Strange Days

Strange days.

Upon reflection, I realize that it was both one of the most troubling and interesting times of my life. I doubt very many other people in the world can chalk up what happened to me in just a short time, as a comparison to any adventures they had in their whole lives. Yes, it was a grand time for me. I almost lost myself from time to time. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. I should really start from the beginning.

I was in my early adulthood. I had graduated from High School a few years back, yet had made no plans to attend any form of post secondary education; mainly because I had no interest in very much of anything. But I’m branching off again. I was stuck working in a general store, dealing with moronic customers, and other vagrant types who just loved to come in and demonstrate their higher patterns of thinking. Mostly by doing stupid things. Like the annoying mental case who came into the store 4 times a day and said the exact same things, or the elderly people who really weren’t in to shop, but to stare at everyone else leading a productive life.

I wasn’t much better than some folks most of the time. I lived my life one moment at a time, not really looking to the future. My life was about getting through the night without incident, and awaiting payday. Today was another one of those boring days, and it was beginning as it always did. My alarm started blaring, and was soon given a proper send off through my 30th story window…

“Ugh… I gotta stop doing that. Those blasted things aren’t cheap...”

The figure slowly pulled the tangled mass of bed sheets off its fallen form, and rose of the makeshift bed. Said bed was little more than a large circular mass of soft things, piled into the center of the bedroom. The bedroom itself was a relatively small thing, about 20’ square, with high ceilings. Various posters littered the wall and ceiling, depicting epic battle scenes between giant robots, or pictures of mythical creatures such as dragons and Minotaurs.

Other than that, there was only a closet, small dresser, and a pile of dirty laundry filling the room. Quite a lot of wasted space when you think about it. Upon standing up, the lone figure revealed himself to be a male human of young age, around his 20’s, and slim as a rail. Almost to the point of being frail, leaning more to being wiry. Said human scratched himself in several places, pulled on a semi-clean pair of pants and a shirt, then stumbled into the kitchen. The thick hearty smell of coffee soon spread its way through apartment, and the human went to sit on his futon. Looking out the window, he could see a sea of other apartment buildings flowing down the various streets of downtown Tokyo. Why a North American person was living in Tokyo was anyone’s guess, but he had his reasons. For example, he learned how to speak Japanese in school, and decided to put it to use in one of the best places. Little did he know he’d land a shitty job, and just barely make enough yen to get by every month. He didn’t complain however, as he enjoyed being in this area of the world.

Turning on the TV, Japanese cartoons soon filled the air with their high-pitched language and sound bites. That was a perk to living in Japan, the quality media any anime buff would drool over.

Dragging himself away from another quality episode of Digimon, the person slapped on his nametag, and got himself a cup of coffee. Dave was the name printed on the glossy nametag, followed by a kanji translation below it. Sipping his coffee, he fished out some cold rice and chicken for breakfast. One thing the Japanese folks sure knew, was how to eat.

His little morning ritual of food, anime, and scratching himself soon wore down, and it was time to head off to work. That Dave’s morning happened to start around 2pm never fazed him in the least, as he took the elevator down to the bottom floor. Stepping outside, and over the broken remains of his alarm clock, he casually walked down the street to his job. Dave was a little over 6 feet tall, which suited him fine in this crowded metropolis of 5-foot tall people. Nobody really noticed his passage as he walked the 2 blocks to work, entering via the back entrance. It was a family run store, and he was the only non-family member to work there. Kaiju-San was the father of the family, and the one who did most of the book keeping. His wife tended the children upstairs, thus Dave and Kaiju-san we’re the only ones who ever really did anything on the floor. It was a two-way split shift. The other man opened the store in the morning, and ran it by himself until mid day. Then Dave arrived, and helped out until dinnertime, when the man went upstairs to his family. Then Dave was left alone to run the store solo, until 11pm when it closed. This suited the pair fine, as said store was not really busy. But they managed to pull in enough that Dave’s paydays we’re always the same.

“Good morning Kaiju-San. Has it been a busy morning?”
The middle aged man turned around, and smiled at Dave. He thought of him as a member of the family most days, and the two got along rather well.

“Hai Dave-san. But nothing I could not handle. You know where to start.”
“Hai.”

Dave put on a green apron, and began to sweep up any debris from in front of the store. Once finished there, he assumed his usual post behind the till, with a magazine in hand. Thus began another day of work. The older man never bothered him with his reading, as Dave put down the magazine the moment a customer approached the till. They lived in a good neighborhood, so never had any problems with criminal activity. Just the odd loiterer in front of the store, and a few customers that nobody could ever like.

Hours past, and Dave rung in countless sales. From the till sheet, he could see that today was a good day indeed, and they we’re doing more than usual. This would make Kaiju-san very happy indeed. Maybe he would invite Dave for dinner again! This thought pleased Dave very much, as he liked to dine on oriental food whenever possible. This wasn’t too hard based on where he was living, but he usually lived off fast foods and the like. McRice got rather boring after a while, and a home cooked meal was always welcome.

About halfway through his shift, a customer Dave had never seen before arrived at the store. This was not uncommon, as every now and again people from outside the neighborhood decided to shop somewhere different. Dave shrugged it off, and glanced at his watch. 7:46pm, July 3, 2002.

“Hello sir. How may I help you today?”

The older man had beaten him to the greeting as usual. It was a little game they had going.

“I’m merely looking at your wares. I have no need of help at the moment. Arigato.”
“Hai.”

Just another customer Dave thought, nothing to worry about. Turning his attention back to his magazine, he dove into an article about fantasy creatures, and games based off them. Things like that had always turned his crank. Raising his gaze momentarily, he saw that the customer was staring him right in the face. Mildly startled, he snapped off a brief bow at the waste, and apologized for not noticing.

“Sorry! Can I help you?” “Hai. Tell me, what is an American like yourself doing here in Japan?”
“Well, actually I’m Canadian. But it’s all the same. I moved here after I graduated from school, as I wanted to see more of the world. I liked what I saw here in Tokyo, so I decided to stay.”
“Why haven’t bettered yourself any more?”

That was a very strange remark from a customer, yet Dave decided to ignore it.

“Pardon sir?” “Never mind, you probably don’t know yet. May I have the paper?”
“Hai!”

Dave gave the strange remarks no notice, and promptly fetched the local paper from behind the counter. Placing it on the counter top, Dave accepted the few Yen notes the customer handed him, and gave him his change. The mysterious man gave a slight incline of his head, left some coins on the counter as a tip, and promptly walked out the door. Looking down at the pile, Dave could see that there was barely enough coin there to buy half a chocolate bar, but it was the thought that counted. Upon closer inspection however, he noticed a strange coin and a slip of paper under the mass of loose change. Pocketing the real money, Dave inspected the odd coin, and the paper.

He couldn’t identify the coin at all, as it was covered in runes and kanji that he’d never seen before. Assuming it was old currency, he placed it in his top shirt pocket for later. The paper proved more interesting. It simply read: ‘Wake up, I’ll be waiting.’ This in itself left Dave slightly insecure, and a little confused. Again shrugging it all off, he pocked the paper with the coin, and went about his day.

The rest of the evening went by without incident, and soon it was time to close. Just as he was leaving, the older man came downstairs with a plastic dish full of sushi. He handed it to Dave, and waved him off for the night.

“See you the day after next Dave-san. Enjoy your day off.”
“Domo arigato Kaiju-san. I shal see you then.”

Dave’s evening passed by as it usually did, as he sat in front of the TV, ate his dinner, and pondered what to do for the rest of the evening. He had a sudden urge to use his computer, and set it to boot up as he made another pot of coffee. Once his OS had loaded, he checked the alignment on his satellite modem, and accessed the Internet. His e-mail was low as usual, so he surfed around to his usual hangouts. Places relating to the type of fantasy creatures and games that he liked mostly.

His evening passed by rapidly, and soon it was time to get to bed. Taking off his clothes, he put the loose change in his moneybox. Then he remembered the paper, and the odd coin. After looking at the paper again for a moment, he tacked it onto the wall. The coin however he rubbed a few times as he thought about it, chipping off the odd flake of accumulated dirt. He noticed this, and began to work a little harder to clean off the strange coin. It became apparent that it was a very interesting coin indeed, as its silver luster brightened considerably. The coin itself appeared to be two semi-circles fused together with a raised strip of metal, with a few runes decorating the circumference. At the very top of the two semi circles, there was a horizontal line, and two small dots in the center of the little separated areas.

“Damn, I don’t think this is a coin. I wonder if that man gave me this by mistake? I should keep it on me should he come back and ask for it.”

With that he placed it in the little pocket of his boxer shorts, and went to sleep. He had no idea why he was compelled to sleep with it rather than place the coin into his pants, but the thought didn’t disturb him as he went to sleep.

His dreams were the same type of dream he always had. Dreams of the anime shows he watched on TV, others about epic adventures and mythical beasts. During one of the latter dreams however, the focus seemed quite heavy on a large blue dragon. This dragon was strange in itself, as it was not like its quadrapedal brethren. No, this one walked upright like a man, and was nearing 20’ in height. Its frame was covered in rippling muscles, and sealed in with a thick hide, and thicker scales. Suddenly Dave was seeing himself in the dream, almost as if he was standing off to the side. The mighty dragon-man walked over, and stood towering above his frail body.

“I told you I would be waiting Dave-san. WAKE UP!”

His eyes sprang open rapidly, and he launched into a sitting position. His pile of soft things was mildly dispersed, but easily fixable.

“What the hell was that?”

Cried a confused and disturbed Dave. He glanced at his wristwatch, and saw that it was mid morning. Sighing to himself, he decided to start the day early, and get out of bed. Coffee was made as usual, as was the leftover dinner Kaiju-san had prepared. It was still good, and quickly consumed. Dave went back to the kitchen soon after, grabbing more food to eat. He was unusually hungry this morning, but shrugged it off as something to do with the spooky dream. Scratching his side as usual, he didn’t notice the red rash he had all along his left side, and down to his leg.

Dressing in a loose fitting pair of shorts, and a T-shirt with a big red oriental dragon upon it, Dave pronounced himself ready for the day. His first stop was the bathroom, and then to the local electronics store. Upon stepping inside, the short man behind the till perked up immediately.

“Ah! Dave-san! Another alarm clock learned to fly?”
“Very funny Hohiro-san. The usual please.”
“Hai.”

The short little man ran off into the back, and fetched a simple alarm clock. The same model Dave had bought 20 or more times since moving to Tokyo. Paying for it, he promptly left before the slightly moronic man could start up any senseless chatter. It was a relatively quick hop back to his apartment to drop off his new clock, but then he was stuck with another problem. Just what was he to do on his day off?

He decided to visit a club that was in another part of the downtown Megaplex, one that was apparently new, and interesting. Rather than walking, he hopped one of the overcrowded busses heading that way, and after a few moments of shoving his way off the bus, had arrived at the club. Walking inside proved a little difficult, as there was a very long line of people waiting to be let in. Again his height advantage played itself to his advantage, and he was picked out of the crowd to be let in sooner. It was almost as if he was standing out a little more than usual…

His mind wandered to the coin in his pocket, and he rubbed it again for good luck. The club itself was a large place, full of vaulted ceilings and murals painted on the wall. There was one picture that grabbed his attention the most. A large blue dragon was sitting on a hill, looking at a sun set. Nobody else gave the strange part of the mural any notice, yet one person came over when they noticed Dave starting at it with his mouth agape.

“Stunning artwork is it not? Its my favorite.”
“Huh, what?”
Dave turned around to see the mystery man from his store looking at the same part of the mural he was. Immediately the hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end, and his paranoia kicked into overdrive. A little snap in the back of his head reminded him of the coin, to which he promptly fished out.

“I believe this is yours sir. We’re you not the one who left it on my counter yesterday evening?”

Over the rising blare of techno music, and flashing lights, the man merely smiled. Something about that smile caught Dave’s attention. It wasn’t the whiteness of his teeth, or how strait they we’re. No, it was their shape. The man in front of Dave had fangs!

“Why yes young man. I left this behind. But I can already see it has begun its work. I’ll take it back now.”

Such an odd statement from such an odd man. Dave hadn’t realized that a bit of his rash was peeking out from the bottom of his shorts. He promptly handed over the coin, and made a move to leave. The strange man grabbed a hold of his arm, and held him fast.

“You may not know what is happening but I do, beware the hunters in the dark. Seek me out again if you need me.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”

A bouncer heard Dave yell, and moved over to see if there was a problem.

“Can I help you with something sir?”
“Hai, there is this weird man holding me!”
“Sir, there is nobody there. Have you had too much to drink? If so, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Dave looked to where the strange man was, and nothing remained. There was no trace of him at all.

“Sorry, he must have let me go, and wandered off.”
“Right.” Trying to not look back at the odd person whom was starting his way, Dave failed to notice a hooded form at the back of the large party room. Dave fled the club, and decided to walk home. He reached down to scratch at the rash on his leg, seeing it for the first time.

“What’s this? Oh I hope I’m not sick… I don’t get sick leave from Kaiju-san…”

Scratching at it some more, he hurried home. Once he exited the elevator to his floor, and entered his place, he firmly locked the door. All these strange things happening at the same time was almost too much for him. He had to admit to himself however, that it was tweaking his craving for adventure. Shrugging it off, he helped himself to a large, and early lunch. He barely noticed how much he was eating until he saw the pile of empty dishes rising in the sink.

“Wow… I’ve never eaten that much in one sitting! Maybe I’m sick or something… don’t you feed a cold?”

Cleaning up after himself, he suddenly felt rather lethargic. Dragging himself towards his makeshift bed, he piled it all into a rough circle once more, and collapsed into sleep almost instantly. During his rest a most strange thing happened. A black mark appeared on his palm, where he had first touched the coin. It was identical to the markings on the coin itself, and the seemed to burrow their way into his flesh. Soon there was no trace of them, but the red mark on his side started to spread. His entire leg turned an angry red within moments, and soon the rest of his skin changed color. It was if ink had been spilled over his entire body.

Something made a loud noise outside, and Dave woke up with a start. Looking at his new clock, he saw that it was only mid afternoon. When he would have been waking up anyways. Shrugging somewhat, he stood up once more to head off for a shower.

“Must have still been tired from last night… oh well… a shower will wake me up.”

Wandering past his mirror, he didn’t notice that every inch of flesh on his body was a deep red. Almost as if he’d been out in the sun way too long. Stepping into the shower, he cranked the water temperature to high, and relaxed under the near scalding flow. Little did he know that the heat was enough that it should have been burning him. But somehow he emerged from the steam unscaved, and toweled off. After wiping clear the mirror at the sink, Dave nearly jumped through the ceiling.

“Holy crap! My skin! Its… red?”

Looking himself over, he rubbed down his slightly rough feeling hide.

“Hmm… maybe I had the water on too hot? That must be it! I’ve cooked myself. I hope it goes away by tomorrow.”

Once again totally missing the hint that something was different about him, Dave plunked himself in front of the TV for another enjoyable slothly afternoon of cartoon watching. He absently scratched at his sides as he did, still mildly uncomfortable with his thick red skin. Outside on his deck, a small blue reptilian form was perching on the railing.

“So it has begun… good luck.”

Dave suddenly felt strange. His feet went numb, and they looked as if they we’re swelling. He stared down with mixed confusion and wonder as his feet bent and stretched, contorting to a new shape. Then the numbness left, and all he knew was fire.
“Sonnava bitch!”

The pain was horrible, wracking up and down his whole body in electric arcs like a whip. His feet split apart in three places, reforming into grotesque paws with three large toes. Sharp talons pushed their way out of the ends of each new toe, followed by one large claw on his ankle. His feet continued to enlarge, until they we’re twice the size they used to be. Over two feet long, and very bulky. As quickly as the pain had started, it was gone. Blinking away some tears, Dave looked down at his new equipment. Flexing each three gigantic toes proved that they were indeed his own. He reached down, and gave each one a touch with his still human hands. They we’re rough to the touch, with what appeared to be scales covering their tops.

“Ok… this is too weird… Just what is going ooooonnn… argh!”

Not too long after he had checked out his new feet, the pain began again. He almost vomited up what little food remained in his stomach, and set his jaw to try to ride the pain through. His legs bulged and twisted, growing longer and thicker as they reshaped into something new. Something alien, though still human. They kept their basic configuration, but just became much more bulky, up to an equal size of his new feet. Now Dave looked comical. With a gigantic pair of legs, and huge reptilian like paws, while still having a human torso, he looked amusing indeed. By now Dave had realized that the transformation was probably not going to just stop half way, and he braced himself for more pain.

A few moments passed before anything else happened, so Dave got the opportunity to attempt to stand. It was difficult at first, as he now walked on the front of his feet, not on the balls. He felt very powerful with his new legs, but didn’t get the chance to enjoy it. Suddenly he felt a pressure deep in his chest, and his rib cage started to thicken and expand. Watching with awe and fear, his chest and entire torso bulged out to match his legs, thickening up, and getting covered in scales just like the rest of him. His arms followed next, doubling in size, and nearly doubling in length. His hands generally stayed the same, minus his elongating fingers, growing palms, and the new talons that sprouted at the tips of each digit.

Then a searing pain began at each one of his temples. He heard his own skull crack and shatter, as did he hear his jaw snap and reform. He swooned from the pain, falling down onto the floor with a heavy thump. His head stretched and grew into that of a dragon, gaining large fangs in his powerful maw. His ears grew and became pointy, sticking out and up from the side of his head. Behind those, fin like bands of flesh and hide poked out, adding an alien touch to his changing body. Two large white horns of bone poked out from the back of his head, and shot forward to make an impressive rack. His black hair grew out a little longer; forming a messy main that topped his already messed up head. Next, a row of small spines poked out down the length of his spinal column, and enlarged to be half a foot long. They quickly lowered against his back however, providing a hidden defense.

Dave was starting to stir and awaken, just when his shoulder blades started to bulge. A second set of arms sprouted from behind his existing pair, and stuck high into the air. Except instead of fingers, this set of arms started to sprout a tough leathery membrane between its ending digits. Thus huge arm like wings we’re now added with a double-shoulder design to his torso. They twitched slightly, folding up upon his back as if they had always been there. A loud ripping sound brought Dave fully awake, as a sharp spike pushed its way out from just above his butt, and started to reveal the makings of a long tail. It sprouted out about 7 feet, and thickened up massively at its base, tapering to a slightly thinner mass of scale and hide, capped by a solitary sharp spade. Dave groaned, and attempted to stand. Despite the high ceilings, he bumped his head on the plaster. Processing this newest bit of information, his eyes bulged open wide. They we’re a bright amber, flashing somewhat in the rooms light. Dave looked up, and the end of his muzzle smacked right into the bumpy ceiling. That meant he was 10’ tall. Suddenly he felt glad for landing a place with such high ceilings.

Looking around at himself, he was amazed to say the least. His whole body was a mix of dragon, and human. And it seemed to be leaning closer to the dragon half. He was suddenly reminded of the dragon in his dreams, and smirked somewhat. Opening his muzzle, he was baffled by his new deep voice.

“So I am like he is now… Strange.”

Using his sharp talons to scratch his scaled hide, he unconsciously emitted a purr of satisfaction. Before he had the chance to contemplate how he purred at all, he felt strange all over again.

“Oh no.... what now!”

His already large and bulky frame started to widen. New muscle mass forced its way underneath his flesh, making his arms and legs thicken up massively. Each limb was now the width of a tree trunk, with huge ball like bulges up and down their scaly surface. His chest widened out and grew as well. A massive 6-pack sprouted, tightening up to feel like steel. His neck widened slightly, better supporting his huge head. And finally, his wing muscles bulged and grew, followed by his already massive tail. Giving another very satisfied purr, he looked his new buff dragon body over.

“Wow… this isn’t exactly what I planned for my day off…”
“Nobody plans this kind of thing young one.”

Dave spun around instinctively brandishing his sharp claws and growling slightly. He saw the blue dragon from his dreams, sitting on his balcony. He was not as big as he was in the dream, but of equal height to Dave.

“Who… Who the hell are you? Are you the one who caused this?”
“In a way yes young one. You have the mark of the beast. The blessed. Lycanthrope. I merely helped you wake up sooner. It would have happened eventually. You should be thanking me actually; I prevented your first change from happening in public. Let me tell you, it’s not a pretty sight.”

The dragon-man casually walked in off the balcony, bending low to fit through the small door. He padded noisily over to Dave’s stereo, and switched it on. Pink Floyd’s “Another brick in the wall” Started to play at a decent volume, and the blue dragon-man smiled somewhat at the irony.

“Ah pink Floyd… what a coincidence.”
“Just who the hell are you mister?” “So you’re saying I’ve always been a dragon-man? It’s just taken 22 years for it to finally show?”

Dave crossed his scaly arms somewhat defiantly, snorting out a cloud of steam.

“Yes actually. You’re what we call a late bloomer. Most of us emerge on our 16th birthday.”
“Oh.”
“You will find you are not alone in this world, well not totally anyways. We don’t have any true society. We know of each other, and we leave it at that. Our only rules are the following. Do not reveal yourself to humans unless you absolutely have to. And if you must, you must make sure that those humans are silenced one way or another, or you will take the fall. No other lycanthrope will come to help you, and we shal use our connections to make it seem like you are a one of a kind aborition. We cannot let the humans find out about us yet. They are not ready.”
“Umm… allright. I suppose that will be easy enough for me. I have no friends, and I don’t reveal my social life to my boss.”
“Secondly, you may want to quit your job. As a new member of our little family, you are entitled to some of the great hoard.”
“Great hoard?”
“Long story kid.”

The dragon-man sighed.

“Suffice it to say, that there is a large mass of gold and stuff like that hidden somewhere in this world. All dragons get a share of it, to help them get on their feet. I advise you to invest it, and live off the interest. That’s what I do.”
“Allright… this is a lot to swallow at one time you know.”
“Well I’m sorry kid, but I have to do this fast. There are people out there that seem to know of us. We call them hunters. They seek to prove out existence, and destroy our race. Fear them. They are not to me trifled with. They have more weaponry than you do, despite your claws, fangs, and fire.”
“Fire? What fire?”

The elder dragon-man placed a paw over his face. Sighing somewhat.

“Forgot that part… All dragons have a breath weapon. I’m a blue. I can expel a bolt of lightning. You’re a red. You can exhale fire. Don’t ask me how it works, I’m no doctor. It just does. You’ll figure it out on your own.”
“Ok…”
“That’s all there is to tell young one. Keep your head down, and try not to get caught like this. Downsize yourself will yah!”
“What to you mean… oh…”

Just thinking about not being a dragon anymore caused a reversal of the painful transformation Dave had undergone. Almost as if somebody had deflated a balloon, his size, muscles, and everything left him. A small patch of red flesh could be seen on his palm, but that was it. In appearance, he was a man again. And a naked man at that. All but the slightest tatters of his shorts had burst off during his transformation, and we’re so horribly stretched that they would not stay on him anymore. Blushing somewhat, he covered his backside and front with pillows from the couch. The elder dragon-man laughed a deep throaty laugh, and peeked around the corner into Dave’s bedroom.

“Boy, how long have you made your bed like this?”>br? “For half my life.”
“Well I’ll be… that’s one of the signs we look for. I’m surprised we didn’t find you when you we’re much younger.”
“That’s allright. You’re most kind for at least telling me what’s going on.”
“You’re the most acceptant were I’ve ever awoken. Why is that?”
“I honestly have no idea. It feels right that’s all. I’ve liked dragons all my life. Maybe that has something to do with it.”
“It might boy, it might. I must be going now. You will probably never see me again, but if you ever have a question, or a need, you will probably run into one of us. We are everywhere. Just look.”

With that, he reverted to his human self, and was strangely wearing an overcoat as if it we’re always there. He unbolted the front door, and disappeared down the stairs. Dave flopped down on the couch, and tried to take it all in. He quickly got a spare pair of shorts on in his room, and went back to the kitchen. Pouring himself a cup of coffee to settle his nerves, he walked over to the balcony, and closed the drapes. Smiling somewhat at his strange, and potentially beneficial turn of fate, he quickly removed his fresh shorts. Setting them aside, he tried to will his transformation again. Dave thought of his huge paws, his long tail, and his horns. All to no-avail. Next he tried remembering what it was like bumping his muzzle against the ceiling, and then doubled over in pain. His whole body transformed at once this time, taking mere seconds to bulge and twist into its draconic configuration. The pain was less this time, and it cleared up almost instantly. This time Dave bumped his head a little harder, and could not raise his muzzle at all. “Oh-oh… I’m bigger than I was last time… This presents a problem…”

Dave quickly shrugged the whole problem off, resolving to lay down whenever he changed. Lazing across the whole couch, he noticed that his feet and most of his legs dangled off the end, as did his tail. The couch itself groaned a protest at the dragon’s immense weight, but did not fail. Dave quickly lost himself in the cartoons, pausing only to put on the stretched out tatters of his shorts in an attempt to hide his new sheath. Blinking in confusion, he sat up and looked between his legs. A sheath! That was certainly different indeed! He laughed a deep loud laugh, laying back down again to watch some kinda animated monster take on another.

“Move aside Godzilla. I’m here now.”

Dave awoke yet again tangled up in his makeshift nest, but remembered not to toss the alarm clock through the window this time. Sitting up, he scratched himself, rose to a standing position, and smashed his head on the ceiling.

“Oh yah… fell asleep like this.”

Squeezing through the doorway, he crawled on hands and knees to the bathroom. Flashing his new smile at the mirror, he briefly chuckled at the thought of doing that to anyone in public. Making coffee proved difficult with larger hands, but not once did the thought of reverting cross Dave’s mind. Only when he was done watching TV, and attempting to dress for work did he realize what he was now.

“Woops. I won’t be able to go outside like this… oh well. Gotta happen some time.”

The change was next to instant, his size slipped away with a thought, and soon he was human again. Frowning somewhat at how weak he felt, he slipped into some clothes, and walked out the door. He remembered that he had to quit his job today, and wondered how Kaiju-san would take it. Probably hard, as the old man was rather attached to Dave.

Walking in the door, the older man was waiting for him with the broom as usual. Dave nodded without saying a word, and swept up the front walk in record time. He entered the store once more, and took up his usual spot behind the till. His fantasy magazine didn’t seem as interesting as it once was. And they dragons they talked about we’re no way like himself and the other lycanthrope he had met the night before. He smiled somewhat, and wondered how to break the news to his boss.

“Umm… Kaiju-san? I must speak with you.”
“Yes Dave-san? What is it?”
“Well… I dunno how to put this… but I need to quit.”
“What? Why! You work here just fine, and we’ve had no problems!”
“I know that… but something has come up. I may have to leave the area.”
“Are you certain? Is there anything I can do? Are you in trouble?”
“No no Kaiju-san, its allright. Just I must leave, I’d rather not, but I must. Effective immediately.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that… But I cannot stop you. Can you not tell me why you must leave?”
“No I cannot. I’m sorry.”

The rest of the day was quiet. The older man kept to himself, and he even seemed a little angry with Dave. Dave couldn’t do much of anything about it however, and kept busy to make the evening go faster. Dinnertime for the older man rolled around, and he came downstairs. Instead of saying his customary good-evening, he locked the front door to the shop.

“Please Dave-san. Dine with us on your last evening.”
“Thank you Kaiju-san! I thought you we’re angry.”
“Not really. It is best you go out into the world and better yourself. Just don’t forget our humble home.”

Dave followed the short Japanese man up the back stairs, and sat in a lotus position at the small table. The mans wife was there, and the children had already been put to bed. They ate their meal earlier in the evening. A nice assortment of sushi, and hot tempura was spread out, as well as a hot soup pot in the middle of the table. Kaiju-san’s wife poured everyone green tea, and sat back down to dish out the rice for the meal.

“Thank you for sharing your table with me this evening.”
“It is the least I can do after 2 years of faithful service Dave-san. Eat and leave content.”

The meal progressed without incident. Occasional small talk was passed back and forth, but they mostly just sat and ate. Towards the end of the meal, Dave felt a curious sensation in his abdomen. Thinking it a potential stomach problem, he excused himself to the washroom. Sitting on the crapper, Dave contemplated life. He barely noticed what was happening until the pain started. He was transforming! He must have thought of his new true self during dinner. He grunted and groaned as quietly as possible as his clothes ripped off, and his body grew to a new height. The washroom was not as large as his apartments, thus he was soon kneeling over the toilet, with his head at an odd angle against the wall. His tail was in the bathtub, and his wings we’re painfully smooshed against the wall.

“Boy, from the noises he is making in there, you’d think he’s never eaten Japanese food before.”
“Hai husband… maybe you should see if he’s allright?”

The older man stepped up from the table, and walked casually over to the washroom. He knocked softly, calling Dave’s name. Foolishly, Dave awnsered with his deep voice, and the older man jumped.

“Who’s in there!”
“Umm… nobody!”

The old man didn’t buy the ruse one bit, and threw the door open. Seeing a 11 foot tall dragon doubled over in his bathroom proved almost too much, and he fell backwards with a yelp.

“Gojira!”
“No Kaiju-san, I’m not Godzilla… Its me… D… Dave.”

The old man stammered, and the wife screamed. Dave forced his way out of the washroom, and sat in a lotus position back at the table. His large horns rubbed against the ceiling, as he took a sip of his green tea.

“I’m sorry to have shown you this. I was not meant to be seen by human eyes.”
“What are you!?!”
“I am a lycanthrope. A man and a beast. In this case, a dragon. You must understand something Kaiju-san. You never saw me like this. You will tell nobody. I cannot say what will happen if you do, but I’m sure it will not be good for any of us. Just keep this information to yourself. Be happy that you had a dragon working for you.”

The older man smiled at the last bit, and snapped off a low bow. It was typical in most oriental cultures to hold dragons sacred. Dave promptly started to revert to his human form, and asked for something to wear over his naked body. The older man gave Dave his Kimono, and smiled.

“You do not know what honor you have done us Dave-san. While we cannot inform anyone of our good fortune, our home has been graced by a dragon.”
“I wouldn’t exactly say graced… more like half broken.”
“Never the less, we are thankful. Now I know why you cannot work here anymore. Go in peace Dave-san.”
“Hai. Arigato.”

Dave exited the store, wearing his donated kimono with pride. He walked home again, and started looking for a larger place. Somewhere in the nearby hills, where he could live without prying eyes. What he didn’t know, was the old man and his wife we’re not the only ones to see him as what he was. A cloaked individual had watched the entire conversation from below the window, and was now pondering the presence of another lycanthrope in the city.

“Foolish beasts. The hunters will get you all when the time is right.”

Dave once again plopped himself upon his couch, and let his new true self come to be. The pain was less once more, and he grew massive in moments. His stunning, and ripped body casting an interesting shadow on the curtains. As he was reveling in simply being what he is, some part of his old self snapped in the back of his head. He looked down at himself, and nearly swooned.

“What the… How have I been so acceptant of this? I’m not even myself anymore! … Or am I?”

Dave turned off the TV, and sat there in quiet contemplation. He was still himself, just he found out how to do something new. Even if said thing was to transform into a apparently growing dragon. He absently scratched at his side, drawing another satisfied purr from his own throat. Chuckling somewhat to himself, he again wondered why he accepted this so easily.

“Its as if I was expecting this… I’m somehow not surprised. Hell, I even like it.”

Just as he finished the statement to himself, his couch groaned again, and collapsed. Dave was in a heap on the floor, laughing his tail off. A loud thumping on one wall told Dave he was being too loud, but he couldn’t help it. He was the happiest he had been in his whole life. Using his powerful muscled arms, he folded the scraps of the couch frame in upon itself, until it was a tight ball. Pleased with his strength, he took the broken couch, looked out the window, and let it drop into the mass of dumpsters so many stories below.

He was already inside when a large metallic thump told him that his aim was true. Rubbing his huge paws together, he let a pleasured growl release itself from his throat. Again he was amazed with himself, and just how easily this new body had come into his hands. He remembered the warnings of the other dragon however, and decided to be careful.

He barely registered the snap of gunfire in the distance, and only perked up when a few rounds went screaming through his balcony window. The bullets tore up the wall, and his TV. Dave yelped, and dove for the floor. More rounds went screaming over his head, and the odd one deflected off his armor. Not wanting to see how bulletproof he really was, he shuffled around the corner to his kitchen, and reverted to his human self. He grabbed a random pair of clothes, his wallet n’ stuff, and bolted out the door. Just as he was exiting, he was blown off his feet by a large incendiary device. Slapping out the odd fire that had spread into the hallway, Dave only paused long enough to pull the fire alarm, and bolt down the stairs.

He tried to look casual in a mixed up pair of jean shorts, and a brown shirt with a Chinese dragon upon the front. He snickered somewhat, then blended into the small crowd of people who were looking up at the burning apartment. Dave tried not to cry out as he watched everything he owned go up in flames. His stereo, his TV, his cookware, and his computer: all molten slag. Somehow it didn’t matter as much as he thought. Just being who he was, seemed more satisfying than all those material possessions. Besides, he was going to get some cash from the other lycanthropes. Maybe now was the best time to disappear. So he dusted himself off, and acted as if nothing was wrong. Then he walked down the street, hopping a bus that took him to a hotel. Checking in, and paying cash for a night, he happily accepted his room key. When inside, he reverted to his dragon self, and slept on the too small bed. His life was certainly changing.

This night passed without occurrence, as the hunters thought Dave was dead. The Lycanthropes of the world had slightly better tabs on their own however, at least some of them did. The front door to the hotel room jiggled ever so slightly, then a credit card was unceremoniously thrust through the door jam. A quick snap of the wrist, and the door was open. Black overcoat trailing, a hooded figure crept silently though the open doorway. The door was closed quietly, as not to disturb the hulking figure curled up on the undersized bed.

Flipping back the cowl, the hooded figure revealed himself to be the strange man whom had released Dave in the beginning. A long scar could barely be seen above one eye, and that was his only discernable feature. Everything else was too plain, too stoic. This one was the preverbal face in the crowd. He smiled to himself, undressing and setting his clothing on a nearby chair. He let his transformation come to him slowly, savoring every precious second of sweet serenity. His was a painless transformation, as his body had long since adapted to it. Tugging on a large pair of shorts from a pocket in his coat, he smiled to himself. He stood at Dave’s current height, but was stooped over thanks to the low ceiling. Sitting down, he composed himself in front of the door, prepared to guard the young new member of his society.

“You as yet do not know what you have gotten into. But you will.”

Dave rolled over in his sleep, the bed frame complaining over his three quarter ton body. The blue dragon at the door smiled, a fang filled grin.

“You are still very young. Even though it is our way to stay hidden, somebody has to teach you. I shal be that teacher. You shal learn our ways, our history, and maybe our future. First however, we need to get you out of the city. Away from the hunters, away from prying eyes. There you shal stay until you are ready, until you’ve come to understand just what you are.”

The blue dragon-man leaned up against the door, making quite sure nothing would disturb his new pupils rest. It had been half a century since he had last had a student, and he was looking forward to taking Dave under his wing. Relaxing even deeper, the blue drifted off into his own slumber.

Dave awoke the next day curiously. He sat up in a strange bed, and bumped his horns on the low ceiling.

“Where am I…”

Memories of the previous nights encounter flooded back to him, and he almost wept at the realization over his destroyed former life. Everything was gone, everything he was swept away in the maelstrom of fire and steel rain. Anger welled up inside him to replace the sadness. Somebody had tried to kill him, and he had the marks on his scales to prove it. Now he was living in a cheap hotel room, with a blue dragon leaning against his front door. He blinked his large green eyes, and stared at the familiar face.

“Its you. How did you get in here?”

The sleeping giant awoke with a start, realizing that he’d been asleep too long. He smiled once more, shrugging his double shoulders as if that would explain everything.

“I am sorry. I watched you leave your former dwelling. But fear not, I am here to help you.”

Dave looked un-impressed. In fact, his wings drooped, and he fell into a heap upon his bed.

“Help me you say? So far all you’ve brought me is a giant burden. Somebody tried to kill me last night you know? This is all happening so fast…”
“Calm yourself Dave. I know it is difficult, it always is for the first little while. You will grow to understand, and appreciate who and what you now are. We all have. I have come here to take you away from the grand cities of the world. To a place where you do not have to walk in fear, and where you can be yourself as you… learn. I am to be your teacher.”
“My teacher you say. And what pray tell are you planning on teaching me? Some bullshit standard of conduct? Or some other weird rule that will one day get my head shot off? Save your riddles… I’m not in the mood.”

The blue laughed then, a strong sound coming strait from his heart.

“My you sound like so many of the others. No Dave, I am not here to fill your mind with doctrine and ways to evacuate your skull. I am here to answer questions, and provide a save haven. My home is up in the mountains, away from everything. You shal see it for yourself, if you agree to come along.”
“And what if I do not want to? You have not even told me your name.”
“Well, there are other things and places you can go to. You might survive on your own, but I guarantee you, that you would not be very happy. Staying locked away in your frail human form is torture once you get used to being what you now are. But that is one of the many other things I can teach you about. Come with me Dave, please.”

Dave studied the obviously elder dragon’s face. It was cracked with worry now, and seemed sincere. Dave nodded his large head, extending his paw for a handshake.

“Allright, I’ll come with you. But how are we going to get out of the city like this?”
Dave gave a large sweep with his other paw, indicating their draconic bodies. The elder dragon clasped his paw, and gave a healthy shake.

“Remember the torture I was mentioning? That’s how. Go and get changed, I won’t look.”

Dave turned around and forced himself into the tiny bathroom, changing as he went. He emerged moments later, dressed, and looking confused somehow. The strange man was once again human, and wearing his overcoat. He noticed Dave’s Perplexed look, and cocked his head to the side.

“What is the matter?”
“I feel… I feel as if I just lost something.”

The man laughed once more, a laugh that didn’t seem to belong in the throat it was coming from.

“It will get worse with time. Trust me. Let us go.”
“Allright. So what am I to call you?”

The man stopped in his tracks, and gave Dave a sidelong glance.

“Call me Marvin.”
“Marvin? A big assed dragon like you is called Marvin?”

He placed a hand over his scared face, and exhaled somewhat.

“Like you Dave, I was born in a human body. Allright? I’m sure your parents would not have named you Dave if you were hatched from an egg…”
“Allright, allright. I get your point. Now do you have a car or something?”
“Yes I do. Lets get going.”

Outside was more than a car, there was a military grade Hummer. Dave gave a long whistle, and hopped into the passenger side. Marvin hopped into the drivers seat, and started the engine. Dave was surprised with the interior. The seats held patterns of dragons, as did the various components of the vehicle itself. Only the outside paint did not have a dragon somewhere upon it.

“I can see you like your own kind just a wee bit.”
“Surely you jest Dave.”

Dave chuckled somewhat, placing a hand on his forehead.

“What is so funny?”
“Marvin!”
“Shut up whelp.”

Dave laughed his ass off then, mirth plain to see on his face. Even his driver warmed up a bit, as the pair of them took off down the road. They headed north, outside of the city, and into the hills. Hours passed, and night was soon falling by the time they reached a large iron gate off the road. There was a small fence running around the base of a Cliffside, and it disappeared around the width of the rock face. Dave realized that they must be on one of the coasts. Marvin got out of the vehicle, and opened the lock on the large gate. Driving the vehicle through, he locked the gate again on the other side.

“This is a very private area. I have no visitors up here, minus those who are like us.”
“Sounds good to me. Will I meet any other kin while here?”
“That is up to you. They will know if you truly what to interact with your new society, even if it is one cloaked in the shadows.”

Dave gave this some thought, not bothering to ask for any strait answer. His new master drove up an overgrown path, and parked the truck in a very well hidden garage. Exiting, Dave found himself in a very bare room, with only the truck occupying it. Marvin walked to a small doorway at the back of the room, and entered a combination on a hidden keypad. The door opened with the whoosh of compressed air, and exposed an elevator.

“This garage is directly carved into the stone of the cliff. This elevator will take us up to the summit, where I make my home. Please join me.”

Dave nodded, and stepped into the elevator. The two of them stood patently as they were slowly lifted up the interior of the cliff. Dave noticed several floor displays passing them by, and assumed that there must be rooms or access ways built into the stone. He made no mention of them however, as he didn’t want to ask too many questions yet. The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened. Bright sunlight momentarily blinded them both, but their eyes adjusted to the view. The elevator itself was incased in a stone block on the western side of the cliff top. There was no other structure in the general vicinity, and Dave looked confused. All atop the cliff, was grass, trees, and a large view of the ocean. Dave assumed that they we’re looking due east, as he could not see any traces of the mainland. Marvin began walking down a stone path, waving his arm for Dave to join. Following, he noticed the path led down a set of stairs. Arriving at the top, he smiled, and looked down. The top of the cliff dropped down about fifty feet, then flattened off perfectly. Dirt had been placed all over the place, as had small rocks and gravel gardens. In the middle of it all, was a dojo. Rice paper walls, wooden windows, and all the other hard core Japanese décor proved that the hand of a dedicated artist had fashioned this place. A fence was built all around the very edge of the cliff, preventing anyone from easily taking a plunge hundreds of feet into the water below. Plants were everywhere in the yard, but mostly the whole place was just grass. Dave liked it, it was simple, and elegant.

“Nice place you have here Marvin.”
“Thank you. Please, join me for tea.”

Dave nodded, and followed to the front of the large building. He noticed that the doorway itself was over twenty feet high, and assumed it was that way thanks to its primary occupant. Casting a sly grin his companions way, Marvin slipped off his shoes, and opened the large wooden door. He motioned for Dave to remain where he was, and walked off into another room. Dave was left in the entry way, and smiled at the building itself. The floor was wooden in the main room, and lightly carpeted throughout the rest of the place. The floor itself was sunken a full foot below the rest of the place, and various places were located to store ones shoes and jacket. Dave slipped off his boots, coat, and shirt before he knew what he was doing. Taking out a large pair of blue-jean shorts from his pants, he let his transformation come to him. Growling in pain only slightly, he grew into his now preferred form. Again he noticed that he was larger, and quickly donned his shorts to hide his delight. Dave estimated he was almost 12 feet tall this day, and rumbled contently as he waited for Marvin to return. Directly ahead of him, one of the flimsy looking doors slid to the side, and Dave was greeted with an eye popping sight. A 7 foot tall, gray female fox stood in the doorway, and smiled at him.

“Welcome. So you are called Dave? Please, the master invites you for tea.”
“Err yah…”

Dave clumsily stepped over the now small rise in the floor, and walked over the comfortable feeling carpet. He wiggled his toes with contentment, happy with how the rich carpeting clung to his paws somewhat. Stepping through the door, Dave looked down and smiled at the slim, and attractive looking fox woman. He snapped out of it, and found Marvin sitting in the lotus position at a low table. There was a small fire burning in a stone pit, and the little amount of smoke poured out through a hole in the ceiling. Dave looked around, assuming that this must be the center of the building.

“Ah, I see you have already released yourself. That is a good sign. Come, join me.”
“Arigato Marvin-san.”

The blue dragon laughed, having not known that Dave spoke any Japanese. Another lycanthrope entered from another door, carrying a tray with two bowls, some hot water, and green tea powder. She was an average sized raccoon, walking on her odd little legs. She swished her bushy tail, and winked to Dave as she exited the room.

“I see you find my servants pleasing.”
“You could say that Marv.”

The blue rolled his large red eyes, and poured the water into the two bowls. Dave mixed the powder in turn, and smiled at the smell.

“I always liked this stuff.”
“Then I suppose it’s a good thing you moved to Japan.”
“Aye, I guess you’re right.”

The pair sipped at their beverage, Dave spilling some down his scaled and muscular front. He smiled, still more leaking down his muzzle.

“Woops. This is the first time I’ve drank anything in this form… I suppose it will take some getting used to.”

Marvin had better results with his tea, forming a spout with his front lip, and pouring it in.

“Yes it will. It is rare that anyone gets everything down pat in the first few days of their new life. But you will be fine, you seem adept at your new self.”
“I feel it too. Like it was meant for me. I honestly enjoy just being who I now am.”

Marvin smiled, and nodded his understanding.

“You’re not the only one. Those two ladies, they like it so much that they have not set foot outside their animal forms in years. I never do unless I have to. I would not be surprised if you wound up the same way. Most of us do.”

Dave grinned, flexing his powerful forearms. One of the ladies watching from a partially hidden door giggled, then quickly closed it all the way.

“You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. Those two fix my meals, and will cook yours as well. They are not really servants, more like paid house guests. In return for their preformed duties, they get part of my hoard, and a place to live. They share a set of rooms connected to my house here.”
“Sounds like a good deal to me. So what are my duties to be?”
“What do you mean?”
“You can’t fool me Marv. If they have to pull their own weight, I’m sure I’m not going to get a free ride.”

Marvin smiled, and chuckled somewhat.

“You catch on fast. You will be expected to simply help out with the upkeep of the building itself. And to keep me company of course.”
“Again, that sounds like a good deal to me. I’m in.”
“Good. You can have the room across from mine. It is not much, but you’ll find it adequate. Go there now if you want, it is getting late.”

Dave nodded, and stood up to leave. Just before he did however, he looked over his shoulder.

“Which way to my room anyways? It may be across from yours, but I do not know where yours is.”
“You have a point. Follow me.”

Dave was led up a side set of stairs, to the right hand portion of the building. Marvin apparently had a sick sense of humor, because while his room was indeed across the way from Dave’s, they were separated by the open space above the tea room. Two large square rooms jutted out, making separate second floors. Dave could access the rest of the house via the stairs back down to the tea room. Marvin left Dave to his new place, and closed the door behind him. Obviously too, the elders concept of a small room was very different to Dave’s. There was a massive feather bed off to one side, various windows and sky-lights, plants and fountains, wooden partitions, a table and chairs, a couch with a TV, and in the very middle of the large room, there was what appeared to be a pond. Dave stuck a clawed finger inside, and saw that it was more like a spa. The water was warm, and several feet deep. Dave smiled to himself, and stripped off his shorts. Smelling a forearm, he wrinkled his muzzle with minor irritation. It had been days since he last showered, thus a bath was a welcome thing indeed.

He slowly lowered himself into the water, sitting down with his feet stuck out. The waters rose to his neck, and relaxed the dragon fully. Looking to the side, Dave saw a few controls.

“Hmm, must be like a hot tub.”

There was a blue one, a red one, and a green one. Seemed simple enough, if Dave knew what each control did. Pushing the red one, nothing happened. The green one caused a small hatch to open at the side of the tub, and a green liquid to be shot into the water. It smelled of apples, and by the little bubbles that appeared, Dave assumed it was some kind of soap. He shrugged, realizing that he’d need lots to get clean anyways. He pushed the green button again, this time holding a paw under the flow, to catch as much of it as he could. Taking the glob, he stood up, and rubbed it all down his front scales. Using his long reach, he got his back, then did his arms. Smiling at the pleasing scent, he dispensed more soap, and rubbed down his legs, tail, and even his wings. Then with one more glob he soaped up his muzzle, head, and neck. Thinking himself clean now, he sat back down into the water, and began to rinse himself off. The water promptly turned green, and it occurred to Dave that maybe he used too much soap. Shrugging it off, he lowered his head into the water to rinse it off as well. Coming back for air, he reached back, and scrubbed at his long messy mane. Leaning back after this was done, he glanced over at the control panel once more. The blue button had yet to be pressed, so he reached out with a claw, and gave it a tap. Almost instantly, a whirring sound could be heard, and bubbles started to float up from the bottom of the tub.

“So it is like a hot-tub after all.”

Dave smiled, relaxing under the massaging effects of the water pump. The mass amounts of soap in the water started frothing up however, and soon Dave was up to his snout in suds. He stood up, looking like a giant white puff ball. Laughing at himself, he sat back down, blowing foam around playfully. He reached over to the control panel again, pushing the blue button once more. Nothing happened, and Dave was momentarily worried. The foam was rising high enough now, that it was threatening to overflow the pit the tub was placed in. He flailed around, stepping out of the tub, and splattering foam all over the wooden floor. Thinking for a moment, he pushed the red button, and sighed as the water stopped churning. Looking to his side, he found a towel, and cleaned all the scented foam off his scaled body. It took a while, and multiple towels, but soon he was dry again. The froth on the floor dissolved soon enough, and Dave wiped up the water with another towel. Just as he was wandering over to examine his table, all the water in the tub drained. The tub itself rinsed out, and filled again with warm water. Dave shook his head and laughed, pleased to be in such a nice place. The table was sturdy, and made for someone of his size. In fact, it appeared to be made for someone even bigger, which made his mind whirl. Shrugging it off, he looked to his new bed. It looked comfortable, and with a flying leap, he plopped upon its feather soft surface. Purring to himself, he sprawled across it, and buried himself in the blankets provided. Just for fun, he clapped his large paws together, and snickered when the lights turned themselves out. Yes he thought, his life may have just gotten better. Dave promptly fell asleep.

Morning dawned as it usually did, a bright orange ball of light cresting the open sea, and brightening up the entire dojo. Dave awoke to the smell of various foods being cooked downstairs, and assumed that the pair of furry ladies we’re in the kitchen. Stretching out, Dave noticed something was off. Looking under the covers, he noticed that his shorts had somehow ripped off during the night. Curious as ever, he attempted to pull the shreds together, and realized that they would never wrap around his broad waist. Standing up, he noticed everything seemed smaller than it had the night before.

“Oh I know! I must have grown again during my sleep.”

Dave was taking this rather well, and actually seemed to be pleased. He estimated himself at close to 15’ in height now, and smiled. Scratching his side, he decided to get rid of the last of the sleepiness with a nice bath. Leaping into the air, he landed in the tub with a loud splash. Fortunately, the wood around the tub itself sloped down, and seemed to be waterproof. As the puddles drained back into the tub, Dave scrubbed himself up rapidly, dunking his head under the water multiple times to fully awaken himself. Downstairs, the two ladies giggled to themselves. There was no way to hide the sound of a happily splashing dragon. Dave flopped around in the large pool a few times, overjoyed for some reason he couldn’t explain to himself. Mid way through a dive, he slipped, and wound up half way stuck beneath the lip of the tub. The soap dispenser shot apple scented liquid into his open muzzle, promptly causing Dave to nearly retch at the taste. Freeing himself, he rinsed his maw out in the clean waters of the tub.

“Yuck! That stuff tastes like ass!”

Spitting a few times to make sure, Dave coughed slightly at the foul taste still at the back of his throat. All the water in and around his nostrils suddenly caused him to violently sneeze, and the bewildered dragon sent a long and wide stream of soap bubbles flying out of his muzzle. Once he blinked his surprise away, he broke down laughing. Popping a few of the low flying orbs of trapped air, he dried himself off on a fresh towel, and loped down the stairs. Just as he was about to run into the tea room, he turned around and ran back up the stairs into his room. To Dave, having his long dragonhood flopping in the breeze wasn’t so bad, but he was sure the other occupants of the house wouldn’t like a nudist. Wrapping a large sheet around his torso and loins like a toga, he grinned to himself, and again bolted down the stairs. The girls we’re laying out platters, and Marvin was entering from another door.

“Ah, thank you girls. The usual is it?”
“Yes sir! Eggs, white rice, sake, chicken, beef, and some sliced fruit.”

Marvin bowed his larger body to the ladies, and waved them off to their own breakfast. The did not leave immediately, and appeared to be sniffing the air.

“What is it girls?”
“What smells like apples?”

Dave nearly sputtered something, but acted as if he’d just had a cough or two.

“I don’t smell anything.”

Marvin shrugged, knowing damn fine what brand of soap was in Dave’s room/

“Neither do I. Thank you anyways ladies.”

The two smaller women bowed, and went back to their own apartments. Dave nodded to the fellow dragon, and lifted the metal cowl over his meal. What greeted his eyes set his muzzle to drooling. There was indeed everything the women had mentioned, but the portions we’re enormous! At least 3 dozen eggs we’re on his plate, 5 steaks, 2 whole chickens, enough rice to feed an army, and several whole fruits chopped up into sticks. Purring to himself, he picked up an oversized pair of chop-stix beside his tray, and dug in. He watched Marvin from time to time, to make sure he was eating properly. After all, he was unused to life as a dragon. The eggs practically we’re inhaled by both parties, and the chickens were consumed whole. Dave found it strangely pleasurable to swallow such a large mass in one go, and spent a few moments rubbing his content throat. The steaks were large, but were merely finger food for the pair of hungry dragons. Same went for the fruit, and the rice. Nodding his head to his new master, he took a healthy sip of his sake, which turned into a noisy guzzle. Leaning back against his tail, he mustered a healthy belch, and patted his swollen mid section. Marvin looked impressed.

“I did not think you could eat it all. Yet you did.”
“Yep, I was very hungry. Must be all the growing I’ve been doing. Say Marv? How big am I gonna get?”

Marvin wiped his muzzle clean, and composed himself to speak.

“I have no idea.”
“You serious? What if I grow forever? … Well that doesn’t seem like so bad a thing…”
“I truly doubt you will grow forever, but you could quite potentially get very large. There have been many of our kind that have reached epic proportions. Though not many have grown as fast as you are. Though I think you are only reaching a suitable size for the time being. You may continue growing later however, that I do not know for sure. I can tell you this much however, you are of a different group than I thought you were.”
“Come again?”
“I thought you were a were-dragon like myself. I believe now that I am wrong. It would explain why you seem so comfortable for someone who just lost his entire former life not 24 hours ago.”

Dave nodded slowly, unsure of where his teacher was going with this.

“I think you are a Dragon-Were.”
“And what’s the difference? We look the same you and I!”
“This is true, but there is a difference. I am a man that discovered how to become a dragon. You are a dragon that can become a man.”
“You serious?”
“Very serious Dave. It does not change much however, just shows that you’ve liked dragons all your life for a reason. Just you never realized how to escape your accidental form until recently.”
“Whoa… that’s deep.”

Marvin nodded, draining his sake bowl, and setting it on the empty tray. Smiling, he stood up, and extended a large clawed paw to help Dave rise.

“Come, lets begin some of your education.”

Dave’s passing days of training went by rather smoothly. He proved to be quite the apt student, and was slowly proving to be quite the apt dragon. It was around a month into his training in martial arts, dragon lore, and the odd bit of magic, that Dave noticed he was getting taller than his teacher. He took Marvin aside, and asked him about his continued growth.

“What’s going on anyways? How big am I gonna get?”

Marvin considered his growing pupil, having been wondering the same thing himself for a while now.

“Well Dave-san, I have no idea. I have not had much experience with dragon-weres such as yourself. For all I know, you could be the next Gojira.”

Marvin decided not to teach anything this day, and walked into his private chambers to try and figure things out. Dave walked around the small Cliffside area he now called his home, and sat his scaly behind down upon the far ledge. He had a feeling that he was going to be a very big dragon indeed, though he did not know why. Shrugging it off, he made his way back to the building, and sat down to have an early lunch with the two furry women.

Time continued to pass for teacher and student. Dave was learning his entire species history, ways to fight, how to use his fire properly, how to fly with the greatest of ease, and every other little trick his master had to teach him. Every day Dave noticed he was an inch taller than his master, but it no longer surprised him in the least. Marvin on the other hand was becoming worried. Dave was already 25’ tall, and soon would be unable to fit inside the building at all. He was also worried about all this potential power going to his students head. Soon the lessons came to an end, and Marvin announced that he had taught all he could remember. Dave nodded, and stared off into the sunset over the Cliffside.

“What am I to do now Marvin? You have nothing more to teach me, and I can barely fit inside that shack of yours. No offence.”
“None taken Dave-San. This is a time that all students and masters must face. I believe it is time to go out and find a home of your own.”
“That’s going to be a problem I think. Where can I go that nobody will notice a gigantic dragon? I know I can just adopt my human form and live in the city… but I’d feel so confined after living out here all this year.”
“I know that Dave-san, but you may just have to until you can find a suitable place to call your own. Just remember the rules of our society. Keep your head down, stay out of the public eye, and please don’t get found by the hunters again. This time I’m sure I won’t be there. You will be visited by others of our kind. The more remote you make your home, the better.”

Dave nodded his great head, and extended a large paw to his teacher. Marvin recoiled somewhat at the large hand, but accepted it with his own. Shaking briefly, Marvin turned and went back inside the house, closing the door for the last time. Dave spread his mighty wings, looked back at the place he called home for almost a year, and leapt off the cliff. Flying dew east, he found a whole lot of nothing as he crossed parts of the pacific ocean. Night was falling, and he was loosing sight of his former home. Moaning somewhat to himself, he kept flying in one direction. He quickly realized that his course was probably a poor one, as there were no places to land for a long time. Grumbling to himself, he turned around, and planned to find a small cave along the Japan seaboard for the night. What caught his eyes as he made an about face almost caused him to falter in his flight. A great red and orange glow lighting up the night. Something was burning.

Marvin had already sent the ladies below into a survival shelter, and was currently trying to keep away from the long reach of automatic weapons. The hunters had found his house after all this time. They were dressed up like ancient ninja’s, but were packing assault rifles instead of the traditional Katana. A round skipped off the elder dragons shoulder, ripping up scales, and drawing blood. Yowling in pain, he lanced his razor sharp claws into the one whom fired, and promptly tore him a new one. He could not see how many there were in this darkness, but he did notice the wave of flaming bottles that landed on his wooden roof…

Dave pumped his wings as fast as he could, he had to get back before it was too late to help. Growling loudly, he didn’t notice his bulky frame expanding even more than it already had. New muscles blanketed his body, as it swelled up to a proud 30’ in height. Dave suddenly felt like he could take on anything, but shrugged the useless emotion off right away. He knew he must keep focused if he was going to be anything other than a burden.

Marvin almost wept as he watched his house burn to the ground, but relief swept into his mind as he remembered the women locked safely down in the survival shelter. Rage quickly replaced the remorse, and he tore the head off of the nearest hunter with a swipe of his mighty tail. More bullets impacted with his form, some doing nothing, others finding the spaces between scales. He heard a roar in the distance, and thought he saw something moving out there in the darkness. A flash of red scales flew over the elders head, and Dave landed before him. High speed ammo flared off his thick hide, but Dave had grown so that the weapons had little effect on him. With an angry growl, he raised one great foot, and smashed it down on a hapless hunter. There was a sickening crunch of bone, and the little human was splattered into a paste beneath the behemoths paw. Pleased with himself, Dave ran around the tiny Cliffside, and made short work of the hunters. Morning rose hours later, and it revealed quite a site.

Marvin was busy patching himself up, and Dave was towering over him. The larger dragon was a mess, his paws stained with the blood and guts of all those he had smashed into the rock. Dave busied himself with tearing apart the burned wreck of the house, and found the metal hatchway to the survival shelter. Pointing this out, Marvin walked over to unlock it, and fetch the women out. They were just fine, but almost began screaming when they saw the raw carnage and destruction all around them.

“I’m sorry they found you after I had already left Marvin. Maybe I could have been more help if I had not left so soon.”
“Its all right Dave-san. Only a house was destroyed. But by the looks of it, you took out the majority of the hunters. I have a feeling we’ll never hear from them again.”

Dave smiled a fang filled grin, truly pleased with his gigantic body. He looked around, then looked back to the three standing below him.

“Well, I was planning on looking for a pacific island to take over as my own, or maybe one of those un-populated islands in the Caribbean. And seeing as you seem to be homeless now, and the hunters know where you are, perhaps you’d like to follow me?”
“Sounds better than hanging around here Dave-san. Let us leave right away. Though, I suggest adopting our human forms and taking a plane to Hawaii. That way we can see all the islands, take less time, and get something to eat in the process.”

Everyone moaned at the thought of abandoning their furry/scaly selves even for a moment, but the all reluctantly did so. Dave fell over once he was back into his human guise, as it had been so very long since he was this small and weak. They all looked around, then at each other, and broke down laughing. Not a one of them were wearing anything more covering than a loincloth. They somewhat reluctantly stripped the dead hunters of their clothes, and forced themselves to wear the slightly dirty rags until they could get some proper clothing.

Hopping into a truck the dead hunters did not need anymore, Marvin drove them all into downtown Tokyo. After a quick stop at the bank, and another stop at a tailors, they were all dressed up smartly like Japanese business types. After another stop at a local diner for breakfast, they booked a plane to Hawaii, first class of course. Dave remembered how much money he had now as well, thanks to the donations of his new little hidden society. Their afternoon flight passed by slowly, as all flights did. Dave found himself twitching at the thought of shedding this useless flesh and adopting his scales once more. The two movies they got to watch distracted him, one being a Godzilla film, the other being Dragonheart. Dave and Martin looked at each other, and shared a knowing laugh.

After landing in Hawaii, they took up a table in an airport coffee house, to discuss what they had seen on the way over. They all agreed that there were very little usable islands in between Hawaii and Japan, so they all decided to hop another plane the next day to Central America. Rumors quickly spread through the cities and towns of Hawaii about a dragon sighting on the beach. Apparently a large red one was skinny dipping. The sighting was made late at night, so it wasn’t followed up much more than an attempted recording of paw-prints. The four hidden morphs were already on the plane by that time, Dave trying not to laugh as Marvin swatted him with a rolled up newspaper.

It was nearly evening when their plane landed in Panama, and they chartered a smaller craft to give them a tour of the outer islands. What they found made the ladies squeal with delight: an island 2 miles across sitting in the middle of nowhere. It was almost near Brazil it was so far off. When the plane landed, they bought a small boat, and made their way out to their hopefully new home. It took most of that evening, and part of the night to get out there, but it did not matter. Finally they landed, and after a quick transformation, hid the boat up the beach. Padding into the bushes, they all agreed to explore in the morning. Curling up on the soft beach grasses, two dragons, and two furs were quickly sound asleep.

Dawn rose on the island, and Dave was the first to awake. He noticed something right off the bat. Again he had grown. He was now 35’ tall, and a mountain of scale coated muscles. Purring his delight, he stomped off into the bush to look around. With steps the size of his, it did not take long to walk around the entire island. It was heavily forested, and had a large volcanic mountain in the center. Climbing up to the top of the black cone, Dave was relieved to see that it looked dormant. He jumped/flew down to the bottom again, and made his way back to the beach. The rest of the party was waking up, and waved at him a he crashed back through the brush.

“Well, we’re alone on this island. And there seems to be lots of trees to build stuff out of.”

Marvin nodded, and the ladies wandered off to gather some food. Dave went back to the volcano, and scratched at what looked like an old vent. The weather worn rock gave away easily under his sharp claws, so the big dragon kept on digging. Exposing an entrance large enough to stick his head in, Dave was pleased to see what was inside. It was a big open cave. Like the lower chambers of the dead volcano had worn away. He spent more and more time digging away at the hole he had made, stopping only when he realized he was starving. Padding back to the shoreline, he found the ladies cooking up what appeared to be fish and fruit. Before he asked how the fire had been started, he looked at the smiling face of Marvin, and simply shrugged.

The meal was filling, and Dave announced that he may have found temporary shelter.

“It looks really big in there. If I can open up the side a little more, I’d be able to get inside with ease. Then we can smooth out any sharp chunks inside, or build over them with wood.”
“That sounds like a good plan Dave-san. These two and I shall get work on making planks out of these trees you’ve already toppled. You get back to that hole of yours.”

Dave nodded, and did just that. He chuckled at the thought that just by walking he had knocked over trees. He was becoming a very big dragon indeed. Kicking and clawing at the rock face, it took him the better part of the morning to finally open up a hole large enough to enter. Scraping past the odd burr, he entered what very well may have been his new home. It was gigantic inside the hollowed out volcano. It was dark too, and he couldn’t see very far up or out to either side. Exiting the place again, he grabbed a branch, and set it alight with his fiery breath. Using the torch, he revealed just how large the place was. He watched the smoke from the burning wood curl up to the far ceiling, and hover there.

“Looks like I need to make a chimney.”

The entire cave system down there was large enough to hold 10 dragons his size, so his only worry was the makeshift door. Scratching away at it some more, he pronounced his work done sometime around lunch. Hunger started to knag at his insides again, so he wandered out to find something to eat. Them furry ladies must have been psychic, cause they were cooking up more fish and fruit. Marvin had already converted two trees into planks of wood, and announced that he could easily have modern equipment sent out here to help them out.

Dave chuckled to himself, realizing that the outside world still did in fact exist. Thinking himself silly for doing all that manual work without any tools other than his claws, he went for a swim. After his meal of course. Needless to say it was amusing as hell to see a gigantic dragon doggy paddling around the ocean. He flopped up the surface and just floated for a while.

“Wow… its great out here.”

It was later in the week that Marvin had some loads of Two by Fours flown out, along with cement mix, tools, and all sorts of other things. Of course all four of our hero’s were dressed up a-la human. The delivery men were slightly confused as to why one white guy, and three oriental folks would be standing in suits, on a beach, waiting for construction supplies. But as they were getting paid well, they didn’t ask questions. Once the helicopters were well out of sight, all four weres exhaled collectively. The ladies immediately shucked their clothing and adopted their true forms, followed right away by Marvin. Dave was so eager to get out of his human form, that he literally exploded out of his clothes. Shreds of gray cloth flew every which way, as the draconic titan assumed his full height. The other three jumped back slightly at the display, but then broke down laughing at the scraps of underwear and jacket strewn around various parts of the giant.

It took a little while to work with the human sized tools, but it was better than making everything by hand. Marvin put together two large beds for the ladies, while they wrote up a list of mattresses they wanted. Dave tried to help out as much as he can, but his gigantic body prevented him from doing anything to delicate. He mostly busied himself with fishing, and smoothing out any rough edges inside the cave. Their home was quickly becoming quite a nice place. Dave carved several holes up at the top of the cone, letting quite a bit of light in. Marvin came up with a large order for some glass makers to come and shore up the holes into proper windows, and make a rain trap for the chimney.

Time kept right on passing, and soon the once dull looking volcano became a nice house. Dave kept right on growing, but came to a stop when he was almost 60’ tall. He dwarfed Marvin by almost three times. The lady furs had two large beds to rest upon, Marvin had his sleeping mat, and Dave slept on a gigantic pile of blankets and other assorted soft things. They had worked as a team to keep the entry way large enough for Dave to use without problems. Now it was a gigantic ovoid hole, shored up with timber and steel. Word of their little home had spread throughout the hidden society of lycanthropes. It was nearly their 3rd month on the island, when a boat pulled up onto their beach. Dave yelped and hid himself in the cave, while the ladies dove behind a tree. Marvin was farthest away, so he transformed into his human self, and tightened his loin cloth. Walking up to the boat, he waved to the traveler.

It was some person whom looked like he was right out of the south states. He gave one look at Marvin and his loin cloth, and knew right away. He gave a knowing smile, and began to take off his clothes. Marvin was wondering of some crazy stripper had decided to come and be a moron, but then the nearly naked man started to grow. A grin worked its way across the Elders face, as the unknown human shifted into a gigantic werewolf. Standing at 10’ in the air, the wolf man bounded over to shake Marvin’s hand. Or at least he would have. Before the Werewolf’s eyes, Marvin rapidly shifted back into his dragon body, and grinned down to the now smaller visitor. Grasping the fuzzy paw in his own clawed one, the dragon shook once.

“Welcome to our island. What brings you to this place?”
“I… umm… err…”
“What is it? Never seen a big dragon before?”
“Well no actually. I’ve only heard about you. You must be the giant dragon named Dave.”
“Actually, I’m Marvin. Dave is in the house. HEY DAVE!”

The wolfs eyes rapidly became gigantic orbs as the mammoth dragon exited the hole in the side of the volcano. Standing up at his full size, he towered 6 times over the height of the wolf.

“Hiyah! Who are you?”
“Dah???”
“Did he hurt his head or something Marv?”
“No Dave-san, he has never seen a big dragon before.”
“Oh all right then.”

The group shared an evening meal with the new arrival, and asked him why he had come. Marvin was the first to speak.

“Its unusual for so many of us to be in one place at the same time.”
The wolf smiled and shrugged, cuddling up with the two fellow fur ladies. “Yes I know it is, but I had heard of your progress here, and well… I wanted to join you. There are no hunters here, no humans, no anything. Hell, were all in international waters. Nobody can say or do anything legally to us. By the way, my name is Jack.”

Everyone else mulled this little tidbit over, and smiled. They had all thought that this island was close enough to Brazil to make it a part of their that nation. Apparently they were wrong. The now 5 members of the island community built another bed inside the cave, and seriously considered calling this place a home for all shifters. More deliveries of food and modern household items came, and soon their converted cave system had all the elements of a modern home. One by one other shifters came to the island, and they were all welcomed with open paws. Finally they had all found place to live that they could be themselves without fear of the human world. Eventually all the space on the ground level of the cave was taken up, so the 30 or so shifters that now lived there began a truly wondrous project. It took lots of time, and lots of nights sleeping out on the beach, but they built a second story in their house. New windows were added to keep the place lighted, and trees were cleared around the base.

The new world of shifters had finally begun, and they were all happy. It took years, but eventually the population of that small island shot up into the hundreds. The volcano was converted into a 10 floor apartment building, an engineering marvel that made its way back into human society. Even before any delegates of humanity arrived on their white sand beach, the volcano home was entered into the Guinness book of world records. When the many different types of birds, furs, dragons, reptiles, and even some forms of fish and water mammals heard the news, it was a panic. They all thought a new form of hunter would come.

Boy were they all surprised when a united nations party arrived with open arms. They were all a little spooked by the fact that even the shortest shifter was a foot taller than any of the humans, but such apprehension passed. Dave stayed hidden in the background, not wanting to scare them off their feet.

One of the UN leaders took and shoot Marvin’s large paw.

“Is it true you have all been among us for centuries?”
“Longer than that actually. There have been shifters on this planet for as long as there have been modern man.”
“That is really amazing you know that? We all had no idea. But here you all are!”
“I’m curious human, why now do you welcome us all? All our lives we’ve lived in shadow. Afraid of the hatred and preverbal witch hunts of the past.”
“Well maybe our generation has finally grown up some huh? Lets put the past aside.”
“Hai. Well now that you know of us, what are your intentions?”

Every last UN leader smiled, and one of them brought forth a small desk, and a mass of papers.

“How would you like to be the first non human country within the UN?”

The island was officially named Aethereon during the summer of 2005. The name coming from a little bit of ancient myth. Of all people, Jack was named the official ambassador to the UN, and was promptly flown off to wherever it is they have their meetings. It was through unanimous vote that Marvin was named lifetime Mayor of the island city. I looked around my new home more than once, surprised that once I had planned to live alone out of the public eye. Tourists started to visit the place almost immediately, even while a work crew was hard at work trying to build a hotel for any visitors. All the shifters tried very hard not to freak out at any humans that came just gawk at the “freaks”, and not many bodies were maimed too badly.

That’s how it all began, and that’s how I got to live out here. I moved my lair to a less crowded area off to the side of the still growing island population, and helped supervise a plan to expand the housing projects onto floating platforms. It was another brilliant space saving idea that ended up getting copied all over the world. Already our volcano housing complex was being used as the basis for several super structures in the US, and back in Japan.

And that my friends, is my life story. I found a dragoness of my own, but that is another tale in itself.

The end.