The ground trembled as the dragon moved, rock crumbling around the entrance of the cave. Smoke and dust obscuring the view of the cave mouth as the head of the great white dragon slowly emerged from its slumber. His long body was serpent-like, it slithered and wiggled its way out. A crackling sound breaking the silence as the dragon opened its mouth and a long purple tongue rolled out to lick at the scents in the air.

The exiled humans in this land woke Taznin from his sleep again. A wall of screams hit the dragon in the face as the men and women charged at him. They carried spears and swords, running straight him with a determination to slay the great white dragon. "Is it really that time again?" The dragon creaked with a shuddering voice, as though he hadn't used words to communicate for centuries. It was true. Taznin had been sleeping on and off for a few decades now, so long now he couldn't remember how long it actually was. Sand and rock caked to his pearly white scales, Taznin shook his head and the debris fell in a shower on the humans at his feet.

Long talons dug into the earth and he pulled more of his body from the small cave. Coil after coil, his body was so long and massive it continued to file out of the cave, and like a freight train, it slowly plowed over the unfortunate humans who got in the way. "Move out of the way, bitch! I'm coming through!" Taznin's fangs grit down in a growl in his large mouth as he felt human lives being extinguished but being so large and the humans like ants at his giant feet, there really was no avoiding the inevitable. He knew he was a prize to the humans, they all wished to slay the dragon and mount his head on their wall. But over and over again their attempts failed and thousands were killed from an accidental swish of his gigantic tail.

Taznin couldn't handle it, the death was too much for his light element heart and he roared in defiance as he took flight and separated himself from the stupidity at his feet. He heard screams, his head tilting as he watched a few humans cling to his scales. They actually held on to him as he flew up high into the sky, a few brave humans climbed him like a mountain and sailed on his back like they were surfing the wind. Taz let out a roar of a laugh, he couldn't stop laughing. What was wrong with these people? "Hahaha... Oh my god, I haven't laughed like that in years!"

A cloud of smoke trailing from the tip of his nose, lavender light shining from deep within his mouth as a flame of light erupted from him. All caused by a sudden jolt of pain searing down his spine. Taznin roared and his body twisting in the air as the shocks of annoying pain spread through his body. Turning his long neck, his head twisting to see a human shoving a black bladed sword deep into his flesh, it was pinched between his pearly scales and in a thunderous crash, Taznin hit the earth with a radiating shock wave across the exiled lands.

"You annoying pest." He growled, his head shaking and twisting as he dislodged the human from his back. He watched the human fall to the ground in a thud, Taznin reeled back and plucked the sword out of his skin then spitting it out at the human. "Take your sword with you." Taz was growing ever tired of this, his tail wiped with anger, when will this nightmare of a place finally be over and he could finally go back to his Xhinet homelands.

About to launch himself back into the air and fly himself somewhere else to escape the humans, he was suddenly stopped by the human yelling at him. "Why can't we kill you!?" Taznin reared his head back around on the human and he lowered his head down to the ground, His fanged teeth were inches from the human but the man didn't flinch he just stared back. A smirk curled the corners of the dragon's lips, warm lavender breath bathing over the small bite-sized human and Taznin spoke. "Because... you're doing it wrong." He breathed slow and he moved back away from the human as he curled up like a giant cat in this hollowed out valley. His lavender eyes looking him over as he asked the human a question. "What do you think I am?"

The human barked back, "You're a white dragon!"

"WRONG!" Taznin shook his head and his clawed hand smacked the earth. "And that's why you can't kill me. If you want to kill something, first you need to know what you're killing. I look like a dragon, or what you consider to be a dragon, but I am not a dragon. You attack me like I'm some sort of monster, trust me I am far from that."

"Then what are you, you foul beast!?"

Taznin smiled, "How much time do you have?" He chuckled as he crossed his forearms and his large head came up as he took in a long breath. "This could take a while to explain but if you're willing to listen then boy do I have a story for you. I'm sure you can remember where you came from, and I can as well. I came from a land much like yours, thriving with culture and technology, so many opportunities you could taste it." He sighed as his eyes looked at the man. "Do you want to hear?"

He watched the human pick up his sword and stab the blade into the ground before sitting on the ground with his hands resting on his thighs. "I will admit. I do want to hear this story. You're the first dragon in this place that can talk."

Taznin laughed, "Did you even give them a chance to talk before you removed their heads?" He shook his head, "It doesn't matter but I will tell the story since you're so willing to listen." He smiled and got himself comfortable as he told the tale.

"My name is Taznin and I haven't always been this way. I was born in a palace with 27 other siblings. I know it's a lot and you think I wouldn't remember all their names and faces, but I do. Each of them is burned into my memory and I'll keep my love for my brothers and sisters in my heart forever. These were good times, these were bad times, 28 children only means a lot can go wrong and a lot can go right. Some of them stayed, some of them left and some were never found again. My fathers Tzivi and Finidh instilled great power into us, we are the Xhinet djinn, and that's just the beginning."

Taznin stopped as he looked at the man and saw he was now on his knees and bowing with his forehead to the dirt. A tilt of Taznin's head and he questioned. "Asleep already? I didn't think it was that boring."

The man popped his head up and shook his head. "No, I would never sleep in front of a god, my lord. I bow to you. You are the son of the gods. Son of the god of Death, Lord Tzivi. Son of the God of Fertility, Lord Finidh. How was I so blind for so long? How did I not know you were in fact a god!? Tell me, Lord Taznin. What is your power and what must I do to worship you? I lay down my life and my sword if you ask it, please, how may I serve you, Lord Taznin?"

Taznin was in shock, he was taken back and didn't really know how to respond. Then suddenly a thunderous sound rocked the ground and his hand slapped the earth! Taznin laughed, his head up as he cracked out a fury of laughs that echoed across the valley. "Okay... Okay... now you got me cracking up." He laughed and shook the tears from his eyes. "First of all, don't call me Lord. That's what we call our fathers'. Second, I don't want your life or your sword, you can keep it." Taznin smiled from ear to reptilian ear as he lowered his head down to the ground to get a better look at this human. "What is your name?"

The man looked at him for a moment before he responded, "My name is Khenkur."

Taznin nodded, "Okay, Khenkur. If you want to worship me you only have to do one thing. You have to be my friend. It gets lonely here in the exile lands and I could use some company. And maybe together we can both get out of this place together. Hm?"

Khenkur look confused for a moment and then he asked, "You're a prisoner here too? I thought you were a god and can come and go as you please?"

"Things aren't always what it seems. You'd think I could but I've been trapped here just like you with a spell. I once had the form of a man, I looked like you, I came to the exile lands to free all the humans from this place but only to end up trapped. The magic that holds this place is dark magic and it's the opposite of mine, which is the light. No matter how much I tried to break out, no matter how much power of the light I blasted at the walls of this place it only made the dark powers of this place stronger. In all my attempts it ended up transforming me into my dragon form. What I expelled out only went into me and made me... well.. as you see. It was like I was fighting a mirror, this power isn't something I've ever seen before, and only the goddess Zulfiquar knows what lies in wait for me in the future." Taznin sighed, "I've seen many generations of your kind but maybe now with your help, Khenkur. We can fight for our freedom together."