Sigma AU Origins: The Dragoness, Pt. 2

    Zola's mind swirled with fragmented thoughts as she lay unconscious on the cold, hard pavement of the city alleyway. The cacophony of sounds and the alien scents from the surface world had overwhelmed her senses. She awoke slowly, the noise of the bustling city filtering into her awareness like a distant, persistent hum. The ground beneath her was unforgiving, and she pushed herself up on shaky arms, her unfamiliar humanlike body protesting with every movement.

    Her head throbbed where it had met the ground, and she instinctively reached up to touch it, feeling the smooth scales beneath her fingers. Slowly, she regained her bearings, the disorientation from her sudden transition between worlds still lingering. The alleyway around her was littered with debris and refuse, the stench of decay mixing with the scents of food and humanity. It was a stark contrast to the fiery, sulfurous atmosphere of her former domain.

    Zola stood up on unsteady legs, her body awkward and foreign to her. She still retained her wings and scales, the duality of her new form both fascinating and disconcerting. As she stumbled forward, her mind raced with questions. What kind of world was this? The buildings towered above her, their surfaces gleaming with a mix of grime and technology. She could hear the distant roar of machines, unlike any she'd ever encountered. The air was thick with pollution and the acrid smell of industry, making her nostrils flare in distaste.
    Her steps were hesitant as she navigated the narrow alleyway, her wings brushing against the walls. She paused at the edge, peering out at the busy street beyond. Humans bustled past, their faces a blur of expressions, each one absorbed in their own world. Zola felt a pang of loneliness and alienation. These beings, so different from her, yet somehow connected by the world they inhabited.

    Drawing a deep breath, she concentrated on her latent magic. She knew her true form couldn't be seen by anyone; the reactions would be unpredictable and possibly dangerous. She focused, weaving an illusion around herself, altering her appearance to blend in with the humans. It was a strain, her magic flickering as it settled over her like a veil. She felt her scales smooth out into human skin, her wings retracting and her horns disappearing. Her body shifted, conforming to the image of an ordinary woman. She was still tall and imposing, but no longer immediately recognizable as a dragoness.

    Stepping out of the alleyway, Zola's senses were assaulted by the noise and activity of the city. Vehicles roared past, their forms sleek and advanced. The streets were lined with neon signs and digital advertisements, the bright colors and flashing lights overwhelming. She stumbled slightly, her head spinning from the sensory overload. Her disguise held, but she could feel the fatigue creeping in, the strain on her magic growing with every passing moment.

    She tried to move with purpose, blending into the flow of pedestrians. Her eyes darted around, taking in the sights and sounds. She felt the press of bodies around her, the strange energy of the city making her uneasy. Her mind struggled to process the information, comparing it to her old life. The villages she had terrorized were simple, primitive. This place was a hive of activity, technology and progress intertwined in ways she couldn't fully grasp.

    As she walked, she felt the drain on her magic intensify. Her steps faltered, and she stumbled again, bumping into a passerby. The man turned, his eyes widening as he took in her appearance. She could see the shock in his expression, the disbelief. Her disguise was slipping, the strain too much to maintain. She felt a surge of panic, her heart pounding in her chest.

    "Are you alright?" the man asked, his voice filled with concern. Zola struggled to respond, her mind racing. She tried to hold onto her illusion, but it flickered, her scales briefly visible beneath the surface. The man's eyes widened further, his mouth opening in a gasp. Zola's heart sank; she had failed to maintain her disguise.

    The man's reaction was swift. He stumbled back, pointing and shouting, drawing the attention of others. Panic surged through Zola, her thoughts a chaotic whirl. She had to get away, to find a place to hide. She pushed past the man, ignoring his shouts, her wings flaring briefly as she ran. The crowd around her parted, people staring in shock and confusion.

    Zola's mind was a storm of thoughts and emotions. She had to find a way to survive in this strange new world, to understand it and adapt. The loss of her former power and the unfamiliarity of her new form weighed heavily on her. But she was determined to find her place, to navigate this new existence with the same strength and resilience she had always possessed.

Sigma AU Origins: The Dragoness, Pt. 1

     As a dragoness, Zola didn't have to worry much about anything. She had a huge hoard of gold, could burn down any village she wanted to threaten the nearby kingdom, and she could best any males in combat if she so wished given her size.

    All of that changed, one day. One moment she was sleeping on her pile of gold having dreams about tormenting a small settlement, and the next moment she was tumbling through the stars, unable to find the right side up.

    She felt cold. The floor was cold. The air was cold. She was cold. No good for a dragon, naturally. Zola opened her eyes and was greeted with unfamiliar surroundings. No longer was she sleeping in her cave, but she was on a flat, hard stone floor surrounded by snaking tubes. The smell of fire and ozone from electricity, like a lightning strike, permeated her nostrils. She also smelt burning flesh and hair, the scent rousing her quickly.

    Zola stood up. Two legs? Not four? Hmmm, why so close to the ground? As she came to, she realized that she was no longer a large, powerful quadrupedal dragoness. She looked her own form over, she was small, walked on two legs, and had hands. Hands! She could hold things! Just like the humans she terrorized!

    She still had wings, and her body was still covered in various types of scales, both red and black. But now, she had a more humanoid shape, along with the bumps on her chest that female humans had on theirs. She could still see her muzzle in her peripheral vision, and feel the weight of her horns on her head. But she was so small. It made her uncomfortable.

    Once Zola got her self-bearings and felt more grounded, she turned her attention to her surroundings. The mess of scraps she woke up in was just metal and wires. Sparks came from places all over. This looked like one of the laboratories the humans spoke of, but somehow, much more advanced. Did she move forward in time? There were always human wizards messing with temporal magic, but she knew deep down that none of them were powerful enough to overcome her own safeguards to send her forth.

    Perhaps, something else had happened. She decided to investigate her surroundings more closely, despite the smoke and the sounds of electric arcs. Zola was no fool, she was very aware that she was no longer in her home universe, be it sent forward in time or transported to a new one. She seemed to be in a lab of some sort, but far beyond the technology she was used to. As much as she tried to stay calm, the thoughts of losing everything she had lived for battered her mind incessantly.

    Maybe she deserved to lose, or maybe she was gifted a chance to start over. As she padded around the lab barefoot, crunching metal beneath her, her mind wanted to wander in all sorts of directions. Why was she thinking this way? Was her mind altered the same way as her body? What were these symmetrical lumps on her chest? Why did her nether region feel so strange? Why did she want to partner with a male rather than fight one? She loved showing her strength and dominance over the male dragons, but now she wanted to submit to them.

    Many thoughts like this distracted her as she wandered. Then, she stumbled upon a human body, charred and misshapen, as if hit by a fireball. Something caused all of this destruction: quite possibly Zola's own arrival. In the hand of the body was a leather bound journal. In the other was a writing implement. She picked it up and dusted it off, noting the blood splatters and the scent of blood on the journal. All of the runes were foreign to her, but she held the journal anyways.

    Zola kept wandering the laboratory,  searching for an exit. She began to feel a feeling in her stomach and chest. Her heart began to beat faster. Her breathing sped up. She felt as though she might not be getting enough air. It was almost like she had butterflies in her chest, a sort of pressure feeling like it wanted to escape.

    She frantically started jogging, going through doorways. On one of the walls she saw a sign, a human running up stairs and an arrow pointing up. There were also runes, but she couldn't read them. Heading that direction, the anxious feeling only grew. She reached the stair well and started running up them two at a time, flapping her wings to give her more speed. Flight after flight of stairs passed, until she began to detect scents from the surface. The unmistakable stench of humans and human filth, food she had never eaten before, lots of small animals, ozone, smoke tinged with acridity and punge.

    Sounds she never heard before also began to enter her ear holes; rubber on some kind of stone, mechanical machines, an artificial roaring, people talking and yelling. Finally, with one last wing stroke, she burst out of a heavy metal door and spilled out into the world above. The brightness of the sky temporarily blinded her, and she tripped on something. There was a metallic clang as her head hit the ground, and everything turned dark.