Dragonian Dream: Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Opening eyes, the Feral within awakens

"That may be the end of my story, but this story isn't even over!  I wouldn't even believe myself if I even told you that my story was finished." I said, concluding my story.

A feral Red Dragon with dark blue claws, horns, wing membranes and spikes made a deep hum and said, "Yesssss, you are correct Xalithar.  Onessssss tale will not end until the eclipsssssse of life isssssss nigh."

I had been spending much of my time telling my story to Fernarn after I heard about his clan.  He may have been a feral Dragon who used to be with the Hierarchy back then, but ever since he left, he became the leader of a new clan of Feral Dragons that were living in Alaska ever since then.  I found it a surprise that he was a friend of Articus when he told me about it.  It was after that I asked if he wanted to know more about my story.

I got back up on my hindpaws and stretched my body after I had spent a good while sitting down to tell my story that it felt quite good standing up again.  "Well, I appreciate you listening Fernarn.  I feel pretty good about telling someone about what happened ever since that day." I said.

"It issssss alwaysssss a pleasssssure.  I do not hear many talesssssss of onessssss passssst, but it isssssss alwayssssss encouraging for me to lissssssten to them." Fernarn replied with a smile.  I smiled in return and started my way back towards the castle.

"Before you go, Xalithar, there issssss one more thing that I musssssst tell you." Fernarn said.  I glanced back at him.  "What is it?" I asked.  Fernarn rose up on all fours and looked at me in the eyes and told me, "After you told me about your battle with sssssssome of the Hierarchy'sssss membersssss, I had a feeling that you may have allowed your feral insssssstinct to sssssssslip free.  If that hasssss happened, then you mussssst beware.  It will hunger for more and will ssssssstop at nothing to obtain it."

Now I was concerned.  "How do you know that I became feral?" I inquired.  Fernarn shook his head and replied, "It issssss only an asssssumption.  I may have sssssuccumbed to my own feral insssssstinctssssss long ago with itssssss temptationssssss, but that doessssss not mean that I can give you a chance to live your own life free from itsssssss grassssssp."

"I appreciate it Fernarn.  I wish you good luck with your efforts." I said with a smile.  "Farewell, Xalithar."  Fernarn replied.

He left with little else said as he flew away to return to his clan.  I saw a few other Dragons eventually join him from the distance.  I assumed that Fernarn did not order them to completely leave us alone like I thought, but I didn't have any problems with that.  I understood that it was for his safety since he was leader of his own clan, there was no way he was going to allow the enemy to slip through any openings.  I continued on my way back to the castle once I lost sight of Fernarn.

As soon as I had returned, I noticed that Articus was standing around looking at me.  "I see you had a good time talking to Fernarn." He said.  I smiled and replied, "I told him everything about what happened up to this point."  Articus nodded and told me, "It's difficult for him to find the time to have discussions with others.  But I don't begrudge him for what he can and cannot do, it was up to him if he wanted to be the leader of a Clan of Feral Dragons."

There was a couple of hours left before dinner was going to be served, so I went ahead and looked around the Castle at my own leisure when I heard someone whispering nearby, and the voice sounded pretty young.  "Someone there?" I called.

A bunch of young Dragons suddenly came from nowhere and mobbed me, laughing and giggling while I heard little chirps coming from what could have been the hatchlings.  I couldn't help but get in on the fun getting involved with all the ruckus that they were making until Thunder Claw showed up and smiled.

I poked my head out of the mess of Dragons crawling over me.  "Oh, hey Thunder Claw, I think I found the kids." I said.  Thunder Claw laughed before replying, "I can see that, and it looks like they are having fun."

"Do they usually do stuff like this to new people?" I asked.  "Yeah, there's hardly ever a time they don't." Thunder Claw answered.

It wasn't long after the children were finished playing with me when dinner was ready.  This was my first time that I was going to have dinner at Daratres Castle, so I went on running straight for the Dining Hall as fast as I could run to claim my seat.  By the time Thunder Claw had showed up, he was pretty surprised.  We both started laughing sometime later after he made some comment that he made about me.

The dinner was really delicious when we started eating, but I just could not help myself with the kind of food I wanted to eat.  It was unlike any food I had ever tasted before.  By the time we were finished eating, I was in bliss with the kinds of flavors that I had tasted that I was talking rather loudly about how the food tasted for 5 minutes straight.  Of course, Thunder Claw and the others were pretty much looking at me at how much I had eaten.

"Remind me to never bring him to banquets." Articus said to Thunder Claw.

I was sitting inside one of the Castle Bedrooms, thinking back to the time that I had to fight the Hierarchy and save my sister.  The memory of the Dragon telling me how the Hierarchy would stop at nothing and the one Dragon that smiled at me sinisterly kept repeating in my mind.  No matter how many times I went over the memory, it was still just as chilling as it was before.  Before long, I had fallen asleep.

But then I woke somewhere else.  I could see no light, yet I could see only myself in the middle of an empty dark abyss.  I stood up, looking around.  Everything but where I was standing was nothing but darkness.  I would have thought that I was having another dream about absolute nothingness, but it felt too unnatural.  I eventually could sense a presence everywhere that felt similar to my own, but it was different.  I turned around to see a Dragon that was in my own likeness, but instead of being an Anthro, this was in the form of a Feral Quadruped.  I was surprised to see its eyes were wise instead of the fierce, wild eyes of a beast.  I could sense no hatred, no malice, but in their place were strength and wisdom.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am you, Xalithar Daskel, but I am what Fernarn called your feral instincts." The Dragon replied.  I felt a little puzzled.  Both its voice and its behavior seemed strangely contrary to what I had heard about it.

"There is no reason for you to panic.  I was trying to find a way to get through to you, but I unfortunately could only get through to you when you were focused on your problems, it was the only way to reach you." The dragon told me.

I sighed before saying, "I suppose you had your reasons.  A person's feral instincts usually try to take over the minds of others or tempt them to give in the second they manage to get in contact."

"I understand your concerns, but I will never attempt anything according to what you have said.  What others see as danger, I will serve as your opportunity." The Dragon told me.

"So...  you're basically saying you would willingly give me your strength?" I asked.

"That is correct.  I can give you the power to protect those you care for, I can give you the instincts to survive, and I will support you when others will not." The Dragon answered.

"How do you suppose that is going to help me fight the Hierarchy?" I wondered.

"That is for you to decide.  I am merely here to provide everything that you need." The Dragon replied.

I sighed and folded my arms.  Everything that the Dragon had been telling me up to this point were genuine and straightforward.  From what I saw, there appeared to be every reason to go through with it.

"What is your decision?" The Dragon asked.  I looked up at the Dragon and answered, "I believe it's time to awaken my feral instincts."

"Very well.  May our wills become one." The Dragon said.

Its body slowly dissolved into nothing more than a spiritual entity and floated towards me, then its form was absorbed into my body and I could feel the Dragon instincts become one with me.  I eventually woke up back inside of the Bedroom, but I felt much different from what I had been feeling when I went to sleep.  I felt complete.