Clay Figures By: Lance Holloway Hank leaned back against the rock formation as if it were a chair. He looked up from his work and admired the view. The secluded valley he had hiked into hid a variety of plants that caught the afternoon sunlight. He always enjoyed his surroundings when he could get away from other people. Little did he know that he was being watched by something else enjoying the scenery. It was a spontaneous decision to come to this location. He greatly needed a break from his job. Too many deadlines were getting the best of him. He had plenty of vacation days left, and not being tied down with a wife or girlfriend made his little getaway that much easier. Hank reached down and picked up another chunk of the soft clay-like dirt he found in this spot. He kneaded the clay to get it malleable enough. He had a habit of spontaneously making things while he relaxed and enjoyed nature. Sometimes he whittled. Sometimes he made origami cranes out of large leaves. There is always something that stands out to him that needs to be made into something else. He finished rolling the piece of clay into a long tapering cylinder. He pressed the larger end onto the small figure he had created. The tail was the last piece the small clay dragon needed, and now it is complete. He sat the dragon down on a rock, and the clay figure stood there as if guarding its territory. He always pictured dragons to be noble and dignified. Hank smiled at the dragon and then admired his surroundings. He may find something else that needed to be created. Unseen by Hank, a large being watched Hank in amazement. Garslog had been asleep for what must have been thousands of years. This human, this tiny human had awakened him. The human had a spark. The spark hid inside the heart and was almost impossible to sense. Garslog, however, discovered a way, and this human definitely had the spark. The tiny creature only needed some guiding. Hank stared blissfully at a nearby tree when he heard a crackling sound next to him. He sat up quickly. Looking around he did not see anything. The crackling continued. He looked down and jumped back in horror. The small clay dragon Hank had crafted was moving. The clay shell cracked away as red and orange scales revealed themselves. Hank hid behind the rock he was sitting on. The small dragon shook the remainder of the clay off of itself and twisted its long neck to look about. Spotting Hank peering over the rock, the dragon squeaked a roar and took to the air. It hovered in front of Hank's face. "Hello, human," it said. Hank sat unmoving staring back at the dragon. Its tiny wings beat quickly in the air. He could also see the teeth inside the creature's mouth when it opened. "Do not fear. He is watching. He sees your spark." Hank moved his mouth, but only gasping sounds came out. Finally he managed to say, "My spark?" "Yes, your spark. Isn't it grand?" The dragon started giggling. "What spark?" Hank asked. "What are you talk...?" The dragon ignored Hank and few up and behind him. It hovered there for half a minute seemingly interested in something then flew back down to hover in front of Hank. "Be patient, it has been many years since he as guided a human, but your spark is strong." "WHAT SPAR...." Hank began to shout but stopped short as he felt something grab him. He saw nothing. Only his clothes were on him, but yet he was wrapped tightly in something. He struggled to move, but it was no use. His head was pushed back and his mouth was forced open. A force seemed to pull his lower and upper jaw out. Instead of breaking, his jaw stretched. He felt another force on his teeth. Like an invisible dentist, the force was doing something to his teeth. Then his tongue was pulled to fit his now longer mouth. The small dragon buzzed around watching and giggling. "Why are you doing dis?" Hank managed to get out when his mouth was released. His long tongue and mouth made it harder to talk. The dragon flew up to Hank's face. "I'm not doing anything. He is." Hank growled and struggled against the unseen force. It was squeezing him tighter, and then it would relax some. However, it continued to retain its grasp on Hank. His clothes were ripped off of him and thrown to the side. He saw his body bend and bulge under the pressure, but it did not hurt. His torso was stretched toward the ground, which caused his legs to get shorter and stockier. He managed to get an arm loose from the restraint, but it was instantly seized and reshaped. His hands now only had four fingers with large claws. He also felt a tug at the base of his spine. His bones allowed for the new force and a short thick tail formed. He felt something make horizontal scratches running down his chest and to the tip of the tail. The skin between the scratches turned hard, leathery and yellow. Just as sudden as the force grabbed him, it let go. Hank fell to the ground and caught his breath. He raised himself up with his new arms and look up at the small dragon. It was happily buzzing about and swooped down to Hank. "You do have a huge spark. Not many have made it this far." "What are you dalking about?" Hank asked still not completely used to his deformed mouth. "The spark you have in you," the dragon said. "He is guiding you to use it." "WHO?" Hank yelled and then froze. Behind the small dragon he noticed something. It was barely there. He could see straight through it. It was like a faint blue mist, but it was a mist that was in the shape of a dragon. It was a dragon big enough to hold Hank in its claws. That was precisely what it did next. The misty dragon bent down and scooped up Hank. Hank was too terrified and to confused to move. The dragon was not made of mist. It was as solid as the rock Hank was sitting on earlier. The large dragon moved its large head around the hand Hank was in and looked over the misshapen human. "How do you feel?" it boomed. Hank stared into the huge translucent eyes for a moment. Finally he got up enough nerves to speak. "Confused. What's going on? Who are you? Why...?" The large dragon chuckled a rumbling laugh. "You are curious. All your questions will be answered in time. But first, let me introduce myself. I am Garslog, the High Dragon. And you have a great gift." "Gift?" "Patience, little one. I am letting you rest before we continue. You have a spark. The spark is calling to be let out. It woke me up after thousands of years." Hank nodded. "And this spark is why I look like this?" Garslog chuckled again. "No. No. I made you look like that. The spark in you will not fulfill its destiny if you remained a human. That is why I am making you what you were meant to be." "Uh huh. If I were meant to look like this, then I should have been born like...." "You were not meant to be like you are now. You are meant to be a dragon." The small dragon buzzed around Hank's head. "You will be welcome, Brother." Hank raised his hand and held up what used to be his finger. "But what if...." "If you do not want to be a dragon?" Garslog finished the question for him. The small dragon flew closer. "You don't want to be a dragon?" Garslog chuckled. "If you do not want to be a dragon, then I will leave you here. I will not be able to change you back to human though. Your spark is too powerful." "So, you trapped me into being a dragon by changing me this far. I thought dragons...." "Did you see me before you changed? Did you hear me? No." The transparent eyes scowled. "Only dragons can see me. Since I changed you part way, you can begin to see me." The small dragon circled Hanks head. "Be a dragon, Brother. You are one at heart." Hank remained silent. "I must tell you that if you chose to be a dragon, you will be one of the few remaining. There is only this tiny dragon here and myself. I have been dormant for far too long. You will be the first to help bring humans and dragons together." Hank looked at the small dragon happily buzzing about and then the large dragon staring at him intently. He had always had an affinity for dragons. He never knew they existed. He especially never knew he could be one. Finally he said, "I will be a dra...." "Perfect!" Garslog clinched Hank in his claws and opened his mouth again. He reached in with a long sharp claw and shifted something. When he pulled out his claw, Hank got an itching in his nose. Achooo! Hank sneezed. A stream of fire erupted from his mouth and nostrils. Even though he knew he was going to be a dragon, Hank stared at the tip of his nose in surprise. Garslog grinned and began reshaping the rest of Hank. As before, the changes didn't hurt, but Hank could actually see the hands reforming him this time. Finally Garslog finished. Hank's body was still human sized, but his neck made him about ten feet tall. A large pair of wings opened up behind him and his tail was now longer than his neck. Green scales covered his body except for his underbelly, which was yellow. Hank looked up at Garslog. The large dragon was not transparent anymore. "There you go. Give your wings a shot." Garslog said and then tossed Hank into the air. Hank fumbled and plummeted to the ground. Just before impact, he managed to spread his wings out and swooped into the air. He flew around Garslog's head. "Thank you. I did not know what I was missing. I feel like this is my true self." "And it is. It is your true self." Garslog grinned. The small dragon few next to Hank. "I knew you would like it, Brother. I knew you were a dragon." Hank grinned and said, "I am glad I am." Garslog watched the new dragon flying around. "You are still young, little one. I will help you grow and learn the dragon ways. In a few hundred years, you can be on your own. Before then, we may find more humans with the same spark you have. I will need your help with them." Hank landed clumsily near Garslog's feet. "I will be glad to help." Hank bowed. "Excellent. Now, let us find a new cave to settle. Then we can get started." Garslog took to the air. The tiny dragon followed. Hank looked around the valley one last time from ground level and then flew after his fellow dragons.