Rei heard a faint rustling coming from the bushes nearby, piquing his curiosity.
Though Rei was still getting the hang of his shapeshifting abilities.
He decided to take a chance and try to transformed himself into a small creature to investigate.
With cautious steps, Rei approached the source of the noise, only to find a small rabbit frantically hopping away.
"Oh it's just a rabbit." Rei said with disappointment.
Rei was about to turn back and continue his exploration when he noticed a majestic dragon perched in a clearing not too far away.
"Holy! is that a dragon?" Rei said silently, trying not to draw its attention.
"I should go have a look closer."
The dragon seemed to be dozing peacefully.
Its Jet-Black scales glistening in the dappled sunlight filtering through the forest canopy.
And its white underbelly contrasted sharply against the verdant green of the forest floor.
As he took a step closer, Rei noticed a delicate gold trim around the edges of the dragon's wings and the tip of its tail.
"Woah... this dragon looks so cool, it even have gold trim and cool looking wings and tail." Rei muttered to himself in amazement.
As Rei cautiously approached the dragon, he noticed the creature's Golden eyes flicker open, staring directly at him with an intense gaze.
"What are you?" the dragon growled, its voice deep and ominous.
Rei froze, unsure of how to respond.
He knew that dragons were powerful and intelligent creatures, and he didn't want to anger or provoke it.
But at the same time, Rei couldn't help feeling curious and fascinated by the creature.
"I am just passing through." He said tentatively, hoping to placate the dragon.
The dragon narrowed its eyes, seemingly unconvinced by Rei's answer.
It could sense that Rei's aura was unusual, that of a dangerous being.
The dragon couldn't shake the feeling that Rei was not what he seemed to be.
Rei remained still, trying not to show any signs of aggression or fear.
He knew that any sudden movements or wrong words could trigger the dragon's wrath.
After what felt like an eternity, the dragon finally spoke again, its voice softening slightly.
"Very well." the dragon said.
"but be warned, I am watching you."
With that, the dragon closed its eyes and settled back into its slumber.
"Can i touch your scales and tail?" Rei asked out of curiosity, knowing the dragon still wary of him but still take the risk.
The dragon eyes open and hesitated for a moment, still not fully trusting Rei, but eventually gave a low growl of assent.
Rei approached the dragon slowly, trying not to startle it, and reached out a tentative hand-looking tentacle to touch the dragon's scales.
The scales were rough to the touch, but he was amazed at how strong and sturdy they felt.
"Woah... so this is one of the best material in the fantasy world? i like this."
Rei then moved towards the dragon's tail, which had a golden trim at the tip.
He was mesmerized by the beauty of the intricate patterns etched into the scales.
"This is amazing! golden trim is so beautiful." Rei exclaimed, forgetting for a moment that he was in the presence of a potentially dangerous creature.
The dragon snorted, reminding Rei that he was still not entirely safe.
"Oh yeah... sorry for so full of myself... but can i touch more?" Rei said.
The dragon's eyes narrowed, still cautious of Rei's intentions.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea." it replied, keeping a safe distance from Rei's tentacle-like limb.
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
Rei could sense the dragon's apprehension, and quickly realized that his eagerness might have been a bit too much.
"Oh, sorry about that," Rei said sheepishly.
"I was just curious about your scales and your tail. I'm not trying to harm you or anything, I swear."
The dragon regarded Rei for a moment, and then slowly lowered its guard.
"Alright, but be gentle." it said, inching closer to allow Rei to touch more of it's scales and tail.
He carefully extended his tentacle-like limb, marveling at the smoothness and the resilience of the dragon's scales.
Rei traced his way along the intricate pattern of the gold trim that adorned the dragon's wings.
As Rei touched the dragon, he felt a strange surge of energy coursing through his body.
And Rei realized that he was learning more about the dragon's anatomy than Rei ever thought possible.
Rei quickly withdrew his limb, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the experience.
"Wow, that was amazing." He said.
"Thank you so much for letting me touch you."
The dragon blinked its golden eyes and lowered its head in acknowledgement.
Rei hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"Um, excuse me." Rei asked.
"Can I ask you something?"
The dragon tilted its head, indicating that Rei had its full attention.
"I was just wondering...how do you fly? I mean, I know you have wings, but how do they work? I always want to soar the sky myself."
The dragon regarded him for a moment, then let out a deep rumble that Rei interpreted as amusement.
"Ah, I see," the dragon said in a low, rumbling voice.
"Well, little creature, flying is not something that can be easily explained.
It is a feeling that comes from within.
It is a connection between body and mind, between earth and sky.
But if you truly wish to experience it, I can show you."
Rei's eyes widened in excitement as the dragon stood up and spread its wings.
He watched in awe as the dragon lifted off the ground, its massive wings beating the air with powerful strokes.
As Rei watched the dragon soar higher and higher into the sky, Rei felt a surge of jealousy and longing.
He had never felt so small and insignificant in his life.
But then remembered the dragon's words.
- It is feeling that comes from within, connection between body and mind -
"I should try it myself." Rei said to himself.
Determined to experience the sensation for himself, Rei closed his eyes and focused.
His body began to change, became similar to those of a dragon but small and incomplete.
Rei imagined himself soaring through the clouds, feeling the wind rushing past him, and propelling him forward.
As Rei opened his eyes, he felt a strange sensation from his body.
Rei can feel the unfamiliar aura surrounded him, and to his amazement, he began to rise off the ground as his dragon-like wings emerge from the back.
Rei gasped in delight as he soared higher and higher, his body responding effortlessly to his mental commands.
Rei felt the exhilaration of flight coursing through his veins, and a sense of freedom and joy that Rei had never known before.
He circled around the dragon, who watched him with a mixture of amusement and pride.
"HAHAHA...I can fly!" Rei exclaimed, laughing and whooping with joy.
For that moment, nothing else mattered but the sheer exhilaration of flight, and the bond that he shared with the magnificent dragon.
The dragon let out a deep rumble, as if in agreement, then spoke in a low, rumbling voice.
"Oh ho? It seems that you have more than just a passing interest in dragons, little one, You can even change your body."
Rei grinned with excitement as he heard the dragon's words.
Rei had never felt so alive before, and the feeling of freedom that came with flight was something Rei would never forget.
As Rei continued to circle around the dragon, he realized that they should probably get back to their original location before the sighting of a dragon caused a ruckus.
"Um, we should probably head back to where we were." Rei said, his voice full of exhilaration.
"I don't think it's safe for people to see us here."
The dragon nodded in agreement and beat its wings, gracefully descending towards the ground.
As they landed, Rei's body began to shift and change back to his previous form.
He stumbled a bit while transforming, still getting used to the process of transformation.
The dragon noticed Rei I had changed back and decided to transform into smaller form.
Rei watched in awe as the dragon's body shimmered and changed into a beautiful woman with long black hair and golden inner highlights.
She wore a black dress with golden trimming that matched her dragon form.
"Woah..." Rei said, his eyes wide with amazement.
"Please marr- AHEM, i mean, you're beautiful!"
The woman chuckled, "Thank you, little one. I'm glad you think so."
"You may call me Astria." She introduced herself.
"And you are?"
"Ah! um... I am Rei. Nice to meet you, Astria" Rei replied.
Astria smiled and gestured to the surrounding forest "So, what brings you here, Rei?"
Rei hesitated for a moment before answering, "I'm just exploring! like the usual me!"
Astria's expression softened, "I see. Well, I hope you find what you're looking for."
With that, Astria turn to looking away at the distance of dense forest that surrounded them for a moment then began to transform back into her dragon form.
"I should be going now. Take care, Rei."
And with a powerful beat of her wings, she took off into the sky fast, leaving Rei standing alone in the clearing.
As Rei watched Astria disappear into the distance, a sense of determination overtook him.
He was eager to explore deeper into the forest and discover what other wonders this world had in store.
"Let's see what other mysteries I can uncover here." He said aloud, his voice echoing through the trees.
Rei wandered in various directions, honing his ability to transform.
But as Rei trekked deeper into the forest, a rustling in the nearby bushes caught his attention.
"Oh no, not that rabbit again," He grumbled, recalling the previous encounter.
Nevertheless, Rei crept towards the source of the sound, curious to investigate.
As he approached, however, Rei surprised when discovered a human figure lying behind the bushes.
[End of the Chapter]