I spent many years training in magic with Bantan, forgetting all about Ryath, and the dragons of Autsehgio. This human was becoming my friend, and I didn't know if that was acceptable or not. I also spent time with a druid, who called himself Zecon. He was just starting the long study of druidry, and wished to become a teacher of other druids. I thought he could, because he was very apt in the magic. I myself had done little more then learn spells of healing and teleportation, and my natural shape-shifting ability.
Soon, I became tired of the constant work that magic required. Not only that, I did not wish to form change. The Oraci, which had told me my nature was in form changing, had stolen the location of Autsehgio. I had forgotten all about the human that I had gone there to change for, with the knowledge that I hurt my dragon homeland. I really did not want to see that Oraci again.
It was very soon after that that I figured something out about Bantan. He served the Oraci of Silver and Water. I immediately felt betrayed, and confronted him about it. "You can NOT quit just because you're afraid that the Oraci will hurt you." Bantan said, strangely nervous.
"I am not afraid of the Oraci, mainly wary of her. She betrayed me by taking information I was not allowed to give."
"That was your fault, dumb dragon, for going there in the first place!" Bantan retorted.
"Must you scream like that, human?" I snarled, advancing on Bantan threateningly.
He stood his ground, his face telling me he thought I could do no harm to him. "Believe it or not, Pyre, you do have a future in magic."
"I have left that magic behind me." I growled. "Now that I know it's nature."
He drew her sword. "Take care, dragon, no one leaves behind magic. Especially not dragons."
"I need no magic to be more powerful then any other beast." I growled. "I have proved that once."
"In a battle against an old withered dragon?" Bantan taunted. "Against whom you lost? Must you puff up your chest like that, dragon?"
I growled angrily at him. "Do not tease me, human. You'll regret it."
"Wasn't it you who said you would never associate with humans ever again? Am I a human?" Bantan asked.
"You're a harpy! A son of a Griffin!" I roared, opening my jaws wide and advancing on him.
"What an insult from a dragon!" Bantan said mockingly, and then charged me, sword drawn.
I backed up swiftly, surprised. I would have never expected such a thing from Bantan. His sword reflected harmlessly off of my belly-scales, doing more harm to his arm then my scales. "What are you doing!" I roared angrily at him.
"Just finishing something I should have done a long time ago!" Bantan exclaimed, and this time drew a long lance.
I was befuddled by this sudden change in loyalties, but no one would kill me!
I roared, and blew fire at him. It was a warning shot, and missed. But he was trying to kill me. I saw that now. And I would learn later that Bantan's loyalties were his sword in service to a sorceress I had learned to hate oh so many years ago… The Oraci. He was never truly my friend… and I had fallen for his tricks.
Zecon left upon hearing our fight. I couldn't blame him. Little did I know, that Zecon would train a druid called Cathabad, and later betray that same druid. But that all would happen many, many years in the future.
I whipped my tail at Bantan, hoping to take him down, and hard, too. But, instead of jumping the blow, he took it, and began to change. As bones ripped upwards from his spine and arms, I immediately knew who it was… Ban, the bone dragon, the protector of the Oraci!
"So, it was you, all along." I growled. "How did you get a human form, Ban?"
"Well, Pyre, after spending time around someone that has a lot of magic, you learn to do some of your own." Ban said, and with a great rattling of bones and wing membrane, launched at me.
I had no clue the limitations of a bone dragon, but figured it must be lower then mine. This thing had no muscles, all the movement was added by magickal properties. And I had learned that magic was unstable at best. It was a dying force, soon all magickal creatures would die out or be close to extinction; including dragons. I knew this, but this time would come in the far, far future, one that my children and I would probably not live to see the end of. There was nothing I could do to stop it.
I soon realized that while this bone dragon had no muscles, it also had no soft skin or vulnerable eyes to scratch. I could break some of it's bones with my tail, but they were solid, not hollow like my bones, and took more punishment. Ban was terribly weak, and his speed was less then mine, and the force which he attacked was terribly small compared to what he looked, as far as size went. I soon defeated him, literally knocking his skull off of his neck. As Ban felt around for his head, too wounded to fight on, but not dead, I launched into the air. "Don't ever try to follow me, Ban." I warned him. "Or Bantan, either."
I flew towards Dare, but at the last minute, reconsidered. It was time I returned to Autsehgio, and made sure it was still standing. It would be a long flight, but Ban's attack had only exhausted me, not actually hurt me. In two days time, I was nearing Autsehgio, the breeding ground of the dragons.
