This choice: Seven years later, the dragon is still sad and reclusive • Go Back...Chapter #6Lovely Money by: JanPen   The dragon crept smoothly, and licked up water from the stream near his lair. He had avoided humans, as he hated them, and they only ever caused him pain. He had encountered humans four times before: His father, the slaver, two rowdy boys climbing the hill, who promptly ran in fear, and a miner who tried to attack the dragon fruitlessly with his pickaxe before the dragon roasted him. He had been a delicious meal for the dragon.
The dragon had decided to go find a meal when the crack of a twig came from behind him. He turned to look as an arrow flew out of the bushes and hit his side, penetrating the scales and embedding itself in his flesh. The dragon roared in pain and blanketed the bush in fire, from which a figure leapt out and shot another arrow before sprinting into the foliage. His shot was not a direct hit, however, and bounced harmlessly off the dragon’s scales. It launched itself into the air and spied the hunter, running for his life. Swiftly, the dragon descended upon the hunter, pinning him to the ground.
---------------
“Well,” the dragon thought. “At least I got my meal…” He clenched his teeth around the arrow and tugged at it, and, though it gave resistance, he eventually removed it. He had removed the swords and other hard objects before eating the hunter, which, from the miner, he had learned not to eat, but there was a curious bag on his side that the dragon had noticed.
He picked it up with his claws, scrutinizing it closely. He shook it, and it emitted sounds of clinking metal. He reached up to the bag with his other paw and slit it open with a claw. Shining metal flowed out of the bag, creating a puddle of metal on the floor that reflected the sun’s light at him. The dragon was first surprised, then enchanted and transfixed by its beauty.
He stared blankly into the dazzling pool of shining, golden light, and instantly his troubles were banished from his mind; His past, his loneliness, his wound…everything disappeared. The dragon, blissfully satisfied, set his head down on the ground, and closed his eyes… Suddenly, the troubles were back! He shook his head in frustration, and looked back at the diminutive pool of gold. He felt the pleasure again, but it did not enchant him as it had before. He had found a cure to his problems, finally!
-----------
As the years passed, and the dragon added continually to his horde, as its effects slowly wore off, and he had to find more to keep it working fully. To do this…
1: …the dragon kills travelers and traders and takes their belongings. On his eleventh birthday, he finds a caravan more heavily guarded than ever he had ever seen, and promptly raids it expecting treasure, only to find that they were transporting a (important girl – royalty/nobility) and he captures her.
2: …the dragon uses a sacrifice system to extort any gold from the nearby town. On his eleventh birthday, the townspeople no longer have anything to offer, and must instead offer a human sacrifice.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
| Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
<<-- Previous · Outline  · Recent Additions © Copyright 2026 JanPen (UN: mysteriousben at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Bruce Lee Gifford Jr. has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work within this interactive story. Poster accepts all responsibility, legal and otherwise, for the content uploaded, submitted to and posted on Writing.Com. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
Puzzle Hub
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author