It had been so long since Jeremy had been able to stand on his own two legs without the help of crutches or a walker. He still needed the walker that the clinic gave him, but not because he was diseased any longer, or because his body was degrading. Rather it was because of the state that his body was already in. The cancer having taken a serious toll on his human body. Seeing how the transformation didn’t immediately make one’s muscles grow or increase their weight, Jeremy now had a lot of physical therapy to undergo. The clinic wasn’t just a place where one would go to get transformed. It also served the anthros of the city as an anthro-focused hospital and a full-service one at that.

The lutrine doctor who had been the one to transform him—albeit unknowingly—lead him to the Physical Therapy unit of the clinic and gave both him and Rex a regretful look. “I wish I could tell you that the transformation wasn’t my fault. But in essence it was. I should have double checked the syringe and the vial both before using it. So again, I apologize. To both of you.”

“Look, Dr. Namura. I’m not saying I believe you, but if I did, then what we need to do is find who’s responsible for changing the vials. And if I find out that you were the one, there is no lawyer on this earth who could save you from the suit I’d drop on your desk.”

“Mr. Ka’aukai…”

“Jer…” The large burly dragon next to him sighed, “Doctor, I would suggest leaving us for now.”

The lutrine let out a small eep and left the two to themselves, “I don’t like him. Thank you, hun.”

“Of course, Jer. Let’s go meet your physical therapist.” Rex replied. He led the new dragon through the doors to the physical therapy gym.

Inside a rather impressive figure stood in the center. He was draconic in heritage as well, though the difference in size was vast. Where Jeremy was still at his average 5’10”, This dragon had to be well over seven feet. Probably closer to eight. He was built like a truck, obviously had a passion for pumping iron. And his wrestling leotard that he was sporting hugged all of his ample bulging muscles. “Ah, Jeremy, my man. Good to see you. This must be…Rex, right?”

“Jer, do you know this male?”

“No, never met him.”

“’Course he has, don’t you remember your best bradda on da islands? We wen stay friends when dis bradda heah wen live on da islands. Ya have foa rememba yo bradda Willis.”

The new dragon’s golden eyes widened in surprise, “Willis, wot ya do heah? It wen stay won long time bradda.”

“Da kine stay mah job bradda. I wen get transfoamed last yeah. I wen decide to stay heah, Dey need mah help.”

“How stay da ‘ohana?”

“Good, good. You all heltee now bradda?”

“Yea. Not bah choice, do bradda.”

“Wot you mean?” the buff dragon looked at his long-lost friend.

“I wen ask to not be transfoamed, bradda. An’ yet heah I stay.”

“Ah. Somewon wen pua da ol’ switcharoo?” He chuckled.

The other dragon in the room, namely Reginald, looked between the two of them utterly confused. The way they were talking sounded kind of like English but mixed with a lot of colloquialisms from Hawai’i. It was interesting to hear his partner sound so different. It was as if he was transported back to Hawai’i. just by seeing an old friend from the islands.

“An’ dis won. He yo aloha, bradda?”

“yea. Da man dat wen steal mah heart. Come heah, Rex.“

“Whuh?” Rex looked dumbfounded.

“He no speak da Hawai’i pidgin?” Willis asked.

“No. He doesn’t, do you, love?” Jeremy replied loosely.

“Wha. Sorry, love. I’m a little lost. That sounded like English but…weird.”

The other two dragons in the room laughed heartily. “Oh love. That was Hawaiian pidgin. I grew up speaking that way. It took a few years on the Mainland to actually lose the broken English. But when someone starts speaking like a Hawaiian I can’t help it.”

***

The end of the session came quicker than expected. The two dragons quickly rekindled their old friendship. The back and forth in Hawaiian pidgin continued to the point Rex felt extremely left out and put out by the fact he could barely follow the two islanders.

The session had gone well. He’d been shown a device which was similar to a peck deck machine but had the pads sized correctly for an avian’s wings to push against and not cause to much point pressure. Willis had shown him many exercises he could do to build his muscles back up. He needed to be strong so that he could use his wings, Willis had told him.

Rex had been worried about the first physical therapy session. Especially since most transformed Dragons never quite got the hang of flying the way a natural born dragon does. However, Jer had taken to the exercises like a fish to water. After the session Jeremy looked as though he wasn’t leaning as heavily on his walker. It was one session, true. But it was good to see Jeremy on the mend, even if he had been turned into a dragon against his will.

Rex and Jer said not a lick to one another on their way back to the room. It wasn’t angry or awkward; the silence was comfortable. Two men who were so in love that they need not say a thing for the other to know that they supported one another. The newly-formed black and gold dragon was deep in thought, his new reptilian visage contorted from the depth of his thinking.

Rex stood in silent comfort and support of his lover. He needn’t breech the silence that surrounded them to let his lover know. Jeremy knew well how much the dragon next to him supported him. He wouldn’t be here had it not been fro the love of this dragon and his family.

“I think, though it was not my choice, I am going to be ok with my transformation.” Jer finally said, breaking the silence with a nod, “I mean, how long have I been dreaming that I was a dragon. Now I actually am one. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”

“Hmmm…my father had the same thought, Jer. He thought your body knew it was going to be transformed and was trying to get you ready with those dreams of yours. Though I do wonder about why the dreams have been so…morbid.”

“I’ve been wondering that myself. Who knows?” Jer replied wistfully.

They entered his room and Rex guided him over to the bed. Being careful of the newly-formed dragon’s wings, Rex laid Jer back down on the bed. “Rest, my sweet.”

“I will, my love.” Jer replied. Falling asleep very quickly after, Jer looked so peaceful now that he wasn’t in constant pain. A year of watching his love slowly die was tough on the young dragon. He didn’t know if he would have been able to survive his lover’s death. Thank god the procedure had worked. Even if it had transformed him, it had saved the man’s life.

“Good night, my prince,” The dragon said before walking out of the hospital room and shutting the light off before closing the door.

***

Master Rayon stood over his students’ bodies and he started crying, “Brimgar, if only you could have seen your son. You would have seen how brilliant your and Aurellia’s brood had become. He was fierce. He was proud. And he absolutely loved Verus.” Rayon gave his eulogy. He may have been the one to kill the two younglings, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t cared about them.

“They won’t have died in vain.” A voice said behind him. Rayon turned toward the voice. Out of the wreckage of the observatory, came a dragon only slightly older than Scale had been. There was a rider upon his back. It was a the femme fatale, Rella. She and her dragon had soared through the schools ranks quicker than anything, and if the rumors were true were expected to become Masters themselves. It was a well-known fact around the school that Verus had had a thing for Rella. And there was a deep rivalry between their dragons. Onyx and Scale didn’t hate each other. They were friendly rivals. They always tried to one-up one another whenever there was any kind of competitive assignment given them by the Masters of the school.

They aren’t dead, Rella. I can still feel a pulse of mana from Verus. Their connection is still holding meaning they are both still there. If not conscious. Onyx sent the message covertly. Rella smiled internally. Good. They were still holding onto the spark of life.

“Aura patronæ!” Rella shouted and a flash of white light shot from her hand toward Master Rayon.

The old teacher didn’t even flinch. He’d seen the shift in her aura the moment she had even thought of the spell. He knew spellwork better than any on campus, despite not being able to use it in any way after the loss of his dragon. He closed his eyes and held the void-black sword in front of himself. The blade absorbed the entirety of the spell like it wasn’t even cast. “Haha, oh Rella, you always did rely too heavily upon your magic.” He sped forward. With his obsidian blade held with deadly intent. “None shall keep me from my dream. None at all!”

The girl balked. What in the gods’ names was wrong with this man? Had the loss of his dragon destroyed him so much that he had no empathy? “You will not succeed. I’ve already sent a message to the elves. Their dragons are on their way here. Can you take on the mighty elves?”

“I can and will! I have killed elves before in the name of our order.” The crazed Rayon stated.

V…Ver…Verus? Scale woke slowly, still woozy from the immense loss of blood. His life hung in the balance. He’d lost a ton of blood. It was only his vast stores of mana that kept him from falling into the void. The same may have been true of Verus. After all the link was there, though weak. His rider wasn’t truly dead!

Scale, stay still and silent. If you move, you won’t live to see the next day. Onyx spoke in his mind. The ruby red dragon wanted to growl, but saw the logic in Onyx’s statement. He kept quiet, even quieting his mind.

Rayon rushed Rella and Onyx. Hoping to strike a death blow upon the dragon. Onyx would be a more interesting challenge, though. He wouldn’t fall for the same tricks that Scale had. He dodged easily. And slashed at the discopter, destroying the blades which spun under the platform. The vehicle plummeted with nothing to keep it aloft. “*Master Rayon, you have committed a grievous sin against nature upon this day. As is the duty of the order of dragons we judge you and find you wanting. Master Rayon van Trsveld of Giddeon we judge you guilty of crimes against nature and deem your punishment death.*” Onyx and Rella voiced in perfect unison. The quality of the utterance haunting and foreboding all in one.

The black dragon whose scales were the black of night pounced upon the ailing Master Rayon whose body lay sprawled next to the wreckage of his craft. He ripped off his head with a sickening squelch before the Master had a chance to respond. He then walked over to the still forms of his rival and the object of his human’s desires and said softly aura sanitæ. A green glow surrounded the two beings. The blood dried then disintegrated whilst the rends in their flesh slowly sealed itself. Scale stood up as soon as the green aura dissipated.

I thank you, Onyx.

“S…Sca…ale?” He heard from a gravelly, scratchy voice.

I’m here, Verus. I’m here. As is Rella and Onyx. They killed the madman.

“Re…ella? She’s here?” He said, he shot up and tried to look dignified. The two dragons and Rella chuckled.

“Aye, Rider. Aye Verus, I’m here.” She replied. Scale walked over to his rider, lowering his snout, he aided his human in standing. Onyx walked over grasping something in his maw. He dropped the object in front of Verus, revealing it to be his ruby red blade.

***

The sound of Rex’s phone ringing woke Jeremy from his slumber. His nostrils leaked plumes of smoke as a sign of his discontent. “Reginald?”

The auburn-scaled dragon murmured a half-awake “Whuh?” then he heard his phone and answered it. “H…hello, Reginald Draconis speaking? To whom am I speaking?”

“Victor Roma. I’m an oncologist. with the Santa Trinidad Hospital in Los Angeles. We just heard about your case from your general practitioner. It sounds like a case we’d love to discuss. We’re as I’m sure you’ve heard a pretty significant institution in the field of cancer research. We believe we can save your lifemate from his cancer.”

“Well Doctor, I’m sorry but we’ve found assistance with GeniFur. Unfortunately, they had a problem with the gene therapy serum and he was transformed into a dragon.”

“I see. Well I apologize that we weren’t able to help you more quickly to avoid such a traumatic experience.”

“Heh, traumatic. Right. He just kicked pancreatic cancer to the curb. Yeah, he gave up his humanity to do it, but he is officially cancer-free. Not just in remission, but completely one-hundred per-cent cured of the cancer which had metastasized throughout his entire body.”

“I…see…” the oncologist said on the other side. He hung up shortly after.

“Well, that was a strange call.” Rex turned to the grumpy dragon in the hospital bed, who was glaring daggers at him.

“Aloha wau iá ‘oe. But you woke me up in the middle of the end of the battle. I…I think I’m going to make this into a story. I know it’s weird. But I feel like Verus and Scale are trying to get me to do something with their story. They keep showing me more and more of it. At first they were just nameless characters in a dream. Now they have names, a story to tell and they’re telling it to me.”

“What would you like me to do?” Rex asked.

“Could you get my computer from home, love?”

“Sure?” Rex said, tilting his head in a puppy-like manner.

“I want something to write down this story and a notebook wouldn’t work, my hands would cramp.”

“Ah. Ok. I’ll be back as quickly as possible.”

“Thanks love.”