1

It would seem like a miracle to all families that their child comes back alive, but when taken by a dragon, it wasn't a concern for them. Despite this, many a child are scared of them, something I didn't understand very well until one day during recess at school. I was only five years old at the time, playing like the other kids until I caught a glimpse of refracted light off of a moving body.

A dragon was circling overhead and was doing so till it was time to head in. A few minutes before it was time, I was entranced by her because as the light moved on its body, so did the color. Then, it did something that made me realize why they were scared; It went diving for me. It was its size that scared them. I managed to get inside along with everyone else except one girl, and yet the dragon seemed transfixed on me.

"Is everyone inside?" One of the teachers asked the group. After that, she noticed me looking through the glass in the door to the dragon outside. "Where is she? Where is she?" The teacher said in a panic. That's when I saw the girl trying to sneak by the dragon blocking the door. I flagged the teacher over to me, and then she opened the door. The dragon, though, had other plans. It stuck its head through the doorway, causing the crowd to go into a nervous stir, but not me.

It turned towards me and began to whine for my presence. Once I put my hand to its head. It seemed to me that they were wrong about them. Something of such size like her, and yet she was so gentle. She then left, and the girl rushed into the teacher's arms. I felt a sense of heroism rush through me, something I'd soon find out I'd need a lot of for what was to come.

Heading home that day, I was conflicted. She seemed so scary at first, but once you got up close and personal to her kind, she was so kind, just like I've heard from shifters who've been turned by dragons, and I was debating whether or not to join their kind and dawn scales like them.

The next day I sat down with some dragon and wyvern shifters to share with them my dilemma. I told them how that encounter made me think about finding that same dragon and letting her take me. Their responses were unexpected, though.

"You know you're still quite young. I mean, you've gotta be careful about a naga taking you at our age," one of them said. Another one was more supportive of what I was thinking, showing off his scales as he tried to convince me that it'd be something I'd enjoy. Though one of the wyvern shifters at the table didn't look so happy, I knew he was born with it, but whenever he saw someone come back with a dragon or wyvern by their side, he seemed to be in a state of self regret.

"I'd probably do it, kid," another wyvern shifter said. "She'd be like a 2nd mother to you, and, personally, when I'm with them, there's a sense of comfort when my captor's wings surround me."

"Thanks," I said in response to their opinions. "Now, what was it like there as you were getting acclimated to your new bodies?" Each of them who went told me their stories of various creatures, unbelievable food from the intelligent life there, and what they could bring back with them. Suddenly one kid brought out an odd-looking rock. I asked him what it was, and he claimed it was iridium.

"Iridium!" I heard a teacher say in shock as he ran over to our table. "That stuff's rare on Earth.

"Why is that?" He asked the teacher nervously. I could tell the teacher was eying the iridium for himself.

"Sir, I'd back down if I were you. You may be a rook, but even a pawn can catch you," I told him.

"What makes you think that..."

"Hey!"

The teacher jumped as the principal grabbed his hand. "Don't think I didn't know what you were up to. I saw your hand going for it," he told him. The principal left with the teacher before the kid put the rock back in his pocket.

"What got him intrigued?" one of them said. I was as confused as they were, as at the time, I didn't know iridium was a valuable element.

That night I really started to think about what to do. Suddenly I heard a tapping sound outside my window. I opened the curtains to find that same titanium-scaled dragon on the other side. She put her hand up to the window, and as I did the same, I felt like I knew what I wanted to do. "Maybe one day, girl. One day I'll be yours," I said to her. She began to whine and cry for me to be with her. I was about to head to the front door when my grandmother stopped me.

"Are you going somewhere?" She asked me. She was initially indifferent if I was going to be taken or not, but after what happened in pre-K, she didn't want me to go. She was worried I wouldn't survive.

"Just going to get some fresh air, that's all."

"Oh, really, because I'm pretty sure I heard a knocking at your window." I had opened the door just enough by then for the dragon to push the door open and grab me. "Nathan! She shouted as she cradled me in her arms, but the dragon only flew to lay in the grass in our yard. She held onto me tight as she put my ear to her heart. I felt a sense of security with her because now she was like a 2nd mother to me.

"Come on, girl; you know what you want. I may have never known my actual mother, but I know you'll be better than she could ever be," I whispered to her as I closed my eyes, ready for her to take me their world for a time, but she left without me.

"Nathan, what were you thinking? I told you that place wouldn't be able to help your mental illness."

I was beginning to get flustered as I said: "No! You're wrong about their world! I've seen the before and after, and I know that their love will fill my tender heart." I then headed back inside for the night with a lot on my mind.