Strachana by Judy Colella (i like reading books .txt) 📕

“Yesss. I will warrrm yoouuu whillssst you ssssing.”

Moving a large diamond that had been poking her in a very sensitive spot, she got as comfortable as she could, and began another of her songs. This one was a song of praise for the graceful way dragons flew, despite their amazing size and strength. It spoke of the longing the sight of them caused the humans who watched them wing their way across the heavens.

When she was done, the dragon gave a long, soft sigh that held within it a deep rumble of contentment. “Looong havve I drrreammed of finding a huuman whoo would beee my frrriend,” he confessed, plainly moved. But then he said no more, and Zela realized he’d fallen asleep.

Touched that he would trust her enough to drop his guard like that, she crawled up onto his leg (which was so much more comfortable than a bed of jewels, regardless of how pretty they were), and had soon joined the dragon in slumber.

Over the next few weeks, the dragon helped her make a kind of bed from a a huge flag he’d swiped from one of the turrets of Lord Gravnel’s castle and which she folded over, stuffed with soft moss, and tied shut on both ends. She could have chosen a quiet section of wall for her own space, but she preferred nestling next to the dragon. She knew these creatures slept so soundly that they never moved even while dreaming, and so she was in no danger of being crushed.

During this time, the dragon found her a harp. She had never owned one, nor known how to play it, but because she was very musical, and because she wanted more than anything to please the dragon, she learned. To her delight, and that of her new friend and protector, the instrument leant itself to her songs perfectly; in no time, she was composing new ones and regaled the dragon upon the completion of each when he would return to the cave from hunting.

One evening, when the sunset was painting everything orange, red and purple, she sat in the mouth of the cave, the dragon beside her, and asked a question that had been troubling her for some time. “Will you eat any more virgins?”

The dragon snorted.

“Is that a yes?”

“No, ZZZelaa. I was…chucklinnng. Yoouuu havve made meee conntent ennough. I onnly eat cowwzzz now.”

“Ah. Oh, thank you for the lovely fruit, by the way. And the oats – I had a very filling dinner of porridge and berries.” She leaned sideways against his leg, smiling.

“Weee drrraggonzzz havve a grrreat ssssecrrret, ZZZelaa, that I wissshhh to ssshhhare. But firrrst I thhink the time hasss comme to tell yoouuu my namme.” He had asked her on her second day there why she hadn’t asked for it, and her answer, that she knew he’d tell her when he was ready and trusted her more, had pleased him. “I hhavve waittteddd, watchinnggg and learrrning aboutt yoouuu, sssweeett humaaan. As yoouuu prrediccctedd, I amm rrready now. Yoouuu hhavve proven yoourrsself morrre than trrussstworrrthy thusss farrrr, and it isss timme.” He gazed at the fading light on the horizon for a moment, and said, “My namme is Vilzriquathtor-Neri.”

A small frown-line appeared between Zela’s brows. “‘Frozen Spears’?”

He nodded his great head. “Even azzz a wyrmling, I could brrreathe sshhaffftsss of icccce capable of piercccinng trrreees.”

“How formidable!”

He gave her an indulgent dragon-smile.

“May I call you something less…lengthy?”

“Yesss. I will allow yoouuu tooo call meee Neri.”

“Thank you.” This was a great honor, and she knew it. Dragons were very particular about their names, and rarely – if ever – allowed anyone, even their own kind, to call them by a nickname. She hugged his leg and looked up into the eye she could see from that side, a tear forming in hers.

“Yoouurrr grrratittude iss appreeecciaattedd. Now forrr my sssecrrret.” He stood and left the mouth of the cave. When he was several dragon-paces away, he turned back and folded his wings tightly against his sides. “Yoouu may havve hearrrd rrrumorrrs of thissss ability, but no huuman who hass ssseen it exisssts today.” He took a long, slow breath, and when he was done, shook his great body once – and was gone.

Somewhat, at least. The dragon was gone, but Neri was still there, only he looked instead like a tall, handsome, human male with a powerful physique. He was dressed in pale gray, and his hair, which was pure white, was tied into a ponytail that fell down his back. The color of his eyes was the same pale blue but seemed different somehow from those of a normal human being. “For you, Zela, I take this form. For no one else.”

She was stunned. Yes, she’d read that such a shape-change was within the ability of certain dragons, but as he’d pointed out, no one had ever seen this happen. As a result, few believed it was true, and of those who entertained it as a real possibility, only a handful had made an effort to find records of this from the ancient days of human-dragon friendships. She was also quite taken with the smile he was giving her, and felt herself blush.

“Are you pleased?” he asked, taking a step closer.

“You talk differently.” She was more pleased than she was ready to admit, her diversionary question making this clear to the ancient being watching her.

“Yes. I don’t have to speak through a dragon’s rough throat. Zela, may I be honest with you about something further?”

She nodded, her own throat suddenly dry.

“I…This is most unusual, but…I love you, Zela. I-I’m in love with you. And I really don’t know what to do about it.”

This was not nearly as surprising as his physical transformation, yet she wasn’t sure how to respond. After all, she, too, was in love, but with a dragon, not a human. Then again, he was only making himself look human for her and was still, without question, a dragon. What was either of them to do now? She wasn’t sure, but she was honest. Always had been, too, which was how she’d ended up tied to the Dragonstake in the first place.

“Zela?” He’d stepped a little closer.

“Neri.” She smiled and put out a hand. “I’m not sure how to answer, but I’m overwhelmed that you’ve trusted me like this. That…that you love me.”

“I’ve loved you from the moment I first heard your song, before I even saw you.” He closed the gap between them and took her hand. Holding it against his heart he continued, “You have made my days joyful and my nights peaceful. You have filled the hollows within me left by centuries of loneliness and despair.”

She looked up into his eyes, now at a more reasonable distance from her own, seeking something familiar. Something…ah, well, he was still a dragon after all. “Do you know why I agreed to come and live with you?”

“Not entirely.”

“For the same reason you have transformed yourself. Love.”

“You love me, Zela?”

“I love you with all of my heart.”

He sighed and leaned down, lifting her face with a forefinger under her chin. “My beloved,” he whispered, and touched his lips to hers.

No more was said, nor needed to be spoken, not for a long time. But then, as the final rays of sunlight fled the meadow in front of the cave, they turned, arms around each other, and entered their dragon-home with a joy that would last for the rest of their lives together.

“It won’t be easy, J’nah. Your human side is a hindrance.”

“I know.” The boy stared at his reflection through narrowed eyes and nodded. “But I shall do it.”

Neri smiled, happy that his son was so brave. Only twelve he was, yet already he could breathe ice and so far, had never backed down from a challenge. J’nah was nearly as tall as a human adult, and far stronger than a child of that species should be. He looked human in every way, in fact, except for the white hair, and eyes that were blue near the center, yellow near the outer edge of the iris, and completely lacking the white part. His pupils were round, unlike those of his sister (hers were beautiful and draconic – long, vertical black slits in eyes the color of polished silver). But regardless of his looks, his bravery, and all the other characteristics Neri found so wonderful, shape-changing was going to be difficult if not impossible.

“Show me again, Father.” J’nah squared his shoulders, addressing Neri’s reflection. They were standing by the pool in the middle of the cave, the only place they could live without being discovered, yet remain close to the town.

“Breathe in slowly, my son, until you can take in no more air. Then release it through your nostrils, making certain not to activate your mornegul-rihlilg, and raise your arms up and outward to the side.” The rihlilg was an organ exclusive to dragonkind that in the fire-breathing species allowed the production of flame, while in ice-breathers, it caused the expulsion of freezing air.

Obedient, J’nah followed his father’s instructions.

“Now close your eyes, see your dragon-self, and continue breathing out until you start to feel…different.”

At first nothing happened, other than a frosty curl of breath emanating from the boy’s nostrils.  But then, when he’d run out of breath, he began to change. Pale, smooth skin became luminous, silvery, and the outline of delicate scales could be seen rising from under the skin’s surface where his arms were exposed. His fingernails elongated and curved downward, and the ridge of bone above his arched brows began to protrude, the scaly texture thickening more there than elsewhere.

J’nah whispered that he could feel something happening, but that since his eyes were shut, he couldn’t see what it was.

“Never mind that! Keep thinking of your dragon blood, boy!” Neri was amazed – this was the first time his son had begun to shift. He wished to see how far the transformation would go, but was also concerned for the boy’s well-being. “Are you in any pain?”

J’nah shook his head in the negative, and a moment later his tunic began to tear as his chest grew broader, the scales unmistakable.

“Breathe in again!” Neri instructed, barely able to contain his excitement.

His son obeyed, but this time, he was unable to control the exhale, and it came out as a deafening roar accompanied by a huge blast of ice that shot through the entrance of the cave, struck a tree several hundred yards away, and shattered it. And for a brief, but a terrible and marvelous moment, wings exploded from the boy’s back – massive, magnificent silver wings tipped with blue, gem-like protrusions.

In the next moment, all evidence of the transformation had vanished and J’nah collapsed to the floor, human once again, spent, and close to unconscious. His father knelt beside him, placed a hand on the boy’s brow, and lifted one eyelid with a thumb.

“Stop that,” J’nah rasped.

Chuckling, Neri stood and found himself being glared at by his wife. The chuckle faded but the smile did not.

“Beloved,” said Zela, staring down at her exhausted child with a look of concern but addressing Neri, “must you expect so much so soon?”

“He’s strong enough.”

“He’s only twelve.