Renegade [ONGOING]

20

Renegade

I am alive. I inhale and exhale cold air. However, I still cannot get enough oxygen into my lungs.
My eyes snap open and I gasp. I am held as if I were a doll. A fragile, priceless doll.

As if noticing my regain of consciousness, the dragon holding me brings its face closer to mine. Its eyes have neither irises, nor pupils. They resemble what fire would look like if it were liquid.

It baffles me that I am not afraid. This particular dragon towers over the others. Its skin appears to have been carved out of the toughest of rock. The crevices between its hard skin glow, as if magma existed beneath the layer of skin. The horns on its head are long and thick enough to skewer aircraft.

Its horrifying demeanor does not frighten me. I can't help but feel overwhelmingly safe and protected. My heart rate increases. I feel a connection with this dragon.

I wiggle an arm free. The movement causes the dragon to grunt. Its claw starts sizzling. I begin to think that the dragon is burning me. I struggle in the dragon's grip.

When I look down to see my arms, I gasp. Deep scratches and indents are forming in the dragon's claw.
Iron. The metal is extremely corrosive to dragon shifter skin. I am hurting the dragon.

The dragon lets out a roar, louder than all the rest. The sound silences all. Our warriors and allies halt their attacks. The other dragons all stand to attention. Those unable to stand still give their full attention.

The dragon hovers above a high-altitude landform. Its claws reduce in size, along with the rest of its body.
I become too large to hold, causing me to plummet. It doesn't surprise me that I have faith in the dragon to catch me. I don't close my eyes though.

The stories I'd be able to tell Raider's pups one day.

That's if you live long enough to see them. Ailith giggles.

A familiar scent surrounds me as I am caught by a familiar pair of arms. The comforting smell brings calm to me.
I look up.

Prometheus. He is the one who saved me. He is the dragon that I hurt. I cannot see his hand, but I am baffled to see that he is clothed. Usually, when shifters change forms, our clothes tear.
Prometheus is wearing what resembles a wetsuit.

He gently puts me down to stand beside him.  Our height difference makes me feel very inferior for an infinitesimal amount of time.

"Norili warriors! Mainlanders! Why are we fighting?"

His voice is very loud, especially standing right up next to him. We stand on a conical hill, looking down to see my people while craning our necks to face the dragons.
For a moment, nobody seems to answer. I notice the reactions, though. Warriors glaring at dragons, dragons puffing smoke through their nostrils, small shoves and jabs at the dragons.

"Because of you! Your kind sought out to destroy us! Your creatures have been plaguing our home and preying on our people for long enough!" My mother says as she walks forward.

My father, who is in wolf form and towering over my mother, walks alongside her. King Antonio makes himself known by stepping up front, along with Queen Darcy and her sister, Princess Rosalia.

"My kind is not the type to pick a fight without reason! It is because of the shapeshifting monsters you've created we are here. For centuries, we have kept a low profile. And now, we are forced to take action against you and your changelings!" Prometheus replies.

I then realize something.

"....Though they are a major species, they also have fallen victim to the dark monsters and have no defences against them...."