The barrier crumbles as Mia’s fractal magic finally takes hold, having taken longer than a barrier of this size would usually take, though even then, it hadn’t been more than an hour.

  As it comes down, it reveals a small hill with a tree on it, a grave resting beneath it. The stark lack of a magical presence that natural treasures usually exude, and which would usually be the source of a barrier like this in the middle of nowhere, is quite a surprise for Mia. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t place what. That is, until her eyes finally fall onto a creature, sitting in the middle of the grass in front of her, staring up at her.

  The presence it exudes is odd, almost non-existent. Even less mana leaks from it than from an old world rabbit. Even ambush predators like the shade leopards, which this creature does resemble in some ways, leak more mana unless they are actively hiding. This creature, however, was not making any attempt to do that. Instead it just sits there, looking up at her with its big eyes, a frankly massive tail swaying in the air behind it.

  Upon closer scrutiny, there are a few humanoid features to the creature, though they are mostly subsumed by the more animalistic parts. The skin is covered in some form of scales. It’s an odd sight to Mia, not one she had seen before, almost like a mix between some kind of lizard, human and cat. Finally she meets its eyes. It doesn’t shy away, and there is a clear curiosity in its eyes, more so than most beasts have, though while intelligent and even sapient animals aren’t exactly uncommon anymore, they do tend to have a very domineering presence to them.

  “Hey there, little one.” Mia starts to speak in the common tongue. If the creature is intelligent, it should be able to understand her, the magic innate to the language allows almost anyone to speak and understand it, given enough long term exposure to the ambient mana.

  In reply however, the creature sitting in front of her just tilts its head, small red streaks passing across its scales as something squirms beneath. The squirming stops after a second, and the creature finally replies. “Hello, I don’t think I understand you.” It does not speak in the common tongue, the words instead take her a few moments to recognize. English, albeit one that has some peculiarity to its pronunciation, as if the mouth that forms the words is not made for them. She hadn’t spoken English in well over two centuries, when the last of the people from her hometown died in battle, not long after the genesis.

  It takes Mia a minute to figure out a reply. “I understand you. You speak English?” She takes a step closer and squats down, to get on the same eye level as the creature in front of her. “I’m Mia, and you?”

  The creature tilts its head again, considering her words, another flicker of colors goes across its skin before it replies. “Ada, I’m…” Ada hesitates for a moment before continuing. “new here, just arrived, so to say.” Ada clearly doesn’t trust Mia, she concludes, though it isn’t surprising, they did just meet.

  Mia nods and reaches out a hand, palm facing up, for Ada to familiarize itself with her. “Where are you from? I’m from the kingdom's outpost up in the mountains.”

  Ada considers the outstretched hand for a few moments before taking a step closer, looking at it more closely and giving it a little sniff. “Your magic smells funny. It also looked funny when you used it, at least this one doesn’t give me a migraine.” Ada grimaces a little and reaches its front paw, or hand? Mia isn’t quite sure, towards its throat. “Sorry, words are harder in this body than I thought. I’m from a small town that’s around here, it’s…” Ada motions towards the north-east. ”well, was over there? I guess it’s gone now? Just how much has changed?”

  It takes Mia a little bit to process what Ada had told her. It, or she? There was a slight feminine tilt to Ada’s speech, but nothing quite distinct, probably due to the difficulties speaking. Ada had been a human before, probably. And wherever they are now, would’ve been close to where she had lived before, not that that quite mattered with the genesis changing the geography to such an extreme extent.

  “Well, Ada, have you been here long? The barrier I broke seemed quite sturdy, and I don’t think you were the one to cast it.” Mia slightly inclines her head upwards to where the barrier had been, her eyes still staying on Ada’s as she observes her.

  Ada tilts her head before shrugging her shoulders a little. “I don’t know, I woke up a little while ago next to my wife's grave.” Her tail points towards a gravestone Mia had missed before. “And well, I was changed! And there’s magic now! You probably know that already though.” Her eyes move towards Mia’s halo for a second before returning to her eyes, the movement elicits a slight bit of surprise from Mia. Most people never noticed it unless she was actively using magic. “You used some after all. Not sure I should even be telling you this.” Ada rights her head as a few lines of color flow across her skin.

  Mia patiently listens as Ada talks, considering her words for a moment before speaking again. “So, you were human before? Wouldn’t be the only one that changed.” She points towards her horns. “Though I’ve not seen many with changes quite this extreme, not involuntarily at least. Most end up with some slightly different features, like mine. Magic can do more if directed to do so.”

  “So, you changed your eyes to have that same magic in them? Wait, no, the exact mechanics aren’t really relevant right now. I am… a bit lost. The barrier, I think it was meant to protect me, though I am not sure who or what placed it.” Ada hops up from the ground, landing on all fours as she heads up the hill, her tail splitting in two and motioning for Mia to follow her. Though, she stops for a second at that motion, looking back towards the split tail with a curious expression, the curiosity intensifying as lines flow across her skin. There seems to be a differing pattern to them every time they show up. There’s a quiet “huh” from Ada before she continues leading them up the hill.

  She stops next to a gravestone that looks much less weathered than anything should be in this area; storms were relatively frequent here. “This is Anya’s.” Ada’s voice has a clear note of hurt to it, though she looks back towards Mia after just a moment, her tails merging back together. “I… know I shouldn’t, and probably can’t stay here. I can taste the magic changing already from when the barrier was there.” Her eyes turn to the tree near them. “I think the tree had to do with it, you came here looking for something, no?”

  Mia had come looking for natural treasures, but if the tree was it, then it wouldn’t do much good. The closer they had gotten, the more clear it became that it was almost entirely drained of its power. It’d take another century to recover at least. So, instead, she just shakes her head. “I did, but there’s nothing here for me, not anymore. You can come with me, you are right that you can’t stay here, you probably won’t last long this far out into the frontiers.”

  There’s a slightly dejected look on her face, accompanied by yet another pattern of lines, before she gives a sharp nod. “I’ll come back eventually. She always wanted me to live to the best of my ability, regardless of what others think or say. Staying here would defy that. You said you’re from a kingdom? In the mountains? What is it like? And… how long has it been?” Mia chuckles slightly as she starts leading them down the hill again.

  “A few centuries, it’s hard to keep track of the exact time, especially with all the chaos in the aftermath of the genesis… and well, as we grow older our perception does also change quite drastically, it starts to become a bit of a blur eventually.” She shrugs a little as her fractal magic starts flowing from her halo. “The kingdom is… not great. Has never been. But it’s the strongest power this side of the great wastes. There’s not much choice for me sadly. Try not to get tangled up in the mess once we get there, you don’t have enough power for anyone to really care.”

  The magic stops flowing as it manifests in the air around her, solidifying and shifting her body into her preferred form, one mostly made up of magic as her wings stretch high into the sky, and a roar, both high and low pierces through the air, shattering its physical bounds as the magic in it tears apart any obstruction. Her little companion takes it all a little too well, most people are afraid when they see her draconic form, the blue luster of her scales proudly displayed. Ada though, seems mostly unaffected, the roar flowing around Ada as it reaches her, her eyes fixate on Mia’s form a moment later, though the strain is clearly showing, it doesn’t seem to originate in fear, more in the complexity of Mia’s magic, and in appreciation of her form.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  I am still processing my new friend's words when she starts leaking magic all over the place, the same kind of migraine inducing magic as before, but this time it’s more manageable. Either I’ve gotten more used to it, or there is a difference to how it works. Some of it comes close to my body and I get a closer feeling for it. It’s not warm like the tree, but rather a dichotomy between heat and cold, switching between them at a rapid pace. Pulling a little at it, my body happily absorbs it, just like the ambient magic. As it courses through me it quickly is subsumed by the rest of the magic, making me wonder how it would feel like to someone else.

  My thoughts are interrupted when Mia lets out a roar, the sound just as contradictory as the magic it is suffused in, and as it washes over me I focus on absorbing some of it. It resists the attempt, only allowing me to eat a tiny wisp. The vast majority of it flows around me though, leaving me unharmed. I look towards Mia. The body she now has causes me a slight bit of discomfort, though it is also beautiful. Her scales are the same blue as the ones that had surrounded her eyes, and her wings are almost translucent, the membrane is covered in a myriad of tiny patterns, most likely from her magic. Sniffing the air, I can tell that her body has an overwhelming smell of magic, but there is still that same smell as when I smelled her hand, the smell of her body. I am not sure where the magic starts and where her body ends, but I can tell that this is her, just like her humanoid form is.

  As I slowly start pacing closer towards her, Mia cranes her long neck around. She is, overall, rather slim, though not so slim as to be a serpent. “Get on my back, little one, I’ll carry you.” Her voice is deep and the earth rumbles as she speaks. A thump makes me look towards her tail as she places it on the ground to form a ramp. I hop onto it and climb onto her back, my movements quick and sure, the extra balance my tail provides coming in quite handy.

  Settling on her back, I raise my voice slightly so she can hear me well. “You said several centuries passed. I… have been asleep since magic came back. I am, admittedly, a bit lost.” The words are still rather difficult to speak. While they are familiar, my tongue and mouth are not, straining them in the process.

  Mia lets out a small rumble in acknowledgement as she spreads her wings, and I can feel the air press down as she beats them, lifting into the air far quicker than someone of her size has any right to. I mutter a silent goodbye to Anya as Mia starts to gain more height. She replies to me in between the beat of her wings. “I wasn’t sure whether that was the case, but thank you for confirming. When magic came back, that day is called the genesis now. It’s been a long time, and society, or at least, the few surviving dregs of it, adjusted long ago and things have changed. A lot of people don’t even remember the before, most because they were born after, some for other reasons. You’ll have a lot of adjusting to do.” Mia accelerates and the ground beneath us turns into a blur as she rushes us higher into the sky and across the plains.

  When Mia finally evens out into a steady flight, I can appreciate the surroundings of us. The sun is slowly cresting the horizon far in the distance, illuminating a wide river crossing through the grassy plains. One thing I note though, is that the entire plains do not seem to have a single tree growing on them, except the willow at the grave. That is, until far in the distance towards the west, a massive forest starts sprouting out of the ground. I am not quite certain due to the distance, but it looks like it reaches all the way to the horizon in the south, and the mountains we are flying towards in the north. The mountains in the north seem to be the tail end of a mountain range, reaching all the way into the clouds and beyond. I assume that is where the outpost Mia had talked about previously is located.

  “This is amazing, Mia, do you often fly like this?” I feel giddy and want to start prancing around on her back, but I stop myself, unsure of whether I can keep my balance with the strong winds buffeting us.

  Mia’s voice is still a rumble, even more intensified by the direct contact with her. It feels soothing in a way. “Whenever I can, there’s nothing better than being able to fly.” A small giggle escapes me at the elation in her words, a giggle that turns into a surprised yelp as she banks to the side, spiraling downwards before steadying out again. Her body rumbles again in what I think is laughter.

  “That was mean!” I grumble a little before speaking again. “You said others have changed in appearance too? Is it common? I feel… right, so I don’t mind it, but it was a bit of a surprise! And it does take some getting used to!”

  It takes a few long moments until Mia replies to me, her voice considerate and slow. “Yes, most people have changed, in fact. Though usually it is rather involuntary, and more often than not it is a change that is ambivalent at best. Very few people have changed in a way that feels right to them. The magic responsible for it usually is wild, and covers entire areas, changing people to its own whims. It is rare that the magic is so personal and, I suspect, malleable, as it was in your case.” She raises us higher into the sky, breaching the clouds and covering us in water vapor as she does so. Water vapor that curiously just flows off of me, barely any of the drops sticking to my new skin. A smile splits my face, revealing my teeth again, as the reality of my new body sets in.

  “That’s sad, I think I really like my new body. I hadn’t felt any change be this right in many years. Though not that many for your perspective.” I giggle a little at that. “Do people generally consider themselves still human? You seem quite… draconic. Not that that’s a bad thing! You’re beautiful!” Heat rises into my cheeks as I realize what I said, though my worries are quickly dissipated as I feel another laugh rumble through her.

  “Beautiful indeed! It took a lot of effort to be able to transform like this, but as you said, it does feel right! I am glad your transformation wasn’t one of the less savory ones.” She banks slightly, turning towards a specific mountain peak. We aren’t far now, having passed much more distance than I thought.

  We continue to fly for another few minutes before Mia starts slowing down, eventually coming to a halt in midair, about a hundred meters away from the mountain. I can feel her inhale beneath me, clearly taking her time so I can prepare myself for what is to come. Quickly I hunker down on her back and close my eyes, and just a moment later, she releases another roar, this time it feels slightly different, and when the energy finishes passing over me, I crack open my eyes again.

  In front of us, the mountain changes. A large, busy landing platform is revealed, cut into the side of the mountain. On top of it are several things which look a lot like planes and airships, though they don’t seem very aerodynamic, more like what one would find in a fantasy book.

  Mia continues her approach after a spot is cleared for her to land, the people around the platform giving her a wide berth and not bothering us much, aside from a few curious glances. After touching down, Mia lowers her tail to the ground, signaling me to get down from her back. I quickly follow her wishes and walk up to her snout. Looking up into it I can see a hint of amusement in her pupils before I feel the magic that is partially making up her body start to retreat. It still feels odd to me, and the magic in my body seems to react to it in a strange manner, almost like it wants to leap out and change the magic Mia is using. I wrestle it down, though it is something to consider and ask about later.

  After turning back into her humanoid figure, her decency during the change protected by a gust of mist that engulfs both of us, she motions for me to follow her. She’s oddly quiet for the moment, but I follow her regardless. The expression on her face seems a little strained everytime she looks around us.

  It doesn’t take long before we reach a quiet corner, away from the other people, and Mia finally starts talking again. “I’m sorry little one but, I have something to take care of, report back and all that. I don’t really want to leave you alone here, but you can’t come along if we want to keep you safe for now.” Her expression is clearly torn, so I bring forward a tail, gently brushing it along her cheek.

  “It’s okay. I understand.” My actions elicit a small smile from her and she kneels down, brushing a hand against my cheek, which I can’t help but lean into, the warmth of the gesture making me feel a little bit safer. I can see the patterns cross across my tail again, probably my entire body. They’re involuntary and ever since I first saw them I’ve been trying to find what is causing them.

  Mia’s eyes follow the patterns as well, and she smiles at them. “Happy?” She chuckles slightly. “Since I can’t take you with me, we’ll have to meet up again later. Not here though, there’s an inn in the city, the Shadow Hare. Meet me there in two hours, when the clock strikes twelve, okay?” I nod in agreement as she gives me directions to find the inn, knowing that if I try to speak my words will fail me, heat having risen into my cheeks, my entire skin actually, when she asked whether I am happy. I was. Sort of. And the patterns on my skin betrayed that fact to her!

  She chuckles again slightly as I don’t respond with words, but eventually gets up on her feet again. “Alright, I’ll see you later. Stay out of trouble if you can.” She waves goodbye as she walks away, and I return the gesture with my hand-paws.

  Once she leaves my sight, I look around myself. The corner we had been in was rather well hidden from sight, so no one was bothering me quite yet, but there were some crates around, so they would eventually come here. I decide not to try my luck with being found alone at the equivalent to an airport, and start making my way into the mountain itself. There's a gate, but the guards only seem to care about who is leaving the mountain, not who is entering, so I am let through without issue and into a tunnel leading deeper into the mountain. It’s time to go on an adventure!