Chapter 9

The cacoon burst open releasing a small child with pebbly black and gold mottled skin. The remaining cocoon sizzling with the inside fluid melted into a puddle. The child had long black hair. Of course the child had not a stitch of clothing but neither looked male nor female. Looking around it spoke to Stormshadu "Father what has happened to me?" Stormshadu looked aghast while Stor looked pleased. "John?!? Is that you?" "Yes father I'm John" Stormshadu was at a loss his beautiful majestic dragon looked almost human. Tears began to stream down his face as he thought about the loss in combat strength for his group. If John the dragon was a human than he had wasted an ancient red dragon core. He could have used his Mage Wright Talents to enchant his katanas. Instead he had given it to his "son" in order to force an evolution or at least a Qi cultivation.

Stor looked at John and Stormshadu "This is great! Now we can bring John into a dungeon to grind levels and level up. We're all in this together anyway."

Stormshadu looked closely at John. His tail and wings were nonexistent. He was only about five feet tall and his fingers had very short claws. Apart from his slightly lumpy neck and pebbly skin there was nothing more to him or was John a her now? Stormshadu couldn't tell. "Let's get John some clothes." Stor said.

***

"Ooh. That skirt looks fabulous" Kitten purred. "It makes John look soo attractive." John wore a tight bodice and frilly dress. John's arms were free to move about. Stor looked over to the rest of their party. "Now that John is more like us should he be a cleric, Mage, rogue or swordsman? With those twiggy arms he might not be able to wield a proper katana or claymore. Personally I think he'd be better off with a longbow but those take time to learn." Oboe looked thoughtful and replied "Thirty two or thirty three inch draw I imagine. Forty pound draw maybe."

Stormshadu scowled. It would be better if he was still a dragon but now he looks like a kid even weaker than Kitten. "Get that dress off him and into a proper yukata." said Stormshadu. "A training sword of heavy iron will be enough to do double duty too."

***

[Ah. I remember now. This is a new cycle.] thought John. [I've finished digesting absorbing all the cores and it has returned my memory.] John looked around noting his surroundings.