-Nefiru POV-

After walking on the unrecognizable street for some time towards the nearest Hospital, a deep voice inside a dust cloud introduced himself as my cousin and announced the purpose for seeking me out. I decided not to ignore the dodgy personage in the case he gets miffed, and knowing his intention could help to give the slip as I have no possessions, and my body is tattered.

"Granny Elaine? Never seen 'er or heard of you!" I exposed suspiciously.

"YOU don't know anything about your Father's side of the family." The voice said impatiently.

"Sod off! The bastard disappeared without a trace when I was little." I announced upset.

"Your Father, my uncle, died tragically, and your mother continued living a normal life..." The nutter reported.

"Anyone can fabricate that rubish tale, and it's dodgy not showing yor face while speaking in a weird voice." I declared misbelieving.

The increased immigration problem forced many countries to close their borders and adopt severe policies to reduced crimes as well, but at the cost of humans rights like privacy. My father wasn't registered, but his disappearance points towards abandonment...

Hmm... It's missing some details but not bad for a dream. I reviewed as first-person spectator.

"These are the right steps to make contact with someone who was kept in the dark about his origins." The voice affirmed.

"Oy, I got no time for games, mate. I'm in need of medical attention..." I grunted before resuming my trudge.

"Show up in the Hospital with those arms, and they'll either tranquilize you to study the condition or...shoot you." Rigel assumed my treatment.

*Ka-chhi!* I stopped my wobbly advance and looked at my arms again.

"Tosh! No way any of this wonky shite is real...it's all hallucination." I rejected turning around.

"I'm afraid you would NEED drugs to escape this reality." He reaffirmed.

"It can't be real--it-it CAN'T! I can't afford to fix this--WHY am I like THIS?" I admit my condition wondering the cause.

"Oh, you did it to yourself." He announced.

"Hahh?!" I utter annoyed.

"Your cells mutated with a life-threatening situation, but you think this is normal, so the body remains hurt," Rigel explained with a serious tone.

"Am I really one of those...mutants? Mum never took me to hospital..." I asked confirmation looking at my arms.

"Huhu. You are more than that... First sense the painful parts, then picture yourself healthy again, and WILL your body to heal." Rigel instructed.

I humored the stranger and sit down on the rubble for a few minutes without seeing any changes.

"It's not--working...!!?" I complain when my skin becomes hot and the pain faded away. *Ssssk!* The wounds close and blood dries in seconds. "Whuuaah!? Wut in tarnation...?!" I stare baffled at my improved state.

"Congratulations. You got it rather fast the first time...this is good...this is very good." Rigel commended excitedly.

"B-but my arms...?" I questioned hopelessly.

"Changing them back will take more practice and concentration, but why do that when you can become a Draco?" He claimed.

"A Wuuut?" I sounded disbelieving.

"It's best if you see. Don't be scared. Remeber that we are blood-related." He prepared.

At least he won't faint again. I recalled.

I expected a shady person to appear, but instead, a giant scaly blue head with black horns poked from the thick white cloud.

"Oh...bullocks! A huge Monster!!" I recognized slowly backing away in fear.

"How rude! Haven't you read a book...?" The monster complained.

*Wishhh!* The clouds dispersed completely and a creature with deep blue scales and black claws stands six meters tall over the rubble.

Ah, the mist was his doing... I realized.

"Mate, I'm not related to Giant-uhh...Lizards? And what's a book?" I questioned.

"That's insulting! It's Dragon, a mighty Dragon! Use the internet more..." The reptile protested glaring with his large eyes.

"I-I sold my phone to buy water," I said hiding behind a column.

"...You are one pitiful person." He described rolling his eyes.

"Oyy! I don't need a bloody mythical monster's pity." I protested.

"Humh! At least we are rich monsters." He bragged.

"...Hahh!!?" I sounded incredulous.

"Dragons and treasures ring any bell?" The beast revealed.

"I'm not a fan of fantasy genre..." I denied. "Treasures eyy?" I muttered becoming interested in a way out of poverty.

"You will be a fan now being part dragon, but unfortunately human society won't consider you a pure human, so your registration..." Rigel disclosed.

"It's void...." I concluded feeling a cold creeping on my back after realizing what that entails.

"Right. We should leave before trouble appears, and it will, soon...War started." He announced looking in the direction of screams.

"Lovely...I can't even say goodbye..." I grumbled dissatisfied and hoping everyone's alright. "So, do I take a cab or ride you...?" I question our transportation.

"Do I look like a horse to you? You'll fall." The beast admonished.

"What's a horse?" I asked coming closer.

Did I live under a rock below another rock at the bottom of a well?! I retorted at the ignorance.

"...Nevermind. Huff..." The blue dragon gave up with a sigh. "Stay still and maybe I won't crush you." He declared extending his front leg.

"Wait-wait--Ack!" I tried to stop the approaching rough paw.

*Grasp!* Rigel grabbed me by the waist before opening his wings. *FROOSH!--*Fwoo-woshh! Fwoo-woshh!* The large beast took off while a cloud forms around us.

"HUAAA!!" I scream as the ground receded.

We flew East at the altitude of clouds while enduring the hunger and vertigo.

Hours later...

"Enjoying the view?" The pilot asked.

"F-f-freezing...F-famished...Kna--ckered..." I reported shaking.

"You'll adapt--!! FRAK!" He comforted before cursing suddenly.

*Zrooossshhhh!!* The sound of a distant jet fighter appears.

"Hold on or you'll die..." Rigel instructed facing the incoming aircraft.

*Swooh-woshh! Swooh-woshh!* We hover high above the ground.

"Wha!!? It's going to attack us?" I inquired complying.

"Well, it's not supposed to happen...but War did break out...I took too long searching for you." He replied.

"Wh-why aren't we fleeing?" I stammered as my heartbeat gets faster.

"I can't outrun a fighter jet. However, there's only one..." He answered.

"Are you going to engage? Have you LOST IT?" I questioned his sanity.

"Patience. One can't win every fight being the fastest or strongest under the same laws of nature." Rigel explained.

It's just restrictions...a plane can only exert certain movements and speeds. I inferred.

*Swoooiiiish!!* The jet fires missiles before turning right and up in a wide arc.

I break out in a cold sweat as Rigel remain unmoving in the path of the approaching deadly projectiles and a white cloud suddenly forms...perhaps made by him with a supernatural ability.

Slow! He's controlling ambient water. I identified.

*Swooosh!!* The two missiles came out of the cloud visibly slower. *WHOOSH!* The blue dragon dodged in the last second and used the free foreleg. *Bang! Klang!* He smacked the objects off course and damaged them in the process. *BOOM! BOOMM!* The two explosions send powerful shockwaves through my body.

"Urggghh! Cough! Cough..." I cough out blood obstructing my respiration.

The jet fighter draws a wide arc through the clouds and disappears from my vision, but before feeling relief, the beast spoke.

"Endure! More are coming." The dragon warned.

*Swiiiishh!! Swiiiishh!!...* The incoming set of explosives gets close enough to hear.

"Oh-balls--!" I cursed bracing for impact.

*BOOM! BOOMM! BOOM! BOOOM!...* The jet unloaded bombs mercilessly from a distance while Rigel deflected them in the same manner.

The plane continues maneuvering for a few more minutes as the dragon parries the missiles and take a bit of damage in the process turning his body black from the explosions.

"Are you a corpse yet? I'm hungry..." Rigel insinuated me being food.

"Y-you wazzock! I'm gutted here!" I complain.

*Zrooosssiihhhh!!* The jet turned closer than before.

"Wa-what's that plonker doing now?" I asked horrified.

"Changing strategy." Rigel assumed.

"We'll DIE!!" I voiced our predicament.

"Yes, but hundreds of years later." He remarked casually.

"I won't last an hour!!" I attested.

The plane starts to head for us in a straight line and Rigel hides my body behind his foreleg making me face his scaly chest while hanging in the air.

"Guh!" I felt dizzy staring at the ground beyond the dispersing clouds.

"Oh, Frak... This will hurt..." He anticipated.

*TRRRRRRRRR!!* The jet fired heavy guns at us. *ZiuuuK! Shruk! Zuiiik! Swisss! Shruk!* The bullets grazed the thick leg protecting me and break off pieces of scales while spraying blood.

"GHUAAAA!!!" I close my eyes and lower my head terrified thinking scale fragments impacting me were the bullets.

"GUK!" The blue dragon sounded in pain.

I open my eyes and noticed his red chest riddled with holes gushing out blood while flapping slowed down and we lose altitude, but my body was unharmed.

"We are losing here! RUN!--I mean FLY!" I commanded to flee.

Meanwhile, the aircraft turns around even closer to gun us once more with better aim.

"I g-got him w-where I wante." He claimed with difficulty speaking.

The bloody cloud being blown by the wind stops and is collected around us before moving towards the incoming plane, then the blue dragon flew to the left side with a bit of altitude dodging the barrage.

*TRRRRRRRRR!!* The guns were fired anyway but we were no longer in the trajectory.

*SWOSH! WOSH! WOSH!* Rigel moved at the highest speed I've seen so far and clawed at empty air just outside the cloud with a wide swing. *Swishhhh!--CRASHHH--RRRRIIIAKKK!* The black claws made contact with the aircraft coming out of the cloud and destroyed the cockpit before sending chunks of metal flying off into the clouds.

Oh, Rigel hid his max speed and predicted the Jet's possible movements... I analyzed.

"AAGHH!" I hold on while we spin around from the collision.

*ZiiiiuUUUOnnnn!* The fire jet plummets down with a trail of smoke behind and exploded on the ground. *Ka-BOOM!* The sound of the explosion reached us moments later.

"You just killed a person..." I confirmed.

"The War will kill billions," Rigel interjected stabilizing.

"Still...Th-that was a supersonic jet...how is your--uhh...paw not turned into pudding?" I asked watching the one holding me.

"My scales are softer, but the claws and bones are made of carbon structures." He replied.

Oh? A cell that creates carbon lattices? I take a mental note.

"...Can you sell it?" I inquire its monetary value.

"Well, time to go--Frak!" He ignored me and cursed again.

*ZwrooOOOossshhh!!* The sound of another jet fighter gets louder.

"Bloody hell..." I muttered feeling my stomach harden.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if a third one appears..." Rigel expressed annoyance.

"What now?" I asked staring at his bad condition.

"The typical 'use the enemy's weapons against them.'" Rigel enlightened moving his tail to the front.

The blue dragon grabbed a missile held in the tip of his tail with his free paw and re-balances his body before throwing it at the incoming plane along with a white cloud for cover.

*BOOMM! KA-BOOM!* The second fighter jet explodes and falls down. *SWOOoorr...* The aircraft pieces plummet to the ground miles below us.

"...When did you get that? Aren't those missiles worth tens of thousands?" I lamented.

"When I was swatting them, but only managed to grab one. I'm glad I played Catch with Dad before he died." Rigel said gleefully.

"...What kind of game is that?" I retorted.

"Well, better fly low to avoid radar." He said flying down.

"Will you be okay?" I inquired watching the blood dripping.

"I'll heal soon." He affirmed.

"Are those abilities supernatural?" I questioned watching the cloud following us.

"We dragons have immense lifeforce compared to other creatures, and use it to affect our surroundings or our bodies, but no one is exactly sure how it works." The blue lizard elaborated.

"Ah, yes... I saw an old martial art movie where they called it 'Ki'" I confirmed.

"Right. And my Qi element is water." He reaffirmed.

The blue dragon advanced towards our destination at a comfortable pace while stopping for breaks and food, but I spend most of the flight asleep.

Days later...

"...Wake up Cinderella. We are here." Rigel informed.

"Uughhh..." I open my eyes reluctantly. "Isn't the sleeping beauty?" I corrected the tale.

Dumbass... I derided.

"You said it yourself!" Rigel revealed the tease.

"Piss off! You wanker." I expressed.

*THUMP!* The blue dragon landed on a mountain peak before lowering me.

"Whoooizzz~" The cold wind howls.

"Welcome to the Himalayas!" Rigel announced standing behind me.

With the sun still shining over the horizon, I stare at the thick clouds moving fast at the same altitude of the ground we are standing which makes it look as if one could just walk over them.

"Uhhhh...Wut...??" I puzzled over the unexpected location.

"Ryan! Over here~ Come, come! Sit with us!" An aged woman calls from behind.

I look around in the mountain and noticed people in cult robes sitting around a campfire with tents behind flapping in the freezing wind.

"This daft pillock!" I insulted the sneering beast.

I walk over the rigid ground in my socks towards the only inhabitants when a woman on the right takes off her hood revealing white and blue hair.

"It's good to finally meet you. I'm your grandmother Elaine." The old woman introduced beckoning me closer.

"Ah, just like mum described...Grammy!" I recognized and hugged her.

"I'm glad you could make it, my child. I'm sorry about your mom, but you are safe now. We are all family here." Elaine comforted patting my back.

"Thanks... But I'm 27..." I pointed out.

"And I'm 873...everybody is a child to me in this world." Elaine chided.

"...M-my precious common sense..." I whined being forced to accept weird things.

I sat on a stone and granny introduced the men and women unbothered by the low temperatures or oxygen levels.

"I must say, this...isn't what I expected. The blue monster there is impressive, but you are all people...?!" I asserted watching them smile for some reason.

*Stomp! Stomp!* The large beast approaches calling my attention "Are we?" Rigel said and his body starts releasing vapor being carried off by the wind.

*Ssshhrrskkssshh...* The large dragon partially dissolved while some parts shrank and a starked young man around my age with long blue hair appeared after a few seconds.

"Amazing, right? What do you think?" Rigel asked my opinion.

"Crikey! It was gross--Still gross! Cover up! Cover up!" I urged feeling disturbed.

"Yeah, it's unpleasant too. But at least I can change faster than other dragons with my element since we absorb and release water in that manner." The blue haired man gloated before putting on garments.

Hmm... I'm not sure how they end up with similar names, but it's obvious that this Rigel is the same as the water magician escorting Eleonor, and Shaila's grandmother must be Elaine who really was a dragon in the past. However, Elena is over two hundred years old, so my past goes that far back in this worl huh? I'm starting to fear the conclusion of this suppressed dream...but I can't wake up... I conjectured anxiously.

"You will have to get used to the process to fix your arms or...attain your dragon form, and manifest your ability. I would be delighted to see...it's a shame there isn't a dragoness for you." Elaine informed.

"Wicked... How long would it take me to accomplish?" I asked excitedly.

"Years. But there is a shortcut...remember how being in danger triggered the transformation." Rigel suggested.

"Oyy! What tosh are yer lips smacking, mate?" I glared appalled.

"Ho, ho, ho! Rigel is looking forward to playing with another dragon." Elaine exposed.

"Guh!" The blue haired man sounded facing away.

"What do you mean? Aren't you all dragon people?" I inquired

The humanoids present looked down in response to my comment.

"Sighs... We miss those times...our current form can't even procreate." Elaine muttered. "Anyway, just relax and wait for it." She vaguely replied and held my hand hostage.

"RIGEEEELL!! Why are you in human form?" A gobby beast appeared.

"Mo-mother!" My cousin stammered walking away from us.

"WOAHH!! B-big! Too big!" I described the lizard descending on the same mountain peak.

The beast is at least ten meters tall with glossy blue scales, obsidian claws, and five black horns on her head.

*FWO-WHOSH! FWO-WHOSH!--THUMP!* The beast landed a dozen meters away and approached. *Stomp! Stomp!* It stopped and looked down at the young man.

"I-I-I wanted cousin to see--Omph!" Rigel tried to explain when he was stomped by a large paw.

"Foolish hatchling! How many of us perish for permanently lose lifeforce with every transformation? You are forbidden to be human again after you recover enough to change back." The huge dragon nagged.

"Yesh Mmodegh..." Rigel concedes with muffled sounds.

"Hey granny, why does that sound bad?" I inquired elaboration.

It's a price apparently... I asserted.

"And you don't happen to know anything about Russians demanding us compensation for planes destroyed by a blue dragon, eh Rigel?" The beast continues to nag.

"It takes a lot of Lifeforce and concentration to reconfigure our bodies properly, but we can't recover all that energy naturally, so our lifespan decreases... This wasn't a problem in the past, but with the modern age of men, the times we had to transform increased. Although this heavy price only accelerated the decline of our species, at least we don't require that much energy in human form to survive." Elaine elaborated.

"Yer serious Gran?" I questioned.

"...It-It whaz zelfense." The squashed person replied.

"Mm-hmm. Excluding those two, the rest of us would die if we attempt to transform...that's how your father--" She revealed trailing off.

"Your act of 'self-defense' keeps YOU alive, the Pact we are supposed to honor, keeps US ALL alive. You were flying over cities, and then, transformed here when it was pointless--are you an idiot?" The mother admonished grinding her paw.

"Is he gonna be okay?" I asked pointing at the twitching person.

"He'll be fine. Our bodies are more compact, and tougher than humans." A geezer replied.

"MOTHER!" The large dragon barked loudly our way.

The snow blew away by the beast's hot breath that approached with her large muzzle.

"S-scary...." I stuttered gripping the old hand.

"Ronja, you are loud, and your breath stinks." Elaine rebuked pinching her nose.

"Do you mind telling me why my only child was interfering with a human war--who's dis?" She demanded before noticing my existence.

"Your nephew, Rayan." She introduced.

*KRFF!* The large head looked down and sniffed me.

"My brother's...your arms...I see..." Ronja spoke gloomily and dropped her large eyes softly. "Hello, Rayan." She kindly greeted taking her paw off her son.

"Ugh..." Rigel steady himself getting up.

"Uhh... Hi?" I meekly returned the greeting.

"I had Rigel sniff Rayan out and bring him here before War broke out, but sadly his ability couldn't fool the Radars..." Elaine explained. "I'll pay for damages he caused." She took responsibility.

"Uh... Planes cost millions..." I asserted.

"We get bored..." A black haired man takes out the latest cellphone showing an account balance.

"..." I stay quiet having trouble counting the zeroes.

"Why didn't you contact the humans instead of endangering Rigel?" The worried mother rebuked.

"I thought of that at first but humans are acting very irrational as of late, and I fear the worse may finally come," Elaine replied.

"Wait, what? Are my friends in danger? And my girlfriend--nevermind she was gonna leave me anyway." I asked concerned.

"You had a girlfriend?" Rigel questions with his mouth agape.

"Bugger off!" I told annoyed.

"The technological advances of humans grows ahead of their mentality, and they elect retarded leaders...luck runs out." The black-haired man answered.

"B...but-but there are shelters, and things I don't know about. I'm sure humanity will survive!" I affirmed.

"Our kind foresaw the downfall of humanity centuries ago. But... I'm not glad despite the oppression of our species...it's a shame for both intelligent races to perish in the same world." Ronja added with sadness.

"I'm sorry. This... This is news to me." I sympathized.

"It's natural you don't know.... Since long ago, we have been making pacts with human leaders to hide our existence in exchange for non-interference with their matters and some compensation." Granny soothed.

"He's too poor to access the internet." Rigel teased.

"Shush you!" I censored. "But hide, how? Even this blue lizard looked like an abnormal cloud..." I reasoned.

"We are born with an ability, and mine is altering memories. So, I just had to shift our cases into an existing conspiracy like aliens." A purple haired woman announced.

"...Dragons don't look like flying saucers." I corrected.

"And who said they only use one type of ship or that there's only one alien?" A black haired woman corrected.

"Aliens are real?!" I inquired perplexed.

"Yes, but they got their own problems to babysit another species," Elaine revealed.

"We waited for them to help us, but our numbers just decreased with casualties and a low birth rate... Rigel was successfully raised after laying many eggs, but his father...the species can't continue anymore. We are the last." Ronja informed.

"But can't scientists help??" I suggested not knowing how to feel.

"The problem doesn't seem to be entirely biological. The elders of the past mentioned Soul requirements to develop in the egg, but much information was lost since our golden age." Elaine replied.

"Wait...EGGS?!! How was I conceived then?" I asked switching my gaze around.

"You haven't explained? He's the reason that my brother is dead!" Ronja announced looking away.

"Whuuat?! Wut?" I question in confusion.

"Do you have to be so harsh?" Elaine rebuked. "Sighs... Our DNA is mostly incompatible with humans, so your Dad searched for a partner that would accept him, and paid for a gene therapy to impregnate your mother. However, he died shortly after you were born...his body fell apart." She recounted.

"Rayan, you are a hybrid with a lifespan shorter than ours, though not sure how long since Draconians are rare after all, but your life will be more interesting..." The geezer revealed.

"Draconian? I'm not the only one? But how did you find compatible partners in the past?" I curiously inquired.

"You don't wanna know." A black haired woman censored.

The dragons of this world seem cool...but there's no magic system, no divines, and their lifespan is shorter... I review.

"So, what now? What do I do?" I asked feeling a little lost.

"Rigel could vent some energy guiding you. He trained with Elders after hatching." Ronja offered.

"Sure. It's not like you let me do anything fun..." Rigel grumbled.

*Gyuu~* My stomach sounded.

"I'm-I'm famished." I stammered under the stares.

"Here." A red-haired woman handed over a piece of dried meat.

"Our metabolism demands a lot of calories, so eat lots." The brown-haired woman advice.

"I'm hungry too. Mom, can you...?" The blue haired young man requested.

"Sure." Ronja nodded. "NGHNNN!" She strained.

"Taking a dump?!" I retorted.

*PLOOP!--THUD!* An egg the size of a washing machine came out her rear.

"OH! Urgghh! I just watched that! Ugh!" I protest covering my face disgusted.

"I'll cook." The red-haired woman offered.

"...Worse than a Nut House." I muttered covering my face.

Then things go downhill from here...I don't wanna recall... I affirmed the reluctance.