Heir of the Dragon

Excuses

"Here" Shadaii said, tossing the two leather packs at my feet, "No one was there, but the embers are still hot and the bedding is still laid out. She can't have gone far,"

I lowered my head to meet his waiting hand, and tensed as the shock of the contact flitted across my skin.

They must have gone to look for me. We don't have a lot of time.

"They?"

I still found it amusing that when he spoke to me he sounded delusional. Only his half of the conversation was audible, so if anyone were to witness this it would look like he was speaking to himself.

We encountered an Ingryd a few days ago and Aywa offered to take him to her people. She thinks they may be able to rescue his city.

"An Ingyd? oh..." He grimaced slightly.

What?

"Later. I thought you said you were in a hurry," He replied.

He pulled his fingers away from the side of my face and gestured to a cluster of trees a few paces away

" Go over there, I'll tell you what to do."

Yes, mother.

I closed a clawed fist around the pack I knew contained a change of clothes and limped three-leggedly to the other side of the group of trees.

"Now, to do this, you have to be calm." His instruction drifted through the trees.

I set down the pack and sat back on my haunches.

Calm...

Taking a deep breath, I forced my mind to take me back to the lake I used to sit by as a child; beautiful and serene. The birds would float on it's surface, bobbing up and down with a ripples that travelled across it's blue expanse. I thought of the little skiff I used to love, and the quiet trips I'd take-- just to get away.

"When you shifted, your emotions forced your core energy outward. Imagine pulling it back, extracting it it from your body-- your skin, and burying it deep inside you,"

I closed my eyes and turned my focus inward.

I could do this.

It was hazy at first, but I soon found the energy, the burning molten energy that, although dormant, still ran rampantly through my veins. As soon as I'd found it, I began to pull it out of my system, starting at the very tips of my fingers. The instant I disturbed it, the energy flared up again. My hands and feet prickled and burned, but I resisted the urge to give in. The further I retracted the flaming venom, the more of me was engulfed in heat. I recognized the sting of scales shrinking into flesh, and I slowly lost perception of my wings as they folded and shrunk into my back. The muscles in my ribs contracted and my spine cracked painfully as it realigned. The splitting headache returned and agony again took root in my jaw and skull. I faintly felt myself fall to the ground, but every mental faculty I possessed was put toward keeping conscious. My breathing became labored; bones shrank and reconfigured. As I gathered every last drop of fiery energy and forced the simmering core into gradual submission, the heat began to fade. Slowly, my body cooled and I began to regain awareness.

When the last degree of heat had evaporated, I found myself lying face up on the ground, panting heavily.

I could finally breath again. I was finally me again.

But everything was so sore.

Twigs were digging themselves into my bare back and it only added to my extreme discomfort. I needed to clothe myself, but I hardly dared move.