Authors: Paulette Miller
Tianna wondered if this evil Draak was connected to the creatures of her nightmares. She was going to ask about the creatures of the ground, the Dregg, but she didn’t want to say their name out loud. Instead she asked about the Draak himself. “What was the name of this Draaken?”
Marcus spoke the name solemnly. “Kai.”
At the mention of his name, she felt every Draak tense.
“But, if the Wizard Sett was destroyed over 800 years ago, surely this Kai is long dead.”
Marcus responded, “That’s what we all want to believe. Draaks can live well over 500 years but I’ve never heard of a Draak surviving into the 800s. Given Kai was several hundred years old when he became Draaken and he was a Draaken for quite some time before he went evil, if Kai were alive, he would be well over 1000 years old.”
Gabriel added, “It has been rumored that life has returned in the Wizard Sett’s castle of Obsidia, which was abandoned when Kai left. Many believe that Kai has returned to his former throne.”
Tianna trembled at the thought of Kai and his warriors. She hoped that he was just a legend and not real, but the fact that dragons were right in front of her made that a child’s dream.
Sensing Tianna’s unease, Nathaniel shifted nervously. “Are you afraid of us now?”
Tianna stared at him like she couldn’t understand why he would even ask that question. Although she feared this Kai they talked about, she was thrilled to meet the Draaks in front of her right now. Without hesitating she said, “Not at all. I’ve known that shapeshifters existed. I just never thought I’d ever meet one. You’re all fascinating to me.”
She moved over to touch Marcus’ chest. When she saw Seth still in his full dragon form, she pointed and asked, “Why isn’t he in partial dragon form like the rest of you?”
Gabriel answered for Seth. “He’s only been able to shift for nine years. Males first shift in their mid-twenties. It takes many years to be able to control it enough to shift partially. I’m the oldest here. Watch what a Draak my age can do.” Tianna stared unblinkingly as he held out his right hand and transformed his knife-like talons back to normal human fingers. He, just as easily, returned it to talons. She watched in amazement as he willed the scales back from around his face and neck. As he shifted individual parts, the rest of his body remained unchanged.
Tianna turned to look at Seth. “So, how old is Seth? I thought you said he was eighteen?”
Marcus answered this time. “As I said earlier, Draak can live centuries so we age very slowly. Although he looks eighteen in human years, he’s actually 34.”
Wonder crossed Tianna’s face. “If he’s 34, how old are the rest of you?”
Marcus pointed to each in turn. “I’m 221, Nathaniel is 175, and Gabriel is the oldest of our group at 382.”
Tianna examined Gabriel saying, “And I’d have guessed you were no older than 310.” She gave him a huge grin and a wink.
Everyone, except Seth, relaxed and gracefully shifted back to human form, their scales disappearing with the same fluid rippling water effect. Nathaniel was thrilled to see how quickly she had accepted their true nature, and Gabriel was surprised by the strength of mind she was showing. It was a trait he found very attractive.
Tianna couldn’t keep her eyes off of them. She wanted them to shift back and forth just so she could watch. “Does it hurt to shift?” she asked.
Marcus answered, “It can be uncomfortable for a minute. It’s worse when returning to human form, because shifting takes a lot of energy. The longer we stay in dragon form the weaker we will be when we return to human form, which is our natural state.”
Tianna took a moment to examine Seth’s form. Resembling Seth’s human body, his dragon form was slender and more flexible looking. He had exceptionally large eyes, strong wings, and well-fit legs like a runner. The talons reminded her of the claws of a raccoon or large cat when they clawed their way up a tree. Other than short spikes running down his back, his scales were slicked back making his body appear smooth. Tianna wanted to feel his scales so, without hesitation, she started walking over toward Seth.
As she walked by Nathaniel, he grabbed her around the waist saying, “Hold on there, fearless. Seth is still considered young and is therefore unpredictable. You’ll need to keep at a safe distance when he’s fully shifted.” He liked having her in his arms but reluctantly let her go.
Tianna noticed that Seth had moved back to the very edge of the clearing, shaking his head at her. She was very disappointed that she couldn’t go to Seth and that Nathaniel’s arms were no longer around her. She stared at the Draaks in front of her. “Since the rest of you are older, could I approach one of you when you’re shifted?”
The hope in her eyes warmed Nathaniel’s heart. He couldn’t deny her anything. “Yes, just stay here until I call you.” Nathaniel walked over next to Seth as Seth shifted back to human form. Watching Seth shift made Tianna cringe. It wasn’t very fluid and looked painful.
Seth started to get dressed while Nathaniel got undressed. When Tianna caught herself gazing at Nathaniel and gawking at places a proper lady shouldn’t, she quickly shifted her gaze back to his eyes. She found him staring back at her with a wide grin on his face.
She stared unblinking as Nathaniel fully shifted. Once in dragon form, he said something she couldn’t understand. When she gave him a confused look, he nodded his head for her to come over.
Tianna thought his form was beautiful. Like Seth’s dragon, Nathaniel’s form resembled the mark on his chest. Other than the two dragons being the same general size, she was surprised how different Nathaniel’s dragon was from Seth’s.
Nathaniel’s dragon form was muscular but had softer features including smaller eyes, smooth scales, and short but sharp spines. These spines ran down its back but stopped just before they reached a long tail, which was smooth and very flexible, like it could be used to wrap around something. The talons were shorter and resembled long fingers. He had a short horn at the tip of his nose and on the top of his head.
Tianna walked over and touched Nathaniel’s chest. He playfully nudged her shoulder with his head and she giggled. She noticed that the scales were just like those on his partially shifted body except they were larger. She continued to touch and examine him from head to toe. Nathaniel didn’t think she had missed an inch.
She couldn’t hold back the urge to rub the horn next to his nose. When she did, Nathaniel growled at her and smiled. His smile was full of very large, pointy, sharp white teeth. He then licked her hand with his tongue, which was split at the end like a snake’s. It was rough but pleasant on her skin and gave her gooseflesh up her arms. She imagined what it would like to be bathed by that tongue. She yelled at herself for the thought and quickly walked down Nathaniel’s body so he couldn’t see her blush.
She traveled all around him until she ended at his head again. She was fearless now and grabbed his horn to pull his head down so they could look eye to eye. She smiled and asked, “Would you extend your wings for me?”
The ground shook with his chuckle and he extended his wings out as if in a stretch. She gasped at the sight. They resembled bird’s wings in structure but these were semi-transparent when extended. Like the ridge down his back, the upper edge of the wings had the same short spikes. The transparent membrane was blue in color. Given Marcus’ earlier explanation of Sett color, she guessed that the others might have wings matching their primary dragon color. She asked Nathaniel and he nodded that she was correct. She thought that these colored veins must make the wing appear colored when the sunlight shone through them.
A huge grin formed on Tianna’s face and she pleaded, “Would you please fly for me? Better yet, would you take me for a ride?” She was so excited by the prospect that she was starting to breathe heavily. She didn’t wait for his answer and quickly scrambled up his back like a jungle cat climbing up a tree.
Just as she approached the back of his neck, she felt large hands on her legs pulling her back down to the ground. She turned to see Gabriel and he said, “Hold on there. You need to leave something for another day.”
He gave her a wonderful smile that made her catch her breath. She gave him a pout but it did no good—he ignored the face and placed her gently back on the ground. She made a mental note that she would wear her tree-climbing clothes the next time she climbed onto the back of a dragon and she promised herself that there would be another time.
She had been examining Nathaniel and asking non-stop questions for over an hour. Marcus decided that they needed to get back to Zarin. Tianna didn’t argue but she was thinking of the hundreds of questions she still had for the Draaks as well as the hundreds she was going to ask Zarin.
She picked up Nathaniel’s clothes and handed them to him once he was back in human form. Nathaniel wasn’t shy so Tianna couldn’t help herself but let her eyes take a quick trip up and down his body.
When Nathaniel noticed her interest, he chuckled. “My lady, feel free to continue to touch any parts you find interesting.”
She could think of no response so she just quickly turned around to talk to the other Draaks and let Nathaniel get dressed without an audience. She could hear him laughing behind her.
Just then Zarin appeared in the clearing and joined those gathered together.
Tianna gave Zarin a look. “Master, I think you’ve left out some stories about the Draak.”
Zarin sighed. “I’m sorry Tianna. I’ve kept things from you to try and protect you. While I was away, I’ve experienced the evil that you and I have talked about many times. I see the arrival of these Draak as a sign. It’s time for you to come out of hiding and learn about a great many things.”
Tianna was confused. “What do you mean by ‘come out of hiding’? I’m not hiding.”
Zarin replied, “For as long as I can remember, the evil has been growing. Since the day of your birth, I’ve noticed a dramatic increase in this evil. It’s searching for something. I’m not exactly sure what it’s trying to find but whatever it is, it can’t be allowed to find it. Magical villages have been forced to shroud their borders to save themselves. Non-magical villages are now being impacted as well. Those of us with talents must join the fight. You, my precious child, are such a talent.”
Tianna didn’t know exactly how to respond. “I’ve also felt this evil but I’m not strong enough to stand up to it. I’m nothing special. I’m just a small human woman. I know a few tricks, but I’m no warrior.”
Nathaniel wanted to voice his agreement but he remained silent. The other Draaks moved away quietly, staying out of the conversation.
Zarin shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong. You’re very powerful and have yet to see all of your skills emerge.”
He knew it was time to tell her that she must leave him, but he didn’t want to see her go. He took in a deep breath while taking her hands in his. “To help you, I’m sending you with these Draak back to their home of Haven. Once there, you’ll learn to harness your power.”
Tianna gasped. “Leave you? I can‘t!” She wasn’t sure how to react to Zarin’s command. She longed for adventure, but now that she was being given the opportunity to venture out of Trille, she was terrified. Trille may never have felt like home, but it was the only home she knew. Could she leave her parents and Zarin behind?
Zarin responded with force this time. “Yes, you can and you will. You’ll leave Trille in three days. These Draak will be your guides and protectors.”
Nathaniel added, “And we’ll guard you with our lives if needed.” He had such a determined look on his face that it took Tianna’s breath away.
“Let’s go back and begin preparations.” Zarin led them back toward his home.
Nathaniel was walking behind Tianna and could sense her unease. He walked to her side, placed his hand on her back, and willed her mind to calm saying, “It’ll be alright. You aren’t going out on your own. We’ll be right beside you.”
Tianna smiled up at him as she felt the tingling of his touch, and her nerves started to instantly calm. They followed the others back to Zarin’s, Tianna’s mind racing between excitement and fear.
When the group arrived at Zarin’s home, the Draak noisily started preparing their mid-day meal. Tianna pulled Zarin to the side and expressed her concerns about leaving.
Zarin tried to ease her fears. “I know you’re frightened to be sent on your own but you are ready. You’re the most powerful apprentice I’ve known, and I’m very proud of you. Every part of me is saying that this is the right course.”