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Dragon TF sequence for 
Kaoruishere done to illustrate a story he wrote.
<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>
Story © Kaoru http://www.furaffinity.net/view/17747248/
THE KING'S DRAGONS (excerpt)
Before I knew it I was closer to the moment than I ever was. We were walking down an archway, deep below the ground, which was lit by torches that were hanging from the stony walls. They weren't the only source of light, however. In front of us was a bright dot at the end of the tunnel that increased in size the nearer we got to it. An arena was waiting for me there, the place where the change was supposed to happen.
"So!" My dragon guide expressed. "This would be it then. The last path for you to walk. You're getting very close now, finally."
"I'm not really sure if 'finally' is the best choice of words." I said warily. "To be honest I feel like I have to throw up."
"Don't think or worry about it too much. Very soon it'll all be behind you and you can relax. And believe me, you might be afraid of it all now, but you'll be over it once you're over it. As stupid as it may sound, it's really like that."
I appreciated all his efforts to make me feel at ease. They weren't really working of course, but at least he was trying. If anything, it was a genuinely good feeling to have someone at my side who was supportive and understanding.
"Still." I said with a sigh. "I wish the way towards this arena was much longer than it actually is. We're getting far too close to it now for my taste. I also wish this sword wasn't as heavy as it is." I pointed to the sheath that was attached to the side of my trousers. "I wish it wouldn't be so cold everywhere in this castle... and I wish I wouldn't have to be here at all!"
"I know. I was there myself." He said sympathetically. "And can you image how it is for me to go down this path every single time? I mean... It has gotten easier over the months... But it's still weird for me." He blinked, as if he noticed that he was getting far too absorbed into himself. "But I can tell you that you won't notice the cold anymore after the ritual. In fact, I always forget how it must be for humans to go through this place without shirt and shoes."
My mind flinched a bit at his use of the word 'human'. It was so very telling, and it startled me. There was no doubt that sooner or later I'd be using it in the very same context as he did. It was one drop too many on my mind. My mind felt like crashing and I just fell down on my knees, grabbing my head with my hands. I felt as if tears should come any second, but they didn't. I was only a frozen statue, nothing more.
I felt my guide's clawed, strong hand touching my bare shoulder. "Do you need a moment?"
I choked and let out a deep breath. "No, I think I can go on." I said and got back on my feet, stepping forward again.
"Alright, but tell me if you need a rest or something. Or when you feel another moment coming on. You know that this is what I'm here for, right?"
"Sure." I replied. Because what else could I say.
"Not that I would ever think that you would pull off something like that, but... I had someone recently who thought that he could postpone the inevitable by clutching to the ground and refusing to go any further. It really wasn't a pleasant situation, for anyone involved."
"What did you do to him then?"
"Well, what was there I could do? I had to get help and then we brought him into the arena by force." He looked at me very sternly. "And don't think that I enjoyed doing that. It was ghastly, and I still feel terrible about it."
"You don't have to." I reassured him. "It was your duty, after all."
There came no verbal answer from him, only a cynical huff from his nostrils.
The story made me curious, however.
"How is he now?" I asked. "How is he doing?"
For a moment it looked like he thought about whether it was a good idea to answer that question or not, but then went ahead and told me. "Not too well, actually. He was pretty traumatized from the moment he got here, so we all knew that it wouldn't be easy. He still refuses to open up to anyone and doesn't talk much, but that doesn't mean we're not taking care of him." He paused. "At least the good souls around here do."
The good souls? This was the very first time he ever fully acknowledged that there was a dark side to this dragon legion; a dark side that came from the legion itself, as opposed to a force from above. I chose not to ask a follow-up question on it. The least I wanted right now was yet another thing to ponder about. That didn't stop my guide to elaborate on it, though.
"I have some advice for you. Once you're entering the arena, try not to show how scared or frightened you are, no matter how natural it is for somebody in your position. There will be some at that place looking for exactly that."
I frowned. "If you say so? I'm going to try, although I can't promise that I will be able to go through with it. But... Why would they? And who will be there anyway? No one has really told me anything yet, apart from what I'm supposed to do."
"That is because there isn't really anything else for you to do." He explained. "But some dragons are attending the ceremony. Some are there to celebrate the arrivals of freshscales, others are there to look for new people to step on. So please show strength, by any means necessary! If you look just a teensy bit too squeamish or frightened, I can promise you there will be someone looking out for you."
"I see." I grumbled in disgust. "Even as dragons..."
"...Some people don't change, yes. Exactly."
The end of the archway came uncannily close. My eyes were starting to be able to make out details of the arena's decoration, and my breathing became heavy.
"Stay calm, stay calm." The young dragon said to me in a comforting tone. "Don't be afraid. You were very brave with everything else so far; far more than most I ever guided through. I know you can do this."
I was near panicking, and my speech became very fast. "Why are we the only ones anyway? Where are the other two I came with? What is with all the ones who arrived the days before me? Why are we alone?"
"This is because you're the last one to go. All the others have already gone through with it. Only you are left. You're the only one we're.... They're still waiting for."
As he said those words we got even closer. There were just a mere few metres left. My heart was pounding heavily and it felt like it was attempting to jump out of my chest.
"Quick!" I exclaimed nervously. "Is there anything I should do? Anything I don't know yet? Anything I have to watch out for? What must I do?"
"As I told you; step inside the circle, show strength!" He repeated himself with an urgency in his voice that hadn't been there until now.
Then he stood still, as we had reached the end.
"Now go." He told me and put his hand on my shoulder again. "I know that you're ready and I know that you can do it. I'll be here watching over you, and I will still be here when you're done. You are not alone, do you understand me? I am waiting for you here, and we will go back together."
I didn't respond to any of his words, I only gazed at what laid before me. A huge circled room that was lit by even more torches, walls covered with red carpets that showed the kingdom's emblem, dragons of various ages looking straight at me from their seats, although most of them seemed to be standing instead of sitting.
"Did you hear what I said?" I suddenly heard my guide say.
"Yesyes, I heard you" I nervously replied.
"Then go! Don't show any hesitation! Be brave!" Then he added the most crucial words which finally made me go through with it. "I believe in you."
I suddenly found myself stepping ahead, approaching the very middle of the arena. I was so frightened that I couldn't feel any of my limbs, or even the cold anymore. I didn't even have the impression that this was happening to me. It was as if I had slipped into someone else's body, watching what he did through his eyes.
===
Work with Letraset Markers on 13*18 cm paper
Hope you'll appreciate this one!
Kaoruishere done to illustrate a story he wrote.<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>
Story © Kaoru http://www.furaffinity.net/view/17747248/
THE KING'S DRAGONS (excerpt)
Before I knew it I was closer to the moment than I ever was. We were walking down an archway, deep below the ground, which was lit by torches that were hanging from the stony walls. They weren't the only source of light, however. In front of us was a bright dot at the end of the tunnel that increased in size the nearer we got to it. An arena was waiting for me there, the place where the change was supposed to happen.
"So!" My dragon guide expressed. "This would be it then. The last path for you to walk. You're getting very close now, finally."
"I'm not really sure if 'finally' is the best choice of words." I said warily. "To be honest I feel like I have to throw up."
"Don't think or worry about it too much. Very soon it'll all be behind you and you can relax. And believe me, you might be afraid of it all now, but you'll be over it once you're over it. As stupid as it may sound, it's really like that."
I appreciated all his efforts to make me feel at ease. They weren't really working of course, but at least he was trying. If anything, it was a genuinely good feeling to have someone at my side who was supportive and understanding.
"Still." I said with a sigh. "I wish the way towards this arena was much longer than it actually is. We're getting far too close to it now for my taste. I also wish this sword wasn't as heavy as it is." I pointed to the sheath that was attached to the side of my trousers. "I wish it wouldn't be so cold everywhere in this castle... and I wish I wouldn't have to be here at all!"
"I know. I was there myself." He said sympathetically. "And can you image how it is for me to go down this path every single time? I mean... It has gotten easier over the months... But it's still weird for me." He blinked, as if he noticed that he was getting far too absorbed into himself. "But I can tell you that you won't notice the cold anymore after the ritual. In fact, I always forget how it must be for humans to go through this place without shirt and shoes."
My mind flinched a bit at his use of the word 'human'. It was so very telling, and it startled me. There was no doubt that sooner or later I'd be using it in the very same context as he did. It was one drop too many on my mind. My mind felt like crashing and I just fell down on my knees, grabbing my head with my hands. I felt as if tears should come any second, but they didn't. I was only a frozen statue, nothing more.
I felt my guide's clawed, strong hand touching my bare shoulder. "Do you need a moment?"
I choked and let out a deep breath. "No, I think I can go on." I said and got back on my feet, stepping forward again.
"Alright, but tell me if you need a rest or something. Or when you feel another moment coming on. You know that this is what I'm here for, right?"
"Sure." I replied. Because what else could I say.
"Not that I would ever think that you would pull off something like that, but... I had someone recently who thought that he could postpone the inevitable by clutching to the ground and refusing to go any further. It really wasn't a pleasant situation, for anyone involved."
"What did you do to him then?"
"Well, what was there I could do? I had to get help and then we brought him into the arena by force." He looked at me very sternly. "And don't think that I enjoyed doing that. It was ghastly, and I still feel terrible about it."
"You don't have to." I reassured him. "It was your duty, after all."
There came no verbal answer from him, only a cynical huff from his nostrils.
The story made me curious, however.
"How is he now?" I asked. "How is he doing?"
For a moment it looked like he thought about whether it was a good idea to answer that question or not, but then went ahead and told me. "Not too well, actually. He was pretty traumatized from the moment he got here, so we all knew that it wouldn't be easy. He still refuses to open up to anyone and doesn't talk much, but that doesn't mean we're not taking care of him." He paused. "At least the good souls around here do."
The good souls? This was the very first time he ever fully acknowledged that there was a dark side to this dragon legion; a dark side that came from the legion itself, as opposed to a force from above. I chose not to ask a follow-up question on it. The least I wanted right now was yet another thing to ponder about. That didn't stop my guide to elaborate on it, though.
"I have some advice for you. Once you're entering the arena, try not to show how scared or frightened you are, no matter how natural it is for somebody in your position. There will be some at that place looking for exactly that."
I frowned. "If you say so? I'm going to try, although I can't promise that I will be able to go through with it. But... Why would they? And who will be there anyway? No one has really told me anything yet, apart from what I'm supposed to do."
"That is because there isn't really anything else for you to do." He explained. "But some dragons are attending the ceremony. Some are there to celebrate the arrivals of freshscales, others are there to look for new people to step on. So please show strength, by any means necessary! If you look just a teensy bit too squeamish or frightened, I can promise you there will be someone looking out for you."
"I see." I grumbled in disgust. "Even as dragons..."
"...Some people don't change, yes. Exactly."
The end of the archway came uncannily close. My eyes were starting to be able to make out details of the arena's decoration, and my breathing became heavy.
"Stay calm, stay calm." The young dragon said to me in a comforting tone. "Don't be afraid. You were very brave with everything else so far; far more than most I ever guided through. I know you can do this."
I was near panicking, and my speech became very fast. "Why are we the only ones anyway? Where are the other two I came with? What is with all the ones who arrived the days before me? Why are we alone?"
"This is because you're the last one to go. All the others have already gone through with it. Only you are left. You're the only one we're.... They're still waiting for."
As he said those words we got even closer. There were just a mere few metres left. My heart was pounding heavily and it felt like it was attempting to jump out of my chest.
"Quick!" I exclaimed nervously. "Is there anything I should do? Anything I don't know yet? Anything I have to watch out for? What must I do?"
"As I told you; step inside the circle, show strength!" He repeated himself with an urgency in his voice that hadn't been there until now.
Then he stood still, as we had reached the end.
"Now go." He told me and put his hand on my shoulder again. "I know that you're ready and I know that you can do it. I'll be here watching over you, and I will still be here when you're done. You are not alone, do you understand me? I am waiting for you here, and we will go back together."
I didn't respond to any of his words, I only gazed at what laid before me. A huge circled room that was lit by even more torches, walls covered with red carpets that showed the kingdom's emblem, dragons of various ages looking straight at me from their seats, although most of them seemed to be standing instead of sitting.
"Did you hear what I said?" I suddenly heard my guide say.
"Yesyes, I heard you" I nervously replied.
"Then go! Don't show any hesitation! Be brave!" Then he added the most crucial words which finally made me go through with it. "I believe in you."
I suddenly found myself stepping ahead, approaching the very middle of the arena. I was so frightened that I couldn't feel any of my limbs, or even the cold anymore. I didn't even have the impression that this was happening to me. It was as if I had slipped into someone else's body, watching what he did through his eyes.
===
Work with Letraset Markers on 13*18 cm paper
Hope you'll appreciate this one!
Category Artwork (Traditional) / Transformation
Species Dragon (Other)
Size 600 x 832px
File Size 537.2 kB
Comments