A Dragon's Awakening

by Aya Knight

  Tempted to relocate, Thomas realized he was still too exhausted to travel at such a late hour. They would have to wish for the best and start their journey toward the new town first thing in the morning. Spending another night in the area was too great a risk.

  “Here—catch. I almost forgot to give you your share.” Kale tossed Thomas his portion of the bread. “I can’t breathe fire, you know,” Kale randomly stated as he glanced toward the flickering flames in disappointment. “I had to use human materials from the caravan to start this thing—what an inconvenience. It’s really quite pathetic, you know.” He felt hopeless and weak inside. For the first time it was as though he had fallen lower on the food chain—vulnerable and unable to protect himself.

  Thomas allowed himself to relax for the time being, leaning his back against an old tree stump. He was quite impressed with Kale and commended him for a job well done on the fire. For someone who had become human mere hours ago, Kale caught on amazingly quick to the basic ways of life and motor functions of his hands and fingers. Prior to this moment, Kale had merely glanced upon Thomas during his visits as he would slap flint and steel together until a small pile of dry pine needles or leaves would kindle. To build a fire without help was quite an impressive feat.

  Thomas smiled. “You’ll soon learn, Kale.” He bit down on one end of the bread, swallowing hard as the semi-moistened piece slid slowly down his throat. “You don’t need to be a large, frightening dragon who breathes fire in order to take care of yourself and get through life. Though humans may be small in comparison, some possess a heart that could eclipse even the largest of obstacles. Within yourself,” he gently placed his palm onto his chest, “is a heart that will guide you to overcome anything that stands in your way.”

  “All right,” Kale rolled his eyes, “so, you’re telling me that my heart will help turn me back into a dragon? Because, quite honestly, Thomas, this is a massive obstacle to me.”

  “You never know my friend… You never know. In the end, I’m sure everything will fall into place as it should. Things tend to have a way of working out, one way or another.” Thomas shoveled another chunk of bread into his mouth. Although slightly uncertain of the food’s quality, after such a mind-numbing day, the tiny meal tasted like the best thing he had eaten in ages.

  Kale rested his head on the sandy, pine needle covered ground, as he swallowed the final portion of his meal. He placed the apples, flint, and steel into a small pouch he found in the caravan. He rolled onto his back, staring up at stars that glowed vibrantly and contrasted against the night sky. The heat from the flames radiated against Kale’s skin, which felt surprisingly nice. There were so many new sensations he had already experienced as a human. Although his mind clouded with uncertainties and doubt, at that moment everything temporarily drifted away—he was able to truly allow himself to relax for the first time that day. The bread satisfied his aching stomach and Thomas was doing well; he could now focus on the simple pleasures such as the comforting night they shared. He continued to stare upward, enjoying the majestic scenery as his eyes rolled upward beneath his lids until he simply could not hold them open any longer. Kale drifted away into a peaceful slumber on his first night as a human.

  The first sound to stand out against the repetitive crackling of the fire was the rustling of nearby bushes on the perimeter closest to where Kale slept. The leaves shook against one another as something moved—hidden within the darkness. Neither Kale nor Thomas woke to the noise. To Kale, the sound of creatures scurrying about in the forest was normal, and although it was quite close, his mind did not register it as a threat which allowed him to continue dreaming without interruption.

  As the flames licked against the center of one of the larger logs, it eventually weakened, snapping in half and causing the two halves to land onto the bed of coals. The fire hissed upward, brightly illuminating the surrounding area as if hungrily pouncing upon the wood. The momentary increase in luminosity cast an orange glow upon the bordering vegetation, reflecting off a pair of large yellow eyes. Whatever was camouflaged within the bushes let out a soft grunt as it shunted away from the sudden burst of light. As the fire settled into place, the yellow-eyed stalker resumed its position. The being spread the branches of the bush apart as it watched Kale and Thomas soundly sleeping—ignorant to the threatening gaze cast upon them.

  The creature waited a brief while longer, until assured the two had not awoke. It then stood, towering above the bush. The yellow-eyed creature had smooth skin resembling the color of a severe bruise; purple, blue, and slightly red with discolored spots throughout. Its limbs were slender and long, with an abnormal pliancy to them. The creature’s arms were lengthy and attached to raised shoulder joints which protruded upward. It had a very flat face with the distinct feature of having no lips. The creature’s mouth revealed an open set of sharp teeth and considerable gums which were shown at all times. Because there was no tissue to hold its saliva in, drool constantly ran down its chin. The creature’s nose was quite small, yet it picked up the scent of the sleeping humans with ease. Its frame was so thin that as the creature stood, the flesh hugged its rib cage tightly, revealing each bone’s formation. The creature cautiously maneuvered around the twigs and dried leaves scattered around the sandy ground. Any wrong move posed the risk of waking the two sleeping men.

  The being focused intensely, making its way toward Kale, stopping only momentarily to wipe a glob of drool from its slightly pointed chin. The creature approached Kale, widening yellow eyes with thin, black pupils along the length of Kale’s body in overwhelming curiosity. It lowered its monstrous head near Kale’s messy black hair, inhaling quietly to capture the scent. The creature briefly closed its eyes as if to savor the moment. Soon after, it brought its face mere inches above Kale’s light-toned arm, extending a grotesquely long and narrow tongue just above the hairs,utilizing another method of smell, much like that of a snake. The creature then grew bold, gently caressing Kale’s cheek with its crooked fingers. It seemed to be rather intrigued by his body. As the being lowered its gruesome face closer to Kale’s, a long string of drool slipped through its vicious looking teeth—dropping directly onto Kale’s forehead.

  Kale flinched, rolling onto his side while muttering unclear babble. His body turned, causing the glob of saliva to slide at an angle and pool in the corner of his eye. His natural instinct and reflexes took over as he lifted his arm, balling his hand into a fist and rubbing his eye socket. As the wet slobber sloshed around beneath his fingers, he shook his head. His mind quickly grew alert to the situation—he was not dreaming. He pinched his eyes tightly shut, attempting to remove the liquid, before slowly squinting, allowing his eyes to adjust to the bright glow of the fire.

  It’s not raining…he thought, then what in Pan’s name was that? He used his index finger to wipe away the remaining wetness from beneath his eye, bringing it close to his nose. He then sniffed and analyzed the clear fluid-like substance. Useless human sense of smell. He rubbed it between his two fingertips and, although he didn’t dare admit, his newly acquired ability to touch was quite amazing and he could feel textures like never before. He continued to ponder, It’s not rain…not dew drops from the leaves…is this—saliva?

  Kale immediately went into a defensive state of mind. His former instincts as a mighty beast that longed for a good hunt returned. He wasn’t about to allow an animal to get the best of him. He crouched to the ground, examining the sand for footprints—there were none. He glanced over toward Thomas who was softly snoring, deep asleep. Kale knew Thomas was overly exhausted and it would pose a greater risk to attempt waking him in order to join in on the investigation. Thomas would not be able to cast any magic without a severe strain on his already weakened body. Kale stood, tightening the twine that held his oversized pants up around his waist. He was incredibly thankful to have remembered the way Thomas would often knot up a small pouch around his robes.
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  He stared into the darkness surrounding them, taking caution to stray from looking toward the fire in order to allow his pupils time to adjust. His hopes were running high that whatever had come so close to him was no more than a coyote or gnarlcat, which spooked away at his earlier movement or the crackling of the fire. He licked his lips, thinking how delicious it would taste after being roasted. If he could somehow catch the creature, they would be able to fill their stomachs, giving them energy to continue their journey tomorrow. He realized that as a human, he was not naturally able to kill unless he was quick enough to grasp the animal within his bare hands. He needed to find something—a weapon—and fast. Whatever ventured into their camp could already be scurrying away to safety.

  He rummaged through the caravan, but to his disappointment, there were no swords or other larger weaponry. Kale did manage to dig out a small dagger, which seemed to be freshly sharpened. To his side, there was also an iron pole that looked as though it had been used to hold the caravan window open. He grabbed both, just in case, placing the dagger’s blade through his twine belt to hold it snugly in place. Kale then crept slowly toward the darkness, unknowing which direction the creature had gone—a blind hunt.

  He grew discouraged after many minutes of searching, and the temptation to return to the camp was becoming more appealing. Suddenly, he heard a twig pop—something moved, and in the direction he was headed.

  Here, little gnarlcat, he thought, hungrily anticipating an attack on what he still assumed to be a small animal. He smiled as he felt close to enjoying a scrumptious meal.

  As he continued to follow the direction where he had heard the noise, the ground beneath his bare feet grew damp and sponge-like. Kale glanced around, soon realizing he had approached a pond which appeared quite unwelcoming and murky. He could scarcely see his surroundings, given the few twinkling stars which shone their faint light through the leaves of surrounding trees. His enthusiasm faded. What stood before Kale in the center of the pond was the very last thing he could have ever fathomed. It was certainly no coyote, definitely not a gnarlcat—but a dragon—it was him.

  Chapter 4: The Monsloths

  Kale pinched his eyes tightly shut and shook his head in disbelief. Was this a dream? He slowly lifted his eyelids—the dragon was still there. Mesmerized by the sight of his former self, he took a step forward into the cloudy brown water. He sloshed his way toward a relatively small sandy island in the center where the dragon stood. The massive beast filled nearly the entire piece of land. Cypress trees bordered the lake; their roots protruding from the ground, creating an eerie, haunting appearance to the area. The body of water was surprisingly shallow, only rising to his hips at the deepest points—which, for Kale, was quite lucky considering he never swam a day in his life. As he made his way to the center section of land, Kale came face to face with the replica of his mighty former body.

  “Just who are you!?” Kale tightened his grip on the iron rod, furious someone would attempt to play such a sinister trick on him after all he’d gone through. “I know you aren’t another dragon—and you’re definitely not me. So tell me, what sick game are you trying to play? Are you truly so cowardly that you fear to show me your true face?”

  Kale couldn’t imagine who, other than Thomas, could possibly know the truth about him. “Have it your way then—I’ll force you to answer me, you gutless fool!” He swung the rod violently toward the black dragon. Kale was taken aback as his feet slid, nearly throwing him off balance, and causing him to fall. The weapon had gone completely through the dragon’s face—it was an illusion.

  “So, you are a dragon!” An incredibly gruff female voice mysteriously echoed around him.

  It sounded as though whoever it was spoke to him from all directions. The effect caused Kale to lose any chance of tracking the location.

  “I knew I could sense something…different about you.” It paused. “You did not smell like a normal human.”

  Kale realized this must be the same creature that woke him from his sleep. He began to piece the whole scenario together, coming to the conclusion it was also this creature which must have attacked the travelers in the caravan—killing them all. Kale stood, like an animal lured into a trap, helpless, isolated, and alone, surrounded by water. He slowly spun around on the small island, investigating his surroundings in an attempt to determine where the stalker camouflaged itself.

  Although his eyes had adjusted to the blackness of night, he still found it incredibly challenging to see through the cypress trees. Their trunks were rooted so closely together it created a wall of bark, nearly impossible to see through. The only noticeable clearing was the path where Kale originally approached the lake.

  The voice broke through the silence, speaking to Kale once again. “So curious you are. My ability to conjure illusions is intended to show foolish and greedy humans what they desire above all else. To most—gold, riches, and power… But you—you are quite different. For a human to desire a beast is laughable. It was then I felt confident with my earlier assumptions about you. You are not a human…but a dragon. I sense a deep, bitter hatred within you. Could it be, much like myself, you too despise humans?” The creature cackled.

  Kale realized the illusion he saw was a method the creature devised in order to lure humans—to trap them.

  The creature spoke again, its voice slurred, much like someone attempting to speak without having the ability to pucker their lips. “It’s a shame you are now one of them; because we’ve grown hungry, and your flesh smells so delicious.”

  We? Kale thought as his heart quickened.

  Suddenly, the water began to bubble as four arms darted out toward Kale’s ankles. His animalistic reflexes allowed him to dodge the attack, leaping toward the island’s center. Being in a human body did have its advantages; he was lighter and much more agile than he had been as a large dragon. He was stranded and his soaked clothes weighed heavily upon his body; he had no idea what type of monster he was up against. The blue and purple tinted appendages were long and stretched onto the sandy shore. They moved around frantically in search of Kale’s legs. Almost as if they could sense where he stood, they lashed out in his direction, causing him to dance around in order to avoid being caught.

  The water began to ripple as two oblong hairless heads emerged; bright yellow eyes set deep in their sockets, stared directly toward Kale. With every movement the creatures made, a sickening pop could be heard. Their many joints were so disfigured that every time the monsters took a step forward the bones constantly shifted. The creatures moved in an abnormal fashion with their necks bent to the right as if permanently looking sideways.

  Kale cringed as the pointed teeth, set within a lipless mouth, parted as the two creatures snarled at him, inching their way closer to where he stood. It was fight—or be eaten alive. Kale lifted the iron rod above his head; he prepared to thrust the weapon down toward one of the approaching creatures.

  Without warning, another monster leapt down from the only cypress tree on the border of the small island and slammed into Kale’s shoulder. It landed with ease on the wet ground in front of him.

  Kale lost his footing, slipping backwards into the thick, sticky mud. Surprised, Kale kicked out his left leg and knocked the creature backward into the water.

  “Do not resist, boy. The pain will not last long.” The creature stood, approaching the island rapidly.

  The other two positioned themselves on opposite sides and closed in on Kale—attempting to trap him for an attack.

  Kale had already regained his footing, shifting his eyes around to view all three creatures. He knew he was outnumbered, yet, after having fled from General Jedah, his pride would not allow him to run a second time. One of the creatures crept close enough to extend a long, slender arm outward, wrenching its hand forcefully around Kale’s bicep. Kale grimaced and his arm burned, feeling as though it
would be ripped from the socket at any moment. He struggled to keep his footing.

  Kale knew he needed to make his move before it was too late. He angled his free arm back, preparing to swing a powerful blow. As the rod swooshed through the air, it made contact with the creature, slamming hard against its rib cage. The monster cried out, buckling over and gripping its side. Before Kale could feel any enthusiasm about his accomplishment, he felt an agonizing sensation on his leg. He glanced back just in time to see the third monster gnawing viciously at his calf. While focusing on striking the other creature, Kale had not noticed another of the monstrosities returning from the water. Vulgar words spat from Kale’s mouth as his body filled with a combination of pain and anger. He reached down to his belt, grasping the handle of the small dagger.

  Kale maneuvered his fingers around the weapon until they pinched the tip of the blade. He bit his lower lip, preparing for the pain he would endure when he jerked his leg from the monster’s mouth. The skin tore and blood splattered to the ground as he tore free. As Kale’s anger rose, so did his determination to live. His palms grew hot, the temperature increasing with every passing moment. He flung the dagger as hard as his wrist would allow toward the creature that had bitten him. As the weapon spun through the air, Kale became fully aware of his surroundings and managed to duck down to avoid an attack as another creature reached to grab his neck.

  Kale watched in awe as the dagger’s tip pierced through the creature’s forehead, sliding smoothly through its skull. The dagger exited through the back of the creature’s head, taking small pink pieces of brain along for the ride. As the dagger hit the lake’s surface it sizzled loudly before sinking out of sight. The monster’s yellow eyes rolled back into its skull as it plummeted face down into the mud.