"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT, JOHN. WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME?"
John winced at her sudden assault, far too tired to deal with this kind of shit. Sister Agatha never missed an opportunity to abuse him, probably envious that he had actually succeeded in becoming a knight. She was only a few years older than he and already an insufferable hag. Failing her qualifications sent her into a spiral of depression and misanthropy never seen before in a woman under thirty. Had she not become such a spiteful bitch, she may well have been an excellent wife, or at least a favored bed-mate of the other knights.
Seemingly in spite of her calling, she was intoxicatingly beautiful. The white robes of her order barely disguised her almost-matronly form, hanging like sheets over her voluptuous bosom and yet still hugging pleasantly her wide hips. Unlike most of her sisters, she elected to leave her head uncovered. Well-tanned skin and lustrous black hair contrasted nicely with the bleached white of her robe. If forced to part with her vestments, she could easily be mistaken for a high-class courtesan rather than a clergywoman, much less a knight.
Abusive as she was, she probably had a point this time. With a sigh, he excused himself to get cleaned up before what was bound to be a long and uncomfortable conversation. With unpracticed talons, he began ripping the bits of torn plate armor from around his legs and shoulders, impressed at their craftsmanship -- not that he would need be patronizing their maker anytime soon. John regarded his new armor -- his very own shining brass scales -- as he did his best to wipe off the thick crust of dried semen that coated his limbs and belly. He paid careful attention to avoid his half-engorged and incredibly sore member. Trained to fear their breath, bite, and claw, John never knew that the true terror of dragons was their sex drive. How dragon kind had not completely overrun the world in their spawn he would never know.
Content with his relative presentability, he returned to find an uncharacteristically patient Agatha waiting for him near their fire. She regarded him with genuine interest and concern and more than a little bit of something he could not quite place. To his surprise, she waited patiently as he struggled to lower himself to a more comfortable position, unsure how exactly one sits with so many limbs. Perhaps he should have studied anatomy a bit better. With a deep inhale, the dragon launched into his story.
The morning before had been a tense one, the long preparation time not making the delicate art of throwing yourself at a dragon four times your size any more appealing. John rose before Agatha, intent on having a trophy to wipe the smug off her face before he had to see it again. Donning plate armor was not designed to be a one-man task, though the prospect of needing to ask her for help was enough of a motivator. The soft light of the rising sun illuminated the vast desert. With any luck, he would be underground during the hottest part of the day, inspecting and sorting his spoils. Polished up and ready for ass-kicking, John began the trek to the dragon's lair.
Twenty paces away, he slipped into the cliff face and into a narrow path through the stone. Hiding is pretty much impossible in the desert, so it seemed advantageous to set up camp as close to the target as possible. Agatha raised an objection to camping immediately outside of a dragon's lair, but John carried the tent and most of the water. Blue dragons weren't likely to attack them in their sleep anyway, probably curious who would approach so brazenly. Scarcely a minute into his journey, the narrow passage opened into a grand chamber. The darkness of the cave did little to hide the shining mound of gold that dominated the room. No more than a head shorter than he and easily forty paces across, it was certainly the greatest treasure he had ever seen. For such a young dragon to have accumulated a horde this size, his target must be quite the upstart. Speaking of which, where was it?
Coins ran down the mountain of gold like an avalanche as a massive figure rose from the horde. Twenty feet from shoulder to hip and nearly twice that in tail, the dragon was a sight to behold. Thick, spin-covered scales did little to hide the mounds of taught muscles underneath. Its hide was a rich blue that faded to parchment on its belly and wings. An enormous, spined head turned to face him, the single bifurcated horn between its eyes stealing the knight's gaze. Slowly, its maw opened, revealing row after row of canines, the mouth of an apex predator. To his surprise, the dragon spoke.
"I have been here scarcely a month and already men seek my head? I must have made quite the stir."
Her voice, while powerful, was distinctly feminine and surprisingly placid. Not a hint of violence seeped into her voice, as if she was entirely disinterested in fighting. John, prepared for a fight to the death, faltered as he appraised the situation. She was too far for him to attack: he would surely be struck by her breath before he could come to grips, putting him at a distinct disadvantage. If he wanted to stand a chance, he would have to get much closer. He approached cautiously, intimately familiar with the trickery of chromatic dragons.
"My name is Sir John and I have come to pass judgment on you in the name of Saint Cuthbert. Your reign of terror ends here."
His advance was halted as a deep rumbling came from the center of the cave. Fearing that the cavern would collapse, the knight raised his shield while searching for the source of the sound. It grew louder and louder until if finally occurred to him: she was laughing. Furious, he pulled himself upright and puffed out his chest.
"I want to see you try to laugh without a head, dragon."
Her entire body trembled as she laughed without restraint.
"Do you really believe you could defeat me? Men with twice your skill have fallen to my claws. Fine, then. Come at me. I will not even defend myself. If you want my head so badly, take it. Aim right here, the scales are thinner and no bone will block your blade. Come now, I do not have all day."
What a bitch. If that was how it was going to be, so be it. He would teach her not to underestimate him. Or not, because she would be dead. It would make a nice story, though. Legs pumping, he ran at her with all he had, grasping his sword in both hands. With a shout, he drove his sword straight into her throat. His blade pierced her hide without resistance, driving through to the hilt. With a hacking cleave, he drew his sword straight across the length of her neck. Blood flowed in thick spurts from her severed neck, rivers of her life spilling on the ground and -- wait, where was the blood going? With an agonized sigh, he turned just in time to see a huge claw impact him straight in the chest, throwing him a good thirty feet into a wall.
"If you are going to fall for such simple tricks, this fight will not last very long. How does this sound? I will turn you into a dragon so that we can fight on equal terms. Killing a man as pathetic as you would hardly be entertaining."
Oh, shit. John recovered just in time to see the scroll in her claws disappear in a flash of colorful flame. Moments later, agony wracked his body as the spell struck home. Bones shifted, growing and twisting under the not-so-gentle had of transmutation magic. His knees twisted backwards as thick, bony talons erupted from his fingers. Skin turned brown as it stretched and hardened into thick scales. His armor screamed in protest as it shredded, bits of his once-glorious plate armor stretched past bursting over his new frame. Even as his body twisted into its new form, his senses sharpened far past those of an ordinary human. He could feel everything around him even with his eyes shut and hear the every breath of his draconic foe. Were it not for the incredible pain, he could have come to appreciate his new form. Strength flowed through his limbs as his muscles bulged and strengthened. He felt the power and vanity of dragon kind as his body took shape. Soon the pain abated, leaving only the pleasant warmth of growth.
Before he knew it, he had grown large-enough to challenge the dragoness. His scales had brightened to a shining brass, thick and hardened for protection against all but the most powerful attacker. He stretched his new muscles, appreciating their strength and cat-like flexibility. Wings erupted from the ruined plate about his shoulders, their scaly membrane extending all the way to the tip of his spined tail. He felt stronger than he ever had before, certain that with his skill and this new form, he could easily slay the dragon. With a roar, he lunged at her throat, the strength of his new body apparent as he moved to deliver the killing blow -- and missed. Unused to his new bulk and strength, his body carried on without his mind, tripping up his feet and landing him in a pile on the floor.