Leaving the room I walked down a long hall with pictures of my mother and Amanda. One at the beach, Amanda leaning forward pressing her breasts together as her eyes drink in my mother. another one with them watching a large mountain of pure blue ice, hugging each other, heads laying on the other. As I move through the hall I end up in front of a large open area with a huge window overlooking the ocean crashing into the sandy beach below. The waves made a soft swishing and hissing sound as the wind blew the grass around like a parent petting his child’s messy hair.

The waves and ocean seem to get a little blurry and wiggly…..Guess, I'm not ok.

The water looked miles away, just a blue blurry line in the horizon. Where are you? Who am I now? Did…..

Did you love me?

I just sat there uselessly watching the waves slowly shift and curl. The foam bubbling and the birds flying away until the only sound I  could hear was the blowing wind hum and sing to the beach, her tears evident in her low wails.

My wings cradled my shoulders as I watched the salty air dance in the grass and sing its lonely tune. Was there ever laughter? Maybe I was wrong… Maybe I didn’t see it all?

Just a kid dreaming…….

 

.

After some time watching the water, something black sped past the window, carried on large black wings, past the cliff and down to the beach. I heard something land with a heavy crunch followed by something swinging fast through the air, making a clear crunching sound. Not sure what’s going on, I slowly exited through a nearby door. Slowly inching my way to the cliff’s edge, looking down at the beach finding several damaged stone statues and a cloaked snake person. Stone minotaur heads, limbs and torsos lay cracked, splintered. That snake person was in a pale gray robe with belts fastened around their waist and arms, the hood created an odd darkness around their face. But from how they swayed around like a dance I could tell they were excited. slithering and swaying their body like a dancer as they evaded a black fist.

Their fighting a-!

Quickly turning around to look at the top of Amanda’s house only showed a roof completely empty, missing a certain. Snapping my head back, I watched as a winged black minotaur snarl at the robed snake, face twisted in a demon’s rage. The snake in turn twiled a white curved blade before it flashed the sunlight brightly, the snake quickly swung its blade for the head. The Minotaur, not even flinching, bent its legs and swerved on its hooves, weaving past the blade and rocketing a large fist at the snake. Their tail partly behind the minotaur, yanked the snake around, throwing sand in the air as they dodged the fist. They bent their arm before sending a slash as their tail coiled up like a spring. the minotaur sensing the attack, quickly jumped, flapping its wings and just narrowly missing the blade as it cut into the air with a swish. 

But during mid jump, the snake's coiled tail shot out, wrapping around the minotaur's outstretched leg. The snake then spun in a circle so fast they became a burly twister, instantly pulling the minotaur for the ride. They spun a full second or two before the snake sent the minotaur flying into the head of another minotaur statue. It slammed its waist on another broken minotaur statue, with a loud crunch, the minotaur's body split in two. But while the minotaur was in mid fall it pushed out its arms, landing on its palms. Quickly turning and dropping itself to the floor, it grabbed its still flailing legs, leaning back like its bucking legs were a football and threw them at the monster.

The minotaur’s severed legs sailed across the air like a cannonball, reaching the snake almost instantly. only to be quickly slashed in two by its blade but while it was distracted with the legs, the minotaur’s wings arched forward before flapping back. It flew at the distracted snake, leaned its head forward, ramming its horns into the snake’s tail with a loud thigh bone crunching sound. One of the horns even sunk deep into its tail as blood poured from the wound.

“FUCK!”

As the snake recoiled from pain, the minotaur used one arm to grapple the tail and the other hammered its thick forearm into the tail. All while its wings flapped and flailed, cutting and pounding the snake’s back and tail with rapid hits. I could even hear several more snapping and cracking sounds from every hit the minotaur fed the snake but the snake didn’t sit by as they twisted at a weird angle and slashed. The blade hitting the minotuar’s neck, once, twice, four then five times before the minotaur’s head went flying. The stone minotaur's body struggled, its wing flapped, arms flailed, kicking up sand in its thrashing before the snake sunk its blade into the minotaur’s head. Its body tensing up, muscles seizing up and twitching before its body froze, leaving the body a mid flailing statue.

"Fucking, gargoyles!" Hissed the snake person in a male sounding voice. His body shivered for a moment before pulling something out from his cloak. "Yup. It's here but since that mino-bitch is too….." The snake looked around before nodding. "Just gotta make a joke and then, hehe." The snake turned and their tail shook and something split apart from it, flesh pulled filled out, turning into thin raptor like legs. He used the legs to kick off a part of the horn still lodged in his tail before the small pulpy hole slowly closed.

They then lifted their hand which began glowing until a red pulsing ball shimmered in their hand. Wait! Is that a grenade! Before I could fully process the magical explosive, the snake person threw it to the left side of the house. 

*BOOOOOOOOM*

Fire erupted from the impact, slinging burning goo all around it, catching everything on fire. Dark smoke rising into the air as plants and even a part of the house was being swallowed by flame.

"Ahhhh!"

"Stay back, we gotta- whoa!"

I could hear the shouting of my mother and Amanda inside and the freak that started it, is giggling to themselves! That's enough. Without wasting a second more, I jumped down the cliff, my body heating up as I got closer to the ground. As I neared the ground, wisps of flame began to pulse off my wings and shoulders, growing bigger and bigger until it looked like a blazing fire.

Hurt them!

Slamming into the sandy beach, my flames jumped off me and swirled around my body as I stared down the snake. The flame became an swirling and twisting inferno as I watched his ugly body. That fucker turned and their smiled instantly dropped as they quickly backed up and pulled out their blade. After curling their tail around themselves, their free hand glowing.

Fucker!

With a step the ground made a sizzling sound, my movement alone made the snake back up farther. But it didn't matter as the next moment I launched myself at him. He tried firing blazing arrows but the moment they hit me, they began to swirl around my flaming body adding to my heat. Realizing his attack didn't work they jumped to the left but with a quick twist, my left hand slammed into their gut. They screamed as my claws easily cut into their scales and flesh like a heated knife through soggy cake as I smashed their body into the ground. Claws sinking deeper into his tender meat.

Suffer!

The snake gasped as the air was crushed out of their lungs but I didn't stop there as I slammed my foot into their leg. Pressing down, I pushed with all my weight and force, their skin bubbling from the heat. I kept pressing my foot into him until I heard a snap and the bone giving way, folding as white bits cut through the blistering skin. That got the snake to scream and slam their fist into my side making a soft popping sound while wildly whipping their tail. 

Cry for me~!

The snake wildly screamed as their body began to turn black from my flaming body, in their haste they swung their blade at me. Only for it to shatter as it slammed into my wing but this and their constant movement allowed them enough space to pull away from me. Not without offering me a chunk of their own smoldering flesh just to escape my claws, leaving a large hole where the side of their stomach was. Using their tail they quickly threw themselves into the air to try and escape me, their body flailing in the air as they flew.

I need fresh meat!

But my other claws gripped into their tail, burying into the tail like fingers through rushing water, skin igniting in flame or peeling away in coils. Pulling back, I twisted my body and slammed the floor with the snake which made several tasteful crunching sounds. Pulling on their smoking tail, I began to run closer to the fire they made all while the snake clawed at the ground, desperately grabbed chunks of sand and rock. The roach frantically clawed and dug only to uselessly dig out two streaks in the ground while their tail sizzled and scales crunched under my claws.

Taste existence!

Hopping to a stop, my legs bent as my wings flicked open, with a push and beat of my wings, we shot high into the air. My wings pulled open sparking before a red beam of orange flared out, suspending us in the air as my arms tensed. Eyeing the raging fire below, it took its tail in both clawed hands and launched the snake like a bullet at the fire. more skin and meat ripping out of his body as he flew out of my claws. The meat raced so fast a cone of wind formed around it until.

Crack

 

.

"What the hell is that!" Screamed a hooved man with a green coat and a scopeless rifle strung across his back.

What he saw was way more than he or his partner had bargained for. A blazing demon was what it looked like to him, maybe a new bodyguard? Having come out here for that charm was now a stupid waste, setting them back as the information's price tag was….followed by more zeros than he wanted to admit. Well they probably had some money owed since obviously that info was old. Still, this was a big loss.

"Shinnsgzhaf…!" Gargled a weak voice.

Lowering his gaze, the centaur found his partner clawing his way to him like a pissed roach from hell looking for a hiding place. The closer she got the more he air filled both the juicy scent of prawns and ironized charcoal. Making her four legged partner’s face twist like a pepper up his nose. He watched her approach him but he didn't move or lower himself for her to climb on his back. He'd say his pride wouldn't let him but in reality he didn't want to smell like overcooked barbecue.  But maybe if he dragged her through the mud, would she smell less…….. awful? 

Whistling he raised both brows, seeing the black glossy stump she once called a tail dragging behind her. "Looks like you got work done." He looked back at his own tail, flicking it, showing the long glossy hair. "Maybe I should get a trim too. So, who's your stylist?" He asked with a sneer.

"V-vggg, vidgh….de." was all she spat out as her face fell to the floor.

He shook his head before pulling a big plastic bag from a pouch, quickly dropping it on her. Maybe he could pass her unconscious body off as his first attempt at cooking. Either way, she’ll owe him for saving her charred ass and he loved the idea

 

 

..................
...Ol....r.....

.......

“Oliver?! WHERE ARE YOU!” Shouted my mother, making me blink my heavy eyes awake.

Where? looking around I found myself covered in a dark orange leather until I shifted my right shoulders, making my right wing pull away like a warm comforter. only to find the sounds of rushing waves and the smell of charcoal around me, only to look down and find two very exposed yellow breasts resting on my chest. 

“Ss-shit!” A quick look lower answered my fear. “I walk nude in my sleep now!?” I groaned, knowing how well that will look on the morning news. Dragon girl prances around in the nude. Gives warm welcome to locals and several hard ons. Thoughts and sensation of being nude sent prickly zaps up my back as if a thousand people were licking my back, even my scales felt like they were being pulled off me.

quickly standing up I closed my wings around me to hide my nudity while my tail wrapped around my leg like a scared child. Looking for where I heard my mother call, I turned around to be greeted by a black ashy wasteland. Trees were now black and shiny, the sand in some places looked like glass and any smaller plants growing on the ground that weren’t piles of ash looked extra crispy.

“What happened here? …..did I make a fire?” Trying to think, I remembered some snake throwing something? And………WAIT MOM!

without thought I ran for Amanda’s house only to find part of it looking fairly black but oddly nothing was actually damaged. It just looked like someone painted the side of the house black in a poor attempt at a prank. looking around I found a staircase leading up the cliff….how’d I get down here though? Maybe I rushed down to scare off the snake? No way I’d actually jump that right? my legs were still working as I climbed the stairs and there wasn’t any strain or pain, just sand stuck between my scales. It kinda feels annoying though like getting popcorn stuck in your teeth. But why did the snake do whatever he did? And where did they go?....I didn’t at-

“Oliver! There you are!” Before I could realize it a pair off arms wrapped around my head while kisses were planted on my head and all over my horns.

“Mhfff!” I greeted my mother who quickly released me.

“Oliver, are you ok? Why are you covering yourself with your wings? Did you get burned? you didn't hit your head?! Did someone try to kidnap you!? I’ll rip their heads off if they tried!” She ranted, switching between worry to pure rage the next.

“No mom, but I did see a weird snake fighting off Amanda’s statues. It grew legs I think….." I said trying to remember what happened but drawing blanks.

Mom's eyes turned so fierce as if the next thing she saw would die. "A naga, huh. I could probably go for a quick workout." She smiled but her eyes looked like an evil curved moo- moon?

"They had a crescent moon that was white? I think it flashed like a light?" I added.

"I see…" was all she said before grabbing my wing and looking me in the eyes. “Oliver, let's get you some fresh clothes.” She said leading me back into the house. 

Finally dressed in a nice pair of pants with a white backless tee shirt that used laces to tie over my neck, I sighed. it felt good to be in clothes again, even that odd feeling was gone from my back. But there was one problem, Amanda’s house was burnt even if there wasn’t any actual damage, that still marks two incidents happening with me being around. sure this one wasn’t caused by me but like it or not people do tie one situation to another, so I’m basically shitting my pants in front of everyone on camera levels of fucked. So I'll have to be extra careful around Amanda, I don’t want to ruin my mother’s friendship or anything else that might happen in the future.

stepping out of the room filled with all of my new clothes, I spot my mother holding Amanda in a hug. They look stressed in my opinion but they pull away a second after I step out, mom quickly turning to me while Amanda’s eyes lingered on mom for a moment longer. Maybe they’re not really what I think they are? But I’ll cross my fingers in case it turns out true.

“Well….” Mom tried to start but her face still looked conflicted.

“Your mother told me what you said and…” Amanda looked at mom who slowly nodded. “I have myself to blame for that naga starting that fire.” She said as she pulled a small box out from the table? but i didn’t see a box there before, it kinda just appeared out of thin air…..does this world have dimensional storage magic!?

Amanda smiled. “I don’t know dimensional magic.” She said. Wait, is she reading my mind? Uh-I was watching the birds and NOT naked on the beach! “Nope, I can totally read your mind and wow.” She said with a serious look to her eyes, making my eyes wildly look around the room to keep myself from telling her I like dressing up or that I’m actually some transmigrator body thief or that I actually like being called cute-I mean no I don’t!

“Hehehe, A-Amanda! stop messing with my son, hehehe.” My mother told her while her worried face broke into laughter. 

“Sourry.” Amanda said in a very bad accent making my mother immediately start snorting and laughing that she almost fell over. “I wanted to ease the tension a little but no mind reading either, I’m not the wandering ruby lady.”

After mom caught her breath and I relaxed my shoulders, I felt a bit better about the weird situation with that snake naga person. Even my mother was a lot less stern from this. I guess They really do make sense as friends or……

 Anyway, it’s just a little secrecy spell. Now in this box is the charm your mother mentioned owing a favor for. It’s very rare and made by a long gone civilization, most of their ruins have been turned to stone. Luckily some of their magical items still work-well to an extent.” She opened the box to reveal a tan stone shaped like a disc with a cut in the side. It had a circular groove in the center and red triangles painted on the sides making it look like a sun.

“This is, a rock?... A petrified magic item? How does it work if it has a limit?” I asked giving a confused look.

“Yeah, you see this rock can mask your mana when you start in this corner and slide your finger over to the little cut out spot.” Amanda said as she started at the top and slid her finger over the circular groove and off the edge with the cut. The moment she did that, the stone lit up like a LED toy, pale blue lights blinking on and off for a second before going off. Then for some reason it felt like she wasn’t there even though I could see her, to me it just felt like I was only looking at a painting that you’d ignore on your way home. But the more I stared at her, the more the back of my head started to throb and my eyes felt like they were binging pinched. I know she’s there, I can see her but she’s not actually here? That’s a statue of her right? NO, that’s her right….Yup that’s just a large rock right ther-hold on, THAT, is Amanda! Na, there’s no way that could be her, that’s just a corpse.

“Wow. You feel weird…..?” My mother said as her head was tilted with a confused face like a pet she had throughout her childhood started talking like it always talked.

“I-nu-uh-wah-um….wher-wh-umm…?” Was all I could mutter as I stared at Amanda statue not person.

“And you-” The person (?) began.

“AHHHHHHHH!” I screamed, instantly shielding my mother by opening my wings and standing with my shoulders raised, trying to look taller. “The dead live?!” I shouted as I eyed the zombie while I felt like icy cold worms wiggled their way up my spine. The creature did something and-WAIT, she’s alive?!

“Ummmm, Yeah….?” Amanda that isn’t dead said, with her hands shaking and holding a worried face.

My mother poked from behind me, her hands holding to my back. “That was creepy, like you didn’t exist.” She said, sounding slightly nervous.

“Ehm. T-that’s what happens when you use it in front of people aware of your presence. but if they’re not then nothing happens. Just keep in mind that it can only last a full day, maybe less with your higher mana. Then you need to let it cool off for the same amount of time you use it.” She explained.

“......So, if I use it for four hours, it needs to cool off for four hours?” I asked with my face still looking surprised. I swear my eyes are bulging from my face.

“Yes, that's how it works but it turns off after overuse. so pay attention to how long and what days you use it. Although you might need a little longer considering your dragon mana.” She said, walking up and handing me the charm.

It felt like a water polished stone that was like a warm kitten napping in my hand. “Thank you for getting this but I'm also sorry that it caused so much trouble……and… could we, forget about the dead?” I asked with a nervous smile.

Amanda’s eyes widened before quickly breaking into a smirk. “I knew the stakes but you could say I was inspired to help.” She looked at my mom for a moment. “But thank you. You're a lot more considerate.” Her eyes wandered around before looking at me with a nod. “I'm sorry too.” She said calmly.