Naravie

It was warm. I was floating in water. And it was so warm. I stretched my body and blinked open my eyes. I wasn’t sure where exactly I was but it wasn’t in water. Whatever it was was far too thick to be water and I could only see Deep Blue around me. I kicked my legs and brushed up against whatever wall was keeping me in here. I reached out to touch it with a hand and saw my fingers, each ending in a hooked black claw. Human in shape but with a Dragon’s claws. My mind fully awoke at the thought. I remembered falling and being so cold, Mother carrying me and then… nothing. It must have worked or I wouldn’t be alive.

I pressed the claws against the wall and felt it give slightly before cracking under the pressure and then my claws slid through it like it was hardly there. The liquid around me rushed out through the hole and I got pulled along with it. The force of the rushing liquid widened the hole I had made and after a moment I was sitting in a pool of incredibly warm water, halfway submerged and covered in a thick viscous goo. I rose to my feet and tried shaking the goo off but it stuck to my skin and I had to slide it off with my hand. I ran my hands across my entire body to remove it and I still went a little giddy at the realization that this was me. I was Naravie.

It took a few moments to clean myself off and even longer to remove it from my hair, which now went all the way down to my waist, and I took quite a while to wash the almost jelly-like goo from my hair. Once that was done I took better stock of my surroundings. I was in some form of cavern filled with pools of steaming water. The pool I was in was now half filled with that Jelly that had covered me but the current of the water was already starting to carry it away into small channels at the bottom of the pools. Looking at what I had crawled out of showed a dull blue Eggshell that was easily several times my size.

I could see a door at the far end of the room and I slowly, carefully made my way across the pools of water. There was a small dry area near the door and I found a handful of neatly folded towels and the clothes I had been wearing when I fell unconscious along with a small note.

‘When you awaken, we are up in the central chamber. Dress yourself and come meet us.’

I smiled at the thought of my brothers staying here with Ereneya for any length of time. She would be so aggravated with Irand’s endless stream of questions and Tiran’s quiet attitude. I pulled on the clothes she had left out, a particularly cumbersome task when I realized I had horns and how hard it was to put a shirt on with them in the back of my head, and made my way up the stairs beyond the door. I could hear them long before I reached the top of the stairs. My brothers laughing loudly, Ereneya’s lovely voice shushing them and…. I froze in the stairwell as I heard another voice. An Older man’s voice and one I knew far too well from the years he had spent training me. He hadn’t been here when I fell unconscious, had he? I felt my knees grow weak and I braced myself against the wall as I mustered what willpower I could to go face my father. He was going to be upset, he was going to yell, to say he never wanted to see me again. I felt a knot form in my stomach at the thought and I slowly staggered up the stairs until there was just a door between me and them. I took in a deep breath as I pushed the door open and stepped into the main chamber.

There they were. Ereneya sprawled on a couch near the kitchen. Irand with his nose buried in a book, Tiran and… Father on another couch, laughing at something Ereneya had said. He looked just as he had when I left, short well kept silver hair and a short well maintained beard. He wore a long coat and well used traveling leathers. I wanted to run back down into the stairwell and just hide until he wasn’t here. I wanted to do anything but stand in front of him and see the disappointment on his face. What kind of Father could accept their son choosing to be a woman? He was going to hate me. But I walked forward, my legs feeling like lead as I did.

Ereneya saw me first and she said nothing as I approached but the others each looked up in my direction as I felt that knot in my stomach twist and turn as I saw them each look at me. Finally Sir Greyson looked up at me when I stood only ten feet away from him. He looked at me the same way he had during all those years of training. I gave him a nod and his brow furrowed.

“Well? Come now Girl, I raised you better than that. Introduce yourself.” He said, not a hint of mockery in his tone or face.

I looked up to meet his eyes, shocked to hear him say such. I took a quick breath before I spoke.

“I… I am Naravie.” I said, as firmly as I could as relief washed over me.

A smile broke across his face as he rose to his feet, standing much taller than me now, and walked toward me. He held out his arms and pulled me into his embrace.

“So you are. It is good to finally meet you dear.” He said, his tone softer than I had ever heard him be.

I felt that knot unravel in my gut and I buried my face into his chest, tears running down my face as he held me tight. I tried to blink back the tears but I couldn’t stop them and I spent a few moments there, crying into his coat. He placed a hand on the back of my head and I looked up at him, his face blurry through the tears.

“You look well Naravie. Do you feel alright after your long rest?” He asked softly, eyes full of warmth.

I took a few deep breaths until I could speak and I smiled up at him as I spoke, slowly and clearly.

“Yes. Yes I do.”

His smile grew and I felt his hand cup the side of my face.

“You look Beautiful, Your Mother would be so happy to finally meet you. When we realized she wasn’t going to make it she wrote this for you.” He said, pulling out a slightly faded but very full envelope.

I wiped away the last of the tears and looked it over. It was a plain envelope with the Greyson Crest placed on it in dark red wax. On the front were the words ‘To my Lovely Daughter’. I looked up at my Father and he nodded.

“Tiran talked to us a few years after we took him in about how he suspected you might be… like him. Neither of us believed him at first but… well when we started looking it became slightly more than a theory. Geneva wrote this in her last few days with us. She told me that if you were as Tiran suggested, that I was to give this to you. So here you are my dear.” He said, gesturing to the envelope.

I gave him a smile and walked over to the couch Ereneya had claimed, sitting down next to her feet as she tucked her legs in to make room for me. I popped the seal open with my claw and pulled out a handful of papers. The first was a letter, penned in Lady Greyson’s hand and I unfolded it and began reading.

‘To my Beautiful Daughter,

I hope this letter finds you well my dear. If you are reading this then Tiran was right and your Father managed to get this letter to you. I would first like to say that you truly should have figured all of this out sooner, I am quite upset that I will not be able to take you to be fitted for dresses. And Secondly, know that I love you no matter what form you choose to take or who you are. You will always be my child and I will always have a Mother’s love for you no matter what you decide to do. I know I am not long for this world and at present I don’t think the thought has ever crossed your mind but if you are reading this then something happened to help you realize it.

Please look after your Brothers and your Father for me, I know how the men tend to get without a lady to keep an eye on them and your Father is no exception. Make sure the boys stay out of trouble, and failing that make sure they make it out of trouble as best they can, and know that you will always have my heart, Lady Greyson.

With all the Love I can give,

Your Loving Mother,

Geneva Greyson’

I felt my eyes welling up with tears again as I read the letter and a few tear marks stained the page by the time I was finished reading it. I looked over the other papers in the bundle and found a formal recognition for status as the Noblewoman of House Greyson as well as a Will that left all of her belongings, aside from a few personal effects that went to Father, to me. I looked up at My Father and he was giving me a sad smile.

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“You do not need to accept the Noble title given your current situation but the option remains open. The simple fact of the matter is that I’m not getting any younger and your brothers want nothing to do with Nobility.” He said with a shrugging glance at Tiran and Irand, both of whom pointedly ignored him.

“It may be dangerous for you to do so as well, given the Church’s opinion on our kind.” Ereneya said, sitting up and placing a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up at her and she gave me a sad smile. I let my head rest on her shoulder as I looked over the form in my hand. I shook my head and folded them back up, slipping them into the envelope and placing it on the armrest. I reached out to Ereneya’s mind and found a welcoming connection there/

“How did you get him here?” I asked, gesturing to Sir Greyson.

“Tiran suggested it. Your Brother is devilishly clever.” Ereneya said as Sir Greyson and Tiran chatted amongst themselves.

“He is. Always has been too.” I said with a chuckle.

“And your Father Is quite good company. Since he arrived he has been nothing but polite and he nearly cried when we told him about you.” She said and I gave her a look of disbelief.

“He never cries. Ever.”

“You mean quite a bit to him. We’ve had plenty of time to chat while you brothers have been snooping about my library.” She said, in a tone that made very curious about what she meant.

“One, you never mentioned a Library. Two, what do you mean by plenty of time to chat?” I asked, not liking the look on her face.

“Well I never felt the need to show you around my home since I didn’t believe you would be staying for long. And well I may be old in human years but I still like getting down as much as anyone. He’s quite proficient for such an Old Fellow.” Ereneya said and I gave her a disgusted look as I pushed off her shoulder.

“You mean to tell me that you and he…” I trailed off not wanting to say it.

“Well we are both your parents aren’t we?” She said, giving me a devilish smile.

I made a gagging gesture and she laughed as she pulled me in close, resting her head on top of mine.

“You look wonderful with horns by the way. Everything feel alright?” She asked.

“Yeah. I feel… right. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way before.” I said, flexing my clawed hands.

“Well good. As much as I want to stay and help you learn everything about your new body, Sir Greyson and I need to be off. He wants us to scout out that approaching army and see if we can buy the Kingdom a bit more time. I promise I won’t put myself in danger and I’ll keep him safe.” She said, rising from the couch and walking towards the door.

“But I can go with you! I can fly now! I can go!” I cried, breaking the telepathy and rising to my feet..

“No Hatchling, no. You barely survived the transformation and you need rest and food to allow your body to recover fully. We will be gone for the better part of a week and by that time you should have recovered enough for me to teach you properly. I don’t want to leave but if that army reaches the border… we will not be able to stay here.” She said, showing me the reluctance in her eyes.

“I thought you wanted me gone as soon as the Bond was broken.” I mumbled, trying to find any reason not to be cooped up in the mountain.

“That was before you nobly tried to defend me from a group of assholes from the Church and before I grew to care about you on my own. The bond broke the moment you were in that Egg. From that moment on I had no compulsion to look after you nor to let your brothers live, and yet here you all are. My Hatchling.” She said, kissing the top of my head.

I leaned into her shoulder, my eyes feeling heavy, and I’m not sure when I fell asleep but when I awoke I was lying back in that room I had awoken in after Sophia had stabbed me. A note was resting against the side of my head as I awoke. I grumbled with annoyance as I unfolded it.

‘I told you that you needed rest. Sir Greyson and I left shortly after you fell asleep and your brothers know what care you need. This is your room if you wish to accept it. Sir Greyson and I should be back by evening no later than the fifth day. I will be returning to make sure you learn all the things I didn’t have anyone to teach me.

Love your Mother,

Ereneya Ruinscale’

I grumbled as I looked around the Room. It was still remarkably plain but there was a new door besides the one that led to the stairs. I walked over and opened it to find a room furnished with a Shower, Sink, Mirror and Toilet not unlike the one that connected to her own bedroom. I walked in and looked at the mirror that was mounted on the wall.

My appearance hadn’t shifted too much to the last time I saw myself in the mirror but now… Two black horns emerged from my forehead and wrapped along the top of my head before curving upward into a pair of wicked looking points. My teeth were more sharply pointed now and when I opened my mouth to look at them closer I realized that I had a second row of teeth. They were smaller and a bit less sharp but they were there, pressed up against the backs of my first row. I was a bit surprised when my distaste for the teeth led to me making the same sound that she normally did when she was annoyed, That Hiss followed by a crack which I now realized was simply her flicking her tongue against the back of her teeth. I giggled as I did it again and left the room and headed down the steps to find my Brothers on the couches, Irand with a stack of books next to him while Tiran was simply reading a very heavy looking leather bound tome. I furrowed my brow as I saw the titles of the books next to Irand and saw that they were a mix of fictional stories and romance novels. I had never seen him read anything that wasn’t an educational text.

“Irand? Are you feeling well?” I asked as I walked up to him.

He jumped as I spoke, apparently not having realized I was there. He gave me a look and I could see confusion in his eyes.

“I’m… not sure. Thinking about some things.” He said, returning his attention to the book in front of him which appeared to be a very very detailed romance story.

I had also never known Irand to be interested in anything related to romance either. Odd.

Tiran however was reading a tome on battle strategy and that was entirely within my expectations. I sat down next to him and looked over his shoulder as he was reading a section about formations.

“Anything interesting?” I asked.

“Apparently whatever nation this tome was from had an alliance with its Monstrous inhabitants and this book details strategies on them. Dragons are terrifyingly powerful and the Church’s records don’t do them justice. Just out of curiosity, how strong are you now?” He asked, closing the book.

I shrugged as I didn’t exactly know the answer to that. I grabbed him by the shoulder and lifted him off the ground, finding he weighed almost nothing. He looked at me with wide eyes.

“It's that easy?”

“You weigh nothing.” I said simply as I set him back down

“Amazing. Well Ereneya said that when you came down we had to get you to eat so let's go get you something to snack on.” He said, heading towards the kitchen.

I followed him, walking by the ever distracted Irand and I watched as my brother, a man who had never used magic in his life, waved his hands over the runes on the stove and began working his way through the kitchen, opening up a door I hadn’t even known was there into a room that felt absolutely frigid. He emerged with several wrapped pieces of meat along with some vegetables and looked at me.

“I’m still not entirely sure how she expects you to eat all this, its like half your weight in food.” He said as he dropped a piece of the meat into a heated pan.

“I can eat a lot nowadays.” I said, watching him cook.

“So she claims, but we shall see won’t we?” He asked with a grin as he pulled a few spices out of cabinets and waited.

It took him a bit to get everything cooked but once something was ready he would hand it to me on a plate and by the time he looked back it was usually gone. I hadn’t realized just how hungry I was and I may have been eating more quickly than I normally would but anytime he handed me a plate I tore into it. By the time he had finished preparing everything he had retrieved from the Cold Room I was content to simply finish off the last plate and then watch him clean up the mess. It hadn’t been lost on me that I had indeed shrunk from when they had first arrived to now, before I had only been an inch or so shorter but now I could barely see over his shoulder. He smiled as he saw me watching him.

“You know, shouldn’t you be the one cooking now? I mean you are a lady after all.” He asked, a smirk across his face.

“I am a Dragon, thank you very much. I can do whatever I wish.” I said, giving him an annoyed glare.

“And here I thought you wanted the whole experience.” He said with a chuckle as I stomped over and fumed in front of him.

“That's not very nice, Tiran.” I growled, fully aware that I was acting like a child but unable to help myself.

“Oh? I thought it was the Big Brother’s job to pick on his little sister.” He chuckled as he scrubbed the pain with a wet rag.

I waved my hand at the sink and the water in the pan began moving on its own, scouring the pan and leaving it spotless while he watched it.

“All done, Big Brother.” I said in a mocking tone as I turned back towards the door leading to my room.

I was halfway to the door when I heard banging come from the entryway to the cave. I stopped and looked at the two of them to see if they knew what it was. Tiran looked confused and Irand looked up from his books very perplexed.

“We aren’t expecting any visitors are we?” I asked.

“None.” Irand said.

I cast my mind towards the rune next to the door and was greeted with a lovely afternoon skyline and a group of twenty or so men gathered outside the door. Half of them had a felled tree that they were using as a battering ram. And all of them had the symbol of the Church emblazoned on their armor. Standing in the back was a figure I was all too familiar with. I snapped back into my mind and began marching towards the door. Tiran and Irand ran up to me.

“Hey, we don’t know who-”

“It’s Argan.” I growled.

Neither of them tried to stop me as I reached the door.