The strength of weakness

Earthquake

Daniel and Eden were walking along the road, narrowly avoiding a steep ditch. They often explored the woods when bored, and were on their way. It had been very chilly lately, and rained plenty. Yet today, it was smoldering hot, damp, and humid.

The forest was cool, the canopy of leaves shielding them from the burning sun.

The ground began to shake gently, and they quickly avoided the ditch, not wanting to fall. The ground shook harder, and they searched shelter. They saw a shadow in the distance, growing larger in the shadows of the dense woods.

It was reptilian shaped, glowing slightly yellow. They found their vision blurry, and turned to avoid the figure. It seemed to be getting closer, though. Their eyes felt irritated, and they felt extreme warmth approaching them. The humidity grew intense.

The warmth grew uncomfortable, and they shrank away from it. They felt fear. Goosebumps spread across their skin. Eden realized they were in danger, so she thought of the best thing she could.

A much larger, bigger, more agressive dragon than from a few days ago. She feels her skin begin to melt into deep red scales. Her head throbs, as horns begin to stretch from her skull, and her back aches with the effort of growing wings.

Her teeth are sharper, longer, now.

She feels the fire build up in her throat.

The monsters shape flinched for a moment in the mist, and it lunges. Eden is quick to react, shielding Daniel with her wings. He long, spiked tail whips forward to wrap around the neck of the monster. She succeeds, and drags the reptile towards her. She the other dragon, is similar to her.

But it's flesh is covered in Lava.

It doesn't melt its scales, no. Just patches of the smoking, fiery, liquid is dripping in clusters along this fierce monsters body. It opens its mouth, and a glow emits. Eden realizes, a second too late, that it's preparing to breathe fire.

She ducks, wrapping her wings tighter around her friend. She grips the dragons neck tighter, and jabs it's wing, hoping to damage it. Nothing happens.

She allows space for Daniel to run, and he dashes towards the road.

Her eyes narrow. Not that she doesn't have to worry about Daniel, she is free to fight as viciously as she wishes. This dragon tried to hurt her. To hurt Daniel. She had to fight.

She ground shook again, but she just dug her claws into the ground to stabilize herself, and flings herself at the other reptilian, as the dragons throat begins to glow orange again. She blasts its wing with fire, but it doesn't seem to affect it.

She rakes her claws across it's snout as it tosses her aside. She grabs the dragon's tail, and tugs harshly. She nips at it's neck.

She spins around to rip into it's face. She sees something instead, that makes her want to hurl.

The dragon is only immune to lava, not fire, she realizes, as the fire she blasted in it's direction earlier, has spread to it's face.

It's thrashing, screeching, and she knows it can't hurt anyone in this state.

She darts away, following Daniel's scent. She becomes human again, through the uncomfortable twisting of bones and refiguring of organs and flesh. Blood lingers around her mouth and nose, and she does her best to wipe it away.

The ground shakes, but she pushes it away. She needs to find Daniel.

She sees him cowering, murmuring to himself, sitting in a ditch. There's blood running down his face.

She sees a gash above his eye, and runs towards him. "Daniel! What happened?"

He mutters something, before looking at her face, and starts to calm down.

He begins to murmur. His shirt is soaked, like his shirt. He's speaking so silently Eden doesn't think he even is talking. He's murmuring, like he's ashamed.

He shakes his head. "I'm sorry."

She puts her hands on his shoulders, and pulls him into a comforting hug. She's unharmed. That's all that matters to him.

The ground shakes more, but they don't notice. It's comforting, warm, in her embrace. But it's still raining. They've probably already caught a cold by know.

They limp towards their bikes, soaking wet and cold, arms wrapped around eachother.

But they see yellow eyes behind them when they begin to leave.

Yellow, piercing eyes. They're filled with malice. Anger.

Frustration.

They know it's the dragon. They imagine the lava coating their bodies in mere seconds.

But it doesn't. The dragon stomps away, chattering something they don't understand.

They think it sounds like regret.

And they become closer, never leaving the others side if possible.

But, the strange thing is...

The gash was healed by the time they reached their homes.

☆☆☆

Eden quickly dashes into the school, and rushes towards her locker. Daniel is there.

She feels something is wrong. So she does what she knows how to do. She stays near him. Not for her safety, but his.

She doesn't care what happens to her, unless it affects how she can keep him safe.

She would do anything to keep him safe. She doesn't want him to get hurt.

So, of course, when they're biking towards her house, and she gets that feeling again, and hears footsteps, she gets scared. She becomes wary.

She stares at the road behind her. It's empty. But she rain reflects something strange. The puddles ripple as if someone had stepped into them, but no one is there.

She feels winded, and her and Daniel stop.

Eden looks to her side. Daniel isn't there anymore. "Daniel? You there?"

She wonders where he's gone.

She pulls out her phone to call him, but all of a sudden, it's there.

The dragon, standing in the road. Lava drips from its scales, like the last time. Eden imagines herself as a much, much, larger dragon. She won't lose it this time.

She grows larger. She feels a growl rising in her throat. She hears a roar, and she's scared. She's weak, vulnerable. She hasn't finished transforming.

And the ginormous reptile strikes, jabbing a tail into her weak, soft belly. Her teeth are sharp, and scales are starting to form. Her bones and organs are beginning to move, and she's more vulnerable than ever.

The force of the tail slapping into her stomach sends her flying, and she tries to get back on her feet, but the dragon lifts her in its talons. She kicks her aching feet, as they begin to change shape.

She feels the dragon squeeze, and the transformation halts. Now, she's a humanoid creature, with deep red scales, black talons, and a stub of a tail and wings.

And she's furious.

She kicks her clawed feet into the dragons throat, and she begins to change faster.

She's more dragon than person, and she's at least a few feet taller than the other reptile now.

She stops to think, as the transformation comes to an end.

May god help you, whoever you are. You're going to need it.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆