Forging The Fire

26 ⚔️ Forging The Fire

"I don't... think I am..." Diato said, eyeing the change of color of his skin. As the moonlight bathed Diato, horns erupted from his forehead, piercing the air, while the tight suit strained against the emergence of powerful wings and a sinuous tail, their scales glistening in the moon's ethereal glow. With a thunderous roar that resonated through the night, he completed the metamorphosis, his body now entirely that of a dragon, the moon casting an otherworldly sheen upon his crimson scales.

In that moment, Diato experienced a surge of conflicting sensations. The emergence of his dragon form was both exhilarating and unnerving. His consciousness battled against the raw power coursing through his altered body. Despite this transformation, he retained a sense of self-awareness and unprecedented control over his newfound form.

Balanced on his hind legs akin to a towering T-rex, his elongated arms added a menacing aspect to his presence. The mighty wings spanned wide, casting shadows over the nearby trees, while his tail undulated gracefully, reminiscent of a serpentine dance.

The dragon's gaze fixated upon Terra, yet within that fierce exterior, Diato struggled to assert his will. Terra sensed the inner turmoil; she recognized that Diato fought valiantly to maintain his tenuous grip on consciousness, a feat he had never achieved in his previous transformations. The last time he tried, he was found unconscious, and before that - he didn't even know he was transforming.

***

A Mahindra Suprovan screeched its brakes between the crowd and James. Lailah got out of the car. James glanced at a guy from the crowd, "Jared" James spoke, "go get the Royal Enfield out of the way. It's in the middle of the bridge."

"But it's too heavy, and -" Jared spoke but was cut off by Max,

"I don't find it heavy, James. Can I use that to come? The car's ten seater, and we're twelve people, anyway."

"I can't let you go alone," James told Max, as he saw all the others finding their seat in the car. But no one seemed to sit in the driver's seat for obvious reasons.

"You can send Lailah with him if you don't trust him," John interrupted. It seemed like a good idea.

"Okay then, you go with Lailah, I'll drive the car," James spoke as he jumped on the driver's seat and closed the door.

John was the only one left to be seated and the door was open for him. He nodded at Max with a smile as if to say: you're welcome. And then, he climbed up to his seat. Max and Lailah made their way up the stairs and exited the organization. They found the car waiting for them to move the bike, so they could go further.

***

The dragon jerked his head towards Terra, its neck curving like a spring bending from its side. His catlike pupils gazed at her fiercely. She immediately knew he'd get out of control. She threw her hand on the hilt of her urumi, and uncoiled it out of her belt. She quickly figured out how she'd get on top of him and control him. He exhaled neutrally but fire came out of his mouth and flew towards her. He didn't want to harm her but he couldn't control the fire shooting out of his mouth every time he exhaled.

She didn't know Diato retained his consciousness. She dashed towards his bike and landed her foot in the bike's seat. She immediately jumped again before she had time to fall, and landed on the dragon's slanted wing. As soon as Diato felt something crawling on his wing he instantly lifted it as a reflex. She slid down the wing, on his back, and skillfully threw the urumi onto his neck in such a way that its shiny metallic blade reflecting the silver moonlight coiled around his neck and locked itself on it. She slightly pulled the hilt, to let him know that the blade was around his neck and his head could be sliced off anytime.

This all happened so fast that he didn't even have time to react. In a matter of seconds, he found a Urumi wrapped around his neck like a serpent, and Terra standing on his back. He let his upper body fall freely and landed his upper limbs on the ground, balancing himself on his four legs. He was confused as to why Terra wanted to fight him all of a sudden. Was it because he was a dragon? It didn't look like it.

"DO NOT FLY! I SAID DO NOT FLY! YOU HEAR ME?" She shouted as if ordering a criminal.

"Don't Shout in my ear!" Diato roared at her. Surprisingly he could speak, despite his massive tongue and drool dripping out of his pointed canines. Her eyes widened as she realized that Diato regained consciousness.

"You're Conscious!?" She exclaimed, her head automatically ducking forward. His voice had completely changed. That soothing cracked voice had now turned into a deep coarse one voice like the dragons leader.

"Of course I'm conscious!" He continued in his unusual voice.

"Oh thank goodness, I was so scared! Please turn back!"

"I can't," Diato said, "I'm going, get off me, or you're going to get hurt."

"No... please, fine! I'll come with you. If I can't stop you then, I'll help you."

His head jerked at her, behind his neck. He finally saw her standing on the back of his ribs, her shoes pressing against his crimson scales, she was standing with one hand on the hilt of her Urumi and the other hand on the pistol hanging at her silver utility belt. His catlike pupils dilated. She was prepared to fight him, in case he got out of control but he didn't. Her face remained neutral as she saw his pupils dilating whenever he gazed at her. This was when she realized how massive he was. His eyeballs were the size of a football.

A smile curled up his lips. She pulled back her urumi and was about to wrap it again around her belt, but then she heard a familiar voice.

"That's what I thought." It was James.

***

The Suprovan surged through the night, its tires humming against the asphalt, carrying James and his companions towards the foreboding silhouette of the Dragonspine Mountains. The moon's silver light cast an ethereal glow on the winding road, occasionally obscured by the looming shadows of ancient trees.

Inside the van, the ten passengers nestled in a mix of excitement and apprehension, their hushed whispers weaving tales of the mythical creatures said to inhabit the jagged peaks ahead. The air in the vehicle buzzed with nervous energy.

James, at the wheel, wore a mask of determined focus, his knuckles faintly illuminated by the soft glow of the dashboard lights. He glanced at the rearview mirror, catching glimpses of the group's animated discussions. A sense of responsibility weighed on his shoulders as he navigated the van through each twist and turn, his gaze occasionally drifting to the looming outline of the mountains ahead.

As the road ascended, the temperature dropped, and a chill seeped into the van despite the heater's efforts. James tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his breath forming wisps of fog in the cold night air. The anticipation of reaching their destination mingled with a subtle sense of unease, the unknown awaiting them atop the Dragonspine Mountains.