Tunisis smiled. My blood was still cold. I needed to save Jackie. Now, even if she and Katarsis were the same. I lunged at my grandfather’s throat to get a head start on this.

  Which surprised me when his uppercut caused me to flip a couple of times in the air, before knocking me to the floor, denting it. My insides hurt like hel as I coughed blood onto his face. I scrambled to get into a better position on the floor as I heard his steps. Time slowed as his fist came into my face with the force of a hammer.

  I tried to stand again, dodging the blow with little time from left. Any later and I would be knocked the fuck out, his fist making the dent worse. My legs wobbled from the pain, but I needed to be strong. For Jackie. “I will say it again, get out of the WAY!” I breathe amethyst into his direction, causing the very world to fracture into shattered glass. Various different lines played out in them, and feeling the instinct take over, I take the one that lands a hit on his fucking face.

  I clawed his face, scratching near his eyes as he moves back from the blow. He smiles, blood dripping from the fresh wounds he has. “Well, I see the amethyst dragon does have way more power than many magicians. Unfortunately, I am on a timer, and so are you.” What? My nerves are on fire from the pain, but I stabilized.

  “You must be getting exhausted. My castigations must be taking their toll.” As he said that, the parts he struck began to sear with a magic heat. It didn’t hurt, unlike his actual punches. His face scrunches in disappointment. “I see the brand doesn’t work on scales or something as dense as you, Michael.”

  “Melinoe.” I iterated. It was a name that...that I did choose long ago. I am not letting him take it from me again.

  “Michael. A name I gave you, and one you will forever have. I do not suffer the delusions of transexuals, and I will not have my blood tainted by such a perverted group. Men wearing skirts? Men fight, women breed. A man cannot breed, and a woman cannot fight. That is how it’s always and forever been.” He readies a stance again.

  My body slouches, but I inhale for the next breath. I try to let out it out, but he snaps my face shut and knees my head, before slamming it to the floor and stomping it. Then the force of the stomp became much worse, causing pain to cascade from my head to my tail. Everything hurts badly.

  My eyes blurred. My ears ring, barely able to hear the foot steps of two others behind me. Looking over, I see the shapes of Dizzy and Min, ready to help.

  But I saw Dizzy trip from the strain of her broken leg. And in a flash, Min was grabbed by the throat and held. “The two escapees. If I was luckier, I’d be able to grab my son as well.” He pulls his fist back, ready to strike into her stomach.

  Then the car door opened one more time. I saw Eloise walk in. And the room was heavy, like gravity had become ten times worse.

  “Oh you bitch-” I saw the strings of her magic as she punched the man through the train car so hard that she broke the other connecting door. “Well, much obliged, Eloise.”

  “I have a need to wash my hands after that punch.” She flicked her hand again, as if trying to wipe of the stench of punching him. “Damn fascist. False god given pretense via your leadership.”

  I then blacked out.

  ===Eloise===

  My anger boiled over. The man over there was an immortal. Fake type too, two hundred years old from the age of rediscovery. Right when the world was healing from a cataclysm. He readies himself for the assault.

  Two punches. The threads of causality show me the way they go, but they can’t hit me. He’s surprised, but I counter. His head’s open, and when I strike, I can feel the skull crack under fist. The force of the impact sent him into the next car again, this time breaking and denting the entire car and separating it from this one.

  “I am afraid I will be out of your reach again, Eloise.” My grip tightens as he dashes behind the sudden influx of scared people. Then he pulled the emergency switch. Shit. I flip him off as he disappears into the crowd I caused. Too late now, and I have other business to attend to.

  Dizzy is in pain, Minfilia is sputtering, and the now so named Melinoe is unconscious with a concussion. I pinch my temple in frustration. Buddy system, now. Melinoe has a big target on her back, so in pairs it goes.

  The PA plays an announcement. “Due to recent issues regarding the safety of passengers on the train due to gunfire and death, we have called for rescue services. They will be here shortly, please be advised. Those with magic sensitivity are recommended to cover your eyes as they will be portaling shortly. Have a nice day.”

  Portals. Great, I’m going to have to stay behind then. I’d rather not reconstruct my self after the last time I went through. I hoist the dragon on a bench and turn to my room. I have a guest to attend to.

  After a moment of sifting through the people, I find him...being carted off onto a stretcher. A troll got him tied to her back as he’s carried off through the portal. Problem probably resolved. A hand touches my arm.

  “Mam, uhm, you are going to have to come with us.” The elfin woman who grabbed my arm said through...well, I can see the thread as to why she was hesitant. Not now, not now. “We are getting everyone into the portals and into emergency services.”

  “Kamalein or Loyiel?” I asked, gauging where they were being taken. Sorry, cutie, gotta stay here.

  “College students and VIPs are going to Loyiel because of their prior engagements. Meanwhile the rest are going back to Kamalein to save on portal costs.” I shrug as she nervously talked herself through the info. “Are you important enough to go to Loyiel?”

  I shake my head. “Nope. Magic dense, I walk through that and I would tear a hole in the universe, and that’d make the situation worse. I can walk.” Nothing new. Being strong means you are more limited in so many different ways.

  “Oh, for a Nomad like you, the distance should be a piece of cake until you hit the river. Would you like to come via bus instead? The main highway is about 7km east of here if that helps.” I nod. Easy does it.

  I nod, then I take out a notepad and begin to write down in it. “Hey, question, I’ve got three friends on here. Since I can’t come with them, do you mind contacting me if they are awake?” I rip the note out and hand it to her. She blushes even further. “One of them is the Amethyst Dragon. Yes, she’s now active. The other two are her mates, Minfilia and Dizzy. When they arrive to their rooms, call me. Then maybe we can do dinner afterwards.” Dammit slipped my mouth.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Her mouth goes agape, her face goes red, and she has probably stopped all higher functioning. Good thing I wrote down the instructions, I guess. She is cute.

  Well, no time to get started. Another ems worker motions me out the door, then scans me. He grimaced enough to know that yeah, he’d have to write me off on the portals. I shrug and start heading to the highway. Might take me...a couple of days if I keep walking. But that’s the nomad part that’s talking.

  And that part is all too fucking excited for an adventure. Maybe I’ll hit a ruin on the way to see how its kept up since I visited when it was new? Oh, I think there was a heritage site I could visit, old battle ground where the king my father served died painfully.

  ===M?===

  Was I dreaming again? I was in front of a tv, watching...myself. And my old friends watching a movie with a younger me.

  Then I am in that room. We had hit the climax of that movie. The first words uttered when we paused were what set us all off.

  “Boys can be girls?” Racket had said aloud. Then it came all flowing in. The reasons. The memories. I knew long before. It was sealed. Taken from me by my shit heel of a grandfather.

  I jolted awake in a soft...pet bed? With a big blanket covering me. I could hear the din of the hospital as people worked tirelessly to make sure we were okay. Dizzy was in the room with me, and Min was sleeping in a chair.

  I...remember now. We all hatched that day, it seems. All of us, from the same movie. Even...Jackie…

  “Fuck.” I groaned. That woke Minfilia up, who rushed to me. “Hey Min. Uhm. I remember now?”

  “...Melinoe?” She said that name, and it all came to me. I lay my head down in the bed, giving a happy purr. “I assume that’s a yes.”

  “Yes. I remember the movie. How we all agreed that we’d become girls. Well...I might be late, but I’m here now.” I said with something of a smile. The name sent waves of, know that I know and so do goddamned need, euphoria. Tip to tail I felt the metaphorical malaise wash away.

  I felt her warmth again. I wanted to hug her back. Maybe I could as a...oh, shit, that was taken. I am stuck as a dragon. “I’d want to hug back, but right now I’m more scales and claws right now.” I huff disappointingly.

  “You have more for me to hug!” Minfilia quickly pointed out. If I could blush, I’d probably be doing so. “Oh hey, your scales are shining up there. Are you blushing?” Oh!

  I turn over onto my back, letting my still chained wings splay out. It’s a nice way to lay down, surprisingly, despite the furry spikes along my spine. The next sound was involuntary as Min decided to rub my chest and belly, causing me to purr involuntarily.

  “Really are a dragon, huh? Did it come with a cat AND dog software update?” Min asked, giggling. I burst out laughing at that. “It did. I can see the real you now, especially since it seems to have come with an upgrade.”

  “I guess I’m growing fur if that’s the case.” I joked, squirming under her assault. She stopped for a moment, allowing me to look at her next move. “I mean, I no longer have a haze of chains covering me. I can FEEL things crisp. Which, by the way, you smell fucking amazing."

  She crawled into the pet bed with me, and just started to cuddle. She was nice, a balm against the strange. My anxieties floated away with her presence. “I’m happy that you’re here.”

  Much as things were broken, things are getting better too. “I’m happy too.”

  ===Dizzy===

  I stretch myself awake, yawning and letting the air of the hospital...I jump awake. New place NEW PLACE! NOT WHERE I SLEPT NONO! I scamper, then fall to the floor, the sudden realization that the leg is still pained, even if it was healed now. “Ow! Ow…” A nurse come by in a hurry to check on me.

  “You okay mam?” She asked. I nod, trying to untangle my limbs to a state. I look around the room as she went to the side of the room to a phone. I spy Minfilia cuddling M, and I took a chance.

  I pounce into a cuddle with the big new girl. I wanted to wait for this. I needed to wait for this, because she wasn’t ready. Maybe she is now. Maybe not.

  I am done waiting. This big woman needs all the help in the world, and I want to be in her corner for as long as I can.

  ===Minfilia===

  I felt the fur of Dizzy come into contact with me as she began to cuddle my girlfriend. I planned to share anyway, there’s too much love anyhow. I reach out an arm to grab one of hers and she returned it.

  I am safe here with my big dragon girlfriend. And maybe my small cat girlfriend. Right now, the world is only these two. Maybe tomorrow I gotta work on some stuff to help Melinoe with her current issues, but all I need now is her.

  My precious gem is flourishing forevermore. And the warm fingers of my other love intertwines with mine.

  ===Jackie===

  “This is your fault, you know.” I spit at K. She had a much different form than what was shown outside the world. I lean against the unit we use to pilot the body we held, barred from it. I managed to grab K out of it when they locked us in the dark room. Body asleep, so we can talk.

  “We weren’t meant to be-”

  “What, a girl? In love with our friends? Whatever fucking bullshit you pulled? This!?” I yelled. I was done with dealing with her. But she’s the only one here. I can’t have the other people out, because that fuck locked them all in chains. I kick one of the downed monitors to the side, pissed at the world.

  “...Look, we were meant for greatness. Tunisis promised me a way to be free of the pain of...this whole body thing.” God this fucking...spineless shit. Poison seed shitheel.

  K retreated into her curled position. No doubt she’ll be the one used to hunt M, Min, and Dizzy. Not going to let it happen no matter what, but fuck am I powerless. Too goddamned powerless for trying to get us out.

  Maybe I can at least sabotage the efforts. I bitterly laugh. “Go get sleep, K. We’ll plan a way out tomorrow.”

  “...sorry, Jackie.” I looked on as she left. Then sighed and looked back at the monitors, waiting for a chance to return.

  ===Klein===

  “Julie!” I glomped my fiance as we were in the hospital waiting room. Somehow I was important enough to go with Julie with the Portals. Wish my kid was here, but with that curse, I fear I’d hurt her.

  “Isolde~!” Oh she used the seductive voice and my body responded. I looked at her elf eyes to plead for fucking mercy because I know she’d tease me to the moon if given an inch. “Well, since you pouted nicely, I’ll allow it.” She booped my nose.

  “Mleh, we gotta go pick up my kid. Think she’s here.” I stated jovially. Needed to know if she’s okay.

  “The one with the locked egg?...Oh, right, she’s going to the big college here. We can use my place here for her and her friends if they don’t have dorms. Can’t really abandon my beloved’s little seed like that.”

  I nod. “Let’s find her. Maybe this whole thing broke it or something and I can properly come out. I wanna see her friends’ reactions too.”

  ===Gauthier===

  A man of lacking youth sat in his office in his manse. Though tended to by servants, he was alone in the world. Blood was the mark of birth. He bled red, the plebeians should not.

  Such as it is, he was interrupted by the appearance of his one true confident. The bulter came in, holding a dragon in a chain. The chains of service, his own father once said. A unique magic borne from the ties to Opledia himself.

  “Sir, I have come with half of the payment from the immortal Tunisis.” He tosses the chain forward, jerking and choking the half sized dragon forward towards Gauthier.

  Gauthier merely smiled. “The other half, I assume, is still on they way.” He was surprised to see the shake from his right hand.

  “Tunisis met someone else that prevented extraction. It is likely he is back at Kamalein at the moment due to the emergency call.” The butler bowed. “But his work did provide us an opportunity. We may be able to collect from the college itself when the opportunity provides.”

  Gauthier looked down at a folder. It was his itinerary for the semester. He, through his breeding no doubt, secured a position as a history professor. That and his extensive collection of diaries and journals from before the collapse. “If we are lucky, he ends up in my class room, the other dragon.”

  “With all do respect, we don’t know his major.” The butler went to the window. Unfurling the curtain, he shows the vast spire they call home. Loyiel. The crown jewel of Rocinotion, the tower of the cold south.

  Plans don’t last long when set long ahead, but an opportunity is easy to spot for those who plan. “If I remember, there was that dorm set aside for dragons that Tunisis had set up when he was making his plans. Let’s force the issue there. Men’s dorms, away from his bonds.”

  “And if the problem comes to our doorstep?” The butler gave a wicked smirk, already anticipating the answer.

  “I believe you can feed. A demophon like you still needs succor. Today, you can have Heather. She failed in her duties, her tea too hot.”

  ======

  To be continued in Arc 2, College Conspiracy!