"Power tastes like forbidden fruit, and Fate conceals even more of these illicit delights. Though her story has just begun, it was already written centuries ago."

---

Dragons were not creatures to be trusted blindly. How can one trust a being that emits fire from its mouth? Being the Queen of the Dragon world made Aurelia more dangerous than ever. Dragons, living longer than any other beings, even the Fae, are not as wise as their age might suggest. They are more cunning and mischievous, often speaking in tongues, bestowing curses, and answering questions with riddles, leaving others more confused than before.

They are not trustworthy, and Rue had learned her lesson. Yet, she had no other option but to accompany Aurelia.

The pressing question remained: What more does Rue have to lose in this gamble?

---

As the sun approached the horizon, welcoming the night, an orange hue cascaded over the horizon. A few remaining rays created a beautiful silhouette of the dragon. Aurelia's scales glimmered with the remnants of the sun's rays, casting a golden hue around her.

Aurelia soared into the sky at the speed of light before descending to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. She swirled, forming a coil and emitting fire from her body, her transformation guided by the silent song of the forest. The black ash settled down, revealing not a fearsome creature but a woman standing in the clearing.

Her appearance retained echoes of her draconic form: hair flowing like liquid gold, reflecting the dragon's fiery essence; eyes deep and commanding, holding centuries of secrets. Her body, now human, radiated an aura of power and grace, marking her as a sovereign of both the skies and the land.

Clad in a gown that mirrored the iridescence of her scales, she stepped forward, her presence both commanding and serene.

"What are you looking at?" Rue remained silent, utterly mesmerized by the transformation. She was so captivated that she forgot she could speak, having never witnessed such beauty in her life. She completely forgot her predicament. Was this what they call hypnotism?

"I know, I am fascinating. Now let me ride you. You've had your fun; now it's my turn." With a devious grin, Aurelia sat on the back of Rue's dragon form.

Rue was truly enchanted by Aurelia's charm, unable to resist her actions. Aurelia tightened her grip on Rue's scales, causing Rue to growl in pain. With a forceful kick, Aurelia prompted Rue to take flight.

As they soared into the sky, Rue experienced the world through a dragon's eyes. Her soul and mind were human, but her body was that of a dragon. Adapting to this new reality was challenging, but she knew she had to manage for the time being.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" Rue inquired.

"No, not now. Let me enjoy this moment," Aurelia dismissed her, giving Rue's stomach a sharp kick.

Rue growled in pain but felt powerless to react. Now a dragon, she still had no understanding of her new form's capabilities.

Thus, Rue chose to remain silent, focusing instead on memorizing the landscape below to create a mental map.

The land was segmented by five rivers, all originating from its center. At this central point stood a palace atop a mountain, encircled by smaller dwellings.

The territories between the rivers were distinct realms, their purposes unclear to Rue. She noted a volcano in the southern region, likely the domain of dragons.

To the far east, an area shrouded in black mist caught her attention.

This strange reality left Rue pondering what had actually happened to the fairyland of lore, where all creatures lived in peace, birds sang to the protagonist, and a prince would come to save the damsel in distress.

However, the stark contrast of her situation revealed that in reality, the protagonist had been transformed into a dragon, mistreated by faeries, and deceived by the Dragon Queen, with no prince in sight. In Rue's story, the prince might even be the villain, lying in wait to shatter her piece by piece.

Such thoughts shook her to the core. Her human soul was still grappling with her dragon body, foreseeing an inevitable internal conflict.

After soaring high in the sky, Aurelia finally decided to take Rue to her realm, region, or kingdom, however one might name it.

As they neared the volcano, the temperature rose by 100 degrees, reaching up to 1300 degrees Celsius, hotter than the hellfire of Luci.

They landed on the ground which was scorching, yet Rue felt no discomfort, as if it was meant for her.

Rue turned 360 degrees to take in her surroundings. The ground was teeming with dragons of various forms, colors, designs, heights, and textures.

What distinguished her dragon form were her obsidian black feet.

She stood there, observing Aurelia.

"What now?" Rue inquired.

Aurelia gave Rue a stern look, signaling her to remain silent until the right time came. Upon seeing Aurelia in human form, all the dragons became jubilant and began making peculiar sounds, akin to hooting in celebration of their queen's success.

While the sounds might have been soothing to dragon ears, they were screeching and nearly deafening to Rue's human soul. Despite this, Rue maintained her composure amid the chaotic yet joyous atmosphere.

Then, an older dragon approached, bowing to Aurelia and nodding its head in respect. This dragon had gray scales and dull eyes, and its slow gait, along with its overall demeanor, indicated it was ancient, far older than the rest.

However, when the old dragon caught sight of Rue, a mischievous grin appeared on its face.

"Baon! Secure this golden one. Prepare her for the evening," Aurelia ordered a two-headed black dragon.

Baon was a muscular, young dragon with claws as sharp as new knives. Its striking appearance made it stand out among the crowd of dragons.

Inside Rue's dragon form, a strong impulse surged, urging her to pounce on Baon.

"Calm yourself. I am a human, not a dragon. So better stay within your limits," Rue said to herself.

Living with two conflicting souls could very well end her existence sooner or later.

"But I want Baon - to lick me."

" A-what? Eww. Stay within your limits. You are not real. You are born out of magic."

"Magic as real as your human form."

"YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE ANY CONTACT WITH BAON." Finally, Rue's human form snarled at her dragon form. Both equally powerful, making it hard to the end to the fight over Baon.

"Who are you? My master?" Fire back Rue's dragon form.

This internal conflict continued to rage within Rue, neither soul willing to relent.

Suddenly, a chain tightened around Rue's neck. Looking up, she saw Boan holding the other end, flaring smoke from its nostrils, seemingly proud of the act.

Rue struggled, but the chain constricted further around her neck, inflicting pain as intense as thousands of needles piercing her eyeball.

Rue growled, a sound so piercing it seemed as if thunderous clouds were clashing in the sky, shaking the ground and sending tremors in every direction.

This display of power drew the attention of all dragons, marking the first time a changeling demonstrated such might. In the Dragon Kingdom, changelings were considered outcasts, untouchables, or outlandish, their blood deemed impure.

Changelings were relegated to menial tasks within the dragon realm, sent as slaves to other kingdoms, or placed on the front lines in wars. Sometimes, they were dispatched to the East, into the black mist as sacrifices.

Life for a changeling in the Dragon Kingdom was brutal and unforgiving.

"This is going to be entertaining," remarked the older dragon, after which everyone proceeded into the volcano.

Baon dragged Rue into the volcano. As they entered, it revealed an upside-down architectural marvel resembling a palace. Inside, instead of molten rocks and fuming lava, the walls were adorned with gems and precious stones. The floor was made of obsidian rocks, and gates were embedded in the walls, resembling doors to chambers. The palace was multi-storied. Each level of the palace was designated for tasks assigned to the pure-blood dragons, with no specific level fixed for any dragon except for the changelings.

These changelings resided in the bottom layer of the palace, closest to the molten rocks and fuming lava.

Baon dragged Rue to the very bottom layer of the palace and locked her in a small cell, where other changelings were also confined.

<a/n>

Rue's life is about to be torn apart, inch by inch. Will she ever manage to save her grandparents?We will find out soon. The story has just begun.

Hope you likes this chapter and my story too. Don't forget to like and comment.

Also note, we have completed 10,000 words, half way through ONC2024 challenge.