The Aery's Call by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters and transformative content. You have been warned.
A beat-up old shack in the countryside sits along a dirt path road. Its wooden panels were worn and tattered from decades of rain and other inclement weather. Its windows were open and some smoke was billowing out from within. An outcropping of trees surrounded the place and a singular sign hung over it reading "Alchemist's Alley." The place was somewhat removed from the largest town nearby, a small village set aside a hill.
Debaria was a hamlet that resided in the Kingdom of Mulb. Mulb was known across the land as the Monarchy of Dogs, though many of the canine species resided in the place. The region was not very diverse in terms of its population but had recently opened its borders to other furs and people. It was an attempt by the Monarchy to grow its population, especially in the more sparse areas of the dominion where there weren't as many people.
The hamlet was one such people were allowed to immigrate. The queen had set it up where a program had been put in place that incentivzed people to move there. One group of people that had taken advantage of it was some humans. Humans were by no means a marginalized group in Mulb but they were far less numerous in scale. Many members of the dog kingdom had seldom seen a human and often times they were treated as pariahs.
Nait was a young boy whose family had taken up the mantle of merchant. Merchants were always on the move and very rarely settled down. When the decree came down that Mulb was offering the program, his parents were all too happy to take it up. Debaria was a seaside village with close access to the largest harbor in all of the realm. To them, it was the easiest way for them to get their goods overseas.
The young boy was an only child to his loving parents. They both worked all-day jobs at the local markets. The "Leon Traders" as they were known by their last name were a reputable and recognized name in the region. His parents specialized in the trade of exotic goods such as silks and spices but often sold whatever they could to make good coin. It was a lucrative business and one that brought them a fair amount of riches.
The Leon's had moved to Debaria in the last few months. They were the only human family in the entire village. Everyone else in the town was of the canine variety. Wolfs, dogs, foxes, coyotes, and jackals were all they ever saw. Whenever they went about the town, they were stared at. Still, the boy's parents went about their business like normal. After all, they were used to it. For their son, it was an entirely different experience.
Now 11 years of age, Nait was a social boy who had always had a larger group of friends. After moving all of that changed. There were plenty of children in the community. The village was somewhat homogenous and seeing anything other than a canine contemporary was alien. It wasn't so much xenophobia as it was lack of exposure. Even the older members of the town were the same with very few of them welcoming outsiders with open arms.
Nait had been enrolled in the local schoolhouse. It was a small building that housed only one room. In it, a group of rotating adults were charged with teaching cubs the ins and outs of community values and normal. The more traditional educational doctrine of the 4 R's had taken a back seat for the most part. Some of it was taught but the adults who took charge of the schoolhouse were far from formally trained or educated themselves.
In his old town, Nait had been taught the bare basics of reading, writing, and math. He was able to pick up literacy well before moving to Debaria. As for math, he had taken an interest in it and his father was more knowledgeable in it so he took it up from his old man. As such, his education had not suffered yet. However, fitting in with the canine cubs had been challenging for him and so far he'd had no luck in making friends.
Over the last month, the human by had been trying his best to make friends. Observing the other kids who he believed were close to his age. They didn't seem much different than he and his former human friends were. Rough housing was all but normal with the different species of canines all trying to assert dominance. However, there was one cub who removed himself from the group. One who seemed uninterested in the teachings of the school and always had his face buried in a book.
The boy in question was an Arctic fox cub. He didn't look much older than Nait himself. His clothing was often stained with a blemish that the young human had never seen before. The discoloration did not seem like dirt, blood, or grass so he wasn't entirely sure what it was. His white fur was pristine even despite that with his lengthy and thick coat seeming much better kept than his peers.
The fox never seemed engaged in school. Yet, it seemed he was able to read. The books he always had in front of him always seemed to be alchemical in nature. The cub seemed more interested in science than any of the more nuanced offerings lectured by the various members of the community. Regardless the adults seemed to leave him alone and until recently the human was never sure why it was the case.
One day the fox cub was confronted by an elder wolf woman. The "matron" as she was called by the community was the headmistress of the schoolhouse. It was just after class and most of the other cubs and teens had gone home. Nait remained behind but stayed just outside as he was curious why the quiet cub had been held back. The woman began arguing with the much younger boy who held his own and seemed to be far more educated than she was.
"Young man, is there a reason you don't pay attention in class? Goodwoman Claire told me that you were reading yet another treatise this morn." The stout wolf put her hands on the side of her waist.
The white-furred boy huffed. "Such teachings are but a trifle. I have more important things to learn."
"How do you expect to become an outstanding member of society then?" The matron stared at him intently.
The small cub rolled his eyes. "By furthering my studies of Alchemy."
"Alchemy is for naught. Tis an evil dogma. You'll never do well with it." Her scowl remained ever present on her face.
The young fox turned around. "Says you. You just don't understand it."
"Don't bring those foul machinations here! We don't need such magics. Off with you." The wolf pointed out the door.
The white-furred boy walked out of the room. Despite being much younger than she was the cub had held his own. The matron had lost her cool while the fox was still calm and collected. Ever resolute in his firm belief that Alchemy was the way. Nait was still outside the door and had heard the short argument unfold. He remained quiet as the young white fox walked out and right past him. He figured this might be his opportunity to make a friend.
"Hey, are you alright? I couldn't help but overhear your argument with the Matron." Nait said as he approached the somewhat bigger boy from behind.
The cub looked over his shoulder. "Yes, I am fine. It's not the first time this has happened. Who are you?"
"That stinks. My name is Nait. What is yours?" The human began walking alongside the other boy.
The white-furred continued walking forward out of the schoolhouse. "My name is Pent."
"Cool, nice to meet you. So…do you like Alchemy?" The smaller boy wasn't sure if it was the best way to continue the conversation.
Pent arched his eyebrow a bit. "Yes. What of it?"
"Uh…I was just wondering if maybe you could show me some things?" Nait felt as if he was losing ground quickly.
The fox stopped in his place suddenly. "Why? You're not going to out my "witchcraft" are you?"
"No…I was just thinking maybe we could be friends. Look…I just moved here and I noticed you don't hang out with anyone either. Maybe we could hang out?" The human decided to be honest with his intentions.
The bigger cub thought to himself for a moment. "Really? You want to be friends?"
"Yeah. It's better than being alone. What do you say?" The human finally felt like he was making progress.
The white-furred cub slowly cracked a smile. "Sure, I would like that."
"Cool. Thanks for giving me a chance." Nait smiled back at him.
The fox's tail wagged slowly behind him. "How would you like to see our workshop?"
"That would be neat. Do you work with someone?" The smaller boy wanted to be sure he understood his new friend.
Pent nodded. "Yeah, I work with the Master. Master Frivel. He wouldn't mind if I show you lab so long as you don't do anything."
"Oh, that sounds cool. Let's do that." Nait had never seen an Alchemist's workshop before and couldn't help but be curious about it.
The white-furred cub motioned for the human to follow him. Pent's tail was wagging more noticeably now. He'd been ostracized most of his life and to have someone interested in what he did was foreign to him. The two of them walked away from the schoolhouse and through the village. The village was mostly filled with an assortment of clay and brick buildings. Some of them were older and had thatched roofs made of straw, hay, or grass.
The roads were tattered old dirt paths that had seen ages of rain and wind. They constantly had to be re-pathed with new dirt and the latest layer was naught but top soil so it was a bit darker than the rest of it. A few signs were strewn about the place, each of them carved with direction markers and some carved names for places of interest. Some of them were tattered and beyond repair with the inscriptions no longer
readable.
Pent had lived his entire young life in the village and knew the place well. An adopted young fox who had taken up an apprenticeship with the local Alchemist when he was of age. By normal standards, most children took up such responsibilities between the ages of 11 and 13. The fox had recently reached the age where he had taken up the mantle of apprentice Alchemist
and had been honing his skills in it for the last few months.
They made their way down the streets of the village and through the town square. A few other furs were about with most of them being adults doing their daily duties. Eventually, they headed out of the village and into an open area. A singular path led out of it with the same dirt road weaving through some larger grass thickets. Off in the distance, they could see some field workers doing some farm labor and a few animals were at their side to lessen the load.
Nait and Pent continued through the winding path. It eventually led to an area that seemed completely isolated. The wooded brushes and greenery were much thicker now. Much of the grass was overgrown with some of the weeds even taller than either of the two boys. Some of it creeped onto the path but the road itself remained more or less unobstructed. In front of them, they saw a small beat-up old shack.
The building was an older wooden building with a splintered base. The boards were frayed and poorly put together. A few gaps could seen between them with some tar plastered between them to seal the space. Two windows laid open with the picketed frame swung outward. The roof was angled but some of the slats were falling off the side of it and showed bad needs for repair. In front, a singular sign hung that read "Apothecary Frivel".
Pent led his new friend to the building. The door was not locked and opened with a slight push. Stepping in, Nait could hear the creaking of the floorboards. Looking down he could see that the foundation was no better off than the rest of it. He stopped moving as he felt one of the boards bend against his weight. The bigger fox noticed his hesitation and looked back towards him.
"Don't worry. You won't fall through the floor. Everything here is old but we haven't had much structural failure, fortunately." He waited a minute for Nait to start walking again.
Nait looked around once they were inside the building. In front of them, he could see a large bench with a table nearby. On top of the table were a few various flasks and some equipment that the human did not recognize. A singular unlit burner glistened against the sun with its metallic apparatus holding a large glass container. The thing was empty but around it, he could see burn marks where it had been used previously.
Next to the table was a mortar and pestle. The mixing device had some discoloration in its clay center from making dyes. Several unlit candles lay strewn about with a few of them smoking showing that they'd been blown out recently. A cabinet to the side of it had an assortment of ingredients in all sorts of containers, some of which were transparent and others not. A huge bookshelf accompanied it with a tome stand in front of it, with books and scrolls with a language that he had never seen before.
"So how would you like to see a trick?" The fox said as he stopped near a large glass alembic that was situated in a brick oven.
The smaller boy looked at him. "Sure. I've never seen alchemical work before."
"Alright, step away from the stove." Pent said before moving to grab some materials.
The human took a few steps back and watched as Pent grabbed some tongs and a crucible. Placing them on the coals to heat them, he lit the stove by stoking the core of fire underneath. In mere moments the thing lit up and began billowing smoke upward through a funnel that led to a chimney. It wasn't long before the inside of the building became heated as there wasn't enough of an outlet for it to escape.
Pent began mixing various ingredients, some powders and a few liquid ones. All of them were poured into the mortar and pestle to be crushed before it was transferred into the crucible to heat up. Feeding it through the alembic to purify it into a fine paste. As it was processed, there was an ever stronger smell emanating from it. Nait pinched his nose as he tried to deal with the odor, a bit surprised that the fox was not bothered by it.
The fox was hyper-focused on making whatever he was trying to concoct. The colors shifted from a pasty grey to a bright blue. Turning into putty as more of it fed out from the alembic feeding tube. Nait was starting to feel a bit light-headed as he stood there trying to deal with the side effects of watching his friend work. His nose felt like it was burning and his head was starting to throb as he stood there idly.
A few moments passed as Pent continued to work. The cantankerous odor only became more unbearable for the human. It was wholly unlike anything he'd ever smelt before. Even still, Pent was unbothered and continued to labor. Nait's vision was starting to blur as his headache became even more prominent. The sensation of it all was too much for him to bear as he passed out where he was standing.
Pent heard a sudden muffled thud as his friend fell to the floor. Immediately he stopped doing what he was in the middle of and rushed to help. But it was far too late to catch him. The fox nudged Nait a few times but there response. Still, he was breathing so it was apparent he'd just lost consciousness. Slowly he dragged the boy over to his master's bed. Draping him on top of it before returning to his task so he could stop and clean up.
It was a good while before Nait came around. That vile stench that had filled the space was now all but gone. The boy slowly eased himself up in the bed. It was a flat surface lacking any sort of cushion. His back hurt from being placed in an awkward position. He groaned as he sat upright, trying to regain his senses. Rubbing his eyes, his vision remained blurry for several moments but he was glad at least his headache had subsided.
Once his vision recovered the boy looked around briefly. There were no signs of Pent in the workshop. The stove in the corner had been exhausted though a few embers could be seen in the coals. Sitting there in the bed, Nait was feeling a bit warmer than usual. His head was swirling with thoughts, ideas of which he'd never come up with before. He rubbed his forehead briefly as he tried to kick the strange sense of fuzziness he was now feeling.
His mind became even foggier with each passing seconds. The once fleeting thoughts became ever clearer. An image transfixed in his train of thought. A vast mountain overlooking a sprawling valley. Within the mountain a cavernous maws from which sat an emboldened bronze drake. Its scaley slithery form slinked through the various caves that wove through the peak. Its roar bellowed from within, a warning to all those who might consider trespassing its domain.
The dragon's beckon shrieked across the valleys just beyond the mountain. It's caused the rocks of the mountain to unlodge to furl below. Nait could hear it as if he was all too near to the source. The sounds of it was foreign but did not cause him any amount of fear. The roars became ever louder in his head, seeming to cause his ear drums to vibrate. Bringing back the headache that had only dissipated but moments ago.
Nait was feeling even warmer now. His whole body was beginning to sweat and yet no blanket covered him. The clothing he was wearing was thin and he couldn't explain the strange balmy prickle along his arms and legs that he was experiencing. His skin too was beginning to itch. An unbearable scratch that brought a reddening to each area in which he indulged. The redness seemed to saturate and grow ever darker the more he looked at it.
The boy sat there for a moment looking at a rash that he'd created. The redness was far darker than anything he'd seen before. What peach fuzz was there before seemed to be missing and his skin almost seemed to be scaling up. He touched his arm again once over with the tip of his index finger. There was no dryness to it but the texture of it seemed much rougher than he remembered. Another streak of red strung underneath the area he touched.
As he touched it the heat he was feeling seemed to seeth from the area. It was much warmer than he was used to. The itching sensation had not stopped and was becoming more unbearable. His self-control was beginning to loosen as he scratched even further. That crimson taint on his skin spread even further. Much of his lower arm was covered in the stuff and his nails were feeling like they dug into him. It felt almost as if he hadn't cut them recently.
Nait looked at his nails. They too seemed darker with a slight tip to them. He had never been great at cutting his nails but he didn't recall cutting them so sharply. The warmth in his body began to boil up as some beads of sweat began to drip from his forehead. He pulled up his pants legs to look at them and they too seemed to have turned a much redder color than he was used to. His mind began to swirl again as the thoughts of the dragon filled his imagination once again.
The warmth he was experiencing began to boil over. His head throbbed as his body began to ache. His body reeled backward, sprawling itself against the bed almost instinctually. His toes and fingers curled as his skin felt like it was hardening. The entirety of his body was dry and flakes of skin started to fall off. Soon replaced by the same scaley redness that had been burgeoning underneath.
The boy's body writhed on the bed. Clasping his hands to the bed, seeking any form of comfort he could find. A jolt of heat coursed through him as more sweat poured from his forehead. His clothing was feeling looser now and seemed to hang
on him a bit. His eyes glazed over forming a light film in them. Blinking did him no favors as each time he did so the blur became even more obstructive than the last.
A few moments passed as his skin continued to flake and peel off. Replaced by crimson red scales that lengthened and hardened from underneath. His nails blacked, lengthening into talons with sharp edges. The sides of them dragging along his legs but he felt naught. The clothing he was wearing was now noticeably sagging on him. Bundling up all around him as his form diminished further and further into them.
Nait's face and teeth began to ache as his jaw readjusted ever so slightly. His mouth pushed outward and his nose took a more snout-like form. His chompers began to expand into full-out fangs with his incisors growing long enough to protrude outside of his mouth. His bones continued to crack and shift as his body undertook a completely new form. Even behind him a tail was starting to grow and had already pushed its way through his pants.
The boy's eyes had now fully glazed over. The call of the dragon seemed all the more enticing to him. He could understand the shrieks. Every utterance whispered to him was a call to action and his body responded in kind. His fingers and toes began to lengthen with each roar, curling and unfurling into claws. Ripping right through the socks he was wearing but slipping out of the shoes he had fit into only moments ago.
Several moments passed and the sheer sensation of it all made Nait pass out again. It wasn't that any of it was painful but the energy spent by his body was just too much for him to bear. Things began to slow down as his form rested. Shifting what remained of his human existence into a more draconic one. His body was smaller but had lengthened and trimmed enough to look more serpentine.
Nait's mind was once again filled with thoughts. That dragon in his dreams gazed at him. Its copper-hued iris' and black pupils stared right through him. Its nostrils flared up as some smoke curled from within. Yet, it remained calm and its body still. The boy did not fear the creature, instead, there was a sense of familiarity inside of him. A sense of certainty that it would not hurt him. He trusted the beast…and the beast trusted him.
Pent had been out of the workshop since the first time that his friend had passed out. The fox felt guilty as if he'd been the cause of it. His sense of smell was good but having worked with Frivel so long had nullified some of his reactions to it. The boy had never had a friend before and wasn't about to screw this up. He was fully intent on fixing whatever ailment that he'd caused the human boy.
The cub was going through the local woods looking for herbs and other ingredients for a tonic. He intended to wake Nait up from his slumber. He had tried rousing him earlier but that had amounted to no success. Pent had grabbed a small wicker basket to collect what he needed. His master had trained him the skills necessary to look for natural ingredients and he figured he could come up with something to wake his new friend.
The fox had gathered up an assortment of herbs, berries, mushrooms, and leaves. All of them had strong odors that he believed would aid in waking up the human boy. Even going as far as to smell them himself. Once his basket was full, he began his way back towards the workshop. He went as fast as he could as he was uncertain how long it would be before Frivel would return. The boy knew he was working against the clock to fix his mistake.
Pent returned to the workshop with his basket in hand. He immediately went over to the mortar and pestle and poured the contents within. Beginning to crush and mix them, he worked to make them into a single product. The combined aroma of them all didn't take long before they crept up to his nose. The scent was overwhelmingly floral reminding him almost of the expensive perfumes that the women of nobility wore.
The boy smeared it onto a mint leaf, figuring it would be the easiest way to transfer the now pasty substance from the mortar. Placing it on his palm, he carried it over toward the back of the building. The rear portion of the workshop was somewhat darker than the rest of it. Only a single window was there with it overlooking the bed but the light shone in such a way that it beamed right over the rest area. The fox could not make out what was on the bed.
Once he was close enough, Pent noticed there was a small dragon bundled up in some oversized clothes. The clothes looked all too similar to what Nait was wearing earlier that day. The fox stared at the creature a bit. The snake-like dragon's body was long and lithe with some frilled plates along its back. On the edge of its tail was an angular spike. On the other side of it, the thing's neck had a gular fold that was a slightly different color than the rest of its body.
Pent was unsure how the creature got there. Dragons were uncommon in the area but he'd seen them flying over the town in the past. To see one this small seemed like an anomaly. It was a lot smaller than any of the other similar dragons he'd seen before. It seemed even too small to be juvenile. He decided to check through Frevil's bestiary since the older male kept tedious notes on all of the woodland creatures and beyond.
The cub went over to the bookshelf to pull it out. He pulled out the tome in question and peered through it. Frevil had organized it by type as well as alphabetically so everything was easy to navigate. Pent scanned through the pages until he found the section on dragons and began to go through the notes. They were all handwritten but his master had good handwriting so it wasn't hard to read. It took him a few minutes until he landed on one called "Miniature Asian Red Dragon".
The entry had a lengthy description with a few poorly drawn pictures. Pent read through it and the details seemed to match what he'd seen on the bed. Yet, it didn't explain how it got there or where his friend had gone. Pent looked back at the bed and the thing was still asleep. Refocusing his mind, he explored his thoughts to figure out his best course of action. A few moments passed as he stood there idly contemplating.
Nait started to come around. The heat in his body had dissipated and whatever aches he had experienced before were all but gone. Slowly his eyes fluttered open as his vision came around. Moving his body ever so slightly, the now too-large clothing rustled against his form. He kicked his stubby legs a bit as he tried to get rid of it. Eventually, his pants fell to the floor but his shirt remained as he struggled with it.
"Pent?" The boy on the bed noticed to fox over by the bookshelf.
The fox cub looked back, seeming to recall the voice. "Huh?"
"What happened? Where did you go?" Nait tried to pick himself up but his body wasn't quite responding just yet.
Pent grabbed and put the book and mint leaf down before returning to the bed. "Nait…is that you?"
"Of course it's me. What do you mean?" The boy on the bed looked up at Pent who seemed higher up than he remembered.
The white-furred boy scratched his head. "Uh…you're a dragon."
"I'm a what?" The other boy looked at his hand which very much resembled the claw of a small drake.
The bigger boy looked behind him and grabbed a thin sheet of metal. "Here. Look at yourself."
Nait tried to grab it but it was somewhat difficult for him to manage. His now tiny claws grasped around it but his upper body didn't have much strength. He struggled a bit before Pent offered his aid and held the thing up from below. The boy looked into it and his reflection peered back at him. Looking back at him a crimson red dragon with dark yellow eyes looked back towards him. The sight…almost resembling the image from his dream.
Looking at the reflection, the dragon boy wasn't sure what to make of it. His skin resembled a reptilian exoskeleton. Letting Pent take hold of the metal, he touched his arms. The scales were hard and barely moved when he pricked them. The keratin plates were thick and layered around the entirety of his body. Pulling one briefly, brought him a sharp sense of pricking as they were dug into the very core of his being.
Nait looked back at the fox, almost as if searching for answers. The sound of the shrieking in his mind had dissipated. Once again he looked into the metal held by his friend. Opening his mouth a jaw full of fang-like teeth snarled back at him. A short puff of smoke spewed out as he breathed. That inner heat he had felt before was gone and yet part of him felt a strange warmth emanating from his inner core.
"I'm…a dragon?" He said questioning his sense of belief.
The bigger fox nodded. "Indeed you are…an Asian Red Dragon to be specific."
"How did this happen? Why am I a dragon?" Nait adjusted himself in the bed so he was upright.
Pent rubbed his chin. "I'm not sure. Perhaps it was an Alchemical Transmutation?"
"A what? Can you put it simply please?" The reptile had never heard of such a thing.
The white-furred boy grabbed the nearby chair and sat down. "Transmutation is the conversion of matter and manipulate it into a different form."
"I mean it's obvious my form changed but the question is how…?" The small creature was still at a loss for meaning.
The bigger cub searched for words. "Think of it this way. Your body responded to the foreign exposure of foreign entities. Maybe it reacted to the antibodies in the air earlier."
"You mean when you were doing your experiment it could have exposed my body to something it didn't know how to react to?" Nait looked at him, still in disbelief.
Pent nodded. "That is a possibility."
"But then…why didn't yours react the same way?" Nait looked at Pent and realized he looked no different in any way.
The fox looked at himself briefly. "Perhaps because my body
is used to such things. After all…I've been training for a few months now."
"I see…am I stuck this way?" The dragon looked at his arm once again which was thin and still had no definition to it.
The white-furred cub hummed. "I'm not sure. Why not try to enjoy yourself if it is temporary? It's not every day you get to experience things in a different body."
"I never thought about it that
way." The reptile boy tried to move again.
Nait wasn't paying attention and had moved his body close to the bed's edge. The sudden movement had placed him over open air. Yet his form remained as if it were weightless and did not fall. Pent looked at him with an awkward stare.
"Erm…I think you can fly." The fox cub said unsure if his friend even realized the fact yet.
The dragon looked downward and sure enough, his body was floating. "Neat!"
The reptile began moving much more freely, seeming to be able to maneuver his body without much effort. It was as if he'd instinctually knew how to fly despite never having attempted it before. He flew around the entirety of the workshop, avoiding all of the different tools and containers. Slinking between each of them with ease and deftness. Pent watched him with awe, surprised he was able to manage it with such expertise.
Suddenly the door opened with a thud. The muffled slam of wood against wood reverberated in the building causing it to shake slightly. A grizzled old owl walked in from the outdoors, wearing a gathered garb and carrying a sickle in one hand and a basket in the other. The bird had thick glasses with the lenses looking rather worn and the bridge held together only by adhesive. The elder Alchemist looked at his apprentice sternly before speaking.
"What is this creature doing here, ward?" The owl's voice was shrill and short.
Pent stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. "Master Frevil. Welcome back. This creature? What do you mean?"
"This here whelp. Why have you brought it from the aery? What purpose does it serve?" The older male put his arms to his side fully expecting an answer since such creatures were forbidden for the most part.
The fox stopped to think to himself. He had to come up with something. He couldn't just say he transformed his human into a dragon. That would potentially jeopardize his training. Searching through his mind he tried to come up with something until he remembered something Frevil had mentioned to him in the past.
"This is my familiar. I call him Nait. Say hi, Nait." The fox reached out to grab the dragon who had gently landed on top of a nearby small shelf.
The reptile transferred onto Pent's paw, deciding to play along. "Hi!"
"It can speak? That's a new one…I'd like to remind you that the mayor forbids such beasts from roaming the lands. You'd do well to keep it close…" The owl warned him.
Pent nodded softly. "I will…I promise."
"You left your clothes on my bed. Take them with you and get. I have work to do and today is not a training day, child." The bird pointed out the door showing he meant business.
The fox realized that his friend's clothing had still been left behind. He went to grab it, collecting the entirety of it before heading out. Nait had settled onto his shoulder as he was light enough to fit on the blade of his bone.
"What does familiar mean anyhow?" The dragon couldn't help but ask now that they were out of the workshop.
The white-furred boy began walking back toward town. "It means that you are my animal aid. We can maintain this ruse until we figure out how to turn you back to normal."
"Do you think that's possible?" Nait was curious since he knew nothing of the potential of Alchemy.
The fox winked at him. "Where there is a will…there is a way."
Pent and Nait walked back home. The fox took him to his humble abode, setting up a new space for his friend in his room. Setting up some hay bedding in the corner of his room, making it similar to what he would had a bird familiar instead. Above the hay bedding, a single perch lay next to a bowl of water and food. When he asked the dragon what he wanted to eat, Pent learned the other boy's eating habits remained the same despite changing form.
The dragon settled into his new environment before long. Pent's adoptive parents did not question the beast's presence once they were told the same purpose. Nait was all too comfortable in his new situation despite it being alien to him. Despite only having just met Pent, he had complete trust in the cub to get him back to normal. After all, he had no reason to doubt Alchemy anymore after what happened. In his mind, it was just a matter of time before everything was back to the way it was before.
