Dragon and assimilated body

Through the gap came a scaly, reptilian creature on four stumpy legs. Flame red all over, it had a big wide mouth, a scaly mane, and huge rolling eyes. A wisp of smoke curled out through one nostril.

'What is it?‘

The Doctor stared hard. 'A reptile of some sort. Look at that tail...‘ Something at the back of his mind clicked. 'It‘s a dragon. A red dragon.‘

The dragon pawed at the ground - but stayed where it was.

(...)

'The Doctor. And your friend is Millennia. Yes, Rallon told me all about you.‘

And the world went bizarre again.

The dragon blurred and re-formed as a man.

The walls around them shrunk until everything was reversed and the three figures were standing on either side of a lacquered black table. The game tiles on its surface were now just that.

The man wore a long silken robe, beautifully coloured and decorated with dragons and other strange but beautiful designs. On his head was a round hat, similarly patterned, while his feet were encased in red velvet, pointed slippers.

The only thing wrong was that his head lacked any features - it was just a glowing ball of energy.

He spread out his arms, long silken sleeves drooping. It was a gesture of welcome.

'I‘m sorry it took so long to get the dimensions adjusted to suit you,‘ he said, not unkindly. His voice was that of a mature man: rich, deep and well spoken - really rather charming. 'Visitors to my realm are few and far between and when I scanned your craft the interior dimensions were at odds with the exterior, which suggested a technology and advancement that your actually choosing to come here belied.‘

The Doctor put his hands behind his back. 'Oh really? So you are saying we made a mistake coming here?‘

'For you or for me?‘ asked the man.

Millennia spoke up. 'Where‘s Rallon? What have you done with him?‘

'I am here, my child. This body is being sustained by him. Me. Whatever. Here, let me explain.‘

And the man‘s head morphed into Rallon‘s, although when he spoke, it was still in the smooth sophisticated tones of the original. 'I needed a body - sadly my original one did not...suit this Universe. Your friend‘s is the first I have come across that isn‘t enfeebled and prone to wearing out every seventy years. Mortality is such a burden, I find. This one could last a good thousand years I should imagine.‘

***

Divided Loyalties, Round 2, Chapter 2