A looming, silver creature of ancient power stared down at a scraggily-haired little child that sat before it, exhaling a large puff of breezy steam down into the little one's navy wisps of hair and causing her to spurt out into small giggles. The beast snorted at this, scales shimmering away in the light of the crystal cavern as a horned reptilian head nodded off to her, speaking in a smooth and feminine voice.<br/><br/>"Isalisk. Are you listening to me speak, or are you playing about as usual?" She demanded, though there was a clear sense of warmth and maternal concern in the creature's voice. "This is important teachings I am trying to tell you, so pay attention small-scale. You can bumble around afterwards."<br/><br/>The little girl blinked her slitted eyes up at her, zapping away her snickers as she bounced in her cross-legged position and grinned eagerly. "I'm a'listenen', Ma!" She peeped back up to the serpentine creature, nodding a few times before she brought up a clawed hand to scratch behind her neck. "... But I don't want to wait that 'long, Mama. I wanna' be a big one soon, I wanna' fly like you and breathe magic.." She whined, pouting and sniffling away to herself impatiently.<br/><br/>"Such things take time for your blood, child. Be happy that you have this ability, for our kind are rare and hunted on sight in this age. Should something happen to me, you will be able to blend in with ease as I once did, and my Mother before that." She instructed, continuing away carefully.<br/><br/>"Should something happen to me, small-scale, you must find a way to reach<span style="font-style: italic">complete</span>and<span style="font-style: italic">total</span>peace with yourself once you are full-grown, do you understand? I would help you otherwise, but in order to for you to become that which is your true self and unlock your power, you must find a way to find some sort of absolute acceptance of your current state of being. Enlightenment, hatchling. Only then will your mental restraints soften, and your full form come into being."<br/><br/>"So I gotta' be a monk then, Ma?" She little one squeaked, snorting away again some more at her own humor. "Can I get a bowl-haircut like the ones that climb up da' mountain? I wanna' wear robes too, and whine up to the sky and false Gods."<br/><br/>The beast shook her head, sighing off to herself as her large wings twitched softly. Leaning her snout forward, she poked at the little girls belly softly, causing her to fall onto her back as the child burst into a laughing fit. "You little fool." The Dragon chuckled away, nuzzling away at the girl some more. "Please do remember anyway, Isalisk." She said carefully as the child sat upright once more and rocked back and forth. "Remember, so that no matter what happens, you will be free."<br/><br/>__________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/>Isabella blinked her eyes open, the world ahead of her blurry and barely in focus as she awakened from a deep and restful sleep. She would let out a moan, stretching her arms out and up into the air before flopping them down and onto her abdomen, closing her eyes some more as she rested herself into the waking world.