I was reborn as a dragon. Yes, that's right, a flying, breathing furnace.
Although, I couldn't fly, or even breath fire really… heck, my teeth weren't even functioning how they were supposed to! Honestly, I was the sorriest excuse of a dragon, if I'd ever seen one. Well, at least my siblings were in the same boat with me. We were all puny little weaklings and I wondered just how someone like my Mother could have such…. Weak offspring- for the lack of better term- and not be concerned. Honestly, she looked a bit… proud, staring down at us with a soft, warm gaze of motherly pride. It was like we were actually strong- or perhaps she saw our potential to be so. But for now, we were just glorified, large lizards.
Our skin was weak and soft- with the perk of being fireproof, that is- and our teeth had a habit of retracting at random times, especially when I was trying to eat especially tough food. Along with those retractable teeth, came tiny little claws out of canid like paws, nothing like the sharp, intimidating talons of my Mother. Nothing at all.
I think that we were meant to be this weak when we were first born though. If we were as indestructible as our fully-grown counterparts, then I imagine that there would be nothing stopping us from overproducing and messing up our food chain as it was. Even as younglings, we ate a lot. I could eat nearly double my weight in the span of a day- and that was all by myself. I'm pretty sure some of my older siblings could eat even more.
Being a baby again was not fun- no matter what the perks would be when I was older. When would I ever get to that point though? Would it take ten years? A hundred? A thousand? My wings shuddered at the thought.
Another thing! My wings- which couldn't even fly yet, mind you- made the oddest noises. They buzzed a lot, and sometimes moved fast enough to sound like a motor when I focused hard enough. It was fun, especially when I taught it to my other siblings. The look of bemusement on my Mother's face when all of us were buzzing and motoring made it even more worth it.
Honestly, I'd never heard of a dragon who could move their wings in such a way- nor one whose babies looked anything like this or had these attributes. It was almost like we never existed. And maybe we didn't. Maybe something changed. There were many different universes after all, and I doubt anyone from the Before could ever write them all down. Maybe I was born in one of those worlds, where we were too shrouded by a fog to be written out. Maybe someday, someone would hear my story and write it down and share it with others. Someday.
But what was the point if I didn't have a name? My Mother had never given me a name, instead referring to us by the color of our hides. Which was difficult, because I had two silver brothers, one larger than the other and the other with a sharper, more intelligent gleam to his eye. Not to say the bigger was unintelligent, but there was something almost unsettling in the others, like his intelligent was far past his years. Maybe it wasn't the wisdom of something older, but it was calculating and so, so curious that I worried that the little thing would blow my cover. Who knows what my mother, Frashka would do to me if she found out I wasn't really her own? Would she really turn on me? With her gaze filled to the brim with something I could only describe as a mother's love? Or would she only do so if I proved to be a threat to her other offspring? I never wanted to find out. Bile rose in my throat at the mere though of it.
Speaking of which- my chest seized up in horror when Frashka (Mother-nerverforgetdon'tforgetalwaysremember) stepped on an unfortunate small, blue sibling. I expected to see a flattened-out body, but instead I heard a sharp squeal and a surprised snort from my mother. Questioningly, she lifted up her leg and took a shallow whiff of the air. Small Blue- fortunately- was alive and well, though looking like he was in a shock that could only come with being stepped on. After a few more whimpers and comforting nuzzles, he was as good as new, and dozing next to a suddenly alert Bigger Silver and Smaller Silver.
"Frashka!" I called. My mother lumbered towards me and lowered her head so we could see eye to eye. Another thing I learned. Dragons apparently loved eye contact with one another. Apparently, it was to establish trust, "How Blue Brother not die?"
Frashka, seeming very amused with my bluntness, said, "Lucky for you, my feet were made for stepping on things and you were made for being stepped on."
When I tilted my head, she gave a soft huff before raising a foot.
"Feel." She instructed.
I hesitated. Getting face to face with something that could knock my head off with a twitch did not sound like a good idea. I did so anyways. Maybe that eye contact had something to it after all.
"Ooohh, squish." I awed at the feel of her soft pads beneath my snout.
"Squish indeed." She chortled softly, leaning down again to nudge me with her muzzle. I crooned and leaned into it.
"Am I squish too?" I asked.
Frashka tilted her head down at me, "Why don't you see for yourself?"
I flipped my paw over slowly, scanning the surface inquisitively. It did look very soft, but maybe it wouldn't be as soft as my mother's. Only one way to find out. I pressed my snout to my pad. My eyes widened immediately.
"Squiisshhhyyyy." I gurgled. I inwardly cringed even as Frashka chortled. The only time I'd ever been this childish was when I was- well, a child. Which made sense, since I guess I was a child.
"Mine squish too?" Said Bigger Silver. Smaller Silver crouched beside him.
Another thing that set them apart, despite them always being side by side. Bigger Silver talked while Smaller Silver never did. I don't think he really understood how to, but that didn't seem to dissuade him from taking in everything and absorbing it like some sort of black hole.
"Well, for now they are. But when you get older, they most definitely won't be. Another reason why males can't meet their offspring when they're this young."
"I want squish! I want squish!" Gold exclaimed, crashing into Red happily. Red hissed at her larger sister, but Gold didn't even seem to notice. Black rolled his eyes and stepped away from them both. I don't think he really liked any of us. At least Smaller Silver liked Bigger Silver. Now that I think about it, Red didn't seem overly fond of any of us either, especially by the way she, Black and Smaller Silver would constantly glower at each other. Because Blue and I were the weakest, she'd constantly turn her nose up at us with disdain. She only seemed to tolerate Bigger Silver because he was a nice enough hatchling, and patient and strong. Sometimes, when Black and Gold would try to bully me around to get more food than me (Gold was more of an accidental cause, Black was most certainly not), he'd growl and shoulder them aside, allow me to eat my fill if I was near enough to him. When I put more thought into it, it was probably because they were also disturbing him, but whatever. He was still my favorite sibling after Blue. My least favorite was Smaller Silver because of his eyes and intelligence. Speaking of….
"Squish." Bigger silver cheeped to Smaller Silver, all while pawing at his face. The smaller snorted disdainfully while swatting at the paw intruding his personal space.
This didn't deter him at all. In his excitement, he tackled Gold to the ground and the two began a wrestling frenzy between them and black. Red huffed, rolled her eyes and pointedly turned her back on us. I ignored her, the buzzkill. Instead, I focused my attention on the wrestling trio, wings rustling excitedly. Gold rolled over, tongue lolling out (the tongues were much more different than I imagined, more dog-like and in shape of a serpent's than actually serpentine). He pupils were blown wide as Bigger Silver and Black wrestled above her. Her eyes met mine excitedly.
"Join, Pink!" She demanded joyously.
I looked away and gave a polite cheep of denial.
The thing was, I was just too small and weak to wrestle with those three. If not for Blue, I'd be considered the runt of the litter. Surely if I were to wrestle with my largest brothers and sisters, I was going to be hurt.
Gold only had a second to look disappointed at the loss of another playmate (not that she had much of one from me anyways) before her and Black were play-fighting again. Bigger Silver had separated himself from the two and was approaching me now.
"Play with me, then?" He chuffed softly, crouching down in the position I'd come to learn as the play position. I winced in response.
Me, the second smallest sibling playing with the largest? I most certainly think not. Bad ideas were bad ideas. I turned my head away again and gave a snort that was a dismissive sort of no. Maybe rudeness would drive him away.
But instead of simply leaving like I had assumed, he crawled closer, eyes still staring intently at me.
"Be gentle." He crooned as a promise. There was something in his tone that actually made me look over to consider it.
I eyed him warily. Gold had said that at some point to me too, but I had quickly learned the differences in our strength and ideas of 'gentleness'. I did not want a repeat of that incident, not at all. But still… Bigger Silver always seemed more aware… and he was a surprisingly gentle thing for something of his size. But would it be soft enough to not break me? Or one of my delicate wings? I guess there was only one way to find out.
I bent down in the play position, growling playfully. Bigger Silver only had a moment to look surprised before I pounced. We wrestled on the ground, nipping and biting a each other. And sure, I could feel the stings from each bite, but it was a light kind of feel, something that could easily be ignored.
"Grrrrr." Said my largest sibling, pawing at my chest with his baby claws.
I squealed and wriggled happily, squirming away from him and bolting away. Bigger Silver sat up, concerned. Aww, he was worried he's actually hurt me. How cute.
In response, I chattered happily, batting the air in front of me with unsheathed claws. Finally getting the hint, my brother rose and charged towards me, causing me to squeal excitedly and run away again.
We bolted all around, him somehow always on my trail. Every turn I made, he was sure to follow or intercept. After a while, I felt a paw bat at my rump before a pair of teeth bit playfully on my flesh. I turned the best I could, allowing myself to fall over as I battered and kicked at my capturer.
Bigger Silver simply took them with a determined growl, twisting his head with some flesh caught between his teeth. I chortled and pushed a paw up against his face. Like with his smaller counterpart, however, this did nothing to deter him. Looking for a way out, a flash of blue caught my eye.
"Blue!" I gasped out, "Help!"
If I hardly ever played, Blue never ever played either. He was the smallest and the weakest and therefor the most bullied. Every time he was so much as invited, he would roll the other way and go on ignoring them. I was not surprised when he simply did the same to me. Disappointed, but not surprised.
I quickly got over it though. Maybe Blue wasn't willing to play, but Bigger Silver certainly was. I turned my head and chomped at him, only for my teeth to bite the air.
Just… a bit… closer…
I strained my neck, but to no avail, I only ended up nipping ineffectively at the tip of his ear. I could hear him chortle at me in a mix of amusement and teasing. Finally, I flopped down in defeat. Bigger Silver gave a squeaky roar in victory and sat on me. I felt the air rush out of me but remained motionless anyways.
"I have defeated the Tiny Beast!" He howled overdramatically, "I am victorer, I am conqueror I am- ooof!"
Silver crashed with silver in a blur as Bigger Silver landed beneath Smaller Silver's form. Bigger had only a moment to be shocked before he was mauled by baby teeth and claws. The two wriggled around, snarling and hissing and squeakily roaring. I scrambled to my paws to stare incredulously. When I couln't find the answer as to what just happened from the scene before me, I turned towards my guardian, who looked baffled but amused. Not even she had been expecting that from Smaller Silver, a little hatching that seemed to take himself too seriously.
But still, he had just stolen away the only good playmate I had. So after a few moments, I was growling in agitation.
"Hey!" I snarled, batting at the thief.
Said thief paused and turned to glare at me. I nearly shrunk away in fright. Nearly. I think anger gave me all the bravery I needed to stand up to my larger broodmate.
"Bigger Silver mine. You can have him back later." And hey, I had just used a full sentence. Who ever said anger could do nothing for you?
Smaller Silver didn't respond. Mostly because he couldn't. Out of us all, he was the only one who couldn't talk yet. That made me a tiny bit smug. Just a tiny bit.
"That's enough, K- Pink. Come with me, Liebling."
I grumbled but retreated at the pet name. There went my fun, right down the drain. I glanced back mournfully, and saw Bigger trying to follow me, only for Smaller to but into his shoulder aggressively. Bigger rumbled low in his throat and headbutted him back, in what I presume was in irritation.
I turned away reluctantly, still grumbling under my breath.
I lay by my Mother's head, back pressed against her jaw. I never thought I'd ever be placing any sort of body part near a gigantic lizard and not be peeing myself, but here I am. Here I am.
I sighed and cuddled closer, watching all of my siblings with a keen eye. Bigger and Smaller seemed to be fighting a little too fiercely for it to really be playing, but oh well. And there Red was, looking too disdainful for the world. Black and Gold were still having a mini-battle, with Gold in all her exuberance on top. Blue was currently snuggled up to my side.
Life was pretty good.
And then my Mother made it ten times better.
"I think…." She began slowly, "I think it is time to name you all."
Everything stopped. The world went silent, apart from Frashka's amused chortles at our reaction.
"Biggest to smallest!" Black demanded.
"No!" I whined, pawing at Frashka's face, "Smallest to largest!"
Black snarled and stepped forward, but I was oblivious to this. I was also oblivious to the fact that Gold had thwacked him much harder than she usually did. And that was saying something.
Frashka leaned to the side and upwards so I was unable to reach her any longer. I whimpered at the loss. She crooned distractedly in reply.
"Well, I suppose biggest to Smallest will work well enough. But Black, you will be going last for your behavior."
Black's whine of protest by a sound of thunder from my mother. She meant business.
My wings motored in excitement, and I could hear quite a few of my siblings followed.
…
And so, Bigger Silver was named Reoniculus, a name that meant Kind Ruler, and Smaller a name that suited him well, a name that meant cunning and sharp. His name was Vilkas.
There was Momo, once known as Gold who's name translated to Bouncing Fire in our language, and Valnaria, previously Red, who was named after Beautiful, Deadly Fires.
Black was named Thuggory. He Was named after his pitch black hide.
There were the runts. The smallest, one of a oceanic blue was given the title of Skrahn, or Small Sea.
And the second smallest? The one who was reborn as a creature who was never meant to be in a world that had never been?
She was named Katsarya.
She was named for the blazing flames, one that had the potential to grow into a great inferno, or to flicker out with a blow of the mighty wind.
I think that name summed up my fate nicely.
But only time would tell, I would think as our brood roared our and each other's names uproariously, with my mother, my guardian as the overfalling thunder and storm.
We celebrated until our tiny bodies could celebrate no more, and we waited for a new dawn to come.
Okay, hi! It's great to see so many of you like my story, and I hope I can continue on this way. As you can see, I've made up an OC dragon. They get powerful when they hit maturity, but like Katsarya said, they're still extremely weak when they're young. And they don't hit maturity until they're three hundred years old. Which is a long, long way away, especially for someone who's used to telling time as a human who is not used to such a lifespan.
I will probably need a beta sometime in the future, as I have no doubt there are probably some typos in there. But until then, please bear with me guys, I'm trying my best.
Well, that's it for now!
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