Wu Yifan soared across the endless dark waters of the ocean. He had no idea where he was going, he had no idea where he wanted to go, he had no idea what he wanted to do. What could he do? The world was obliterated by the war! There would hardly be a place on the planet, place of peace, a place where people didn’t fight amongst each other…

               His red eyes looked down towards the eerie waters and a single solitude island took his attention…a rock in the middle of the stormy sea. The dragon spread his wings a little bit more and circled the lonely isle. The sky rumbled and threw dim light on the wet surface; a few lonely trees, surrounded by grass, swayed in the hard wind.

               Kris landed on the island and gripped firmly the rock with his claws. What was he going to do now? What would he hope for…? He closed his eyes and tears melded with the rain on his scaly face…

               The dragon had no idea how much time had passed. Time seemed like it had stopped here, it seemed like it was rushing faster than anywhere else in the world, it seemed like it jumped in big leaps… When he opened his eyes he felt biting cold. A raging blizzard was howling dreadfully and was making the ocean angry, making its obscure waters sway heavily in the wind, crashing with fierce rage in the cliffs.

               Yifan lifted his head and smelled the air…smoke, cinders…ash. He huffed and a bright fireball puffed from his nostrils. He stood up on his four claws and looked around. He knew all too well what this was. A nuclear winter. The world was freezing; an ice age could move in…His heart prang from the thought. Countless animals and plants would perish forever, would be erased from existence. Kris took a deep breath and released a desperate bellowing roar.

               He looked around into the cold night, into the endless snowflakes and the tireless wind. Yifan spread his wings and lifted off again, heading back towards the dry land. He wanted to check, he wanted to look again…maybe there were survivors, maybe there was still hope. Kris soared above the clouds and silently glided through the cold night air as the storm was raging underneath him, fighting for dominance over the cold waters. The crescent moon was shining its cool light over the world; stars were twinkling high, far away.

               Kris descended under the blanket that covered the world and looked around; he could see the silhouette of the dry land in the distance. He sped up and soon neared it, ignoring the loud whistling wind and the biting cold. He soon approached the ruined city and landed on top of one of the abandoned skyscrapers. The dawn was nearing and more and more light broke through the thick clouds. His own sharp eyesight allowed him to peer even in the darkest places and the only thing that bothered him now was the falling snow.

               Everything was silent and still, much to his dismay. Everything was just icy and dark; he jumped off and landed on the street. He looked around; it was the place where he had ran into to hide. Frozen and ripped bodies covered everything around him. Most of them were charred beyond recognition but some still had horror in their frozen decaying flesh. Yifan slowly made his way along the street towards the place where he used to live. He felt sharp pain in his chest when he saw that the building wasn’t there anymore. Now it was only a pile of rubble.

               The dragon roared in despondency. Was everything truly lost? He no longer had a family, he no longer had friends…he no longer had anyone. He was all alone in this unforgiving world! There was no place to which he could go, no place which would have old memories, no place where he could call home, no place where he could be at peace…

               He took off and started circling the city, hoping to see someone, hoping to see a light…fire…to hear someone yelling, anything! But the hours passed slowly like trickling water without yielding anything. He spread his wings and flew away, back towards his rocky island.

               The blizzard was still roaring mercilessly and he plunged into the cold waters, looking around for food. He knew that he could never be a human again; his thick scales, his regeneration while being a dragon, his flight…made him stronger, made him invincible. But what was the point of life now? What could he ever hope to achieve…

               He propped his head above the water and took a deep breath before going into the dark depths in search for food. He knew one thing: if there were people still alive he had to be there for them. Even in this dark hour he found some hope, some light to cling on to…

               Time passed fast; days turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years…years into decades. Wu Yifan had made his new home on the bare island, with the several now lifeless trees on it. He hadn’t returned to the dry land for more time than he could remember. He was slowly losing himself in his routine life…slowly turning into a beast, his humanity gradually fading away…Until one day, when something unexpected happened.

               The dragon was laying on the rocks, under the warm sun, listening to the waves, as they cradled him to sleep. Scattered clouds crawled in the blue sky, hiding the sun every now and then. Suddenly a new sound came from somewhere. The dragon slowly craned his head and looked curiously. He huffed. It sounded familiar…like he had heard it before. He looked towards the source and saw…a bird. A small bird, which zapped around through the air, going for the island. It landed on one of the higher rocks and pranced around every now and then, singing its song. The dragon looked at it with withheld breath…so beautiful…so innocent.

               Kris tilted his head and memories slowly started coming back to him…of warm sunny summers under the sun, of flowers and trees, of blooming beauty and scents that tickled the senses. Of sounds of laughter, songs sung by friends… The dragon’s chest expanded as he stood up. Those memories lifted his spirits up, those memories made him recall everything. His eyes watered with joy and hope.

               He spread his majestic wings and took off, towards the continent. If there was a bird…there would be more. If there were more…this meant that people might still be alive too! He needed to check! He needed to see! He soared with unyielding determination and faith, that maybe, just maybe he would see someone alive!

               The land came into view, but it was not what he expected…it wasn’t green…it wasn’t lively…It was brown…dusty… Dead and dry trees covered the landscape and no grass grew anywhere. He held his breath as he hovered above the desecrated land. He looked towards Seoul and landed on the ruins once more. Now everything was different. Time had passed; the snow was long gone.

               He patiently flew over the city several times, landed and followed the streets, listening carefully for anything. He looked through every window on the street level, he left no rock unturned, he left no alley unchecked…the sun was leaning against the horizon and the dragon looked at it with worry.

               Kris looked around one last time and took off again, heading towards his homeland. Maybe there would be survivors there. Maybe he would be able to find someone there. As he went further and further away from the bombed capital city he started seeing living plants. Green patches of grass and trees. This warmed his heart and encouraged him to go on as he went further and further…

               He landed in the ruins of a city which he didn’t recognize. But it was not much different Seoul, it was barely covered with growth, debris were layering the road, dirt had piled; skyscrapers, leaning and tall, were grey and lifeless. Kris looked around and listened carefully; nothing but the howl of the wind through the abandoned settlement. He sighed and started transforming back into human. He clenched his teeth as the sensation was hardly the most pleasant one. His wings shrank bit by bit, his tail as well. His front claws shaped back into hands, his long crooked nails, taking their normal form.

               A few minutes later the boy was human again, propped on all four limbs, shivering from the sensation. He carefully stood up, leaning against a lamppost, trying not to fall. He had forgotten what it was like being human, what it was like to walk. He rubbed his temples and looked at himself. There were no scars from the fire, no marks on his bare body…

               Yifan’s eyes checked the surroundings; he needed clothes. He started walking towards the nearest shop, taking careful steps, trying to avoid anything that could cut him. He was vulnerable like this even though he always retained parts of his draconic characteristics.

               The boy peered through the broken door into the dark room. His dark eyes examined the space. Everything was there…the store hadn’t burned, it was just…forsaken. He went on along the road, looking at every shop. He found some shoes and slipped them on before going on with his hunt for clothes. Soon he found what he was looking for and walked in, trying not to step on broken glass. Most of the attires were eaten by moths but there were some intact, at the bottom of the piles or in sealed boxes.

               Kris happily took some out and started getting dressed. He found dark blue jeans, a once white shirt and an orange sweater with a high collar. He couldn’t find any undergarments here but he was more than happy with what he had. The boy pulled the orange collar over his nose and took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of new clothes. They were preserved through time; memories flooded him again. He looked around and his mind started working. It didn’t seem like he was going to die of age soon…if at all. What was he going to do with all this time? Maybe he should resume his quest to find other people? Maybe he should search endlessly? But when he finds them, then what? Would he be able to talk with them? How could he be of help?

               The blond boy looked at the clock on the wall; it had frozen in time, tilted on one side. Kris reached for it and took it down. He dragged is fingers along the smooth glass surface, enjoying the sensation. He missed the world so much. He longed for it. But it had changed. Changed so much that he could barely recognize it.

               Yifan placed the clock on one of the nearby stools and looked around. A thought had appeared in his head. What if he was to rebuild it? Rebuild all that was lost? He had the time…he had the strength. The boy started breathing faster as the idea was taking shape in his mind. He could use his island, it was big enough, it was safe enough, and it was far away enough from any harm! He would be able to build himself all that he needed; he would be able to learn; save for the future all the knowledge that there was! And when he found someone, he would be able to help them with his skill and abilities, he would teach them!

               He ran out and started going from a shop to a shop, gathering different items. Tools, clothes, books, even tiles and other seemingly worthless items. He needed to pack them up somehow so that he would be able to carry them back. He gathered as many sheets as he could and started sewing them together into a large bag. In it he started placing everything that he collected…

               Day in, day out, he flew between his island and this unknown city. He gathered information and resources and back in his new home, he started building. At first it was a small wooden shack, nailed together with old planks, barely holding itself in the wind. Within weeks it turned into a house, with a strong base from boulders, cemented together. Within months the house grew even more, getting filled with all sorts of peculiar items and gadgets that he found and made. He made a library, he made a bedroom, he made a living room, he made a bathroom.

               The dragon boy found carpets, many cloths made for tailoring; he found old machines and learned how to fix them. He read books, he learned languages, he learned how to grow crops, how to smelt glass, how to forge metals, how to find ores, how to build…He got entwined so deep in his new goal that time lost its meaning again.

               One morning he was standing on the veranda, looking into the rising sun, admiring the beauty before his eyes. He was holding a hot cup of chocolate, made from beans that he grew in his greenhouse. The dragon boy took a sip and placed the delicate cup on the wooden railing, made from many different pieces of wood, no two looking alike. He turned towards his wooden castle, as it gently creaked in the wind. The whole structure was like this. Everything in it was made from non-matching items, made from colourful wood and tiles gathered from the entire city. Carpets were hanging from the walls, were covering the floor and were placed on the ceiling. Paintings, dishes, photographs were hanging from the wooden walls. The colourful wood made it look surreal, magical. All the different contraptions in it made it creak every now and then as they span and did all sorts of tasks. Tall towers peered into the sky, with colourful flags waving in the wind.

               He had learned so much. He knew countless languages, he had read mountains of books, he knew how to build, how to craft, how to write and understand anything. He knew the world’s geography, he knew the creatures of old, he knew the plants of old, he understood physics, chemistry, ecology. He knew how to make a computer, he knew how to write codes for it, he knew how to sing, he knew how to draw, he knew how to play any instrument that he could find… The only thing that he never learned was using weapons. He feared them, he dreaded them.

               The golden-mane man walked in the wooden structure, pacing slowly along the thick carpet as the planks creaked underneath his feet. Kris placed the cup on a table that he had crafted, covered with elaborate symbols and delicate ornaments. He walked down a stair way and into a cave that he had found; into his greenhouse. Gigantic mirrors reflected light, carried it from outside in the moist and warm cavern. A small waterfall was spilling a thin curtain of water from the opening above; he had made a system of aqueducts, which gathered and stored the rain for the garden and for the entire castle.

               Yifan slowly walked down towards the flowers and leaned towards the beautiful roses. He took a deep breath, delighted with the soft aroma, which drugged his senses. He went on towards the small pond in which the water fell and looked at the decorative fish, swimming leisurely in it.

               He went on, further down through a cave that he had made himself. There was a long belt slung over many shafts, which moved fast, powering the weird contraptions inside the cave. Kris opened the door towards the large room and walked inside. His silky attire waved behind him from the different spinning fans and metallic gadgets. Several tesla coils were zapping electricity between each other. The dragon boy approached a table and leaned over it, looking at the metallic man that he had built. He pulled a loose cable out from the machine and gently tapped the iron head.

               The robot’s eyes beamed to life and it sat up with silent screeching noises. Kris took a step back and looked at the creation. It was made, just like everything in the castle, from scrap, from mismatching pieces of gear. It stood up and looked at the man.

               “Greetings.” It said with its mechanical voice. A huff of steam hissed from its neck.

               “Good morning, Jiquiren.” The man said and smiled, glad to see his friend fine.

               “Will you be going now, Kris?” The robot asked.

               “Yes. I want to go further this time, Jiquiren.” The blond man said and started walking back towards the castle, followed by the machine.

               “I hope that your quest is successful this time, Mr. Wu.” The man sighed.

               “No need to be formal with me, Jiquiren.”

               “My apologies.” The machine replied as it clang up the stairs. Kris flipped a switch and two gear wheels moved away from each other, powering down the belts. “I will look after the house, while you are gone, and will listen at the radio.”

               “This is what I was going to ask you to do in my absence.” Kris replied calmly and smiled at the machine.

               “Take care, Kris.” The machine said as they walked on the veranda. The man smiled and started stripping down, revealing his well-defined body to the sun’s rays. He packed the clothes in the backpack and transformed into a dragon within seconds. It no longer pained him and now it was a quick process. He had even learned how to do it partially, gaining his wings and a tail while being a human.

               The robot handed the bag to the dragon, hanging it on the claws of one of the paws. The elegant creature nodded his head and flew away towards the mainland on his never ending quest of finding someone. Soon enough he saw the ruined city and landed on one of the peers. He looked around sniffed the air. Nothing was unusual and he shifted back to being human. The boy dressed himself in his silk clothes and picked his bag, swinging it onto his shoulder. He reached the square where he had left a special note and some food, hoping that someone would see it…hoping that it would help. But the fresh fruits were still there.

               The boy sighed deeply and went on. He checked all the places but nothing had been touched. It saddened him as apparently not even animals came here. Maybe he was looking in the wrong place? He stripped again, packing his elegant attire and took off once more, heading further west than before. The world was no different there: a bare wasteland. It was a heavy burden on him, this quest. But he wasn’t going to give up just because he had no success. What if he found someone? What if there were people? What if they needed his help?

               He landed in the outskirts of another town and shaped shifted into a human. He dressed himself and started sauntering around, looking for useful items. He poked in different houses, shops, but there was nothing intact anywhere. He started gathering different items that he could use, long dead electronics, tools, mechanical contraptions, gears…A sudden noise attracted his attention and he halted, looking in the direction from where it came.

               “Is anyone there?” He asked with his smooth voice. No one responded.

               More rustling came from there. He approached the house carefully and looked inside. There was someone here. His heart started racing as he made his way into the building. He started shivering with anticipation and curiosity. He gently leaned against one of the doors, pressing his ear against it as the noise seemed to come from the other side. He listened carefully and suddenly the door crumbled and he fell forward on his face.

               He immediately jumped up and looked at whatever was making the noise. His face flinched when he saw the creature. It was not human, it had never been. It was a ghastly being that the boy had never seen before in his life. It had huge round eyes on his elongated face, long claws on his paws and brown fur covering it from tip to toes. It was eating something which was still bleeding. Kris took a step back and the beast bared its bloodied teeth, growling at the young man.

               It released a grisly hiss and suddenly its tongue sprang out, wrapping around Yifan’s wrist. The dragon boy yelped from this and pulled back, fighting against the creature. He grabbed the tongue with his other hand, trying to free himself from it and realized how sticky and repulsive it was. He let go immediately, disgusted by the sensation, which sent goosebumps down his spine. Kris looked at the horrific monster before his eyes. What on earth was that being?! It propped itself steadily and started lugging him with sudden and sharp turns of its head and body. But the dragon boy didn’t yield. He grabbed the wall with his other hand and pulled back, with his considerable strength. The creature let out a squirm of pain and its tongue snapped, flying out of its mouth and hitting the dragon boy in the face.

               Kris yelled and shook his head and took away the sticky muscle, throwing it aside, as he felt sick to the stomach from the unpleasant sensation. He saw as the beast jumped on him. He stretched his hand instinctively in an effort to protect himself and the beast sank its needle sharp teeth in the flesh. Kris yelled with pain and fell on his back. He punched the beast with his free hand. It squirmed again but didn’t let go. The fangs sank deep in his flesh and made him loose control a little bit and his hands started shapeshifting. He could feel how his shirt felt righter from the emerging wings.

               Yifan steeled himself and regained control. He punched the beast in the nose and it finally released, frantically running away from his opponent. Kris got up and ran outside, holding his arm and clenching his teeth. The pain was quite sharp and made him whimper. He took out a small bottle from his bag and popped it open. He took a small piece of cloth out from the backpack and poured some of the transparent liquid on it before taking a deep breath.

               The dragon boy placed the fabric on the bite wound and huffed with pain as the alcohol touched him. He gently rubbed the place, disinfecting it. He was sure that his natural healing was going to be enough, but he didn’t want to take any chances right now. What if the monster was diseased? He looked at the small puncture wounds as they slowly closed and his hand healed. He took a deep breath of relief and looked around again. He needed to take more care.

               He stripped down and took off again, flying low, looking at the different things in the town. But there was nothing special here at all. He went on further west into the badlands, hoping that he would soon come across someone.

               The hours passed faster than he wanted them to, nothing but barren wasteland was before the dragon. Kris was losing his hope again. He gritted his teeth and peered down. Movement caught his attention and he started spiralling towards the earth. He focused on whatever was moving and saw that it was a monster, just like the one he fought earlier. It was holding something in his mouth and it looked even more sickening.

               The dragon kept his low altitude and flew over a dried river. He had never gone so far…it was shocking how much the world had changed. This once lush land was now…barren and scorched under the sun. He could see the old rice terraces, parched. He saw several ruined houses and headed in their direction. He circled above them a few times, to make sure that there wasn’t anything hiding in the bushes before he landed. He looked around and peered through their collapsed roofs. Nothing. He spread his wings to fly off again and heard a blood-freezing screech.

               He turned his head in the direction, standing perfectly still. He knew that he was perhaps the most dangerous thing in the world now…but still he feared what could make such a dreadful noise. A nightmarish being hauled with its tentacles towards the dragon. The later took a few steps back as his eyes widened at the purplish monstrosity with hundreds of small black eyes on its head. It had eight long tentacles, which it used to move around, with and a large mouth, almost as big as its head. Its skin was gooey and lustrous. It hissed and screeched at the dragon, bashing threateningly.

               Kris didn’t need a second hint to take off. His heart was racing. He flapped his wings and lifted off as the other creature launched forward. It wrapped itself around the dragon’s foot and started climbing it. The flying serpent was terrified. Kris quickly started ascending towards the sky with sharp and sudden flaps, hoping that he would shake the horror off from his limb, but the beast didn’t fall. It reached his torso and started moving towards the head.

               The dragon plunged down and started making sudden and sharp moves, desperately trying to shake it off, but the being was just too strong and clung to the scales. It went up through the neck with fast moves and growling with it’s chilling voice. Yifan started flapping his wings frantically and they started going up again, towards the clouds. He wasn’t thinking what he was doing anymore; he was just fighting the small irritating hellish creation that was trying to take him down! It reached his head and he closed his eyes in fear. He felt as the strong tentacles tried to pierce through his lids and he roared in terror. He tried reaching it with his claws but he just couldn’t get it. He swung his tail as the creature started probing his nostrils and ears as well.

               He fiercely bashed it with his whip-like tail but there was no response from the ghastly creation. It just went on trying to blind him, to kill him! What manner of creature would dare tackle something unknown and significantly larger? He felt as several tentacles pressed against his teeth and with a great risk he opened his mouth and breathed out a large breath of fire, roaring as loud as he could in the process. The horrific creature screeched and loosened its grip. He shook his head but it still clung on. The dragon’s heart was racing faster than ever before.

               He had only one more thing that he could think of. Altitude. He started bashing vigorously with his wings as he felt the air getting thinner and colder. Even though he couldn’t see anything he knew that they were pretty high already. The purple beast hadn’t ceased its assault on the lids, but the scales protected the vulnerable eyes. He was shivering with fear. If this failed…it would all be over!

               Kris was feeling light headed from the thin air, but so was the creature; it loosened its grip again. The dragon smacked it with his tail again and it slid off. He opened his eyes and looked at it as it plummeted down. His heart skipped a beat as he saw how high he actually was. He was still flapping his wings energetically because of the wild adrenaline rush but he was barely moving…the air was too thin.

               He spread his black pinions and started falling too. He needed to rest for a moment, as his sight became blurry. The ground was so far away that he could see its curve! He gained speed and closed his eyes, listening to the whistling wind. He tried calming himself from the struggle and from the fear. He opened his eyes and looked down. The ground was much, much closer than he thought that it’d be. He panicked for a moment and tilted his wings, about a hundred meters before the ground. He quickly positioned his body horizontally, amazed at the velocity that he was soaring with. Trees zapped underneath him, smeared from the speed.

               With gentle movements of his now relaxed body he made long arching turns around the hills. He was thinking over what happened today…over the two beings that he came across, both trying to take his life. What manner of mind-sickening abominations were those? They didn’t look like anything that he knew from his human years. Sure, the last one reminded him of an octopus…but. He pondered for a moment. How much time had it actually passed? Could octopuses have evolved so much? And what other manner of beasts inhabited this world? Somehow it seemed even more distant to him now.

               The sun was leaning against the hills as he went further and further inland. The night slowly rolled across the mountains but the majestic dragon went on, looking for anything or anyone. The moon rose from the east and slowly crept in the starry sky. Yifan flew across another big town, with dark buildings towering towards the heavens. They looked like spears, some standing tall and proud, some leaning against each other. The skyscrapers were bare, all their windows shattered, wind blowing right through their hallow structure. This saddened the dragon and he went further and further.

               At around midnight, he spotted something, which amazed him…fire. Light! It  was coming from the ruins of a small town! He aimed for it and hovered without moving his wings, silent in an effort to remain undetected. Kris narrowed his eyes and peered towards the light. His heart started racing once more as he saw humans! Living people! There were three elder individuals and two small kids down there, in an old ruined, roofless building! He couldn’t believe it! He had finally found people! The civilization was not lost! The pure bliss and happiness that he experienced at that moment was greater than any other joy that he could recall! His quest had come to and end at last!

               These people were dressed, they had food, they had tools! This meant only one thing: there were more somewhere, probably near! But he couldn’t just land down on them. He needed to approach them with care, not to startle them. He didn’t want for them to flee in terror from seeing the dragon. Kris was sure that they were familiar with the small vicious monsters that he himself had come across. The sight of a winged beast, landing on them would surely scare them off.

               The dragon aimed at a clearing nearby and descended towards it. He landed silently, in what was once the town square; he perked his ears. The night was silent. No sounds came from anywhere and he looked around, just in case. Nothing was moving either. Yifan shape shifted back into a human and dressed himself in his silk clothes, ready to approach the others…

               NOTE: Leave a comment about what you think ^_^ I know that it is a bit of a scary-tale but I don't think it's too hard on that side xD

               Oh, and Marry Christmas ^_^