In their last year at the academy, wizards go through a rigorous test of magic then, based on their grades, are assigned to specific internships. Students with excellent scores are given multiple options to choose from, while the rest must go with whatever is left. Needless to say, I tried my best to have options so I could avoid all crazy-dangerous jobs.
One month after the exam, I went into the internship department with my hands sweating and my legs trembling. The woman at the desk smiled upon seeing me.
— Sarah Hrastz Bellidgeer? — she picked my results from a separate small pile on her desk — Congratulations! Great researchers have their eyes on you!
She handed me a file with jaw dropping scores along with four possible internship opportunities.
— You’ve made the academy proud, Sarah! — she said — Don’t matter which one you choose, we’ll be covering all your expenses!
However, my joy disappeared as I read it.
I wanted to scream... My high scores had attracted the wrong kind of people!
Doctor Krarkspart: Research in arcane entropy and armageddon catalysts.
Master Livianne: Practical study of the destructive powers of anti-matter.
Professor Adrian: Psychological treatment of abyssal demons.
Those projects seemed like death sentences!
I looked at the fourth name in the page:
Khrargoth: No description.
— Khargoth? — I said, expecting some clarification.
— Exciting, right? He rarely takes students under his wings!
— Forgive my ignorance, but… Who’s this person?
— Not a person — she grinned — A dragon from the almost extinct unihorn family!
— I’ve never heard of him…
— He’s a recluse celebrity who has written many articles over his two centuries' lifetime, but under strangely sassy pseudonyms — she whispered the next part — Ever heard of Klaus Emberheart? Camila Firesong? James Cinderhazard?
— Oh my! — I covered my mouth.
Those were mysterious researchers I’ve always admired, whose work inspired me to become a wizard and were responsible for why I specialized in mana and aura.
— I’m definitely going with Khargoth! — I said — How far does he live?
— Excellent choice! — she clapped — He lives at Ghorgram mountain, fifty kilometers from Averdean Valley, at the other side of the country. We can fly you first class to Averdean next week, book a nice hotel and get you a professional driver.
— Isn’t there any closer place I can stay? Even a small cabin...
— Sadly not — she sighed — Ghorgram in an active volcano.
I gulped. Every choice seemed bad, but I’d rather stay with the dragon I admired rather than risk my life with those other suicidal freaks.
— I’ll start packing...
— One more thing — she handed me a file — Khrargoth told us to give you this.
— What’s this? — I read it out loud — Five hundred percent optimization of spellcasting by rearrangement of mana flowlines, by Rachel Quartsmith? Is this another of his pseudonyms?
— Of course not! This article was discredited decades ago — she laughed — Five hundred percent? Khrargoth would never write such nonsense.
— What am I supposed to do with it then?
— Maybe you should note everything wrong with it? — she shrugged — His letter just said “give this to the girl if she accepts the offer”. Who sends letters these days anyways?

After getting home I took a good look at the article. With all my knowledge of mana flowlines, I could spot everything wrong with it on the first read. Rachel’s understanding of human mana was incorrect in so many points I thought the text had been mistranslated. Her unusual spellcasting method directed energy away from the magic wand. Just by glancing at it I knew it would actually make spells weaker.
Why would the brilliant wizard I admired ask me to read it?
What if he thought Rachel was close to something big?
I read it over and over again, trying to reproduce Rachel’s experiment by rearranging my own aura according to her descriptions, but the results were always the same. Whatever spell I tried with her method resulted weaker than usual. All that hassle only pained my forehead and exhausted me until I had no options but going to bed tired and sad.
My dreams were filled with eruptions, rockslides and a huge dragon threatening to burn me alive if I didn’t solve his riddle. I woke up countless times covered in sweat.
That whole week, my nights were filled with nightmares and my days were filled with unsuccessful trials at unraveling that article. I searched everywhere for answers, but the more I learnt the more lost I became. Everyone I asked for help told me to forget that discredited woman and get some sleep before I killed myself.
Beside all of that, her experiment not only gave me headaches and fevers, but also made a small bump form in my forehead and messed with my aura. Part of me worried that I was causing irreparable damage to myself.
“I have to succeed!”
“I have to impress him!”
“I have to… sleep… zzzzz”

Next week I got to Averdean Valley at night, with dark circles in my eyes, barely standing straight, and with a half inch bump in my forehead which I tried to hide by combing my hair over it. To make matters worse, all that meddling with my aura was manifesting as muscle pains.
My suite at the hotel had a king-size bed, bathtub with hydromassage, fae-dust television and a silent AC. However, none of that helped me relax…
It was my last day before the internship began and I was still nowhere near solving that article. I kept trying and trying, sitting on my bed while the rest of the city turned off its lights. Just keeping my eyes open was almost impossible.
“One last try!”
I reshaped my aura exactly like in the article from memory alone. I raised my wand and charged an illumination spell, but I was so tired that my body collapsed, causing my forehead to fall into my magical wand and break it… Then, my room turned into a beacon of light that illuminated the whole city for a full second before vanishing.
“It did it!”
“It did...”
My whole body swelled and burned…
My bones seemed to break…
Then I fainted.

The next morning I woke up with muscle cramps, a strange pain in my tailbone, and a one inch bump in my forehead! My pajamas were partially charred and I had ashes on my skin. My pants had a hole in the back. My bed sheets were darkened as if somebody had forgotten an iron on top of it. Did I burn in my sleep?
Terrified, I ran to the bathroom and checked for burn wounds, but to my surprise, I was completely unharmed and my skin had a beautiful tan.
I had cracked the mystery, but I was so tired I didn’t remember how it happened! It was like humming the perfect melody during a shower, then forget it when you dress up.
I turned on the water and used a sponge to rub those cinders from my body, wondering how I survived a spontaneous combustion. As I rubbed my arm though, the layer of tanned skin cracked and fell off painlessly, revealing my caucasian tone underneath.
“No! My tan!”
That bath turned into a half hour exfoliation as I rubbed off all dead skin from my limbs, face and chest so I wouldn’t look like a white and orange dalmatian. I sighed as all the beautiful tan vanished down the drain except for a few small pieces with teardrop shape.
“Weird…”
I glanced at the bathroom clock and gasped. I was about to get late for my first day of internship! I dried myself in a hurry, combed my hair over the bump, put on a newly bought uniform, grabbed my spare magical wand and rushed out of the room feeling sorry for the maid who’d have to deal with the charred bed I had left behind.

As I passed the reception on my way to the parking lot, people were talking about a strange flash of light they saw last night. I looked down and pretended I wasn’t listening.
Outside the hotel was a big 4x4 waiting for me. The driver apologized for being late even though I was at fault, then opened the door for me.
— Thanks — I said, smiling at him.
The guy twisted his nose, immediately looking away and coughing as if I had the worst breath in the world. The next second he straightened up and said:
— Sorry. Some dust got in my throat...
I blushed and bit my lips. As he turned around, I breathed into my hands and smelled it, almost suffocating with a stench of smoke and burnt hair that brought tears to my eyes.
After starting the engine he opened the windows, even though it was hot outside and the car had an AC. Since talking with that breath was impossible and I was days without sleeping well, I closed my eyes and I lied on the backseat with my head on the backpack. Until I eventually drowsed off.
...
Fire…
Cities in flames…
Everything I touched burned to ashes…
My breath released a suffocating black smoke…
Everyone was screaming while the whole world was ablaze...
I woke up screaming and the driver almost flipped the car.
After stabilizing, he said:
— Wanna talk?
— Yes! Please!
Outside the car was a rocky wasteland as far as the eye could see. No trees, no buildings and no road to follow.
— What troubles you?
— What do you know about the dragon that lives in these mountains?
— Not much, thankfully — he kept his face close to the window, trying to survive my breath — Every year I take young misses like you there, freshly out of academy. They are always excited about the internship, but when I come back to fetch 'em by the end of day, all joy’s gone. They spend the rest of the trip crying or in silence.
— W-why?
— They said the dragon disapproved of them. Must be harsh coming from far away just to be discarded after a single day! I never brought anyone twice. Let’s hope things are different with you.
If the dragon wizard sent me back, I’d have to accept the other internships.
Things had to work out!
— Thanks...
— No problem — he glanced at me, worried — Sorry for asking, but did you hit your head? This bump is getting me worried since I met you.
— It’s fine. Let’s continue to the mountain — I covered the bump with my hand. That thing was so big that my hair couldn’t hide it anymore.
For some reason, my butt was really killing me, so I had to keep shifting my weight from one leg to the other, until I gave up and lied down again as that position seemed to alleviate the pain. Then I closed my eyes.
...
— Sarah? Wake up!
The scenery didn't change much, but the mountain was much closer and taller than before, almost touching the clouds.
— He’ll come down to pick you.
— What!?
The driver honked three times...
From the top of the mountain came a soul chilling roar that echoed through the valley, weakening my legs and making my heart skip a beat. I braced my backpack.
— You’re in good hands now… Or claws — he closed the door — Till later, miss.
He steered away, faster than he came.
A big shadow plunged from the mountain and came flying in my direction without slowing down, like a small plane ready to land… Or to crash.
“Oh no!”
The truck-sized creature stopped ten meters from me, halting its movement with a powerful swing of its wings that sent a gust of wind and sand in my direction. I raised a forcefield and the sandstorm was split by my barrier just in time. When the dust settled. The ground was ravaged with no bush or peddle left, save for a small circle around me.
Khrargoth was like a giant lizard with wings. His tail was taller than me, his scales shone red with the morning light, he had one big horn at the center of his head and claws sharp enough to cut rock. He studied me in silence.
— Hello — I said — That was… quite the reception…
— You raised a barrier in time, but got some grains of sand on your clothes — he sounded like someone who smoked three packs of cigars daily.
— Is it good? — I bit my lips.
— Good? — he puffed smoke from his nostrils — Is that your best?
— I’m sorry — I looked down — I didn’t get enough sleep lately...
— I don’t want to hear a “sorry” or an excuse — when he spoke in my direction, the air became a sauna — Don’t break these two rules, or you’ll be sent back.
— A-am I a-allowed to ask questions?
— Of course! I expect you to! Lots of them!
— Thank you sir! I promise I will...
— Another rule. Don’t say “thanks”. Gratitude is a sign of weakness.
— A-alright, sir!
— I hope you are different from the rest — he sat on his belly and lowered his left wing towards me like a ramp — Hop on.
I gulped and my legs seemed about to fail.
“Still less threatening than my other internship options.”
I took a deep breath and climbed into his back, which was as hot as a recently used oven. My legs began sweating from a mix of fear and heat.
— Grab my neck or you’ll fall.
Khrargoth took off and I hugged his neck with all my strength, pressing myself against his burning scales, eyes closed, trying not to scream…
Our flight to the mountain top took around ten seconds, but scarred me psychologically for the rest of my life. When the dragon landed, I didn’t want to get down, sticking to his body like a scared cat to a tree. However, my legs couldn’t stand how hot he was! I jumped down in a hurry trying not to burn myself, tripping and falling on the ground. My clothes were dirty and soaked before my first day had even started!
— Welcome to Ghorgram — he said — Your second week of internship begins.
— Second?
— I gave you an article to read last week. Did you not receive it?
— I-I did, sir!
— Did you find everything wrong with it?
— To be honest… Well... — I lowered my tone in fear of sounding stupid — I don’t think the article was completely wrong.
— Really? — his tail moved, but his face didn’t change.
— I tried it many times and failed, but last night something was different! I don’t know how or why, but it worked! I used an illumination spell and it turned into a flash of light so powerful it blinded me, then…
— The flash last night was your doing? — his wings opened wide.
— You saw it from here!?
— Someone finally managed to reproduce my experiment!
— I… Wait! What? — then it finally clicked — Is Rachel another pseudonym?
— I stopped using that name when she got discredited!
— Sor… — I bit my tongue — Why do you write articles with four pseudonyms?
— Four? I have many more.
— Really? Please, tell me all of them!
— My other names, like Rachel, had their theories disproven. That’s why you’ve never heard of them. Magic works differently for humans and dragons. That’s why humans can’t replicate my experiments and discard them — he clawed the ground, cutting the rock — The names you know about wrote theories that humans were able to replicate. That’s why those were praised, while the rest of my work was discarded!
— Can’t you find another one-horned dragon to replicate your studies?
His tail hit the ground with a menacing “thud” and I cowered in fear.
— I am the last one!
— What about the...
— The Unicornis Lacerti? — He puffed smoke — It’s like comparing humans to apes!
I bit my tongue before saying “sorry”.
— Anyways — he said — Tell me more about your findings, girl!
— Well… The arcane community was wrong about it being flawed. I’m not sure I got five hundred percent last night, but it was a lot — I scratched my head — However the community also said it was detrimental to one’s own aura to attempt her method, which I can confirm myself, as I’ve been feeling strange lately.
— In fact, it is highly detrimental. I can feel the disturbances in your aura. You’ve done quite the damage to yourself — his tail moved slowly — I didn’t expect a mana specialist like you to keep on trying even when the side effects were so apparent!
— Guess I really wanted this internship — I chuckled.
— You’ve even started to grow a horn… Interesting.
— A horn? — I blushed and covered that bump with my hands.
— Don’t cover it — he examined it, making me even more embarrassed — It’s pretty.
As a girl, having my horn complimented was… well.... I had no response. Should I worry or should I slime?
Then he lifted my skirt and checked my butt as if it was totally natural.
— Hey! — I jumped away from him.
— You are also growing a tail — he pointed out — Fascinating!
“Oh no!”
As I touched that peach sized thing in my butt I finally understood why sitting in the car had been so painful. The worst part was when it started to wiggle! I wanted to cry!
— Why am I turning into a dragon?
— Pay attention to my aura and you’ll understand.
I concentrated on his aura and realized something. Every human had a unique aura, but the differences were small enough that wizards could replicate each other’s techniques with just a few changes to fit their own mana pattern. However, the dragon’s energy was nothing like a human’s. In fact, his aura was very similar to Rachel’s descriptions. I’ve been brute forcing my aura to take a dragon pattern all those days!
His horn gleamed and shot a beam into the skies, rippling the clouds all the way to the horizon.
— I got it! — I jumped — I know why it worked yesterday!
— Do you?
— Last night, the wand touched my forehead! Your method concentrates energy into your horn! That’s why it worked when the wand touched my head like a horn!
— Interesting... Could you replicate it?
— Well… Won’t doing it again worsen my condition? — I pointed at my horn.
— It baffles me that you consider it a problem — he sighed — Auras have a tendency to return to their natural states, as any mana specialist like you should know. Of course you’ve been forcing yours a lot lately, so it might take longer to heal, but one more time will hardly be a problem at this point.
— So… If I stop using Rachel’s… I mean… Your method, I’ll go back to normal?
— Indeed — he stared at me — So, can you do it one more time?
— A-alright, sir!
I held the wand against my horn, feeling kinda silly, but excited with the experiment. Little by little, I rearranged my aura as described in the article I had memorized, channelling everything to my forehead. My horn gleamed and I felt as if my whole body was a magic wand. When I shot the spell, it created a second sun on the sky that lasted for a few seconds.
Drained physically and magically, I fell to my knees, holding my head. The pain was back and the fever was so high that my sweat started evaporating quickly. I should be melting under those conditions!
Slowly my aura shifted back to normal, like a stretched rubber after being released, unmaking most of the changes. When that painful headache faded away and the burning fever cooled off, I took a good look at myself. That beautiful tan was back, stronger than before, coating my skin with a dark orange tone. My nails were bigger and sharper than I remembered and my muscles also seemed more athletic. My horn was slightly longer and my tail was pressing against my panties. I coughed a cloud of black smoke and the stench of ashes filled my nose, making me cough even more.
— I’ve seen enough — he said — I’m going to keep you around.
I wanted to jump, and dance, and scream “Thank you” from the top of my lungs, but instead I bit my lips and said:
— That's excellent news, sir!
— Can you do it just once more? — he patted my shoulder twice — Just one more time, but without your wand.
My skin was burning hot, my mouth tasted like cinders, my horn was big enough to make a shadow, and having a small tail between my sweaty buttcheeks was beyound “just uncomfortable”.
— I’ll do it… Just once more...
I rearranged my mana flow and a wave of heat spread over me. My horn pulsed and glowed. I tensed every muscle including my tail, concentrating on the spell, which seemed easier the more I used it.
— Just hold your mana like this.
— Alright, sir — My voice was barely audible — What should I do now…
His horn emitted a blue light and he shot an unknown spell against me. It took me by surprise and I flopped on the ground, losing my concentration.
— H-hey!
I thought my aura would naturally return to normal as it always did, but this time it didn’t. Like a worn out rubber, it remained in a dragon pattern.
I concentrated and forced it back to normal instead of waiting, but soon my aura slowly began to reshape back into that draconic pattern. Orange scales sprouted over my skin and the saliva in my mouth turned to steam. I desperately tried to restore my aura again and again, but it kept returning to that shape from the article.
— Stop fighting — he said.
I tried to respond, but instead coughed more black smoke. I had steam coming out of my mouth and my nose. I was burning in fever and sweating a cloud of vapor. As my horn kept receiving energy, it continued to grow at an alarming rate. I tried to helplessly push it back with my bare hands, looking equally stupid and desparate.
I squirmed and gasped, breathing out steam while trying everything I cold to hold my energy in place as it tried to change into a dragon against my will. I kept holding to my humanity for as long as I could, until I was completely drained of energy.
That tail quickly gained mass, growing between my butt cheeks, filling my panties until the fabric could stretch no more and ripped. My tail kept elongating and pushing my skirt up. I tried to cover myself pulling the skirt down, but the more embarrassed I became, the more my tail seemed to rise until my private parts were fully displayed.
— Help me! Please!
Khrargoth was unmoved. He looked at me with curiosity. My condition was just an interesting phenomenon to study. I was a guinea-pig for him!
My hands pulsed and throbbed as five fingers became four and nails turned into talons that could cut through rock. My shoes split in half revealing feet that looked the same as my claws. Soon my balance shifted as my legs bent in weird angles, making me look as if I was wearing extremely high heels, doing my best not to fall.
— Please! Helnhghpffffffff…
A wave of heat exploded in my belly and came up through my throat, elongating my neck like rubber. I closed my mouth and tried to swallow whatever was coming out. My face and nose pushed outwards and merged becoming a long reptilian snout filled with something incredibly hot that tasted like ash. Another heat wave exploded in my belly and I couldn’t take any more. I opened my mouth and a wave of fire gushed out, followed by another one, then another until I was left coughing smoke and spitting cinders.
A huge sudden pressure built at my back and pierced the cotton shirt. A pair of wings unfurled and grew as big as my body. That last change hunched my back and made me lose balance and collapse on my fours. Shoulders and thighs relocated until I wasn't able to stand up anymore, locked in a quadrupedal stance. My tail continued to grow and widen until it was almost as thick as my waist, pushing my legs to the sides and my lady-bits downwards.
I used everything I had and much more to force my aura back to normal. I tried every technique I knew, but my aura didn’t bulge. Those efforts only made me exhausted, yet I didn’t stop. How in the world a mana flow specialist like me allowed things to run out of control like that?
A heat strong enough to melt iron took over me as bones and muscles continued to twist and bend to match the form my aura like clay pressed against a mold. I fell to the side and tried to scream, but only steam came out…
I fainted...

I woke up alone at the mountain, and according to the sun, it was around midday.
I tried to stand up… then fell…
I tried again, and fell another time…
Then I looked down to my four claws covered in orange scales…
“Oh… That wasn’t a dream.”
My clothes were burned to rags and the rock where I’ve been sleeping was darkened like the remains of a bonfire. I remembered the charred clothes, the burned bed, the hole in my pants, the scales in the shower, my morning breath… Deja vu...
The difference was that earlier that morning I woke up as a human and my aura was normal. Now I woke up still a dragon and my aura was completely changed…
I crawled forwards, still getting used to walking on my fours. Those huge wings and that thick tail kept moving as if they had a will of their own as I staggered trying to keep my balance.
Having a tail didn’t feel like having a tail… I mean… It didn’t feel as I thought it would. It was like an extension of my torso growing past my legs. Moving it didn’t feel different than moving my back, yet it could move more freely.
My wings felt like an extra pair of arms on my back, with extremely long fingers connected by wide flaps of cartilage. As I opened them wide at my sides, the wind caressed them and a chill ran through my spine. Looking down at the valley, part of me wanted to fly… But another part of me didn’t want to die...
I approached my backpack on the ground and tried opening it with my claws, then I tried holding the sides and opening the zipper with my mouth. It was slow and clumsy, but I eventually got there. I picked up my cell phone carefully with my maw, trying not to break it, then placed it on the ground and checked my reflection on the dark screen.
“Oh my!”
I looked like a pony sized dragon, with a single horn in my forehead, wings as big as myself, a long reptilian snout, sharp teeth and big eyes. Strangely I still had my hair and was easily recognizable. Anyone who knew me would be able to say I was Dragon-Sarah.
By the way… Where was the dragon?
— Khrargoth? — I yelled, my voice sounding a lot deeper.
No response...
Did he give up on me after I fainted?
I admit sleeping all morning during my first day of internship would be enough to piss off anybody, but it was harsh being discarded like that. Especially because I had no idea how to change back besides waiting for the effects to wear off, and it would probably take weeks if not months for me to return naturally.
I sat on my hindlegs, waving my tail slowly, pondering my options.
“Oh no…”
I had to pee!
I moved closer to the edge of the mountain and looked around to see if I was really alone, then I raised my tail and crouched, using my wings to cove me like a curtain. Whatever humanity I had left was gone now.
“Relax, Sarah… Nobody is looking…”
Vuuushhhh!
Khrargoth flew past me and landed a few meters ahead. He dropped a deer’s carcass from his maw then turned around and glanced at me. I covered my face behind the wings and blushed so much I reached an undiscovered tone of red.
— Lunch is served — he said. Ignoring my situation as if it was natural… Or pretending it was natural. Reading that expressionless creature was near impossible.
I gulped and tried my best to pretend that never happened.
— I’m fine — I said avoiding his gaze, my scales still red — I have food in my bag.
— Are you sure? This is an albino fae-deer — he poked the dead animal — A delicacy served at Averdean Valley’s best restaurants. I brought this specially to celebrate the beginning of your internship.
— Well… I… I’m fine...
Khrargoth held it in place with both claws and took a huge bite at the creature’s torso, ripping it apart and spreading its entrails. The stench almost made me puke. My wings closed and my tail curled by instinct, expressing feelings in ways my reptilian face couldn’t.
— Your snacks are nothing like the good meat of a fae-deer — he spoke while eating raw chunks without chewing — You might want a bite to replenish your energies. You wasted a lot during the transformation.
I approached the half eaten animal and my stomach churned. Delicacy or not, it was a mess of guts I wouldn't dare to eat. I doubted any restaurant would serve it raw!
— Why did you transform me?
— You were already doing it to yourself. I merely made it happen sooner.
— That still doesn't answer me! — a bit of fire escaped my nostrils and my wings tensed — Are you going to turn me into a dragon every day for the rest of the internship?
— Of course not — he sighed — That would be a waste of time and energy.
— So… Can you help changing me back tonight? I can’t return to the city like this.
— I’m changing you back at the end of the internship — he took another bite — Your human body isn’t fit for living in this mountain, besides I need a dragon to help with my research.
— Wait! — my tail slammed the ground — Live here?
— This peak has the perfect conditions for dragons. It took me decades to find this place — he pushed the fae-deer carcass in my direction — The wildlife is delicious, there is plenty of wasteland to test powerful spells, I have a library underground, thermal springs...
— I don’t think you understood me — I clawed the ground uncomfortably.
— Coming here every day then going back to town is a long trip. Changing you from human to dragon, then back to human every day also won’t work either. You slept the whole morning after the transformation — he looked down on me as if I was a kid — I can undo the change tonight and fly you back to the city myself if you want. But then, you don’t have to come back again… ever… I can wait for another student who’s willing to learn real magic. Dragons live nine hundred years, so I have plenty of time… But I had high hopes on you...
I had to choose between living one year as a dragon in that mountain with the wizard whose work I admired, or give up and accept another internship. Compared to the dangers I’d face at my other options, being a dragon didn’t seem that bad. I’d have to endure one year of eating wild animals, walking around naked on my fours, having a taste of ash in my mouth, losing all social interaction and making my necessities in the open. On the other hand, I’d learn incredible spells and have one whole year alone with that brilliant mind, asking questions I’ve always wanted to… And maybe learn how to fly...
— You have until nighttime to decide.
— I’ll think about it — my wings closed.
— Let me help you feel more comfortable.
He took a deep breath and burned the carcass with a wave of fire, roasting the deer until it didn't look gross anymore. The smell actually made me drool.
I took a small bite from the ribs and it filled my mouth with an explosion of taste I couldn't describe. I took another bite, then another one, attacking the meal with fangs and claws like a hungry animal. That thing was delicious!
— Their diet consists of herbs and citric grass — he said — A naturally seasoned meat.
We took turns at eating the rest until there was nothing left but bones and hide. Sharing the same meal from the ground with blood in my snout was much different than the strict rules of the academy. A fiery burp escaped me and I immediately cowered, hiding my face behind one wing, but Khrargoth didn’t seem to mind. Maybe he didn’t care about etiquette, or was just being nice to me while I got used to that new body.
— Any idea what’s my purpose with you? — he asked.
— I think you want me as some kind of magic translator — I said with grease dripping from my snout — To learn your spells as a dragon and understand how they work with my new aura, so I can translate them into something humans could cast.
— I am not interested in humans using my spells. I needed to test my theories, but since there were no more unihorn dragons to replicate them, I had to make one — he paused — That’s why I always went for the students with the best results. I needed talented wizards because otherwise I’d have no way of knowing if my theories didn’t work or the wizard was at fault.
— But why me? There are surely students with better grades.
— You had the best grades in mana flow and a thesis that referenced two of my works — he poked my horn twice — Besides, reshaping your own aura like this until your mana patterns becomes like another species is an incredible feat! Others have died trying similar things!
— What? — I gulped — Die?
— Every other student I brought here thought Rachel’s article was wrong, but they didn’t even try to understand it — his wings opened wide — Magic is about experimentation! It’s about solving the puzzles of the world! Besides their excellent grades, all those students lacked what being a wizard’s truly about, but you were different! You were reckless! In your search for knowledge you’ve risked your life and found the way!
Maybe I wasn’t so different from those crazy wizards I feared so much...
— So… Am I the first one to become a dragon?
— Congratulations.
My face was devoid of muscles to smile, but my wings compensated for that flapping happily. Being praised by my idol was a massage to my ego.
— Thn… — I bit my tongue before saying “thanks” — I’m glad I could reach your expectations.
— You’ll live here with me for a year, away from civilization and interruptions. It will be harsh, but I promise you’ll learn powerful spells you never thought were possible. Spells that most wizards thought to be fantasies — Khrargoth picked up a stone and tossed it up, then his horn gleamed with a bright purple light — Behold!
A purple transparent sphere with endless runic inscriptions surrounded us. At first, I didn’t understand what happened, until I noticed the rock outside the sphere was completely still in the air. Even the clouds and the winds had stopped.
— Did you stop time? — I yelled — We thought it was impossible!
The dragon released his spell and hunched forward. Even he couldn’t hold it for long.
— It's not impossible — he said, panting — Humans had always figured it wrong.
— But Alfred Gorram once wrote a paper about temporal dilat…
— I know…
— That was you, right?
— Another article discarded as fiction by your so-called scholars — he puffed smoke — Can you understand me now? I need someone to help me test my theories and push the boundaries of what’s possible! I need a partner with a unihorn dragon's aura like mine, even if artificially made.
His wings flapped and his tail moved frantically even if his face showed no emotion, but now I could understand it. Khrargoth was happy.
— Will you teach me all these spells?
— That and much more!
— And… well… what about flying?
He laughed for the first time.

Not long after lunch, my burnt clothes began to annoy me, so I took them off and began walking around naked like him. Initially I was shy about it, but that freedom was so comfortable I quickly got used to it. Khrargoth tried to hide it, but as he looked at me, our scales turned reddish. I was probably the first female dragon he’d seen in ages.
We kept on practising “Rachel’s” method for the rest of the day as, according to him, it was the basis for learning all the rest. Since my aura was already dragon-like, I just had to make fine tunings during the spellcasting rather than drastically rearranging my aura like before. By the end of day I could perform the method without thinking about it.
My phone rang, close to the backpack on the ground.
The screen said: Driver.
I carefully pressed “voice” with my horn, dead scared of pressing “video” by mistake.
— Good evening, miss! Should I pick you up now?
— No… It’s fine… I’ll stay here.
— Okay… How about I get you in two hours, then?
— Well… No…
— Three hours?
— How about eight thousand six hundred and forty hours? One year for short…
— Ah… Miss?
— You can also check me out of the hotel today.
— Oh! I get it! — he laughed — The dragon accepted you!
— Yes, he did! — I giggled.
— Okay… Jokes aside… When should I pick you up?
Khrargoth came closer and said:
— She has already told you, mister. Next year. Goodbye!
— Ah… Well… Sorry, mr. Khrargoth… uh… In this case… Miss Sarah… Just gimme a call if you change your mind… And… You know…
— Did I stutter?
— S-sorry! — he turned off.
That would surely be the most exotic year of my student life, but I would be able to spend it with the person I always secretly admired. Not only that, Khrargoth seemed an expert at mana flow, which was my favorite area of interest. If I could learn his powerful spells, maybe I’d also find a way to make them human compatible without having to go through all that trouble of messing with my aura ever again. Imagine a human capable of casting powerful dragon spells! Besides, I was starting to really like his company...
One minute later, the phone rang again…
“Lilian, internship office.”
— Hello, Lili…
— Sarah! What’s this thing about you living in a mountain? — she was almost screaming — Can I speak with Khrargoth right now?
The dragon approached the phone and tried to calm the woman, but I didn’t pay attention to their conversation. I was busy flapping my wings and looking at his perfectly sculpted butt, with steam coming out of my mouth...

One year later…
Me and Khrar were sitting next to each other at the mountaintop, enjoying the sunset together. His warm body was pressing against mine. Our wings were brushing against one another and our tails were coiled together in a helix. After all those months, my body grew until I was almost as big as him.
That year I learned Spells nobody thought were possible. We tested all of Khrar’s theories and I managed to replicate all his studies with my new body, and even improve some of them. We worked on new discoveries that would change magic forever, but it saddened me that no human would ever be able to understand it. Khrargoth was a genius, but the world had no more dragons to learn his teachings.
— Khrar…
— What’s in your mind?
My tail coiled tightly around his.
— I really enjoyed this year, but it’s a bit sad… All these things we did… We were able to prove all your theories and even some more, but this knowledge will be locked here forever. Everything will be discarded because it has no application to humans!
— I’m happy I was able to replicate my studies indeed — he sighed, slowly moving his wings in a sad manner — It doesn’t matter if nobody else is going to use it. I will. Maybe you too, if you ever feel like turning into a dragon again.
— I’ve been thinking about something this whole year… A missing piece...
— What is it? — his wings waved with curiosity.
— If all you wanted was someone with knowledge, you had a world of wizards older than me and much more experienced. Why did you search for a girl my age?
— Students freshly out of the academy are more willing to live on a mountain.
— That’s not it! — I pushed him playfully with my snout — Don’t lie, Khrar!
The two hundred years old dragon averted his gaze as his scales burned red. I could read him way better now since I’ve learned how dragons expressed their feelings through my own body.
— C’mon Khrar! — I bit his neck gently — You said dragons live ninehundred years. You are more or less two hundred years old. Relatively speaking, we are the same age.
— What are you trying to insinuate?
— That maybe all that work we had was just your secondary objective — I brought him closer with my wing — You already knew your theories were right from the beginning.
— You fool! — he tried to sound angry, but his scales gleamed with embarrassment. Since he was the last unihorn dragon in the world, Khrar wasn’t used to being understood.
— I think what you really wanted was company.
— Nonsense!
— Don’t be grumpy — I coiled my long neck around his — You don’t have to lie to me about that. I won’t tell anybody.
— I admit your company is quite nice.
— Quite nice? — I chuckled and smoke came out of my nostrils.
— I'm sorry — he said — Sorry for being harsh on you from the beginning. I'm really thankful I was able to meet you!
— Woah! The rules, Khrar!
— The rules only apply to you.
We both laughed.
— It must be difficult being the last of your species — my snout caressed his neck — I could stay a bit longer, if you don’t mind.
— Now that I think about it, you should've started to change back a few days ago. Why are you still a dragon? Has your aura really changed permanently? It wasn't my intention to...
— Calm down, Khrar — I laughed with his concern — The reason I'm not changing back is because I've been casting that spell every day to keep me like this.
— But why? Don't you want to change back?
— Well....Not yet...
— Sarah! This is serious! If you've cast this spell every day for mounts, it could take years for your body to change back!
— Khrar! Listen to me! I’ve never connected to someone like I’ve connected with you. If I go back to being a human, I don’t know if I’ll even find anyone like you...
— Don’t be a fool...
— Besides…
— Besides? — his wings tensed.
— Wouldn’t it be cool if there were more unihorn dragons that could study everything you’ve discovered?
— I’m not using this transformation spell on other humans!
— I know silly — I kissed his snout — You said this spell changed me completely, right?
— Oh… You don’t mean…
— Remember that night we had “too much” fun?
— Don’t tell me — his wings opened in the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen.
— Since that day, I've been trying to stay a dragon for as long as I can — I patted my belly — As the last unihorn dragon, do you know anything about taking care of eggs, Khrar?
— I guess we'll have to study it together...