Chapter 10

The pain was unbearable, it was so bad that I was roaring in pain I could barely think straight, I was just thrashing around on the ground as my scales and wing membranes slowly but painfully began to come off. Every second felt like a day as the pain continued, I curled up into a ball trying to ignore the pain but it was impossible. It didn’t take long for the pain to render me unconscious, while i was unconscious I had the dream about the black beast again except there was on difference I saw a female with long black hair surrounded by creatures, I couldn’t make out the woman’s features but I could see her killing these creatures with impunity with the axe she was holding in her slender hands.

When I awoke I was beside the house with a number of blanket draped over me, I raised my head and saw that my mother and Turya were sorting out a pile of green things, I tried to raise my head but all I felt was pain, not from the fact I was still shedding but from the cold winds along my bare skin. This caused me to let out an involuntary growl alerting the two to my awakening. Turya was the first to look around, her eyes were rimmed with red like she was not long after finishing crying, she bolted towards me and climbed under the blanket a and wriggled her way into the spot she normally would sleep at. My mother also had reddish eyes, she walked over to me before coming up to my muzzle and began to say words of sweet relief to me, just hearing these words made me feel more relived as I knew I would have someone to help me through the pain.

Turya-‘’ I thought I would lose you ’’ I heard he say with a cracking voice from were she was sitting against me.

I was in too much pain to talk so I just growled lowly to try and let her know that I wouldn’t go so easily. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Westra coming running towards us with saphira in tow.

Mother-‘’ thank you westra’’ my mother said to the elfin princess the concern for me clear in her voice.

Saphira-‘’ hmm he going through his first shedding then, there isn’t much we can do except wait it usually takes a week for the new scales and such to grow, I can help keep him warm if you would like as at this time he will be very susceptible to the elements.’’ She said to us as she approached me.

Mother-‘’ if you think it will help’’

Saphira then lifted Turya from where she was and set her beside mother all while she was squirming trying to break free. She then came up to me and curled her large body around me , her tail was wrapped around my stomach , her wings covering my back and her neck snaking around mine so that her face was beside me. I felt a deep primal urge coming from somewhere deep inside me but I was in too much pain to care.

Saphira-‘’ hehe maybe in a few years little one now sleep’’ she said to me as I felt my eye lids growing heavy.

The week passed rather quickly as I waited for my scales to regrow, I had asked why I couldn’t just go into my humanoid from until the week had passed, but saphira told me that I should stay in my dragon from in case the scales didn’t grow properly. Most of the timei would just sit there talking with whoever was around but it was mainly saphira who was around and the odd time Turya would appear but with tears in her eyes, she wouldn’t tell my why she was crying but if I had to guess it was because saphira was in close proximity to me while I was waiting for my scales to regrow.

After the week was finnaly over I was able to move again without being in pain just from the wind touching me , the first thing I decided to do was take into the sky for a while, just as I was about to leave westra came over to me and stood infront of me.

Xar-‘’yes?’’

Westra-‘’ I was wondering if you would take me with you, ive always wanted to know what it was like to feel the wind in my hair as I soared above the trees’’ she asked me with a slight bit of pleading in her voice. I looked at her as she held her head down with her hand clasped together infront of her. I moved over to her grabbed her by the neck of her dress and set her on my back.

Westra-‘’ thank you’’ she said to me as I felt her arms gripping onto my newly formed scales.

I took off and began to climb rather high in the air, soon I was at the bottom of the clouds, westra hadn’t said anything all this time so turned my head and saw a very picturesque sceen.

A blonde beauty wearing a simple white one piece while her hair flowed backwards as the wind passed by her, a large beaming smile on her face as she let out a laugh that would make the best minstrels drop their instruments as they couldn’t even compared to the beauty that was exuded.

Xar-’’beautiful’’ the words slipped out of my mouth before I had realised what I had said. A blush slowly crept on to her face as she looked down.

Westra-‘’ thank you, no one’s ever been that sincere with me, most men that meet me only say it as a way to try and butter me up’’ she said as her smile became even larger as she looked up again. The sight before me made my heart skip a beat.

After a while of just soaring aimlessly in the sky i landed beside my mother’s house, and saw that saphira and turya were waiting for me there with a couple of bags, they then told me that word had been sent about our final tests and we were to head back to jurn. I let Westra climb off my back and then lift turya up and set her on my back as well as setting the bags in front of her. I took flight again ignore the slight protest that my wing muscles were giving me and proceeded to head towards the mountains, the next few day spent heading to the mountain were rather boring , we flew for most of the day landed ate then slept before waking up and repeating the process. During this time Turya hadn’t said a single word to me.

When we landed beside the old log cabin we saw that jurn was sitting there with two swords in his hands, I changed back into my humanoid form and walked towards him, he gave me a quick smile as we approached but I didn’t return it to him.

Xar-‘’so you have our test ready then’’. I asked him

Jurn-‘’ yes now will you each take a sword and stand 10ft apart’’ he said to us as he threw the blades towards me and turya.

We complied with what he said and took our positions , we drew our blades as I figured he wanted us to get in some practice before the test started.

Jurn-‘’ good now fight to the death’’ he said rather nonchalantly.

Xar/Turya-‘’what?’’ we both said at the same time.

Jurn-‘’ I said fight to the death’’ he said as a slight bit of anger crept in his voice.

I threw down my sword and sat on the ground.

Xar-‘’ I refuse to kill the girl I love’’ I roared at him. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Turya had done the same.

Turya-‘’ no I love him why would I hurt him’’ she shouted at the top of her voice, jurn just sat there with a look of anger on his face, after we sat there for a minute he began to walk towards me I felt a slight bit if fear creeping up my throat threatening to choke me, as he got within arm’s reach of me I closed my eyes and waited for what was to come but all I felt was a hand on top of my head. I opened my eyes to see him smiling at me.

Jurn-‘’ that’s the right answer, you passed the final test’’. he said to me

Xar-‘’what?’’

Jurn-‘’ a warrior needs to know when to take a life and how to stop themselves from taking one, you both have proven that you can do this’’. He said as he walked over to Turya and brought her over to me. ‘’ now I believe you two have something to talk about’’ he said as a laugh escaped his throat.

I looked at Turya and saw she had a bright red face, I felt my owns cheeks warming up as well, I grabbed her a pulled her into my arms she also put her arms around me too.

Xar-‘’I meant what I said’’ I whispered into her ears as I held her.

Turya-‘’ me too’’ I heard her reply.

Author's note

hai all so here is another chapter for you to read and enjoy(possibly) commrnts and such are welcome and also you should really eat soem potato aloth that might just be my irishness telling me to say that