Lys

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Lys glared at Ebony, hard. “What was that for?” she demanded peevishly.
___He met her hot, angry gaze with his calm one. “You’ve been a horse for two days,” he reminded her. “And that’s dangerous. You’re not supposed to be in horse form for more than a couple of hours.”
___She scowled. Normally she was happy when she was around the librarian or his mate. But she didn’t like it when anyone - even them - told her what she could and could not do. “But I like being a horse!” she protested, flaring her wings to emphasize just how much she liked it.
___“I know you do. We all do. But if you stay a horse for as long as you have been, you might actually become one for real. While being a horse in form is nice, it’s in form only. If you’re not careful, your mind can warp, and you literally become a horse - albeit a horse with wings and horns in some cases.” Ebony’s tone was soothing.
___“What’s so bad about that, though? Then I could roam free, without having to listen to anyone else.” She huffed, pressing her wings tightly to her sides.
___Ebony bobbed his head. “It might seem like a nice idea. But as a horse, your memories will change. Your behaviour will change. Dragons will see you as prey, because you will act exactly like a horse, instead of a dragon imitating one. And you would never be able to come near us again, as your instincts would change too. You would view us as predators. And you won’t truly be free. If a dragon doesn’t eat you, a stallion will make you a part of his herd. We’re still trying to find a way around this final metamorphosis, but that will take time. And until then, you’ll have to carefully limit how long you are a horse. I’m sorry, but it’s the only way.”
___Lys was silent for a moment. “But when I’m a horse, I stay to scale. I’ll be a giant horse!” She tipped her head and flashed her teeth at him in her most winning, cutest smile.
___Ebony showed his own teeth in a smile, almost appearing amused. “You make an excellent point there. But you will still be small enough for a dragon to catch you. Dragons still hunt in packs for something larger than even the biggest Imperial or Guardian, remember?” He continued before she could interrupt. “Also. Other dragons have gone too far and reached the final metamorphosis. Those who have become horses will see you as an addition to their herd. There will certainly be some Imperials or Guardians who went too far.”
___She hesitated. “Well…”
___“Come on Lys. Sea Serpent, Keisaiss, Qorret, Kaeleth, Ultimatum and I are looking for a solution as fast as we can. We’ve even brought in outsiders to help solve this problem. Really, the whole clan’s helping.”
___Lys grumbled. “Oh-kaaay. I guess.”
___“Tell you what. There’s a meeting tonight. We’re all going to share what we’ve discovered over the past moon. Normally it’s just a few of us…” Ebony paused, searching for the word, something he didn’t have to do very often. “... I want to say professionals, but that seems like I’m rubbing everyone else’s noses in it. Not higher ups either…”
___Lys growled impatiently. “Ebony, you thickhead, just get to the point! I’m fairly sure the word you’re looking for is ‘nerds’.”
___Ebony gave her a deeply wounded look, and she could have sworn she heard her mutter “I’m not a nerd” under his breath. “Yes… Anyway. Well, normally we don’t let anyone else into the meeting, but if you like, you can come. And see what we’ve discovered so far.”
___“Oh, alright then.”
___Ebony grinned. “Lovely! I’ll try to translate any science-speak that comes up. Oh, and…” he turned serious. “You’re not to go into horse form until the twelfth sunrise of the moon of the Windsinger, either.” His tone was stern.
___“WHAT?” Lys demanded, jumping at least ten feet into the air, wings spread, bristling. “It’s still only the first sunrise! That’s not fair!”
___Ebony shrugged uncomfortably. “Don’t blame me here. I’m just the messenger. Nyx said that turning into a horse again before then could have nasty side effects.”
___“Like what? Me turning into a horse forever and ever?” Lys was mad to the point of tears. “I’m sick and tired of you all dictating what I can and can’t do! I don’t know why I event put up with any of you!” She was screaming, tears pouring down her face and dripping off the ends of her whiskers. “I HATE YOU!” She flung the words at Ebony, taking to the air. She had to get away from them all.
___“Lys - no! No, come back! That’s not what I meant by side effects!” He flew after her, trying to catch up. Normally he could out-fly almost everyone, but he was weighed down with books, and tired from long late-night talks. “LYS!”
Lys pumped her wings harder than she recalled ever doing before. She was gasping for breath, her lungs and throat so sore from gasping the cold air that it felt as though they stabbed her each time she inhaled. Part of her felt guilty for what she’d said to Ebony - did she really hate him? Another wave of rage surged through her. Whether she hated him or not, he had no right to stop her from doing what she wanted! She wasn’t harming anyone!
___She landed on a little outcrop of crystal on one of the chalcedony spires of the Crystalspine Reaches, almost sliding off the edge and into the churning waves below. She dug her claws in, beating her wings furiously, and just managed not to fall off.
___She curled herself up, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. Why did the one thing she liked doing have to be so restricted?
___She lay there miserably for a while. Eventually she pushed herself to her feet and took off, swooping over the Starwood Strand to the grassy plains that lay beyond it, between the Starfall Isles and the Scarred Wasteland.
___Several deer scattered and bolted for the safety of the trees as her shadow appeared overhead. She landed lightly and folded her wings neatly on her back, taking a moment to concentrate. A familiar feeling overcame her - her limbs narrowed, becoming elegant, her mane become longer, her tail more fluffy… She let herself relax, almost grinning. She had nearly completed her transformation when a sudden ache in her bones caused her to lose concentration. She staggered with a gasp of surprise. The ache increased tenfold, until she was seeing stars, and she was overcome by a wave of nausea. She collapsed with a tortured moan, her vision flickering.
___The pain and nausea kept on growing until it was too much, and she passed out.

When Lys came to, she was in a dark cave.
___It took her a moment to figure out where she was. Her brain clicked, and she realised she was in the healers’ cave.
___She raised her head and let out an involuntary gasp. While the pain and nausea was not as bad as it had been before, it was most certainly not pleasant.
___Alerted by her gasp, Nyx hurried over. “How are you feeling?” she asked, concern strong in her tone. “Didn’t Ebony tell you that you weren’t to morph for the next twelve sunrises? And now look at you!” She fussed about, trying to make sure Lys was as comfortable as possible.
___”He did,” Lys mumbled, waiting for a sudden bout of vertigo to disperse. “But I didn’t listen.” She felt too sorry for herself to even try and defend her stupidity.
___Nyx sighed. “Well, at least you weren’t without warning. What you did was extremely foolish!” Normally she wouldn’t be talking to her patients like this, but she had had a shock, and was serverley displeased. “I honestly have no idea how long it will take you to get over these side effects, let alone be able to morph again.”
___Lys’s head shot up, and she had to grip the edge of her nest with her claws to prevent falling over. “You mean I might have to wait moons until I can be a horse?!” she cried, devastated. Several dragons looked her way.
___“Yes, now, for Arcanist’s sake, lie down!” Nyx said firmly. “You’re annoying everyone.”
___Miserably, Lys rested her head on her paws at the edge of her nest. She should have listened to Ebony. Oh, why had she lost her temper like that? She blinked back tears.
___Suddenly, she recalled something. She leaped to her feet, then tripped over the edge of her nest in a whirl of vertigo and nausea. There were several exclamations of alarm, and Nyx hurried back to her, and tried to help her into the nest. She protested, trying to jump out of her grip, no matter how much it pained her. Eventually she jumped out of the slight Skydancer’s grasp and hurried for the cave entrance. It was almost twilight. She stumbled over her own feet, and crashed into someone, flattening them.
___There was a muffled grunt. “Lys...”
___Lys squeaked, and jumped up, then fell over backward onto Nyx’s toes. “Ebony!” She squeaked again, while Nyx muttered curses and nursed her sore toes.
___Ebony got up, looking slightly dazed. “What’s the hurry?” he mumbled.
___“The meeting and-” she gasped. “Ebony! Your wing!”
___“Hm?” he glanced at his right wing. Just above the elbow, there was a piece of bone sticking out. “Oh. That’s why it hurts so much.”
___“Oh my gosh, Ebony, I’m so sorry, I-” she broke off with a gulp.
___“Excuse me,” Nyx said, pushing past Lys. “Let me look at that,” she said to Ebony. He obligingly held still while she examined the break.
___Lys hovered about nervously, guilt washing through her. What if the break was so bad Ebony never flew again?
___“You’ll have to come this way,” Nyx said when she was done examining his wing, “so that I can start the healing process.”
___“Uh, I have a meeting to attend…” Ebony trailed off at the look Nyx was giving him and meekly followed her to the back of the cave.
___Lys stood where she was, feeling slightly silly with nothing to do. A little while later, Ebony came back, his wing mostly healed and in a sling.
___“Come on,” Ebony said. “It’s after twilight - the others will skin us alive for being late.” They hurried out of the cave and made their way up a series of hilly outcrops, climbing up to the Observatory. Lys’s joints ached as they climbed, but she didn’t complain.
___Everyone else was there already, and they got several disapproving looks. “What’s she doing here?” Snay snapped, her eyes fixed on Lys.
___“I invited her here because she is feeling the effects of the final metamorphosis more strongly than most of us.”
___Sea Serpent peered down at her, looking more short sighted and scruffy than ever. “Hrmm… I suppose we could knock her out until the problem is resolved?” He suggested.
___Kaeleth rolled her eyes. “No,” she said firmly. “That’s what we call a last resort option. Now let’s not start squabbling. I’m sure we all have plans for this moonrise, so let’s get on with this, shall we?”
___There were several grumbles of assent, and everyone settled down. Ebony took his place next to his mate, Ultimatum, who wrapped his wing over Ebony’s back. Lys settled herself on Ebony’s other side.
___There was a lot of confusing formal sounding stuff to begin with, and Lys got bored and began to play with the grass. Evidently Ebony and Ultimatum felt the same, as they huddled as close to each other as they could, whispering.
___Someone cleared their throat loudly and violently, and Lys jumped. So did Ebony and Ultimatum, and she thought she heard Ebony make a quiet, pained noise.
___“Boys, were you even listening to a single word being said?” demanded an elderly Pearlcatcher, her bright red eyes flashing dangerously behind her glasses.
___Ultimatum crossed his claws under his chin in a thoughtful way. “Hmm… Yes, we were. For the first few words, granted, but we were listening. We prefer to skip the formalities, you know.” He winked his right eyes.
___“Insolent drake!” the Pearlcatcher snapped. “I could have you kicked out for your… condition, let alone your behaviour!”
___Ebony got up angrily. “Condition! I like that! You have no idea-” Snay cut him off.
___“For the love of the Arcanist, would you all shut up unless you have something useful to contribute! Doris, there’s nothing wrong with either of those drakes, and you know it! So you just watch your mouth, or I will personally chase you off!” Snay’s tongue flickered between her teeth, and you could see her corded muscles standing out the way they did when she got really angry.
___Doris sniffed, and held herself upright, posture stiff as she clutched her pearl. “If that’s the attitude you’re going to take with me young one, I will be decidedly pleased to leave!”
___“Then go,” Snay growled, tone menacing.
___“I think I shall, thank you very much.” Doris stood and walked off in a very proper manner.
___“AND GET ON WITH IT!” Snay roared, leaping after her. Doris gave a squeak, almost dropped her pearl and took off, flapping unevenly.
___Snay was breathing heavily as she settled herself down. “Anyone else got a problem they would like to notify me of?” Her voice was dangerously soft. No-one else said a word. “Very well then.” She nodded to Sea Serpent. “Go on.”
___Sea Serpent sniffed, and muttered something about young ragamuffins, then jumped and spoke up as Snay began to rise. “Ah yes. Well, as I have gathered from my tests - er, where did I put that scroll…” he trailed off and got up, turning to look. “If someone has stolen that scroll, I will drop you off a cliff,” he muttered, peering this way and that.
___Kaeleth sighed. “I’ve got the scroll,” she said, producing it from one of her pouches and handing it to him. Ebony and Ultimatum sat up straighter (they have never been less straight than they are at this moment), but Lys could tell that they were still rattled from the confrontation with the Pearcatcher - Doris. She was puzzled, and couldn’t tell what Doris had been on about, but it was clearly something very serious. Was Ultimatum unwell?
___Sea Serpent snatched the scroll irritably. “What did you take it for?” he demanded, squinting at it. “Good gracious, whose writing is this? It’s atrocious!”
___Kaeleth sighed again “Because you asked me to. That is also your writing.”
___“Nonsense!” Sea Serpent snorted. “Now, do be quiet.” He scowled at the scroll. “Hmm… Yes. Oh no no no. Or perhaps…”
___“Give that here,” Snay demanded, snatching the scroll from him. “We don’t have all night!”
(TBC)

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Thank you Katalist!!!!!

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