Hazy pictures. Colours. Pain. Darkness. Rhiannon tried to open her eyelids. It worked but only slowly as if they were glued together. The moment they finally parted a third thin membrane rushed to the side. In her momentarily daze she didn't pay attention to the fact that there shouldn't be a third eyelid. Her only concern was the fact that she still wasn't able to see a thing. Blackness. Was she blind? She asked herself. No. That's some kind of scarf. A black scarf.

She tried to take it off and found she couldn't. Chained. Someone had chained her to something that felt like a rock or something. An altar maybe. Was she going to be sacrificed by some kind of sect. Rhiannon knew she should be frightened by now but she was far too dizzy to be anything? She dozed off anew.

Next time she woke up she was still chained to the rock. But this time it was not her back but her chest that was pressed against the cold stone. She knew it should have been cold and unpleasant but somehow it wasn't. A part of her knew she had changed but she couldn't quite put a finger onto it. Again, her dizziness let her fall into a deep slumber.

When she woke the third time, she was conscious. Still chained chest against stone still not uncomfortable about it. She wanted to freak out, shout but she found she couldn't be too frail to do anything besides thinking. Her mind tried to put the pieces together. Where the hell was, she? What was going on? Why was she chained? And why did her body feel this different?

Somehow, she knew she was huge right now but she also knew her changes had yet to come an end. Her feelings still dimmed she only knew how a sane human being would react to such a situation but she could not feel anything. Besides that, pain that kept on waking her.

After a while pictures began to surface. Inconsistent as if part of another life. The laboratory. A narrow path. Four men. No five. Three and two dragons. Threats. Death. And the sound of her breaking neck. She should be dead. Why was she still alive? Still? Or again? It didn't really matter.

Another span of time passed. An hour. A day. A year. Only one minute. She didn't know. But right now, it was the first time she could muster any strength to move at all. Following her memories, she tried to sit up. But her joints and muscles did not behave the way they should. Strange. Listening to the requirements she managed to get up to what it seemed four legs. Standing up but rendered unable to move any further than that by the chains and unable to see anything she gave up and lay down again. She still felt somehow off as if sedated.

The rattling of the chains resounded unnaturally loud in her ears. Another sound followed. Steps. Light and swift steps. Heading in her direction.

'Oh, you are awake.' a young man's voice resounded. 'don't be afraid you're safe. I am going to take of the blindfold so you can see. But unfortunately, the chains are to remain in place until the transformation is successfully completed. Otherwise, you might accidentally tear of the needle and spill the transfusion which is your lifeline right now.'

A small hand took away the scarf and Rhiannon blinked several times before her eyes adjusted successfully to dim light in the cave. She looked at her surroundings. A cave equipped with modern medical instruments and a rock instead of a bed. One wall was plastered with books. They seemed to be ancient and well used. Her thoughts trailed off again.

'You seem quiet and collected. Admirable.' the voice resounded again. Rhiannon turned her head. A movement which seemed to be very different from her memories. Right next to stood the boy. The one she had seen in the pathway. The younger dragon-prince Mero. But after she recognized him, her gaze was inevitably drawn to the sight behind him.

There was a dragon. It took her quite some time what was of. The beast seemed to be changing by the second. Flesh open to air was steadily covered in night blue scales. The tail and wings seemed to be elongating and growing too. The changes were visible to the naked eye.

She was this fascinated by the view that it took her some time and the pain of bone spikes protruding from her own back to realize that she was looking into a mirror.

The girl was utterly shocked as the realization hit her like a wrecking ball. She was turning into a freaking dragon. A sharp hiss could be heard. Tossed through finger-long sharp predatory fangs. Rhiannon let her tongue touch them. This feeling of sharpness and the shocked expression were seen on the elongated face with big eyes and slitted pupilless that seemed to be hers now gave the last prove needed to her.

It was real. But even after realizing she was turning into a monster right now; she couldn't really feel any emotion at all. Mero who watched her attentively sighed. His sound made her look at him again. Sure, he was the same youth she saw in the pathway. Blond hair, bright blue eyes and the same facial structures.

But he was very different in other ways. His eyes sported slitted pupilless and a thin line of fair blue scales highlighted his cheekbones. Two small curved horns sprouted right and left out his skull. Dragon-horns. They looked more like an ornament in this form. Even his teeth betrayed the fact of what he was.

'well, I guess you found out what's going on? Don't you?' he asked rhetorically scratching his left horn as if out of words.

'I guess. I am turning into a dragon. One of yours I suppose?' Rhiannon stated the obvious. Her voice didn't change as much as she thought. It just sounded fuller. She watched Mero attentively waiting for him to explain.

He wiggled uncomfortable under her gaze. After a while he blurted ' It was my fault. I was supposed to watch over you and protect you. Not being caught and getting you killed. You should have had a choice whether you wanted to be a member of our family and clan...' his voice trailed off. He shrugged and presented her an awkward smile. Guilt in his eyes.

' why am I not dead?' she asked her most pressing question.' well I mean I felt my neck breaking and went out... '

' yes, you would have been dead if it wasn't for my brother. He saved me and donated you the first dose of dragonblood. You know that should have been it... A few days of neck pain and some disturbing memories. We would have asked you afterwards if you wished to be one of us... If you declined effect of my brother's blood should have worn out.... But... ' his voice trailed off again.

' but? ‘Rhiannon asked.

' well, your body decided otherwise. When the first drop of blood entered your organism, you started to transform immediately. You left us no way out... We had to take you with us and end what we had begun.' he explained silently.

' but don't worry even if it wasn't planned to turn you this way you needn't worry. You are part of our family now. No one will ever let you down. You are not alone.' he assured the new dragon smilingly.

' do I have to stay like this?' she asked. 'this big I mean.'

'you are calling that big?' he laughed 'no once your turning is completed there will be three forms. The one I am in is the human or elven form. It's the same one I was in when you first saw me. But I guess I looked quite different to you. That's because clan members have the sight. You are able to see the world as it is now. Mortals aren't able to do so... The second form is called draconian... It's the one you saw my brother, Morgan, in. It's a fighting form usually used if the dragonform is too obvious or if there's not enough space for it. Well, the last one of these three forms is our true form. It's the dragon form you are developing right now. Given time you will know why it is called true form. It's the only form we are forced to take on from time to time. Otherwise, it will force itself on us. '

Some kind of shared memory surfaced in Rhia’s mind a young girl turning into a dragon right on a crowded market place screaming in anger and pain.

' does it hurt to change forms? 'she asked frightened of the horrible scene.

' no usually it doesn't. It's even nice if you fully expect your new nature. But it will hurt and punish you if you try to ignore it. But that's enough to it for now. You should try to sleep a bit till you are ready. Don't worry we won't leave you alone. You will be happy after some time. ' he said.

Rhiannon suddenly felt how tired she was. Closing her eyes, she immediately dozed off.