One warm late summer afternoon, while all alone at home, I was quietly sitting on the front step. I wore my old, weathered black steel-toed boots, my old gray camo pants, and a plain black t-shirt. I wore my black leather belt with Orcrist, the Goblin Cleaver, sword of the dwarf warrior Thorin Oakenshield, at my right side, in its scabbard. I went inside, up to my room, and grabbed my sharpening stone, then headed back outside to sharpen my sword. After about four minutes, I stored the stone in my belt pouch, sheathed my sword in its scabbard, and headed down to the school. My friends and Mike hung out by the doors.

We all exchanged greetings, then I looked up to see Katherine walking toward me. I smiled, as we exchanged greetings. She then gave me Thorin's solid silver ring with the icy blue sodalite gemstone encased in a cage of silver atop it, slipping it onto my right middle finger.

I smiled as I instantly recognized the Seal Ring.

The look we exchanged drove Marc to complete rage, as he ran at me, and before I could react, he slugged me hard twice across the temple, then kicked me down, and tried to drive a huge combat knife into my chest, but I grabbed the blade, and wrenched it from his grasp, before kicking hard upward on his chest, then off, back-flipping off him, as he was thrown almost ten feet back, exactly how Morpheus fought Agent Johnson on top of the semi in 'The Matrix Reloaded'!!

"You want to kill me, Marc? I don't think so!!" I said icily.

We ran at each other, then began fighting brutally, as everyone watched in astonishment! Marc swung his fist, but I grabbed it, then kneeled as I twisted his arm, making him yell in pain as I threw him over me, slamming him into the ground, before slugging him hard enough in the temple to stun him good!

However, just as I was walking away, I heard him get back up, and saw, out of the corner of my eye, Marc draw what I recognized as a khopesh, a type of Egyptian sword.

I slowly reached down to grip Orcrist's hilt, tightening my grip as my eyes narrowed venomously.

Then, just as Marc advanced on me, I swiftly drew my sword, spinning and swinging it expertly around, over my head, as the high, shrill ringing tone of the steel blade echoed across the schoolyard, exactly how the sword did when Thorin had drawn it for the second time to fight the Orcs in 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'!!

"If you dare, Marc!" I said with a sly grin. He ran at me with a yell, but I swung Orcrist and struck Marc's sword with enough force to send a jarring vibration through his hands and arms, making him wince! But I used his distraction to my advantage, kicking him in the chest as he yelled and stumbled back, then I ran forward as we started viciously battling; my friends and everyone else watching in astonishment.

I almost effortlessly deflected every blow he threw with the khopesh; Orcrist's blade emitting a shrill ringing tone like a bell with each contact!

"Borrrrinnng!" I drawled, while rolling my eyes; my friends all bursting out in laughter!

Marc then swung his blade toward my right shoulder, but I easily spun right, dodging the blade, before whacking him across the back of the head with the flat edge of Orcrist's blade, then kicking him square in the spine, sending him flying forward to slam into the ground, knocked out cold with a purple welt on the back of his head!!

I cast a pure venomous sidelong glance at Judas, Moloch, Curtis, and Dallas, who all instinctively backed off; their expressions of shock and worry enough to assure me they wouldn't dare cross me.

Re-sheathing Orcrist in its scabbard, I turned to walk away after I bade my friends farewell.

I felt slightly miserable as I walked down the road. Why did I have to deal with this kind of thing all the time? Facing Marc and his friends, in different circumstances, over and over again, had become so tedious and boring that I really did not look forward to fighting them any more.

I really did not enjoy being the sole fighter for everyone whenever the time arose. But I did so because I knew Jesus had chosen me. On one hand, I was happy to help humanity, but given the circumstances, I also found it...kind of saddening.

Why did helping them always come when Marc and his friends returned? I knew that as the chosen one, I could do anything to help people, but I knew that there were no more wars, famine, disease, or corruption.

I was glad that since Marc had finally seen how futile it was to try to brainwash people into turning on me, he had given up trying to turn the world upside-down, which was why peace was had by all, everywhere on Earth.

So even though Marc and his friends had returned, nothing they did would ever disrupt world peace or plenty.

But as I said earlier, fighting him was really starting to bore me.

I tried not to think of all this as I headed back home, and to lift my spirits, I began singing 'Corner of the Sky'.

"So many men seem destined to settle for something small. But I won't rest, until I know I'll have it all! So don't ask where I'm going, just listen when I'm gone. And far away you'll hear me singing softly to the dawn...

Rivers belong where they can ramble. Eagles belong where they can fly. I've got to be where my spirit can run free, gotta find my corner...of the sky!"

I smiled to myself, feeling a warm, hopeful sensation flow through me as I sang the final words. Ever since first discovering this wonderful song on deviant art, in the great story "Corner of the Sky", by 'RobertDayson', and then finding the song by Matthew James Thomas on Youtube, I couldn't get it out of my head.

It always lifted me from my feelings of gloom and misery from dealing with Marc and his friends.

"Long day, huh, Charlie?" I turned to see my friend Dylan walking a ways behind me, and smiled.

"Yup, as always!" I answered with hint of gloom in my voice.

He came beside me, and I slowed my pace; the sunlight occasionally glinting off of the silver guard at the tip of Orcrist's dragon claw hilt as the sword swung slowly from the belt strapped across my torso, so the sword was at my back.

I smiled as I glanced down at my right hand; Thorin's solid silver Seal Ring gleaming in the sunlight; the icy blue sodalite stone shimmering.

"I really feel for you, bud!" my friend said sympathetically, as I looked over at him and smiled. "You shouldn't have to deal with this kind of thing all the time."

I nodded. "I know, Dylan." I replied. "I just wish there was some way out of this mess!"

By now, we'd reached the back lane leading to my house, so we said our farewells, before my friend continued walking up the road toward his own house.

Returning home, I kicked off my shoes, unstrapped my sword belt from my back, and headed up to my room, drawing Orcrist and carefully sharpening the blade with my flint, before hanging it on the plaque on my wall by the window, then oiling the strap of my scabbard, before hanging it up beside the sword.

I then crashed on my bed, exhausted. As I replayed the song over again in my mind, I smiled to myself; I had never been surprised at how well this song described me.

In a lot of ways, I could relate to Pippin's sadness and loneliness; he and I both almost always worried about our futures, not knowing what we could do with our lives.

I related to that because it seemed that all I really did do was fight against my enemies; at first, nothing else but my family, friends, and my honour had mattered, but as time went on, I began to wonder if the life of a warrior was all that I had.

In some ways, as Pippin had suggested, I hadn't really found my corner of the sky.

Getting up after a good hour of rest, I went downstairs to grab something to eat, before going down to the basement to press iron, reaching and exceeding my normal 130-pound limit, reaching a new milestone of almost 215 pounds!!

Man, did that feel good!!

I then headed out to Kinsmen Lake for a refreshing swim, and luckily, it was closed, so I was all alone.

I then practiced some t'ai chi, alongside some good adrenaline-pumping drills with my nunchucks.

After that, I jogged home to have lunch. As I was headed down the road away from the park, I happened to glance down at my ring. I stared in confusion, for the sodalite stone seemed to be glowing diffusely, shimmering like a light seen deep underwater!!

I blinked hard, thinking it was the sunlight reflected off it that played tricks on me, but as I shifted my middle finger to get a better look, I found it was normal again, no longer glowing!

Shaking my head and dismissing it as an illusion due to stress, I continued home, and made myself a ham and swiss cheese sandwich.

After cleaning up and brushing my teeth, I went out to relax on the back deck.

About twenty minutes later, I started to get bored again. Taking out my iPhone, I contacted both my friends Dylan and Katherine, asking if it would be okay if they could come and hang out with me.

They both agreed, and after phoning my dad, who agreed, I waited, passing the time by practicing fighting imaginary foes with my nunchucks.

I had been practising for nearly three years by now, and as a result, was renowned all over town as a formidable fighter against Marc and his friends; my split-second timing making me such a skilled and dangerous opponent, that most of the time, Marc, Judas, Moloch, Curtis, and Dallas were the ones who ended up bruised and bloodied; I rarely came out of a fight bruised or hurt.

I then put my nunchucks away, before coming back out to the backyard. After a few more minutes, my two friends arrived, as we greeted each other.

By now it was almost sunset.

We went and hung out at Dylan's place for awhile. After watching some TV, we headed out to explore the woods behind Dylan's house. They seemed to extend for miles; the leaves on the trees now a pale greenish-yellow as they changed with the approaching fall season.

I smiled, noticing how the evening sky looked even more blue due to the changing leaves; the fiery red-orange-yellow of the sunset beginning to fill the blue sky.

It was a wonderful evening.

"Hey, Charlie? Could you go on ahead for a moment?" I heard Katherine call from ahead of me. "We need to discuss something in private."

I smiled. "Sure."

I then turned as Katherine and Dylan stopped a ways ahead of me, far enough that their voices were stopped by the wind, before they started to talk to each other.

Respectful of their privacy, I busied myself with exploring the beautiful changing colours of the leaves on the trees, and breathing the fresh air.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that when I glanced up at the evening sky while facing north, I could see the stars of the constellation Draco.

I smiled to myself, admiring the dragon's sinuous form as it snaked across the sky.

"D'you really think we should tell him, Dylan?" Katherine asked. "I think it's fair that he knows the secret."

Dylan shrugged. "If you want to."

"Were you thinking he'd just take it in stride?" she asked, surprised.

He looked solemn. "I was hoping he wouldn't have to deal with it."

They both glanced at me, and gasped. "Looks like he's gonna have to!" he whispered, watching the scales slowly emerge over my back; my t-shirt slowly starting to stretch under my fleece!!

A few minutes later, I shivered, absentmindedly reaching up to pull my hoodie closer around myself, but my smile turned to a look of confusion upon noticing that something didn't feel right.

I glanced down, and froze. Due to the fading light, I couldn't see very well, but something about my hands didn't quite feel right.

Slowly raising them, my heart almost stopped when they came into the light.

An involuntary cry of shock escaped me, as I suddenly felt a surging sensation all across my body as the transformation picked up speed, but strangely enough, there was no pain!

As my human feet and legs slowly morphed into a draconic form, I gasped, staggering and collapsing to all fours on the ground! Hearing a loud ripping sound, I glanced down just in time to see my runners explode, as my socks tore to shreds; my human feet rapidly transforming as the bones and muscles shifted; the skin deepening in colour as thick copper-grey dragon scales swiftly overtook them, and my human toes merging and extending into three large clawed ones; the lethally-sharp ebony talons gleaming in the light of the fading sunset, as a dewclaw slowly formed on the outside of each foot!!

Fascinated, I lifted each, flexing them, amazed at how easily they responded to my efforts!!

I could feel my human proportions rapidly changing; powerful muscles weaving through my legs, arms, chest, back, and shoulders, before I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt my neck and torso begin lengthening and broadening; scales creeping slowly up my face as I felt it start to broaden and stretch; gentle massaging sensations coupled with soft yet sickening cracking and oozing sounds as my human face and head reformed smoothly into that of a dragon; the gentle sensations eliciting a moan of pleasure from me, which instead emerged a soft draconic growl!

Feeling pulling sensations in my hands, I managed to pry open my now golden-amber dragon eyes and look down; everything seeming much smaller now due to not only my longer neck, but my overall larger size as well!!

Then I suddenly threw back my head as I felt a stab of pain in my chest, only my cry of pain emerged a full-blooded draconic roar; a brilliant golden-amber sliver of power blazing from beneath my breast scales!!

Thump, th-thump, thump! Thump, th-thump, thump! Thump, th-thump, thump! Thump, th-thump, thump!

I jerked, catching myself before I collapsed, and slowed down my breathing, prying my eyes open.

I had a most peculiar horn formation:

Two short yet thick bone-white dragon horns on the side of my head, near the back, with four very small horns between them, two set high up on my head, far apart, and two more in the very centre, set right beside one another.

There were two more small horns just beneath my largest ones, set just behind my eyes, with a tiny horn like a needle between, but just beneath these two sets!

Finally, I had a large pointed horn extending from my jaw on either side just in front of my neck, with two very small stubby horns in front of them.

And finally, two small stubs extended from my lower jaw, just beneath my muzzle!!

A very peculiar horn formation, if you ask me!! Turning my attention to the rest of my body, I admired my deep copper-grey scales; my middle and ring fingers seemingly having merged into one finger, leaving me with three fingers and a thumb per hand, but I found, much to my amazement, that they were as dextrous and natural as my human hands had been!!

I glanced back as I slowly unfurled my wings. While not massive, like Draco's, they were still big, reaching exactly 48 feet at full span!!

Suddenly feeling tears well up, I reached up to wipe them away, and was shocked to feel not wet tears, but smooth little stones come away from my eyes!!

Looking down, I gasped at the sight of several small, clear, teardrop-shaped gems in my hand!!

Like a dragon, I now wept diamonds.

I suddenly realized that I was standing quite comfortably on all fours now! Startled, I tried rearing up on my hind legs to stand like a man, finding either stance to be perfectly natural!!

Walking slowly, I was also surprised at how well-balanced I was on my new feet, even though my tail helped with counterbalancing my weight, since I was now naturally leaning slightly forward, which I quickly became used to!

Glancing around, I saw my destroyed clothes scattered around, but also noted with some relief that my friends were still deep in discussion, apparently having fully ignored the fact that their friend had turned into a dragon!!!

Catching my reflection in the water of a nearby creek, I gasped; my amber eyes widening as I instantly recognized the same dragon from the picture "Black Dragon stock two", by the deviant 'lorddarkwolf', on Deviant art, only I was copper-grey like Draco!!

I glanced back, slowly unfolding my massive wings once more, awed by what had happened to me.

"Well, well, what a handsome young dragon we have here!" Startled, I spun to see both my friends standing a few feet from me, and backed up; a million thoughts pounding through my head at once:

Did they think I was a monster?
Would they betray me to the authorities?
Why weren't they scared or astonished?

I stopped upon noticing that Dylan and Katherine were both smiling; not only that, but their smiles were warm and reassuring. And if my imagination wasn't deceiving me, my friends were starting to change as well!!

I breathed deeply, trying to calm my racing heart, before I suddenly realized something.

Standing still, I listened...

Thump, th-thump, thump! Thump, th-thump, thump! Thump, th-thump, thump! Thump, th-thump, thump!

My eyes widened in disbelief at the sound.

"I've always found Draco's heartbeat to be such a relaxing and beautiful sound!" Katherine said with a smile.

"What's happening?" I asked, surprised that I could still speak, but my voice was slightly, although notably, deeper, with a hint of a draconic growl, but it was rather soft!!

I stepped back, watching in shock as Katherine looked down; her bare feet now having morphed into large equine hooves!!!

My friend Dylan's feet had turned into those of a tiger, and as I watched, a long striped tail suddenly burst from the back of his pants, whipping around behind him!!

Katherine had also grown a beautiful mare's tail!!

"Wh-what...?!" I stepped back, fear clearly evident on my dragon muzzle!!

"Do you remember your ring, Charlie?" Dylan asked, smiling. Shocked, I glanced down, raising my right fore claw, and saw that the silver ring was resting perfectly on my middle claw; both the sodalite stone, and the silver, gleaming in the light!!

"What does this have to do with me becoming a dragon?!" I asked; confusion and fear all too evident in my voice.

Dylan smiled as he explained. "That ring, Charlie, is what we call a 'catalyst'. It is an extremely rare artifact of power that absorbs the essence of whatever person, place, thing, or animal that the person feels most attached to.

In your case, it was the stars of Draco."

My friend glanced up, as I did as well, and I was shocked to notice all 17 stars in the constellation now blazed like diamonds, but one star, Eltanin, in the eye of the dragon, shone like a distant lighthouse beacon, its intensity easily overpowering the other stars!!

I suddenly remembered the words of Draco as he explained to Bowen the origin of the dragon's constellation:

"Long ago, when man was young and the dragon already old, the wisest of our race took pity on man. He gathered together all the dragons, making them vow to watch over man, always. And at the moment of his death, the night became alive with those stars, and thus was born the dragon's heaven..."

I blinked as the memory faded, and looked up at my two friends, now a huge weretiger and a beautiful white unicorn with a dazzling silver horn!!

My friend Dylan's normally-hazel eyes were now a brilliant golden-yellow, and Katherine's were the deepest, most beautiful shade of blue I had ever seen; they were as blue as the sodalite stone in my ring!!

Smiling, the unicorn walked up to me and lovingly nuzzled my neck, and I found myself hugging her.

She nickered softly to comfort me, before I felt the strong, yet kind, paw of my friend on my other shoulder.

I found myself weeping softly, but my friends comforted me as best they could.

"Wow!" I breathed, after stepping back and composing myself. "This is real, isn't it? I'm a dragon, you, Dylan, are a weretiger, and you, Katherine, are a unicorn?!"

"Yep, it's real, Charlie!!" Katherine said with a smile.

Suddenly Dylan stopped, before sniffing the air. Then he grinned maliciously, casting a sly glance over his shoulder!

He abruptly whirled and dashed across the woods, weaving almost effortlessly between the trees!!

At the speed he appeared to be going, I was amazed that Dylan didn't crash into any of them, or even trip for that matter!

We suddenly heard a distant snarl, followed by a several screams.

A few moments later, Dylan returned carrying a man whom I recognized instantly as Marc, my old enemy, alongside Judas, and Moloch.

Both Curtis and Dallas followed silently behind them; their faces white as snow!

I guessed, correctly, that my friend had threatened them in such a manner that they didn't dare disobey him!!

Thinking of something, I suddenly grinned, and turned to dash away.

"Well, well, if it isn't my friend's old foes!" Dylan snarled; his eyes glowing like coals as his fangs and razor-sharp claws glistened in the moonlight.

"O-oh gaaaaawwwwwwddddddd....!" Marc stammered; the drawl of his words from sheer terror enough to make Katherine chuckle.

Suddenly there was a loud bestial roar, as a giant dragon suddenly flew down from the darkened sky, pinning Marc under his talons as he landed!!

I snarled with such ferocity that Marc's friends shook like leaves; dark stains slowly forming on their jeans' crotches and running down, as urine dripped from their pants, soaking their shoes!!

I noticed Katherine was pawing the dirt, snorting as she tried not to burst out laughing!!

I raised myself high, tightening my grip on Marc while reaching up with my other claw, and slowly lifting my breast scales.

Thump, th-thump, thump! Thump, th-thump, thump! Thump, th-thump, thump! Thump, th-thump, thump!

Marc's eyes widened as he started to hyperventilate.

[Does this part seem familiar to anyone? Draco sure scared the h*** out of Einon!! ;)]

"I honestly don't know whether or not to let any of you live, especially you, Marc!" I snarled, bringing my muzzle to within inches of his face and snarling as angrily as I could.

"I bet none of you knew it would come to this. I don't know whether to burn you alive, or just let either of my friends maul you or skin you alive!!"

I tightened my grip on Marc's chest, as he gagged; his eyes bugging out.

"I don't want to get away with murder, and thus spend my life on the run from hunters, so I will be crystal clear with you: Do not, under any circumstances, tell anyone about what any of you have seen here tonight. If you do, I swear, by Draco's next rising," I paused for effect, while forcing Marc to look up at the dragon's constellation. "you...will...burn!!!" I growled, doing a spot-on impersonation of Smaug the dragon with those last three words!!

Just as Marc was about to start screaming bloody murder from the sheer terror, I easily squeezed his throat with one hand, before stepping back and lifting him high while rearing up, lifting him almost seven feet off the ground, as my friends watched in astonishment!!

I then unleashed the most powerful, bloodcurdling roar I could muster; Marc's own girlish scream of fright lost in it!! I then dropped him.

Stepping back, I let Marc scramble to his feet.

But, as he did so, he glimpsed some of my diamond tears, and dove for them. I snarled, swinging my left hand and striking him, as he screamed, spinning and crashing into the ground, before I swung my right hand down to pin him.

"Dare you steal my treasures, Marc?" I snarled; my eyes glowing with rage. I then blended my draconic snarl with my normal voice; it becoming near-identical to Thorin's when he spoke to Bilbo about the treasure.

I stared my enemy down, watching the blood drain from his face again. "By my life, I will not part...with a ssssssingle jewel, not...one...piece of it!!"

By now Marc was hyperventilating so hard that I could hear his heart thundering like a drum; his skin having achieved a deathly pallor!! I then snarled once again in his face, shooting smoke from my nostrils and making him gag and cough, before I released him, watching as he scrambled to his feet; his friends racing away as he followed, screaming like a banshee; my friends and I bursting into laughter again as we saw a large dark brown stain on the seat of his pants; dark urine stains running across his friends' pants as well; Curtis and Dallas having crapped themselves alongside Marc!!!

Dropping to all fours again, my friends and I exchanged high-fives!!

"I honestly have never, in all my life, heard such a powerful sound, Charlie!!" Dylan laughed, clapping me on the back. "That was BEYOND epic!!"

I grinned as my fangs gleamed in the moonlight.

"Well, Dylan, that's what they get for crossing a dragon!" we all laughed.

Katherine shivered, as I looked at her, confused. But her expression told me everything. I snorted slightly, trying not to break out laughing again, but I did snort some sparks, making Dylan chuckle.

"It's just..." she began. "when you, Charlie, nailed Thorin's impersonation of Smaug, it chilled me to the bone!"

"And I'll admit I was creeped out too!" Dylan added with a worried look.

I shook my head, grinning slightly. "I didn't mean to scare you guys!" I replied. "I just wanted to traumatize my enemy, that's all!!"

They both grinned. "And I think you did, Charlie!!" Katherine replied with a grin.

"Geez, even I couldn't replicate such an awesomely-eerie voice like that!!" Dylan laughed, clapping me on the shoulder. "You were truly monstrous there, Charlie!!"

We all laughed again.

"And, I'm surprised you've forgotten!!" Katherine said with a surprised look.

"What?" I asked. She and Dylan both smiled, before he nodded up toward the night sky.

I mentally slapped myself. "How COULD I have forgotten?"

"Well, eagles belong where they can fly, right, Charlie?" Katherine asked with a wink, before she chuckled. "And so do dragons!!" I smiled, stepping forward and exchanging hugs with each of them.

"Thank you, Katherine, and Dylan! For everything!!"

Dylan smiled, as he reached down to stroke my silver ring; the icy blue sodalite stone gleaming in the moonlight.

"Don't mention it, Charlie, or should I say, Drago!" he replied with a chuckle and a wink. "This night belongs to us, and for you, all we can say is: go on, and find your corner of the sky!!"

I smiled again, and nodded. "Of course! After all, the sky's the limit!!"

And with that, I turned, and broke into a gallop, listening as the pounding of my dragon heart grew stronger...

Then, with a graceful leap, I was airborne; my magnificent wings unfurling to their full, 50-foot span, and catching the warm night breeze, sending me soaring high into the star-filled sky!!

I glanced down, smiling as I watched my two friends run away into the wilderness.

I felt slightly sad, knowing I wouldn't see them again for a long time. But I smiled again, knowing that we were all free from the prying eyes of mortals.
Our lives, now changed forever, would be better than anything we'd ever known!!

Hearing the mesmerizing rhythm of my dragon heart in the silence, I smiled, closing my eyes and raising my head as I soared on the wind; the feelings of joy and freedom unparalleled by anything I had ever experienced in my human life! I breathed the fresh night air, singing quietly as I soared beneath the stars.

"Gotta find my corner...of the sky!!"