DRAGONS, ONE-SHOT
entertainment.
this one-shot has been adapted into its very own story! If you like this short series, check out my story 'inferno' !
Dragons. They traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it in East Asian culture.
A legendary monster usually conceived as a huge, bat-winged, fire-breathing, scaly lizard or snake with a barbed tail. The belief in these creatures apparently arose without the slightest knowledge on the part of the ancients of the gigantic, prehistoric, dragon-like reptiles.
Most stories tell the tale of these creatures as territorial predators that live in caves in the highest mountains or the blazing volcanoes. Greedy creatures stealing gold and jewels from kingdoms to cover themselves in riches. Or locals offering their valuables to ensure their kingdom avoids the beasts fiery wrath.
Unfortunately, you were that 'special' offering. Except cross out the special part and change offering into sacrifice. A young women from a small town sacrificed for 'practicing the dark arts'. The townsfolk wanted to burn you at the stake like any other witch. But, they thought it would be more beneficial if they were to offer the wise beast in the mountain, a young and beautiful maiden.
Truthfully, you never practiced any sort of dark art. Only refused a man that wished to wed you. He proclaimed that it was love at first sight! And that he would treat you better then the king himself. When in reality he wished to wed your sister in truth. He simply needed a way to speak with her since your sibling was rather reclusive and preferred not to talk to anyone outside her family.
She was the town's belle after all. A sight to see as many of the men would describe.
You denied him politely, saying that you were not interested in any romantic relation at the moment and began walking the other way. Soon, the town started speaking awfully about you. Calling you a wench and other profanities. When eventually you were reported to be a witch practicing black magic within your little home.
And so you were offered to the great beast that lived in the mountain side. You were tied up in a rickety wagon that was being pulled up the mountain by some heavily armed men. Iron swords and shields in hand.
You eventually arrived at the threshold of the cave. Pulled out of the wagon onto your feet before untying the tight ropes, before you could even try to run in the opposite direction you were shoved into the cave. As you stood and turned to try and reason with the men, they pointed their swords towards you blocking off the entrance of the cave. Making it impossible to leave.
"P-please! I have been wronged, can't you see?!" You cried out as the men now stepped forward forcing you further into the cave unless you wished to be stabbed by the sharp blades.
You weeped and cried as they continued to push you further. Eventually your cries were silenced by a loud roar, you froze in fear as the men ran for their lives. You wanted to run with them. They were too distracted to threaten you with their swords.
Make a run for it! Move! Why won't you move?! It was like your feet had been bolted to the floor. Before you could muster the courage to make a run for it, you felt something wrap around your legs. You gasped to see a large scale-y tail wrapped in a constricting hold, effortlessly lifting you off the ground.
You then came face-to-face with death itself. The fiery beast before you. The mighty creature looked down his snout at you with its slitted eyes. Smoke flowing out of the edges of its mouth, a soft snarling sound coming from it.
Nothing but shock ran through you. If it wanted to, he could finished you off with one snap of his jaw, or flick of his tail. It's tail now digging into your skin as it inspected you like a foreign object.
"My, my, quite the beauty they have sent to me this time. Such a shame, sent to the beast as an expendable..."
Its voice was absolutely terrifying. Deep and intimidating as it bounced off the stone walls, combined with the low snarling and growling it made. Or should i say he?
"If i'm being quint, it'd be a shame to feast upon a beauty such as you. Luscious skin, lovely eyes... How about a deal, little one?"
He says as he begins to lower you back to the ground. But, never fully releasing you from his hold. Now, the dragon laid on his stomach. His tail reaching around his body to hold you still.
"From the look on your face, you're quite afraid of me in this form no?"
He laughed, puffs of smoke flowing through the air. After his laughter died down, he unravelled his tail around you and lifted up a large boulder. What was he doing? As your (E/C) eyes follows his movements, he hovers it right in front of the caves opening. He's blocking me in!!
As a rush of adrenaline overcomes you, you take off towards the opening. Before you could even get close, he drops the large boulder and sends debris into your eyes. You flinch and back away, trying to rub away the debris from your delicate and fragile eyes.
With your eyes tightly shut, you hear the dragon behind you shuffle around before everything goes silent. What's going on? Before you could properly question the silence, you feel a pair of hands pry your arms away from your face. What, have I been saved? But, the openings blocked-
You gently blink your eyes open slightly. What you see isn't what you expected. It was a very tall man. He had long fiery red hair that went all the way down to his hips, gold eyes that seemed to glow like hot magma, black and red scales around his chest and arms, jagged black horns that sat on the crown of his head and multiple scars scattered across his chest. He wore loose white pants that sat on his hips and multiple pieces of gold jewellery about his body. necklaces, earrings and bands around his wrists.
You had heard of sightings of people with horns and scales across their skin, people saying they were demons. But, from what was in front of your eyes they were dragons in a different form.
"You've been staring at me quite a while, little one. Are your eyes still adjusting?"
You had to admit your visions was still slightly a blur but you got the gist of everything and could fill in the blanks. As everything adjusted back to normal, you noticed his eyes were still slit and had rather large canines.
"I apologies for that. I didn't mean to damage those lovely eyes of yours."
He cupped your cheeks as he rubbed his thumbs under your eyes. While something rubbed against your back. He still has a tail?! You attempted to pull away slightly, only for his tail to push you back against his broad chest.
His hands started trailing down your neck and shoulders to your arms before finally reaching your hands. You, again, attempted to pull away only for him to grip onto your wrists. He huffed at the action.
"Now, now little one if you want to make it to the morrow i suggest you stay still."
He dragged the spines of his tail down your spine, threatening to draw blood. Well, now you were stuck in a rather intimate position with a man able to snap your neck like a twig. You sighed and simply turned away.
The moment you turned your head, he had dove his head into your neck. You gasped and reflexively tried to step back only to have his tail dig into your skin and draw small droplets of blood. You hissed at the smouldering pain. He chuckled.
"I did tell you to stay still..."
His breath against your neck felt like if you stood out in direct sunlight. You couldn't move at this point his tail was embedded into your back and his arms wrapped around you like a boa. Not to mention even if you somehow managed to break free, you'd have to move a humongous boulder and possibly fight off a beast that have killed off royal guards.
You simply fell limp against him, in a weak attempt to relieve the searing pain in your back. Tears starting to well in your eyes as he spoke out a single phrase that left you feeling absolutely helpless and hopeless.
"WELCOME HOME..."
1467 word count.
edited: -