A gentle nibble on my arm stirred me from sleep. I groaned and mumbled, “Oh, please, let me rest, I’m exhausted.” Yet, Freya was unrelenting. “You’ve been sleeping for a whole day, little adventurer,” she teased. Retracting my arm into the hammock, I buried myself under the blanket. “Please, it’s been a terrible day,” I implored.

Her tone softened as she replied, “Erebus wishes to teach you a new element with the Earth Dragon, Siveth, assistance.” I sighed, responding, “Kindly tell them I will join them later.” After a pause, she expressed her gratitude in a sincere voice, “Thank you for saving me.” I felt a twinge of guilt, replying, “You’re welcome. I couldn’t just leave you. I regret involving you in this mission.” She dismissed my apology, stating, “Hey, I chose to follow you - I made that clear enough.” Her voice was happy, but I detected a trace of pain.

“Did they tell you what happened?” I inquired. She chuckled, replying, “Yes, you were quite badly beaten.” I frowned, retorting, “It’s not funny. It was terrible. The mere thought of it makes me sick. I believe some of their poison even got down my throat.” She laughed again, countering, “Hey, I was bitten too, albeit differently. I didn’t even get a chance to fight back.” I argued, “Freya, they bit me repeatedly, one bite even directly under my throat, with both teeth and fangs. It’s hard to describe. You were bitten near your shoulder. It’s quite different.” She shrugged, conceding, “Alright, fine. Regardless, now that you’re conscious, will you join Erebus and Siveth?” I declined, “No, thank you.” She insisted, pleading, “Not even if I ask you nicely?” I waited a moment, then replied, “Okay, fine.” I left the hammock and got out of the tent to find that, luckily, the rain had ceased.

She guided me to a clearing in the jungle, where Erebus awaited us. The same fearsome female dragon with the massive fangs and deadly skills stood beside him. He greeted me with a smirk, “So, are you ready to continue your lessons, little guy of the prophecy?” I frowned, “Please avoid calling me that. We are merely passing through. We can’t stick around here too long.” He looked perplexed, challenging, “Oh, really? And where might you be headed?” I revealed our mission: “We’re seeking Akira and Fyrenthos.” Unaware of their return, he scoffed, “They’re likely somewhere in the unknown world after years of wandering. Good luck finding them.” I corrected him, “They returned some time ago. They were on a mission in the lands of the Hidden Shadows recently. You're familiar with the place, aren’t you?” He appeared puzzled, “What? They returned? How?” I explained briefly, “They returned with new discoveries - weapons, technologies. Akira and Fyrenthos make an exceptional team, and they now go by ‘SunFlares’.” He shook his head, “Okay, you’ll need to explain that more later. For now, shall we begin? What do you say?” I asked him nervously, “Begin with what? Freya just told me to get here.” He clarified, “It’s something rather remarkable,  today you’ll learn a new ability. You can shapeshift, correct?” I nodded, curious about his intent, “Yes, why?” He grinned wickedly, “You may want to enhance your arsenal.” I tilted my head, “What do you mean? I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” He stated bluntly, “You need to develop fangs and use them to poison your adversaries.” I gasped, “What? No, I won’t bite like a savage.” Siveth, who had been listening, interjected sarcastically, “So biting is savage to you, huh?” I defended myself, “Well, yes, I have other fighting manners.” She retorted, “Yes, we noticed that. How did that work out for you?” She had a point. It hadn’t gone well, and perhaps if I had used a poisonous bite before, I could have escaped. However, I wasn’t certain if the poison would have affected them.

I responded humbly, “Not well.” She suggested, “Good, then how about we teach you that?” I sighed, inquiring, “Alright, but how do I summon these fangs?” Erebus explained, “I believe it’s akin to shapeshifting, but instead of altering your entire form, you merely add something.” I frowned, admitting, “I don’t even know what those fangs look like. I only felt them trying to brutally kill me.” Erebus gestured to Siveth, requesting, “Show him your fangs, please.” She grinned, complying, “Oh sure.” She opened her mouth wide, revealing her sharp teeth. She ran her tongue over them to emphasize their size. I shuddered at the sight, and the notion of learning to use them as a weapon felt as strange as everything else in this world. Erebus encouraged me, “Touch them. She won’t bite.” I shook my head, declining, “No way, I’m not touching someone else’s lethal, saliva-covered fangs. No thanks.” He insisted, “If you want to get a better sense of them, you should.” I retorted, “I think I already have a good enough sense of them. I felt them when they pierced my flesh.” He coaxed me: “Come on, don’t leave her hanging. She’s doing this for you, and they’re probably dry by now.” I asked nervously, “What if she bites me?” He reassured me, “She won’t, and besides, you know it won’t kill you.” Freya was observing the entire scene and trying to not burst out laughing. I noticed that and asked, “What’s so funny now?” She answered sheepishly, “Oh nothing, I’m just entertained by your fear. Come on, just do it already.”

I responded hesitantly, “Please, if you aren’t afraid, do it too.” She accepted my challenge and turned to Erebus. “May I?” she asked him. He nodded, “Go ahead.” She approached Siveth and announced, “It’s me, just being of example for my husband.” She fearlessly examined the fangs, treating them like scientific specimens. Then, to show off, she ran her fingers over each tooth of the monstrous maw, and Siveth seemed to enjoy it too. I gave in, “Please stop. Fine, I’ll touch those deadly fucking fangs.” She stepped back from Siveth. I pleaded nervously, “Please don’t bite.” She hissed just to heighten my anxiety. Then, as I attempted to touch her fangs, she made intimidating noises to further unsettle me. I protested, “Please stop. You’re not helping.” She chuckled. The fangs felt like bones, but thinner, hollower, and deadly. While doing so, I must have touched a sensitive spot near the gums, and she began spewing poison everywhere. I recoiled in horror, exclaiming, “Eww, what the hell, it’s everywhere, jeez it burns so much.” The poison burned my scales. She closed her mouth and apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose. Anyway, you’ve had that stuff inside your body multiple times not long ago.” I replied in disgust, “Don’t remind me. How much poison is that?” She responded casually, “Oh, I don’t know, enough to kill a dragon, but this isn't even half the amount I usually use, like when I tried to finish you off, eheh.” I responded indignantly, “Please, you sound like you enjoy saying this.” She teased, “It’s hilarious to see you like scared prey that I could capture and kill in a second. Even though you are actually invulnerable.”

Erebus heard the conversation but offered no comment. Seeking some form of support, I turned to him and asked, “Can you please say something about this?” His only response was an echo her words: “She’s right. You’ve got to be ready to face such an opponent and not be intimidated by it.” In my mind, I cursed him for his, kind of wise, advice. Oh and don’t worry, if you think this interaction was the most bizarre part of my story, wait until you hear what happened next.

In an effort to master the shapeshifting power, I had been experimenting with changing the colors of my claws. After some time, they glowed and turned dak-red, just as intended. Then, I reverted them to their original color. Erebus suggested, “Great, you should do the same thing for your fangs.” I objected, “I just changed the color. I didn’t add anything.” He countered, “Then add something, like spikes, for example.” That sounded like a good idea, so I attempted to add a spike to my knee, using the same technique of touching the spot where I wanted it and imagining how it would look.

Two spikes shone on both of my knees and then materialized. Since I didn’t want to keep them, I easily removed them in the same way. I announced, “Ok, I’m ready.” Siveth replied, “Oh, I can’t wait.”

Summoning fangs was my next challenge. After focusing and trying multiple times, I felt a strange itch in my gums, where I longed to have teeth like Siveth’s. Her fangs seemed so useful and powerful, unlike my, finally and just summoned, dull ones. I scratched the spot with my tongue, hoping to stimulate some growth. After a while, I noticed two tiny sharp, bone like weird spikes emerging from the flesh. They were barely visible, but they were there. I showed them to Siveth, expecting for some reasons for her to be proud of me, which was most unlikely.

She looked at them and burst into laughter. “Hahaha, they look like baby teeth!” she exclaimed, pointing at my mouth. I felt embarrassed and defensive. “Hey, it’s something,” I said, trying to sound confident. As I spoke, I felt a surge of energy in my gums. They swelled and throbbed, and the bumps grew into sharp points. I opened my mouth again to check, and I saw two enormous fangs protruding from my upper jaw. They were so long that I could feel their tips with my tongue even when my mouth was closed and they were retracted. Siveth suddenly stopped laughing and stared at me in awe. “Wow, now we’re talking,” she said, admiring my new fangs. “Congrats, those are some nice fangs.”

I smiled awkwardly, feeling the weird presence of them in my mouth. “Thank you, but how do I use them? They’re just…there.” She grinned and said, “Open your mouth as wide as you can.” I obeyed, stretching my jaws as far as they would go. “Like this?” I asked. She shook her head. “More, much more.” I strained, but I couldn’t open any wider. “I can’t do more than this,” I said. She looked annoyed and said, “Again, open your mouth.” I did as she told me, and she quickly grabbed my jaws with her bare hands. She forced them open even wider with a strength that surprised me.

I felt a sharp pain in my bones, as if they were cracking under the pressure. But then something changed in my jaw structure. It became more flexible and elastic, allowing me to open my mouth even wider than before. She pushed my jaws forward until they matched hers and said, “Ok, hold it like that.” She released her grip on me, and I managed to keep my mouth wide open as told.

She nodded and said, “Ok, now wait, let me check your fangs.” She examined them with her claws—just like Freya had done with hers. I hated the sensation, and it made me squirm. I felt invaded. Then she touched the gums where I had accidentally poked her, and instantly poison dripped from the fangs and splashed on the ground in front of me.

I was about to close my mouth when she placed one of her hands in the gap and warned me, “Close it and you’ll bite my hand, then I’ll bite you back.” I didn’t want to risk that, so I complied with her demand. She pressed on my gums and remarked, “Look how much deadly poison you can make.” She continued this for several seconds, then her voice turned anxious. “Wait, when does it stop? This isn’t right.” But she didn’t stop either, and neither did the poison. It flowed out of my mouth for a whole minute until she forced me to shut it. The fangs retracted, and I avoided biting myself with them. On the ground, there was a pool of poison. She exclaimed, “No, this is not normal at all. What do you think, Erebus?” He replied, “I told you he was special.” She nodded. “I see that, but something like this could be used to fill an entire tank. It’s incredible.”

My mouth was sore after being open for so long, and after undergoing so many changes, moving it felt very different. I struggled to speak and finally asked, “What now? Are we done?” Erebus answered, “Not quite. Siveth, proceed to step two, please.”

Siveth then explained, “Now you need to learn how to bite with your new fangs.” I said, “I hope not on someone.” She glanced at Freya and suggested, “If you want…” I said, “No, I don’t.” Freya teased me, “Oh, come on, bite me.” I said, “Are you kidding me?” Siveth chuckled and said, “Of course we are. We’ll start with this: a fruit.”

She held up a huge fruit with a thick peel. She said, “This is not the same as biting a dragon, but it will do for a first attempt. Try biting it as you normally would. Just bite.” I didn’t really know how to bite like she instructed, but I gave it a try anyway. I opened my mouth wide and clamped it down on the fruit. Juice squirted out of it all over my hands, followed by poison. My own poison burned my skin, and I withdrew my fangs quickly. They still dripped some drops of poison that landed in my mouth, but they somehow didn’t affect me there. Something was preventing me from feeling it. It just tasted salty.

She said, “Good job. Let me check that.” She took the fruit from my hand, careful not to touch the poison. Then she said, “That’s a good bite mark, and I think your fangs are almost as big as mine. We should measure them later.”

Erebus broke the silence. “Shall we take a brief break before the third phase, or do we continue already?” All eyes turned to me, awaiting my response. “Let’s get it over with,” I said, a decision I would later regret. The third phase was far less pleasant than the second. It was a friendly duel with Siveth, a test to see who could land a bite first.

Siveth outlined the rules. “Imagine I am your adversary, aiming to bite you. If I succeed, you lose. The first to bite wins. Think fast and avoid my attacks.” I hesitated. “Are you sure about this? What if I bite you first? I don't love the idea of poisoning someone.” She shrugged, “I've seen you heal your queen. You could do the same for me.” I shook my head, “I wouldn’t bank on that if I were you.” She flashed a grin, “Then I'll make sure I bite you first.” I swallowed hard, fear creeping in. I knew what it felt like.

Erebus interjected, “Freya, would you like to start us off?” She nodded, “With pleasure,” she paused, “Ready?” I protested, “Wait, I’m not in position.” I was still a fair distance from Siveth. She disregarded my plea, “Oh, well, good luck. The match begins now!”

Seizing the moment, I darted away to put some distance between us. The terrain was treacherous, slippery and uneven. Every step was a struggle. Siveth was lightning fast and terrifyingly agile. In a few seconds, she was already upon me, jaws agape, attempting to land her bite. I managed to evade her initial assault, and tried to counterattack from behind. However, she swung her tail, knocking me off balance and sending me sprawling. Undeterred, she was back on the offensive. With her tail, she managed to snag one of my hind legs, tripping me and then hoisting me into the air. She gloated, “Got you.”

I remained silent, instead I smartly used my wings to give me a strong enough push to quickly bite her tail. She released her grip with a shout, “Agh, well, that doesn’t count as a bite.” Regardless, my poison was rapidly taking effect, darkening the area around the bite. I retorted, “I bit you, yet you continue to fight.” She scoffed, “I won’t surrender for one single, unfair bite, rookie.”

I kept quiet, redirecting my focus to the duel. This time, I attacked first while she was taunting me. I aimed for her neck, and as she lunged at me, I transformed into a shadow. Freya was quick to object, “No, that’s against the rules. No using your elements.”

Returning to my original form, I complained, “Oh, come on, but that’s me at my best.” Erebus supported Freya’s words, “She’s right. You should avoid using your elements for now to improve.”

I didn’t respond, but Siveth did. “You’re a spry little dragon.”

I responded, “And you are far stronger and larger than me. Sounds fair enough, doesn’t it?”

She chuckled, “We’ll take it bit by bit.”

I found myself becoming engrossed in the excitement of the duel. I launched another attack, darting behind her, but she retaliated with her tail, attempting to ensnare me. Her tail was weakened from the wound, however, and I easily slipped from its grip. She spun around, jaws snapping, but missed. She was as swift as a viper. She repeated this maneuver while I retreated, dodging her strikes, until I found myself backed into a corner. Then I utilized my one advantage over her. She had small wings, not good enough to lift her from the ground, but that wasn’t the same for me. I soared into the air, taking a new position. She snarled, “Stop running away and face me!” I retorted, “With pleasure,” and swooped down towards her. She tried to snag me with her tail, but failed. I smacked her with one wing as a diversion. Unfortunately, she bit into my wing, but by then I had already targeted her neck. I bit down hard, my poison seeping into her flesh. She let out a hiss as she tried to shake me off, but my grip was too strong, and it was too late for her. Until I released her and flew away, declaring, “Done. Your move, Siveth.” She tried to respond but couldn’t. Then she staggered and collapsed. I felt a sting in my wing, but the poison wasn’t strong enough to subdue me.

She lay unconscious, in the middle of the battle area, and Freya asked, “Step 3 completed successfully?” Erebus replied, “Yes, but I suggest you heal her if you can. She did all this to help you.” I said, “Fine, I was going to do that anyway.” I approached Siveth and examined the wound on her neck, blackened by the poison. Her breathing was shallow so I placed my hand on the bite and healed her. She didn’t stir immediately, and after an uneasy wait, I asked, “What's the next? Do we carry her back or something?” Erebus said, “Yes, please take her back,” then headed towards the village. I called after him, “A little help, maybe? She’s enormous. I can’t lift her alone.” He didn’t respond, but Freya stepped in, “Let’s carry her back together.” I thanked her and added, “Thank you. Little dueling judge.” She chuckled, and looked so cute.

Painfully, we dragged the colossal dragon by her stubby wings and dragged her back to the village. The weight was immense, and by the time we managed to lay her down in a tent on the ground - the hammocks were out of reach - we were exhausted. I was too drained to complain with Erebus for his lack of assistance.

Freya and I exchanged glances. “Back to the hammock?” I suggested. She nodded and smiled. “There’s one that fits two, you know?” she said, offering me to follow her. “Oh, really, where?” I asked, intrigued. She led me to another tent, adorned with the same symbols as the previous one. Inside, a large hammock awaited us, big enough for both. We climbed in and nestled under the warm blankets. Sleep came quickly, and Freya fell asleep in tandem.

We were oblivious to the world outside until we heard Siveth’s heavy steps. She must have been weary too, for she didn’t check who was inside the hammock before leaping in and landing on top of us. We awoke with a start and groaned. “Aaah, get off us, please!” we protested. She looked down at us and blinked. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you were there.” Chuckling, she didn’t move, though. She merely shifted us to the sides and squashed us against the edges of the hammock. Then she added, “Nox, or Raphael, whatever you prefer to be called as, you did great!” She sounded exhausted and closed her eyes. Right then, we were too tired too to argue or escape. We resigned ourselves to our fate and fell back asleep. We ended up sleeping on another dragon.