((This is a rough edit that will be altered later. Thank you!))

Aelwen awoke in a cold sweat. She lay upon a thin mattress piled with padded embroidered blankets, all of which were messily thrust here and there during her tumultuous sleep.

Her head felt muddy. She crawled over to a bowl of water near the entrance and splashed some on her face. The tiny ripples in the water settled, creating a blurry image of her face. She examined herself in the makeshift mirror, poking at her nose and brushing through her hair with shaky fingers.

She reached up to feel her ears, which were now long and pointed like the other Shifters. She turned her head to see them better in the reflection. She found she could slightly move them like she could in dragon form. Her hair, too, was slightly different, a long red streak the color of her scales running down one of the front locks. She raised an eyebrow in interest.

Her hands moved down to her legs. They were covered in the same scrapes and cuts she had received as a dragon.

So injuries do stay between forms...

As her fingers brushed over sensitive skin, she realized just how vulnerable and soft she felt back in her human form. She had no hard scales or razor claws to protect herself with. All humans could do was-

Magic.

Aelwen raised her head. She thought back to Kotuya summoning a swath of fire in his hand. Now that she was a follower of Auria, could she do that as well?

She outstretched her palm, and strained to will a flame into existence.

Nothing happened. She frowned and tried again. There continued to be no result. She decided to ask Kotuya about it later.

She sat in a kneeling position, legs tucked under her body. She clasped her hands over her lap.

What now?

Her head still felt numb. Upon finally getting to sleep the night before,her mind had been stuffed with so many horrible thoughts that she now felt nothing. All of her being felt empty.

She crawled back to the pile of blankets, flopping down on them and staring at the tent walls. Painted all around the circular interior were images of tigers made of flame, wolves made of water, horses consisting of air, and deer constructed of rock, crystal, and dirt.

Her eyes closed as the figures danced before her, guiding her to a dreamless sleep... that is, until she was awoken by a light tap on her stomach.

"Heyyy," said Kotuya, poking her again. "Wake uuup."

Aelwen cracked open an eye. "...What?" She groaned, annoyed.

"Look!"

Aelwen sat up, rubbing her eyes. She gave a start as she saw Kotuya standing before her unhindered. He smiled, waving his hand over his formerly crippled leg as if it were a ware being presented to a customer.

"How!?" Aelwen asked.

"Mom's great at healing magic. She's the best in the village. I mean, I can't walk all that well, but I'm on the fast track to recovery. Oh! Shev made this for you. He's Kera's husband and one of the village bakers." Kotuya handed Aelwen a small buttered baguette filled with grape jelly. "He wishes you well."

Kotuya sat down beside Aelwen as she thanked him and began to eat the bread with a ravenous hunger. They sat in silence as she chewed.

"So, it looks like you got your Shifter ears and streak. That's nice," Kotuya said. "You get em' when you first transform from dragon to human. Hence why I don't have them." He frowned.

"There's got to be another reason why you refuse to transform," Aelwen said, "besides the pain factor."

Kotuya looked downward.

"You can tell me. I'll keep quiet." Aelwen popped the last bite of bread into her mouth.

Kotuya's shoulders sagged. He wrung his hands.

"Well... I've kept so many secrets from you, I might as well say it to make it up to you." He held out a hand. Before their eyes, it turned to the paw of a dragon. However, the scales weren't just a normal color. They were bright, shining gold.

"I don't understand," Aelwen looked intently at the paw.

"If I ever fully transformed, I would be a golden dragon. Gold, the mineral always used to represent Cainen. The metal used in all wands. The color the eyes of sorcerers flash as they cast spells. I just...can't. I can't let anyone in my village know. What if Cainen had marked me as his own?"

Aelwen gently touched the shining scales. Her brow furrowed.

"When I was a kid, I was terrified of shifting to dragon form simply for how painful it was. I've always had an aversion to pain. But one day I tried to get over it. I transformed just my hand. And... I saw this. I knew then and there I could never shift. I would be made fun of by the other kids and my sister, sure. But it would be better than being a disgrace to my family. Eventually, I just ran away. I couldn't face my problems. And then I found you, end ended up in even bigger trouble." He gave a resigned chuckle. "No offense."

Aelwen grabbed his paw tightly while looking straight into his eyes. "Kotuya... This isn't right. I'm pretty sure the color of your scales doesn't decide what you believe. You're a follower of Auria, not Cainen. Appearance doesn't change that."

Kotuya shrugged. His paw changed back to a hand. Aelwen held on. He glanced back up at her.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just ashamed of what everyone else will think. What if they suspect I'm a traitor?"

"Anyone who is a true friend to you would never even think of such a thing. Using your dragon form will likely be very necessary in the times to come," Aelwen said.

"But there is still another problem. Sorcerers cast spells through gold. If one were to touch me while I'm in dragon form, he could cause a lot of trouble."

"What are you talking about? Surely your scales aren't made of actual gold." Aelwen raised an eyebrow.

"Actually... all dragon scales are made of minerals."

"Wait, really!? So mine are..."

"Very likely rubies. Though mixed with some keratin." Kotuya said.

Aelwen reeled back. "Uh, wow."

Kotuya gave a half smile. "Anyway... I gotta go. Mom needs to perform another round of healing spells on my leg and shoulder." He took his hand out of Aelwen's grasp.

"Kotuya..." Aelwen started.

"Hey, you don't have to call me that. Just call me Gerel. I like it better."

"Gerel, you can't let your fear take a hold of you."

Gerel turned to Aelwen. "I could say the same to you."

Aelwen mouth opened as if about to say something, but then closed as she looked away.

"This is a choice I have to make on my own." Gerel got up and headed for the tent exit. "But thanks for listening to me. I feel better now." He swiftly left.

Aelwen sat quietly, hands curled over her thighs. He's right. I am letting fear control me. I'm afraid of my mother, afraid of the dragons, and afraid of Cainen. But most of all, I'm afraid of being a leader.

After a while of laying on her bed, halfway between sleep and wake, Kera entered the tiny tent.

Her face was stern, yet still contained hints of softness. She carried with her large cinnamon roll, which she tossed to Aelwen.

"How are ya doin'?" She asked with a hint of sympathy. "Shev made you some dessert. He hopes you like it."

"Tell him thank you." Aelwen gave a small smile as she bit into the delicious treat. "And that it is very good."

"He'll be glad. Now get up. I need to take you to your fitting." Kera fiddled with one of her long braids.

Aelwen got to her feet. "Fitting?" She stumbled forward.

Kera grasped her forearm tightly, holding her up. "For a Shift Necklace. So you don't have to worry about your clothes tearing when you transform. The fairies will explain it to you."

The thought of talking with fairies brightened Aelwen's demeanor. Kera paraded her out of the tent and into the thick of the encampment. It was a lot bigger than Aelwen had first thought.

The glass balls strung along the tents were lit with various colors of light, despite the bright beams of noontime sun streaming through the redwood branches. The throngs of Koana and other races of people were busily going about their day, but stopped and watched Aelwen as she passed by. A massive, iron-scaled dragon pounded away with a giant hammer at a piece of steel sitting on an anvil. With a quick breath of flame, the metal was red hot, and ready for more hammering. The old Sphinx with his beard-like grey mane gave a large yawn before continuing to read a storybook to several Koanan children. A centaur boy carried several packages in his saddlebags as he trotted among the tents, delivering them to several people with a flurry of 'here you go ma'am's' and 'no problem's'.

Kera stopped before a huge tunnel near the edge of the village. It was made of twisting red and orange branches sprouting faded yellow leaves. What was strange about the tunnel, however, was that it got continually smaller as it went, eventually ending in a tiny set of double doors the size of a hand.

"Start walking in," Kera pushed Aelwen forward. "Only allowed to go in one at a time."

"Uh... but it gets too small-"

"Hey, when I tell you to do somthin' you better do it! I'm in charge, got it?"

Aelwen was expecting Kera's face to be angry when she turned to look back at it. Instead her lips were twisted into a familiar sly grin. I guess that smile just runs in the family, huh? she thought.

Aelwen stepped into the passageway. She ducked, expecting to bump her head against the ceiling as it got closer and closer. However, to her surprise, that moment never came. As she continued to walk, the door before her grew bigger. Soon, the door's handle was in her fingertips, and prepped to open.

Huh. That's pretty interesting. A growing door. I wonder why it's set up like that though... Aelwen puzzled.

A quiet snicker caused her to turn her head back at Kera. Aelwen gasped and stumbled to the ground as she saw a giant Kera standing at the opposing end of the hallway.

"Turn around, look at your back," she said between chuckles.

Aghast, Aelwen whipped her head around to find a pair of scarlet butterfly wings gracing her shoulderblades.

"Can't visit the fairy village as a Shifter. Way too big. Gotta get turned into a fairy first," Kera sneered before striding down the tunnel, continually shrinking as a pair of eagle wings materialized behind her.

"H-how is this possible? I thought we could only turn into dragons?" Aelwen stuttered.

"Oh, you'll see. Shifters may be the only species who can switch between forms without magic, but fairies... dang, they are the absolute masters of transmogrifying with magic." Kera scratched her nose. "They can turn into any species lickety-split. Can turn non-fairies too. Their spells are temporary, though. They last just a day if only one fairy does it. However, the whole village enchanted this tunnel, so we can stay in the village pretty much however long we like."

"That's... amazing!" Aelwen admired her beautiful wings. "But, how does one tell the difference between a real fairy and a Shifter-turned-fairy?"

"Ah. Well, actual fairies have really long ears, much longer than even the most experienced Shifter. They retain them through all transformations, since it's a transformation constant."

"I see." Aelwen felt a tingling feeling rise in her chest. She tried to hide her excitement. Fairies! Actual fairies! She gave an internal giggle.

Kera placed a hand on the door. "Oh! and one other thing. Magical transformations don't require getting used to. You should automatically know how to work in your altered body."

Aelwen nodded, just wanting to open the darn door already. And, with a sweeping swing, Kera did just that. Aelwen rushed through them, taking in the wondrous sight before her.

Set at the side of a thin, winding stream complete with a foot-high waterfall, lay a village of fairies. Tree bark boats tipped with leaf sails trod rippling waters, female fairies with their male partners danced joyfully amongst each other in the moss-lined town square as a four-fairy band played joyful music, and multicolored glass balls housed tiny shops selling wares such as singular blueberries or rice-sized dancing shoes made of flower petals. The houses lining the pebble-paved roads were constructed from all kinds of things, some from hollowed out tree stumps carefully carved with beautiful, swirling designs, others from large green leaves stretched out on stick frames and painted with berry juice. One fairy with shimmering dragonfly wings sat at a picnic near the stream's edge with her daughter. She got up, lifted her hands into the air, and suddenly her wings transformed into those of a bat. With a dive, she splashed into the stream's warm water, laughing and swimming toward one of the boats nearby while using her wings to help propel herself forward. A willow tree on the opposite side of the stream dangled its draping leaves into the water. Many fairies were flying into and out of the blanket of leaves, leading Aelwen to wonder what was behind it.

Aelwen wanted to cry, she was so happy at the sight of the adorable village. She subconsciously fluttered her wings, slowly rising upward.

Kera grabbed her by the leg, bringing her back down to earth. She pointed toward a house nestled between several stones, at the outskirts of the town. It was a tall, circular building, with many odd-shaped rooms sticking out of it at various angles.

"That's where we need to go. It's the main place to get Shift Necklaces. I have to warn you though... the lady that lives there is... uhh... weird as hell."

Likely not half as weird as most of the things I've seen recently... Aelwen thought to herself.