by Alice Brown
After lunch, Adorellan was true to his word to Blain, and continued showing Natasha around the plaza. They visited several more shops, only after she had warned him sternly not to steal. The little man kept his hands in his pockets, jiggling whatever trinkets he held. It was because of this that she spotted Blain’s pocket knife sticking out a bit while they shopped. She silently shook her head and quickly decided to stay out of this one. Blain would notice it missing soon enough, and she was sure he would be looking for Adorellan when he did.
It was while shopping the voice of her dragon came up again. 'Natasha, guess what? I am ready. I want out. Come on, Natasha, I want to come out and explore.' Natasha stopped and took a deep breath.
'First of all, I have no idea how to let you out. Second, we are in the middle of a busy area where there are lots of shops and people. Don’t you want to wait until I can get to a less crowded area?'
'No! I want out now!' her dragon yelled, and she watched in her mind’s eye as she stomped and rammed up against the inside of Natasha.
“Ouch, that hurt.” Natasha spoke the words out loud, not realizing she had done so until she watched Adorellan turn and give her a questioning look. She was dealing with very real pain from having a dragon bashing up against her.
“What hurt?” Adorellan asked in blissful ignorance from beside her.
Natasha glanced down at the little elf, and it suddenly hit her. She didn’t know what to do. She needed Blain. But Blain wasn’t around, and somehow she was going to need to calm her dragon until she found him and he had a chance to teach her.
“I’m sorry, I have to leave, I can’t stay here.” Turning to run away, she was surprised to see Adorellan step in front of her, forcing her to stop.
“Natasha, you can’t just leave. I promised Blain I would stay with you. Why do you want to leave?” He was anything but quiet in his quest to find out what was going on with her. Taking a quick glance around, she realized they were drawing the attention of many others. “Oh God, I need Blain.”
'No, I want Sapphamire! You get Blain all the time. I want time with my mate!' her dragon fumed.
'Please, please calm down. I meant I need Blain to show me what to do. I don’t know what to do.' She was sobbing on the inside, that uncertain young woman that she refused to allow the world to see. On the outside, she was trying to keep from having a panic attack.
“Adorellan, it’s not you. I don’t feel well. I have to go…” She went to step around him, prepared to run out of the area, when directly in front of her stood King Thoran.
“Adorellan, you have done a fine job of helping Natasha today, and I will make sure Blain is told so. I need to have a word with her, so run along, and I’ll make sure she is taken care of.”
Then he turned those bright blue eyes to Natasha. Staring into her eyes, he quickly entered her mind and gently reprimanded her dragon for displaying such lack of manners. 'Little one, I know you are new here, but we do not treat our human halves with disrespect. Only by respecting one another will you make a good team. She explained she didn’t know what to do. You should have calmed down and let her find someone to help her, not thrown a fit.'
Natasha was watching all of this in her mind’s eye. 'I am sorry, Tashe.' Her dragon looked dejected and remorseful, and she knew she needed to forgive and forget so they could move past this incident.
Tashe? Okay, I am going to let that one slide for now. 'It’s okay, I forgive you. And just as soon as somebody shows me how to let you out, I will. Okay?'
“Natasha, come with me, we have much to discuss.” King Thoran was out of her mind and now speaking to her in person. He turned and walked away, expecting her to follow him.
She looked up ahead of him and could see her horse waiting patiently next to his. How did he do that? As far as she knew, her horse was where she and Blain had left theirs tied up much earlier.
And then she heard her dragon’s voice again. 'King has special powers. I can feel them. I didn’t mean to make him angry with me.'
'He’ll forgive you…do you have a name?” she asked her dragon.
'Yes! It is Naquadus. It is supposed to be a joining of your name and my color.' When Natasha looked, she could now see her dragon fully in her mind’s eye. She was so cute. An aquamarine color, with big eyes and spikes going down the top of her tail.
'Hi, Naquadus. I love your name, it is beautiful. So are you,' she told her dragon truthfully.
The young dragon preened. 'Oh, Tashe, love, I have so much to show you! And we are going to have so much fun! I can’t wait! I hope we can be best friends! Oh…do you think Sapphamire will find me pretty?' Natasha chuckled out loud. Naquadus had just spit all of that out without even taking a breath.
'I am sure Sapphamire will love you, Naquadus. What isn’t to love? You are gorgeous!' Inwardly she smiled to her dragon. Now that was better. Maybe she and Naquadus could have the same peaceful coexistence that Blain seemed to have with Sapphamire.
She followed King Thoran out to the horses. Once seated on hers, a very strong, yet gentle voice entered her mind. 'You two will get along great. Naquadus, I am not mad at you, little one. Now let’s get you somewhere safe to come out and play.'
Natasha followed the king out of the market. They rode in silence until they were away from anyone. Once they reached the countryside, he glanced over to her. “So, I thought maybe I’d give you a quick lesson in Dragons 101. Your dragon is showing a rebellious side because she has not been shown her boundaries yet. But she will. I suspect Sapphamire will need to get involved at some point to help show her the way. And she will also feel more confident and mature the more you let her explore her freedom with reserve. I am going to show you how to keep control of her at all times, whether you let her out or not, you must always be in control of the situation. My suggestion to you is this: try to let her out a bit every day or every other day. It will help her learn her surroundings better, as well as her boundaries. And it goes without saying that you two need to bond. If you plan to use her in a fight, you have to be able to trust her. That means getting to know her and bonding well first.”
Natasha was swimming in questions, hardly knowing where to start asking. “Getting to know her? I hardly even know anything about dragons at all, and now I have one sharing my body! How did this happen? How did humans and dragons become one like this?”
The king chuckled. “No one actually remembers, of course. But I’ll share some of our lore so you will know what we believe about our history.
“Long ago, man shared Earth with many beasts, and as he was puny and weak by comparison, he lived in fear of the beasts for many, many years. Some of these beasts were very large. Not only could they fly, but their jaws could snap a man in half in the blink of an eye. Some had scales, some not, and often the different beasts did not get along. As they battled for dominance, the earth would tremble as they fought to the death. Only then would the victor walk or fly away.
“Man tried to stay as far away from the beasts as he could. He lived in caves, but was sometimes forced out of his own home when one or more of these beasts suddenly decided to take over. And of course, man was also forced to forage outside for food, placing himself in grave danger from the predation of these dinosaurs.
“Now, unbeknownst to man, on the other side of the galaxy was Dragonose. It is believed that it was created by the gods for an ominous time in history that was fast approaching.
“The gods looked down on both man and the dragons that roamed the earth. The dragons were extremely intelligent creatures, but with little grace. Man was not so intelligent, but had learned to adapt to his surroundings and was much more graceful than the dragons. So what would happen if the two became one?
“Then the unthinkable happened. A huge meteor hit earth, destroying everything in its path. But the gods controlled where the meteor hit. Although it killed many, the gods selected certain men and dragons they deemed worthy, and transported them instantly to Dragonose.
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�Since then, at least here on Dragonose, man and beast have shared one body. We have the ability to shift between human and dragon form at will. Centuries have passed, and we are proud that we have evolved into a civilized and cultured world, and have learned to coexist peacefully.
“Many have speculated, and many more have formed scientific or educated theories, as to what happened to the dinosaurs as well as what brought about the beginning of mankind. But, so far we have been able to keep man from discovering Dragonose.”
“Okay, so the best of the humans and the best of the dragons were chosen by the gods, taken from Earth, and transported to a planet on the other side of the galaxy. When they got there, they found they were sharing a body. Do I have that right, King Thoran?” Natasha asked.
“A very good summary of our creation story,” the king replied.
“So what is your speculation as to what happened back on Earth afterward?”
“The dinosaurs were deemed more trouble than they were worth. Some huge in size, but all believed to be with virtually no brain. When the meteor hit, the dinosaurs were deemed disposable. We believe only a few survived, and because of the aftereffects of the meteor, they were greatly reduced in size. Ever wonder where your alligators, bearded dragons, Chinese water dragons, iguanas, Kimono dragons, geckos and lizards come from? We believe they are a direct result of the meteor.”
“Why do the people of Dragonose keep the portals open? You have a beautiful planet here, so why do you go back and forth to Earth?”
“You’re full of questions, aren’t you?” the king smiled. “The existential crisis threatening the future of Dragonose is its shortage of females. Five males are born for every female, an unfortunate fact that has sent many Dragonose males to Earth to search for their mates. Some have happily resettled on Earth and return to their homeland only when summoned due to threat of attack. Others left with no real intention of staying a significant length of time. They just wanted to find their mate and return back to their homeland to live peacefully."
They rode another few minutes in silence, Natasha trying to process everything the king had just told her. The king pulled up next to a large boulder, and for the first time Natasha noticed they were at the top of a large hill or small mountain. She watched as the king dismounted, noticing all of his rippling muscles under his clothes.
“While I appreciate being admired by the opposite sex as much as the next guy, I wouldn’t let Blain see you do that,” he chuckled.
Natasha knew her cheeks were aflame as she dismounted. Finally, after fiddling with the horse an extra moment, she looked up into the king’s kind, mirth—filled eyes.
“Come, Natasha. We will let Naquadus out to play for a while.”
Natasha walked over to where he was standing. “Okay, what am I am supposed to do?”
King Thoran looked at her for a moment. “I am going to walk you through the process. Then I will pull back a bit so you can have a bit of privacy.”
“What…no…you can’t leave me here!” No way was Natasha going to change over into dragon form and not have the king right there until Blain showed up.”
The king seemed to be struggling with an internal war within himself. “The thing is, you have to remove your clothes, Natasha. That is why I said I would step back. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere, I was just trying to give you a bit of privacy. That’s okay, I’ve got a better idea. Go back behind your horse, and remove your clothes. Stay there, and I will walk you through how to shift.”
Over the course of the next three hours, the king showed her that even though dragons had a mind of their own, and loved to exert themselves when they were set free, it was still the human who was ultimately in charge. He spoke to both Natasha and Naquadus, offering advice and gentle instruction. He showed Natasha how to remain firmly in charge at all times, and worked with Naquadus to teach her what a great honor it is to protect their human counterparts.
And when Naquadus wasn’t testing her wings and flying, he was teaching both of them the history of Dragonose and its people. And then he zeroed in on Natasha.
“Natasha, dear, I know you informed everyone that you had no powers. But you are wrong, my child. Your powers were just latent until you met your mate. Yes, child, I heard about them trying to force-mate you, as if such a thing could actually be done. That damn Other Council doesn’t use their brains at times. Anyways, you’ve got powers, child. Powers that can and will scare the Council, should they get wind of all of them. My advice to you is to keep as many quiet as you can. Now, let’s see what all you can do, shall we?”
King Thoran placed both hands on her shoulders and stated, “Look me in the eyes, Natasha.”
She knew he was reading her mind, but what he hoped to find there was beyond her, since she wasn’t aware of any special abilities. She heard his voice inside her head state, 'go back to the incident in which you burned Dominic’s arm. Yes, yes, go back to that memory. I want to see what triggered everything.' A moment later as he released her mind, he stated enthusiastically, “I got it!”
Natasha was just wondering what “it” was when he spoke again. “So, Natasha, ready to try out a few new tricks?”
“Um, I guess so. King Thoran, I don’t mean to be rude, but I still don’t think I have any of these great powers you seem to think I have. I have never been able to do anything other than fly and decrease myself down to pixie size while flying.”
The king tipped his head back and laughed heartily. “Oh, my dear child, you are about to get your eyes opened. What would you say if I told you that not only can you shrink down to the size of a pixie, but Naquadus will also be able to do so, as well? You must embrace your pixie side more, though, and you will also find your wings are quite a bit stronger than they have ever been before. Now, that incident with Dominic? That is just the beginning. In human form, you will be able to throw fireballs straight from your hand. And Naquadus will be able to spit the fireballs from her mouth at great distances.
“But, the other side of that is you will also have limited healing and pain relief abilities. Just be careful on how you use those, because your body will absorb both pain and injury, and you will have to purge it out of your own body. I happen to have the gift of healing also, which is how I healed Dominic. I also see a bit of a calming attribute trying to surface in you. I am not sure exactly how it will work on you, but in the past, when this gift made itself known, it was through touch. You should be able to push a calming effect into someone.
“Now, here is the big one. You are going to have Line of Sight Teleportation. Have you ever noticed that you tend to be faster than others? This gift has always been there, just waiting for you to unlock it. What this means is you will be able to start running, picking up speed, until to the naked eye you disappear—only to reappear at a different location. Call it teleportation or time jumping if you will, but it is limited to your line of sight.”
“Okay, I don’t quite follow you as to what the big deal is on that last one. I mean, it is limited to just what I can see, correct? Where is the usefulness in that?”
“Let’s say you are under attack. You start running toward someone. It is entirely possible that you would disappear from their sight altogether, reappearing behind them and could strike before they even realized you were there.”
“Oh, now that you put it that way, it does sound cool,” Natasha murmured thoughtfully.
“So, let’s take a few of these gifts out for a test run, shall we?”
“Umm, sure, but I need to know what to do.” Now that she thought about it, Naquadus had gone extremely silent. It was as if she had curled up and gone asleep once she had been let out to play.
Before the king could respond, a very large Sapphamire came flying in from the east. Changing back to human form almost before the dragon had touched down, Blain looked over at his king and then his mate. “Hi, baby. What is going on?”
“Naquadus decided she wanted out. In the middle of town square.”
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The king wore a smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eye as he explained. “I heard Natasha’s distress, and knew you were tied up with training. So I came to take her to an open spot, and start teaching her how to handle her dragon, rather than let Naquadus handle her.” The king chuckled as he shook his head. “I think it is safe to say that Naquadus was trying her best to gain the upper hand when I arrived.”
Blain quickly pulled on a pair of jeans that Sapphamire had held in his mouth while they traveled. Natasha walked over and gave him a hug and a kiss. “I’ve missed you, but King Thoran was great! And guess what? He says that I have a lot of different powers that are all going to start coming out! Me, the one that didn’t think she would ever have any powers! Oh, but he warned us not to let the Council of Others know about everything, you know how they are about something they don’t understand.”
Blain glanced over to his king who nodded his head in agreement. “Blain, once Natasha learns to use all of her powers, I daresay you two will be a force to be reckoned with back on Earth. I know enough about the Council to know that if they realize the extent of your combined powers, they will feel very threatened. So my suggestion is not to tell them anything more than necessary.”
Blain knew his king was correct. He had seen the way they treated Natasha when they couldn’t force a mating on her. He had seen what happened when the Council became nervous about someone that might be just a bit different than they were. “Okay, what kind of powers are we talking about?”
“Well, I was just getting ready to have Natasha test some of them out. Let’s see what all powers she has awakened now that her dragon is fully developed.”
The king turned in her direction. “Natasha, we will try the first couple of exercises with you in human form. See that tree about a hundred yards straight ahead? I want you to visualize a fireball in your mind’s eye. Vision it sitting in the palm of your hand. Go ahead,” he gently urged her.
Natasha closed her eyes in order to concentrate. Naquadus perked her head up. 'Oh, I can help, Natasha!' Sure enough, as soon as she began to concentrate on a fireball, Naquadus helped one appear. A smile broke across her face. This was cool! She had never had to ability to manipulate fire!