My eyes were thrown open suddenly, wide and unseeing.

There was a tense moment, and then I sucked in the sharp air into my deprived lungs.

I lay there, spread-eagle on the dirt as I recovered shakily. The fresh breeze tickled my face, the scent of the salty waves drifting upon it. Beneath me the dirt was soft and moist, the mulch of dead leaves fertilizing it. The whisper of rustling leaves in the wind was music to my ears and soothed my soul.

Freedom.

Long had it been since I had smelled anything but the stale air of the underground tunnels and goblin-stench. Long had it been since my wings had soared through the air, or my fire burned through the night. Shackles no longer bound my limbs keeping me prisoner. No, I was free, free of the hopelessness, cruelty, and pain. I lay still for a long time, marveling at my situation.

And then the revelation hit me like a physical blow.

This was not my body.

For one thing, my flesh was soft. Gone were my silver scales that were tougher than steel. A new vulnerable skin had replaced it. I felt exposed, powerless. In a duel my opponent's teeth and claws would surely rip this puny body apart, tearing the flesh off my bones with one swipe.

My tail was missing, which frightened me greatly. Without my tail to keep me balanced, how was I to fly? With a horrible jolt, I realized I could no longer feel my leathery wings folded on my back. I desperately tried stretching my wings out, to soar through the air once more, yet nothing happened. Burning anger and panic filled me as I realized I was grounded in this weak form, unable to fly away in search of my brethren. Never in all my days had I felt so helpless- I was no better than a hatchling. My nostrils flared as I smelled the fear-stench wafting off me.

I was in danger out in the open, yet I doubted if I could even get to safety in this new uncomfortable body. For the first time since waking, I willed myself to move. My new limbs obeyed my commands, thank goodness. I curled into a small ball instinctively as to hide my unprotected underbelly in case of attack. All of my joints seemed to bend in the wrong places. My limbs were too thin and gangly for my liking. My neck was no longer elegant and long, but impossibly thin and short. Some kind of odd hair was growing from my head, falling over my shoulders in a curtain of lank locks. My talons were gone, replaced by jointed appendages. As I wiggled these appendages curiously, I was struck by a horrible thought: Had I turned into an egg-breaking hoard-stealing goblin? But no, I was too long and lanky to be one of those goblins-demons had stolen my eyesight with their sharp weapons and burning irons. I resembled more those funny creatures that had magic flowing through their veins. Wizards. For some reason lost on me, I had forsaken my familiar body for this one.

Speaking of this body- something was wrapped around it. It was a sort of fabric draped upon me, but no matter how much I twisted and turned it did not fall off. I would have been frightened if it did not have my scent, yet the scent on this fabric was very old.

I put this information aside as I heard a wolf howl in the distance. If I were in my true form, the wolf would have meant food; now I was afraid that it was the other way around, and I was to be the food. Trembling, I blindly stretched my legs out, and tried to get them to carry me away. My only reward was to get to stand on all four legs before my forelegs buckled and I hit the ground hard. I hissed angrily, cursing this new flesh. My anatomy was all wrong: my hindlegs were taller than my forelegs, which had strange joints that bent when I did not expect them to.

The wolf howled again, this time much closer. Panic clouded my mind as I realized how truly pitiful I was, immobile and blinded. But I had not spent all those hard years captive just to die when I was freed. Shakily I tested my frail legs again, and crawled through the underbrush. My tongue flickered out of my mouth, tasting the wind. I was in the middle of a vast forest, leagues from the sea. However, there was a rocky outcropping farther to my right. Though I could not smell the damp and darkness of a cave that could provide shelter, the sulfurous smell of brimstone warmed me with thoughts of my native home. Instinctively, I knew brimstone meant safety. Trying to master my quaking body, I started crawling in that direction.

It had been many moonrises ago since I had awakened in my new form, and my condition had only worsened. I had made it to the rock outcropping, the smell of brimstone warming my heart and soothing my fevered mind. However, I still did not understand how to use this body, and it was slowing killing me. I could not hunt; birds were too high and could sense my approach. Foxes and quail were faster than I, who could still only manage a few unbalanced steps before falling, my mouth tasting dirt. And my teeth- even were I to sneak up on my game, I doubted these teeth could take their life. These were smooth and thick, not like the deadly fangs I was used to. They were better for chewing up plants than hunting, but the foliage did not sate my appetite. I craved fresh, bloodied meat, yet I could capture none. Maybe if I still possessed sight I would not be so feeble, yet my eyes had been cast into the eternal shadow with no hope of returning. The only thing that kept me alive those few days were the puddles of rainwater that had pooled between the brimstone.

But now- I was dying. I could feel it in my bones, my cramping body. The lack of food made is so I did not have the energy to move more than a few feet. My frail form was giving up on me, the dull pain of an empty stomach becoming worse. But though my body was on the edge of utter defeat, my weary mind refused to give up. I had to prevail. Curling up in a small ball, my back against the brimstone to shelter me from the unforgiving wind, an uneasy unconsciousness found me.

If you want me to continue, review! Where do you think the plot should go? What do you think of the main character so far? Any suggestions? Tell me what you think!