Ametrine's words echoed through Terrance's head in disbelief. The Nightengale family had spent decades searching for demi-gods in order to turn them to a dragon in hopes of creating a new species that could face the dragon king. Realizing that the lost himself in thought, he gapes and stumbles a little closer to the two dragons. "
"You're a..., a, a demi-god!?!?!" He squeals. "Oh, oh, oh...I just turned a demi-god into a dragon! Oh lucky day!" the boy could not contain his excitement as he jumped up and down.
Merek looked to Terrance, shocked to hear that he knew what a demi-god was; that he knew what he was. "You know what's happening to me then, explain!" The young boy smiled ear to ear, "Demi-god and dragon blood! The most powerful combination in this world! Next to the power of a god itself!". Merek was clearly becoming agitated with the young boy and his riddled way of speaking; "But why is my fire blue!? You little brat, you need to be more specific! What do you mean the most powerful combination in the world!?"
Terrance was bouncing and giggling like a child. Ametrine suddenly knocked him over again and pinned him beneath her claws. "Dragons, dragons, they have the largest mana pool of natural creatures, but demi-gods have an even greater potential for power. What happens when you put near unlimited power with a near unlimited power source." Terrance slapped Ametrines feet with glee. "Power that could nearly rival a god."
Panic began to settle deep inside Merek's belly. He looked stunned at the boy's words. Power that could nearly rival a god "What else do you know about dragons who are demi-gods!?" Terrance began to laugh even more, he was bursting at the seams now; ""I DON"T KNOW!" Terrance exclaims ecstatic. "No one has ever done it before! Ha! I'm the first! I'm the first! I've rivaled even my great grandfather and I don't even have his amulet yet."
Ametrine snorts in annoyance and releases him. She too had begun to feel the welling power growing in Merek, even as they spoke. Too much power could very well kill him. They needed to turn him back to normal as soon as possible. "Where is this amulet?" She demands. "Top of Clover Mountain. Buried within the tomb of my great grandfather. But beware of the drakens that live there." Drakens...nasty little beasts, similar in build to a dragon but not at all sentient. They were frequently called the pirana's of the air, and for good reason. A single flock could raze a village, leaving not even the buildings in their wake. They hated the sunlight, however, and thus often stayed in the catacombs and tombs, content to feed on one another.
A feeling sunk within Merek's heart. With each fleeting moment he felt like he would be trapped in this form forever and the boy's excitement only brought paranoia. Terrance and Ametrine talked about where to acquire the amulet to change him back but he was barely paying attention now. What if I am stuck like this forever. He looked up at the two of them, Terrance rambling on like normal and Ametrine looking more worried than usual. Her calm demeanor fled her and this worried Merek even more. "What happens if I don't turn back?" he said weakly. Ametrine looks over at him. "You may very well die. A dragon's body can contain only so much mana and power...yours is increasing steadily...your life fire won't be able to handle it.
You may very well die. You may very well die... You may very well die...
Merek's heart sunk even further, a pit had formed inside his stomach and his entire body felt heavy. Fear returned to his eyes, "I will... die?" his words were choking back tears. "But I'm a demi-god... I can't die." Ametrine looked over to Merek, her eyes had softened knowing that he was terrified. "Perhaps when your body was not restricted by a dragon body...you couldn't. But...I can already feel the power growing in you...and while you may be able to contain and incredible amount, there will be a point where your life fire will no longer be able to withstand it. That is why no one has ever turned demi-gods into dragons."
"How do we do it then, how do I turn back?" Merek asked, his voice flat. "By getting this fool's amulet" She snarled at Terrance. Terrance waved sheepishly from a distance, now realizing what he did had serious re-precautions. "How long... how long for us to get there? How in the hell am I supposed to even get there!?" Merek asked dumbfounded, he could no longer make clear sense of what was what anymore. "It takes 4 days of flight to get to the mountain he spoke of. Once you learn to walk, you will learn to fly." Ametrine replied. "You've gotta be kidding me!? You want me to fly!?" Merek retorted, shocked by the dragon's request. "How else do you plan to get to the top of the mountain, hatchilng? Walking?"
Is she trying to make fun of the situation? Does she think this is funny... she couldn't possibly... Merek grunted at Ametrine's insult. "Give me a break, Ametrine. It's not like you were turned into a human... this is freaking me out!" Ametrine looked at Merek very seriously now, "And the more you freak out the harder it will be for you to learn what you need to in order to save your life." Amentrine says sternly. She was trying to save his life and he was on the verge of panic. She lets out a dragonic sigh. "Lay down." She orders. Ametrine takes a deep breath and begins to blow hot air over his scales. In her mind flickers a memory of Topaz freaking out over something and her repeating the same procedure. It had calmed him...the heat a comforting massage...she hoped it would calm Merek as well and help him concentrate. Merek obliged quickly. He lay in the field, the grass tickling his hide. He saw the image of Topaz in his mind as if it was his own memory. He felt Ametrine's warm air across his face and in an instant, his heart slowed and he became calm. "I'm sorry Ametrine. I know that it is important, for both of our survivals... I just don't know what to do with this. Thank you for helping me..."
You would do the same for me... the soft voice echoed in Merek's mind. Merek stood once again, "we should get started then. How in the hell do I fly?" Ametrine's body shook with a deep laugh. "You must first master walking and using your tail before you can fly." The male dragon seemed somewhat insulted by Ametrine's response, he grunted "I CAN WALK!" and attempted a straight line, only to fall over again. He got up and tried once more, this time more successful "see?" he said, looking at Ametrine with a smug look. Ametrine smacked him with her tail, knocking him over with ease. "You're legs are too close together. Spread them out more." she instructed as she demonstrated how to walk as if teaching a newborn. Merek follows suit, quickly picking up Ametrine's lesson. "It's kind of like crawling...." he mumbled to himself before falling over. He shook his head and pushed himself up, walking again. He was truly determined to not let Ametrine down.
The next three hours were spent training in basic movements. Everything from walking, running jumping, striking with the tail, and many other movements that would be necessary in battle. She finally says, "Now to put all of that into practical use. I'm sure by now you are getting hungry, no? Merek collapsed as Ametrine took a break to speak, he was panting heavily and clearly exhausted. He truly was trying his best to soak in all of the knowledge Ametrine was teaching him. His stomach growled, "I could eat an entire cow I think..."
"Good, that is the average amount a dragon eats ever other day or so. Time to go hunting." She leads him to the forest. Average? Jesus... I'm going to spend all day eating more than anything... being a dragon is a lot of work. Merek pushed himself up and followed Ametrine into the forest, he watched her admirably. What a determined lass... He shook the thoughts from his head, feeling something strange as he watched Ametrine. "Are we actually going to eat cow?" he asked, diverting his attention from himself. "I doubt we'll find one in this forest. We're more likely to find some dear or elk." She turns to him. "Now that you've learned to walk, I will show you how to walk with minimal sound." She lowered her body ever so slightly. Her movements purposeful and practiced. "Always try and put your back feet where your front feet have been so you avoid snapping as many branches as possible. Keep your head and tail low. We may be large creatures but I have snuck up on many a prey this way."
Merek seemed a bit disappointed that they would not be eating cow. He hunched his body, mimicking Ametrine and followed her lesson word for the word, act for act. The way he moved behind her was almost as if he was her shadow. Sneaking around was something that Merek was naturally skilled at. "This I can do..." he whispered in her mind. Ametrine chuckles as his tail hits a tree with a loud crack. "Yes, now pay attention to your tail." Soon enough a herd of deer appear in the clearing. "Alright, use what I've taught you and catch yourself some dinner."Merek felt embarrassed, he was so sure that he had it. His body came to a quick halt after the deer appeared and Ametrine ordered him to catch dinner.
Merekcrept closer to the deer. his eyes following them as they moved slowly in the field, picking at the grass with their mouths. Merek picked out the deer he wanted to catch and with a quick motion catapulted himself out of the brush and into the clearing. The deer scattered at his movements but he drew close to the one he had set his eyes on, his massive wings hovering around it, his tail swinging to knock it down. The deer fell as Merek's tail swooped underneath it and within seconds, his giant teeth bit into the deer; securing his dinner. Ametrine was indeed, a good teacher. Ametrine flew straight over him, catching her own as they fled. She tore into the deer, starting with the head. There was no need to cook it as a dragon. Merek hesitated to eat his catch, he had never eaten something raw before and his stomach wasn't agreeing with it. Then it occurred to him, he could easily cook his meal. He felt the warmth in his belly, focused on his life-fire... and summoned a small breath of flames. The control in the velocity and volume of his fire breathing was surprising as he was only just learning his dragon form, but Merek was able to summon just enough to cook his food, careful not to burn it.
Merek feels Ametrine's approval. "You learn quickly, for a hatchling." She chuckles. "Had you been born a dragon, you would've made a fine one indeed." Merek raised his head, chewing the deer's body in his maw as he looked at Ametrine. "I have you to thank, Ametrine. Without such a good teacher... I would probably already be dead." Ametrine nods. They finish their meal, resting in the sun for a time before continuing the training. By the end of the day, Merek was gliding around the fields. She flies over to him on his final landing. "You have progressed significantly. Tomorrow you will begin flying and we will begin our journey. Merek was clearly tired, he was pushing himself for her... He didn't want to let her down, he felt responsible. Their lives were now connected and he had to ensure that he lived. Merek looked to her and simply nodded, he knew the road ahead would be tough, grueling but with Ametrine at his side, he felt at ease. Ametrine... what would I do without you...
Ametrine made her way to a nearby cave as the sun was beginning to set. She curled up inside, leaving enough room for Merek's large body beside her. Merek followed her slowly and laid down beside her, his body lightly touching hers as the cave was not quite big enough for the two of them. Merek was too tired to pay attention to their closeness and his eyes grew heavy with each passing second. "Thank you, Ametrine..." he said softly. "You don't know how much you mean to me right now."