Page 3 of A Kiss From a Dragon Lord

2

LASSAR

Is there anything more beautiful than sparkling gold?

Rubies and sapphires have their appeal, emeralds too, but nothing compares to the brilliant sparkle of gold. I can taste it in the air, its sharp metallic flavor coating my tongue and invading my lungs. The sound it makes as it clanks over my scales and shifts through my claws. Even now, as I dig my tail into the pile of gold coins I’m lying atop, their hard texture soothes me and makes me question what I could ever desire more than this.

When I was a human man, there were things I enjoyed. As the soon of a rich lord and a future lord myself, I partook in many luxuries. I enjoyed hunting with my father, large dinners filled with exotic dishes, and dancing until the early morning hours. All of those hobbies paled in comparison to the feeling of gold in my fingers.

From the first coin I received from my father on my tenth name’s day to the large fortune he showed me would be mine upon his death, I began to crave it like no other. I found myself spending hours in the family vault, counting and cleaning each coin until they sparkled in the candlelight. Betting with the stable boys all night and feeling such deep hopelessness when I would lose my precious gold to them.

I had mourned my parent’s passing, but that melancholy was quickly overshadowed by my need to be reacquainted with my new wealth. I had become so preoccupied with it that my town and its tenants suffered. It wasn’t long before they came for my gold. The townspeople demanded it for food and repairs. They said it was once theirs and that I owed it to them if I was not going to make sure they were provided for. With little choice, I was forced to give it up, or they would’ve gleefully removed my head from my shoulders.

Desperation sent me stumbling intoThe Woods, clutching a handful of gold coins I had managed to save. I threw myself at the mercy of the demon who lived there and begged him to fulfill my desires. I said I would pay any price to be able to find and keep as much gold as I possibly could forever.

I’ll never forget his smile, his long tongue sweeping over his sharp teeth, and the pain that followed as we shook hands on our deal. I watched in horror as my skin began to peel back and green scales began to surface. One after another, overlapping until I was covered in them. Razor-sharp claws grew from my fingers. I remember stumbling back a step as I felt a new weight on my back and at the base of my spine. Wings and a tail sprouted from me, and as the demon cackled, I shot into the sky, illuminating it with a burst of fire from deep within my stomach.

It burned my throat and clogged my nostrils. I wasn’t the most graceful flyer but I somehow found this cave. One that I’ve been filling with my treasures ever since. I take from the rich, the people I once was just like. I rob them of their spoils before someone else can take them. I keep them here with me, where I can protect them, guard them…watchthem.

I’ve lost track of how long I’ve been like this. Centuries if I had to guess. Everyone who once knew the man I was is long gone, and I’m beginning to realize all these years spent alone with my treasure have turned me into more of a beast than a man.

Old memories are hazy at best. The only thing I am certain of is that I need more gold. I always need more gold; it’s the only constant in my life. Without it, what would I do? I couldn’t lead a normal life, not like this. I could never find a wife or make a family, the humans I come in contact with flee upon seeing me.

No one dares venture this far intoThe Woods. A few of the other creatures used to try and trade with me, but they’ve all gone quiet these last few years. The Kraken came by and gave me a bag of jewels. It feels like it was only yesterday, but I know that was at least a decade ago. He said something as he left them, but I can’t remember it.

I’ve never desired anything more than gold, but it’s not fulfilling me like it used to for the first time in a hundred years. A part of me, perhaps the last part of my humanity, wants to feel more. That small part demands we try and make something out of this eternal life. But what? What else can we do but get more gold and ensure it’s never taken from us?

“What do you think?” I ask the coins in my hand, their smooth surface glimmering in the cave's dim light. There’s a storm raging outside, and the thunder rattles their piles. I can only imagine they don’t have a fondness for this type of weather.

I wait for a response like the metal will grow lips after all these years and converse with me like a companion. Alas, they remain silent.

“Is there more out there for me than this? Then my daily hunts to find more gold and jewels and keep them safe with us?” I pause. “You have always been my most trusted confidants and treasured possessions; talking to you does make me feel better.”

Looking around my cave, I see all of my riches laid out. Fine silks, crowns made of the heaviest gold and brightest gems, bags of diamonds, and many,manygold coins. They are mine, all of them, but perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to share them?

“That wouldn’t be too terrible, would it?” I ask the ten gold plates stacked on my left. “Perhaps someone out there would appreciate you all as I do. Though, where I would find such a person, I don’t know. It’s not as if one would just walk—”

Another clap of thunder echoes through the cave, but that isn’t what has me pausing. Rising from my perch on my coins, they clink as they hit the stone floor. My claws click along the cave wall, my tail dragging gently behind me. Listening carefully, I can just make out a sound over the downpour happening outside.

Footsteps. Human footsteps.

Someone is in my cave. My scales rise as smoke puffs out of my nostrils. Who dares enter my cave uninvited? Of course, I was just considering finding a companion but one with some manners, not one who just enters my dwelling unannounced.

They could be a thief coming to take my gold from me.

That thought has me charging toward the mouth of my cave. I will make whoever stumbled into my home regret doing so. My mouth opens, fire already building in my lungs. I will roast their corpse, char their flesh until—

My flame goes out when I see it. My heart beats faster; my wings sag in pleasure as I behold it. Even in the dark cave, it glows and sparkles. It is the most beautiful gold I have ever seen. Soft as silk, the pale gold flows along the dark stone floor. It’s as if thousands of stars are woven between the strands. My mouth salivates; the rain must’ve washed in this treasure.

This is one I will delight in keeping more than the others. This rare, golden beauty is for my eyes only.

I creep closer to my prize, extending a clawed hand toward it when I stop. This isn’t gold; this is hair. How had I forgotten all about the footsteps that sent me charging up here to investigate? This is my intruder?

My eyes adjust to the dim light, and I can see her fully.

She’s small, shivering in a damp cloak. A human woman with beautiful golden hair and matching eyebrows. Her skin is smooth, glowing like a polished pearl. My tail sneaks out from behind me and trails up the side of her body. Her brows furrow at the touch.

Eyes like opals blink open at me. It’s like she’s made from jewels, a human constructed from the finest gems. The ultimate treasure for a creature like me. I open my mouth to tell her as much, but then a small flame bursts from my mouth. The embers float in the air, and my precious human shoots upright and scrambles back, shrieking.

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