“I have little patience for thieves, and even less mercy,” I declared.
I am no thief, King Tarasque. I am a messenger.
“You are no messenger.” I inhaled. There were countless scents in the air, but I was able to effortlessly detect an anomaly. “You are hiding behind an ogre shield one-thousand yards to my right. Why do you hide, if you have no ill intent?”
My reasons are my own, King Tarasque. Please allow me to deliver my message, and I will leave you in peace.
Had I wanted to, I could have engulfed the entire room in flames so hot they would melt diamonds. But I found I was intrigued by the intruder’s boldness. I could detect absolutely no fear in his voice after I informed him I knew exactly where he was. It was not uncommon for mortals or even immortals to venture into a dragon’s keep and attempt to steal his treasure. Some of them succeeded, but only for a little while. A dragon always avenged his stolen property.
“Very well,” I said. “Speak.”
You are contemplating visiting other worlds, Your Majesty. Worlds you have always taken great joy in watching, but you never passed through your Mirror to go to any of them.
My blood heated up with anger. Had this intruder been spying on me?
“How do you know this?” I demanded.
I am a servant of a being far more powerful than even the mighty dragons, Your Majesty. It is he who has been watching you, and he wants you to visit other worlds.
I looked over at the ogre shield where I knew the intruder was hiding. A flick of my powerful tail, and that shield would be thrown clear across the Saw Tooth Mountains. But inwardly, I felt unnerved. Not even an immortal could hope to spy on a dragon, let alone the dragon king, for long. My pride demanded that I deliver fatal consequences on this mysterious ambassador for having the audacity to spy on the great dragon king, but my pragmatic side won out. If this ambassador were the servant of a being who was more powerful than dragons, then it would not be wise to provoke his wrath without being certain of his intentions.
But pragmatism or not, I would not obey blindly. It was time to test this ambassador.
“I do not take orders,” I said coldly. “I am the lord of all dragons.”
Be that as it may, Your Majesty, you must visit another world.
“Who are you?” I demanded. “Tell me before I rip you from your hiding place!”
I have a complex name, Your Majesty, so you may address me by the name a good friend of mine gave me. You can call me Blackhole.
I looked down at the ogre shield. This ambassador must be incredibly tiny. With my vision, I could effortlessly see every detail of the shield, but it was even smaller than one of my scales.
“You have wasted your time, Blackhole.” The flames in my belly began to broil. I could have this entire chamber in flames within five seconds. “I want to kill you for your audacity, but I possess a twisted admiration for those who possess it in such high amounts. Leave now, and I will spare you.”
Necoc Yaotl is listening, Your Majesty. His anger is rising. You must visit the world of humans in a human form.
Smoke emitted from my nostrils. “Your chance is gone. Now you will—”
The Mirror shattered into millions of tiny pieces. Before I could even register my shock, the Mirror rebuilt itself as quickly as it had been broken and began to cloud with dark gray smoke. The ancient symbols carved into the obsidian frame glowed with a light so intense, I had to close my eyes. When I reopened them, the Mirror was shifting from image to image, world to world. I saw fairies, elves, sorcerers, sirens, mermaids…but the Mirror stopped on a world that I probably found to be the most fascinating of all: the human world.
Humans were fascinating to me because I found them to be so despicable. Their greed knew no limit, their evil knew no bounds, yet their society always rose from the ashes of countless losses and tragedies, most of which they brought on themselves. Though I often saw some humans act with a degree of morality, it was always to serve their own ends.
Humans. So morbidly fascinating.
Your chance is gone, Your Majesty. Necoc Yaotl is angry with your defiance. If you disobey him, there will be consequences. That is all.
Blackhole fell silent. I reached out with my tail to lift the ogre shield away. There was nothing behind it.
I stared at the Mirror, at the portal to the human world. I was deeply unnerved by Blackhole and Necoc Yaotl’s display of power. The Mirror was an artifact of untold power and age. It had survived for countless millennia without even bearing a scratch on it. In fact, one of my forefathers had attempted to destroy it in a fit of rage after it refused to show him where an ancient power was stored. The Mirror usually obeyed the commands of all dragon kings, but sometimes it refused to, perhaps believing us unworthy to know certain things. My forefather had none of that. He attempted to destroy the Mirror, but only ended up being sucked into a black limbo-like world. After that, no king was ever foolish enough to attempt to destroy the Mirror.
But this Necoc Yaotl had. And not only had he succeeded, he put it back together with no effort at all!
It was time to call in my council.
“Certainly not, my lord!” was Fangurn’s immediate response when I finished explaining to them what had transpired. “We are of the almighty dragon race! We bow to no one and nothing, especially not some faceless entity possessing some magical talent!”
“Some magical talent?” Yuthora countered. Her blood red eyes narrowed disapprovingly at her fellow council member. “Have you manipulated our king’s Mirror in such a way as this Necoc Yaotl has? Has King Tarasque himself done such a thing? You would dismiss such abilities as if they were nothing?”
“Not nothing, of course,” Loklair said quickly. “I’m sure all Fangurn meant is that we should think before we act.”
“That is not at all what I heard,” Yuthora said coolly. “All I heard from Fangurn was his typical arrogance and bluster.”
“And all I heard from you, Yuthora, was your typical female cowardice,” Fangurn sneered. Smoke rose from his nostrils to emphasize his scorn.
“Enough,” I commanded before Yuthora could strike back. “Yuthora, you are correct. We cannot dismiss what Blackhole and Necoc Yaotl are capable of, but Fangurn is also correct. The dragons bow and scrape to no one. I will not be going to the human world.”
The sounds of relief from my council members were immediate.
“We will wait for Blackhole and Necoc Yaotl, but should any of you encounter them, treat them with respect. Do not do anything that could provoke their anger. If we must start a war, it will be for a justified purpose.”
Fangurn looked decidedly smug that I took the path he wanted. Yuthora did not look disappointed, but she did look wary. Loklair was trying to appear neutral, but I could tell he was still quite unnerved by everything that had just transpired.
After dismissing my council, I went outside, eager for fresh air and exercise. I flew up in the air until my palace appeared as tiny as one of my claws. I flew even higher until I could see every aspect of my entire kingdom. Dragons of all ages, shapes, sizes, and colors milled about. I received some satisfaction in watching them, but despite what I had told my council, my newfound desire to explore other worlds was growing rapidly. I continued to fly for hours, which stretched into days. The sky did not calm me, nor did the sun or the clouds. The only thing that provided some comfort was the prospect of visiting another world. My frustration mounted to the pointed where I released it in a jet of flame ten miles long.
Why do I feel this way? I thought furiously. I am a dragon. We do not feel the desire to leave home simply for the sake of exploration. We do not feel such cravings, such urges, such need!
Need...
Humiliation coursed through me at the realization. My desire to visit other worlds was no longer a desire. It was a need. But it was a need that would not rule me, I vowed.
I flew until I reached the Saw Tooth Mountains. My destination was Mount Draco, the
largest and most majestic of all mountains. It was where dragons were buried when they died. I needed the wisdom of my ancestors. I needed to know why I was so eager to leave home. If I meditated in Mount Draco, I was certain they would help me.
I entered the tomb and immediately felt the comforting presence of my ancestors. The kings were buried further down. When I reached the end of the tomb, I was surrounded by statues fifty times my size of the kings of the past. They were all carved from precious metals and adorned with beautiful jewels that glimmered in the everlasting flames that surrounded them.
Perhaps I was biased, but I thought my father’s statue the most magnificent. He had been one of the greatest dragon kings of all, leading our people into a golden age of prosperity. When he perished, I had been a young prince who put on a brave face but was inwardly terrified that I would lead the dragons down yet another dark path. As time passed, I gained confidence and wisdom. Under my rule, the dragons were thriving, but we still had not reached another golden age. That was what I should be focusing on, not insane desires of exploration of worlds that did not affect the dragon kingdom in the slightest.
I bowed my head before my father and forefathers, allowing myself to become a magnet for the wisdom and knowledge soaking the air. Days passed. Weeks. It was almost an entire month before I heard the whisperings, but I focused on one particular voice.
Hello, my son.
Father, I responded, joy coursing through me. I seek your council, my lord.
You are troubled.
I believe we may be in danger. A being who calls himself Necoc Yaotl destroyed the Mirror and then repaired it in seconds. He also seems to possess the ability to control it.
Are you certain?
I saw it with my own eyes, Father. Necoc Yaotl’s servant told me that I must visit another world, and to take the form of the dominant species that resides there. He also said that if I disobeyed there would be consequences.
The dragons do not bow to anyone, save for their king. You are their king, my son.
I am aware of that, Father. But these beings are powerful, and I am not a warmonger.
You always were cautious. There were plenty of times where I even thought you a coward, and that you were unfit to lead the dragons.
Shame coursed through me. My father was correct. In my youth, I had been too cautious, too unsure of myself.
Are you disappointed in me, my lord?
I am not. Your accomplishments are something to be proud of. I have faith in you, my son.
Thank you, Father. And I seek your council for one more reason. I feel…I feel a desire I should not feel. We dragons do not care for exploring worlds that are not our own. You like your father and his father before were content to merely watch other worlds, to see if alien races were a threat to us, or if they possessed something we could take.
You are tempted to do as this Necoc Yaotl demands for your own reasons.
Yes.
Now you have shamed me, Tarasque. A dragon does not desire to visit other worlds for exploration and interaction. Those insects and the hives they reside in are beneath our notice. Do you desire to interact with them?
I did my best to ignore my growing fear and shame. Father, I—
You will continue to lead the dragons as their king, and you will purge yourself of this infinitely shameful desire. Do you understand?
Before I could reply, another voice rang through the tomb.
What hideous arrogance.
Bolts of purple lightening erupted around the statues, but their focus was on my father’s. They tore through the metal, the jewels. Melting, disintegrating.
“NO!” I screamed.
With a beat of my wings, I raced for the statue. Because dragons were so attuned to nature, we possessed a considerable amount of control over the elements. I attempted to dispel the lightening, but an explosion knocked me back. I could only watch helplessly as my father’s statue disintegrated.
A voice boomed inside my head. It wasn’t Blackhole’s.
You see what Necoc Yaotl is capable of, king of the dragons? You see how puny you are compared to me? You will do as I say. You will visit the human world in a human body. And you will interact with other humans. Else I will crush your scared grounds to dust.
Less than an hour later, I called my advisors.
“My decision is made,” I said. I radiated anger, but that was easy to express. Inwardly, I was angry and more ashamed of myself than I had ever been. “I will be going to the human world in a human body.”
There were immediate cries of protest.
“But my lord, surely you know this is all a trap!” Quillania protested. Her sapphire eyes were deeply distressed. “Humans are so incredibly tiny! You would have to shape-shift into at least three of them without risking harm to yourself. Who knows what our enemies would do to you if they caught you in so vulnerable a state?”
“You cowardly, pathetic excuse for a dragon!” Fangurn roared at her. “Our king is sacrificing himself for our sacred burial grounds, for the honor of our forefathers, our kings, and you dare to presume he values his own safety over Mount Draco!?”
“Do not call me a coward, you sniveling hypocrite,” Quillania sneered. “Did you not say during our last meeting that the dragons bow and scrape to no one? I distinctly heard you say such a thing.”
“ENOUGH!”
My advisors fell silent.
“I am aware of all of the risks to myself, to Mount Draco, and to our people,” I said calmly. “All the same, I will go to the human world in human form. I thank you all for your concern and your loyalty, but my decision is final.”
“My king—”
“There is no other way,” I said sharply. “If there is one thing the dragons cannot survive without, it is the wisdom of our ancestors. They have guided us even in death, and I will say outright that I would not be the king I am if not for them. I will sacrifice my pride and my life for Mount Draco and the wisdom of our fathers.”
When I was alone in my chambers, I stared at the Mirror. I attempted to shift the image to another world, but it seemed to be permanently settled on the human world. There was no choice. I proceeded to transform myself with my father’s words tearing through my mind.
All dragons possessed extraordinary shape-shifting abilities, though we never stopped learning how to hone them to perfection. It was especially difficult when attempting to change into something as tiny as a human.
I should clarify: three humans.
Humans were so small compared to dragons that it would be impossible for me to change into only one. As Quillania had said, three would do at the very minimum.
When I changed, it was as if I were falling from an extraordinary height. I had to resist the urge to beat my wings. I was not really falling, but falling from a great height was a common phobia all dragons suffered from. I was no different, despite being the dragon king.
The difficult part was dividing my body into three parts while keeping my mind together. For almost a minute, I was nothing more than an amorphous blob. But I focused, and I triumphed.
The first thing I felt was a weakness so hideous, I nearly transformed back. Because my powers needed time to adjust to the new body, it was as if they were completely gone. The sheer physical power I possessed as a dragon was now but a memory. My muscles, sight, and sense of smell were as pathetic as an insect’s. I was an insect compared to my former self. My incredibly thin, fragile skin was somewhat protected by the clothing I wore, but it would cut and bruise so easily. I walked slowly, testing out the body. My other two selves followed suit. I could command them to do whatever I wanted. I could see and hear through their eyes and ears. I could feel everything they felt. They could walk, talk, and behave exactly like me, but my mind was solely contained in only one body. Mighty as we dragons were, any mind could never be in two places at once. It was a natural law as old as time itself. Still, it was useful having other vessels. They glanced around, taking in my cham
bers, which now seemed horrifically large. The Mirror now seemed as tall as Mount Draco itself. Slowly, I walked forward and passed through the portal.
Perhaps my initial shock at being in a new body was to blame for how unprepared I was for the sensations that followed. My feeble eyes registered trees and a lake that was actually quite beautiful, but my body…my body felt the sun beating down on my frail skin, the cool breeze blowing in my face. It felt. It felt. Oh, how it felt.
Panic rose and I grabbed the rail of a bridge, but that was a mistake. My incredibly sensitive skin registered the wood, hard and stiff, to the point where I gasped. How could a body be so sensitive to touch? Was the absence of scales to blame? My normal dragon skin was very frail, but it was always protected by near-impenetrable scales. That was the way it had to be. Our enemies would have defeated us long ago if not for those scales. Those scales were our lives.
And it seemed now that they were also our sanity. These sensations, the wood beneath my hands, even the clothing I was wearing. I wanted to rip it all off, but that would only fully expose me to the sun and the wind. It would expose me. It would drive me mad. Was this Blackhole’s plan? Was this what his master, Necoc Yaotl, had intended all along? Did they wish to drive me mad? Was this the trap I was now helpless in? By heaven, I could not even focus, I could not have returned to my own body even if I wanted to. I was helpless. Helpless, and terrified.
“Sir? Sir, are you all right?”
The human’s voice brought some semblance of focus. I commanded my other two bodies to run and hide. I knew identical human twins were not unnatural, but three would look far too suspicious. I struggled to regain myself, drawing on the anger I felt at my shameful terror and weakness.
I am the king of all dragons, I told myself. I am not weak, and I will never falter.
A hand touched my arm. I looked up and found myself staring into the concerned eyes of a young female.
“Are you all right?” she asked again.
I took a deep breath before replying in as steady a voice as I could manage.
“I am fine. I just felt unnaturally tired all of a sudden.”
“Maybe, but it was still incredibly cruel of those two other guys to just leave you here.” Her face was very disapproving. “Who were they?”