If you haven’t guessed yet, I have an odd imagination. One slightly demented result is the blood dragon, the most feared member of the three dragonflights. All dragons refuel their innate magical abilities by “consuming life force”. Wild dragons and mage dragons hunt prey, typically devouring it whole, but blood dragons drain their victim’s blood, allowing them to leave victims alive.
“What are you talking about?” screamed Melody, a deep growl ripping from somewhere deep in her chest.
“We’re a blood dragon now,” the voice snapped. “I’m your ancestral memories. The one who turned us should be helping us, but right now I’m all we’ve got! So shut up and listen!”
She froze in shock as a vision of a tremendous creature with shining red, black, and purple scales popped into her head. The dragon spread its sail like wings and roared, spouting flames. She felt the beast inside of her at the same moment, straining, begging to be unleashed.
“No!” commanded the voice. “Not yet! Not here!” Melody subsided, her breath coming in great, heaving gasps as the voice continued. “Blood dragons don’t need to show their true form. You have all the strength you need as you are.”
“My throat,” she choked. “It hurts!”
“It’s the thirst,” said the voice. “We have to feed!”
*
Melody dropped the last wolf to the ground, wiping blood from her mouth as her fangs receded. She looked around at the four others, equal parts horrified and exhilarated. The wolf pack, once so terrifying as she followed her trapline, had been no match for her newfound strength and ferocity. It had been a simple thing to chase them down and drain them, their jaws not even scratching her skin in the few moments they had to fight.
“I killed them,” she panted, the thirst finally sated. “I drank their blood!”
“You’re a blood dragon now,” the voice said. “One of the three great dragonflights! As well as the most powerful vampires in the world!”
“Vampire?” she whimpered, sinking to her knees as she stared at the slaughtered wolves. “Blood dragon? No… no, no, no, this can’t be real….”
“It’s real,” snapped the voice, losing patience. “But our turning attracted attention! We should go, we’ve been out here too long already.”
Within the Endless Skies 