A Real Dragon

“Whoa there! You scared me!”

“Did I? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“I saw your shadow on the wall… it was huge!”

“Yes, these caves cast big shadows.”

“Are you a… no way, you can’t be…”

“Yes, I am a dragon.”

“But you are so small! You couldn’t be a real dragon.”

“I am a real dragon. You’re so small too. Are you a real person?”

“I’m taller than you though. Are you like a dragon runt or something? Just a baby?”

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t talk to me like that! I’m a most ferocious beast, a dragon, lord of the sky, breather of fire! You should be shaking in your boots… er, I mean sandals. What kind of warrior wears sandals? Are you stupid?”

“I’m not a warrior. I’m a poet. I travel the lands in search of things to write about.”

“Oooo a poet. And you write poems I assume. Write one about me! I’m a perfect subject!”

“I don’t know… most stories are about dragons that are huge and ferocious… do you know any?”

“Grrrrr, I’ll show you ferocious! Be prepared to endure my wrath! I will rain down bolts of fire on your puny body and smite you where you are! Die mortal man!”

“Are you all right?”

“Cough, yeah, just smoke… now, prepare to be set ablaze by the powers of my breath!”

“More smoke. Are you sure you aren’t like, I don’t know, a wyvern or salamander or something? You’re hardly how the warriors describe dragons. You know, dozens of feet long, big wings, ferocious fangs and claws, actual fire breath…”

“Oh, pick on the poor little dragon. I see how it is. Kick the little guy when he’s down. I tried to be a good dragon. I tried to scare away travelers and defeat strong warriors. Know what happened? I got shoved in a barrel and rolled down a hill. It’s just not fair. How can a dragon make a living like this? I can’t even scare sheep! They just think I’m one of them they’re so stupid. And I never learned how to breath fire. Don’t look at me like that. I’m not going to cry. Just leave. I don’t need your sympathy.”

“Oh, chin up little man. It’s all right. Hey, how about I write a poem about you after all?”

“Really? You’d do that for me?”

“Yeah, let me just get my scroll and ink out. OK, so what’s your name?”

“Vegraextraho.”

“Well, for the poem you will be… uh… Lidulacert. Yeah, that sounds scary. And how tall are you?”

“Four feet even.”

“Forty feet even now. And we’ll make you breathe fire. Do your wings work?”

“No.”

“They do in the poem. This will be a masterpiece!”

“Are you sure this will be about me? Cause it sounds like this dragon I know two caves down.”

“Really? Is he home?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, look at the time. I have to go. See you later dragon.”


Written for:

ID: 941862   (Rated: 18+) The Dialogue 500: IT'S BACK, BABY!  Stories 500 words or less, written only in dialogue. New prompt for May 2012! by ~j

PROMPT: You find a talking dragon, or it finds you... regardless, you are face to face with a most ferocious beast.