I awoke to the sound of seagulls and the smell of salt on the air. It seems we have already set sail.

The pain was considerably more managable with my new state of being, it had seemed unbearable to the dragon I was before, and to the specter I was.

Now it was easily put to the back of my mind, an annoyance and nothing more.

I was still a specter, in a way, but my situation had changed considerably. I had a link to this body.

It was a part of my being now, the price of merging with a living soul. If the body died my soul would remain as it would before, but I was bound.

I could not leave. Still, why would I want to. There were three factors one had to consider in magical power.

The strength of a beings will, the natural ability of the soul to produce magic, and the ability of the body to do the same.

I had just drastically increased all three. The only issue was the stability of my vessel.

A beings body was not designed to be artificially tampered with, and the manner I was doing so was particularly dangerous, even for a dragon like me.

I rose up, stretching for the first time since I had been captured. A series of pops echoed around me, and I let out a sigh of relief.

I attempted a step forward, stumbling lightly for a moment, then collapsing. I was unfamiliar with my form as it was now.

Several years of growth all at once was a stark change. I felt strong, stronger than I had ever been, yet so very weak.

They had not fed me since my capture, as a means of keeping me as stable as possible during the countless surgeries I had wrought upon myself.

I was hungrier than I had ever been in any lifetime, and it was made worse by the knowledge I could not eat until my task was done.

Weeks without food was one thing, weeks without food while my body was forcibly grown was another thing entirely. It was almost as bad as the pain was.

A quick flex of my wings brought up even more bad news. They were weak, both from lack of muscle-mass, and from the sigils now carved upon my flesh.

I could not fly without fear of tearing at the already vulnerable and bleeding flesh.

Flexing my magic however was another thing entirely. It felt as if a whole new world was available to me.

I was not yet complete, but the magic I could now throw around casually could easily have killed me in the past.

I sniffed, smelling the perfection that was thousands of fish swimming about around and under my ship. I extended my magic outward.

Life energy emerged from the water moments later, before it drained away into my body, closing several wounds that had reopened with my movement.

I could not eat them, but they had their uses.

I stood up once again, this time taking several steps forward, several members of the crew moved to help me, but a snarl kept them away.

I flexed my wings again, stretching them outward before giving them a few flaps. It was a shame to spend so long bound to the earth, unable to fly.

It was worse knowing I could, but that it would tear my wings apart.

Perhaps it would be best to avoid my draconian form until I had properly healed.

i focused on the mana flowing throughout my body, closing my eyes and grasping at the whisper of a memory.

My mother, transforming into an elf for the first time in front of me, smiling down on my healthy kin. Not even looking at me as I strained to do the same.

I felt my wings recede, my scales turn into smooth elven flesh, my scars disappear, everpresent but hidden from view.

When I opened them again I Felendren for the first time since I succumbed to addiction.

I felt considerably more tender and exposed. Shapeshifting was not an illusion, for all intents and purposes I was now an elf.

Easily harmed, easily surprised. Instinctually I knew I could change back in the blink of an eye, or partially change back if needed.

It was still a danger, still a way for me to be beaten. I slowly walked forward, ignoring the darts of pain shooting up my body as I moved.

A simple robe appeared around me, formed of arcane magic in the same manner food could be.

I looked over the deck of my ship, the zombified deckhands tending to our sails, and the overseeing forms of several necromancers.

I watched as Antheol looked across the ship at me, quickly jotting down some notes in a booklet he was holding.

I watched as a bloodmage studied an arcane tome on the creation of golems.

My eyes eventually fell on Nyssa Stormheart, the night elf I had captured so many months ago, flirting lightly with Ralen.

I smiled, before I stalked down the stairs, approaching them both from behind as they looked out onto the beautiful ocean, just as the Sun was readying to set.

My hands snaked around her waist, coming together around her toned stomach. "Ralen!" she gasped out, leaning into me.

Ralen looked back to me, his eyes shadowing for a moment, before he made to get back to work.

"Stay." I called out to him, as one of my hands rose upwards, groping at her breast. Nyssa froze as she realized what was going on, not fighting but no longer leaning into me as strongly.

"How long have you two been seeing each other?" Ralen frowned. "Since a month into our original departure my lord."

It seems my time possessing Ralen had brought them close.

I smirked, my other hand sliding down Nyssa's navel and into her pants. "Good for you two."

I bit at her shoulder lightly, and listened to her try and hold back a moan as my fingers danced.

A tug tore away the loose fur top she had been wearing, exposing her large breasts with a bounce.

The hand that had been exploring her withdrew, before pulling her pants down to her knees.

I was inside her in another moment, watching he gasp out for more as I enjoyed the privilege of a body of my own.

I quickly shoved her into the railing, before I plowed her, her lover watching as I established who she really belonged to.

Nyssa screamed out, her perfect breasts visible even from behind, and her pillow-like ass bouncing as I thrust into her.

I think I'm going to enjoy being a dragon.