Charnabeth roared in both surprise and ecstasy as her first egg was pushed from her body. Then, even as the first orb lay steaming in the bright sun, she felt another egg coming. A small part of her felt rather embarrassed about performing such a personal act in front of thousands. Beside, she had never considered herself the motherly type, but it seemed that her new instincts would not give her much of a choice.
Fortunately, this first batch wouldn’t result in any offspring, since she had yet to mate. Instead, it would be instrumental in a different sort of birth, or rebirth. By the time Charnabeth finished, a whole pile of eggs now sat on the balcony, her first clutch. All at once, they started to glow and float up in the air.
Off to the side, the royal family stared at the levitating formation of eggs, too stunned even to retreat. Thus, they were the closest in proximity when the eggs exploded, sending out a shockwave of magic that enveloped the whole castle, the gawking crowd, and the surrounding city. After the wave passed, people frantically surveyed the damage but saw nothing amiss.
Then, it happened.
King Garon clutched his head and shouted. No, roared! His eyes whirled as his pupils became reptilian slits even as hair dropped from his skin in favor of deep bronze scales.
At his side, Queen Bella backed away from him in shock but soon began to convulse as well. Prince Ander, Princess Galla, and Prince Palador also staggered, succumbing to the magic that Charnabeth had triggered.
Meanwhile, the king bent over as wings sprouted from his back, fanning wide on long, muscular limbs. With a growl, he leapt into the sky, beating the air to soar above his gathered subjects. Now free from the confines of the balcony, his body stretched out and gained more mass, tearing out of his rich robes in a shower of silk, gems, and a lone forgotten crown. Shoulders caved in as his arms became forelegs, his fingers spreading into wicked claws. While thighs and calves adjusted for a quadruped stance, his feet elongated into a third leg section, toes soon matching his fingers as dexterous talons. Human genitals withdrew into a newly formed sheath, reconfiguring into something more befitting of a legendary beast.
Then, like a piece of clay pulled from both ends, his neck and tail grew out at the same time, each becoming long and serpentine. Human facial features melted into a lengthening muzzle, and a crest of horns crowned his skull. In the end, the king was replaced by a massive dragon that circled the sky, roaring out in feral triumph.
Behind him, Queen Belle had undergone a similar transition, becoming a gleaming purple dragoness with an impressive row of tall spines running down her back to the base of her undulating tail. Echoing her former husband’s roar, she flew behind him, sharing the same updraft. She was delicate, streamlined, and quite smaller than the king or even Charnabeth who almost matched him in size. After all, she was no alpha female. Not anymore.
Within moments, three slender shapes darted up to join the dragon couple, shimmering in the sun. They were, of course, Ander, Galla, and Palador. Thanks to Queen Beth’s tampering, they had all become dragonesses, lovely and radiant like their mother. Princess Galla had returned to her golden-scaled form, and she took to her flying abilities like a natural. Next to her, Ander sported a deep magenta coloration with a pattern of violet stripes down to her spaded tail. The ruby red shape of Palador took up the rear, her sapphire blue eyes fastened on her mother.
Down below, Charnabeth watched the royal family perform their maiden flight with much satisfaction. This was only the beginning.
Sure enough, the town square erupted into thousands of roars as the local population followed their leader into dragonhood.