The tower stood tall in the clearing of the forest, which itself was oddly still, and too artifical to be a mere meadow. Melvin did not want to run back into the forest, potentially encountering the bloodthristy witchhunters. He knew their intentions, and they were painted with a long history of bloodshed and hatred for those who possessed magic. The dragon's intentions, at least, were currently unknown.

"Are you alright, little one?", the dragon spoke, though her voice and tone was a bit more kindly and gentle than Melvin had expected.

Melvin could not speak, still a just a tad too frightened.

"Oh." the dragon sighed, in such a way that sounded less frustrated with Melvin and more embarressed at herself.

The dragons wings fluttered about, and seemingly retracted, a morphing of form that resulted in a different one entirely... almost.

Her new form, while humanoid and reptilian, was not quite that of the lizard-folk that Melvin had been a bit more familiar with. She retained her horns and wings, and the shimmering obsidian of her scales, though the muscularture of her more beastly form was now abstracted by softer, rounder curves. She was quite a bit closer to Melvins size now, and stood before him, though she did still tower over him a bit. Still, he his heart begin to palpitate more slowly. The placement of her large, scaly hand put him to ease, and when she gave him a warm smile, he followed with his own.

"My name Zalthra.", she said hushly, "Are you alright, friend?"

"Uh... yes", Melvin said, "thank you."

She cocked her head to one side, "For what?"

"Just uhhh... I'm not sure. Just for the... bit of kindness, I guess."

Zulthra let out the sort of bubbly chuckle one might give to a bushel of kittens. "You'll have to forgive me, I forget how my unfettered form can come across to smaller folk.", She said, and then leaned down to get her face closer to his, her hands planted vertically on her thighs, as a look of deep empathy struck Melvin from her peircing green eyes, "I hope I didn't frighten you.", she said with no small amount genuine concern.

"I was already freightened."

"How come?"

Melvin sighed, more out of exhuastion than anything. "The witchhunters chasing me, among other things."

Zalthra twitched up. A shift in her demenor arose from her previous calmness, like the mere word had set something off in her. "Witchhunters?!", she yelped.

"Yea-", she swooped Melvin off his feet, rushing him into the tower. She skittered up the stairs with Melvin in arms.