2 Chapter 1

Our parents tried their best to keep us sheltered from the hate mortals seemed to have for us. I never understood why though. Sure we weren't completely normal but there were still similarities with us. We need air, we need to eat, and we need to sleep too. We just eat different things. Just like foreigners who enter the new country. We hunt deer, we hunt rabbits, we eat the berries. We're just shifters, dragons to be exact. We just have an added side compared to normal mortals. Yet we are seen as a beast. We live in secrecy and are forced to hide and deny our dragons freedom. That's dangerous for us. Especially for my sister and I., We are still dragonets, kids.

Our parents tended to move us around during the winter seasons because it was easier for my younger sister, so my parents would say. I began to notice things around the fourth moon. It was the winter solstice. Briiah and I practiced our flight and play. Briiah was a winter dragon. The snow and cold had always given her more energy making her seem lively. Her beautiful white scales seemed to glow like the brightest diamonds and pearls in the world. The winter sun would reflect the deep baby blue waters in her eyes causing her features to seem exquisite and brighter. It was strange however when we weren't our dragons she still reflected much of her dragon qualities. Her hair was a porcelain white, her eyes a faded light blue, and her skin as pale as the snow. She was always different compared to our family. Our monah - or mother- wasn't a winter nor was our bromah.  Bromah was a strong iron-colored eather dragon while Mother was a delicate water dragon. I had asked him once about why briiah was so different compared to us. He had explained to me with what seemed like such..remorse that when a dragonet is born there is no telling what they could be. It depends on the goddess and gods above to decide a dragon's faith from the moment of creation. I remember the day briiah came into this world. She was so tiny for a dragonet. Monah was so worried she wouldn't survive. Smallborns never do, yet she has. Briiah is a fighter, just like monah has been. I hadn't paid much mind to it then, but now I do. I remember the look our parents had shared that day. It was of worry and dread. My mothers' eyes held an emotion I could not understand, but now I know it all too well. It was the emotion of regret.

It normally had taken three weeks for a dragonet to shift for the first time to their mortal sides and for their powers to be seen to show what their species may be. However, briiah was different. While our parents had left the second day after briiah was born, I was ordered to protect her and keep her warm. She always seemed cold. Being a small born it seemed my parents were unsure as to what the outcome had been. However, we had only thought she was unable to produce the heat she needed like the others. We saw it as a birth defect, a patiently fatal one at that. Unlike my sister, I was gifted the ability of a void dragon. My parents have never met another like me, so it's hard to say what I will be able to do. One thing I know is that I am able to give the most heat compared to my parents. I never complained however, I loved staying by my briiahs' side. It was how we began to bond.

As my parents had shown me, I wrapped my medium-sized form around my little briiahs' form. Compared to her I was so big, she seemed like a small serpent among my blacked scales. I knew from that moment she needed me from then on. With a soft hum, I lick her ear softly heating my body. Briiah remained silent as she lay against me. I began to notice her scales had started to redden. I began to worry about her. I was confused about what to do. I heated my body more but it only caused her to whine loudly. It was painful and hurt me to hear to know I may be causing it. I lick her tiny ear once more as my body temperature begins to drop. The redness still remained. She began to slowly move forming a small gap between our forms. I noticed how her scales had cracked and softened. I watched her with pure curiosity as she curled into herself, the air seeming to grow colder making my head tilt. Soon a faint purr vibrated through her. It was clear, she enjoyed the cold more than the heat.

A few hours later our parents returned. With a soft yip, I rumbled a soft greeting to them. Monah slowly trotted up to me as bromah carried a buck. It was rather large, I hummed smelling it. Monah gently rubbed her head against mine before licking the back of my neck and shoulders softly. I hum at the feeling and lay my head down allowing her to clean whatever filth she seemed to believe was there. Bromah dropped the buck not far from briiah and me. Perking my head I look at it and growl hungrily. Bromah gave a thunderous laugh at my reaction as monah nudged me softly. I gently unwrap from little briiah and instantly go over to the prey. I lay and only sniff it. I link to monah and bromah with a soft frown. "Briiah enjoys the coldness. She gets hurt with heat...I'm sorry for hurting her." I watch as bromah approaches briiah. He sniffs her and then gently licks her. "She is a winter spirit it seems." bromahs' voice was deep and rough with his age. Yet it held a soothing tone as well. One that could seemingly end disputes. Monah looks at briiah she hums softly "Shall we name her now then?" she licks the small of Briiah' back before looking at bromah. I began nipping at the buck in front of me. Hunger was the only thing on my mind at the moment. Once finishing I notice bromah lying behind monah. I trot over licking my lips and lay in front of briiah. Bromah speaks softly through our family link "Her scales shine like the moon at night. As well as the snow" Monah looks up at his much larger form. "Akiera." Monah hums as bromah nods. I tilt my head looking at them confused. "Augustus meet your little sister, Akiera" I hum and tilt my head looking at my little briiah, the runt of the family, little Akiera. Slowly her small crystal white head lifts. With a small shake of it, she lets off a silent yawn before slowly opening her eyes and blinking. The soft blue almost seemed like she was blind to the world. I watch as her small form slowly starts to shake from the lack of experience of weight. A soft almost strangled-sounding chirp escapes from her as she looks to monah and bromah. I hum with happiness before gently nudging little Akiera away from the support of Monah. Slowly she follows tripping now and again on her tail, wings, or feet. Standing a bit ways in front of her I begin to show her the proper way of dragons. I share what I know before I lose her to the scent of bromah's earlier catch. With a soft chuckle, I trot over with her and rip off a piece that I believe she could eat. She stands still waiting. Her eyes seemingly spark with the sun above us as she watches me carry the piece to her. I rumble softly in warning before setting the meat in front of her and taking a step back. Laying down I watch as she instantly rips the meat into small enough pieces. I rumble softly before speaking to her through the link we hold "I am your Zeymah, or big brother, Augustus. You are Mal Briiah, or little sister, Akiera" she tenses at the sudden connection and stops eating. She looks around confused before landing her eyes on me. With a slight head tilt, she attempts to link. A soft scratch is heard through my mind then a whine. Soon a snap follows showing she's managed to connect on her own. A soft and feeble voice flows through my mind. A slight stutter and struggle to completely communicate "Auh-g-gusts?" I frown at the mispronunciation. "Repeat after me, Uh- guh- st- us" she lowers her head slightly her eyes squinting as she attempts the pronunciation. "Uh- gust- us?. Auggie." I shake my head with a slight smile. "You'll learn soon briiah" she hums and rubs her head under my chin against my chest "Zeime." I look at her confused "You mean Zeymah?" she nods sitting in front of me. Her food now being gone. She hums softly and rubs her head against the lower part of my chest. Gently I place my paw on her back keeping her still as I lick her neck and ear. Finally, after short struggles of wanting to move about, she settles down and allows me. With a low rumble, I let her go, watching as she bounces towards our parents.