Page 44 of Fire and Fate
The transformation happens in a heartbeat, my body expanding and reforming into my dragon form. My wings spread wide, blocking Kaia from whatever threat might exist. My scales shimmer orange and red and white, wisps of smoke rising from them. I'm not as large in this confined space as I would be outside, but I'm still massive, taking up most of the corridor's width.
Silence enters the hall. The staff who were nearby have frozen, staring at me with wide eyes as I turn my head to look at Kaia. She stands behind me, one hand pressed to her chest where her heart must be racing.
When shifts happen out of thick emotion like fear or rage, it's hard to immediately come back down and shift back. The dragon form feels right in moments like this, powerful and capable of protecting what's mine. But I force myself to focus, to remember that neither I nor Kaia are actually in danger, that the crash was probably just a servant dropping something.
However, now, I'm worried that Kaia will see me as a monster after all the stories she's had to endure. Her kingdom paints us as vicious beasts, mindless creatures of destruction. What if seeing me like this, in my true form, changes how she feels? What if the reality of what I am is too much for her to accept?
But Kaia merely steps forward, her initial fear replaced by wonder. She reaches out slowly, giving me time to pull away if I want to. When I don't, she places her hand against my snout.
I bow my head slightly, bringing myself more to her level. Her hand slides along my nose to the space between my eyes, awe in her expression.
"You're gorgeous," she breathes, her voice filled with genuine wonder. "How could anyone ever think you're a monster? You're magnificent."
I shimmy in pride, unable to help the pleased rumble that emanates from my chest. She thinks I'm gorgeous. She's not afraid or repulsed. She sees the beauty in this form, seesmerather than the monster from her stories.
The pride and pleasure coursing through me gives me the emotional stability I need to shift back. My body reforms into my human shape, scales receding and wings folding back into my skin. Within moments, I'm standing before her again in myusual form, my body naked and flushed with exertion, slightly breathless from the rapid transformation.
Before Kaia can say anything, I push her back against the wall and kiss her soundly.
Solace
Zara leads me through corridors I don't recognize, down staircases that seem to descend forever, until we finally emerge into the afternoon sunlight. We're in a field just off to the side of the castle, wild grass swaying in the breeze and flowers I don't recognize dotting the landscape in brilliant colors. The air smells sweet and clean, nothing like the confined spaces of Valoria's castle where everything is carefully manicured and controlled.
I stare at Zara, confused about why she's brought me out here. She stands at the edge of the field, looking out over the valley beyond with an expression I can't quite read. There's something peaceful about her posture, relaxed in a way I haven't seen since we arrived.
"I don't get to do this often, less than I'd like with a people to rule," she says without turning to look at me. "But I want to show you what your kingdom has been fighting so hard against. What they've been willing to kill for, to die for, without ever truly understanding what they're trying to destroy."
I frown, not following her meaning. "What do you mean?"
She turns to face me then, and there's intensity in her dark eyes that makes my breath catch. "Shift with me. Let me show you Embrath the way it's meant to be seen."
I step back instinctively, my heart rate picking up. "What?"
"You can't possibly cover the ground we need to by walking," Zara explains. "Not if I want to show you everything before Kaia's heat hits and we're confined to the bedroom for days. Shift with me so that I can show you Embrath properly."
Before I can respond, before I can even process what she's asking, Zara begins to shift. I watch in fascination as her body transforms, expanding and reforming into something both terrifying and beautiful. Her skin gives way to scales that shimmer black with iridescent green, catching the light and throwing it back in patterns that seem almost alive. Her body grows massive, powerful muscles rippling beneath those gorgeous scales. Wings unfurl from her back, membrane stretched between bone that looks delicate but must be incredibly strong to support her weight in flight.
Her face elongates into a dragon's snout with teeth that could tear through stone, horns curving back from her skull. Her eyes, though changed, still hold that same intelligence and intensity I saw in her human form. She's magnificent, terrifying, and nothing like the mindless beasts from Valorian stories.
I stand frozen in awe, unable to move or speak. This is what we've been taught to fear, to hate, to hunt. But there's nothing monstrous about her. She's powerful and beautiful, a creatureof magic and strength that commands respect rather than revulsion.
Zara makes a sound, something between a rumble and a purr, and I realize she's waiting for me. Expecting me to shift too.
My hands tremble as I reach for my wolf form. It comes easier than I expected, my body remembering the shape and flow of the change. Skin becomes fur, bones reshape, my perspective shifting as I drop to all fours. My dark fur ripples with the blue magic that marks me as different, as something more than just a simple Beta wolf. The magic dances along my spine and legs, visible traces of sapphire light that have always set me apart.
When I open my eyes again, the world looks different. Sharper, clearer, every scent amplified until I can smell things across Embrath. The grass beneath my paws, the flowers scattered through the field, the residual scent of other dragons who've passed through this space. And Zara, her scent stronger and more intoxicating than anything I've ever experienced.
Zara lowers her massive head, pressing her snout gently against my wolf form. The contact sends a shiver through me and then her voice fills my mind, clear as if she were speaking aloud.
"How can I hear you?" I think back at her, startled by the connection.
"Our magic is much stronger than any others," Zara's voice echoes in my head, tinged with amusement. "It's not limited to mates when in our shifted forms. Any dragon can communicate this way with any shifter, though the connection is stronger with those we're bonded to. Come. Let me show you what your people have been trying to destroy."
She launches herself into the air with a powerful thrust of her wings, and I watch in amazement as she rises above me. The grace in her movements despite her size is breathtaking. ThenI'm running, my paws eating up the ground as I race across the field after her.
The feel of running freely is intoxicating after so many days forced into this form against my will. Now it's my choice, my decision to be wolf, and that makes all the difference. My muscles stretch and pull with each stride, powerful and efficient. The wind rushes through my fur, cool and refreshing. I can hear everything, the rustle of grass, the distant call of birds, the steady beat of Zara's wings overhead.
She flies low enough that I can keep her in sight, leading me through valleys and across streams, past groves of trees that seem to glow with their own inner light. The landscape here is nothing like Valoria's carefully controlled territory. Everything grows wild and free, but there's still order to it, still beauty that speaks of care and cultivation rather than chaos.
