Somewhere in the east Hitomi wakes in a strange land

Somewhere in the east Hitomi wakes in a strange land. High in the sky hangs the moon and the Earth.

Hitomi: "Oh no what happened? I though I saw Van. It was Van!"

She raises her hand to brush the hair from her face only to stop short. Her hand is clawed, and it is green.. Looking down she realizes her whole body is green. 'Where are my clothes'? Hitomi's body has changed, no longer the petit brunette, she is green with delicate, shinny, scales from her wrists up her arms, across her shoulders. They cover her upper chest and v to her navel. Then they flare out to cover where she needs it most. On her left hip is a black marking resembling a dragon. Even her hair is different, Silver.

Hitomi: "Please let this be a dream, I don't want this to happen to me."

She feels truly alone, even if she knew where she is and could find Van, he would not know her as she is now. She almost hurt him last night. If she became all dragon again and he found her, it could very well be kill now and ask questions later. Hitomi lays her head on her arms and cries.

The sun is lowering in the sky; Hitomi has remained in the same spot unmoving and unable to accept her situation. Suddenly she hears a noise. Her pointed ears stand as she senses and can almost see the direction and distance the sound is coming from. Several miles away a hunter, a cat man, is deep in the forest on a hunt. Although he is the hunter, he is also the hunted. Hitomi can feel it: danger and death. A raw power surges through her. She leaps up and starts running; running toward the danger, toward the sound. She leaps a fallen tree branch and pain tears across her back. Leathery wings emerge, and she takes flight.

The cat man pulls his spear from the dead beast. Then raising the spear, blood dripping from the blade, gives thanks to the spirit of the hunt. So intense he is in the ritual, he becomes aware of movement around him later then he should. He has allowed himself to be surrounded. 'How did I allow this to happen'? He wonders as four men appear out of the forest. Poachers of the land that only kill for sport, not for food.

Kendon: "Lookey here Jad, we have us a lone cat"

Jad: " One with a golden pelt no less. He'll make a fine prize, Kendon, a fine prize."

The men advance closer, spears and bows drawn, ready for the kill. A lone dragon trumpets from above, and a green dragon swoops out of the sky, landing in front of the cat man. It trumpets again, rumbling dangerously. Its chest begins to glow. The dragon extends a clawed hand palm out and blue/green flame shoots out engulfing two of the men in flames. Their screams are short, the fire extinguishes and they are gone. The two remaining men drop their weapons and run. The dragon trumpets one last time, a warning: then turns to look directly at the cat man. A faint glow surrounds the dragon as it shrinks and changes form in front of the stunned cat man. He finds himself face to face with a beautiful dragon woman, she looks sad, her eyes full of tears.

He drops to one knee, bowing his head.

Nathen: "I am Nathen of the cat folk tribe of the hills. I live to serve you o dragon goddess"

And serve her he does; for his first act in her service is to catch her as she faints.

Hatomi awakens, there is a chill in the night air, but she is warm. Lying close to a crackling fire, she is covered by a woven blanket. She sits up slowly, but see no one around. Looking down she sees a tunic laid out along with a sash.

Nathen: "I hope it fits ok. If you let it hang to the back and cinch it with the sash your wings shouldn't get caught in it."

Hitomi: "Wings?"

Memory flashes: the burst of pain when the wings emerged. fire and death. Hitomi sobs.

Nathen: "Goddess what troubles you so, is it the clothes? I didn't mean to insult you, it was just you were shivering, I thought."

Hitomi: "No, No thank you. It's just that I remember last night. I know those men were going to kill you, but I have never hurt anyone before in my life."

Hitomi looks directly at Nathen, all of her pain reflected in her eyes.

Nathen sighs.

Nathen: "You must be hungry. Goddesses do eat don't they?"

Hitomi: "Yes I do eat, but my name is Hitomi and I'm not a goddess. How long have I been here, how long since the comet?"

Nathen: "Comet, what is a comet? I know of no such thing."

Hitomi: "It's a very large star that shoots across the sky kind of like fire."

Nathen: "Oh, you mean the Firestar, It crossed the sky early last night, but how can you say your not a goddess. Did you not appear as a dragon to save me, then change before my very eyes to your present form."

Hitomi: " I don't know, I don't understand. I kneed to go to Fanilia, to find the king there. He will help me."

Nathen: "Oh but goddess, Hitomi, the kings of Fanilia slay dragons as part of the right to become king. It could be dangerous for you there."

Hitomi: "I need to find out why I'm here like this. When I came last night he was there, almost as if he knew something was coming."

Nathen: " To greet you or to kill you. Come with me to my village. The Elders there are wise. Many have spent their entire lives learning the history of Gaea and the legends of the lands. You may have been lead here for a reason."

Hitomi is unsure, would Van welcome her as she is now. Their love may not be enough. In the past few months she has felt less connected to him. "Has he begun to forget me Everything I know, every thing I am has changed in the space of a day." Hitomi can't find Fanilia by herself and she can't stay here and do nothing. It is too soon for Hitomi to trust Nathen, but she feels he has a good heart. She will go to his village. She will talk to the Elders. Standing up she wraps the blanket around her and picks up the tunic. She heads for the surrounding brush to dress.

Hitomi: "I will return shortly and then we can eat together if you like.