Chapter 4

Little Shadow

Mrs. Carson looked at the Egg that from time to time started to shake from the movement within. Then there appeared a small crack in the shell of the egg. Tennyo one of the last years freshman of the academy that was brought in together with the rest of team Kimba got excited and questioned.

"Oh my god is that a crack in the eggs shell?"

The egg stopped to shake for maybe a minute then it started to shake again harder this time, the crack in the egg got longer then there was a strange sensation in the air and Nikki gasped, "She’s pulling in all the free essence in the room." And a second later the egg broke.

Mrs. Carson looked at the small Dragon that was sitting between the broken egg shell, it was completely black and covered in some kind of yellow to green colored glibber. The Dragon was a little bit bigger than a cat and started to lick of the glibber that was still covering it's body using his long an flexible neck to reach for every area of its body. After a few minutes of ignoring the looks of the stunned crowd, it seemed to be happy enough stood up and shaked itself like a wet dog getting rid of the rest of the glibber.

The small Dragon looked at the crowd. "What! have you never seen a Dragon hatch?" the Dragon asked mentally at the crowd. Then it opened its wings, they had been created so close to the body that Mrs. Carson hadn't even noticed them before. The wings were so thin that even though they were clearly as black as the rest of the dragon’s body the membranes looked nearly transparent.

The dragon then suddenly jumped towards the crowd using it's wings to correct its jumping path and landed on Nikki's shoulder. The dragon was so fast that all she managed was to scream a surprise girly "Kyah" before the dragon landed on her shoulder and started to move under her long red locked hair.

"Hey that tickles!" Nikki said, but the dragon didn't stopped until everything but it's tail was vanished under Nikki's hair, then the dragon’s head looked out of the hair on Nikki’s other shoulder. The Dragon seemed to nestle itself around Nikki’s neck. Finally happy with the position it yawned and said. "I'm going to rest now!"

Tennyo moved closer to Nikki and gently touched the little dragon. "Woah she feels so smooth! How is it even possible for her to feel like that."

"Hey stop poking her Tennyo, she clearly needs to rest." Nikki defended the little dragon that was resting on her shoulders. "But you are right she is really comforting around my neck, it’s as if she is made out of satin."

Everyone gathered around Nikki to look at the little dragon even Mrs Carson couldn't help herself and moved closer. "Is she already asleep?"

"I don't think so." answered Nikki, "if I remember correctly that would take years, she is probably just resting."

"If you would like I can explain what just happened." offered Black Shadow.

"You can?" asked Mrs. Carson

"Of course, it’s quite simple, she need a few minutes to rest since she needed a lot of power to get out of the egg, now she need to refill this therefore she went to the person with the most essence around to gather more on her own. Additionally she is young and is looking for a safe place, being near the Queen of the West is one of this places since we used to be allies in the past."

“Yes that makes sense.” Nikki admitted. She then used her right hands finger to touch the dragons little head under the eye and started to rub it gently.

“fssshh” The dragon seemed to hum and moved closer towards Nikki, and she started to blush.

###

Freedom finally I was out of my egg, I had still some of the sticky glibber on my scales and started to clean myself. Not to bad. I thought while cleaning myself I took me quite a while to get most of it and when I finally got rid of most of the stuff, I stretched myself and shake my body like a dog would do to clean his fur shaking off the rest of the glibber.

I noticed everyone was looking at me, man they are huge, “What! Have you never seen a Dragon hatch?” stupid question nobody in here had. I spread my wings to check them and get ready to look for a safe spot to rest. Hmm Nikki's shoulder would be good I can hide under the hair and she gathers lot of essence where I would get a good share of it. I flexed my back legs muscles and jumped I only needed to make some small corrections during the jump with my wings, mainly to slow myself right before I landed on her left shoulder. “Kyah” she screamed surprised.

Hmm this already feels good her neck is that's the way to go. I ducked myself under her hair tightly to her skin and moved behind her head on the other shoulder with my front paws.

“Hey that tickles!”

I knew my tail was still visible but I couldn't do anything against that I would need it to hold myself on too her when she would move. Then I lifted my head through her locks and draped it on her shoulder. Finally comfy with my position I nestled myself around her neck, Oh my gawd am I tired. “Yawn” I'm going to rest now!” I said to the crowd.”

I could feel the spiky blue haired girl was closing in on us, I could somehow tell that she meant no harm. She gently touched my skin and I was happy to hear that it felt good, well obviously it felt good it was mine after all. Nikki tried to protect me, I had chosen a good place to rest, and she seemed to like it that I had chosen her neck for my rest.

Mrs. Carson the human headmistress asked “Is she already asleep?” after she had closed in to us.

Nikki denied that of course she knew that I was to young to start sleeping.

Brother explained them why I probably had chosen Nikki to rest and I could see the truth in his words. Nikki admitted that she could understand the reasons.

Then she did something I hadn't expected nor had I experienced it before. She touched my under my eye with a finger and starting to gently rub it. “fssshh” I moaned, what was that? I felt like I would melt by her touch, “ahh, don't stop, ohh queen ahh..” I started to sing for her in the dragon tongue a song of pleasure and comfort. She started to blush and I was pretty sure that she at least understood a few of the more intimate parts of the song.

Mrs. Carson talked about wanting to complete the talk she had with me and asked Nikki if it would be okay for her to accompany us since I had pretty much decided for her as a place to rest for now. I didn't spend too much attention to the exact details because lucky me, Nikki hadn't stopped caressing my sweet spot. She started to move and followed Mrs. Carson out of the lab, and I noticed something was in the hallway with us. I stopped humming and Nikki stopped walking.

“What's wrong?” she questioned me. I didn't answer and moved myself completely on her right shoulder to examine the hallway then I saw it, a small prey that was sitting at the corner of the wall.

Mrs. Carson stopped now also and looked back to me. “Lílle is something? Are you..”

She didn't finish her sentence as I leaped into the air towards my pray I took the distance about 20 yards In a single jump the prey noticed me coming and started to run but I corrected my path and landed on top of it holding it down with my right claw on its small hairless tail, I bit in its neck throw it up in the air and breathed a short flame over it before I caught it again and relocated my jaw to gulp it down holding my long neck straight upwards and using my muscles to move it into my belly.

Finished with my hunt I turned myself back to Nikki and Mrs. Carson, I burped and a small flame shot out of my mouth.

“Ewwwh, did she just eat what I think she eat?” Nikki questioned.

“I think it was a rat, a pretty big one.”

“A rat? Well it was tasty little bit small but tasty.” Did I really eat a rat? Yeah I think I did but actually I didn't care I still felt hungry, and I wouldn't waste another opportunity if it would arise.

I moved back to Nikki this time without jumping and she took me up and set me back on her shoulder where I then moved back to my earlier position. “Thank you Nikki.”

“Don't mention it Lìlle.” she started to caress my sweet spot again.

“fsshh,,,. You don't know when to stop your torturer.”

Hmm and I thought she liked it. Nikki thought.

“I do like it maybe a little bit to much.”

"Well I could stop."

“Don't you dare!”

"Awhh you little hypocrite."

I went back and started to sing another song about the hunt and love of nature.

“Can we move on?” Mrs. Carson asked me.

“Yeah sure go ahead I might need to stop if I spot another prey I'm kinda hungry.”

“Didn't you just eat a rat about a 4th of your own weight?”

“Well I'm hungry enough to eat another dozen of them right now.”

“Well in this case we don't have to worry about rats on campus any longer, that's something.”
Mrs Carson said suppressing a laugh.

We moved on and exited the underground tunnel leading from Lab S towards Kane Hall. The first time outside of a closed space after I had hatched and I was nearly overwhelmed by all the unknown yet familiar sensations that rushed over me like a tsunami.

I could hear so many noises the wind touching the leafs of the trees. Could I actually tell the number of leafs on a tree by the sound of the wind rushing past them? Yeah I think I can. The sound of all the billions of little critters in the air and in the ground, the wing swings of an owl that was passing by a few hundred yards away. Then I saw a pigeon landing on the ground not to far away.

I knew it hadn't realized me as it started to pick up on something at the ground. I silently moved to the ground, even Nikki didn't realized my sudden movement, then I exploded in movement jumping horizontal over the grass towards the pigeon. The pigeon didn't even noticed what killed her, and I started to eat it after roasting it for a several seconds.

With the pigeon in my stomach I felt a lot better, and even though I did spot a rabbit not to far away it was white and it sat in an far too inviting spot, as if to lure me. That's fishy something doesn't add up it should have heard me killing the pigeon why is it still sitting there? I decided not to eat it for now. I turned around and started to slowly move back to Mrs. Carson and Nikki, that had stopped till I was finished with my meal. Someone is looking at me. Arrgh this is irritating.

“Sorry to make you wait let's get moving.”

Nikki offered me her shoulder and I jumped back on it this time I decided to sit upright on it to scan the area for whoever was trying to lure me. Hmm has she already finished recovering? What a pity I really like the feeling of her on my neck.

If someone obviously likes it so much it’s hard to not do them the favor. “alright alright it’s not like I was able to identify this fool anyway I come back cuddling.” And thus I draped myself again around Nikki's neck. “You can read my mind?” She asked me.

“Only with physical contact and only the upper line of them like the words you form or surprises that caught you off guard and the like, brother can do that on long distances but he is a lil bit older then me.”

“No kidding. I remembered him as the only black one that fought along our sides he wasn't as big as Oolong, but he was sure more intimidating. I mean Oolong was just long and curvy in the way he moved and wise to no end. Black Shadow on the other hand, he was raw power and fire, and on the same time he was a cunning and a devious beast. I can't say that I'm surprised he is still alive.”

“Yeah brother mentioned that he figured what you ancestor was plotting way ahead and made sure he had an escape plan, he still mentioned he was lucky that it worked out so well.”

“So what do you mean who do you mean with fool that you can't identify?”

“Well as I said I don't know someone lured out a white rabbit that should have run off the moment I attacked the pigeon, it didn't run though it must have seen me. That is just wrong I was probably compelled to not notice me and the place it was sitting it just smelled fishy.”

“First day after hatch and already someone on your tail?”

“Hey I know you think that's a funny game of words, it isn't.”

“Giggling, You sure?”

“fsssh, no.” I admitted. “Queen there is favor I have to ask you.”

“A favor from a black dragon? It must be really something special if you ask me for that.”

“Actually it isn't I just can't risk doing it on my own yet, and I really need to get it done soon.”

“What can I do then for you?”

“I need to meet with the ancestral nature well that is in the forest in the south, if I'm going to hunt here it is necessary for it to be aware of my presence. I don't know for sure that it will like my presence, even though we used to be on good terms with nature, but that was a long time ago. I need you so it won't attack me right away without meeting with me first, I'm not sure I would be able to defend myself this early in age against its guardians.”

“You know of the grove?”

“Grove? Well that might be a good name to call it, it’s just it the next big center of essence next to my own in the vicinity.”

“Is that the reason why I can see all these lay lines that are connected to you? Because your nature is magic?”

“As sharp in your mind as your mother, you will be a good queen on day for sure.”

“How can you remember my mother? That was millions of years before your time.”

“I don't really understand it’s like I'm having memories that are not mine, I think its kinda of a pool of memories all dragons share, like a species memory. It isn't accurate more like a few sensations a few pictures that tells a bigger story, but your mother was remembered as being strong minded ruthless and smart as a whip.”

We entered Schuster Hall, and Nikki stopped for a second surprised. “Damn this telepathic talking is fast.”

“Fsshh. Yeah it is.”

“Miss Riley?”

“I'm sorry Mrs. Carson, kinda got distracted for a second.”

We moved towards Mrs. Carson's office and Elaine Claire her Secretary look with big eyes when she saw me looking out between Nikki's red locks. “Is that her?”

“fssh” smoke poured out of my nose “Yeah it’s me hi Claire.”

“Oh my god she is so cute!”

Hearing that I was cute somehow clicked something in me, of course I was cute I had knew that but hearing someone else admitting it, I had to show off. I moved out of my hiding place on Nikki's neck and jumped on the table where I presented myself and my wings.

Mrs. Carson realized what was going on, “Oh my there is someone in vain.”

Nikki did her best not to laugh. And I knew she was right but hey it wasn't like I hadn't had a reason to be in vain. Even a human could see how cute I was. Claire started to caress my neck.
“Oh my how is it possible that your scales are so soft? Are you sure you're not covered in feathers?”

“Of course I'm sure, I'm a dragon not a bird!” Pff humans always trying to explain this they didn't understand. I jumped back to Nikki and hid myself again under her long red locks.

“Shall we move into my office then.” Mrs. Carson said.

Nikki followed her with me on her shoulder and sat down on a chair. Mrs. Carson sat down on the chair behind her desk. She made some notes before looking back at me, or Nikki I couldn't really tell.

“Okay you stopped when you left the MCO that was about half a year ago?”

“Yeah it was between x-mas and the new year. After we left the MCO Office Cologne, and brother had transported us back into his lair. Nothing much to tell you about that we talked a while then we listened to the sound of his gold, the next day I stayed with my parents and since it was going to be new year soon I stayed with them. At night I slept in my egg in the lit chimney, and then when new year arose I had to explain what had happened to me to Oliver.”

“Hey Oliver!” I called out for him, he was walking a few meters in front of me and hadn't noticed me. He turned around and raised his eyebrows in confusion. Shit of course he wouldn't realize it’s me.

“Hi cutie who are you and how come I can't remember a cute girl like you?”

Cute girl? Oh my god did he try to hit on me? “Ohh I'm Lílle, Lílle Skygge.” Stupid why didn't I tell him I am Siggi? Oh right because I'm not any longer.

“Lílle that's an unusual name, so you're not from around?”

“Well that's a little bit complicated.”

He waited for me to catch up to him, he hadn't realized that my ears were a little bit pointy or that my eyes were not even looking like a humans. “I used to be from around here, Actually I had hoped you would recognize me that would have made this a lot easier.”

“So I'm supposed to know you? Ouch sorry I really don't want to be rude, but I', kinda lost here.”

“Oliver it’s me, Siggi.”

“Yeah sure, how much did he pay you to get this stupid joke done?”

“Oliver that isn't a joke something happened.”

That's when he noticed something was odd on my appearance.

“What's with this baggy clothing girl, you're in good shape why would you hide your beauty?”

I looked up to him he used to be taller then me when I was a boy but now I actually had to look up to him. “Oliver look at me.”

He did, “Okay I admit your hair and face somewhat resemble Siggi. But you're clearly a girl, so what do you want to achieve with this joke?” Then his eyes got bigger, “Your eyes they are kinda glowing.” He reached out to my hair and moved it aside to look at my ear. “What are you a mutant?”

“If that's easier for you, you can call me that it’s somewhat more complicated.”

“You're telling me you're Siggi, and now you are a girl with strange eyes and pointy ears anything more I need to know?”

“Uhh yeah.” I lifted my clothes to let him see my swollen belly.”

“Okay okay, you must be Siggi this story is to stupid to be made up and only Siggi would be stupid enough to get laid within days after turning into a girl.”

“Hey Oliver you moron, I didn't get laid. I told you it was complicated.”

“Yeah sure okay there wouldn't be a way you would already be in your 5 to 6th month within a few days, you were a boy last week after all. So what happened what is complicated.”

“Well do you remember how I always was into dragons?”

“Yeah sure how could I forget that when you were 13 you didn't talk about anything other than dragon and how cool they are, it was really annoying I'm still surprised we managed to stay friend due to that year.”

“Well it turned out that my interest in dragons wasn't due to me being young and just interested in the fiction but that my soul was actually a dragon one.”

“Come on next thing you're going to tell me is you turned into one.”

“Well not yet, it’s kinda hard to explain would you care to come over to my place I can’t show you here it’s too cold outside.”

He followed me back to my home and when I opened the door and called “Mom, Dad I'm home and Oliver is with me.”

Mom called, “Hey Oli do you want something to drink?”

“You actually managed Siggi's parents to take part in this prank?”

“Told you Lílle, of course he would think you're doing a prank!”

“Ohh, come on Dad, he followed me after all.”

“That's just because he want's to know more about the only girl in an appropriate age in town.”

I looked at Oliver and he was red like a tomato. Damn this what’s wrong with those humans.
“Sigh. Come on Oliver I'll show you in my room.”

We moved upstairs and I settled on my bed. “Are you ready?”

“So you're going to turn yourself into a dragon now?”

“Well kinda.”

“Yeah sure go ahead.” he rolled his eyes.

When I turned into my egg they nearly popped out of his head. He looked around the room for any hidden cameras, “Siggi?” “Lìlle?” then he looked into my drawer. “Okay what is wrong here.”
He sit on the bed next to me and looked at me. “I know I'm going to regret that but I'll play with your game for now.” he picked me up and looked at me.

“Hey please don't drop me.” He nearly did but managed to hold on to the egg. “Who was that?”

“That was me you moron.”

“Siggi?” this is strange did I hear anything.

“It is Lílle now I kinda changed my sex.”

I'm pretty sure I didn't hear a sound, how can I hear her then?

“It's called telepathic and yes I can read your mind to a certain degree like what you were thinking right now while you hold on to me.”

“That's just weird, can you please turn yourself back?” uhh mind reading that's kinda creeping me out. At least I will be able to look at her closer.

“You pervert! Fine just lay me back on the bad.”

I turned myself back into my human disguise. “Oliver stop leering at me with those lustful eyes I may be a girl now but I still used to be your friend Siggi.”

He looked on the floor getting red again. “I'm sorry I can't really help it, you're looking quite exotic. So why did you change your gender if you're not happy with it?”

“It's not that I'm not happy with it, you see turning into a dragon had changed the way I look at certain things. It’s hard to explain but I don't really care about gender at all, and my brother the dragon that helped me turn myself into one was male so my instinct took over and turned my into a woman, and it helps with breeding myself though it was as practical as appropriate in that moment.”

“You're telling me that you changed your gender during the transformation on a whim? That is just crazy.”

“You think so? Well I think I would have thought the same way before, now I don't see a problem with that it’s kinda irritating to still sometimes think like a human does.”

“Now that is weird are you telling me you don't see yourself as a human or what was you saying right now?”

“Of course I see myself not any longer as human, I'm pretty much going to live forever if I don't get killed.”

“Hmm, I don't think I can understand that but that's probably because I am human. Lílle was it? So why did you decide to tell me this, I mean that's pretty big for you.”

“Well I thought about it for a lot and since I will always remember, I thought I would regret it for the rest of eternity if I didn't tell you why I left school and left you alone in town.”

“Wait you're leaving school why?”

“I'm going to attend a private Border School in the US. It is a place where normally only mutants go to learn to control their powers in a safe place and learn how to coexist with humanity, and also I don't think it would be a good idea to stay around here with the increasing afford that humanity first is making to discredit all mutants. And having a dragon around? I think that just is like saying here I am where are your dragon hunters humans!”

“There are dragon hunters?

“I don't want to find out to be honest.”

“Probably a good decision from your point of view.”

I had to laugh loud, and Oliver joined me. “Yeah probably.”

“So private border school?”

“Yeah.”

“Will you at least come over for vacations?”

“I think so can't let brother be alone all this time in his cavern, he has been alone on his own for 20,000 years and far longer since he was together with another dragon.”

“That's good to hear can't to wait to see your sexy chick ass once you have hatched.”

“What! You little.” Calm down he is just acting like he is always acting around girls. And it's kinda flattering.

“What you little? You kinda liked that or what?”

Heat started to raise in my cheeks. “No.”

“Haha I can't believe it you're getting red as a cherry how is that even possible.”

“You YERK.” I turned back into my egg. I wasn't sure why but I really felt hurt, I knew I hadn't had any problems with being female, that didn't matter to me, but something inside me told me that I should care, and I wasn't used to the way people acted around me. This little flattering or flirting he tried to ease the conversation? Well it was really confusing and bugging and lead my mind into directions I wasn't ready to go yet. Hell we weren't even from the species what was he thinking, and yet he tried to hit on me. I knew that it wasn't that uncommon dragons had in the past lived long together with other species but they were all really long living. Being together with a Sidhe that was okay you could take your time a few couple of thousand of years, but humans? They turned to dust the moment you turned your back on them. It wasn't their fault, how should they know what it meant to lose someone precious to you and live forever with the emotions of your loss.

When I finally managed to calm myself he had already left. Their time is precious for them after all, they only have such a short amount of it they can't waste it to wait for me to calm down. I was fine with that and he had excused himself for being such a dick, at least he understood that he said something wrong. I turned back into my human disguise and went down to my family to spend some time with them before I got to sleep in the chimney and asked my human father to lit it so I had it warm.

The days flew by after that and soon it was early in the next year school had started and Oliver hadn't had much time for me, I spend most of my nights with brother and only visited my parents from time to time while brother told me what had happened in the past that influenced us dragons.
He told me of the other dragons he knew that were still alive most of them asleep somewhere in the eastern and how few we were now.

Tears made out of fire started to form in my dragon's eyes when I thought how close we had come to get extinct and Nikki caressed me to help me through that memory. “Don't cry Little-shadow that you were born shows that your species is still alive and starts to blossom again.”

Hearing her thinking this in Sidhe made me quite comfortable, she did really believe in that, you can't lie in the old Sidhe language, of course the Sidhe were masters in talking around the truth, but there had been no deception in her words. “Thank you so much Nikki.”