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Gold trickled down like sand as she shifted upon the pile of gold. Her dark scales glittering with the reflections of yellow. The cave was not dark, but also seemed to have no lighting source. Yet the water was a marine light blue as it cascaded down from an opening behind the dragon and the river snakes around the pile of gold. Lime green plants emerged from every crack making the cave as lively as the heart of the jungle and as bright as an open pasture. Syletha’s eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes.
I got on my knees and placed my sword on my lap. Bowing my head, before keeping my gaze just below her eyes.
“Great serpent, I’ve conquered the Wilting Wastes and the Gods have sent me to you to collect my reward”
Syletha raised her head and inspected the knight, like I was a mouse that just walked into her den.
“Why did the gods think I’d grant your wishes?” She grinned amused. Like I was the set up to a funny joke.
I inhaled sharply, I could not mess up my next few words. The gods had in this moment said I needed to offer myself in my entirely.
“Because I want to devote myself to you, I have no family or land or money or title that isn’t yours to take”
Her ears perked straight up, this seemed to catch her by surprise. She slowly stood up and stretched gold leaking down the mountain of gold. She shook her dark wings and bits of gold fell out.
She jumped down the pile still on the small patch of land, but the small river cut the space between them.
She stepped over the river. With a flick of her tail she began to circle me.
“And what title or land do you have little biped?”
She was not much longer than a horse drawn carriage about twice as tall as me, but her body was nimble and streamlined like a big cat.
“I have a farm in Northin gifted to me by a king”
As I sat, I could only see her paws as they walked in-front of me concealing talons the size of my face.
She stopped moving. “That’s all you have earn in your travels” her tail flicked agitated.
“I also have gained the blessing of Taleem for my first born”
“Ahhhhhh now I understand why you are here” The dragon mused. From behind she picked up my helmet with two talons and flicked it aside.
She lowered her head to inspect me and my remaining armor.
“You’re not lying to me are you?” She asked with a charming smile, like we were playing a fun little game.
I shook my head. “I earned the blessing through bringing clean water to a village as I was passing by, she offered it as a reward that my first child would also be blessed with the powers to bring life.”
Syletha smiled toothy, her sharp teeth interlocking as cleanly as the finest of weaves.
“So honest” she drawled, before knocking me to the ground with a single paw, and pouncing on top of me.
My armor heaved with the weight of her nimble leg pinning me down. Syletha was towering over me her bifurcated tongue sticking out tasting the start of a hunt.
I scrambled to hoist myself up, just as my chest plate left the ground, she flexed her muscles I was squashed back down like a stubborn wrinkle.
Syletha lowered her head, and humming softly to herself. Eye’s glinting.
She opened her mouth, so large that she could probably bite me in half, but instead she licked my face. I felt the saliva dripping down my cheeks and getting into my hair.
“I can taste, the smell of a god on you. But why you asked for me as reward alludes me”
I flushed bright red. Perhaps, I should have asked for a different reward.
“Oohhhhhh” Syletha mussed she traced a talon down my armor its point catching in the grooves of the metal before slicing through it like scissor to fabric.
“Oh you’ve heard the stories of me with humans”
“Yes, but that’s not what I wished for”
She raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
“Then what was it?”
“I asked where I could find the best mother for my children”
Syletha chuckled to herself. Even taking her paw off my chest plate.
“And the gods told you it was a dragon”
Clutching my chest in laughter aswell. “I was expecting a nice village girl, but instead I was told to find a dragon”
She stopped laughing. Her eyes piercing through the humor.
“They will be my children, you will not live long enough to see them”
I fell silent. Would she kill me, or would just send me out on an impossible task.
“I… wanted to raise them “ I closed my eyes. -“but if my life is what it cost for them to live happy lives then I’ll take it”
She rolled her eyes.
“You heros and your sacrifices” She laughed, she stretched out and suck her talons into my armor like a cat drags a play toy closer. “Good, because like the gods I require devotion”
***
They had many children and the hero lived to an old age though he had many broken bones.