Chapter Text
Haze was always a lonely dragon.
Perhaps it was because he was an animus and no one wanted anything to do with him. They were afraid of what he could do.
All his life, avoided and ostracized for his ability. He never had any interest in using his abilities, though. All he really wanted was a friend or two to keep him company. But nope, he was born with the power to say “diddly doo you are now a trout” and turn whoever upset him into a trout.
The only big enchantments he had ever cast were an amulet that made him invisible when he wore it. No one knew him. No one remembered him. He was just in his own mind all day, observing other dragons and thinking about what they did, what they were like, if they would like him or not.
When he’d enchanted his amulet, he made his second enchantment: a spell that made his home invisible, unknown to the dragons around his home. He would live there peacefully, writing his stories and living a quaint, happy life.
Every now and then, critters would wander into his cave. They'd rest on his desk, owls, bats, deers, packs of wolves and lynx mothers desperately searching for shelter from the storm. He’d befriended a few crows, and now and then they would bring him small trinkets. As thanks, he’d give them a small piece of food.
Honestly, it was neat to find that he had friends within nature.
He was a bit shocked when he found a fox kit in his cave, hiding beneath his nest. He’d never had a fox visit before. Whenever a little beast visited his humble abode, he would keep track of them in his journal, sketching out the creature’s appearance and what it did.
But he’d never once seen a fox in his home.
“Well, hello, young beast. What are you doing here?” Haze whispered softly to it, knowing it couldn’t understand.
It didn’t respond.
“I will not harm you. It looks like you have a wound on that leg of yours…” He peered at the fox closely. He muttered something and returned with a small bandage.
“Wrap yourself around this young creature’s wound,” Haze ordered. It did as told, floating over and tenderly wrapping itself around the fox’s wound. The fox looked at it in bewilderment. It looked up at the Sea-Night hybrid in wonder, approaching him cautiously and sniffing his talons.
“What a cute little beast you are,” Haze cooed, rubbing the fox under the chin. It yipped before yawning and looking up at him curiously. Its pelt was tawny and it had an orange face with two bright yellow eyes.
“I think I will name you Zorro.”
— — — — —
A few months went by and Zorro was still visiting Haze. The fox would bring him prey and share with him, and very often spend the night at Haze’s cave.
It wasn’t the same as the company of a real dragon, but it was good nonetheless.
Then an idea struck Haze.
He’d read about all sorts of things related to animus magic; how it cannot bring the dead back to life, how you lose your soul with too many enchantments, how dangerous it is…
But could it give him a friend?
Haze began reading his scrolls once more. Zorro looked over his shoulder curiously. The Sea-Night hybrid looked back at him and smiled, before putting a collar on Zorro and attaching a leash to the collar, keeping him to the wall.
And yet, the scrolls said nothing about being incapable of turning beasts into dragons.
Zorro looked up at him in confusion and mild fear.
Haze turned towards the fox, holding a candle.
“When I blow this flame out, turn Zorro the fox into a SkyWing, with all his memories intact.”
And with a single exhale, a SkyWing stood in his cave.