Struggling against unseen bonds that were firmly wrapped around him he attempted to break free. He screamed his outrage. His vocalized pain shook the walls.  Hot wetness leaked from fiery orbs, dampening the scaly flesh along his cheek-ridges. One talon-tipped appendage broke through and clawed at the sealed portal to freedom…   

 

“Tine! Tine! Come on, wake up!” Yaramith shouted as the youth thrashed in his bed, eyes open but unseeing.  When he did not, the Chosen of a year-two instructor grabbed the water pitcher and emptied its contents over Tine, who sputtered and cursed as he momentarily stilled then sat up suddenly.

“What are you doing in here?” he growled, clutching the soaked bedding to his body.

“It was happening again…” Yaramith replied, “Remember? You told me to wake you…”

Tine rubbed his face, which felt normal to him, with hands, which also felt normal.  He frowned.  “Do the instructors know?”

“How could they not know, Tine?  The building literally shook this time,” the other complained, “You need to tell someone.”

Tine sighed and lay back down, soggy bedding and all, his head still spinning from the nightmare he had been having more and more frequently of late.  The nightmare that intensified each time he dreamed it.  The nightmare he refused to discuss with anyone except Bra-Neche.

“So, it was you again,” Deven’s voice came from the open doorway.

“I’m sorry Deven.  I don’t mean to wake everyone.”

“Oh, I’m sure there were a few who slept through it, but those boys…” he shook his head and laughed.  “At least we know who not to send to the front, now, don’t we?”

Tine giggled and nodded.

“Looks as if you wet your bedding, come on, let’s get it changed if Yaramith has brought you fresh yet.”  As Deven spoke, Yaramith entered with the clean bedding, bowing slightly to Deven as he entered.

“No need for all that,” Deven said gently as Yaramith backed out of the room, his eyes averted downward, closing the door behind him.

“I can do it, Deven,” Tine said still clutching the bedding to his chest.

“Yes, you can,” Deven sat the fresh bedding down, righted the table by the bed, and sat in the chair.  “What is happening, Tine?”

“I don’t know.”

“Lower the bedding boy, let’s have a look at you.”

“I would prefer not to,” Tine blushed, a soft pink tinge spreading across his cheeks.

“Tine you woke up everyone well before they had to be up, the least you can do is explain yourself.”

“It was a bad dream.”

Deven shook his head, “Bad dreams wake up the other boys in a single dormitory.  This woke up boys in all the dormitories, Tine.”

“I want to leave here,” Tine said softly, looking out the window.  “I want to leave here and go to him so badly it hurts.  I don’t mean to cry out in the night.”

Deven nodded and waited, “You have another year of classes.”

“Do I really need the classes, Deven?  For the past year, you and the others have made me study twice as much material as the others.  I’ve not seen Aiden in weeks outside of class because I’ve been studying so much.  I no longer have any other friends,” Tine sighed.  “I know, I chose then when I accepted Bra-Neche.  I know everyone believes we were both too young.  I know everyone still believes us too young.  But, Deven, it’s done.  There is no changing it.  He can Choose no other.  Please, let me go.”

Deven stretched out in the chair, “Are you going to sit in soggy bedding all morning or are you going to change it?”

Tine growled at him as he threw back the bedding and stood up, exposing the new changes in his body since the nightmares began.  He had grown taller, easily as tall as most the year-tens, if not taller.  Where he had been slender, he was now more muscular and defined.  His nipples had darkened and enlarged.  His belly was still concave, but now sported a rippled look with defined musculature.  Below his navel, a thin trail of gold sparkled in the morning light drawing the eyes downward to where a nest of gold crowned his flaccid phallus as it hung against his pendulous scrotum.  His thighs had thickened and his legs lengthened.  Deven did not realize how long he had been staring until Tine interrupted his thoughts. 

“Is this what you wanted to see?”  Tine demanded as he glared accusingly.  Then when he received no response he turned and began to strip the soggy bedding off the bed frame, exposing his back to Deven who stood to get a closer look.  Beginning at the base of Tine’s spine a thin trail of what appeared to be rough skin moved upwards, spreading slightly until it reached his shoulders.  There, it moved outwards in a very familiar pattern.  Without thinking, Deven reached out to touch Tine.  His fingers had barely brushed the golden scales when Tine turned on him, “Do not touch me!”

Deven sat heavily in the chair, “When did this start, Tine?”

Tine rolled his eyes, “Every boy goes through it, Deven, or do you not remember?”

“Not every boy goes through what you are going through,” Deven regarded the boy, “Does your back itch?”

“Constantly.”

“I have something in my room that may help, but you will not be able to apply it yourself.”

“Yaramith can do it.”

“Does he…”

“He knows, but he knows not to say anything either,” Tine snapped.

“Why would you go to Yaramith and not to me, Tine, we are family.”

Tine looked at Deven, blushed, and turned away to finish making the bed.

“You do know we are family?”

Tine nodded, and pulled on a robe, feeling suddenly shy.  “You are Bra-Neche’s uncle.  I am his Chosen.”

“Which makes me your uncle as well,” Deven told him, “I didn’t approve of Bra-Neche choosing you, Tine, but he did, and, as you said, it is done and cannot be changed.  I think that it is time for you to leave.  You’re right, we have taught you everything we can possibly teach you.”

“Do you mean it?”

Deven nodded.  “We are expecting a new group of Imperials from Saradaun to arrive today.  When they leave, you will leave with them.”

“That could be weeks.”

Deven shrugged, “It could be a full year, Tine, weeks isn’t so bad, now is it?”

Tine smiled and shook his head. 

“Good now get dressed, you have classes to attend,” Deven left Tine standing there with a silly grin on his face.