“It’s a beautiful piece, I must say” Omni said to the pawn shop owner as he looked at the item in his pawed hands. The Kitsune had always been a collector of shining necklaces, and what he held was one of the best he had ever seen. Within it sat a large circular golden pendant, strung on a silver chain, which glistened as it moved in the lamplight. The pendants outer design was very clean and excellently made it a real treasure.

The really remarkable thing about it however, was inside. Opening the case, Omni once again saw the dragon gem. Seemingly cut out ruby gemstone with teeth made of ivory and eyes of amethyst, the brilliant red dragon shone and sparkled.

“It definitely is” The Owner said as he closed the Pendant. “So how much do you want for it?” Omni asked him in return.

Omni placed the pendant on the table with a sigh and a swish for his tails before calmly looking back at the dealer “Five hundred”.

“Five hundred?! Surely you’re joking!” the dealer laughed. “For such a valuble artifact as that its worth is in the thousands. However, Id be willing to part with it for say…2 grand.”

Omni grumbled, but simply replied. “Eight hundred”

“Seventeen hundred”

“Fine…Twelve hundred”

“Deal” the dealer said, extending his hand to shake Omni’s. The deal now completed, the merchant reminded him. “Oh, and do remember what I said about exposing the pendant to sunlight. While I was never able to confirm the myths about the Drake Pendant, you never know…” he chuckled. Omni laughed at the remark and waved goodbye as he headed out the door.

Back at home, Omni took the pendant from his pocket and opened it to gaze at the dragon inside. The ruby dragon shined with the same brilliance as it had at the shop. Bringing a lamp near, he watched in awe as the gemstones showered the room with beautiful red light. Smiling at how it shined, he put the pendant away and went to bed.

That night, he had strange dreams of flying through the air. Soaring the skies. Racing through the clouds. Without magic and under his own power. The dream felt so riveting and so real, but as he was really reveling in it, an air horn appeared out of nowhere and blasted him in the face with a wail.

Springing up from his bed out of bed from the sudden burst of noise, Omni shut off his blaring alarm. Yawning, he got up for work, but even as prepared, his mind couldn’t shake what he had felt and seen. As he worked through the day, in the back of his mind he wondered what had brought such a dream on, and why it felt so real.

At home after work, Omni again thought about the dream and what it could mean. As he sat down oh his couch, he thought about the many things he had felt and seen in the dream: The feeling of flight, the flowing of air, the sights of the clouds being ripped apart as he raced through them, and the smells of--Sulphur?

The thought of smelling Sulphur made hi, quickly rise up from his chair, and walk over to where he had set the pendant down the night before. Picking it up, he opened it and looked again at the dragon. “Sulphur…like a dragon’s breath…” he thought as he looked at the ruby dragon. In some ancient tales the scent was connected to dragons, and the legendary flames they spew. He started to wonder if the pawn shop owner had been right about the myths. Such thoughts made him ponder the dream’s meaning, before deciding the only way to found out was to test the myth.

Closing the Pendant, Omni stepped out into the evening light. Orange rays of light flowed along the horizon as the sun began to set. A few minutes of sunlight yet remained; Omni smiled and, without hesitation, opened the pendant. All of a sudden the gem gleamed and shimmered, and with a sudden start, released a bright red light which blasted Omni in the face.

Startled, he stumbled back and fell, dropping the pendant to the ground. As he shook his head, and started to stand back up a sudden burning sensation enveloped his body and caused him to stumble again. Slowly but surely bright red scales began to cover his body, his ears began to flex and change, and small horns began to grow through what remained of his fur on this head.

As the horns began to form, there was a sudden snap, and Omni let out a scream of pain, his body collapsing to the ground, as his spine suddenly snapped out of joint and his body began to stretch outward. His tails slowly fused together, forming into one long and flexible lizard tail. The claws on his hands and feet became stronger and thicker, as the fur above them was morphed away, as they grew leathery scales. Under his elongating neck a small sack forms, and fills with liquid, as release vessels formed into his Jaw, which elongated and grew to be strong and broad.

As Omni’s spine sets itself back into place, two long bones started to grow along his shoulder blades, out of which smaller bones grew and formed into long spines. These bones were quickly covered in sinew, muscle and scale, as thin leathery skin flaps stretched between them to form draconic wings.

As suddenly the process started, it ended, as the paralyzing burning sensation vanishes as well. No longer in pain, Omni struggled up onto all fours, before looking over his new red dragon self in awe. Smiling he picked up the pendant, and raised a brow, as the gleaming ruby dragon that once sat within was no longer there. Confused and curious, he strung the pendant around his neck, and slowly began to walk in the direction of the pawn shop, hoping to learn a little more about what he’d thought was a myth.