Josh dreams of dragons.
He thinks it's just a welcome escape from everyday life. Until one morning, he wakes up with scales, wings, and a tail.
Josh faces a harsh new reality: he has become something that shouldn't exist outside the pages of his fan...
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I awoke to find the cavern's interior bathed in morning sunlight. I blinked against the glare and narrowed my eyes. My brain felt fuzzy, and my blurry surroundings looked unfamiliar. "Where am I again?"
Soft noises and hushed voices rose from around the cavern; others were awake. Uncoiling myself with a muffled groan, I got to my feet and stretched briefly.
"Hey, you're awake," a voice piped up cheerfully.
The fog of sleep was quickly lifting from my mind, and the memories fell into place. I was now part of the Khovn Vrost. The dragon who had just spoken to me—Senga was his name, I remembered—had invited me to sleep here. He had been nice to me, I was sure of it. A smile touched my muzzle as this came back to me.
I looked up to see Senga's head peeking around the corner of my little alcove. "Yeah, I'm up," I replied.
The other dragon walked out into full view, and I registered his appearance more fully than I had the night before. He was about my size, but with a slightly skinnier build. The scales that covered his body were a slate blue color, and his chest plates were dark gray. The eyes that regarded me with a friendly expression were a striking cyan. Like me, he had no spikes or tail adornments, and his horns and talons were black.
One more detail of his appearance had escaped me at first. I attempted to conceal my shock when I saw he was missing his rear right leg below the knee. A polished wooden replacement extended from the bottom of his thigh to the ground.
He glanced at the leg and smiled. Apparently, I hadn't hidden my attention well enough. "You noticed it, huh? Don't worry, I'm used to the looks. I'll tell you about it later if you want." Senga motioned with his muzzle to the cave exit. "You hungry? Let's go for a quick hunt."
"Okay," I replied. "but where are the others? Makar and Kaija?"
I followed him as he started walking toward the cave opening. He glanced back at me. "They went out already; I told them I'd wait for you. I'm sure we'll find them later."
"Oh, thanks."
Senga's leg made a noticeable tapping sound on the hard stone floor. His gait seemed fine, however, and soon we were back in the open area that appeared to be the center of this simple community that comprised the Vrost. There were a few dragons scattered about, but I didn't see Ares or anyone else I recognized.
My companion paused a few paces outside the cave. "There are quite a few hunting spots that are just a quick flight down the mountain. I'm not sure if you know a lot about life around here, but everyone pretty much provides for themselves when it comes to food. Usually we go out in small groups and share what we get."
I nodded. "I'll just take your advice on where to go, then."
Soon, Senga and I were sitting on a grassy mountain slope enjoying a meal of freshly-caught rabbits. He wasn't quite as fast as I was with his leg as it was, so I caught more than he did. But I split the combined catch equally with him, for which he thanked me sincerely.
