As Ty watched, the ring seemed to darken. Not only that, but the light in the room seemed diminished by the darkness of the ring's glow.
Ty jumped as someone thudded on the door. He walked nearer the door, and the ring became darker still. Ty knew that the reason for the change in the ring was behind that door.
"Let me in now, you little shit, and change me back!" Dustin called through the door.
Ty slipped the ring into his pocket, and opened the door. Dustin stood there with a snarl on his face. Just before Dustin lunged at him, Ty used his power, wanting Dustin to stop.
Dustin froze in mid-lunge, one leg suspended in midair, the other on the floor behind him. Dustin's eyes stayed on Ty as he moved around him, looking at him from all sides.
Ty allowed Dustin's head to move. "Why are you always so mean to me?"
"You little shit. Change me back, and let me go. You have no right to..." Ty made Dustin's mouth lock, and Dustin stopped mid-sentence.
Ty repeated the question, and then released his mouth again.
"Because if you weren't here, I'd get more things." Dustin glared at him again, and Ty was taken aback. He had not used the power to get that little confession. Of course, it was strange, because Dustin's parents treated him like royalty, and Ty like a servant. Even Ty's clothes were hand-me-downs, often torn or stretched already.
Ty decided that he needed a partner, someone who could help him with his task, but the darkness from the ring bothered him. He thought about the darkness, while Dustin hung in the strange pose.
Suddenly he understood. The ring glowed gold when a dragon was near, so it would glow black when someone who would be malevolent to dragons were near. Of course, the 'Light' could cure the darkness in Dustin.
Ty focused, and used the power. A softness appeared in Dustin's eyes, and his face changed from snarl to smile. He did not change Dustin's core being, but rather he shifted it into the 'Light', allowing goodness to suffuse his soul.
"How do you feel Dustin?"
"Much better, thanks Ty. I'm sorry for all those times I was mean to you. I don't know why I did it, I just felt compelled to do it." Dustin's answer satisfied Ty, and he knew that Dustin would be a great friend from then on.
"Now, I want to show you something." Ty released Dustin from his frozen pose, and Dustin staggered, and then fell onto the bed. Ty simply sat next to him, and pulled out the ring.
"I don't suppose you could change me back, could you?" Dustin asked, with a look in his eyes Ty had never seen before... could it be humility?
Ty acquiesced, and used the power once more. Dustin's body swelled back to its old shape, his body hair once more thick and dark. Dustin shifted his towel, and checked his manhood, keeping it hidden from Ty's view. Satisfied, Dustin looked at Ty and nodded.
Ty looked down at the ring, which now looked like an ordinary ring again, except for the faint golden glow. He showed the ring to Dustin.
"What does it do?" Dustin asked in a much gentler tone than Ty had ever heard from him before.
Ty proceeded to explain what had happened since he had awoken that morning, giving a lot of detail of the meeting with Nazara. Dustin listened attentively, asking questions every so often.
"How can I help?" Dustin asked.
"Well, I need help finding potential dragons. I cannot simply walk around hoping the ring will glow. I want you to help me search." Dustin nodded.
Quickly getting dressed, the boys headed out of the house and...