All of her muscles spasmed at once as she woke suddenly in the night. She quickly assumed that it was from the recent trauma of her wings being torn off.
"What the...?" she trailed off, surprised. Her stomach gave an audible rumble and a sudden dizziness swept over her. "What's going on?" She began to sweat heavily and shake with cold, all at the same time. Another muscle spasm shook her. Then, as quickly as they had begun, the strange sensations stopped. Ishaila scowled in confusion.
She became aware of an ache at the base of her spine. Reaching back to rub it, she gave a shocked gasp. Right above her buttocks was a rapidly growing bump. It was actually this that hurt and not her back at all. In seconds it had expanded to the point where it burst through the worn seat of her pants. Craning her neck, she was amazed to see that the 'bump' was actually a fast developing tail. It ached steadily as it continued to lengthen...a quarter, then a half, and then finally a full meter long before it stopped. It was covered in small, neat black scales that broadened and flattened along the underside.
The aching was soon replaced by a pins-and-needles sensation as new bone, muscle and nerve made itself known.
"Ohh....," whispered Ishaila, awed. Cautiously she tried to move the tail. It responded easily to her effort, curling around her so she could get a hand on it. The scales were warm, smooth - and alive! Her tail felt his hand every bit as much as her hand felt the tail.
Her feet were pressing against the insides of her shoes. Alarmed, she bent to remove them. Too late. Her changing feet burst through the shoe, completely separating the uppers from the soles. At the same time her insteps cramped badly, forcing her to roll her weight onto the balls of her feet. The outer toes were merging, the inner ones thickening, and deep black scales were appearing on her flesh. Forward of the insteps her feet had widened, allowing her to balance better with her heels raised so very high. A great deal of skin showed beyond the hems of her pant-legs, for her feet had almost doubled their length. Scales already covered her legs from toes to knees, and her old toe-nails had vanished beneath them.
Ishaila staggered a few steps, trying to adjust to this new posture. Her tail automatically helped her balance, but still she nearly fell. It was tough to stand with only the lower halves of her legs changed.
There was an odd surging sensation from the underside of her tail, between her legs and continuing up his torso to the base of her jaw. Her shirt tightened sharply across her body as her chest seemed to deepen. Strange ridges stood out against the shirt, running from her collarbone down to her pelvis. Putting her hands to her throat, she found that the 'ridges' emerging from the collar of her shirt were actually wide, flat scales identical to those on the underside of her tail. These 'scutes' covered on her what would be the equivalent of a dragon's underbelly. Her chest deepened just a little bit more, and it was too much for her shirt. It split open down the middle, revealing the black scales running up her torso. As the rest of her skin was still human, it looked really peculiar.
Before she could examine herself further a burst of awful burning pain in her gut doubled her over. Her innards were twisting into new shapes, a terrible, nauseating sensation worsened by the fiery pain which accompanied it. Ishaila crashed to her knees, retching miserably. The burning rose higher and higher, into her chest and then slowly up her throat. Just when she thought she could bear it no longer, she coughed up an enormous burst of flame that withered the concrete before her. Immediately the pain and nausea began to subside - much to her relief! Her eyes had teared up involuntarily from this most recent bout of change. When she went to wipe them clear, she was startled to feel the rigid scales.. She swallowed hard.
Shakily getting back to her feet, she shrugged off her ruined prison shirt.
"Okay," she murmured, noting that the scales had climbed from her knees to mid-torso, "Okay." She would absolutely not panic.
Her hands began to ache, and there were very sharp pains in her elbows, heels and toes. Concerned, The piercing pains were worsening, and had appeared in the tips of her fingers as well. Frowning, he examined her hands closely - and came very near to losing an eye as sharp black claws burst from her fingertips. She gasped as similar ones emerged from her toes, heels and elbows.
The change picked up speed again. The scales began to spread, climbing up her chest and back and then down over her arms. She gritted her teeth as something pushed out of either side of her skull. There came an abrupt and awful wrenching in her shoulders, and she arched her back against the force of this new change. It was like her shoulders were splitting in two! She threw back his head and screamed aloud...only it emerged not a scream but a full-blooded draconic roar. Her skin rippled and new muscles moved as her back seemed to just...unfold. Ishaila fell into a crouch, gasping, and it was several moments before she could gather her wits enough to realize what had happened. Her shoulders had, in fact, split; there was now a second pair just behind and below the originals. From these double-shoulders sprang two paper thin, fragile looking wings. Like her too-short tail, they were not yet fully developed.
She was so amazed by these new appendages that she hardly noticed her teeth grow sharp, or her narrow tongue.
Her jaws began to crack and shift - and that she did notice, immediately. Her nose and upper jaw sort of fused, and her face began to push outwards. Her muzzle was beginning to form. Her nostrils were carried further and further away, and new teeth quickly appeared in the extra space in her enlarging mouth. The scales were now climbing up her face, and she was very careful not to scratch. Gods knew what her claws would do to whatever human skin she had left!
Ishaila also realized that her pants had grown very tight. Her waist was thickening...as were her arms and neck. New muscles were weaving over her body, changing the human proportions. Her thighs shortened and her suddenly bulging leg muscles split the seams of her much-abused pants from waist to ankle. Much as she did not desire to watch these last stages, she was unable to keep her eyes closed as her neck and torso, lengthened.. She could feel, though, as her tail and wings lengthened and broadened, powerful flight muscles criss-crossing her chest and back. Her breath came faster as her brow ridges became very pronounced and her eyes moved further apart. This heated up her internal furnaces and she spat another burst of flame before she could get herself under control. Already crouching, she leaned over further to grip the cool concrete in her claws, trembling as hips and pelvis altered and her spine became infinitely more flexible. Sharp spurs developed along its length, from the base of her neck right down to the tip of her tail. Her wings opened to their full span, then dropped back into smooth folds against her body.
And then everything stopped.
Ishaila stayed where she was for several minutes, afraid to move. Finally, cautiously, she blinked her eyes. Right away she noticed that her field of vision had widened. She settled for crouching on her haunches so she could feel her head and muzzle. All the pain of change was gone, but so too was the dull ache of her worn body, beaten, and browbeat during her previous days in the Zig.. Her body was compact and healthy...and had an amazing amount of power inherent in every tiny movement. She had become a sturdy, lithe, and supple black draconic humanoid perhaps six or seven feet tall. Her particially grown wings were double that when fully spread. Almost hesitantly she opened them, gaining confidence as she moved them up and down.
With a wild roar, she left behind only shredded remnants of clothing as traces of her human existence. That part of her life was over. Now and forever, she was a dragon!
All of her muscles spasmed at once as she woke suddenly in the night. She quickly assumed that it was from the recent trauma of her wings being torn off.
"What the...?" she trailed off, surprised. Her stomach gave an audible rumble and a sudden dizziness swept over her. "What's going on?" She began to sweat heavily and shake with cold, all at the same time. Another muscle spasm shook her. Then, as quickly as they had begun, the strange sensations stopped. Ishaila scowled in confusion.
She became aware of an ache at the base of her spine. Reaching back to rub it, she gave a shocked gasp. Right above her buttocks was a rapidly growing bump. It was actually this that hurt and not her back at all. In seconds it had expanded to the point where it burst through the worn seat of her pants. Craning her neck, she was amazed to see that the 'bump' was actually a fast developing tail. It ached steadily as it continued to lengthen...a quarter, then a half, and then finally a full meter long before it stopped. It was covered in small, neat black scales that broadened and flattened along the underside.
The aching was soon replaced by a pins-and-needles sensation as new bone, muscle and nerve made itself known.
"Ohh....," whispered Ishaila, awed. Cautiously she tried to move the tail. It responded easily to her effort, curling around her so she could get a hand on it. The scales were warm, smooth - and alive! Her tail felt his hand every bit as much as her hand felt the tail.
Her feet were pressing against the insides of her shoes. Alarmed, she bent to remove them. Too late. Her changing feet burst through the shoe, completely separating the uppers from the soles. At the same time her insteps cramped badly, forcing her to roll her weight onto the balls of her feet. The outer toes were merging, the inner ones thickening, and deep black scales were appearing on her flesh. Forward of the insteps her feet had widened, allowing her to balance better with her heels raised so very high. A great deal of skin showed beyond the hems of her pant-legs, for her feet had almost doubled their length. Scales already covered her legs from toes to knees, and her old toe-nails had vanished beneath them.
Ishaila staggered a few steps, trying to adjust to this new posture. Her tail automatically helped her balance, but still she nearly fell. It was tough to stand with only the lower halves of her legs changed.
There was an odd surging sensation from the underside of her tail, between her legs and continuing up his torso to the base of her jaw. Her shirt tightened sharply across her body as her chest seemed to deepen. Strange ridges stood out against the shirt, running from her collarbone down to her pelvis. Putting her hands to her throat, she found that the 'ridges' emerging from the collar of her shirt were actually wide, flat scales identical to those on the underside of her tail. These 'scutes' covered on her what would be the equivalent of a dragon's underbelly. Her chest deepened just a little bit more, and it was too much for her shirt. It split open down the middle, revealing the black scales running up her torso. As the rest of her skin was still human, it looked really peculiar.
Before she could examine herself further a burst of awful burning pain in her gut doubled her over. Her innards were twisting into new shapes, a terrible, nauseating sensation worsened by the fiery pain which accompanied it. Ishaila crashed to her knees, retching miserably. The burning rose higher and higher, into her chest and then slowly up her throat. Just when she thought she could bear it no longer, she coughed up an enormous burst of flame that withered the concrete before her. Immediately the pain and nausea began to subside - much to her relief! Her eyes had teared up involuntarily from this most recent bout of change. When she went to wipe them clear, she was startled to feel the rigid scales.. She swallowed hard.
Shakily getting back to her feet, she shrugged off her ruined prison shirt.
"Okay," she murmured, noting that the scales had climbed from her knees to mid-torso, "Okay." She would absolutely not panic.
Her hands began to ache, and there were very sharp pains in her elbows, heels and toes. Concerned, The piercing pains were worsening, and had appeared in the tips of her fingers as well. Frowning, he examined her hands closely - and came very near to losing an eye as sharp black claws burst from her fingertips. She gasped as similar ones emerged from her toes, heels and elbows.
The change picked up speed again. The scales began to spread, climbing up her chest and back and then down over her arms. She gritted her teeth as something pushed out of either side of her skull. There came an abrupt and awful wrenching in her shoulders, and she arched her back against the force of this new change. It was like her shoulders were splitting in two! She threw back his head and screamed aloud...only it emerged not a scream but a full-blooded draconic roar. Her skin rippled and new muscles moved as her back seemed to just...unfold. Ishaila fell into a crouch, gasping, and it was several moments before she could gather her wits enough to realize what had happened. Her shoulders had, in fact, split; there was now a second pair just behind and below the originals. From these double-shoulders sprang two paper thin, fragile looking wings. Like her too-short tail, they were not yet fully developed.
She was so amazed by these new appendages that she hardly noticed her teeth grow sharp, or her narrow tongue.
Her jaws began to crack and shift - and that she did notice, immediately. Her nose and upper jaw sort of fused, and her face began to push outwards. Her muzzle was beginning to form. Her nostrils were carried further and further away, and new teeth quickly appeared in the extra space in her enlarging mouth. The scales were now climbing up her face, and she was very careful not to scratch. Gods knew what her claws would do to whatever human skin she had left!
Ishaila also realized that her pants had grown very tight. Her waist was thickening...as were her arms and neck. New muscles were weaving over her body, changing the human proportions. Her thighs shortened and her suddenly bulging leg muscles split the seams of her much-abused pants from waist to ankle. Much as she did not desire to watch these last stages, she was unable to keep her eyes closed as her neck and torso, lengthened.. She could feel, though, as her tail and wings lengthened and broadened, powerful flight muscles criss-crossing her chest and back. Her breath came faster as her brow ridges became very pronounced and her eyes moved further apart. This heated up her internal furnaces and she spat another burst of flame before she could get herself under control. Already crouching, she leaned over further to grip the cool concrete in her claws, trembling as hips and pelvis altered and her spine became infinitely more flexible. Sharp spurs developed along its length, from the base of her neck right down to the tip of her tail. Her wings opened to their full span, then dropped back into smooth folds against her body.
And then everything stopped.
Ishaila stayed where she was for several minutes, afraid to move. Finally, cautiously, she blinked her eyes. Right away she noticed that her field of vision had widened. She settled for crouching on her haunches so she could feel her head and muzzle. All the pain of change was gone, but so too was the dull ache of her worn body, beaten, and browbeat during her previous days in the Zig.. Her body was compact and healthy...and had an amazing amount of power inherent in every tiny movement. She had become a sturdy, lithe, and supple black draconic humanoid perhaps six or seven feet tall. Her particially grown wings were double that when fully spread. Almost hesitantly she opened them, gaining confidence as she moved them up and down.
With a wild roar, she left behind only shredded remnants of clothing as traces of her human existence. That part of her life was over. Now and forever, she was a dragon!