Striding through the vast expanse of nature, Evan dragged his claws through the ground, toward the dimming hope that he could return to normal again. He daydreamed and reminisced about his old form and the things he could do, he missed having fingers and opposable thumbs to grab and hold onto things.

His throat was dry and coarse from little hydration, his muscles burned from exertion. His face still looked human while the rest of him was that of a beast once thought to be myth. He wasn’t even sure if there was any hope at all. What guaranteed him he wouldn’t be forced to live in these woods without a sense of purpose, aimlessly wandering around?

Nearly home.His heart kept telling him he was getting closer but to Evan there was no end in sight.

Suddenly, his eyes spotted a clearing up ahead and a huge weight was lifted off of Evan’s back. He could see beyond the clearing and his heart was filled with joy at what he saw. Finally! I found the valley! He broke into a full sprint to it with each loud crunch underneath him signalling the end of his long, arduous journey. He halted his sprint digging his claws into the soft earth beneath him.

The valley was almost exactly as he saw it in his dreams: a beautiful, crystal clear lake, forests of towering pines and a lone mountain that wasn’t capped off with snow. He looked down on the valley below him seeking for the answers, a broad smile widening on his face as he looked.

Soon, pins and needles slowly pricked his face. Evan brought his forelimbs to his face out of fear. His mouth and cheek muscles cramped up with a determined fierceness. He couldn’t move his mouth to speak: instead all that could be heard from his was low guttural growls. He groaned and struggled as the cramps seized his face and the very cartilage in his nose felt as thought it was being pulled off his face.

NO! Please, not my face!.

His jawline began forcing its way outward and in a desperate attempt, Evan brought his clawed hands to his face and pushed on his extending jawline in an attempt to stop it. He fought hard against the stretching and snapping of cartilage while his nose formed and fused with his upper jawline. Eventually, he ran out of strength to hold it back, but his jawline kept moving outward. His nose felt as though it was being painfully stretched, the sensitive flesh in his nostrils ached from the change. Evan’s nose soon merged with his upper jaw and the nostrils became narrower all the while his lower jaw’s hinge extended and shifted under his webbed ears. He could hear the wet pops and cracks near his ears as the jaws grew.

Evan hadn’t realised his mouth had been left agape and below him were droplets of blood coming from his gums. Sharp knives poked from his gums as new teeth grew in. His jaw shifted outward and became narrower while Evan’s eyes welled up with tears.

You’re almost there Evan. Your process of beautification is almost over. Soon you will be happier than you have never been before..

SHUT UP! I’ll fix this, I’ll find a way to make this go away!

His enhanced eyesight scanned over the valley taking in as many details as he could. He started turning his gaze toward the mountain for anything when a sudden blur of motion occurred below his eyesight.

Toward the lake, there were two creatures that looked exactly like him. Both had huge wings, both had a long slender tail with a barb on the end. The differences between them and Evan was their colour. They possessed a yellowish tint to their bellies and neck while the rest of their bodies matched Evan’s own colour. But their bodies had a sleeker slender frame compared to him.

The two dragons were lowering their long necks into the lake to drink. One drank for a few seconds before returning to the safety of the huge pine trees, while the other dragon slowly wandered off toward the river that fed the lake and lied down on the rocks alongside the river. It looked like it was sleeping. Evan had to find a way to get down there.

Fly.

‘Nnggghhh! NO, I can’t, I don’t know how!’

But curiosity prevailed, and it made him look to his newly made wings. A strong impulse to use them hit his mind, to glide from his lookout to the lake beneath him. Evan studied his wings as each finger twitched reflexively in anticipation. They wanted to be used, and the very core of Evan’s being wanted to fly, to feel freedom beneath his wings.

He shook his head in defiance. The human part of his brain resisted the idea. He was afraid of flying… At least afraid of flying with his own wings. You’ll fall if you try to fly, his brain told him.

Evan’s enlarged heart pounded in a mix of fear, excitement and anticipation. He barely noticed his fore claws had dug themselves in the earth out of fear from falling. Evan looked and scanned the region for a way down that didn’t involve flying.

He had been hopping down from rock surface to rock surface toward the lake, each leap down brought his spirits up. The progress of his journey was near its conclusion; he couldn’t help but flash a toothy grin.

Evan walked along the water’s edge taking in the scenery. Focusing all his senses he reached out with his ears listening to the delicate trickle of water slowly streaming into the lake, the nearby birds chirped to their lovely serene songs and the careful crunch of leaf litter. His nose picked up incredible scents giving the air he breathed a sweet flavour, rich in information. He could smell the clean water in the lake, the musky scent of nearby bark, the two females that were nearby.

Wait…

How do I know they are female? Evan raised an eye ridge in confusion. The two dragons didn’t look much different than he did. He sniffed the air again, focusing on the scents. There was one in particular that opened up his nostrils: his olfactory senses detected it to be information regarding the two dragons. His mind told him they were female by the particular scent they emitted, they were roughly around his age judging by the potency of the scent.

Suddenly, he stepped on a stick without realising it. The two females were caught off-guard: their heads snapped toward him and they both ran into the forest. Evan immediately chased after them.

‘Wait!’ he would shout, but they responded with silence. He sprinted for what felt like ten minutes deeper and deeper into the forest. The two shy females he had been chasing hid themselves among a few other dragons gathering around a large rock that protruded from the ground. He stopped abruptly, speechless in front of the scenery that was in front of his eyes.

Jesus, how many of these dragons are there?!

A large male dragon with many sets of horns adorning his head stepped into view, his back turned to the group of dragons. He was easily twice the size of Evan and had enough bulk to grant him an intimidating physique. His scales were similarly coloured to Evan but had a darker shade of green. His wings were even larger and had small holes in the leathery membranes. Among the worn down and torn wings his entire body had many scuff marks and scars giving the dragon an even greater sense of intimidation from his previous conflicts.

Evan slow down, please! That male dragon is the leader of this valley. Just stop and do exactly what I tell you, the male will protect his group and he won’t hesitate to kill you.

Evan complied and skidded to a halt only a few meters from the large male whose stern gaze could pierce through steel. His heart pounded in his chest and his claws shook from fear and intimidation. The large male took intentful steps towards Evan with each step seemingly slowing down time.

The Voice spoke softly in Evan’s head. Listen to me: slowly lower your head and hold it just above the ground.

He complied and concealed his fear with his eyes never leaving the large dragon. A low growl came from deep within its barrelled chest. Evan tried to breathe steadily but the overwhelming fear from the demanding presence made it hard.

Don’t do anything just yet, Evan. He is still trying to assess you, one wrong move and he will kill you.

The large male made a grunting sound that Evan somehow interpreted as: “Get up!”.

How do I know that? H-how do I know what he is saying...How can I understand him, my brain is changing and my thoughts are being twisted. I don’t want to lose myself, I am scared I will be nothing more than a beast!

Evan, please don’t do this to yourself. Please don’t think about this too deeply. I promise you this is good for you, just let this happen and you’ll be much happier.

Oh god, you’re in my head! You are trying to change me. YOU ARE TAMPERING WITH MY SOUL, I DON’T WANT TO CHANGE!

No no Evan. I wouldn’t dare change who you are, I am helping you gain a better life, I am helping you be free of the burdens of being human. Isn’t that a much better existence than slaving away in an office where you weren’t appreciated, where you were never seen or acknowledged?

I-I… I didn’t mind it, I was okay with not being seen, I just wanted to do my job and be left alone. My colleagues would often ask me to join them for drinks or invite me to their party’s. But I wanted to be left alone. I didn’t want to be their friend.

Evan gently raised his head and looked up to meet the dragon’s firm gaze who then made more guttural sounds and grunts.

‘You are unchanged’ it said.

Evan panicked. ‘What do you mean I am “unchanged”?!’ He shouted. The large male whipped its head back towards him. It emitted a deep hiss and a growl baring his large dagger-like fangs to Evan who had flinched at the sight.

Evan, don’t say anything more to him! He thinks you are challenging him. He is the boss around here, he is the leader. We must do what he wants and follow his rules.

What does he mean I am unchanged? I am not human anymore. How much more changing is there left? I don’t want to change anymore, I want it to stop, I want to be human again. Just change me back already.

Then his head began to hurt. The pain in his head grew more and more, spreading along the top of his skull.

NO! No more changing, I want to be human again, I want to be human again! I-I-I can’t think with this headache. You have been lying to me, that’s what the pain is! You are trying to change me, you’re changing my brain to make me into a mindless beast. I am done listening to you. Screw you! I want to be normal again! I want to be-

CRACK!

His head felt like it was stuck in a vice until eventually his skull had changed shape from the round shape of a human skull to the flatter more aerodynamic skull of a dragon. All Evan heard was the wet crack of his skull flattening itself and his brain adjusted its shape. The pain made him blackout and Evan fell to the ground where his form lied still.

------

Evan woke to the sight of the ground being vertical. He tried to stand back up but the throbbing pain that pounded on his skull made it impossible. He tried to speak out loud but nothing came out.

‘What happen?’ He said. He had actually meant to say What has just happened?

‘Voice, sorry. I mean no yell. Lost temper, made you angry, made you hurt me. Me-’

Evan’s eyes grew wide with a sudden realisation.

‘What wrong my speech!’

His heart began beating in horror, his speech was now simplified. ‘My speak, simple. Don’t want to be Dragon, want to be human!’ He shouted.

The large male looked down on him once more, it began to assess Evan once more and spoke with a much more understanding tone: “You are changed, you are Dragon. Dragon welcome.’

Evan’s breathing became shaky and ragged as it finally dawned on him.

This is what I was trying to tell you Evan. I didn’t send you here to go back. I sent you here to live among your own kind, to be free! Now you can live free.

His breathing grew heavier and heavier, Evan could no longer return to the life he once knew. His home, his humanity, his job and his family were now gone, he could no longer return. A small tear welled up in his eye as he mourned the loss of his old life. All he could feel in that moment was fear and sadness.

The large male walked off while Evan stood still. A single female approached Evan. She made small growls to grab his attention. He looked in her eyes and she turned around brushing the side of his body with her tail. The physical act brought a small sensation of comfort to him. The other dragons wandered off in different directions but the female near Evan stayed with him.

She brought herself close to his face and lowered her head, she brushed the side of her body amongst his front. She emitted small growls that Evan didn’t understand ‘What you doing?’ He would ask but the female would respond with the same set of growls.

The female would tuck her wings in tightly and lower her head as she brushed her body up against his. Evan could sense she was interested in him but he was too stunned.

Aww, look at her. I think she likes you.

What is she doing?

She is trying to get your attention because she wants to know if you accept her advances

A-a-advances?.... Is she t-t-trying to court me?

The female brushed her body again only this time she let her tail slide alongside brushing under his neck.

Hehe, I think I will leave you two kids alone.

H-hey wait! Voice! Don’t go, what do I do!?

The female made a short hissing sound which Evan understood. He knew what she said and now he could read her body language. His breathing escalated followed by an audible gulp.

Oh boy...