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“I can’t believe I failed,” Rilyn groaned as she and Konyar stalked through the tunnel.

Konyar glanced at her. “Don’t worry.  The transforming test is probably the hardest one to pass.”

“But you passed without batting an eye,” she grumbled.

Konyar grinned.“Well, maybe I’m just exceptional at turning into a human. And I could tutor you if you want.. Give you a little help on the side.”

Rilyn feigned a hurt expression. “Are you saying I need extra help?”
Konyar opened his mouth before snapping it shut again.“Maybe?”

“Well, at least I’m a better-looking human,” Rilyn retorted.

“No, you are not.  I’m really good-looking, much more than you.  Both human and dragon form,” Konyar teased.

Rilyn began to respond, she never finished. Konyar felt icy wind roaring past his ears as he plummeted through pitch-blackness. He almost thought he could hear Rilyn yelling beside him, and he twisted around, reaching out for her. Abruptly, he landed with a thud on solid ground. Konyar pulled himself to his feet and paused, swiveling his head around, wrinkling his snout. “Where’re we?”

Rilyn opened her mouth to respond, but slowly looked around instead. They were enclosed by a lush forest, and it looked like a garden bloomed beyond the ring of trees.

Konyar met Rilyn’s wide-eyed gaze and noticed her ears flicking down. “Wait a moment,” Rilyn said suddenly. She shot into the air, dodged the trees, then disappeared behind their shaggy branches.

Konyar heard a loud, “Ow!” He grinned as she landed again, folding her wings and scowling.  “What’d you find?” he asked, still gazing about the forest.

“Pain,” she responded. “There’s some kinda shield up there. It’s clear, and I ran into it.”

Faint sounds drifted to them. Both of their ears pricked up as their eyes snapped in the direction it wafted from. When they approached the clearing’s edge, they halted and peered through the bushes. A group of fluffy-headed, twig shaped creatures yapped to each other inside. A new one with a dog appeared, and yet another human emerged from the trees on the other side with a bow.

Konyar squinted closer. “They’re kinda cute,” he noted. “What if they know the way out of…wherever we are?” he asked.

“Yeah, or maybe they trapped us here purposely,” Rilyn growled.

“Either way,” Konyar insisted, “I bet I could convince them to show us out…”

They debated the prospect in hushed tones for a few minutes. Konyar closed his eyes, ignoring Rilyn, and experienced a prickling sensation flooding his limbs before the tingling melted into stabs of pain.

Konyar peeled open an eye and looked down at his fleshy hands, flexing them.. He grinned at Rilyn, waved, and pushed through the bushes into the clearing. Heads turned to glance at him.

“Hey, huma–guys.” He cleared his throat. He had been about to ask where he and Rilyn were, but one of the humans had admitted they didn’t know where they were before Konyar stepped through.“We don’t mean any harm,” he said, glancing at the weapons several wielded. “We’re just trying to get back home. How’d we get here?”

“We?” one repeated.  “I only see one of you.”

Konyar glanced at the bushes. “Rilyn,” he called. “Please come out.”

A muffled no greeted him.  Konyar had no doubt that Rilyn was burying her snout under her wing. He laughed nervously. “One…one moment, please.”He hurried back into the bushes and tugged on her foreleg, cringing slightly at the weird sensation of fingers closing around scales.

Rilyn raised her head.  “Konyar,” she  hissed. “you know I just failed the test! I can’t turn into a human like you. At least not yet.”

“You have to,” he whispered back. “They might not trust us otherwise and think I’m lying! Plus, they’d be really freaked by a dragon.” He coached Rilyn through the process, and she melted into a human before his eyes.  She swayed, and Konyar grabbed her arm to steady her. Then they pushed through into the clearing.  Konyar gulped, prepared to talk his way out of any situation they’d just walked into.

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