A Dragon's Greed

A portly man with many riches looks sourly forward from his seat on the open carriage pulled by two large and rather slow oxen. The man is a mayor of a town, a town that has been terrorized for many generations by a feral beast. The only way to sate the best and prevent it from attacking the town is by bringing it offerings; offerings that are in the back of the carriage the fat man is sitting on. Inside the man's carriage are three metal buckets full of gold and, strangely, one female blonde in a silken white dress with her hands tied together.
The cart is going up a wide carved out street of rock on the side of a mountain. The street is wide with wear of hundreds of carts going up and down day after day. The mayor turns his head and looks at the girl as she fusses with her dress while trying to not fall onto her side as the cart keeps moving around on the bumpy road going up. He sighs and looks forward, flicking the reigns to edge the oxen faster.
They reach the top of the road within an hour, and even after seeing the ending of the road every other day for years, what it leads to still takes away the portly man's breath away. The road ends in a cave that is large enough to house about half of his own town. Even outside of the cave, he can see the near-blinding shine of thousands upon thousands of gold coins and jewels and swords and thousands of other valuable items.
Once inside, the creature lying on top of the thousands upon thousands of items is the only thing in existence that can draw your eye away from the valuable things and keep it there. A dragon. A large, scaled, winged, clawed, horned, spiked, fanged, black dragon with eyes red as blood. The dragon is large enough to dwarf every home in the mayor's town, oh Hell, the dragon is more than large enough to pass for a small mountain. It really doesn't help that it's lying down on a mountain of priceless items and pure gold.
The dragon's eyes, which had been staring out aimlessly at the sky, cast down upon the portly mayor as his animals begin to cry out in fear of the dragon. It lifts its large head up and bares its fangs and fire bubbles out from between its fangs.
Silence your beasts before you are forced to walk home, again. The obviously male dragon growls out from his mind.
The mayor jumps off of his seat and rushes, or waddles, over to the animals. He pulls out some cloths and places one over the noses of each ox, and within just a few moments, the two animals fall to the effects of the drug laced in the cloth. The dragon's snarl softens and he lowers his head down to lie on top of his hoard of treasures.
Give me my offerings before I get angrier. The black dragon orders with a growl.
"Yes, of course." The man says in a high voice.
The portly mayor waddles over to the open carriage and first helps the woman up and out of the back before handing her one bucket of jewels and taking the other two himself by holding one in each hand. The man and the woman walk over to the edge of the mountain of gold and things and proceed dumping the buckets of things onto it; the man has to do it one at a time, while the woman has a little difficulty dumping it with her hands tied together; she manages to use her knee to tip it over and then her chest.
The dragon hums deeply in his chest as the gold and valuables are dumped onto his pile, and while it doesn't do much to his amount in all, the dragon knows that it does amount to something. The large black dragon lifts up his head and turns it to look behind him and lets out a snake-like hiss. Within a few moments, a horse-like whinny echoes in the cave and, almost instantly, another creature of myth and magic gallops forward over the gold.
The woman gasps and holds her tied hands over her mouth as she sees the majestic creature trot forward. The creature is a unicorn, with a fur coat whiter than the purest snow, a horn upon its brow of the same color, and eyes as red as the rubies it walks on. The woman is so taken by the unicorn that she fails to notice as another dragon crawls forward; this dragon is wingless and has no spikes, but with more of a body of a large lizard, with a faded green color of scales and stripes of darker faded green. The mayor, on the other hand, has his eyes locked onto the lizard-like dragon, although its golden eyes are locked onto the unicorn.
The unicorn trots over to the woman, who reaches her hands out with tears in her eyes, a normal reaction for human females that lay their eyes upon a creature of such beauty for the first time. The horned creature reaches its neck out and sniffs at the woman's hands, although it already knows of her fate. After one sniff, the unicorn lifts its head back up and shakes it around while walking backwards, snorting a bit. The unicorn looks up to the large dragon and whinnies while shaking its head and stamping its hoof; the woman watches in confusion; the mayor gasps in horror and walks back.
Red eyes grow wide and the black dragon shoots up to his full height as the unicorn runs over to the green lizard-dragon. The dragon flares fire from between his exposed fangs and glares hate at the woman before looking over at the portly mayor, who is nearly peeing himself in fear.
"Please, Damien! This wench! She lied! I swear on my town that she told me she was a virgin!" The mayor shouts out at the top of his lungs while pointing at the woman.
The black dragon opens his mouth and lets out an angered roar, spraying a jet of fire that shoots out of the cave. Damien, as the dragon's name appears to be, looks down at the woman who is now cowering in fear. So fast she barely has time to scream, the dragon shoots his head down and snaps up the woman in one quick bite, going so far down that as he raises his head, bits of rock from the very cave beneath the woman fall out between his fangs.
The dragon lifts his head up and, visibly, swallows the woman whole, as there is a lump that goes down his throat. Swiftly and with a girly shriek, the mayor is pinned down to the ground by the human-sized dragon that growls right in his ear.
I am getting tired of these whores you put in place of the virgins I request. Either force your woman to vow off of sex; or Chase, Jack, and I shall break the pact we have made with your town. I swear upon my hoard that your town will be engulfed in flames and the blood of every man, woman, and child shall be spilt if we receive another un-pure. Damien's tone is calm and threatening.
"Yes, yes! I swear I shall not disappoint you, Damien!" The portly mayor shouts out.
Good. We shall bind you to your word on that. Damien growls low and the smaller dragon moves off of the man.
"I swear, Damien! I swear it!" The man shouts as he gets up.
The lizard-like dragon turns around and walks back as Damien lowers himself back into the nest-like hole on the very center of his treasure. The mayor quickly walks over to the carriage and tries to wake his oxen, which are still deep in a drug-induced sleep. Sensing both dragons' growing annoyance, the unicorn rushes over to the oxen and, like every other day, uses a very small portion of its magic to rouse the beasts before walking away.
Damien watches the man as he gets into his cart and leads the oxen down the road, the steepness easier for them to go down than up, while the lizard dragon watches the unicorn as it walks back over to him. The human-sized dragon stands up on his back legs and reaches one clawed hand up and gently strokes the side of the beautiful creature's neck.
Can you believe the nerve of these humans, Chase? Bringing me yet another false virgin. The dragon curls up in his nest and casts one red eye to look at the other dragon and unicorn.
"Humans are always creatures of vanity and lies. Hard to find a truthful one in any batch." The human-sized dragon, Chase, says in perfect human tongue in a voice carrying many centuries of wisdom. He sighs and lowers himself down to sit on the treasures.
Really, I don't even think I can remember what a virgin smells like. The unicorn has a lighter voice, like that of a male entering his adulthood. The unicorn lowers himself down onto his chest by folding his legs under himself.
You'd better, Jack, or you'll be worthless to me. You know what I do with worthless things. Damien raises his scaled lip to expose his fangs in a smile.
Chase looks over at Damien and growls while snarling, not liking the larger dragon's teasing. Jack, the unicorn, moves his snout forward and nudges the lizard-dragon's chest, a way of telling him to calm down. Damien makes a hiccupping and choking noise with a widening smile, a laugh that makes smoke come out of his nostrils and between his fangs.
You know how I joke with you, Chase. It is against our dragon nature to harm our egg-Hatcher in any way. Damien swishes his tail, moving around a bit of the gold and jewels.
"Doesn't mean I appreciate you threatening my love. While I cannot reverse finding you abandoned as an egg and deciding to hatch you, I can take away the life I gave you." Chase looks down at the unicorn and strokes the sides of his head gingerly.
Damien's pupil contrasts and expands at the words of the smaller dragon and his smile vanishes. A puff of smoke floats out from the black dragon's nostrils. The dragon blinks and looks out of the cave at the falling sunset.
Perhaps the other village shall have a better offering tomorrow… The black large dragon says, hoping to change the subject.
They'd better. I'm getting sick of these terrible smells from the humans. Jack nuzzles his snout closer to Chase.
"Let's sleep; the town tomorrow will bring us food. And if it is another fake virgin, another snack for Damien." Chase says as he stands up, patting the side of Jack's neck.
The unicorn stands as well and follows the lizard dragon as he walks to the back of the cave while the large black dragon stays in his spot and closes his eyes. The smaller dragon and unicorn walk into a large hole carved into the cave, a hole with a large flat round stone that Chase moves in front of the hole for privacy. Damien opens his eyes a bit and watches the rest of the sunset, hoping to the Gods of creation that tomorrow's offering will be true.
The next day, another man on a cart pulled by horses reaches the entrance of the large cave the next morning. This man is another mayor, but this one is a very fit man with a beard and clothes not as great and decorated as the fat man's from yesterday, along with dark skin and hair of another race of human Damien not as familiar with. The man this time has a cargo of three drugged pigs and a beheaded cow and one other person, all on two other carts attached to the one in front. The man bows before the large dragon as he opens his eyes to look at the man that has intruded upon his home while he was sleeping.
I appreciate that you would rather be early than late, but… Damien's thought-speak is interrupted by a loud and wide yawn.
"I'm sorry to have awoken you, Great Damien. I have brought your usual offering of our three finest swine and our healthiest cow." The man says in a bass voice.
And? Damien questions knowingly.
"Of course, our most beautiful virgin for you." The man edges the blindfolded horses forward.
There are three carts, in the last one is a white cow with many brown splotches and no head, bandages cover the gore of the neck. In the middle are three pink pigs lying down, their chests moving up and down prove that they are still alive. And in the first cart, looking out towards the open land outside of the cave, is a human with blonde hair down around their neck and normal everyday clothes, something odd for what they believe is a sacrifice.
Damien keeps his red eyes locked onto the human even when he hears the stone from behind moving, and then the clicking of claws and hooves on stone and the clutter of the same hooves and claws moving around his treasure.
Bring him forward. Damien commands to the black man, who bows and walks over to the human in the cart.
"I want to watch the sunrise. Or do you not give last requests?" The voice of an obvious male, a young man, comes from the blonde as he continues to look out.
If you are truthful of your status, you should live to see many more. Damien looks over at the other dragon and unicorn.
Jack dips his head down and walks forward, regardless that the human is still sitting in the cart, while Chase walks over to the other carts. The dragon picks up two of the pigs and holds them under each scaled arm and turns around to place them in a section of the treasure; a large hole dug out into the very rock of the mountain with many swords as a fence to keep the animals in. The unicorn stops behind the human and the large dragon and the mayor watch as the unicorn sniffs the human.
The unicorn snorts in a bit of shock and steps back a bit, catching Chase's attention as well as he was making his way over to the cow. Jack turns and looks up at Damien and dips his head and whinnies at the black dragon, which makes Damien lift his head up.
I see not every human is a liar nowadays. Damien obviously sounds surprised at this.
The blonde nods his head once, yet continues to stare out at the rising sun, which is now higher than it was when he was brought up here. Jack trots over to and past the large black dragon, stopping next to the hole in the cave wall. Chase drops the cow body next to the pen with the still sleeping pigs before jumping over it and walking over to Jack. Damien rises to his clawed feet and keeps his head level with his body, as keeping it up would make him hit the top of the cave.
The dragon snakes his head over and, in a shocking sight of gentleness, carefully bites down on the blonde human's shirt. After waiting a moment for the human's fear to subside a bit, the dragon lifts his head up, the human going along as well. Damien moves his head back and slowly and ever-so-gently lowers the human down to the middle of the nest-like trove of gold, releasing the stunned human before looking up to the mayor.
Resume our contract as it follows. Despite what is said, history tells me that things can still go awry. Damien steps his front two legs out of the large nest, startling the blindfolded horses.
"Yes, Damien." The mayor bows.
The black-skinned man calms down his horses and manages to make them turn and gallop down the road carved into the mountain. The large black dragon moves forward towards the opening of the cave, moving out of his pile of treasure entirely before lying down with his front legs crossed and hanging over the side. Damien stays silent for a moment before turning his head to the side, exposing one large red eye to the human now standing at the edge of the nest of gold and flattened jewels.
The blonde has a very nice face, the face and complexion of a scholar rather than a hunter that most of the men Damien was given. His eyes are blue and his clothes are made of linen and cloth and even a hint of wool, the dragon can tell all this from the smell of the air.
Chase, you should take Jack to graze, right? I can hear his stomach from here. Damien glances at them once before looking back at the human.
As if on cue, the unicorn's stomach grumbles a bit, which makes the human turn and stare at the creature and the human-sized dragon next to him. Chase nods his muzzled head once and walks forward, jumping down into the pit and jumping back up with a sleeping pig in his scaled arms. The blonde human watches warily as the dragon walks over to the opening of the cave and turns to the road while the unicorn follows. When they are out of sight, the human looks back over to Damien, immediately swallowing hard and putting on a brave face.
The black dragon's tail snakes over to the human, his brave front wavers as he sees the sharp end of the tail with a line of small spikes that grow up the dragon's spine. The human male closes his eyes and grimaces, but opens them in confusion when he feels the tightness of his bound wrists loosen considerably. The dragon's tail pulls back as the rope falls onto the treasures, which don't even move from being compressed into their formation for so long.
I'm afraid the sun is now too high to cast anything so nice as a sunrise, but you may still watch the land, if you wish. The black dragon keeps his red eye locked onto the human.
After a short bout of internally debating, the blonde climbs out of the nest of gold and carefully walks over to the dragon. The dragon had to use his tail to keep the human from falling a couple of times when the treasures slipped a few times. The human warily looks at the dragon while sitting down in front of the edge of the cave, hanging his legs over the side. The man looks forward at the scenery while the black dragon continues to watch the human.
What is your name?
"Pip. Pip Pirrup. I know your name is Damien." The blonde answers.
Pip? Is it a nickname? Damien tilts his head a bit.
"Philip is my full name." Pip looks over at the dragon, "Can I ask why you haven't killed me?"
You can, and I'll even answer. I haven't killed you because you are not lying filth like the rest of your race.
"Why do you care that I…that I haven't been with anyone? I thought we were supposed to taste better or something."
The dragon makes the hiccupping choking laugh while exposing his fangs in a smile as he looks out towards the land. The area beneath the mountain is covered in lush trees, only broken by two large towns full of rising stacks of smoke. It takes the human a moment to realize that the dragon is laughing, at first he thought something was wrong with him.
Humans all taste the same. If you've had sex or not doesn't matter to taste. Damien explains as he lowers his head down to hang over the edge.
"Then…why do you demand a virgin sacrifice?" The blonde asks, baffled.
You presume that the virgins are sacrifices to keep me from destroying your town. But I do not kill or eat them because they are virgins. No, I'm more likely to eat them if they lied and have laid with another. I did so just yesterday. Damien growls a bit and smoke rises from his nostrils.
"Then I don't understand. Why force us here if you won't eat us? Not that I want you to eat me. I'm just…confused." Pip keeps his eyes focused on Damien.
Damien moves his head over and quickly bites down on the back of Pip's shirt before standing up. He turns around and carries the human back into the cave and walks over to the back of the cave. The black dragon stops over to one side of the cave, where a second hole is carved inside of the mountain. The dragon lowers his head down and places the human down right in front of the hole, and after releasing him and then nudging the man into the hole with the bottom of his snout.
The human looks around in a bit of awe, as the inside of the hole is as tall and wide as any house in the town. The cave inside the cave is decorated with human items as well; there is a lit fireplace and bookshelves with books, desks with scrolls and books, lit lanterns hanging on the wall, and there is even a large bed opposite of the fireplace. Pip turns around and sees the red eye of the large dragon watching him, blinking once and apparently waiting for some reply about it.
"This is amazing, but…it doesn't answer any of my questions. In fact, it raises more." Pip smiles sheepishly before looking back around the room.
"I thought as much."
Pip whips around at the voice not in his head, gasping and walking back a bit at the sight. A male around his age, with tanned skin and a well-built body, along with a black tail that is wrapped around his nude lower torso. The human has the blood red eyes of the dragon and has black hair as dark as the scales on the dragon as well. The male smirks and walks forward, the tail loose enough to make it easy for him to walk while keeping himself covered. Pip watches warily as the humanized dragon man walks over to him, and then leads the blonde over to the bed and sits him on it.
The humanized dragon sits down on the floor as the human pulls his legs and bare feet up onto the bed and crawls back to the middle of the large bed. Damien remains silent for a while, letting the human calm down a bit.
"I'm going to try and explain as much as I can at once." Damien announces and clears his throat before taking in a deep breath, "I'm a virgin, like you. Over the last hundred years, I've used your village and the one next to it to bring me virgins to find someone compatible. None of the men or women I've ever met were right, one came close, but she was killed because I found out she was just using me. So, there are two options I can give you, Pip. You can accept my offer of a relationship, or you can refuse. If you do, I'll just let you go, but if you agree, I'll keep you here, where you literally have everything handed to you."
Just as Damien has come to expect, the human remains silent for a very long time, only the fireplace's enchanted wood crackling making any noise. The silence lasts so long, Damien falls asleep on the floor, Pip does look over the end of the bed and watches the male for a bit. After a while, Pip hesitantly reaches out and shakes the man's shoulder, rousing him from his nap. The humanized dragon gets up and looks at the blonde with sleep-laced eyes for a while, blinking for a moment before rolling his right hand around by the wrist, telling the human to go on.
"What happens if I agree? How do I know you won't just grow bored of me and just get rid of me?" Pip questions as he sits upright.
"Did you see that pile of gold and other things outside? Right out there?" Damien points to the opening of the room, where the treasures are shining.
The blonde nods and looks over at them before looking back at the handsome man.
"I've had that treasure for three-hundred years, which is how old I turned last month. I'm more likely to grow bored of all that than I am of a lover." Damien lowers his hand onto the floor and looks up to Pip.
"Okay…anything else before I seal my fate?" Pip glances down at the dragon man.
"Yeah, you can learn to do magic, which I conveniently have in almost every book and scroll in this room. Your ears will grow a bit pointed, like this," Damien pulls back a bit of his hair and exposes his ears, which are indeed pointed at the tip, "And you'll be granted immortality."
Damien lowers his hand, his hair falling back into place over his ears, while Pip stares silently at the tailed man. The blonde leans back and his head bumps on the stone wall before sliding down a bit, raising his hair in a very silly way. Damien, concerned from the head-hitting, gets up enough to watch Pip lying on the bed.
"I'm already immortal…" Pip mumbles as he looks at the dragon.
The black-haired man gets up a bit and crawls onto the bed and sits down next to the blonde while staring at him in confusion. The blue-eyed man glances away and crosses his arms over his chest; Damien notices the blonde's frame shaking a bit.
"I…I'm a lycan. I was turned only a few years ago…" Pip's voice wavers and his eyes sting with tears.
"A lycan, not a werewolf?" Damien questions calmly.
Pip nods and continues shaking, mumbling a bit of gibberish as he begins crying. Damien moves forward and gently wraps his arms around the blonde, getting a little startled when the blonde shoots forward and embraces the dragon man tightly. The dragon man shushes the blonde gently while stroking his hair comfortingly, trying to get the man to calm down. After the blonde got his crying out, he used his shirt to clean up his tear-stained face while still in the arms of the dragon man. The two then meet in a kiss, which leads to both men losing their flowers.