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Goldenscale

As told to Matt Kirkby

The egg cracked as I butted my head against it.

I crawled into the forest.Fresh scents on the wind. Strange scents after so long confined in the egg. Some

of those scents I recognized from my dreams. Others were new. Alien.

Shrieking, my mother reared up on her hind legs and unfurled her wings. Her

scales glittered in the sunlight. She screeched out her warning cry. I am mother dragon,

leave my nest alone or taste my wrath.

I hissed in my own imitation of her cry.

I crawled into a crater-like den. It was a place of stones. Great blocks of roughlysquared stones lay jumbled atop one another. An artificial cave. I closed my eyes and

slumbered.

Waking from my slumber, I merged into the grass.

I was hungry.I was starving.

I could see small mice scurrying about my new lair. I hissed softly and watched

them scurry from flat stone to fallen logs to fern fronds.I lunged and caught one beneath my claw. It squeaked and writhed, its eyes wide

with terror.I tore the head from its body and crunched the skull-bones in my fangs. I tore therest of the body into bloody pieces and devoured it.

Deer.

I lunged through the bushes, claws seeking purchase in the moist earth as I

pursued my prey. The deer ran, but I was faster. I was desperate to feed. I caught the

beast, bowling it over and raking my claws through its chest.The harts blood splattered my scales as I tore a chunk from its haunches.

Something rustled in the bushes.

I half-lifted my head, almost forgetting to finish chewing the meat in my mouth.A two-legs emerged into the clearing. It was wearing a hard metallic shell and

carried a steel claw in its hand. It saw me and froze.

I stared back at it.The hard-shelled two-legs yelled something and waved his metal claw in the air.

I hissed and feinted with head-strikes towards him. He smelled of fear and anger.

As well he should, for dragon-kind suffer no rivals and this was a mere two-legs.

His steel claw struck my forearm and scales tore.

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I yelped.

The two-legs yelled something else.

I snapped at him again, lashing my wings.He swiped his steel claw at me.

He was trying to claw my wing!

I saw the danger--tear the membrane and I would be unable to fly. I would beearth-bound and vulnerable. I whirled about and my tail swung around like a whip.

The two-legs went flying. He crashed into a tree and slumped to the ground. He

made no sound after the initial shout of surprise.Ichor dripped from my forearm. A wound. A deep one.

I flapped my wings and thrust myself into the air.

I returned to my lair and sought out my burrow. The shiny rocks of my nest

comforted me as I curled up atop them. The pain in my limb was sharp, but I was tired

and hungry. One bite of venison had not been enough to staunch my appetite. It had

teased me, tormented me.My eyes closed of their own accord.

How long I slept, I know not but a strange scent was in my nostrils when I awoke.

I reared up in alarm,

A two-legs was in my lair!My eyes narrowed in anger. No trespassers would be permitted to leave after

invading my sanctuary! I hissed.

The two-legs looked at me calmly enough. He did not smell of fear. Nor anger.He smelled calm and that surprised me. Most two-legs stank of raw fear when they

beheld the glory of a dragon. Why was this one in my lair and yet not afraid?

I took a step towards him, and felt my forearm give way. I toppled to the groundlike a just-hatched wyrmling.

Ye be hurt.

The sounds the two-legs made were unintelligible. He took a step towards meand I hissed him a warning.

I tried to pull my injured forearm closer to my body. I stirred my wings, as if in

warning.

Yeve been hurt, the two-legs said. Had an encounter with a nasty knight, didye?

I hissed again.

Aye, ye be a fierce one. The two-legs showed his teeth. Flat and completelyunsuited for rending flesh, I thought. Ye can scarcely stand. His facial fur hung past

his chest and was matted.

I hissed again.Ye cannot breath fire can ye? Else ye would roast me where I stand. I think I be

safe enough.

I lay on the ground, hissing softly. I bared my fangs and took a few feeble slashes

at him.

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Let me see thy wound. The two-legs took my forearm in his paws and turned it

over so that he could see the injury in the light.

I was startled. He dared touch me?Looks like some infection. I can make a poultice for it. The two-legs stepped

away from me and walked towards the tunnel mouth.

I hissed, but lacked the energy to pursue him. I was so hungry.

I awoke to feel something cool on my scales.The two-legs was wrapping linen around my forearm. I hissed softly.

This will make you feel better, he told me. He reached out one paw to scratch

my head just behind my ear. Absurdly, it feltgood. A poultice of herbs will draw out

the infection.I sniffed at the linen. The scent of herbs assailed my nostrils and I felt my muzzle

wrinkle.

My stomach gurgled.

Ye be a young dragon, the two-legs said in his own tongue. Too young to beliving alone in this drafty place.

My eyes closed again.

I awoke to the smell of pheasant.

There were two birds laying on the stones near my nest. I looked around, but didnot see the two-legs.

Oddly, I missed his presence.

I rose to my feet. My forearm twitched, but held me. I sniffed a moment at thelinen wrappings--the herb scent was still strong. I placed my good claw onto the

pheasant and ripped chunks from it. It was good.

I emerged from my lair into the open.

One tower rose from the pile of stone.I recognized the place nowone of the two-legs artificial mountains. Most of

the structure had collapsed.

I learned more in my dreams. That was the way of dragon-kindlearning much

of our arcane knowledge and history through Dreaming.

The two-legs emerged from the mostly intact tower.

Good morning, he said. I was hoping to see ye arise from your nest and takethe air.

I spread my wings, but did not feel like taking flight just yet.

I was unaware of thy presence in my basement, the two-legs continued. It is

unlike me to be surprised by anything happening in my forest, but sometimes things do.

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Ye be looking well. He paced towards me, limping slightly on his left hind-leg.

Strange, that I had not noticed it before.

I allowed him to unwrap the linen from my forearm.He grunted softly. Healing nicely.

He reached up to scratch the side of my head again. It did feel good, giving me a

warm glow deep inside.

The bitter winds howled around the lair. The sudden cold was unlike anything Ihad experienced. So quick had the storm come that it seemed like a moving wall.

Snow was falling in large flakes. The ground was already covered in a pristine

white blanket. I had eyed the snow and returned to my nest.

The two-legs entered, wrapped within his false-fur. Tis cold this day. He wasshivering and huddled close to me.

I looked at him as he pressed himself against my sides. His flesh felt chill against

my scales.

I turned my head towards one pile of fallen stone and I exhaled a mighty breath.Flames leapt from my jaws to bath the stones.

I wondered if ye could breath fire. The two-legs sounded satisfied. He smelledcontent.

The stones radiated a warm heat. I knew I would have to give them a periodic

blast to keep them warm.

An easy enough task to keep the lair warm.The two-legs was sleeping.

I curled my wing over him and lowered my own head onto the ground.