Sibling Rivalry
Presumably in the wagon now, I feel John wrap something soft around me.
“Ah sorry Thoma Ahad, I don’t know what I was thinking. That blanket is way too big for you. Sherry, do we have anything that small?”
“I have a clean handkerchief, that should be just the right size for him.”
I feel a light blanket being placed on top of me and try to say ‘Thank you’ but only another high pitched squeal comes out. My body feels so weird. I can’t see and right now I only really know how to move my head and mouth. I don’t even think I have any teeth. It’s scary, it’s really scary. No…I have everyone around me. They’ll do anything to help me so I need to be like ane and think rationally. Take a deep breath…Okay, let’s try to really feel my body. I feel my belly touch the warm hand of John, also my hands. But my hands feel weird…I think…I think my fingers are a lot longer than I’m used to and the shape is somewhat different. Let’s try moving them…Yeah, that works. Now the other hand…Also works. But why does it feel like I also have hands further back? I can move them just like the ones in the front…Are those my feet? They feel almost the same. Hmm…If these are my feet then my body is really a lot different, I guess I can’t just stand on my legs I need to stand on both my hands and feet…Let’s try that. “UNNNGGGH…huff, huff.” I’m too weak to stand up. Let’s try this, “Gaah goo geh~!” (minor boost strength!) I feel my strength increase so I try again, it feels like I’m doing a bench press with my legs and arms at the same time but I do manage to stand up!
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At the same time from an outside perspective, Thoma Ahad, now a small pink lizard with a black curse mark over his back that like black tendrils seems to span even further along his body, wiggles a bit on John’s hand and lets out a quiet high pitched sound. Afterwards, he lets out some more high pitched squeaks, glows for a second and stands up on shaky legs, the handkerchief blanket still on his back like a cape.
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I did it! Hmm? What’s this? Something is moving, is it a tail!? Woah it really is like Rayla told me. It’s a bit hard to move it but I think I’m getting the hang of it. I wag it around for a bit until it slaps my face. “Gaoo!” That hurt…
I then hear some bickering coming closer and Scarlet’s voice excitedly exclaims, “She’s standing!?”
Hearing wooden footsteps, I get picked up again by warm hands, “Great job sister! You’re so strong!”
Rayla asks, “Is it that impressive?”
“Of course! Imagine a human infant straight from the womb standing up on its hindlegs. That’s what she just did! It’s amazing!”
I feel something warm and wet caress my body again.
“Is that so? Well of course my brother is amazing so he-HEY!!! Stop licking him!”
“Why? She seems to like it.”
“That can’t be true! Thoma, do you enjoy this?”
I think for a second then nod.
“See, told ya.”
“Fine, I’ll lick him then, give him here!”
I then hear Sher Aka in a stern voice say, “Rayla come with me for a second.”
“But-”
“Now!”
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A bit outside the wagon:
“You need to stop acting like a child this instant, Rayla.”
“I-I just- She’s treating him like they have what we have!”
“So? So far Thoma Ahad doesn’t seem to mind it. His wish was to have a family that loves him, you knew this going into all of this.”
“Yes but now that we’re actually here it’s different! It’s like…Like she’s taking him away from me.”
Putting her hands on Rayla's shoulder, Sher Aka gets a serious expression on her face, “Listen to yourself, Rayla! You sound just like your family did in Sovar.”
“My goodness…You’re right. I’m just as bad as them…”
“No you’re not. The fact that you realize this after being called out already means you’re better than them. Listen to me Rayla, your brother would never leave you. You know this. It doesn’t mean that he’ll love you any less just because he found another person that he might see as his family. You had multiple siblings too, you understand it’s possible to love more than one person as your sibling. Have some faith in your brother!”
“You-You’re right…Thank you for talking some sense back into me…”
“You’re welcome.”
“So…What should I do now?”
“For starters stop antagonizing the dragon, she’ll probably be in both of your lifes for a long time so don’t start off on a bad note. Let them bond a little and only say something when it looks like she’s doing things Thoma Ahad doesn’t like. That’s the only advice I can give you.”
“It’s more than enough, thank you Sher Aka.”
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Rayla heads back into the wagon, “Scarlet, right?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry about how I’ve been acting. The truth is I got a bit jealous and over defensive of Thoma.”
“Heh, it’s okay. It just means you care. Want me to show you something?”
“Sure.”
I then feel my tail being moved towards my face and the tip rubbed on my mouth until I instinctively bite down on it and start sucking on it. It feels…Relaxing.
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“See, she’s already asleep. It’s a sure fire way to make whelps and hatchlings take a nap. Sometimes even I do it when I have a hard time falling asleep, kikikiki.”
“So when is he gonna turn back then?”
“Hmm I can’t say for sure but it should be very soon.”
Just a few seconds later Thoma Ahad turns back into his humanoid form, still being easily carried by Scarlet, despite her being a lot smaller than him.
Rayla then throws a blanket over Thoma’s naked body and asks, “Why didn’t his clothes transform with him like yours?”
“Because her clothes aren’t enchanted. I’m wearing clothes made for shapeshifters.”
“That must be pretty expensive.”
She shrugs, “Probably yeah, but it’s still better than having to carry around clothes all the time and be naked when you polymorph. You people always think we’re some sort of pervert when that happens, yet you never complain that we don’t wear clothes in our draconic form. It’s super confusing.”
“I guess that would be confusing from your perspective…”
They then leave the wagon, pick up Thoma Ahad’s clothes and dress him.
“You know, John is a healer, he can probably help with your wings.”
“Really? That would be great! Step back for a bit please.”
“Sure.”
She transforms back to her dragon form and encircles Thoma Ahad with her body and tail using her head like a cushion for his head.
“You can bring John here now. Also bring the other pigs while you’re at it. I heal better on a full stomach.”
“Sure…”
Somewhat reluctantly, Rayla goes to get John and together with Sher Aka unloads the rest of the pigs which Scarlet devours in the span of fifteen minutes.
Walking up to Scarlet, John seems quite nervous, “Well, I can’t say I have ever healed a dragon before so I’m not sure how effective it will be.”
“That’s fine if it doesn’t work I’ll just sleep for another week and they’ll regenerate.”
“Opened by injury, close what is not to be open, clean what is not to be dirty. Minor heal.”
Rays of light hit her wings but there is no visible change, “Damn, sorry seems like it didn’t work.”
“No it did, they itch more than before, that means they’re regenerating. I will sleep now. I will awaken when my wings are healed. I trust you don’t try anything while I sleep, if you take my sister from me I will hunt you down until the ends of the world.”
Ralya sighs, “Don’t worry we won’t leave the mountain with him but he will probably not sleep next to you the whole time.”
“That's fine. Just one question before I slumber, what does her curse do besides take away her wings?”
“We’re not a hundred percent sure but we know his body is forcibly changed into a different appearance, his memories from before two and a half years ago are sealed and his body rejects light magic.”
“What a wicked curse. Do you know who cast it and why?”
“Apparently his uncle did. We don’t know who that uncle is or why he did it but we know that it was his uncle.”
Scarlets eyes narrow as she looks at Thoma Ahad, “I see…Sadly betrayal always comes from those close to us. I will go to sleep now, good night.”
“Good night.”