Borne of Night (Novel Sample)

Just like every other morning, Ryalan woke before the sun. As she stretched, arching her back to the cave ceiling, a roaring yawn escaped her massive jaws. Her midnight-blue and silver underscales glittered in the moonlight, reminiscent of the night sky. She stood on all fours, shaking her wings out and looked back at her family. Xyor, still curled up in the corner, had their dragonet sprawled out on top of his back. She smiled and padded to the mouth of the cave, looking out over the forest that grew just below the mountain range. In the distance, the top of a magnificent castle could be seen with a small, but not yet awake, town surrounding it.

Before she could take off, she heard a familiar trill behind her. Ryalan looked over her shoulder and saw two big, magenta eyes staring up at her excitedly. The dragonet frisked around Ryalan, weaving between the much bigger dragonborn’s legs. Ryalan bent down and nipped at her child’s tail. The dragonet yipped and scurried back into the cave, scampering back on top of Xyor, causing him to stir, but not quite wake up. She curled up, whining. Ryalan snorted, slightly amused, and headed back towards the other two. The dragonet poked her head up, coming face to face with her mother. Ryalan nuzzled her child, eliciting a continuous purr from the dragonet.

Xyor finally woke up and glanced up at his mate, his blood red eyes meeting her teal ones. Ryalan and Xyor touched foreheads for a moment, before he decided that he wanted to sleep for a while more. Ryalan rolled her eyes and padded back to the entrance. Once more, the dragonet hopped off her father and followed her mother. She headbutted Ryalan’s leg, chittering expectantly. Ryalan narrowed her eyes at the smaller dragon and huffed. The dragonet slunk back into the cave and sat on her hind legs. She watched with a dismal head cock as her mother took off from the cave, going to fetch breakfast.

The dragonet sat still for a good minute or two before stalking over to Xyor and pouncing on his head. He grunted and sleepily glared at her, before shifting his position so his head wouldn’t be accessible. Disappointed, the dragonet trotted away from him. She poked her head just outside the cave, looking around. The sun started to become visible, illuminating the forest below like a spotlight. The dragonet padded onto the ledge just outside the cave. Her tail waved like a flag in the wind as she stared down at the revived forest, enjoying the sight of other animals interacting with one another.

She began to unfurl her wings, wanting to get a closer look, but stopped as soon as Xyor came up behind her. He grabbed her by nape of her neck and went to the back of the cave, dropping her there. He scowled at the dragonet. Rather than going back to sleep, Xyor laid with his legs folded under his body and blocked the dragonet’s escape route. With a tiny huff, the dragonet curled up beside her father and waited patiently for Ryalan to return.

Not more than half an hour later, Ryalan glided back into the cave, two cows in her talons. The dragonet clambered over her father over to Ryalan, as she placed the two, recently killed, bovine down. Having already eaten, Ryalan nudged one of the cows over to Xyor, who effortlessly gulped the thing down. On the other hand, the dragonet growled and tugged at the cow’s leg, falling back when it finally came off. Her parents looked at each other, amused as their dragonet attacked the leg with ravenous intensity. Once done with the leg, the dragonet started to tear at the rest of the body. She didn’t eat much more though, and Xyor ended up finishing the rest of it.

Like clockwork, the dragonet bounded over to the cave entrance, looking expectantly back at her parents with a chirrup. Ryalan glanced over at Xyor as if to say, “It's your turn” to which he nodded and padded over to his daughter. Xyor led the dragonet out of the cave, treading on the narrow path that led down to the back of the mountain range to a canyon with a village that catered to others like them. The village itself laid in the center of the small canyon, with taverns and trading posts. No real homes. The dragonborn made their homes in self-made caves in the sides of the canyon.

Though not quite late in the morning, only several other dragons were milling about in the village area. Xyor led his child through the streets, making sure to keep her from running off due to infantile curiosity. He had to pick her up by the nape much to her chagrin. Eventually, they reached the outskirts of the village where a makeshift area set aside for roughhousing, as many younger dragonborns do for entertainment, was. As Xyor expected, the two youngest adult dragonborn, a wyvern and drake, were fighting.

The drake, Fara, with shimmering light green scales and eyes as dark as the night forest, pinned her wyvern sparring partner down and smiled at Xyor. The dragonet darted over to the drake, excited to see a familiar, non-parental face. Fara stepped off the wyvern as the dragonet rubbed against her legs, purring. The wyvern, Mei, got back on her feet, irritatedly hissing at Fara, before curtly greeting Xyor. Xyor called to his child, who quickly scampered back to his side. He asked her to sit still for a moment and watch him carefully.

Suddenly, Xyor’s body started to shrink. His phthalo blue scales smoothed into skin. His electric blue wings and tail disappeared. His front legs became his arms and his rear ones, his bipedal legs, the skin dark as chocolate. Once his shape fully changed, no longer was there an aquatic dragonborn, but a built dark-skinned man with even darker eyes and crew-cut hair. He wore a loose, white tunic, with baggy khaki pants and a dull, tear-shaped blue pendant around his neck. Even in this new form, Xyor towered over the dragonet.

The dragonet looked at her father, utterly perplexed. She sniffed at Xyor, wondering why he still smelled the same. Xyor smiled softly and bent down. The dragonet pressed her snout against the palm of his outreached hand, before allowing him to stroke her face. She then got up on her hind legs, resting her front ones on his chest, and licked his cheek numerous times.

“Jervras, myila,” Xyor ordered, with a grin.

She sat back on her hindquarters, staring at him intently, her tail waving back and forth in anticipation. Xyor looked over to Mei and Fara and beckoned them over. The two looked at each other but followed his request.

“Sae dsaerlle poreah?”

Mei nodded, promptly transforming her shape. Her reptilian body contracted, her gray scales dissipated. Her wings became her arms, her tail disappeared. No longer did a wyvern stand there, but a pale woman with beady, gray eyes. Fara followed suit, slowing down her process for the dragonet to observe. She changed into a tan skinned person with perfectly, almond shaped hazel eyes. Both transformed creatures had curly hair, Mei’s white, Fara’s dark brown. Fara wore a long silky dress, green as her scales were, and Mei wore tight, black leggings with a tan tank top. They too had similar pendants to Xyor’s; Fara’s was green while Mei’s was silver.

The dragonet’s head cocked as she looked up at all three adults. Xyor knelt.

“Burae fe meq, myila.”

She closed her eyes with a frustrated whine. She felt her father get closer to her ear as he whispered instructions on how to change at will. While it did take a while for her to fully understand what he meant, she eventually found herself able to shapeshift into a humanoid toddler. Albeit one with a long black tail and wings the length of her arm span. Her skin was a shade lighter than her father’s and her black hair was wavy rather than kinky. Her bright magenta eyes widened in excitement as she flapped her ever present wings. When she tried taking a step with her new legs, she fell over with a giggle. She got back up and tried once more. And again. And again. And again. It took quite a while for her to get the hang of walking on two feet, but soon started to run around in circles until she tired herself out.

Xyor chuckled, watching his daughter enjoy herself, and told the other two adults that they were free to go on their way. Which they gladly did, turning back into their dragonesque forms and returning to their own homes. Xyor turned back to the dragonet who was screaming in delight and half flying, half running.

“Kamphas!”

She looked over at her father, landed on all her limbs, and ran to him like a bear. Xyor then taught her how to change back. Unlike the first time, she fully transformed her body to that of a baby dragon. For the next few hours, Xyor had her practice going back and forth between the two forms. She finally learned how to not have extra body parts when in either form. But she also learned how to purposefully change a singular body part.

As she gleefully scampered up trees, using her talons to help her up and her wings to jump from branch to branch, Xyor caught her mid-leap and hugged her close. She giggled as Xyor kissed her cheek. Staying in their humanoid forms, Xyor carried the dragonet back to their home. The journey back took a bit longer this way, but neither of them cared. Before they reached the entrance of the cave, the dragonet wiggled out of Xyor’s arms and shifted into her dragon form in mid-air. While he walked to catch up to her, Xyor followed suit, changing form mid-stride.