"What are you doing, Scala?"
I didn't look up at the familiar voice and kept my eyes glued to the photograph of a teenage girl with her eyes marked over.
It was an old one I had dug from the dirt at the bottom of the ledge. The surface was mostly creased with white but was still legable as a female human.
I had taken it to the pebbles out the front of the mansion to study in the bright sunshine away from distractions. It had been going well until a shadow had cast over me. It hadn't been either of Clay or Russet's who took turns peering down at me from thier dining room balcony.
"Focusing."
"I can see that" it laughed back "but why so intensely?"
I sighed and looked up to Barebone who had his head bent to almost look at the photograph upside-down.
"I need to look human" I slapped the photo in frustration "it'll make everything easier."
"Because they'll accept you?"
I nodded, focusing again.
He peered around at the surroundings in wonder then watched me in amusement.
I groaned and glared at him.
"I can't focus while you are watching me like that."
"I'm just waiting for something to happen" he chided and dodged under my swinging tail, laughing again.
"I'll have a mate soon. Just you wait; he won't stand for any of your antics. He will know how difficult this is and not make fun of me for it."
Barebone only grinned at me and gestured to the photo.
"By all means, let him know if he ever turns up."
I growled at his mocking tone and dragged the photo around so I could turn my back on him.
He followed, sitting on the other side.
"You know, you are really bad at this" he spoke up again to be met with my murderous stare "I'm only trying to help."
"Help me by being quiet."
He say there with a huge grin on his face that I glanced at. Barebone was a particularly playful mood today. His teasing had only become more frequent the last few days I had come here to try and shapeshift successfully. And he had become more frequent in checking on me as he went about his own life. Today was the first day he had actually come over to question me.
The start of the season was only a mere six days away too. Barebone was probably trying to pull my focus from this task so he could fulfill what he said he would teach me.
The dance.
It would make or break everything I had worked so hard for up to this point. Shape-shifting to a human was impressive, but not what I should be concentrating on right now; as badly as I wanted it.
Barebone's presence demanded attention. He was here to help and didn't like being ignored when he was ready to lend it.
"Alright" I sighed and lifted my head while pushing aside the photo "I'm obviously not getting this done anytime soon. I'm all yours."
"Finally" Barebone breathed in excitement and unfurled his wings to test them "up on your feet."
He nudged me up when I didn't do it quick enough for his liking, and stood opposite me.
I gave him my full attention which obviously pleased him.
"I'll guide you through it then we will do it without the instructions, OK?"
"OK" I nodded and focused solely on his body.
He drew himself up and puffed out his chest proudly. His neck was arched so his eyes could stare into mine.
I copied the stance, only to have him shake his head.
"You don't do the chest thing" he said as he pushed mine down "just bend your neck and keep your eyes on me. Don't break the contact yet."
I nodded again.
"You'll both meet and start the dance. It'll be on the ground first then proceed to the air for the finale. First step is him presenting you with a gift and bowing. Obviously my presence here is enough of a gift for you to accept."
"Obviously" I snorted back at him bowing low for me.
"Now, after you accept it with a bow back, we make contact."
He moved closer and turned his head to the left so it was only inches from mine.
"You follow" he prompted.
I did, feeling his cold breath tangle with mine.
"To the right" he said as I followed "and then up to expose throats."
"This is kind of silly" I murmered when I tilted my head up to the sky and came back down to lock eyes.
"This is what will get you a mate, Scala" Barebone scowled back "do take my time and efforts seriously. I don't just do this for anyone."
We looked to the right again and I shamefully agreed with him.
Russet exclaimed loudly from above at what she was witnessing. I tore my gaze from Barebone to look to her beeming face and pointing finger.
"If this were real, you would have just lost your chance" Barebone huffed, slapping me with his tail harshly "never, ever, get distracted. It makes you look unfocused and sloppy."
I saw his frustration with me and dropped my eyes. Barebone sighed then pressed his face to mine to push it to the left with his.
"Please try to get this right" he muttered when we both looked to the sky again "and stay focused."
"I will."
He circled around me, spreading his wings upwards and coming to the end of it with a flourishing twist as he peered back at me.
"Now, we head up. We will twist around each other on the way."
I nodded and let him go first so I could follow. He looked like he was enjoying himself as we climbed higher into the air and came to a stop.
The mansion was still in view with the children and some carers now watching with them. I pulled my gaze from them to direct it back to Barebone.
"With this, this is where things get tricky" he spoke "first, I'll circle you again while up here."
He did so quickly, skipping over the graceful prose he had before.
"We will lock claws and fall towards the ground. If you resist, it only causes problems."
"Fall?" I choked out and looked down "how far?"
"Try to get as close to the ground as possible. It's a test of endurance and strength. Crashing into the ground doesn't look good and letting go too early only shows you can't handle danger. It's gives off that you have weak genes."
"From a fall?"
"From a fall" he nodded "i'll go first and show you what to expect."
I was nervous as Barebone straightened up opposite me then suddenly went limp and tumbled through the air. I watched his wings be pulled and tossed around while he shot further down towards the grass.
He still wasn't pulling up when the ground was hurtling up towards him. I thought he was going to crumple into it until his head suddenly snapped up and he twisted himself around so he could force himself upwards in a nick of time, grazing his stomach in the grass as he climbed back toward me.
I was breathless like him. He grinned and chuckled at my shocked face.
"You'll do that once, together" he instructed "you'll get a sense of what your mate is like on the first fall. On the second or third you'll do it while mating. The female decides if she wants to take that risk after the locked falls. You should make up your mind by the third fall at the latest or you'll lose the interest of the male. The longer you take, the less chance you have."
I could tell Barebone had experience with failed falls by the urgency in his voice. Whether or not it was caused by him or a picky female overlooking him was the question.
"Are you ready, Scala?"
I felt my stomach churn and my jittering nerves spike when he wrapped his claws into mine; feet first, then hands.
"I won't let you crash, OK?" he told me sternly "we can do some little ones to get you used to it."
I felt relief wash over the wave of sickness and smiled back at him.
"Ready?"
I nodded and gripped him tighter. I felt his tail wrap around mine while our bodies pressed together.
Barebone stopped flapping and plummeted. I was dragged down before I noticed, being thrown through the now howling wind tearing at my scales and trying to rip my shallow breaths from me.
Barebone whooped and laughed when we tumbled over and around each other. I felt like I was going to be thrown from his grip that held me like life itself depended on it.
"NOW!" he called out, spreading his wings to buffer the speed.
I did the same and straightened opposite him so we could arch upwards to safety again.
"Not bad" he marveled at our starting height "that was quite close for a first go."
I swelled with pride and peered down at our locked claws.
We were going to fall for a second time. If I had the choice, this would be the one that bound me to Barebone as his mate. He was everything I was looking for, despite the incompatibility.
The thought of it had me weak inside. I would soon have my own mate to win over with this deadly dance.
Would they be as impressed with me as he was?
"What happens after?" I spoke up before he could act again "we fall, and then what?"
"Well..." he began slowly and released me "after you both fall, you'll head to your nest for an inspection from the male and more mating if he likes it. It could take days..."
"D-days?" I gulped.
"You want to make sure it works within the two week mating period" he brushed aside "in that time, you'll start creating the brood. I've usually had ones between three to five. The scales on the eggs also turn upwards if they are fertile to defend themselves."
The dream was finally starting to become a reality. I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or cry over the thought of looking down in my nest to see tiny babies huddled beneath me as I kept them warm.
"It's really going to be it" I grinned "I'll be an actual mother."
"You will" Barebone smiled back "and I'll be a father again. It really is a great feeling to raise something so vulnerable and dependant on you. Baby dragons are such a wonderful gift when they hatch. That in itself will take another three weeks."
So, just over a month for the season to end and the incubation period with it. For something that took a lot of planning, a two week window was not a lot to ride on the sucess of it and hope it led into that extra three weeks and maybe months of rearing after that.
"Should we dive down again?" Barebone smirked at me and touched his claws to mine.
I latched on and bought my face close to his.
"Try not to chicken out this time!"
He laughed at me as I dragged him down this time, rolling in the adrenaline jolting through me as the ground rushed up once more.
I was still giddy from the falling when we decided my dance with danger was getting too daring and called it off for now. Barebone loved how much I yearned for the rush of the grass against my body after the excitement of a close call with it. I was just soaking up the feeling of being able to try something that made my body crave more.
It made me feel like I could do anything.
Maybe it was the boost I needed?
I practically fell into the pebbles when I dropped to them and rushed back over to the photograph to snatch it up while Barebone remained in the sky to touch up on his aereal acrobatics.
I focused just on the girl with the marked eyes and long, flowing hair.
Mine would be long too. Beautiful and orange like the same colour that shone on the tips of my scales when the sun hit them at the right angle.
Her eyes were unseen but I knew mine were blazing yellow. I would have to go with that instead.
Her skin was fair like my white scales. It was easier to picture myself there when everything was falling into place.
And, for once, I actually saw myself reflected back at me from the photograph instead of a stranger.
I squeezed my eyes shut to keep the image in my mind that I smiled at.
I was a human. A soft, beautiful, red-haired human.
A human... A soft, pale-skinned human...
"Scala!"
"What?" I grunted to Barebone calling from above.
He wolf whistled, which made me open my eyes.
Fingers clutched the photograph instead of claws. The nails on them were pure white and bright against the pale skin I frowned at.
The skin was still covered in white scales. I poked it and ran my fingers up the arms to feel each smooth surface rippling beneath them.
The long hair tickling my arms was orange; just like I had imagined. It was almost coppery rather than the radiant orange I had pictured.
But, there was nothing else. There were no clothes covering my bare skin at all. And with nothing on, it also revealed I had lost my precious wings in the shift. My tail was also gone and my snout had turned into a flat thing on my face. There was nothing animalistic left except for my scaled skin and what I could assume would be my Draconic eyes.
I understood Barebone's reaction now and felt my face burning. I didn't know why I was having this reaction; I wasn't ashamed of these new human parts at all. They were also quite odd to feel.
"Quit juggling your breasts like a circus act" Barebone snorted when he landed behind me "and cover yourself up."
"Why?"
He came over to drape one wing over me that shielded me perfectly. It was like tacky plastic against my scaley skin that clung to it.
"It's a human thing" he replied "and you are now a human. You need to act like one to blend in. Do you know any human speech? You are still speaking Draconic."
I ran my fingers over my soft lips as if it would suddenly aid them in learning a new language. I just shook my head and looked up at him sighing.
"It's OK for a first attempt after all those days" he like elsewhere "you'll need to practice. You still have six days before the season starts. You won't have time to do it then. Just try not to speak around them when you get the skin thing under control, OK?"
"Can you do it too?" I grasped his wing to hold it close "shapeshift?"
"Of course" he grinned proudly "and I even have a human name too. It's Baron."
"Sounds like your real one" I marveled.
"It does" he agreed and pulled his wing from my grip so he could wrap both around me and shield my body with his "no human is going to be walking around called Barebone or Scala. It helps with the illusion."
A human body and a human name. This whole form was becoming its own personality; a mask even.
Was this a good thing? It was already becoming so complex.
"Think on it" Barebone smiled at me "but not too hard, OK?"
I laughed when he did, then used his body to pull myself up.
It was strange only having two legs to walk on. None of the humans I had seen walked on all fours to stabiise themselves. With the rolling pebbles under my feet, I only fell back down into them.
Yet another thing to learn.
"Change back and we'll focus on those things later" he nudged my face gently "we have a dance to rehearse, Miss Scala."
"Of course" I beamed back and felt the change start to wash over me before I was stretching upwards to touch Barebone's face to mine as we started the beautifully lengthy process all over again.
ns 18.68.41.179da2
