Tyranus Draconum - Prologue
Drake Mason isn't just your regular, reclusive wealthy, American with indiscernible net worth. Then again, who could ever claim that string of adjectives as being 'regular'. No, Drake is more than that. He is also a dragon. A dragon exiled from his home and given the condition that he must find humans to turn into dragons and once he has transformed enough, he can come home. For the past five hundred years, he hasn't found a single human that meets his standards to transform. But that all changes when he meets a South Korean streamer from Jaejanbaek, the city colloquially known as the 'Content Capital of the World'.
Note from the Author: A long, long, LONG time ago, I started writing a story about dragons and transformation focused solely on them as a species. I've been mulling about revisiting it and improving it from just a 'go here, transform this guy and then move on'. That is seriously a trope I've been trying to break out of but, at the same time, I also love in the right context. So as a challenge to myself, I set out on making a story series that not only revitalizes that old story but also injects a little more to the trope by adding character progression and plot. And also bringing the setting and characters outside of the the US. So this is the product.
Enjoy!
“Do you know why there are no more dragons on Earth?”
Altrikonze Kelphanium stood in front of a shimmering disk of silvery energy like someone had propped a pool of liquid mercury on its side and shaped it into a vaguely elliptical panel. Machinery hummed quietly as it stabilized the portal. Magic filled the air with a heady buzz and a smell like burnt copper. Faint, dim light emanated from the portal, filling the vast hall that was otherwise empty save for him and three others.
His broad, muscled back was outlined perfectly in the flowing, white robes that had been crafted out of silk infused with liquid starlight. In the dark of the ritual chamber, it emitted a faint glow illuminating his deep, rich, purple scales and the bright, blood-red crest of hair that from his head and spread across his shoulders like a lion’s mane. Enormous webbed wings were folded over his shoulders solemnly. This was not a time to posture, to make himself look bigger or even assert authority.
Today, he was going to lose his one and only son.
He was going to lose me.
“Once we lived alongside mankind,” he continued, his deep, eloquent rumble clear and crisp. Filled with authority but also heavy with remorse. He lifted his broad muzzle towards the top of the portal, appraising the glimmering blue crystal as it steadily grew clearer and clearer towards a brilliant white. His clawed hands were clasped behind his back. To the keen observer, he was playing the part of a the High Justice flawlessly. But to someone who had known him his entire life, it was obvious that he was holding his own wrist too tightly, the claw of his middle finger was pushing against the golden scales of his palm a little too firmly and his posture was just a little too stiff.
“Our mere presence brought magic to the world. Together, we could do magnificent and wondrous things. Our eternal lives and raw strength was complimented by their ambition, ingenuity and constant rate of change.”
As the crystal began to turn an opaque, light blue, he finally turned to me. The golden irises we shared regarded me with regret and fear even though his features remained neutral. In the presence of the Flawless Executioner and Prosecutor in Shadows, he had to be as professional as possible.
“Coupled with the fact that we could only ever reproduce from other human males we were dependent upon one another,” my father continued. “Not everything was peaceful, of course. Both sides had their flaws. Jealousy and paranoia eventually brought us to a critical fissure in our relationship.”
All this was common knowledge. History lessons were repeated for every dragon regardless of age every decade. History taught the harshest lessons but it was the ignorant that were forced to repeat those teachings. Altrikonze was just stalling for time and doing whatever he could to fill the awful silence of waiting for the portal to stabilize.
“Over five millennia ago, we dragons left Earth and used our vast magical reserves to form a realm of our own making. Aether, we called our home. By removing ourselves from mankind, we focused our magical potential and our power within our world only grew. We could no longer reproduce or increase our number but with our eternal lives and great powers, that was not a concern.”
He glanced over his shoulder, checking the crystal. It was now completely white but still cloudy. Not long now.
“At first, we would send raiding parties to find suitable humans that would ascend to dragonhood. Mankind grew wise to our tactics and hunted us down. Eventually, we stopped such practices for one reason or another. While we occasionally send squads to Earth to monitor our erstwhile brothers, new dragons are rare and far between. Our numbers have thus remained relatively stagnant for the longest time.”
Now came the judgment and the disapproval.
“Which is why murder has always been considered the most heinous of acts regardless of the circumstances that led to it.”
There was no use denying the charges. No use pleading my case. Judgment had been rendered. The greatest mercy afforded was that this execution of the court’s decision would be done in private.
Breaking with all protocol, the warm arms of my uncle, wrapped around my shoulder. His wings followed shortly afterwards and he held me tightly.
“I am so sorry, Dracviir,” Xoddoran Carrasdin sobbed. There was no need to hide his emotions here unlike at court. As the Prosecutor in Shadows, he had to do everything he could to ensure that a guilty verdict was handed. Normally, the identity of the Prosecutor in Shadows was to remain hidden to all involved in the verdict but considering my own uncle was forced to present the case, the court had offered this mercy. “I wish there was something I could have done.”
I gently patted his arm, the manacles around my wrists rustling as I did so. “I know, uncle,” I responded, trying to keep my voice strong. “You did what you could. Duty binds us.”
A firm hand fell on my shoulder and I looked over my shoulder at the towering figure of my older brother. Graztkrom Uryu was openly weeping.
“It’s time,” he croaked. A look towards the crystal revealed that it had finally become completely clear, a perfectly transparent icosahedron of glass. The silver of the portal had stopped rippling and was now just a single, flat, silvery mirror that refused to reflect even us.
The Flawless Executioner would do his job even if it meant casting his own brother into exile. We were all duty bound. In duty we are defined. We are fulfilled in our duty.
Grazt’s hand peeled me away from my uncle’s grasp and brought me towards the portal. My father stepped aside, still stern, still professional even here in the quiet solitude of my private execution.
“Dracviir Malisom,” Altrikonze intoned. “For the unforgivable crime of killing another dragon, you are hereby stripped of your role and duty and assigned new ones. You are to leave Aether and walk amongst the humans. For every century that your victim had lived until you ended his life, you are to find one suitable human male and transform them into a dragon. This new dragon will be sent here and should this new dragon be dubbed suitable by a unbiased and neutral council of your peers, one hundred years will be reduced from your sentence. Once you have sent enough dragons deemed worthy to live amongst us here in Aether, you will be permitted to return. Do you understand your new duty?”
I stared at the portal in front of me and gave a grim nod. “I do.”
“Very well.” My father’s lips twisted in disgust. “Henceforth, your new title shall be…” Even he could not stop himself from pausing before imposing the humiliating title upon me. A title specially crafted by the family of my victim. The same family that had pushed for my prosecution and forced my family’s hand. “… Slut in Exile.”
I balled my hands into fists but straightened my back nonetheless.
“Duty defines,” I intoned.
There was a glimmer of pride in my father’s eyes. “We oblige,” he responded.
Turning towards the portal I took a breath, perhaps my last breath upon Aether ever… and stepped -
“Drac.”
I turned, surprised at the break of tradition from my father. His stoic expression had broken and he allowed himself a pained grimace and a single tear. It was clear he wanted to say so much. To tell me - like many times before in private - that he completely believed me and that what I did was justified. But it was all too much to say in what little time we had left. Graztkrom’s grip on my shoulder was tightening. Someone would be watching for the amount of magic that was being used to keep the portal open. Any delay would hint at hesitation and cause doubt to befall all of them.
I needed to leave before they would be put into danger.
“For our roles,” I said gently, offering a brave smile. “And thereafter.”
Altrikonze Kelphanium let out a sob and immediately cupped his hand over his muzzle out of instinct. His brother was right beside him, holding him tight.
“For our roles and thereafter,” he agreed.
With that final blessing, a promise perhaps, I turned back towards the portal…
… and stepped onto Earth.