A breath of fresh air

Nai blinked looking at her so confused after how she had just gotten up and straight  up left after the  story.  Why did she want to see her dragon form? Nai barely even let her father see it and rarely ever used it. With an annoyed huff, she got out of bed and she felt her tired limbs protest to her weight. They did not want to carry her. 

Slowly she followed after her priestess and thought about what she had learned. So the whole war was simply over a god being petty and the other one wanting love and taking it by force. To be honest from the rumors she had heard about the species it kind of matched them as a whole.

The sunlight was bright on her eyes and she threw a hand up to block it as the large door shut behind her. It became almost invisible to the naked eye as it blended in with the volcanio and hidden with a glamor spell.

"... Aolani why do you want to see my dragon form?" It was clear the thought of shifting unnerved her.

"Isn't it obvious, My Lady?" Aolani questioned, her eyebrows arched high. "In order to train you to fight, I need to see what I'm working with." She spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world; and with her military upbringing, it likely was. "A dragon's best weapon is their dragon form, My Lady. Just as a demon royal's true form is of great use to them in battle. And you have both." She pointed a finger lazily at Naiome. "However, lacking any royal demon blood, I can't exactly help you in that department. Now a dragon form... that is something I can help with." There was a glint in her eyes as she gave a crooked smile.

"Unless you'd rather I start you off with drills?" she asked coyly, raising her brows again. "I'll gladly drill you in laps around the island until you feel like your legs are about to fall off. Or would you prefer squatting until your butt's about to fall off?" The priestess cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders. "Or are you more of a pushups kind of girl?" She began circling Naiome as if the demoness were up for inspection. Which in a way, she was. Aolani had no intention of going easy on the oracle.

"You want me to train you. I plan on training you, My Lady. And it won't be easy. You are a royal, and an oracle. There will be those out to use you, or even hurt you, and your father--or others--won't always be around to protect you. You are your best advocate, My Lady." She stopped in front of Naiome and stood tall, towering over her like the amazonian battle angel she was.

"The horse is in your stable, so to speak," she said plainly. "What will you do?"

Nai quickly threw up her hands and the hair on her neck stood up. She knew this one meant business and so fast too! She hadn't expected her to go from loving helper to military trainer in two seconds flat. It was terrifying to say the least. It made a bit of fear creep into her soul. What had she actually signed herself up for? She knew she was spoiled and well this Lady Aolani was about to find out just how badly at the end of the day at this rate.

"We can start with shifting since it means so much to you," she replied as she quickly gave into the demand not really liking the alternative idea of being physically punished for saying no. Carefully she took a deep breath and tried to relax as she focused. This was always hard for her. Even as a young child she had always rejected the idea of this form, mostly because it and her wolf form looked so different that she often didn't want to use it. It also had fur? She had no idea why when her father had scales... Slowly her human form slipped away and her dragon form appeared. It wasn't too big yet. Still small due to her age, but she blinked at Aolani and tilted her head at her. Her fur was light blue mostly, with white, darker blue, and gold markings Along her paw a branch of darkness seemed to creepy up the color of blood and darkness and twist where her heart was. It seemed to be symbolic of her hybrid nature.

Her blue eyes looked away and she sighed. "I have this form and my wolf one that looks nothing like this. I have no other that I've used or seen. I can't shift into many others forms like most demons can. I think it's because I am a hybrid at the end of the day and yet the two forms I have look different. I don't know why... I just know it makes me feel like something may be wrong. I know as a wolf I feel darker, but my dragonic side feels...." 

"Gentle? I feels like it's more natural where the wolf is more of a bloodline ability as if that form was gifted by my demon blood.... I think my dragon form is my true colors, while my wolf is a form taken from demon heritage. Do you have any thoughts?"

She looked back at Aolani. "Why does my wolf form feel more like a killer than my dragon?"

The angel continued to circle around Naiome as she changed forms. It was an unusual form, to say the least. Aolani had never seen a furred dragon--at least one that was fully furred. Small in size, good and agile from the looks of it. This could be serviceable... but the wolf form. That was news to her. Though it should have been obvious, and Aolani scolded herself for not thinking of it. Naiome was half demon. It was only natural that she'd have more forms than just dragon.

But perhaps what tugged at Aolani's heartstrings was how ashamed Naiome looked.

She stopped in front of the hybrid's face and reached out to stroke her cheeks, taking her draconic head and tilting it up so that Naiome couldn't avoid her gaze. "Never be ashamed of yourself," she said gently. Placing a hand on her own heart, Aolani continued, "There's nothing wrong with you. You are two creatures, dragon and demon. Be proud of that. Be proud of your lineage. You look like no one I've ever seen before, and that can be used to your advantage. Their split moment of hesitation at your form could be the difference between life and death; never be ashamed of who you are, Naiome. Being yourself is the greatest gift any of the gods could give us." The woman stepped back and smiled brightly.

"Allow me to show you what I mean."

Her form began to shift with dazzling light until a great serpentine beast hovered where Aolani had been. She was a massive beast, her lithe body covered in gleaming white scales that shimmered like ocean pearls. The rainbow hues of her hair transferred in both the mane that ran down the entire length of her body, as well as in brilliant markings that shifted and changed along the sides of her body. Her claws and spiraling horns were pearlized, shifting in color depending on the light, and the rainbow colored pearl rested on her chest, right as it did in her human form.

But perhaps the most striking thing about Aolani's dragon form was her wings; six massive wings were placed along her body at the shoulders, halfway down her back, and her hips, adorned with dazzling white feathers and surrounded by swirling gold rings. She truly looked like a steed of the heavens, sent down to breathe righteous fury onto the land.

"Only my brother looked like me," she said in a voice that seemed to echo. "And it's nothing to be ashamed of."

The comfort from Aolani had almost brought tears to her eyes. For once it wasn't from someone she felt had to love her cause of circumstances. This person had just met her and accepted her even though she barely knew her. Aolani could've shun her or even picked at her, but she seemed to actually care and accept the young hybrid. For once Naiome felt a spark of hope for what she was. This wasn't love or caring due to blood, but it felt sincere in a new way she had not yet known. It was of understanding and acceptance. 

And it felt good... Better than anything she had experienced in a long time. It was like saving Liz all over again. This wasn't something she felt was forced but just pure and that just felt good.

Naiome took a step back when Aolani shifted afraid she wouldn't have enough room and her eyes blinked a bit taken aback. She had known the prietress was a hybrid, and she knew there were other types of dragons besides westerns, but never had she seen one. The dragon form was far more impressive than her own. She had so many wings! The girl had no idea if that meant she could fly faster or what. This was something to behold. "Aolani how can you be so confident," she asked after a moment. "All my life, it has been strange. I know my father loves me, but so many others talk as if hybrids are shameful and to be looked down upon. I know they'd never say it to me because of father being near, but how can you hold your head up so high?"

That is when the real tears started. Aolani was the kind of mentor Nai had always wanted... Someone confident in what they are, but not because of being pure, but proud of a dual lineage. "And you're so...pretty..."

The dragoness laughed as she coiled her serpentine form around the blue-furred dragon. She brought her head low and rubbed her cheek against Naiome's, raising a scaled hand to wipe away the tears that flowed. "Thank you, My Lady. Your words are too kind. You're very pretty as well." When she had wiped away all of the royal's tears, Aolani shifted so she could lay her front half before Naiome, though she still remained coiled around her.

"Confidence always came easy for me, My Lady. I was never told to be ashamed of myself or what I was. My mother, an angel, was a high ranking general. My dragon father stayed home to raise my brother and I, and he's still a very well-liked man. No one around us ever took issue with my brother and I being hybrids. And if any did, they were surely proven wrong time and time again." Aolani spoke of her past gently; it seemed as though Naiome's father had done her more harm than good. She had a lot to undo in order to help Naiome flourish into the strong, confident woman Aolani knew lay buried within. "Of course, towering over anyone who would have felt shame in me likely help curb their tongues," she said, throwing her head back in raucous laughter. "My military school hazers learned quickly that my dragon heritage was nothing for me to be ashamed of. Nothing quite says "fuck you" like an elemental blast during combat training." She gave a playful wink, her eyes sparkling.

"An important thing to remember is this, My Lady: no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Own what you are. It's a part of you that no one can ever take away."

Aolani uncoiled herself from around Naiome, and flew a short distance away. "Now, show me what you can do in that form. I need to see what I'm working with, so don't hold back! Come at me with everything you've got." Her legs bent into a defensive stance, and Aolani resembled a cat, coiled and ready to spring into action. "Each blow upon me will be one less lap you have to run."

Naiome listened to Aolani and heard her. Truly heard her because she was like her. Angel instead of demon sure, but they were similar and that spoke to the girl's soul, but when Aolani pulled away and demanded the girl fight her Nai tilted her head. "I am afraid to tell you the most I am able to do is really hunt. I have magic I can show you but I do not know how to really use it offensively because I've never had to really do that except once... I-"

A pause.

"I was raised in a very peaceful home away from society... Can we instead start with something more basic? Like I don't know... What my magic could actually do offensively? As for physical attacks... I am not strong there. I am strong magically, but that goes back to my previous statement," she mumbled. "I cannot breath fire very well, but I can do a pretty nice job with ice. I can use light and dark magic pretty well. I have not learned to use my true demon form and I'm not sure I even have one to be honest..." She was rambling but she was trying to help Aolani but at the same time she was showing to just how useless she was. 

"Like besides healing... I really can't think of defensive or offensive magic... I had always been protected to where I didn't have to learn," she said knowing the harsh reality of this was even though she had gotten the lessons she never realized how important they were. Growing up in the manor everything was warded and safe, but the world was cold and cruel and she was not prepared at all.

All excuses, in her mind. Though she couldn't be too harsh on Naiome--she had most definitely been raised far away from the world of toil and strife. "Your father did you a great disservice," she said pointedly, her tone flat. "It matters not to me what you can and cannot do yet, My Lady. This is to see what your current skill set is so that I may figure out where to begin." The dragoness dug her front claws into the ground as she spoke, sheathing and unsheathing them over and ever again like a cat kneading dirt.

"It matters little to me how good you are or aren't. What matters to me is judging your current skills so I best know how to teach you." Aolani tilted her head in one direction, looking keenly at the other dragon. "Physical strength is just as important as magical, My Lady. What would you do if you came across an opponent who could counter your magic? A keen body is equally important to a magic user for stamina and focus..." Her body tightened, eyes fixed on Naiome in an unnerving manner.

"Forgive me, My Lady..." She paused for a moment before uncoiling and striking out towards the blue dragoness with frightening speed, claws at the front and ready to pounce. "But if you won't come to me, than I shall come to you!" With her pounce acting as a decoy, Aolani swung around with the rest of her body, aiming to kick Naiome in the side with her back feet.

The young dragon made a small chirp of pain as the feet connected with her side. She fell over, her eyes wide and she looked confused, scared, and unsure of what to do. She wasn't trained to fight and her instincts told her to run but a small voice said that would make her prey... and prey always died.

"Aolani please! I don't know how to fight really. I can do spells but physical... I don't know how..." she  said as her claws scraped against the stone as she got to her feet. She stayed low to the ground however for fear of another blow. Her body was stiff and she tried to summon her magic. She needed something... anything that could help her at the moment.

A sword appeared out of no where. It formed from nothing and hovered between them as if to protect the young dragon. It glowed in the light and took a small stab at the air. 

"Aolani... I..." 

I'm scared... I don't want to die but I don't know what I need to do.. A growl came from her but it was unsure and the scent of fear covered her body.

“Yes, excellent!” Aolani cried, a smile forming on her great serpentine maw. Her eyes glittered in delight at the sword, which took pitiful stabs in her general direction. The girl had some fight in her after all! She righted herself after landing the blow upon Naiome, eyes trained on the sword conjured out of nothing.

“This will make things more interesting, My Lady! Now fight me!” it was a command. “You can not hurt me as you are now. Do not hold back!”

If it hadn’t been obvious to young Naiome that Aolani would not let up in her attacks, it was all too clear now. The great eastern dragoness sprang, her coiled body unleashing itself into a powerful, spiraling strike around the sword; an evasive maneuver that still allowed her to land a blow.

Or she would have, had she not intentionally missed. Her fangs snapped together a hair’s breadth away from Naiome’s cheek, close enough that her rainbow hued mane brushed against her.

She snarled low into Naiome’s ear, “You have instincts. Use them.” And then without warning she snapped her horned head sideways, aiming for a headbutt against the shy young trainee.

Aolani would gauge her skills, one way or another. She’d make sure of that.