The Beast with the Black Head

Edan stood on a dock in the worst city on the continent with a pouch of dragonscales in his hand and a piratess grinning at him. This wasn't where he'd thought the day would go.

"So? We have a deal or what?" she asked.

"You don't even know where I want to go." Edan said. He had visions of her taking the only valuable thing he owned and then attempting to leave him on some desolate island. Colin would not approve.

"Doesn't matter. Those dragonscales are worth plenty to someone who knows what to do with them."

"And what would you do with them?" he asked. He could see Colin getting more upset with every word.

The girl pulled off her hat, running her hand through thick hair. She set it back on her head, but it didn't cover her long, pointed ears.

"An elf." Edan said. But what would an elf be doing so far north? And why was she dressed like that?

"Captain Vesa." the elf said, standing straighter.

"Captain?" Edan raised his eyebrows.

"Is there a problem?"

"Where's your ship?"

The elf seemed to deflate just slightly. She nodded her chin at the other side of the bay. "Docked over there." she said defiantly.

Edan turned, looking in the direction she'd indicated. He didn't see anything even remotely close to the size of the vessel Colin had almost secured. "You don't have a ship."

"Fastest ship on the continent." she insisted. "Besides, I don't see anyone else jumping at the chance to take the Dragon Magnet onboard."

Edan set his jaw. Everyone knew his reputation for always being conveniently wherever dragons showed up. Generally, he used it to his advantage. But it did have occasional drawbacks.

"I'll need my own room." he said finally.

"Your highness." Vesa said, bowing low. Did she know who he was? Or did she just think he was acting above his station? He was as far away from home as he could get, and looking like little more than a serf.

Vesa led them around the bay as they discussed the particulars of the voyage. When Edan saw the vessel, he stopped short. "That's barely even a sloop." he said.

"But we'll always have the wind at our backs. We'll get you home in a fortnight."

"How could you possibly guarantee something like that?" Colin scoffed. It was the first time he'd spoken since Edan had pulled out those dragonscales.

"Because my first mate can control the very air." Vesa grinned knowingly.

"An aeromancer?" Edan asked. Now that was interesting.

"Which is why I'm not worried about a dragon-magnet on my ship. How can a dragon spit fire with no air?"

"Or breathe." Edan muttered. He'd have to learn more about this aeromancer.

It didn't take him long to find her; there were apparently only two other members to their crew. One was a remarkably tall woman with emerald-green hair and garments of leaves. The other was what Edan could only assume to be a man barely half his size with bat-like ears, olive skin and pointy teeth.

"An elf, a dryad, and a gremlin walk into a bar..." Colin mumbled under his breath.

"Well, congratulations." Edan said, leaning into his friend.

"On what?"

"On being the most normal one on the ship by a wide margin."

Colin snickered.

"Hello." the gremlin said, his voice strangely nasal. He gave a terrifying grin. "I'm Thales."

Colin nervously shook his hand. "Colin. Pleasure."

"Edan." Edan introduced himself. Then turning to the tree-woman, "And who might you be?"

"Azalea." she said, smiling.

"Any reason a dryad's so far from the forest?"

"I wanted to see the world!" she said breathlessly. "Who wants to put down roots in a stuffy old forest next to their parents?"

"Listen up, crew!" Captain Vesa strutted onto the sloop, looking the dryad and gremlin up and down. "We're going to take these two down to the Southern Isles. And the faster, the better. Thales, show the Dragon Magnet to my quarters."

"Aye, Captain!" Azalea said, turning towards the helm.

"Your quarters?" Thale asked uncertainly.

"He'll be staying there for the time being. Colin and I will be in the bunks with the two of you."

"Aye, Captain." And without further ado, he led Edan away.

The next two days passed uneventfully. But the third night, something was different. The wind was whipping, blowing Azalea's hair across her face.

"Storm?" Edan asked, looking up. But the sky was perfectly clear and the stars were shining almost serenely.

"Beisht Kione Dhoo." Azalea said with wide eyes. When Edan just stared, she added, "The Beast with the Black Head."

Well, that didn't sound good. He wasn't sure he needed to know more. But Azalea continued anyway.

"Got an eel-like body longer than even the bay at the elven city of Koh-i-noor, with a head blacker than midnight. And once it spies you with its glowing yellow eyes..." she shuddered.

Suddenly, a roar louder than thunder filled the air. A giant, snake-like coil burst from the water, launching over the entire deck. Edan only just had time to dive aft before it landed with a sickening crack, between him and Azalea.

"Azalea! Hard to port!" Captain Vesa yelled. "Thales! Colin! Secure the mast!"

"It's no good – the beast's got us pinned!" Azalea called out.

The captain yelled something else, but another roar drowned her out. Edan didn't wait around for her to repeat it. It was time they found out why he was really called the Dragon Magnet.

He hurried into the cabin at the ship's aft, leaving the door open as much as he could. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the fire inside him grow.

Wings sprung from his back. His teeth became dangerously sharp, and his nails lengthened into ebony claws. His spine stretched out behind him, and he fell onto all fours as his bones reshaped themselves. His jaw pushed out and horns erupted from his temples, sweeping back over his head. Spikes sprouted down the length of his spine, arching up over his head to his snout and down along his tail. His skin hardened to spiky coal-black scales on his back and smooth blood-red on his throat and underbelly. As the Beast with the Black Head roared again, Edan let out one of his own.