Page 15 of Scaled Hearts

With all the strength I could muster, I begin to run. The dragon sets chase and I only manage to make it halfway through the chamber before an avalanche of coins starts sliding down from a stack, burying me to my waist. I’m trapped!

The massive head of the creature comes down towards me and I close my eyes. There’s nothing I can do to stop the creature from eating me!

7

Angurus

Istare at the tiny female creature in my cave. I saw how she eyed my treasure. She’s nothing more than a thief. I should dispatch her on the spot!

Leaning my head down, I pause, studying her. This female is not like any creature I’ve seen before. Even if she is a thief, she’s intriguing. My first instinct is to eat her but if I do, I won’t learn anything more about her.

Perhaps she’ll satisfy my curiosity like the dark elf explorer I kept with me for all those weeks. She might even be able to last longer than him. I look her over. She’s a curious looking creature, much smaller than any of the other races.

She’s also got skin the color of the moon and round, small ears. Everything about her is so much smaller than any other creature I’ve ever seen. She’s like a misshapen elf.

Whatever she is, her eyes are tightly closed, as though she’s still waiting on me to eat her. I chuckle, snorting a plume of smoke from my nostrils.

“Open your eyes, little one,” I rumble, nudging her. She stands stark still, frozen. I huff. What is this creature to disobey a dragon of my stature?

“I said open your eyes!” I roar. Her eyes fly open, gazing up at me, mouth hanging open and deep brown eyes wide as she takes me in from head to tail.

“You’re real,” she breathes. “You’re a real dragon!”

I snort again, more smoke curling upward. “Obviously. What are you?” I demand. “You’re like a misshapen orc. Or maybe an elf with a skin pigmentation disorder? Though you’re pale enough to be a… No.” I shake my head, not even daring to say the word vrakken aloud.

The female puffs up her chest, narrowing her eyes. “I’m not an orc, or an elf. I’m a human.”

“I’ve never heard of your kind.” I flick my tail. Though, as she says it, I do recall some creatures like her before during the war. We’d thought they were rejected vrakken soldiers, but maybe not. Maybe they were different from those creatures.

“Well, as far as I know, humans have always been on Protheka,” the female says, standing up straight. “Every race keeps us as slaves. Have you not left this place in many years?”

A part of me wonders if humans are tasty as I look her over. Maybe that’s what the vrakken used them for. Her skin is supple, fleshy but smooth. She sports generous curves, with large, thick thighs and a round ass. A tasty treat if I decide to eat her.

“You’ve brought an awfully small satchel for a thief,” I change the subject, nodding my head at her bag, which hardly looks big enough to cart off more than a handful of my coins.

“I’m not a thief,” she juts her chin in the air. “My name is Kelly Brockhurst. I’m from the northern part of Kaynvu, near the orc settlements. I’ve come to seek help from the great Dragons of Legend.”

I can’t help the laughter that bubbles up inside of me, coming out in a great gust of fire that I send towards the ceiling of the cavern. The tiny human jumps away as I shake my head, laughter echoing off the walls of the cave.

“Help? What is help? It means nothing to dragon kind. We’re all out for ourselves here,” I explain. Especially me. I help no one and no one helps me. To be a dragon is to have all hands turned against you, even other dragons.

They see everything as competition. Competition for land, for resources, for food. “Dragon’s don’t help others. You won’t find a single dragon who would be willing to give you aid. All they would be willing to bring you is one thing. Death.”

“I don’t care what happens to me,” she says, balling her hands into fists. “If I die, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that I help my sister.” She takes in a deep breath, letting her fingers relax down by her side once more.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I won’t let her die. I can do anything you want! I’ll even offer myself up. If you help cure my sister, you can eat me. I swear my word!” She thumps a fist over her chest.

“That’s a bold offer from such a weak looking thing,” I reply, flicking my tail again. She is a strange one. She’s tiny but there’s a fierceness to her.

“I request your aid,” she pleads, looking down.

“What is it you seek, little one?” I ask, digging my claws into the dirt floor of my cave. “What is it you’re here for?” Her sister must be in trouble if she cameallthis way for help.

“My sister is sick,” the human informs me, voice softer now. “There’s some kind of disease that’s overtaking her, something from a cursed gemstone. I’ve never seen anything like it. Even our village Wise Woman doesn’t know how to help. She spoke of you, told me that the dragons are ancient creatures and might have seen this disease before.”

“If she’s sick, she’s no use,” I continue scratching at the dirt. “We abandon our sick. A sick person is only going to spread the disease to others.” It’s pointless to save someone who is dying here.

“No!” She balls her hands into fists once more. “I would never abandon my sister! She’s all I have. I love her!”

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