Friday Flash: Alhena

This is a sort of a follow-up to my previous friday flash, The Hands of the Healer.


The red dragon stared down at the shapeshifters, scarlet eyes studying them. Slowly its massive head came down upon the soft ground and the newly born flowers. A puff of smoke rose from its nostrils as the dragon snorted in disgust.

“What have they been feeding you, Fain? You’re skinnier than the trees in winter.” Her eyes fixed on the male shapeshifter she’d found wandering in the woods a month ago.  He was in human form again. One reason shapeshifters liked their human forms was because it allowed for expressive body language, such as the ‘palm against the face’ gesture she now witnessed.

“Alhena, I’m a shapeshifter, we don’t put on weight. And I’m not skinny.” Lines appeared on his forehead as he shook his head. Alhena’s other favourite, Nuria, placed her hands on Fain’s shoulders and kissed his cheek.

“He’s slender, yet strong. Looks hide more than they show with shapeshifters.”

“You’re all puny to me,” Alhena chuckled. Her eyes shifted from Fain to Nuria. “Has he had a bath?”

“What?” Before Fain could object further red scaly feet had circled him. A black tongue slid out of the dragon’s maw, it lolled there as she smiled wickedly.

Nuria laughed, a trilling sound that echoed across the field. It ceased slowly and was replaced by an apologetic smile. Alhena ignored it; she drew her tongue back into the mouth and concentrated on staring down the shapeshifter in her grasp.

“Change into a dragon pup so clean I can you properly.” She blew a puff of smoke out of her nostrils. Fain coughed, but the teasing did not break his resolve.

“No, you are not cleaning me.”

Alhena harrumphed; all youngsters were alike. “I’ll just clean your face…”

“What? No!”

Once satisfied, Alhena set her claws aside, releasing the slightly upset shapeshifter. Nuria gave him a short kiss and went in search of herbs. Fain used the opportunity to ask Alhena if she had found any information on why he’d been wandering in the woods.

“I have searched for villages. I found the sister-village of the Green Jaws, but that is a long way from the spot I found you. There is also a human village north of where I found you, but again, it is too far away to walk from in human form. If you had taken the form a fool’s dragon however…” Alhena shook her massive head. Most humans knew better than to abduct shapeshifters and try to hold them captive. However, there were exceptions. “There is one village near the place, but it is burned down. Good I say it is the dark village where evil things happened. You would remember had they taken you captive.”

“But I must have been held captive somewhere, in my last memories I was younger than I am now. Maybe they used a spell on me?” Fain was intent on getting answers. Why, the dragon did not know; he was perfectly happy here and Nuria had agreed to go with him to the Leatherwing tribe. Nothing was amiss with him, except for the memory loss.

“You remember your parents and your tribe. A spell would erase everything.” She lifted her head from the ground and tilted it to the side a little. The small ones were a strange folk. Even the eldest seemed to know as little as a dragon’s pup. “You should let sleeping dragons lie.”

“Yes, I’m not sure if I want to remember anymore.” He slumped down on to the young grass of summer. “I just want to go home. I wish Sera were ready to take on Nuria’s duties, but it’ll be next summer at the earliest.”

Alhena opened her jaws to speak when three dragon pups shot into view. Two big ones chased a smaller one, likely the last-hatched sibling. Before shapeshifters and dragons made a pact to protect each other, the pups would often kill their weaker siblings. It happened mostly by accident during rough play, but sometimes it was intentional.

“Play nice!” Alhena shouted, then returned her attention to the shapeshifter, but he was staring at the dragonlings. The big ones had cornered the little one against a boulder; with bared teeth they closed in on the terrified dragon pup.

“Aren’t they… Hey!” One of the bigger dragonlings had lunged at the smaller one, knocking the creature down. The dragon pup grabbed its neck and began throttling the small dragonling.

“Stop that!” Fain shouted at them. The attacker snorted and carried on humiliating its small kin; the other one turned to face him. Puffing up and spreading its tiny wings the dragon hissed:

“Puny shapeshifter, you couldn’t harm a gnat in that form.”

Fain stood still for a moment, his eyes locked on the small dragonling. The dragon pup gave a faint yelp of pain. Fains lips curled back into a snarl, revealing a row of sharp teeth. White leathered wings burst from his back as he fell onto all fours. His feet curled into hoofs while his hands sharpened into talons. His neck grew longer and his head changed into that of a dragon.

“And in this form?”  His white wings spread wide; the thick scaly tail hit one of the boulders, sending it hurtling down the hillside.

“Eep!” Was all the dragonlings said as they ran. The small one stood up and fled as well.

“You would be a good guardian,” Alhena smiled and the fool’s dragon looked up in surprise. “It would give you something to do while Sera is learning Nuria’s craft.”

“I’ll think on it.” Fain folded his wings, then shook off the bits of torn cloth off him. “I just don’t like bullying. It’s evil.”

Alhena beamed, but kept it hidden beneath her scaly visage. Just as I planned. The head of the dragons’ guards will require his services and he will not want to leave when he sees the red dragon pups. The others have nothing on them when it comes to cuteness.

Have to remember to reward my pups for the show.