Reincarnated as a Dragon - A New life

2| There Was An Attempt

Eventually, I decide it was time to move on. My first priority is to get out of this forest. If there is a road somewhere nearby, I can follow it and reach a town or city.

I move to stand up, but I quickly lose balance and fall nearly straight into the spring. This body's physique is completely different. Unlike as a human, I have become much smaller and practically every part of my body has changed.

In my earlier state of panic, I was somehow able to unconsciously run and move on all fours as if it was natural, but now that I've collected myself, I'm more aware of the movements I make.

I try to stand again, this time using my tail to steady myself and adjusting my legs and feet slowly until I became stable. I had to lean slightly forward to compensate for the extra weight behind me, and standing like this feels weird, as if I'm constantly tiptoeing. I don't think this body is meant for upright movement, but there is no way I'm going to act like some feral beast. 

To test out this new way of walking, I lift my foot and try to take a step forward.

I freeze mid-step.

How could I have not noticed before? But not only am I completely naked, but I am stepping on the ground. Bare ground.

The feeling of being unclean is something I would go to great lengths and measures to avoid. So the fact that I'm now standing on top of grass and dirt with my bare feet -- paws, whatever you call this -- is simply unthinkable.

A shiver runs down my spine.

I desperately look around my surroundings. There has to be something, anything, that can be used to help me from this predicament.

I find a large pile of leaves under a nearby tree.

Bingo. I can probably make some makeshift shoes with those leaves, but first to make my way towards it. 

I look at the ground once more. I've got no choice.

Using the most minimal amount of contact with the earth as I could possibly manage, I inch my way to the pile of leaves. I was making good progress, that is until halfway through, I mess up the placement of my feet and stumble forward.

I hear a *plshk* as my entire foot plants straight into wet mud.

My breathing stops.

Abandoning my careful approach, I rush to the pile of leaves, all while hopping on one foot and deftly avoiding any further contact with mud.

I slam into the tree and swipe a handful of leaves before feverishly scratching my foot in an attempt to scrape the mud off.

I remember when I was a human, how it felt to step in mud with shoes on. Every time that happened, I would run straight to the nearest source of water and wouldn't calm down until it's been completely cleaned.

But to have completely stepped in the mud with my bare feet?

This was on a level that could traumatize.

In order to completely clean my foot, I would need to purify it by dumping it in bleach and soap, then place it into a particle accelerator so that every trace of dirt and muck would be absolutely obliterated.

I was somewhat successful at removing the mud, though pieces of its residue still remain. There is only so much I could do using plants as tissues.

My face contorts in what I assume might look as disgust. Though I still want to wipe the mud till not a single speck was left, there is only a limited amount of leaves available. If I use anymore, then all my effort and sacrifice could be in vain.