"Alright, Lilith, I think you need to get some real training in," Sorin started, the group of four all heading outside Ferris' home. With Amaya still unable to walk properly, Ferris carried her out and set her down under the shade of a nearby tree. Outside of his home, it was a small clearing that it was settled in, a matching small garden beside the home that seemed to be growing carrots, potatoes, and cabbages. Sorin and Lilith walked toward the center of the clearing, the young man looking around to gauge the kind of space they had to work with.

"Since I'm still feeling like shit, I figured the next best person would be Ferris," Sorin continued, motioning to the boy. Ferris blinked and then walked over to the other two, Sorin stepping out of the way so the two could face each other properly.

"And he knows how to do the thing that you did? That dragon claw thing," asked Lilith, looking up at Sorin with a raised brow.

"I do," Ferris replied, holding his hand up and demonstrating what she was referring to. Indeed, his hand had a flurry of energy around it, settling down to show a dragon's paw and claws instead. The brownish-gold scales ran up to half his forearm, Lilith staring in awe that she was able to see this properly.

"She's your pupil now," Sorin said, quickly stepping away to the opposite side of the clearing to watch. He leaned back against the trunk of a tree, hand over his ribs from the slight panging pain still lingering from the mending. "Be a good student for him, will ya, Lilith?"

"Right... So Lilith, what do you know about the dragon transformation stuff," asked Ferris, hand returning to normal as he slipped them into his jacket pockets.

"Ah, that... Well, um, I technically did it once before but.. I wasn't conscious during it," she explained, her right hand rubbing her left arm.

"Mn, your awakening, I take it?"

"Yeah... That's about all I know."

"Well, first off, it's not too different from controlling your element. But there is something you should know about the transformation itself." His gaze turned more serious as he met her eyes, conveying the gravity of what he was about to explain. "Minor transformations like having claws, a tail, or wings isn't a bad thing. What you have to watch out for is how much of your body is transformed. See, if you do a full-body transformation, it's only going to make it that much easier for that dragon inside of you to take control from you."

"Take control? You mean I can't fight her off or push her away?"

"Lilith, think about it for a second." He turned his gaze to some birds that flew overhead, sighing some. "These dragons are prisoners in our bodies. They hate that they're like this. No matter how nice one can seemingly be, when it comes down to it, they'll take any opportunity to have some freedom."

Moving her right hand from her right arm to her chin, Lilith pondered and reminisced of her awakening some few days ago. Specifically, the moment that Melantha had asked for control to be handed to her right before her massacre of the manor. To do it willingly was one thing, but to have to mentally struggle against Melantha was something she wasn't sure she could win against.

"What if... Dragon's Blood pushes any one of us to resort to that type of transformation," she asked, lowering her hand as she stared with inquisitive eyes. "Surely it should be fine to do so to protect ourselves, shouldn't it?"

"Kind of hard to argue against that.... But I think it should be saved as your last resort, when your life is truly on the line," Ferris replied as he met her gaze again. "Just remember that you run the risk of Melantha taking over, and we can't be certain what she will do with her temporary freedom. These dragons are unpredictable and very dangerous beings."

"Okay, I understand," Lilith said with a nod. With Melantha doing as much damage as she did back at the manor, she couldn't imagine what kind of destruction the dragon would bring to someplace else.

"Honestly, once you master the partial transformations, it should be enough on its own to keep you alive. I bet you understand how lucky you were to survive that encounter with Temperance thanks to the other two watching out for you. You wouldn't have gotten away with just having your ass handed to you."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me of my incompetence," Lilith said dryly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hey, what matters is that you're aware of it and you're planning to change it. Dragon scales will be essential in defending yourself, so let's start with that first. If you're not that great at fighting, then defense should be your priority. Lessen the load on everyone else."

"Right... Then how should I start off?"

Ferris moved his hands out of his jacket pockets and stepped closer to Lilith, slowly reaching for her hand. He held it up so the back of her hand was eye level with her, Lilith's eyes looking at him curiously.

"Focus here," he said, fingers tapping at the back of her hand before letting go. "It takes some concentration, a bit more than manipulating your element does. While we are given the privilege of using their powers, using parts of their bodies is a whole 'nother privilege that isn't easy to obtain."

"I can see how Melantha or any dragon would throw a fit about us lowly humans using their bodies."

"Exactly. That and changing a body is much more intense than elemental manipulation, you know? It's forcing a change on someone - that is, yourself."

"Don't worry, Lily," Amaya called from where she sat. "I know you can do it!"

"Hm, should be a bit easier with someone cheering for your, eh? I do have one piece of advice for you, something that I think the others can agree on here." Ferris stepped to the side of her, his expression somewhat apologetic as both Amaya and Sorin averted their gazes momentarily. "It's easier to be part dragon if you think like one. Sorin told you of that bleeding effect they have on us, right?"

"He did. That we become more aggressive and drawn to violence over time because that's how they are," Lilith confirmed, giving a slight nod.

"And that holds true. Pride, subjugation, dominance, violence... Those are the secret ingredients to make the bulk of their personalities. And it's those very things that will intensify for you as time goes on."

"Do you... struggle with that? I mean, you seem really calm. I wouldn't think you'd have a dragon if it weren't for Amaya."

Ferris was silent a moment, crossing his arms over his chest as he closed his eyes to ponder. Opening them again, he sighed and said, "Yes. The urges are there. I think the same can be said for the others. How intense those urges are can vary, though. But Lilith, you should know that who you are now... might no longer be around weeks later."

Lilith noticed movement from the corner of her eye, turning her head to see Sorin walk away and head into the forest. Ferris followed her gaze but didn't seem to react much beyond some curious blinks. Turning his attention back to Lilith, he took some steps back from her and nodded.

"Well, you should start your training now. I gave you all that I knew, so the rest is up to you. I'll see if I can get started on some soup or stew in the meantime. I'm sure Amaya will keep you company."

"Yep! I sure will," Amaya yelled, waving at him. Lilith smiled a bit, Ferris taking this as his moment to leave. Thinking on everything Ferris had told her, Lilith had a feeling this wouldn't be easy to do... Or at least, not with her current mindset. Pride and dominance - those were the two things that were the furthest from her. What did she have to be proud of when she messed up almost all of the time? How could someone as weak as her even hope to have any sense of dominance? She didn't have these innate traits like Sorin had. Sorin.. She had to admit that she was envious of how he carried himself. He was confident and brave from what she had seen, even when up against an opponent that could have killed him. It must have been almost natural for him to do these transformations.

So if that's the case... It wouldn't be a bad idea to try to emulate him, would it?

Perhaps, child. Though if I can add some guidance, what you should focus on instead is what happened that very night of your awakening.

My awakening?

The mental images of seeing those people be torn apart and impaled flashed in her mind's eye, the scenes of Melantha devouring them triggering her gag reflex as her hands quickly covered her mouth.

Stop that. You should be relieved for what's been done! You are free because of me!

Melantha audibly hissed, but she exhaled as if to calm herself.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

What I meant, child, was to focus on the moments before that awakening. Do you recall? That woman would have killed you... But she ended up being the one to pay for her transgressions. You agreed with me that she deserved to be put in her place.

"Lily? Are you okay," called Amaya, looking perplexed by the other girl's lack of action. "You've been standing there for a good while now."

"Ah, yeah.. Just talking with Melantha for a moment," Lilith said as she lowered her hands, Amaya nodding in understanding.

Now, child, wouldn't it have been better if you were conscious during that? To feel that woman's warm blood on your hands? She hurt you first.. It only makes sense to return that pain back unto her. Do you not agree?

This reminded her of that day, the day after the massacre. When Melantha had shown her what had transpired that night, Lilith recalled feeling a sense of.. regret. Regret that it hadn't been her to deliver that pain and suffering to her parents. It should have been her... And yet it was still satisfying to see how they both met their end. She held her hand up again, eyes focused as dark energy began to swirl around it. Dragon scales began to form on her skin, Lilith's eyes widening out of surprise that it was finally happening. But as quickly as they formed, the energy pulled back to revert those scales back to her tan skin. Almost, but not quite. Lilith sighed a bit and got down to sit on the ground instead. Somehow, she felt that she'd be here for a good while. But in a way, she could feel that she made some progress as is.

----------------------------------------

Ferris watched the simmering pot of soup, bits of vegetables from the garden floating around on the top. Well, it was a bit of a sad soup since there wasn't any meat in it, but it was better than nothing. Still, what he'd give to have some chicken at least. Oh well, now that it was almost done, he should go check on Lilith and her progress. It had been like an hour by now. Maybe Sorin would have returned, too, from wherever he wandered off to. Getting up from his seat near the fire pit, he stretched his arms over his head before heading for the door, stepping out into the midday light. There, he was greeted to the sight of an excited Amaya clenching her hands into fists, leaning forward in her seat, as she watched the very focused Lilith. The black-haired girl's right hand was gripping her left forearm, staring so intensely at the back of her left hand that Ferris thought she'd burn a hole through her own skin. He watched as black energy began to swirl around her hand, unable to see the beads of sweat forming on Lilith's brow as she kept her focus.

The shadows engulfed her hand, puling back to reveal many scales running down her hand to halfway up her forearm. Lilith gasped some out of exhaustion and surprise, staring at her hand and arm with wide eyes. She didn't have the claws but.. She finally got the dragon scales. Amaya's eyes squinted a bit to see what happened, only to widen with happiness as she yelled happily into the air.

"Woohoo! Lily! You did it," she said as she waved her hands in the air. "Oh my goodness, you did amazing!"

Lilith panted a bit but smiled sheepishly at Amaya's compliments, looking down at her hand with relief. At least this was a step in the right direction. She looked up to see Ferris had been standing there, the young man smiling, impressed. He stepped forward to approach her, Lilith standing up once he got close.

"It took a while but I got this much down," she said proudly, holding her arm up to show him.

"Yeah, you caught on real quick. I got some soup cooking up inside, so how about we settle down a bit and eat?"

"Oh, I can go find Sorin then. He hasn't come back yet, but I really want to show him what I did so far!"

"Alright, I'll go and get Amaya then. We'll wait for you inside."

"Thanks." Lilith turned to Amaya, smiling more sincerely at her. "I'll be back in a bit. I'm going to find Sorin!"

"Ah, shouldn't I go with you? Since I can sense him and all," Amaya asked, watching Ferris walk toward her.

"It's fine. He shouldn't have gone far. Besides, you can still barely walk as is, even after a day of rest."

"She's right," Ferris agreed, moving to carefully pick up Amaya from the ground. "Worst case is that she comes back and we carry you off to show us the way. For now, rest up while you can."

"Gah, this is so annoying! I hate that I can barely do anything 'cause of what happened to my foot," Amaya huffed with a pout, thinking this was unfair. Lilith looked apologetic before she turned on her heel, jogging out and following where she last saw Sorin head into. She doubted he wandered off too far from Ferris' home, but it had been an hour already. Hopefully he hadn't run into any trouble. Though, why did he walk away when he did? Was he bored or was there something making him uncomfortable? If only he had said something before he walked away, that would have brought some ease of mind.

"Sorin! Where are you," she called out, looking around as she headed deeper into the forest. Just where could he have gone? Actually, this direction seemed somewhat familiar... Did he go there? Taking a deep breath, she continued her jog as she retraced their steps from the other night, after Temperance attacked them. It was a bit difficult but she somewhat remembered the direction it was at. After another ten minutes, she finally found the place they had made camp that night, Sorin standing near this makeshifft clearing. Seemed he was staring at it for a good while, Lilith sighing in relief as she approached him.

"Sorin, I've been looking all over for you," she said as she got close, Sorin lifting his gaze to look at her.

"Hmph, I didn't ask you to come find me," he muttered, shrugging. "But you're already here, so-"

"There's something I want to show you," Lilith interrupted, stepping around him so she was facing him. Holding her arm out in front of her, she focused on her hand and skin, black energy surrounding it for a moment. When they pulled back, there were the dragon scales again, Lilith smiling and looking up at him for a reaction.

"You got that far? Huh, you must have been really focusing or something," he said, looking mildly impressed.

"Yes, and it's thanks to you and Melantha!"

"Me? And Melantha? How?"

"Well, you're pretty strong so I figured to copy you a bit when I was tackling this. And Melantha really helped with her advice, too."

"Don't copy me," he said sharply, Lilith looking up at him with surprise by the sudden change in tone. "I'm not someone you should be copying, alright?"

"What? Well, why not? As far I know, you're kind of abrasive, but you're confident, strong, and really know how to get things you want. Why shouldn't I-"

"I said don't do it! I don't need to explain myself to you, so just do me a favor and don't use me as an example for this dragon stuff."

He stepped away from her, scratching at his hair with irritation. Lilith's eyes were on his back for a moment, concerned by that sudden outburst.

"Sorin, I thought you'd be proud that I was able to do this. I can protect myself now. But you're actually mad that I got this far because I tried to follow your example?"

"Lilith... What was it that Ferris told you about how you'd change?"

"Huh? Oh, well, um... He mentioned something like 'I wouldn't be the same weeks later as I am now." She furrowed her brow some, unsure where he was going with this. "Why bring that up?"

"Carriers change. And I'm no different from them. How I am now isn't how I was when Ignatius awakened."

That's why he stepped away from them back there? He didn't like that he was being reminded of himself? Lilith approached him again, this time staying to his side as she stared curiously at him.

"You were different? In what way," she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"That doesn't matter anymore. But as it is.. I'm struggling to hold onto what little is left of that person." He turned his head to look at her, eyes hard and intense. "I don't want you copying me when my original self is barely there."

"Oh.. Alright, I'll try not to use you as some inspiration then. I had no idea that you-"

"Lilith, you need to be careful about it. I get you're trying to become stronger and all, but you're running the risk of Melantha trying to take control from you. The more dragonlike you become, the easier it is to hand over control to them."

It was like a double edged sword in a way. Either slowly succumb to the bleeding effect and be unable to defend herself, or feed the draconic traits to lose yourself and be able to fight back. Regardless of her choice, she realized, it still meant that she would be affected by the dragon's power.

"One way or another, I'm going to lose myself at some point. Right now, I'm focusing on survival," she said, solemnly yet with resolve.

Sorin stared back with surprise at her words, having expected for her to be apologetic about what she did and that she wouldn't do it again, what with her being a people-pleaser and all. While what she said was true, it still caught him off-guard. Was the bleeding effect already kicking in?

"If only you could find your own way," he muttered, shaking his head. "Anyway, let's head back. I'm getting pretty hungry."

"Right, let's do that."

"And Lilith? You did.. well. It is kind of relieving to know that you're on your way to protect yourself.. But only because I want to get as much money from you as possible. Though, if you did die, I'd just loot the money off your corpse."

"How nice." Lilith rolled her eyes a bit but couldn't help smiling a bit. Seemed like she was starting to understand him a little better.

----------------------------------------

"And how did you get out of that, Temperance? You were outnumbered and they seemed to be catching on to you better," asked a man in a matching black cloak, most of his face obscured in darkness because of his hood. Most one could see were his green eyes and some of his facial outline.

"I had gravity focused on myself, uprooting the trees around and sending them toward me," she explained, her cloak off as the man treated the wound at her front. Seemed she was wearing a long sleeve white shirt underneath with a V-neck along with tan cargo pants. She hissed as he pressed some gauze against the slash wounds she received from Sorin, the man starting on wrapping bandages around her lower torso. She was leaning against a table that had some dragon teeth being cleansed in some type of clear solution, held in glass jars. The room itself wasn't too large, but there was appropriate light from several lanterns.

"Then.. I reversed gravity to push myself into the air and avoid all the trees. Using the natural darkness of night helped me escape from them."

"It's odd to hear such a tale. Since when did carriers start teaming together like that? Had it been one or two, you would have surely slain them."

"Yes, I'm aware of that. That's why I'm telling you now that we must not underestimate them and to pass this message to the others. Diligence is already dead, so tracking them down will be much more difficult in the future."

"If only her reconnassaince hadn't indirectly put her right in their path. It's ironic."

"And how goes your own mission? Is the bounty on King Varthas' dragon worth it?"

"Honestly? I'm not sure about it. Aitheria's carrier is too far gone.. a living weapon for that conquering king. Those that escaped him and his executions all want revenge against him and her."

"Mn... Perhaps we shouldn't target that one, unless we can all coordinate an attack together. The dragon of wind is an enormous threat when in the hands of an experienced carrier." She paused as the man finished tying up her bandages, lowering her shirt as she pushed herself away from the table. "And what of Humility? Has he finally tracked down Brede's carrier?"

"Ah, there was good news on that. He reported that he found her home in the mountains. Unintentionally too... Seemed that carrier's older sister took him in when he had gotten lost up there, allowing him to stay the night, at the insistence of the carrier. He caught sight of the child's marking but refrained from taking action. Could be he's giving them extra time as thanks for helping him? Regardless, it was good timing, since he should have another with him before making a move. We must not risk losing another like we did with Diligence."

"The carrier is a child? Then it should be easy to eliminate her. It's unlikely she'd have awakened her dragon at such a young age. I can't wait to hear of the results. One less dragon in this world until the next carrier arises."