In Form

Surprise, Surprise

*...The Black Dragon Above...*

Weirdly the sun was out and it decided to shine right in my face this morning. I groaned and reached for my blankets, but only grabbed air. I looked over my bed to see the blankets on the floor. Its a Saturday, I'm not getting up to get them. I stretched for moment then nuzzled my face into my pillow to block the light instead. I flicked my tail in comfort.
    Wait.
    I jolted up despite my restless body finding myself on all fours. I was in dragon form. My bed squeaked in discomfort from the sudden change in weight and size. I turned out of form, and when I made sure that I was a person again I hung my head. I let my unbrushed blond hair slowly slide its way down my head.
    I have got to learn how to control this, otherwise my moms gonna find a sleeping dragon in her daughters room.
    I got out of bed and dragged myself down the hall and down the stairs. I was extra drowsy today, which was weird, because usually I was a morning person. Actually I didn't really feel myself at all today.
    I shuffled over to the kitchen where a box of lucky charms would be waiting for me to devour. I glanced at the clock, 10:15. That's weird, I never sleep in this late. I'm always an early bird, well dragon..
    A weeks worth of training with Mistory and Dragolya was pretty tiring I guess. My body was sore from getting beat up the day before last. Dragolya suggested I learn how to defend myself, in turn I got bruises all over my body. The great thing is that I got to throw -weak- punches at Dragolya, I actually hit her though, and some were good ones.
    One day we just sat below their nests and they told stories about their past. About when they were young and played through the villages they lived in.
    Dragolya apparently moved a lot. She met Mistory when she was 189, Mistory was 93 at the time, they literally ran into each other while hunting then got to talking, quickly becoming friends. They have been best friends ever since and have traveled together ever since. Dragolya seemed to mention a guy, who apparently has traveled with her for over three hundred years of her life.  But she never mentioned a name.
    I poured the milk into my bowl stuffed with cereal and went to the living room. I grabbed the remote and clicked on the TV. I clicked through the channels, nothing interesting was on. Instead I switched to roku and went to Netflix, cause that's where it's at. I clicked on Psych, that sounded good, I could use a laugh. As it began to play I presumed with my breakfast. Once the cereal was in my mouth and I was chewing it, I furrowed my brows. It didn't taste like the cereal I thought I put in this bowl, kind of bland. The only thing that wasn't remotely tasteless was the milk.
    I got up from the couch to check the date on that box of cereal. I looked at the expiration date. June152016. Oh, well I'm glad their not expired. I looked inside the box to see if I accidentally ate a prize or something. Nope. They didn't look bad or smell bad. As I sniffed though, I smelled something good, something, edible. I followed the smell outside to my front porch. I looked around as I sniffed the air, my eyes locked on a robin on the ground. It had just pulled up a worm when it stared back at me with its empty black eyes. It looked kind of like a chicken. It flew off and I flinched to chase it. I looked to the ground and shook my head and went back inside.
    I went back to the couch and sprawled across it, continuing to watch the show. As I watched the show I found that my breaths got heavy and it soon felt like I had asthma -which I don't have- I paused the show and went back outside to take a breather.
    What is wrong with me today?
    I placed my hands on the door frame and hung my head. I took in breaths slowly.
    My upper lip twitched, my mouth let out a frustrated growl. I shook my head. "Come on Amber keep it together..." I whispered to myself. I looked up to the woods. Even though they won't be expecting it, I'm just gonna visit them today, maybe they'll know what's wrong with me.
     I took a deep breath and began to walk into the woods to find them. I had so much adrenaline in me for some reason, I felt I could run a hundred miles. So I ran. I ran as fast as I could, straight ahead, not looking back for anything. I leaped and skipped off of stumps, sometimes even going over five feet in the air. I let out a joyful cry to the woods and a smile came over my face. This is just what I needed, a run through the woods. A large log was in my 'path' but that just made my smile widen. I set my pace and took off over the log. It felt like I was in slow motion as I flew through the air. I did a flip and tried to get my feet facing downward in time before-
     "Oof!" I managed to say as my hip connected with the ground. I rolled a few feet before rolling onto my back in the now dry foliage.
    I laid there for a minute. I had that sudden feeling of comfort, I almost didn't wanna get up. I am so glad no one was there to see that fail. I sat up and patted my shirt and removed some leaf bits from it.
    A certain scent came through to my nose and I stiffened. It was familiar to me but something about it made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end and my body tense up. I frantically glanced around. I sniffed the air some more to see if I could find where the smell was coming from. I listened as well, nothing moved or was moving. I spun around to try and catch whatever may be behind me off guard, but there was nothing there. My heart was beating through my ears now, I was practically panting like a dog. I decided to run for it, the faster I get to Dragolya and Mistory the better.
     As I ran, I felt as if I was being chased. I looked back several times while running, but there was no one. I looked back once more before I felt that I was safe, there was nothing, good. I looked back to see where I was, I skidded to a stop at a black mass standing in front of me.
    His eyes were gold. His scales were as black as space, with some on his right side crumbled and burnt from Mistory's flame. He stood on all fours and had a spear ended tail that flicked about. His horns swirled back along his head like a gazelle. His right wing was limp and dragged along the ground. This wasn't a Wyvern. I recognized him as the black dragon at my first day of practice. My chest rose and fell in panic. I took a step back and he took a step forward. He growled loudly.
    That was my cue to run. I spun around and began running away. I ran as fast as I could, after a few leaps over logs I heard things falling and breaking behind me, he was chasing after me, and was getting closer. I tried to run faster but my legs wouldn't allow it.
    He was close enough to take a bite now. I took a sharp right and slid across the leaves in the process, scrambling to my feet I bolted again, his jaws snapping at me as he slid farther away right behind me. I ran and zig zagged through the trees hoping to loose him.
    He somehow he found a way in front of me and blocked me. I stopped and began to back up. My breaths were beginning to catch up to me and I was now out of it. I restrained myself from putting my hands on my knees.
    I turned into form instead. The black dragons webbed ears perked up. He laughed a deep dragon laugh, like a gurgle in the back of his throat.
    What was so funny?
    He kept chuckling as his head came closer. I backed up a little and curved my neck back, I tried hissing at him.
     "Don't waste your breath." The dragons voice boomed through my head. "Your so tiny." His cracking voice said, still chuckling. His voice had something different about it, like an accent, but not an accent I could place. He pushed me over with his muzzle and laughed harder. He began to circle me, I followed his movements.
      "What do you want?" I asked, pretending to sound brave.
     "You know why..." He growled.
    I shook my head. "I don't..." I did remember though, I remember when I brought that tree down on top of his wing, shattering his bones.
    He growled louder, which made me flinch and jump back. He made a roar/growl at me, almost like a bark, while taking a step towards me.
     We turned out of form at the same time, I just wanted to run away but he was quick and grabbed my throat. I gasped for air as he squeezed. I grabbed his hands and tried desperately to pry his hands off. My kicking feet left the ground as he brought me higher.
     The man had dark crazy hair, and he looked like he could use a shave. He had five black markings going across the bridge of his nose. His eyes were the brightest green I've ever seen, before they became red with rage. "You weak, tame, lizard." He spat. His other features began to blur as I lost more oxygen.
    My eyes turned gold as I let out a burst of power throughout my body. An invisible force pushed out of me and sent him flying back a little ways.
     I fell to my knees and gasped for the air I needed, I felt drained and weak after that power burst. He got back up in anger and ran at me. I got up and scrambled to get away, but he grabbed my ankles and pulled me back to the ground and towards him. I screamed and kicked trying to get away from him.
    "Come here you little wretch!" He growled as he scrambled to get me.
    "No no no!" I screamed repeatedly. "Get off me!" I finally found my feet and began to run again. I looked back as he was turning back into form. He spun around and whacked me against a tree with his tail. I fell to the ground with brutal pain in my side. A rib or more had broken on my left side. I could already feel it trying to heal itself.
    The black dragon stomped closer.
    I tilted my head back, although I saw upside down at this point, at least I could actually see him. I did my best to reach up with one hand towards him, I let out power through my hand at him. But the invisible force was slow acting and only acted as a breeze to him.
     He laughed at my weak attempt and came closer. I tried again but nothing happened. It's like I had no powers left at all. I felt completely drained, plus my side hurts like the fiery pits of Hell.
     I let my head fall to the side. Things began to become faint. I could hear my heart beat through my ears.
    His front feet where just beside me. I looked at every tiny detail, down to the crevices between his scales, my natural reaction to dying. His scales had the tiniest glint of brown to them. He lowered his head over me and out of the corner of my eye I could see teeth.
    I focused on the nature around me, it was the last thing I wanted to see before I died.
    The black dragon snapped up his head up in alert to something I could not hear. I tried looking up but the pain in my side forced me back down. As I moved though, I noticed that my vision went in waves and uneven blurs as I moved my head.
    It sounded like the dragon above me growled at who ever else was there. He roared then staggered back as if hit by something. He backed away but still roared in protest at who ever it was that was out of my sight. Something shiny then rolled into view, it was an arrow. Mistory? As I looked at the head of the arrow, I changed my mind, this arrow had a large head on it with strange curves around it. Perfect for piercing through scales. But this ones once sharp tip was now bent after a bad shot.
    Nope, definitely not Mistory.
    He fell to the ground and he pulled out the arrow with his mouth. He turned out of form and looked like he was struggling to get up. There was talking going on, but I couldn't understand any of it.
    A girl wearing a pink scarf and pink riding boots came walking up to him in a business kind of away, a crossbow in hand. She said something to him and he said something back. She kicked him over and he just laid there still as a rock.
    I tried to move my arm forward, wanting to help him, but my strength was weakening and I let my hand drop. Why wasn't my side healing?
     She raised her crossbow to her eye and aimed at him. There was more talking but from someone else. Onyx looked up and looked startled, she loosened her grip on the crossbow and held it at her side. She looked between two people as she cautiously stepped back.
     Mistory came into view holding her bow up aimed at Onyx. Dragolya was at her side and ran up to the possibly lifeless man.  She was checking to see if he was okay.
     I winced as my side reminded me that I wasn't healing. I tried to call to them for help but using my voice only made my head more angry at me.
     Mistory's arrow head caught flame as she said something else. Onyx backed up. Onyx dropped her crossbow and pulled out two half swords from a harness on her back. She said something else. Her face said that she was only trying to look strong.
   Dragolya stood angrily as if she had just been offended. She yelled something as she stepped over the man on the ground and stepped closer to Onyx. Onyx stepped back once more with her sword in front of her, fear in her eyes. Dragolya reached behind her where she kept end her daggers, and without warning, Dragolya and Onyx began sword fighting with quick movements. There were times when I actually thought one of them stabbed each other. Dragolya twirled one of Onyx's swords out of her hands and it flew through the air and stuck into the ground a few feet away.
    I was suddenly shook and my head was faced towards the sky. Mistory's face was there looming over me. She tried to say something, but couldn't understand what she was saying to me. She moved back to look me over.
    I wish that she wouldn't have shaken me like that, it's giving me a headache. "Please stop." I said through my mind to hers, but that also strained my head.
    She paused and looked back to me. "Im gonna get you back to the nests, are you up for it?"
    "My side hurts. I think my ribs are broken." It hurt to breath so lessened it to shorter breaths. I could feel a tear fall down from the corner of my eye from the pain. My teeth were clenched  together so tightly that I thought there would be no more left after this.
    She nodded and continued to examine me. She would glance up at the fight going on ahead of her every now and then. She placed her hand on my hurt side and I winced and whined while keeping my teeth clenched. I tried kicking and I moved my hand to my hurt spot naturally, trying to push hers away. As my hands met my side instant relief spread over me and closed my eyes as the strange healing began, there was also a shock that made me wince.
    As my eyes closed, time seemed to repeat itself, or I was watching it over again.  "No no no!" I screamed repeatedly. It was as if I was watching this as the third person. I finally found my feet and began to run again. I looked back as the black dragon was turning back into form. He spun around and whacked me against a tree with his tail. I fell to the ground with brutal pain in my side. I cried out in pain. That's when I realized that a rib may be broken.
    My eyes opened and I gasped and sat up as I took in all the air around me. I took maybe two heavy breaths before I blacked out and fell on my side. The last thing I heard was Onyx's piercing scream.