Collar

A/N: Okey dokey pokey smokey! This is something I just woke up one day and wanted to write. No, seriously! So, I don't know where I'm going with it. We'll see, huh?


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The collar was a work of art, truly. Thick, polished silver, inscribed with black words in a language Aphelion thought he'd long since forgotten. The seldom written language of the dragons. He left the worked metal on the nearest table, moving around the room and lighting old-fashioned candles, large and white. The light the small flames gave as they flickered slowly brought back so many memories, both good and bad. The harsh electric lights that he'd grown accustomed to seemed so awful compared to this soothing glow.

The dragon paused in front of the mirror, studying his reflection. Besides his silver eyes he looked so....human. "No..." he whispered, reaching out to touch the cool glass. "I am the dragon. The only dragon left. I am the Silver Eye." Keeping his eyes on the mirror, Aphelion reached down and began unbuttoning his shirt. The material rustled as he folded it neatly and set it on a chair. His pants were removed and folded in the same manner, then set atop the shirt.

Naked, he turned his attention to the collar, picking it back up. He fastened the cold circle of metal around his neck, hissing quietly at the shock of it against his warm skin. Aphelion found it odd that the sound of the collar snapping into place satisfied a part of him, but he didn't think too deeply on it. Instead, he ran his fingertips around the black letters, feeling the small grooves where the words were carved. Closing his eyes, he repeated the words he'd memorized. "Remember your duty. Learn your place."

He took a deep breath, turning to the side and opening his eyes to look into the mirror once again. A low grunt escaped him as the skin of his back split, revealing thick black skin underneath. Clear liquid dripped slowly from his back as his wings broke fully free, stretching out and fanning gently. His skin quickly healed around the base of the wings, as if they had always been there. The sense of relief he felt was immediate, a rush of sensation that was almost pleasure. It felt like he had been holding his breath, and had finally discovered air.

His wings became the focus of his interest. Blacker than night, his wingspan was as wide as he was tall, a fact that had always brought him pride. "Remember your duty. Learn your place." Staring at himself, with his eyes and the collar glowing in the candlelight, he couldn't help but whisper the words once again. Soft waves of black mist rolled off of his exposed wings, though it almost immediately dissipated. Aphelion wondered then what a human would think if they saw him in such a state. Would they think he was a monster? A demon?

Or would they see him as he saw himself in that moment; a beautiful, powerful creature, sent to protect the delicate balance of everything. "Beautiful...how long has it been since another has called me that...? Am I....?" The dragon stroked his own stomach, the shimmer of silver scales following the path of his hand. His free hand found the collar, and he sank gracefully to his knees. Automatically, he folded his wings around himself. Looking up, he met his own gaze in the mirror, surprised by the raw need in his expression. It seemed as though he'd been alone for far too long, and had just realized his own loneliness. But who could ever want a dragon? Especially a misguided dragon like himself? He snorted and looked away from his reflection, tightening the comforting embrace of his wings.