The Alchemist and The Dragon

Chapter 2

In front of me sits a small, scaly dragon, barley the size of an ordinary village puppy. But that's not the only thing that surprised me. It's eyes, they were a beautiful dark silver, like old silver coins. But they were so human like. If I had been shown a picture of just it's eyes, I would've been convinced it was human. But it's not.

I jump back, feeling the slight effects of vertigo from getting up to fast.

The dragon cocks it head to one side, almost as if confused.

It stalks to me slowly, cautiously, but I take one step back when it takes one forward.

It stops and it looks as if it... sighs? It takes a few steps back, so that it's covered by the raging snow.

I series of crunches and groans are heard, and as much as I want to run, I can't. Something about it is drawing me in.

Then the noises stop, and are replaced with a soft crunching of snow.

Out from the snow appears a boy. About my age. He had slightly messy snow white hair, that was brushed to one side so he could see, he was wearing a grey fur cloak, hiding anything underneath, and his eyes. They were the same silver as the dragons.

"No way..." I whisper in shock and awe. I had heard of different forms of shape-shifting before, but I had never seen it in person.

Before I have a chance to say anything, I collapse, exhaustion and the cold finally getting to me. The last thing I see before I black out is the boy picking me up, a look of worry and concern written on his face.

I slowly awake to the sounds of a fire crackling. It's warm. A little too warm for my liking.

I open my eyes and find I'm right next to the fire. I sit up and move back hastily, not really wanting to get burnt.

When I calm down a bit, I look around and take in my surroundings. I'm a cave, that much is sure, the stone walls trapping the warmth. But it's not an ordinary cave, someone had made it a home. There was a bed, and makeshift stove, a handmade cupboard and everything else you need to live a stable life.

'How did I get here?' I ponder to myself. I sit up A feel something fall off me. It's a grey fur cloak.

Like a blow to the head, everything comes back in a flash. The village, my parents, the dragon, or, boy?

I stand up, thoughts swimming in my head. There are too many questions I have with no answer.

Are my parents ok? Where is the dragon? Is the boy a shapeshifter? Why did he save me?

As if he could read my mind, the whatever he is walks in.

"Oh, you're awake! I'm glad, I got worried when you collapsed like that." He smiles sweetly.

Why do I want to trust him?

"Who are you, what are you, why did you save me and where are we?" I fire questions one of another.

"Whoa, that's a lot of questions... um... Well to start my name is Alaster. I'm a dragon but I suppose not many people know that dragons can change into human form at will, though not usually in front of other races. As for why I saved you, I mean, isn't it common sense to save someone when they're in need? I'm not really like other dragons, I don't even really keep in contact with any of them anymore..." He trails of, as if it was a painful memory.

"A-And as for where we are, you're in my home, at the top of the mountain." He concludes smiling at me.

I'm dead silent as I take in all the information that was given to me. But there's one question that's bothering me.

"Why are you so tiny in your dragon from?" I ask with a stupid look on my face. Out of all the questions I could've asked, why did I ask that one? I look down in embarrassment. When I look up again, the boy- Alaster, has a look of confusion and a bit of hurt on his features.

"N-Not the question I was expecting, but dragons become fully grown at the age of 21, but I'm still 16, 17 in two months. So until then I will gradually get bigger, but my fully grown form is still kind of small, about the size of a rhino." He explains.

"A what? A rhino, what's that? I haven't exactly been exploring out of my village, nor have I ever been interested." I inquire. He just looks at me.

"It's this animal, but what's your name?" He ask sweetly.

"I'm... Ara of- never mind. Just Ara." I can't use the name ' Ara of Deidre' anymore seen as how I can't go back there anymore... I have to leave it all behind.

"Ara, huh? That's a pretty name!" Complimented Alaster, flashing a pearly white smile.

I blush a little as he walks over to his makeshift bench and pulls out a loaf of bread.

"I heard what happened in Deidre. You'd be surprised what a dragon can hear when he listens well enough. I normally don't listen in, it's usually so quiet and peaceful. Today was a bit of shocking actually." He states as he walks over to me with a plate of sliced bread in hand.

"So, Ara. What are you going to do now?" He questions, placing the plate down for the two of us.

I shrug. I really have no clue. Alaster has a slight frown on his face as he's deep in thought. Then he snaps his fingers and looks up.

"I know! I've been thinking of finding a new place to stay and visit my brother while I'm at it. Why don't you tag along with? You could find a place for yourself and maybe even meet my brother while we're at it!" He suggests.

I stare at him blankly. Travel with him? A dragon? I mean he seems nice enough...

"Sure. It's not like I have any other options. When do we leave?" I agree to go with him. I was kind of excited, it would be my first time traveling past the mountain from Deidre.

"Great! We'll leave Tomorrow at first light!" He decides with finality.

"Tomorrow?!" I exclaim. There is no way that's enough time to pack and get ready and plan and-

"Well it's not like we have anything to pack or bring with us besides some food." He shrugs slightly.

Oh yeah. I forgot I don't have anything anymore.

"But don't go thinking you don't have anything! You have me now- n-not in that way, of course, it's just, we're friends now, I hope..." He mucks up his words and scratches his neck, while a small blush blooms on his pale skin, making him look almost like a strawberry that isn't ripe yet.

"We're... mostly friends... I still don't really know you all that well, but I trust you. Call it an Alchemist's intuition." I smile comforting him a little.

"I-If you say so. I'll pack some food and blankets, you get some rest and gather your thoughts." He says with a caring, motherly tone, almost as if I was some kind of precious artifact.

While Alaster shuffles around here and there I sit at the table and slowly drift into a peaceful sleep.