The evening was quiet, the lamps lit up under the watch of the three yellowed moons, casting their soft glow on the barracks. The night sky above was once more filled with twinkling stars. Holly gripped the broom tightly, a worn wooden handle chipped and smeared with old, smelly paint that grated against her sore hands. Her skin was wounded and bloodied from sparring and training, with callouses that had broken up and healed, leaving stains of pus on her white shirt.
Holly knew that if she lost too many sparring matches, she wouldn't get her supper. And this week, she had lost quite a good chunk of them. The bandages from the infirmary bled through, and until her hands healed, she was stuck with cleaning duty. It was still better than lying in bed doing nothing, as she didn't want anyone to think she was being lazy, especially her captain. Cleaning duty in the barracks could at least earn her some food, though barely enough.
As she swept the dirt floor, Holly peered out over the window sill inside one of the cabins, a cheeky display of uneaten steak on the table and a comfortable-looking bed tempting her from within. Her mouth watered as she eyed the steak on the table, her stomach rumbling. It looked amazing; she could almost taste it just by looking.
"Holly?" an elderly voice came from her side.
Startled, Holly quickly wiped the saliva from her mouth and turned to face the source of the voice. She stood straight, realizing it was Lieutenant Stalwart, and gave him a salute, causing her broom to fall to the ground.
"I-I'm sorry, Lieutenant Stalwart," she said, bowing to her superior.
Stalwart, the second in command of the barracks, was well-liked by nearly everyone there, including Holly. He was full of stories from his past experiences, which made the trainees feel connected to him. Stalwart was a middle-aged man with hazel eyes, a well-built body for his age, and a short, trimmed grey beard. He wasn't wearing any armor, just a gray shirt, leather pants, and boots.
"It's just Stalwart at this time, Holly," he said, motioning for her to relax, before taking something out of his pocket and tossing it to her.
Her eyes widened as she caught the clothed pouch he threw. When she opened it, she found a few strips of dried pork inside. Holly looked back at Stalwart, who gestured for her to eat.
"T-thank you…" she said, feeling grateful for the unexpected treat.
"Don't thank me," he replied with a smile. "Thank yourself. Valiant told me you fought well in that spar; you gave Jackal a hard fight."
Holly couldn't help but smile at the compliment. "But I lost to him."
"You'll improve. Those who are great at their jobs have failed somewhere in their life, but they made sure to do better."
Encouraged by Stalwart's words, Holly took a bite of the dried pork. The salty taste made her eyes widen, her mouth drying from it, but she tore off another strip and chewed it, swallowing with a slight grimace. Stalwart handed her his canteen of water, which she accepted eagerly, gulping it down to wash away the saltiness.
"Valiant and I are going off hunting a wild boar that was sighted north of here tomorrow," Stalwart said. "Do you want to come with us?"
Holly considered the invitation; she sure needed a break, and she couldn't engage in any important training until her hands healed. "Are you sure? Won't I get into trouble for skipping training?"
"I can talk with the captain. Despite being an arrogant jerk, he listens to me."
Holly thought about it for a moment. "If that's the case, then count me in!"
"Sure, meet us at the north gate first light," he said before passing her and giving her a pat on the shoulder. "And you better start sweeping again to go to sleep early."
Holly's eyes widened, and she quickly picked up her broom, resuming her sweeping with newfound energy, making the dust fly around her once more.
--
The cold morning sun cast a gentle glow over Holly's short hair as she made her way towards the North Gate. She adjusted her dark green tunic and secured her knife into her belt before tucking her trousers into the worn-out boots, riddled with holes and tears. Holly didn't mind the state of her boots; she preferred to patch them up when needed instead of asking for a new pair.
Upon reaching the lift, she spotted Valiant, a well-built young man with a tan complexion and faint freckles. He wore earth-toned linen, indicating his readiness for intense training, and his belt was adorned with pouches and a holstered knife. His trousers were tucked into his slightly better-conditioned boots. Stalwart, Valiant's father, stood beside him, dressed similarly with a longbow and quiver of arrows.
Excitement filled Holly as she ran towards them, calling out their names. Valiant turned with a smile, and the two friends exchanged a high five.
"Are your hands doing any better?" Valiant asked.
Holly raised her hands to show the numerous small wounds. Though they looked better than yesterday, they still stung occasionally. She lowered them again.
"They still sting, but it's not as bad as yesterday," she replied.
"Glad to hear that," Valiant said, pausing to take something from his belt pouch. He handed her a wooden whistle, explaining its purpose. "We need this when we get into trouble or get separated."
Holly nodded, gratefully accepting the whistle and placing it in her pocket.
"Alright, you two," Stalwart interjected. "Let's get going, and we might return here before the sun sets."
The two friends nodded, eager for their adventure, as they followed Stalwart to the lift.
The noon winds rustled the leaves of the trees as Stalwart, Valiant, and Holly made their way through the thick foliage of the forest. Holly had already had lunch with them a good distance away from the city, yet there were still no signs of the boar they were after.
They followed Stalwart deeper into the forest until an unpleasant smell reached Holly's nose, making her crinkle it in repulsion. Stalwart asked if they could smell it too, and Holly replied sarcastically, "The smell of poop? Yeah."
Valiant laughed briefly before stopping, still wearing a smile. Intrigued, Holly asked him why he was laughing.
"Remember when we were around nine, doing chores in one of the barns?" Valiant began.
Holly pondered for a moment before recalling those times, though she only remembered mundane tasks like feeding the cows and taking out hay. She couldn't think of anything particularly memorable from that place.
"Yeah, I do, but I don't recall anything funny happening," she responded.
Valiant chuckled, "We used to play with a cart there, the one where we put cow waste in. I remember a time when we were finishing up, and the cart was heavy, so I asked for your help."
The memory suddenly came back to Holly, and she bowed her head in embarrassment. "Oh, yeah, that time when we got chased by the farm owners because we accidentally covered them in cow poop."
Valiant laughed harder, "I remember you avoiding them for quite a while after that."
"Can we reminisce later?" Stalwart interjected, drawing their attention. "We still have a boar to catch, and the wind is in our favor, so the boar won't smell us coming."
Both Holly and Valiant nodded, and they continued to follow Stalwart through the forest. After some time, they spotted the boar, resting lazily on the ground. Stalwart aimed his bow at it, but his eyes suddenly widened, and he looked uneasy before quickly signaling for them to get down.
"What's wrong, dad?" Valiant asked.
"The boar is dead. Something killed it, and I reckon it's a dragon," Stalwart replied.
The word "dragon" struck Holly and Valiant, and they felt a heavy chill down their spines. Holly turned to have the carcass, her hand hovered over the knife on her belt, her greath became heavy, as memories of her childhood resurfaced, with her carrying her mother's shoe through the forest, tears streaming down her face, as she walked alone in the night. Shaking herself out of the memory, she saw Valiant's comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You'll get your chance soon, Holly, but it's not today," Valiant assured her.
Looking back at the carcass, Holly took a deep breath and nodded. Before they could move forward, a loud flapping of wings reached their ears. Panic set in as they turned to see a giant clawed red hand reach for them.
In a horrifying moment, Valiant was snatched up by the dragon. Stalwart screamed for his son and was about to give chase when the dragon roared seemingly in pain. Valiant fell back to the ground with a thud. Both rushed to Valiant's side, Stalwart tended to his injured son.
Valiant groaned in pain, his left arm bleeding with his knife still clutched in his hand. The dragon's presence still lingered, and Stalwart decided they needed to flee. He lifted Valiant onto his shoulders, and the trio ran as fast as they could. The dragon's deafening roar echoed behind them.
As they ran, Stalwart encountered a fissure and leaped across it. Holly tried to follow but mistimed her jump, causing her to jump just short to the other end. She managed to grab onto the edge, but her grip was slipping.
"Help!" She cried.
Stalwart stopped on his tracks and looked back at Holly who was holding for dear life. The dragon roared once more. He looked at his son, before he continued to run away, leaving Holly behind.
Tears filled Holly's eyes as she saw Stalwart continue to run, her body felt cold at the realization that she was alone.
Her mind raced, she looked down to see the depth of the fall. It was at least twelve feet, and she hesitated to go down, fearing she wouldn't find a way out. However, the dragon landed in front of her it enormous size casting a shadow down at her. Holly's eyes widened as its sights turned to her, as its talon lunged for her, forcing her to let go and land in a pile of dried leaves.
Trapped in the fissure, Holly looked up and saw the descending talon of the dragon reach for her, she backpedaled away, until her back was against the caves walls. Fear gripped her, but she quickly steeled herself and took out her knife. The dragon talon, vigorously tried to find her to grab her, but she skillfully evaded it and struck the talon with her blade, and drove it deep, before she pushed it down, making a gashing wound that sprayed blood all over her, The dragon roared in pain and withdrew its talon, leaving Holly covered in its blood, as she heard the roar once more before flying away.
Laughing victoriously, despite her dire situation, Holly shouted, "That will teach you not to mess with me, you flying snake!"
Holly's heart was pounding, and she collapsed to the ground, taking deep breaths to steady herself. Covered in blood, she couldn't help but think of Stalwart leaving her behind to protect his son, though she knew it was the right decision.
A couple hours had slipped by, or so it seemed to Holly. For a good chunk of that time, she had merely remained where she had fallen, the spot where she had pierced the dragon's claw, prior to determining to investigate the caves tunnels to locate an exit.
The meagre sunlight filtering through into the deeper parts of the cave was hardly of any help. But she persisted in her exploration, restricting herself to the areas bathed in light.
It was as she was wandering through another cave passage, a sliver of sunlight breaking in from above, nurturing a cluster of medium-sized plants, she decided to see what it had to offer. But her spirits sank though when it turned out to be a dead-end; the hole letting in the sunlight was far too high to clamber up to.
Holly gave a heavy sigh and booted a pebble, discharging her annoyance. She was preparing to return from where she had set out, when she spotted something glittering, catching the sunlight.
Intrigued, she moved towards it and discovered it was a golden object, partially buried under the earth and moss.
Bending down, Holly shifted the moss, her eyes opening wide at the sight of skeletal talons gripping the object. Brushing away more of the moss, she found the skeletal remains of a dragon, albeit a small one. Holly deduced that the dragon must have been a juvenile when it was alive. She cast a glance up towards the sunlight then back to the skeleton.
The dragon must have plummeted and succumbed to its injuries. The sight gave Holly a strange comfort; the beast was dead and couldn't harm her. She did feel any sympathy for the creature; it was foolish not to have used its wings to fly when it fell.
She returned her attention to the gold object, began to unearth it, and with a yank, pulled it free. She held it in amazement, despite the grime ingrained in its intricate patterns, she could definitely trade it. It appeared to be an armband, and she proceeded to clean off the dirt using her tunic, which was still damp with the blood of the dragon she had skewered.
She concluded the cleaning process by polishing the dirt off its centerpiece, which bore a peculiar symbol. It seemed to represent lightning, but she really couldn't be certain. A smile lit up Holly's face as she finished cleaning it, and slipped it onto her arm; it fit her perfectly. She beamed as she admired her new accessory.
"Holly? Holly? Are you there? Please answer!"
Stalwart's voice echoed through the cave. Tears welled up in Holly's eyes, as she hastily retreated to where she had fallen.
"I'm here! I'm here," Holly hollered as she arrived at the spot.
"Oh thank goodness you're safe!" Stalwart said, appearing to signal others to approach. "I'm sorry that I left you, I had to make sure my sin was safe first."
"It's alright, I understand, I would probably have done the same."
Stalwart nodded, as a few individuals appeared near him, dropping a rope for her. She clung onto it as they hauled her out.
Stars speckled across the night sky, and two of the three moons illuminated the night. Holly scratched her arm that bore the armband; it had been itching ever since she emerged from the cave.
As they journeyed back to Invincible City, some of the people who had accompanied Stalwart to rescue her from the cave inquired how she had managed to survive. She simply replied that luck was on her side, which they accepted. After all, it's not every day someone survives a dragon attack without sustaining severe injuries.
They also provided her with a new, slightly oversized tunic to wear, which she didn't mind. Anything was preferable to her old one.
Holly glanced at Valiant, who was lying on a wagon pulled by a large cat, fast asleep. She hadn't had a chance to speak to him since he had already passed out when she reached him. They had splinted his leg and tended to his wounds. Stalwart assured her that Valiant would recover in a few days.
She certainly hoped so.
They pressed on until they saw the lights of Invincible City glowing on the mountainside. The long line of people that had stretched far into the distance was gone, but she could see a few setting up camp nearby in the light of their lamps.
Upon arriving at the lift, the guards instructed that the injured would ascend first, so Holly, Valiant, and Stalwart boarded. The lift jolted to life with a thud and began its upward journey. The wind rushed past Holly, sending a shiver down her spine, and she absently scratched her back.
"You should go wash up, Holly," Stalwart suggested, causing Holly to turn towards him. "You're starting to smell."
"I could say the same to you," Holly retorted.
This prompted a light chuckle from Stalwart before he turned his attention to his son. "I'll have to tend to my son first."
Holly nodded, again scratching her arm. The rest of the journey upwards was silent. Upon reaching the top, a guard escorted them to the infirmary. Holly was instructed to clean up and rest by the doctors, as she had escaped relatively unscathed. Valiant, on the other hand, needed immediate medical attention as they determined he had broken several ribs and a leg. Despite the doctors' objections, Stalwart insisted on staying by his son's side.
Holly made her way to the bathhouse, which luckily for her, never closed. However, she first had to return to the barracks to fetch some clean clothes.
Upon reaching the barracks, she entered the cabin quarters where several of her fellow trainees were bunking together. The room was dimly lit, but she could see just fine. She navigated to her bunk bed and extracted some clothes from her bag.
Once she was ready, she turned to leave, only to startle a boy of about her age with her sudden movement. He looked terrified, perhaps mistaking her for an intruder.
"Relax," she whispered, trying not to wake the others. "I'm one of you. I just came here to get some clothes."
The boy hunched down further, seemingly more afraid. Holly rolled her eyes and exited the cabin. As she made her way to the bathhouse, she couldn't help but notice the strange looks she was receiving from passersby. She dismissed it, attributing it to her face being covered in dried dragon blood.
Upon arriving at the bathhouse, which was mostly deserted, she found a dressing room and examined her reflection in a wall-mounted mirror. To her shock, her eyes were glowing yellow and her face was practically covered in dark red scales.
Holly screamed and fell backward in horror. She gasped when she felt something on her back. Rising to her feet, she removed her tunic and her heart chilled at what she saw. Patches of scales were rapidly spreading across her body and hand-like appendages seemed to be trying to emerge from her back.
Holly immediately left the bathhouse and ran towards the infirmary. She was in the city's square when she tripped and tried to reach out for help. She was horrified to see dark red scales erupting on her arm and hands. An immense pressure was building all over her body, and then she was struck by a sharp pain, as she grew in size. Then as sudden volley pain rushed from her back. She looked back and saw a pair of enormous wings spanning the width of the square.
Her body was convulsing with pain as her bones cracked and her muscles heated and twisted. Her lower back was hurting increasingly, and within seconds her trousers had split as her tail grew longer and thicker. Her bones and muscles shifted and cracked in her legs as well.
Holly was now covered in scales, her face elongated into a muzzle, and her teeth turned into sharp daggers. Her neck bones cracked and shifted as they elongated, and tears welled up in her eyes as she screamed for the pain to cease. Then, horns grew from her head and dark red spikes gradually emerged from her head to her tail.
Holly panted heavily as the pain slowly subsided. She tried to stand, but toppled onto her side. Her body felt foreign. She turned to examine herself and sure enough, she saw wings and a tail, all covered in red and dark red scales.
"No-no!" Holly cried, rising to all fours and using her wings for balance.
Her outburst caused the surrounding people to gasp and scream in fear. Holly's eyes dilated as she realized how much smaller they were in comparison to her. She towered over them, and their eyes were filled with terror.
"The girl has been possessed by this monster!"
"Dragons can do that to us now?!"
"Kill it before it spreads its sickness and turns us into those mindless beasts!"
"No, no, no, it's still me!" she protested.
However, this only intensified their fear, and they retreated further. The clatter of guards' footsteps was the next sound she heard, as they pointed their spears and bows at her.
She slumped her head and took a few steps back. Her breathing quickened as more guards arrived. Holly scanned the crowd and saw Stalwart among the ranks, holding a spear.
She sighed calmly, "Stalwart! It's me, Holly!"
"It's growling! It's going to attack!" one of the guards yelled.
Holly's heart sank when she realized they couldn't understand her anymore. Her thoughts were interrupted as an arrow bounced off the scales on her chest. Her eyes widened as the guards began to fire arrows at her, which harmlessly deflected off her scales. The spear-wielding guards prepared to throw their weapons at her, sending her into a panic. She spotted a small opening in the crowd and seized her chance to escape.
Holly sprang forward, causing the crowd to scatter in her wake. However, she crashed into the side of a house in the process.
Shaking off her disorientation, she continued her clumsy escape on all fours, smashing into stalls and buildings. Dozens of people had to dodge her rampage, and she hoped she hadn't killed anyone by accident. She reached the edge of the cliff, her only means of escape. She didn't want to die as a dragon; there had to be a way to revert to her human form, and she needed to escape to find it.
Turning her back to the city, she noticed many eyes watching her from their homes and behind
stalls. She faced the edge of the cliff and the starry night sky, before taking a deep breath and leaping off. Her screams filled the air as she plummeted, but then, to her surprise, her new wings unfurled, catching the air and allowing her to glide. She let out a sigh of relief, but she still didn't know how to control this new form properly.
Her descent brought her closer to the treetops, and in a panic to slow down, she leaned forward, only to flip over and lose her speed. She crashed into the treetops, colliding with multiple branches, before falling to the forest floor on her back.
Pain surged through her body once more. She tried to roll onto her side to stand, but she hissed in pain. Struggling to stay conscious, she heard the crackling of dried leaves. She moved toward the sound and saw the silhouette of a dragon approaching. Panic filled her chest.
"No... no... no..."
She attempted to stand, but her muscles trembled, and she collapsed again. A tear escaped her eye as the dragon drew nearer, and then she closed her eyes and surrendered to the darkness.