"Stay away, m-monster!"
The werewolf chuckles. "That's a funny word to hear from you."
You stand there, holding out your dagger, quivering in terror. Your chest burns hot... must be the adrenaline. "Don't come any closer...!"
The werewolf cocks their head quizzically to one side, in genuine confusion. "Why are you afraid? Even if I was here to hurt you, you could fry me to a crisp at a moment's notice. I should be the one shaking in fear, if anything."
What the hell are they talking about? You're no great wizard, just a villager...
The werewolf steps back slightly, raising their claws in an expression of doing-no-harm. They examine you with their golden, glinting eyes, a slowly growing expression of concern and fear on their muzzle. The longer this encounter drags on, the hotter your chest burns...
"You just gonna hold onto that all day?"
You begin to notice that the heat is accompanied by a sort of pressure. Rising and rising in your chest. You glance down and - holy shit, is your chest and throat glowing orange? In shock, you inhale with a gasp - and reflexively exhale a massive blast of flame.
"Oh gods..." you mutter. Mostly in shock. Somehow, you feel fine after unleashing that. You'd think you'd have burned your throat to a crisp with whatever fucked up magic that was. And you have no idea how you cast it.
The werewolf's fur is a little singed, but they look immensely relieved that they chose to step backwards.
"... wait. You... don't know, do you."
Panting in exhaustion, your fear slowly subsides as it starts becomes clear through the heat and exhaustion that this werewolf has no intention of eviscerating you. You mutter between ragged breaths: "Don't know what?"
"You're telling me you can pull that, and you don't know what you are?"
"That's the first time. I'm just, human."
The werewolf chuckles. "Sorry kid, you're definitely not."
"If I wasn't human, what the hell would I be?'
"A dragon, obviously."
The hells? Has this wolf gone mad? And yet... deep within you, there is no confusion nor disagreement. And on some level, an odd relief... like a very deep part of you is being seen for the first time.
That acknowledgement lights something. A flame, perhaps. You feel a strange warmth, softer and more all-encompassing than your little fire trick. Pieces are falling into place... odd desires and suppressed thoughts rise back to the surface in a storm of realization.
"News flash, kid. You're also a monster. I actually came to you cuz I could smell your flame a mile away. Wanted to, uh, pay my respects to the local dragon, let them know I wasn't a threat. Wasn't expecting to run into one who thought they were a damn human."
You're a monster...
Part of you wants to snap back at them, get furious at the insinuation of monstrosity. But. Another part of you finds comfort in those words. Like you've finally figured out what you're missing...
Suddenly, you feel a sharp pain in the palm of your hand, you unclench the fist you had been holding the entire encounter, and glance to investigate -
And you see wicked-sharp talons that could rip a man to shreds. And it hits you. They're right. You were never human. Yet you don't feel any sense of loss or pain at this revelation. Only... relief and joy?
You finally know what you are. And as you slowly feel your horns grow and your skin itch as your
scales slowly appear, a tear rolls down your face.
You exhale, small embers flowing from your breath. You feel like a weight has been lifted off you. Your back aches - and you know why, deep within.
You glance at the werewolf. "... right, uh, thanks for letting me know. Sorry for the uh, knife and the fire. Now if you excuse me... I need a little privacy. I... Uh, think I feel my wings coming in."
The werewolf chuckles. "Right, right. See ya around, ya big scaly nerd." And they turn around, vanishing into the woods. Leaving you alone with a smile on your face and your tail slowly manifesting.
The warmth is nice. Being a dragon... feels really nice, actually.