The Unstoppable Terror

      I was once powerful...
      I once inspired terror in all who beheld me...
      I was once.. unstoppable.
     
      In my own world I was a black dragon, living in bliss deep within my swamp. For a long time my life was simple, hunting and guarding my territory from anyone who dared to enter it. I never interfered with the actions of mortals for I knew I would know no peace if I ever did. But I was master of my own domain. Any mortal that entered my swamp had entered my clutches, and I disposed of them quickly, without mercy.
     
      Sparing a single mortal would spread word of my existence and I would be hunted day after day. My power and my riches would be greatly desired, yet no mortal would take these from me so long as I drew breath. But I knew I could never hide forever, eventually other mortals would search for those that I had slain and find me.
     
      Eventually that's exactly what happened...
     
      One day a mortal boy had escaped my wrath, fleeing while I slaughtered the rest of his search party. I knew more would come after that, but I would not give up my home for any mortal.
     
      Let them come. They would learn to fear my fang and claw, and the ground of my swamp would run red with their blood.
     
      In the years to follow I slew countless adventurers, countless would be 'heroes',  I ended countless lives to defend my swamp, my land, my home. Eventually, fewer and fewer attemped the task to slay me. I was victorious! No man or beast dared to cross my path, and those who did offered everything they had to be spared. Some of these bargans I accepted if only to spread the word about my power. For many long years my life was simple again, until the day the mortals conspired against me!
     
      An army had shown up near the edge of my swamp, they entered my swamp, discovered my lair, and attacked me. But mere mortal men were no match for my incredible might. And so  after taking horrific losses, the pitiful creatures ran. They ran all the way back to the edge of the swamp.
     
      This was it. I was done.
     
      I was going to make sure this time that all mortals would fear my power as I ended this pitiful assault on my life. None would leave this place alive!
     
      I followed the survivors to the edge of my swamp where they stood their ground. Blinded by my rage I failed to notice their trap until I walked straight into it...
     
      How did I not see?!
     
      A circle of powerful mages were chanting just outside the edge of my swamp casting a spell I did not recognize. The army of men in between me and the casters was vast, even for me, and the mortals began to surround me. Their weapons were as the pinpricks of needles, but they did impede my progress. In the edge of my swamp I had little room to spread my wings so flight would be near impossible. trees and foliage blocked my path, and the water was nowhere near deep enough to dive. My only option was to charge through to the casters before they finished their strange spell. I ripped and tore everything in front of me, in order to get closer to the magi. Finally I was in range, and I lowered my great neck to show them the power of dragonkind. I belched forth a great wave of acid from the center of my being, and the mortals screamed as flesh and bone was burnt through and melted to mush. I slaughtered over half of the spellcasters in one fell swoop! I believed the threat to be over then and there, but to my dismay, I was too late. The spell had been completed and I was enveloped in a bright light...
     
      I awoke at the edge of a river, dazed and confused. I looked around for my home but saw only open field and mountains for miles. I grew furious; I had been robbed of my land, my home! I took flight to attempt to gain an idea of where I was, but I had never seen the land before. My rage intensified, I had lost everything! I spotted a small mortal settlement and decided to release some of my rage, and laid waste to the small town. I saw some odd mortals that I had never seen before, but it made no difference to me in my fury. I left the town is a smoldering heap and wandered in search of a new home...
     
      Then, a feminine voice entered my head.
     
      "Heh. Another overgrown lizard that enters my world, and thinks he's a big shot." The voice echoed in my head. I frantically searched around myself for the source, but saw nothing but the ruined town.
     
      "Let me show you who the REAL big shot around here is."
     
      Again the voice echoed. I suddenly felt odd, my body was burning and the world around me seemed to be growing. I soon realized I was shrinking and my body was changing, my wings began to disappear, my horns were shrinking, my claws were turning...into hands! Mortal hands! Soon it was over and I sat kneeling in front of the river staring in horror and disbelief at my new body...I looked like a mortal except with some black scales still remaining and my horns and tail still attached although they were significantly reduced in size, I had grown hair, jet black hair, and I had lost my wings!
     
      "Not so big now, are we?" The voice taunted. I felt so weak, so powerless. What kind of power could've done this!
     
      "Now to do to you what I do to all of your kind." As the words entered my head the world around me vanished and I ended up in a strange chamber. The heat was intense and I soon found out why. I peered over a ledge to see a pool of molten rock and the ceiling had a large hole, open to a starry night sky.
     
      I was inside the heart of a volcano, with no idea how I got there or why.
     
      Soon both my questions were answered. The lava began to bubble and something began to rise out of it. A colossal draconic head burst from the magma the skin itself seeming like lava, the face riddled with spines leading down the neck and into the lava, its eyes seemed to be lit ablaze and it gave off a frightful presence. I had already felt weak in my new body, but just gazing at the figure before me made me feel numb all over. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I could barely even breathe...I had never seen such a creature before, and I wish I never had...
     
      "Ah...another gift from Miotisea." The beast spoke; its voice boomed and echoed throughout the cavern. A little courage had returned to me upon hearing those words.
      I began to express my dissatisfaction with the situation when the beast spoke again.
     
      "Silence! You belong to me now. Anything I ask of you, you must obey. Do so and you will live a full life. Disobey me and you will suffer!" the beast roared. I once again grew furious.
     
      "I am no Slave!" I yelled in rage." I am Fal Denthanos the Unstoppable Terr-" I was suddenly cut off, unbearable pain surged throughout my body, my insides felt as if they were aflame with the fires of oblivion, my lungs drew no breath, my legs collapsed underneath me and I fell to the ground.
     
      "You are nothing! Your life is in my talons and that is where it will stay until your life is extinguished!" Its voice roared louder than before. The pain subsided and I laid there humiliated, disgraced, and for the first time in my entire life, absolutely powerless. In one day, I had lost everything I had. My home, my pride, my power, and now I was losing my freedom as well.
     
      Slowly, painfully, I rose to my feet again. My body wouldn't stop shaking from the aftershocks of the vast pain I had just received.
     
      "Now, go into the caverns behind you, until I have a task for you." it said as it began to descend back into the magma. I had no say, no choice, and no will left to fight back...I slowly dragged myself to the tunnel behind me and followed it down into another cavern. I found myself in a large cave with smaller caverns carved in the rock that seemed to be for living. People roamed the caverns, people like me who looked like the mortals, but still had dragon-like features. Some still retained their wings and could be seen flying above.
     
      I suddenly yearned to join them, to conquer the air itself and float astride the winds, and my sense of loss grew even greater as I realized I was now as earthbound as any lesser creature.
     
      Two guards stood next to me. The one to the right of me had red scales, red hair, and still retained his wings, although they were also reduced in size, he wore red armor and wielded a large spear. The other had gold scales, blonde hair, he had no wings, he wore golden full plate and he wielded a golden sword and shield.
     
      "Looks like your meeting didn't go well friend." the man with the red hair spoke. The golden man only stared at me almost with hatred in his eyes.
     
      "I...I am no friend of yours!" I said to him.
     
      "It would be a wise idea to shed such hatred. We are all cursed here and if you plan to survive in this world you'll need all the friends you can get. Come follow me." The red haired man said as he began to walk away. Reluctantly I followed. As we walked he began to explain some things to me.
     
      "We are known as the dragonnes, dragons cursed by the witch Miotisea who rules this realm. Some of us, like myself were born dragonne, but this does not spare us from the power the Hellfire Wyrm has over us. Like normal dragons, chromatic and metallic dragonnes don't get along very well, but we have no choice but to live here side by side. Most dragonnes of the same colors live in the same areas of the caverns to avoid conflict as much as possible. We are free to live as we choose, as long as we obey the Hellfire Wyrm. I was born into this life so I have no idea what you could possibly be going through, but you still have your life. Be thankful for that."
     
      I could not respond, only listen. I had been through hell in a day and it made me wish my life was taken... any realm my soul would journey too had to be better than this hell.
     
      We arrived in a small cavern that would be my new home. it was small, dark and empty. The red dragonne took off back to his post without a word and I collapsed in the small cave I was to now call home...The images of the day's events ran through my head over and over again taunting me, mocking me! Something inside me snapped.
     
      I will not accept this! I will do what ever it takes to gain back what was robbed from me this day.
     
      The mortals that banished me to this world, the Hellfire Wyrm who controls me now, the witch who cursed me...I will have my vengeance on them all! I am Fal Denthanos! I am the Unstoppable Terror!
     
      And I WILL have my revenge!