A Dragon's Treasure

Chapter 1 - A Dragon's Deal

Kingdoms are built on stories, stories of heroes and villains, stories of quests and virtues, and occasionally, stories of dragons, but that was all they were, right? Roman had grown up learning about the world around him from the tales he was told by his mother and father. He learned about twins and the evils they would bring; he learned about knights and how they protected the kingdom from dragons; he learned about what was expected of him as a future king. When he was younger, Roman knew that he would become a strong and noble king who would protect his people. He knew that everything he did would be in dedication to his kingdom. He might have even secretly hoped for a dragon to fight to prove his worth, but no matter what, he would be the king his people needed.

He just didn't realize exactly what that would mean. He didn't know what kind of sacrifices he would have to make.

His kingdom was dying, a curse that had spread around from the furthest corners was slowly moving closer and closer towards the castle. Roman knew nothing about curses, nothing except their power. He had scraped together a few bits of knowledge, there were few things that could create a curse of this size and fewer that could break one.

The only thing Roman knew of, dragons.

But, they weren't real. The last of the dragons had been wiped out years ago. They had, at one time, been a terror on the land, taking what they wanted and leaving very little behind. They attempted to destroy the kingdom, and their extermination protected the people of this land. At least that's what the stories said, so every single dragon had been hunted down by his ancestors.

There were none left.

Yet here Roman was, climbing up the side of a mountain attempting to find a cave that was rumored to hold a living dragon. Rumors and stories were powerful, but they were just that, stories. Roman wouldn't have given it the time of day if he weren't so desperate, so he continued to climb. Finally, he was on the quest he had always wanted as a kid, except he wasn't here to slay the dragon, he was here to beg it for magic.

He looked up at the crow that had been glaring at him for a while. Crows were an omen of his god, a sign that he was headed in the right direction. Still, it didn't make things easier. The mere thought that Roman would have to beg for a Dragon's help, made him grind his teeth. If he believed there was any other way, he would have taken it. Anything would be better than chasing a myth, but he had spent hours pouring over books and tomes, hours consulting magicians, soothsayers, anyone connected to the magical weave, even Logan, the kingdom's historian, couldn't find a single instance of a curse this powerful being broken by anything other than a dragon.

It had been an off-handed comment that led him here, Logan had mentioned that all of the largest curses seemed to come from creatures of immense magical powers and it was likely that a creature who could cast such a curse could probably also break it. Roman's mind immediately flashed to the thought of dragons.

His mother had always tried to convince him that they were nothing but evil creatures bent on destruction; his father, on the other hand, had told him stories about intelligent creatures who were willing to make deals for the right price. If you could offer something of value to fill their hoard, then they may bless you with a favor. So here Roman was, climbing up a mountain with as many jewels he could carry, hoping that dragons were real. At the very least, he hoped his god was pointing him toward help.

After several hours, he reached the opening to a cave. The sun was high in the sky but it did nothing to light up the entrance. The shadows felt manufactured and it sent a shiver down his spine,

Roman squared his shoulders, standing tall. He was a prince; he was trained to protect himself; he wouldn't let a bit of darkness scare him.

Digging through his bag he looked for a torch, lighting it and stepping towards the darkness. Before he could enter a roar sounded, stopping him in his tracks.

"Why have you entered my domain?" A deep and thunderous voice asked, sending another involuntary shiver down Roman's spine. The sound did not come from the outside world but from inside his own head. He could feel the dragon clawing into his mind to speak. He knew any lie he attempted to tell would immediately be known by a creature far more powerful than him.

"I come seeking a deal."

A dragon head slowly emerged from the shadows, brilliant yellow and black scales lining the maw that was bigger than he was tall. It would only take one bite and Roman would be dead. He was terrified, and mystified, torn between the words of his mother that spoke of danger, and the quiet stories of his father that promised safe passage if you were fair and kind.

"What kind of deal do you seek, prince of Nevarci, descendant to the killer of my people?" That did not leave them off to a good start. He should have known his lineage was going to be a problem but he honestly didn't believe there were any dragons left. He didn't think he would get this far. Roman didn't think he would be standing in front of a powerful beast, scrutinizing his every movement as if he was a threat, yet an insignificant one.

"My kingdom is plagued by a great curse. One I believe only your powers could cure."

The silence that hung in the air was palpable. He was expecting a no. He was expecting a laugh. He wasn't expecting a straightforward answer.

"The price to remove such a curse is a steep one, are you willing to pay it?"

"I'm willing to pay any prince my kingdom needs. I have brought jewels to show my convictions and if it is more you need I will bring more."

Maybe he was just imagining the way the dragon's eyes shifted, something that would have been small and imperceptible in a human but was much larger on such a powerful creature, maybe it meant something different for dragons, but Roman didn't like seeing pity directed towards him. The look was gone so quickly, that he couldn't be sure, but it put him on edge nonetheless.

"You think too low of me if you believe I seek material wealth. The price is your freedom. I would work to lift the curse, and you would stay here, in my hoard as one of my treasures."

No.

He belonged to his kingdom and no one else.

"How dare you ask for that?" Roman asked before his brain could stop him. "My freedom already belongs to my people. My life is theirs, I cannot give something I do not own."

"And yet you stand here, with no one who knows where you are, acting of your will. You have freedom to give, and if you seek to break the curse, that will be your sacrifice."

Roman huffed, "I refuse," turning to head back down the mountain.

As he began to climb back down he heard the voice echo deep in his mind, shaking a bit of his false resolve. "When your desperation increases and your pride decreases, the offer will still stand."

He couldn't.

He wouldn't.

His life belonged to his people, he could not hide away in some cave while they suffered. Even if the curse were lifted there was so much work that would need to be done. His father had passed, his mother would need his help to lead. The curse had destroyed so many lives. He couldn't abandon his people.

He would find another way.