The Legends We Create

Chapter Two: Radiating Heat

I stood amongst the red flames and yet felt no pain, nor great heat for that matter, coming from the flames. Though you’d expect there to be heat radiating from the flames that were destroying my surroundings.

But as nothing ever works as it should around here, there was a source of heat, something that wasn’t fire, it was the thing that was making it. it was the only source of heat in the entire library. I observed my surroundings, my precious library and the flames that were licking the books as if to try them before actually eating them. I slowly let my eyes wander to the source of warmth knowing I wouldn’t like what I would see.

I laid my eye on it and then thought two things, one, I had just realized my long brown nightgown was on fire and was more worried about the absence of pain then the presence of the flames and two, I wondered why there was a dragon in the library setting it on fire.

Slowly I walked in my burning nightgown; I walked towards the great serpent standing in front of me in the great entry hall of the library. This hall wasn’t as special as the departments a few staircases up, in terms of books, but it was the most impressing architectural place in the entire town, the paintings on the ceiling of little naked angels and clouds were already damaged by the flames, again strange for how could flames burn something without heat? I inspected my nightgown, still burning.

The serpent spat fire at great speed and seemed to be really concentrated on what he was doing. Or was it a he? Wasn’t it a she? Did dragons even have different sexes like humans or fairy tale characters? Maybe it was just an it? I decided to call it and it for now and move along. I looked at the beast as two separate gushes of flames came pouring out of it’s beak. The dragon had a bright green color in it’s stomach and underneath his paws and wings. The sides were turquoise and the top was blue, it changed smoothly as you looked at it. you couldn’t help but find it a marvelous creature, but as it was burning my favorite place I thought otherwise for the time being.

It was now turning away from my slightly towards the southern wing. That was the moment I snapped. I forgot about the heatless flames and about how strong a dragon could be no matter if it were a he or a she. It was now moving dangerously close to my section, the storytelling section, the section that contained the books I had written so far. Now it was war. Without thinking of the fire erupting from its mouth the razor sharp teeth and the possibly horrible character the dragon could have I strode forward like a knight during single combat and kicked him in the flank as hard as I could.

He…. Wait it, I still wasn’t sure. It stopped spitting fire and turned slowly, so slowly I thought it was working on a dramatic effect, towards me, as it did I was able to identify it’s gender. Definitely a he.

His snout was pointy and the teeth were ever sharper than anticipated, they were about the size of my hand. His eyes were terrifying which confirmed the horrible character, they were of a dull blue color and seemed cold, which was weird since this beast was hotter than the oven in the bakery.  I felt highly uncomfortable with the beast staring at me. Before his stare reached my eyes, I averted them.

At that second, I was sure I felt death tapping on my shoulder and asking me to come along with him, so I closed my eyes and let things happen as fate had intended them to.

I heard a whoesh, which was probably the sound of a thousand pound beast attacking its prey. When I wasn’t torn to shreds within five seconds, I opened my eyes only to find two gigantic ones staring back at me right in front of my face. I took a few shocked steps backward. It followed my every move.

“Oh come on I’m not gonna play this game, make up your bloody mind either kill me or bugger off.” I told him annoyed I had actually played the damsel in distress role. Something resembling surprise glinted in his eyes. He spread his wings and within a second, he was off the ground. The entire length from the tip of his right to the tip of his left wing was about 80 feet, which also showed me once again how big this place actually was, and flew through the roof. With him, the flames disappeared.