Hello everyone!~ I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. I apologize for taking so long to update… A lot has been happening in my life recently and I've been finding it a bit difficult to find the time to get this written out. But I doubt you wish to hear about me and more of Lucy. Although, before I can get to that I just have one more thing to say… Thank you, katie131925, for being my first comment! I greatly appreciated it!~ And just so you all know, I like comments more than anything. Those are what motivate me the most. Even if they're flames. Like I said before I welcome criticism of any kind. Even flames! That's all. Carry on!~ -~~~^~~~- I walk forward, looking at each different flare as I continue onward. "Lucy Parker. Come hither, Child." a voice called from a cave towards my right. I quickly walk into the opening of the cave to a large tunnel. I follow a well worn path through the tunnel to an impossibly large cavern with gem lined walls and an intricate silver dragon statue in the middle. It seemed to glow with an otherworldly force. "Closer, Child," the voice calls from the statue as its eyes glow white. Warily, I walk forward to the statue. "There is no need to be so wary, dear child. You have been brought here to receive your ancestral inheritances." "Pardon? Ancestral inheritances? What do you mean by that?" "You have been transformed into one of own. And when one of our kind comes of age, they receive gifts from their ancestors and past clan members. Although you are not directly descended from our kind you, dear child, have been found most worthy of our kind." "You're kind as in dragons?" I ask uncertainly. "Yes Dear Child," the weird statue replies. "Our kind has not seen your world for many millennia and we have been hoping for a worthy mortal, like yourself, to join our midsts. Your arrival has been greatly waited upon for quite some time, Lucy Parker. "Thus making you sought after for clan adoptions in many." I nod my affirmative. "How will I accept the offers of my adoption?" In answer to my question, two dozen dragons, each at least twenty feet tall, different shades and colors, shapes and sizes walk into the cavern from a hidden passage in the wall. They start to circle me. As they look at me with measuring gazes, they sniff at me and it feels as if their summing me up to a microscopic level. Almost immediately the brighter, happier colored dragons leave. Then the more stockier, mean looking ones. Leaving behind ten other dragons. They all sit down around me except for two bright red scaled beasts. All that was left were two classic green scaled dragons, two blue colored gems, two rich purple beauties, a blood-red scaled dragon with scars littering its ruby-like coat, and a pitch black beast that was easily the biggest dragon present. The paler violet dragon with soft grey eyes walks over to me first. "Greetings, Lucy!" she says in a young, female voice, "I am Draumrojart. The Bright Dreamer. On behalf of Clan Aiedall, I would like to welcome you to our clan. I grant thee the gift of Dream Walking. May you use it wisely and may it serve you well." As she finishes, she taps her nose to my right temple. It glows with a purple, matching her scales and then she leaves. The red, battle worn one walks forward with a slight limp in its hind leg and a twinkle in its golden eyes. "Lucy Parker," he says in a deep, strong, masculine voice, "I am Blodgrid. Bloodgate. On behalf of Clan Istalrikvistr, I welcome you. I grant thee the gift of battle." Just like Draumrojart, Blodgrid taps me. But this time with his claw and touches my left arm causing it to flare red and a claw mark is etched into my skin where he touched me. Next is the deep forest green dragon with earthy undertones to his scales, "Hello, Lucy," his ancient voice rumbles with age and warmth. "I am Orumgala. Serpent Chanter. And I welcome thee to Clan Deloidatia. My gift to you is the All-Tongue." Orumgala touches my lips gently with one of his claws and my lips flare the matching green of his scales. He smiles at me and then leaves. Then the sparkling, periwinkle dragon gracefully walks over, "Greetings to thee, Young One. I am Silbenahjart. The Sighing Heart. I of Clan Gedweygata grant thee the gift of Flame-Whispering." She has an airy voice filled with a sad wisdom and sighed onto my right palm, leaving behind an intricate design of flames that trails up my palm and over my wrist and lower arm. Then Silbenahjart leaves as well. The deeper, darker purple dragon marches forward in Silbenahjart's place and speaks in an echoing, musical sound, "Young Lucy, greetings and merry meet from Clan Vardaevarinya. I, Eldrvaryafells, grant thee the gift of Earthtouch." He takes his claw and runs it down my left arm. It leaves a trail of amethyst, sparkling with emerald highlights, and then leaves with the others. Almost immediately his place is taken by a dark, midnight blue dragon with a lanky build, twinkling light green eyes, and a cheery gate. "Hello Lucy!" he says in a young male voice. "I am Niatvelven. Not Easily Sighted, and on behalf of Clan Guliafern, I welcome you. I grant thee the gift of Blending." He touches my chest, right over my heart, with his nostrils. A blue swirl that fades the farther out it branches, is etched into my skin. He quickly nuzzles my cheek and then leaves. Niatvelven leaves behind two other dragons; the emerald green dragon with a motherly aura, and the giant black beauty with the icy blue eyes. The dragon with the emerald scales comes forward first. "Greetings to thee, Lucy Parker," she said in an older matronly voice. "I am Fethrgram, Feather Wolf. I welcome you to Clan Heilistari. My gift to you is Healing of the Heart and Flesh." She touches her nose to my forehead and a rose is left in the middle of it. She nuzzles me as Niatvelven had done; then quickly leaves with the others. I turn towards the last dragon as it sits still. For the longest while the black scaled legend stared at me, scrutinizing me, as I too stared back. It snorts in amusement before nodding. "Greetings to thee, Lucy Parker," she says in a strong, wise voice. "I'm impressed with you. When your coming to the Kin Realm was foretold, all of Dragon kind was in an uproar. None of the clans wished to adopt a mere human into our midsts. But I, Losna Wyrna, the clanless one, anxiously awaited your arrival. You, Lucy Parker, were one of the most hated kin members, besides myself." "Why were you hated?" I ask confusedly. She walks forward towards me and I catch glimpses of recently healed scars. Losna Wyrna sits down and smiles at me sadly. "I fell in love with a human," she sighs. "In my time of accepting my inheritance, I was gifted with a rare ability called the Shifting of the Skins. It allowed me to take any form I wished. I was fascinated by the human realm, but you know how humans are with beasts bigger than them. And when I was gifted with the ability to take a human form… "Well, I didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. So, I went to the human realm. I quickly lost my way and had no way of contacting the Kin Realm. After traveling a ways through the forest I was in, I came to a road. There I met I a young man traveling along the path. At the time I didn't know that humans wore clothing and when I approached him for the first time…" she chuckles softly to herself. "He had quite the shock. He covered me in his cloak and brought me to his home. He lived alone on a small farm that his father had left him. He took me in and taught me the ways of man. And soon I found myself falling for him. But sadly, it was not to be." Losna Wyrna sighs and looks at me. "Rogue dragonkin came one night and attacked us. I was forced to reveal my true form and battle them. I fought until the point of exhaustion and my love was gravely injured in the cross flame. I dragged myself back to the kin realm and when I told my tale; I was forsaken. "I was stripped of my Clan and abilities. An outcast among my kind. And when I heard that a human was to be accepted into our kind; I fought tooth and claw to be here before you now." I blush and look down, embarrassed that such a noble creature would sacrifice so much for so little. Her paw carefully under my chin, she lifts my head up so that I look her in the eyes. "I, Losna Wyrna: Releaser of Fate, of the clanless, grant you these gifts. The Shifting of the Skins." Here she touched the left side of my chest and a set of differencing paw prints appeared. "Shadow Walking and Shadow Whispering." Next my left temple and a small black constellation appeared. "My knowledge of both human and dragon kin alike." Then my right temple and a small star appeared. "And my dragon form," my back and a black dragon with icy blue eyes wrapped itself around my back and middle. "Lucy Parker, do you accept these gifts that have been bestowed upon you by myself and those of clans before me?" she asks loudly. "I do." "To use these gifts in honorable and noble ways?" "I do." "Do you swear to never abuse these gifts for evil needs and to never strike the innovect?" I nod. "I do." "So mote it be." Losna Wyrna's form shimmers and glow, then bursts as the other multicolored gems from the walls began to glow as well. The lights crescendos and bursts into a plethora of fireworks. And once again, I'm floating aimlessly in the blackness. This time though, it's much more warm and I feel strong arms around me. Normally I would be fighting and running away fromt the slightest touch. But these arms are different. They feel kind. I snuggle into the broad chest that's attached to the kind arms and with a sigh, I allow myself to fall completely asleep. Because for once in a long time, I feel safe.