Dragon in Disguise

Once, there was a great King…

This is the story of RedScale, the dragon pirate…

This is the legend of the first time a dragon flew…

All these stories and more were whispered lovingly to the Egg by the Mother. The Mother paused and admired her Egg. It was a pure and unblemished white, as most Dragon eggs are. It sparkled and glimmered in an otherworldly light, and anyone who looked at it would instantly feel refreshed and restored.

The young dragon inside was untouched by the wild magic of the world, as the Egg shielded against any and all magic. Upon hatching, the young dragon would develop an affinity, thus taming the wild magic inside him. The Mother curled up around her Egg, the last remanent of her Mate. She smiled lovingly and hummed an ancient dragon tune.

Two months later

The Mother was licking the bones of a mountain goat that had wandered too close to her den when she heard a cracking noise. Her head whipped around, and she saw several cracks in the shell of her Egg. She thrilled with happiness and rushed over to the Egg. The cracks grew until they wreathed the entire Egg, and the whole shell fell away. The Mother gasped in expectation and extended her neck in order to fully see her son’s magnificence.

The young dragon had four legs that weren’t quite slender yet not really stubby, and a long tail that could wrap around his nose. At the end of his tail was four things that looked to be thick yet flexible fins. They were a dark sea green. His scales were a dull black that shimmered into a dark navy blue depending on how you looked at them. The frame of his wings were the same color, while the wings themselves were the same color as the fin things at the end of his tail. On top of his head were two dark grey nubs that promised to grow into intimidating horns, and the scales surrounding them were dark seafoam green. His claws were a deep black. His eyes though… His pupils were a deep black that seemed to go on for infinity, and his irises were a beautiful blend of dark sea green, dark seafoam green, and seafoam green. In his irises were dark grey flecks accented by the occasional dull gold fleck.

After fully examining the young dragon the Mother gave a roar of unabashed pride, for her son had a double affinity! Based on the patterns and colors of his scales, he appeared to have the affinities of both water and shadow. Once free from his Mother’s examination, the young dragon looked around before getting to his feet. He blinked twice, then stumbled towards the deepest part of the cave, where he seemed to disappear from the eyes of his Mother. She gave a startled yelp and rushed to where her son last was. She turned her head around frantically before stopping and taking a breath. Once she had calmed down, she looked around once more, and this time her eyes landed on a faint outline in the shadows. She hummed softly and reached down to scoop up her child, who gave a chirrup of glee.

The Mother chuckled. “I shall have to keep a close eye on this one,” she said with a loving smile in her voice. She put the young one down and looked deep into his eyes. “I shall name you Virentree, which means ‘shadow swimmer’ in the ancient dragon speak.” He blinked again, and she nuzzled his head. “My little Virentree.”

Six years later

Little Virentree’s spine prickled at the sight of the man. He did not know how to explain it at the time, but the man felt like the presence of something deathly. He was human, of course, any fool of a dragon could see that, even one as young as Viren, but even he could sense that something was wrong. Anyone, that is, except for his mother. He looked up at his mother, who was gazing into the eyes of the man with an unnatural adoration. Viren longed for his tail to wrap around himself, but, alas, he was in his human form, and did not have access to all the perks of being a dragon. He continued to stare at his mother.

They had met the man two weeks ago when their den had been destroyed in a landslide. He and his mother had taken their human forms. His mother had been wearing the same clothes as when she had last taken her human form, but Viren had none. Thankfully, his mother had managed to trade for some with a nearby farmer.

They had walked for nearly two days when they stumbled upon an odd castle that made the hairs on Viren’s neck rise. The castle was huge and made from dark stone bricks and gave off a nefarious aura. His mother had been about to turn away when a small platoon of guards shouted. Viren’s mother could have destroyed them all with her flame magic, but she decided to go along with the guards. They had been brought to the inside of the castle before the man who made Viren hide behind his mother.

Mother spun out a story about her being a powerful mage who had spent her entire life in isolation, and that her forest home had burnt down, leaving her and her son homeless. The man had offered for her to stay a night at the castle. She knew Viren was hungry and tired, so she accepted. They had been led to a fancy room where they were told to prepare for a dinner with the man, whose name was Master Kastra.

His mother had changed into a dark red velvet dress with accents of gold that reached her feet. The dress suited her perfectly, matching her long brown hair and golden eyes. Viren hadn’t changed, as there hadn’t been any extra clothes for him. They had been led into the dining hall, and his mother had been served a glass of wine. It was then that she began looking at Master Kastra with that strange adoration. The only information she withheld from him was the fact that they were dragons.

If Viren had been just a little bit older, he would have noticed that something was terribly wrong. However, he was still young, so when his beloved mother and the wicked man had united in marriage there was nothing he could do but watch. “If mother is ok staying here, then I am too,” he thought. Kastra leaned down and looked him in the eye, and Viren cringed back. The man grinned maliciously and said “So, this is young Virentree?”

Two years later

The nurse walked out of his mother’s sickroom and whispered something to Kastra. He scowled and stalked into the room where Viren’s mother had spent the last three days. Viren quietly slipped in after him, and after a moment’s hesitation the nurse hurried in as well. There, his mother lay weak and pale. Kastra’s scowl deepened, and he took a step forward. The nurse stopped him and fearfully started speaking with him in a hushed tone. Viren ignored them and walked toward his mother. Kastra and the nurse were too deep in conversation to notice.

As Viren took hesitant steps to his mother’s bedside she opened her eyes, revealing firry golden irises that seemed to spark and dance as only a flame could. Looking into her eyes, Viren once again saw his mother, the mother he had not seen for the last two years. He nearly sobbed in relief, not knowing until now what he had been missing. His mother drew him closer, and he fell into an embrace. She righted him and took a deep breath. “My son.” Viren nearly sobbed again.

“My son,” she said again. “Remember. Remember where you come from. Though you are stuck hiding in this form now, remember that you are, and always will be, a dragon.”

With those words came a strange power, the confirmation that he WAS a dragon, that nothing anyone could ever do could ever take that away from him. With confidence he looked his mother in the eye.

“I am a dragon.”

“Good boy,” she responded. “Now, I must ask you something very important.”

“What is it?”

“You must promise me something. Promise me that you will never give up, that you will never stop fighting. Even when it seems like there is no way out, when it seems like all you can do is lose, promise me you will not give way.”

A dreadful feeling came over Viren. “I promise.”

“Good. Stay strong, and NEVER stop fighting.”

With that she let out a breath of relief.

“I love you, my child.”

Tears came to Viren’s eyes, and he sank to his knees and laid his head on her shoulder. “Mum.” She ran a hand over his head and through his hair, before her eyes fell onto Kastra, and hardened with rage.

“Kastra, you dirty, evil, PATHETIC RAT!” Viren started. He had never heard his mother yell with such anger before.

Kastra’s face hardened. “Please leave the room,” he said to the nurse. A look of fear crossed her face, and she swiftly left the room, only pausing to swoop Viren up and bring him with her. He knew better that to protest but felt deeply saddened all the same. Deep inside his sub-conscience he knew he would never see the firry eyes of his mother again, would never again feel her warm embrace.

The nurse set him down outside the door and retreated into the main healers’ wing. Viren listened outside the door. The voices were muffled, and he could barely make out any words. He could hear shouting and then the fwoosh of a flame. Finally, he could make out a sentence. To his disappointment, it was Kastra’s voice he heard.

“I would kill your son as well, but he’s too useful to me. A double affinity?”

He chuckled darkly,

“How could I pass up such an opportunity? Rest assured, he will make a VERY good heir for me… as long as he cooperates.”

Viren heard an incomprehensible scream, and then a huge explosion that halted as quickly as it began. It was silent for a few seconds before an odd frequency made itself heard. Viren couldn’t explain it, but it sounded like the embodiment of dread. Suddenly, a sound somewhere between a clap of thunder and the crackle of a flame rose up before fading away. Viren stumbled away from the door in fear, and a minute later the door creaked open. Chills raced up and down through Viren’s body and nausea rose up in him.

“What have you done to my mother?” It came out afraid and full of dread.

“Why, my dear Viren,” replied the sick, malicious voice, “I haven’t done a thing!”

“Then what was that sound?” This time Viren’s tone was accusatory.

“Sometimes, magic flares out of control.” Then with that none-answer Kastra strode down the hall, leaving the disremembered body in the room for the nurses to take care of.

Viren sunk to his knees, refusing to let the tears welling up in his eyes spill out. His fists clenched at his sides, with his mother’s words echoing in his head, a new determination rising up.

‘Stay Strong’