“When did you find out you were a Dragori?” I asked, biting into a plum I’d packed in my sack and passing one to him.
“When I was six moons old, it was during a temper tantrum. I had scared my nanny close to death when I set her dress on fire. Mother managed to bribe the nanny not to tell. She feared the rumours that would spread. The accusations of me having power that should not be possible for a Niraen.” It was clear that Hadrian felt troubled when reliving the memory. “Mother took me to a local empath, a man who lived in the outskirts of Olderim. In fact, the same man I will be taking you to see when he returns from Eldnol. He confirmed what I was, after diving into my mind through his mystic ways.”
An empath, I knew that was something I would be bringing up again, my promise to Nyah stuffed at the back of my mind.
“He informed us to keep it to ourselves, promised that he would provide us with information on my aliment that came in the form of the book I have lent to you.”
“And your father, King Dalior, what did he think?” I asked.
“He does not know. It was my mother’s and my little secret. I suppose holding onto that makes me feel like I still have a grasp on her, even though she is no longer here.”
“I’m sorry for bringing it up. I couldn’t imagine how hard it must be to lose a mother.” I reached out across the empty space between us and rested my hand on his crossed knee.
“Nothing to be sorry about. It feels good to talk about her, I am not able to do it often. Father has not spoken about her since she died, it is almost like that part of him died with her.”
I rubbed my thumb in circles on his thigh, hoping it filled him with some sort of comfort. “I am honoured you feel like you can talk to me about it.”
Hadrian didn’t reply with words, only with a subtle smile.
“I did read about something…” I added, deciding the best thing to do was to direct the conversation away from painful memories.
He looked up with a glint in his deep, golden eyes. “Go on.”
“It didn’t say much about what it is you can shift into. But there was a drawing that caught my attention.”
Hadrian stood, “I know the image. Would you like to see it first hand?”
“But what is it? There was no explanation nor description for what the image showed, and even that was faded and poorly drawn.”
“Not many elves have seen the Dragori in its true form. I think it’s best if I just show you… Now you are going to have to be patient with me, it has been a while since I have shifted.” Hadrian rolled his shoulders, stretching his head from side to side.
There was no scent, no smoke and no sign that the shift had even began. Not like what I was used to seeing with Petrer.
His skin rippled from the ground up. His hands changing first. His fingers lengthened, his nails growing into sharp, claw-like points. A shadow separated from his back and hung in the air before solidifying. Wings protruded behind him, a dark web of thick membrane, vein-like marks visible from the sun that shone through them.
Hadrian flexed, bringing his wings wide and relaxing them like he was a child learning to walk. Their span was great, almost six feet wide on both sides.
I looked at him, my mouth had dropped open. Two horns stood proud on his head, rounding into a spiral. As well as the wings, horns, and sporadic scales that seemed to cover random sections of his exposed skin, I also noticed his height. He was a monster. Two fangs lapped over his bottom lip and his nose had seemed to flatten on his beast of a face.
“If you could only see your face.” Hadrian voice was deeper than before. He rested his clawed hands onto his hips, and I noticed how his clothes had stretched and ripped during the shift.
“I-I—” I couldn’t seem to find the words to reply.
“Do not worry, Petal, I only bite when asked.”
“YOU LOOK LIKE…”
“A dragon?” he answered for me, his wings flexed behind him.
“I was going to say something more along the lines of a bat-goat hybrid, but sure, dragon works.”
The drawing in the book was the spitting image of what Hadrian looked like.
“But how? Dragons are story book creatures. Not real,” I said, stunned into disbelief.
“Where there is smoke, there is always fire. Dragons are not real, they are a product of whispers that have mutated over the years. The Dragori, as the book explains if you actually bothered to read it, are very much the fire that caused the smoke of dragons.”
“But what if someone sees you?”
“Do not worry yourself, in this form I have better senses than even the best Alorian elf. I will hear anyone before they even get close enough to see. No one ever comes this far up from Olderim anyway.”
I couldn’t take my eyes of him.
“Impressive, right?” Hadrian said, his wings moving behind him, as if they had a mind of their own.
“Very.” It was the most incredible thing I’d ever seen. I stood up and walked to where he was. I ran a hand down the side of his face, my fingers brushing over the overlapping scales patched on his jaw. “Does it hurt?”
“Not at all. Not since the first time I shifted, even the memory of that is painful.”
“Well, I can honestly say this has never happened to me. Ever.” I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
I had so many questions. I couldn’t believe what stood before me.
A deep growling sound came from the base of Hadrian’s throat. I looked at it and there seemed to be a glow of red fire coursing beneath his skin.
“Was that what I think it was?” I asked, flickering my gaze between his eyes and neck.
“In this form, I am connected more to my element than normal. I can do all sorts, just you wait and see.”
The force of his wings knocked me backwards. I stumbled and in one strong swoop, Hadrian shot into the sky, moving into the blue expanse with ease. I shielded my eyes from the sun that beat down above us to see him dancing above. His hulking body trailed effortlessly beneath his wings whilst they kept him aloft.
Hadrian change direction and flew directly toward me. I released a gasp and stumbled back. In one move I was lifted in his arms and taken up into the sky.
The air rushed around us, screaming in my ears. I felt weightless, a feeling I loved. I laughed out loud, my voice lost to the rushing winds so high up. I could see the grass land fields below, far, far below. Our elks looked miniature, almost toy-like from this height.
I was so close to Hadrian’s face, but his gaze was kept on the horizon. I held onto him, tightly and felt safer than I’d been in the past week.
My eyes streamed from the constant batter of the wind, but I didn’t care. Heat radiated off Hadrian, encasing me in comfort. I should’ve been cold this high up, shooting between clouds, but I knew Hadrian was manipulating his power to warm me. I felt it cover me like a blanket.