Page 59 of Realms of Swords and Storms
I squeezed Tarshi's hand supportively as he struggled to process what he was seeing, what he was hearing. "The collars," I added softly. "That's how they control the dragons. The Talfen. They force them into their dragon forms and keep them there, unable to shift back, unable to communicate except as trained beasts."
Tarshi's gaze shifted to Sirrax's neck, where no collar restricted his transformations. "Then how...?"
"Livia," Sirrax said simply, affection colouring his tone. "She freed me. Bonded mate."
"All this time," Tarshi whispered, realization dawning in his eyes. "All this time, I thought I was becoming a monster. But I was actually..."
"Blessed."
"But why would the transformation be happening now?" Tarshi asked, looking between us. "I'm twenty-three. If this is natural, why didn't it start years ago?"
"Takes time," Sirrax explained. “Not grow fast, like human. Slow. Human blood also slower."
Tarshi absorbed this, his brow furrowed in thought. "So when I change... when my hands become claws, my teeth sharpen... that's not a demon taking over. It's just... me? My… dragon form?"
"Yes," Sirrax confirmed. "You fight change, painful."
Hope flickered in Tarshi's eyes. I watched him carefully, seeing the struggle on his face as he tried to reconcile everything he'd been taught to believe about himself with this new information. It was a lot to absorb, a fundamental rewriting of his identity.
"You're not a monster, Tarshi," I said softly, drawing his attention back to me. "You never were. You're Talfen—a member of an ancient, powerful race that the Empire has tried to destroy or enslave. What's happening to you isn't something to fear or hate. It's something to embrace, to learn to control."
He looked into my eyes, vulnerability and hope warring in his gaze. "You knew," he said, not an accusation but a realization. "How long have you known?"
"Since Sirrax and I bonded," I admitted. "But it wasn't my secret to tell. The knowledge is dangerous—the Empire has killed to keep it hidden. I wanted to tell you, but... honestly, you were pulling away from me and I didn’t know why and…"
"You weren't sure how I'd react," he finished for me.
I nodded, relieved he understood. "You've been taught your whole life to fear this part of yourself. I didn't want to force this knowledge on you until you were ready."
"And you think I'm ready now?"
I gestured to his leg, to the bandage visible beneath his hastily donned trousers. "You're in pain. You're transforming involuntarily. You were ready to leap out a window rather than risk hurting me. Yes, I think you're ready for the truth."
Tarshi turned his attention back to Sirrax, who had been watching our exchange with patient understanding. "Can you really teach me to control this?"
"Can," Sirrax confirmed. "Not be easy. But possible."
"And if I can control it... could I..." Tarshi hesitated, almost afraid to voice the thought. "Could I transform completely? Like you did?"
Sirrax studied him thoughtfully. "Likely."
The implications of that statement hung in the air between us. If Tarshi could shift fully, he could become a dragon—could fly, could experience the freedom of the skies as I had with Sirrax. The thought made my heart race with excitement.
"Would you want that?" I asked softly.
Tarshi was quiet for a long moment, processing everything he'd learned. When he finally spoke, his voice was steady with newfound resolve. "All my life, I've been taught to hate and fear a part of myself. I've been told I carry a curse, a demonic taint that would eventually consume me." He looked up, meeting first my gaze, then Sirrax's. "If what you're saying is true—if I'm not cursed but blessed, not becoming a monster but discovering my heritage—then yes. I want to learn. I want to understand what I truly am."
Relief and joy flooded through me. I'd been so afraid he would reject this knowledge, that the years of conditioning would be too strong to overcome. I moved to sit beside him on the hay bale, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
"It won't be easy," I warned. "The Empire has spent centuries ensuring that knowledge of true Talfen nature remainssuppressed. If they discover you're learning to shift, that you know the truth..."
"They'll kill me," Tarshi finished matter-of-factly. "But they're already trying to kill me for being part of the resistance. What's one more reason to fear the Empire?" A small, defiant smile curved his lips. "Besides, if I can learn to control this, to shift at will... imagine what that could mean for our cause. When can we begin?"
"Need rest," Sirrax said, glancing at Tarshi's injured leg. "Weak. Train when stronger."
Tarshi nodded, though I could see the impatience in his eyes, the eagerness to start this new chapter of discovery. I squeezed his hand supportively.
Tarshi extended his hand to Sirrax, a formal gesture of respect and gratitude. "Thank you," he said simply. "For showing me the truth."
