuckled with a smile happily taking the high ground.
Together both friends pushed the immovable object forward. It began to shift in place quickly becoming wedged between the doorway. Both men did their best to shift, tug, and tilt. Yet no matter the position it had become locked in place, Jimmy burst into laughter nearly toppling over on his side.
“I don't think it'll fit,” Tom smirked as he sat down in the hallway.
Surrounded by laughter and friendship.
The Dragon Fang Woods.
Most thought this place was haunted by large scale covered monsters. To Jimmy, though it was just a vast stretch of mist-covered landscapes, Bigfoot would love a place like this to live. Trees towered similar to slumbering giants high into the sky, blotting out the sunlight from ever touching the dew-covered ground below.
All types of odd noises echoed throughout the woodlands. Some he could easily identify while others were far more mysterious perhaps even otherworldly. Jimmy wouldn't have traveled out this far if it weren't for his friend, the text he received seemed frantic not Tom's usually calm affair.
Parking his old beat-up vehicle he stepped out into the crisp fresh air of the wilderness. He quickly had to double-check that his GPS didn't lead him into some off-map place of no return. Why would Tom choose a place like this to camp?
“Hello!?” His voice echoed across the endless void in an eerie fashion straight out of the Twilight Zone.
“If you lunge out at me, I'm going to punch you in the throat!” Jimmy cautiously shuffled deeper towards the thick overgrown forest.
Seeing no sign of his friend at all, or even traces of his campsite.
“I kid you not…” Jimmy could hear the snap of a branch behind him, spinning around in fear he tripped over his own feet.
As if in slow motion he plummeted headfirst towards a jagged rock on the ground. Squeezing both eyes shut, tight as could be, he waited for the pain of being impaled through the eye. Yet it never came instead he was somehow levitating in place, a shiver racing down his spine as he could feel a hand clutch his shirt collar tight.
“Please don't be a Chupacabra.” He swallowed the massive lump in his throat.
“You made it!” A feminine voice chirped before easily spinning the young man around.
Jimmy came face to face with a slender blue lizard, eyes widened in complete horror as he burst out into a piercing scream. “ Ahhh!” Ember screamed back in reply watching as her friend bolted off towards his car blindly, only to smack hard into a low hanging branch.
With a dull thud, he collapsed onto the ground in a cloud of dust.
“Mm-hmm! Truly unfortunate.” Ember placed a dainty claw on her cheek in dismay.
Walking over casually she gazed down to her friend on the ground. Popping her lips in deep thought she decided to fling her friend's body over her shoulder, she needed a safe place to explain everything to him.
It totally wasn't kidnapping him against his will.
Besides what could go wrong?
“Crap on a stick!” Ember punched the cave wall of her lair in a full-blown anxiety attack.
The Dragoness paced back and forth in a panic. Her eyes were overflowing with uncertainty and absolute terror of her situation. Blowing out a large wave of fire she kicked a large stone on the ground, the sleek volcanic debris ricocheting off the wall and pelting her in the eye.
“Mother of dragon tails!” She held to her eye in pain.
“What happened!?” Jimmy spoke in a deep haze the world around him spun out of control, his voice softer in tone and a bit tomboyish.
The octave range of his voice completely wrong. Jimmy gazed down to notice he was atop a large stone slab, even odder that he was nude and covered in orange scales. The world suddenly slammed on the brakes and became still as the mountain itself.
A younger orange Dragoness screamed out in horror through the cave, holding up her thin feminine claws to her tiny upturned muzzle confused. Claws felt her face in a panic, she had a protruded snout and larger shaped eyes, both claws soon clenched her sharp upturned white horns frightened.
“I'm a...uhh...duhh…” she swung to her feet stuttering as her long thin tail flung widely to the side and tripped her to the floor with a crash.
Her body was much more compacted now as purple spikes lined her head and tail. Sparkling translucent blue eyes soaked in her slender petite curves, the odd twitching of impressive wings on her arched backside making her want to puke.
“You're a dragon, but let me explain!” Ember quickly darted to her friend and placed a claw on her shoulder.
“What did you do to ARGHHHH!” Jimmy blasted a large wave of orange flames over the shocked blue Dragoness, her vibrant scales charred a dark black shade.
“Ow.” Ember coughed out a stream of smoke softly.
“My lungs are…” Jimmy blew out a large stream of fire across the wall.
“Burning!!” She winced and toppled down on all fours, belching out a smaller collection of bright red fireballs.
“Jimmy, please!” Ember whimpered in worry about her friend's health.
“Stay away from me….” She coughed in pain dragging her body out of the claustrophobic cave and into the clear air of the mountainside.
The blue Dragoness sighed in utter dismay.
She just needed to explain.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as her spirit shattered.
