Kiran looked ahead of him. His eyes filled with shock and fear. Mostly fear.

The massive eyes stared at him, he swallowed hard. He stood, unmoving and so did it.

From all his years as an assassin, he felt no desire in those eyes, the eyes which seems to pierce into his soul, an intent to kill him. But none the less, he did not care. Because before him, was a creature whose name incites fear and awe. The nobleness, wisest yet prideful and most dangerous creatures that Kiran had only heard in tales and myths. Dragons.

Yes, before him was a large pale blue dragon, how large, Kiran couldn’t tell. It’s head filled the entire vision of Kiran’s sight. For the first time in a long time, he did not know what to do.

And so, they continued to stare at each other, not blinking, not moving. Then all of a sudden Kiran felt the world tipping over. Or… he was tipping over until he laid flat on his back. He then realized that he was holding onto the edge of a shell which tipped over from his weight. He shook himself as he stood up with a little difficulty. His limbs wobbled under his weight as he attempted to walk and stumbled.

‘…’ He stopped moving as a realization hit him.

‘Shell… egg…’ He slowly turned around and without a doubt the blue dragon was still staring at him. Kiran’s head still turned, albeit uncomfortable held his position, it didn’t look like the dragon was going to do anything and so he cast his eyes upon the shell which housed him a few moments ago.

Yes, housed him.

‘Oh god…’ he whispered in his mind as he slowly looked at his feet. Or his arms.

A black arm laced with small scales with rough skin, or feet.

‘Oh god…’

Never in his life had Kiran silently cursed to so many deities at once. He examined the rest of his body and, sure enough he had 4 limbs, a tail and what feels like a bulge on his back.

Kiran still in shock, looked up with his back towards the dragon. He eyes filled with light from the sunlight at the entrance of the place. He looked slowly back towards the dragon eyeing him, he slowly turned around and took a step forward. His arms collapsing under him as he slumped to the ground. He looked back once again, and he nearly died. Of fear.

The pale blue dragon had held a stance, like a cat about to jump, it had stood up, bent its knees with its head forward. Not only that but for once, Kiran got a good look, well a good enough look at the size of it. It was enormous.

Kiran didn’t have time to think about it, the only thing he could do was head out of the place. And so, he slowly walked towards the sunlight, or rather he crawled as his legs gave out underneath him 9 times out of 10.

His legs were building up strength, more like he was getting used to it, as he finally took a step without falling. He slowly walked this time to the exit, with a little hope and excitement. When he was not even halfway he heard a growl. He froze.

He tried to swallow but his throat was dry. The sound echoed a little through the place but he could tell where it came from. And it wasn’t from his back where the dragon was. It was above him.

‘Oh god…’ He slowly lifted his head to a 90 degree angle looking straight up and there it was.

A massive dragon peering right down at him. It too stood unmoving but its eyes clearly told Kiran that it was alive. Very much alive.

Kiran slowly looked back down and finally took in the view. The dragon was standing in the middle of the place and Kiran mistakenly thought that its arms were the archways. Its body, as Kiran now stood underneath him could see, spanned a long way down. Its long tail dropped down and slumped in the middle of the cave. Almost comical, but Kiran did not think so.

‘Oh god…’ he thought as he felt a wave of energy leave his body and collapsed.

Kiran opened his eyes through great struggle, he barely had any strength in his body. He didn’t quite understand why.

He lifted his arms and confirmed, it was no dream. He slowly mustered the energy to get up and then remembered, there were people here besides him.

He whipped his head and was faced with a towering body of a dragon as high as a mountain. He turned towards the head of the dragon and found it staring at him.

You might say ‘just get over it’ but, its no small feat to overcome being stared at by a dragon.

Now that Kiran got a better look at him, it was, enormous. Dark blue, its scales lined beautifully down its body. Its wings folded at the back, its massive wings. God knows how long they span.

His body perfectly positioned… to block the exit…

Kiran met with its eyes once again. Confusion… and… care?

He turned and sure enough, the pale blue dragon sat where it was staring at him. He looked back at the dark blue dragon then at the exit, well the body which was blocking the exit.

A growl came from the dark blue dragon which startled Kiran. It was clear he didn’t want him to leave.

It looked like neither dragons wanted to harm him, but what now?

He felt tired, the adrenaline pumping (do they have adrenaline?) giving him energy was dissipating. He was tired, so he sat back down, his limbs on his side. Surprisingly it was a really comfortable position to be.

However another growl came from the dark blue dragon which made Kiran stand up immediately. He didn’t know what to do. Suddenly the dragon whipped its tail lazily across Kiran making him step back a few steps.

Kiran looked at it trying to determine what I was doing. Was it toying with him? But once again, his eyes gave no such indication. He tried to sit once again and sure enough, the dragon whipped its tail just a few metres in front of Kiran, enough to make him stumble back.

“Enough!” Kiran yelled at the dragon.

Who was he? He was once a man standing at the top of the world, the life and death of an individual at his hand if he so wished. Now he was being toyed with? He would not stand for that. His pride would not allow it.

But what came out was not words, rather a squeak. Or a lesser version of a growl. Perhaps on the level of a bark. To the big dragon anyway.

The dark blue dragon stopped and looked at Kiran with amusement as well as a hint of acknowledgement in its eyes. It had the guts to fight back.

Kiran turned as he heard a sound of dragging and saw that he had been pushed by the dragon towards the pale blue dragon. And that the dragon was pushing the shells towards him with its tail. It stopped when it was just in front of Kiran.

He looked up at the dragon trying to gauge its intention. What took Kiran aback was, now that he wasn’t in so much of a shock, was the emotions in the pale blue dragon’s eyes.

Care, love and affection.

Kiran looked back and forth between the shells and the dragon when suddenly a thought entered into his mind. Didn’t some stories say that they’d eat their own shells?

Now that Kiran thought about it, he was more and more convinced this was the case.

He walked towards the shells and quickly glanced at both dragons, then took a bite. It crunched under his mouth and surprisingly not bad to taste. But most important of all, he could feel energy coming back into his body. He immediately chuffed it all down and felt a surge of energy back.

He stood up and felt stuffed. And once again sleepy. He looked at the two dragons, and from some reason, he knew they wouldn’t hurt him. He didn’t have a choice anyway. He sat down and made himself comfortable, and slept. Just before he drifted off he could feel a large canopy over him, shielding him.

Kiran woke up feeling reenergized, he stretched his body as he looked around him. It was dim as only a limited amount of sunlight were let through from the large canopy above him. He followed it to find the massive torso of a dragon. It’s its wings, he concluded.

He made his way to the gap at the front and climbed out, the large face of the pale blue dragon laid, asleep. He spent a second admiring the creature, its skin lined with scales, an incredible breath taking symmetry.

He left the embrace of the dragon and headed towards the dark blue dragon, still blocking the exit, it too was asleep. Kiran scanned back and forth from the dragon and the exit, but rather than leaving, he was much more interested in the dragon itself. Since he now was a dragon too, he wanted to know what they look like.

So he slowly paced and examined the body of the dark blue dragon. It was much like those in the legends, its head long like a serpent, its mouth wide and its body large. One can only imagine the destruction it could bring. After examining its body, careful not to wake it, he looked intently at its arms, its front arms.

3 large claws extended from its paw, a fourth slightly hidden away shorter than the others, like a human thumb. Kiran turned to look at his own, his face in a questioning gaze at his empty paw.

He was still too young to have them.

Kiran was very interested in these lethal weapons, just imagining having them and the power it wielded made Kiran’s eyes sparkle.

He tapped one of the giant claw with his paw and then lifted it with difficulty to study it. Sturdy, razor sharp with what felt like was… ceramic. Its power would be like a spear he thought. Fascinating.

A dull dark yellow ball caught his eye, he was too focused on the claw to notice the giant eyeball that had been following him from the dragon.

Like a child caught in the middle of an act, Kiran slowly let the claw go as it thumped onto the ground trying to look innocent.

Kiran whipped his head back and walked with his back against the dark blue dragon towards the pale blue dragon, it too was awake. But Kiran paid no attention, at least he pretended not to, as he walked pretentiously with his head high and found himself a spot to lie down between the two.

Who was he? He was Kiran, a powerful man even if he is now but a shell of his formal self. He was not about to admit to the situation.

What else could they do, kill him? He reasoned as he laid down, and paid them no heed. His heart thumping nervously.

The two dragons started at Kiran as he found a spot and laid down between them. Their gaze then shifted onto each other, a smile as they silently chuckled between themselves.

As Kiran laid there on the ground, he felt and heard the movement of the two dragons. They had both gotten up and moved themselves closer to Kiran.

Just as Kiran was determining what they were doing, he felt a nudge from his side.

He turned his head towards that direction and just as he expected he met the warm, loving gaze of the pale blue dragon. Kiran felt unsettled by that, he had never really had someone look at him look that.

Then once again the pale blue dragon nudged him, this time harder that Kiran had stumbled back as he got on his feet.

“Hey!” he said, which sounded more of a sneer. But the dragon paid him no mind and kept pushing him every time Kiran would try to return to his spot. They then came to a standstill, Kiran just looking at the dragon and the dragon at Kiran.

The dragon's head then shifted from his gaze and into the distance over Kiran’s head. Kiran followed his gaze as he flinched at the bright light shining into his eyes.

The dark blue dragon had moved out of the way and nothing was blocking the exit anymore.

Kiran turned his head towards the pale blue dragon as she nudged him once again, only this time was softer, towards the exit. He then turned to see the dark blue dragon by its side and he too, motioned Kiran forward.

Slowly and surely, Kiran walked towards the exit. At first, he’d turn around every few steps to glance back at the two dragons following closely behind him. Their eyes filled with encouragement. As Kiran got closer and closer, he began to pick up speed as he reached the exit and a blinding white light filled his eyes.

He took a few seconds to readjust to the sudden brightness, and then he saw it. The outside world. It was beautiful. And unending. They were high, slightly on the slope of a mountain, it overlooked miles of forests and green scenery. In the distance stood numerous mountains and hills. The size Kiran estimated makes Everst pale in comparison.

Kiran took a moment to take it all in, he had forgotten how long he had been travelling in that expanse, and how long he had lived in that cavern behind him. He had to admit, he missed the outside world.

Soon Kiran discovered something, that his eyesight was incredible. His smell and hearing just as enhanced could detect senses from miles away. He felt it in his guts, a boiling sensation as he released a roar to the world.

Though it felt like a huge sound, it was only slightly lounder than a lions roar.

The two dragons behind him, unnoticed by Kiran in his joy, shared his happiness. The dark blue dragon took a step towards Kiran and let out a deafening roar which was soon joined by the other dragon.

Kiran caught in a surprise jumped on his feet as he looked backwards at the tremendous boom that echoed through the area. Its sound shook the earth itself. One day, he’d be able to do that he thought.

The roaring stopped as Kiran made his way over to a pond not too far away from the cavern. He looked at the reflection and could finally see himself.

He was black. Not just black, but really black. Like dark night black. A bit eerie and weird thought Kiran. But if its one thing Kiran liked the most, it was night.

He soon took in most of his features, pretty much similar to those of the other two dragons. Although his skin was rough, its scales was small, virtually invisible to the naked eye. Probably grows as the dragon grows he thought.

Satisfied that he had seen enough, he headed back to the cavern as the two dragons trailed behind him.

As he sat down, he pieced together the information in front of him.

The pale blue dragon was a female. The dark blue dragon, a male. Most likely they are married, if dragons have that sort of thing, he thought as he glanced at the both of them who looked at him occasionally whilst trying to not draw too much of his attention.

Most definitely together he concluded.

It’s possible, I’m their son judging by the way they look at me. But the thought vanished soon, pale blue plus dark blue does not equal pitch black he reasoned.

So I’m adopted.

‘hmph,’ he shrugged, ‘no difference there.’

One of the first priorities Kiran concluded was, strength.

He closed his eyes as he concentrated and looked within his inner self. A relief spread through his body.

Ever since he had been travelling as the grey mist, whenever he had a chance, he would channel the energy he had through the chi channels and centre. Just as he had learnt from an ancient script on Earth.

He was glad to find that a large amount of the grey mist sat within his chi centre now. He did not know exactly what energy it was, but he knew it was powerful.

He slowly examined his body and soon found that the human chi channels were completely different from a dragon.

The chi channels were placed differently as well as significantly larger. The larger the channel, the more power. He rejoiced in that fact as he channelled his energy through.

Soon though, he found that to be a bad idea. As soon as the grey energy touched one of the chi channels, he felt a pain unlike any other which spread to his entire body.

He unconsciously let out a cry as his body slumped to the floor heaving.

The two dragons immediately got up cautiously as they scanned the area for dangers. The pale blue dragon rushed to Kiran’s side, worried and panicked at what could have caused the obvious pain Kiran was suffering.

Kiran did not remember how long the pain had lasted, but by the end of it, he swore he would never do it again. Kiran could withstand pain. He was a master of the art of torture as well as getting torture. Pain to him was like a puppy, he could tame it with his eyes closed. But this, this was different. This was hell.

What was worst was what happened when he woke up. The pale blue dragon became so worried that it never let Kiran out of her sight and within an arms length. So basically Kiran spent all his time under her wing. Every time he would try leave, she would swoop her tail in creating a barrier. So Kiran had no choice but to do as instructed.

As the day went past, the dark blue dragon left as he flew away. For answers most likely. Because on one day, the dark blue dragon looked really intensely at Kiran as he spit out a ball of light sparkling blue energy which flew slowly towards Kiran.

Kiran had felt no harm from it and watched it as it entered his head. For a second he thought something would happen but nothing did. He just looked questioningly at the dark blue dragon who obviously looked confused.

After some discussion between the two dragons, where stern and concerned expressions were exchanged, the female dragon did the same. Only it was a pale blue and white ball of air that flew towards Kiran’s head. And once again, it did nothing it entered into him. So the next day, the dark blue dragon flew off, Kiran conclude it was for ansewrs. And also, why he couldn’t understand or talk to them.

Over the days though, Kiran found one incredible fact. That when the grey energy had touched his chi channel, it had strengthened and enlarged it by an enormous amount. But remembering the pain it bought, he put the idea of using it again out of his mind.

However, he had found that as he was gathering chi around the area into himself and channelled those straight into his chi channel into his chi centre, the channel would slowly but surely get stronger.

Although the upgrade was nothing comparing to the grey energy, Kiran didn’t have to feel the pain. And he devised that if enough time passes and his chi channel was stronger, he could then enable the grey energy to upgrade it even further. And this time, feeling less pain.

Happy that he had devised a plan, he laid himself down next to the pale blue dragon and began his first meditation.