The Dragon Arises

Pompeii

My heart beat speeded up when the ancient dragon repeated in his low and threatening voice "how did you get up here?" He asked gritting his teeth to stop from snapping at me. I gulped and never looked away from his deep blue, but blazing eyes. "I-i don't know" I felt my tail shoot out as if it was a defense mechanism before I continued "I-i sudden-suddenly turned in-" the blazing eyed dragon stopped me in his tracks when he snapped at me, but instead of eating me he grabbed my tail and lifted me up. "No! Please Don't". Ignoring my protests he carried me to the entrance and lifted me over the edge.

I screamed "don't drop me! At least let me explain!" He growled, but dropped me on the cold stones anyway. I quickly told him everything that happened to me even though living through it again was horrible, and even how my nails grew and my throat burned when I got mad at the prince, my bully. He silently listened taking in my words, the anger in his eyes died down and suddenly he licked my face "ew!" I laughed. My tail shrunk away "little kid, what is your name?" He asked, his voice not so scary but a bit friendly. I smiled "Irang" he gasped, but didn't tell me why, instead he grabbed my shirt and carried me away from the steep drop.

At the back of the den there was a hall, I didn't notice it before, it lead to a den of leaves and moss, he set me down on a warm bed "would you like me to show what you look like as a human?" I asked, my voice echoing around the walls. He nodded and bones started cracking and limbs shrunk, I looked at him in awe as his wings collapsed into his back and his tail curled and dispersed his talons became nails his horns ears, and the leather skin faded to skin. "You can stop starring now" what I didn't know was this 'him' wasn't a him at all it was a girl with beautiful blue eyes and brown hair, she had black clothing not like her red scales. She laughed as I still didn't stop starring, I flushed with embarrassment and looked away.

"Can I see your dragon?" She asked and I froze "no I don't know how to control it, or shift into it" I said. She sighed "what? How did we even come to be I mean like a dragon shifter?!" I suddenly shouted. She smiled "it's a long story, are you sure you want to begin" her voice held secret meaning "tomorrow? Im tired and hungry" I told her "you will eat in the morning but first some sleep" she says. I lay down in the unfamiliar bed, finding it hard to just 'go to sleep'. What would even happen to me? No home to go back to, no family to call?? Soon it was all a blur, the weight of the day easing me into a troubled sleep.

It was night when I woke up, an owl hooted in a tree, making me look up, I was in a forest, what happened to the cave? I must be dreaming, I saw Jun sitting in our clearing, no no! This is all to familiar smoke billowed into the trees I coughed, Jun was gone now this time with now words. I ran towards my house knowing what I was going to find, instead of a burning house I saw my mom and dad burned to a crisp, outside my house. Jin was inside banging on the windows yelling. "Jin!" I screamed but nothing came out, I could only watch as fire overtook him, "NO!" I screamed again. "What's wrong? Can't help your pathetic little brother" I turned around to see the prince laughing and pointing at Jin. Anger boiled inside me, before I could be helped my dragon ran it's own course, a mystical creature coming to life, I ran at the prince but before I could get to him ropes were thrown around me.

They pulled me into the ground , far to many for me to fight, I growled trying to get up, I whimpered and stopped fighting, my nightmare now full of fear. The prince smirked and walked over to a knight that was pulling the ropes he took an axe from the guard and walked over to me "No!" I growled pulling on the ropes the prince continued to walk towards me. He lifted his axe up, far above my head and with a grunt he brung it down.

I screamed into the dark, it echoed and soon the girl was by my side. "Irang? What's wrong?" She asked. "Just a bad dream" I said trying to act tough, my voice shook and I cried quietly into my knees, thinking of my family. She awkwardly hugged me, then she stood up and was back a minute later with a plate of bread and oatmeal I looked up and took it "thanks" I said before digging in. She started laughing, I probably looked like a starved animal but I didn't exactly care,  she walked out of the den and into the main cave. I felt a tug of disappointment but got up and followed her, bringing the plate. A table was set up with chairs and I put the plate down "So where do you shower?" I asked her, she was at the entrance starring at the sky.

"Get on" she said, her shape already shifting, she was young as a human but huge as dragon, I made a note to ask her about that later. Her red scales were pretty against morning sun, she crouched down and I got on her back awkwardly gripping onto her scales. I gasped as she flew up the wind making my hair fly back unattractively. She flew high above the trees, I worked up the courage to look around, looking around I noticed we were below the clouds "wow" I said, the sound of her huge wings flapping calmed me down, she had slowed down so I could let go without falling off of her back. The drop to the trees was deadly and I gulped "hold on!" She shouted and I grabbed her once more as she lowered her head, speeding down to the trees.

"Don't crash!" I yelled, she snorted and leveled back out above the trees, I look back, the mountains were visible, Athena kingdom no where in sight. She dove down once more into a clearing, a river disappeared into the trees, she landed in the middle and I climbed down. "This is where we wash up" she said. "Thank you" I mumbles, walking to the head of the river, the stuck a finger in, water was warm heated by something?  I shrugged, the dragon was gone, I heard her wings not far away and knew I was safe from her seeing me naked. I winced in disgust at the thought, quickly taking off my clothes and getting in the river. The water was nice soothing, the hot water flowed around me, easing the damage the prince had done. After I was done I put my clothes back on, and cringed at the dirt. The dragon flew back down and suddenly I remembered she had no name "what's your name, I never got it" I asked her she looked at me with her blue eyes "I was wondering when you would ask, the names Pompeii".