Otherkin (#3 of 6, discontinued)

Chapter 2: Difference

The next day Nezazar fetch me patient less. My mom cry so loud and painful, even we, dragons have no tears. Nezazar lick my mother to calm her and than be as cold as usual. Again, I ride Nezazar back, the small me will lose balance if fly near him. In middle of air he starts to talks.

"Watch your attitude and be careful there. I'm not worrying you, but I dont want send your corpse to Rhyga."

Is there a danger there? I think my father still care to me, but still I don't understand why he hiding his emotions. In front of the castle, an adult dragon and Zemilkom above his head waiting for us.

"This must be your wonder boy", smile that dragon. Nezazar throw his face in hatred.

"Lord Orbok needs you, Lord Nezazar. Prince, play with others. And Arutema, you follow me."

"My name is Faizal Nealasnyt. I would teach you everything you need as a Lord. Come with me."

We enter a library. There are many books, scrolls, and artifacts inside it. Some scholar dragons write those scrolls.

"This is Wyvern, still dragon race, but another kind. We are Daekar or Western Dragons. Wyvern is slimy and most of it has green scales. They live at swamps and eat everything including decayed corpses. They are still savage and dangerous. Wyverns have poisonous tail that is very deadly. Adult dragons can die in minutes if poisoned by them. Fortunately, they dislike go out from their swamp, since their scales vulnerable to weather. Next, this is Chimera. It has four head; eagle, goat, lion in its head, and snake in its tail. Chimera has bear's body and dragon's wing. Its have all elemental-magic and very dangerous, Chimera couldn't really die because it was a magical creature. It will rise again in time."

"Now, the question. Describe a Chimera!"

"Uh.., green scales, many spikes?"

"Wrong! Learn it again, until you remember those all."

I read the scroll, try to remember it.

"Ok, what is Wyverns deadly weapon?"

"Poisoned claw?"

"Wrong again!"

"It's too much for me, Sir."

"It's not. You just need to get used. Let we pass those and continue with others. But remember, I will test you again tomorrow."

I spend all that day with learning about magic, magical creatures in this world, map, and Dragon Lore. I'm very tired and I feel all my freedom is taken away. They keep watching my behavior also when I was eating. Well, but the food is delicious. I curl above silverfine grasses, really comfortable, we usually only sleep above moss in our cave.

Slaves still work outside. They are lizardmans and they worship us. They have fate that dragons create this world and was the God. I heard some abuse, a roar, a slap, and then a sorrowful scream of death. My life still better than them... I close my eyes and fall asleep. Tomorrow would be more lessons...

-Shattered Reality-

I wake up with tired body, just like I wasn't sleep last night. I cry, that night my dream getting clear. I remember lessons in strange language and I remember I feel comfortable sleep at grasses.

What am I? This question appears in my mind, I don't know it was I or something in my brain ask it. In moment, I feel I am something named Arutema.

This day I go to school in confusion. I don't greet or reply people greets in school. I get inside my class with tired body and mind.

I don't pay attention to the teacher, only stay numb and got into that dream again...

***

How long I had been here? 12 years maybe, now my age is 25 years, and that mean I'm not a hatchling anymore. I now was a Daeja, a young dragon. And I got permission to go back to my home for a day, at last I get rest from all lessons. And I can proud with my strong horns, my thick silver scales, beautiful two pair wings, and my four-edged spade.

I fly home by myself, swift and sturdy even my size still as big as an adult dragonhead. My balance is well and I won't lose balance if adult dragons pass me except if they want to make me fall.

My mother greet me happily but my brothers seem dislike me. Well, my mother won't lick me. I'm not a hatchling anymore. She only licks a bit and put her snout at my head.

"Come in and join your brothers, mother will hunt awhile. I will find delicious dinner."

"Mother, let us go. We are old enough to hunt by ourselves. We will bring our dinner."

"Ok," smile my mother.

So we fly to Unicorns' Grove, hope getting one in its border or other prey. There is many delicious unicorns there, also dangerous treants (living trees).

"Isn't this to dangerous?" ask me.

"Of course not. We often go here."

"You are too much reading but foolish. Every living creatures are defeat able by our fire breath."

"By the way, your wings are ugly!"

"And annoying!"

"Also useless!"

I just keep silence. They dislike me.., I'm different. And I was a bit surprised, I never breath fire, I can't. We approach the forest border and found one unicorn grazing there. We glide down, my brothers carelessly spit their fires, burn the forest. That unicorn quickly avoid the fire, it flee to the forest, its mane burned. We descend and my brothers look at me with more hatred.

"You can't breath fire, right?"

"You aren't a dragon! Fake dragon!"

"Lost child!"

"Nobody's child!"

"You aren't our brother! Get out from our family, silly!"

"I self never hope to be your brother!" answer me as cold as Lord Nezazar. "I have honor and care to not burn a forest just for an unicorn."

"Huh, fake dragon! Let's leave him!"

They fly away, leaving me alone. I don't know, why I was different. The unicorn shows its head from its hideout, it was my chance to prove I'm not useless but I have no will to hunt. That unicorn turns away and disappears to the forest.

I don't know why,
I am different,
But this is my home.
I want to feel,
I want to join,
Isn't we brothers?
I had nothing to say,
How could I can't breath fire,
How could my scales was silver.
I will find someday,
My real place,
Somewhere I belong.
I will fly someday,
With my true race, at...
Somewhere I belong.

I go home at afternoon, just to say goodbye. My mother doesn't understand why I don't go home quickly and spends time with her. She really loves me then she cry. My brothers entertain her and I leave them, I don't belong here...

Arrive in the castle, the Emperor summon me. I only once met him when he decides to take me and I wonder how could he survive in his years of sickness.

"Sit beside me, Arutema."

His might aura still terrify me, I'm sure he must be a great hero in his young ages.

"The purpose of teaching you is to guard and advise my son, Zemilkom. You know until now he still acts like a hatchling. I know that he feel depressed of his destiny, but I can't let others take this throne."

He stops awhile to take a deep breath.

"The only right candidate is Kyros, my old brother. His ambitions to defeat Divine Dragons.., he will lead our emperor to war. We don't want that happen, right?"

I nod. I and Zemilkom was prisoned by our own fate.

"Silver Star life at Silver Peak, far in our north. Maybe, someday you can go there and found your true identity."

"My majesty..."

"Wait until you grown up to adult, Silver Star won't let you enter her forest easily. Tomorrow you will start physical exercises. And worry not; I know you can't spit fire. I always monitor your progress and.., Silver Star can't spit fire."

Emperor Kaeverk is a good dragon. I won't disappoint him and Zemilkom. Ofcourse my spirit only last until I know how hard is the exercises...

-Step Away-

"What are you dreaming about?" ask my teacher beside me. I don't answer, and the teacher shock his head and leave me.

"You keep smiling by yourself," wisp my friend.

I stay silence. This time I feel jealous and hatred of my brothers. I don't have any brothers! I remember some weird words like Silver Star and Silver Peak and again feel love my mother much.

In break, my close friends gather around me.

"These two days you become weird."

"You start to day-dreaming and you don't like to chat with us anymore."

"Com' on honey, tell us something," says my boyfriend.

"I... I don't know," answer me sorrow "Just leave me alone, please..."

They disappointed and leave me. I start to pull my self, I don't know why. I feel I don't need to be friend with them. Fun and interesting things in my life now become useless.

What am I ? And this night, I continue dreaming...

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