Chapter Three

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Chapter Three

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Mirelle gave the dragon all the time he needed to collect himself. She almost wished there were more women here to see what happened. No doubt some of those poor maidens he had an affinity for would have taken a great deal of satisfaction in watching him writhe. If nothing else, she was sure they’d have all shared a good laugh at the look on the foul beast’s face.

What a tale she’d have to spin in the tavern once this was all over and done with. She leaned back with her palms against the stump, imagining it. “Have I ever told you about that time I kicked the wicked dragon himself right in the balls? No? Oh, well, buy a round of ale, and I’ll tell you the story.” 

Mirelle smiled. She liked that idea. She could double her sales-

“Who are you talking to?” Revaramek glared at her from across the clearing.

He’d finally uncurled and moved to a halfway upright position. He was on his haunches, but hunched forward with his wings drooping, and his head hanging down. All his spiny frills now sagged around his head. Even his ears drooped. Mirelle giggled at his slouching posture. He looked like a half-empty wineskin.

“All the bluster’s gone right out of you, hasn’t it. About time.”

Revaramek gnashed his teeth, grumbling. “Yes, yes, savor your victory, woman.” He scrunched a forepaw against the  ground, tearing through moss and earth. “How clever you must feel!” Bitter sarcasm dripped from his tongue like bile. “What a grand scheme you concocted, to trick me into revealing my only weak spot!”

“Now, now.” Mirelle pushed herself up off the stumble, settling her knife back into its scabbard. “Perhaps it was a dirty trick, but I should think even you would agree you’d wholeheartedly deserved it.”

The dragon shook himself, his spiny frills rattling against each other. “I shall never admit to such a thing.”

Mirelle dusted off her breeches, grimacing. “I should have expected admitting your wrongdoings to be too much for a foul creature such as yourself.”

“I’m not foul!” The dragon snapped his jaws, some of the fire returning to him. He straightened himself, then gave a low sigh and sagged once more. “But…perhaps I did deserve it.”

The wounded honesty in the dragon’s voice caught Mirelle off guard. She’d have guessed him feigning it, if not for the bruised look in his bronze eyes she thought saw. He glanced away from her just as quickly, then snorted and lashed his tail. His webbed spines caught the earth and tossed chunks of moss and dirt into the air.

“Alright, Dragon.” Mirelle softened her tone as she approached him. If he was genuinely regretful, she wasn’t going to press him. Even if she suspected he was only regretful of getting kicked. “Enough sulking. It hardly befits even a dragon, however unpleasant he may be.”

“I’m not sulking.” The dragon muttered something incomprehensible, pinning back his ears. “You’re sulking.”

“That doesn’t even…” Mirelle rubbed her forehead. “Nevermind. We have important things to talk about.”

The dragon swung his head around again to glare at her. “Such as?”

“Such as the truce that you violated!”

Revaramek shifted his weight, kneading at the ruined moss beneath him. “It was only a little violation.”

“You set fire to his pasture, ate his livestock-!”

“The only thing I set fire to was his outhouse! And livestock? Hah!” The dragon thumped his tail against the ground, hissing. “Pygmy goat. What good is that? I only ate one of them, anyway.”

“You destroyed his home!” Mirelle smacked her fist into the dragon’s scaly shoulder, scraping her knuckles.

“He threatened me with a pitchfork!” The dragon scoffed, flaring his spines and tossing his head. “He had it coming.”

“He was protecting his livestock!”

“His house was ugly, anyway.”

“You…infuriating…” Mirelle drew back her foot, cocking her wet boot.

“Alright, alright!” The dragon curled his tail to protect himself. “I shall apologize to him.”

“You’ll do more than that, Dragon! You’ll help him rebuild his house, or I’ll wedge my boot so far-”

“Point taken.” The dragon suddenly shoved Mirelle back. He probably thought it was a small shove, but it was enough to send her stumbling backwards. She tripped and fell onto her rump upon the moss, grunting. “Hah! Not so funny now, is it.”

Mirelle grimaced as she rose back to her feet. She dusted herself off, glaring at the dragon. “Don’t push me!”

“Then don’t kick me.” He glowered right back at her, tail tip dancing. “Why aren’t you more afraid of me?”

Mirelle took a deep breath, then let it out as slowly as she could. Much as she hated to admit it, the dragon had a point. Sometimes her temper got the best of her. “The truce, Dragon! The same reason I’m here. The truce! We both know if you killed me, you’d be up to your…” She waved her hand at his hind end. “…Apples in dragon slayers! Again! So I, and everyone else in the villages knows that if you’ve any notion of self-preservation, you’re not going to hurt any of us.”

As Mirelle spoke, the dragon slumped a little more with every world. His crests drooped, his wings sagged. He looked as if he was deflating all over again. Even his voice grew soft, almost distant. He stared at his own forepaws. “Yes, yes, I understand. Not even that old man was afraid of me.”

“Of course not, that’s the whole point of the truce!” Mirelle threw her hands up. “We don’t fear you, you don’t fear us! You don’t burn things or demand treasure or…maidens.” She spat the word, then snorted. “And we don’t send an army of dragonslayers after you! It’s perfectly reasonable! Isn’t it?”

The dragon snorted, and rustled his wings.

“Isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Then why were you on about all that benevolent overlord nonsense?”

“Rrghrhmmm.”

“What was that?” Mirelle jabbed at his scales again. “Come on Dragon, out with it. Are you suffering some kind of delusional episode, or are you just that damn egotistical that you can’t admit-”  

“I conquered this land!” Revaramek’s voice changed in an instant, an angry, white-hot flame that surged across his tongue. “Conquered it all! I fled here from the far poison swamp where there was nothing but water like bile, and venom spewing from the earth. I made my home here, where the water was clean! Claimed it for myself as a great dragon should! Would have made a place for all those from the swamp, but then you…Damn it, I should be your ruler!”

Revaramek rose to his paws, every motion graceful. Muscles rippled beneath his green armor, and for the first time Mirelle felt the cold sting of real fear. She scrambled back as the dragon spread his wings to their vast, impressive extent. Copper markings shone upon the green sails.

Revaramek stalked towards her, and Mirelle continued to back away. “I conquered this damn land! I should be feared, remembered! Instead, everything was taken from me! I was forced to submit myself to your servitude! And now what I am? I am laughed at! My every fault exposed and needled at!” The dragon’s words came in alternating hisses and snarls. His tail whipped back and forth, and soon, he was circling Mirelle like a cat stalking a mouse. “Yes, I like mating, and yes, I like human females! Yes, I am an egotist! And yes, when my life is on the line, I am frightened! Would you not tremble, when cold steel bites into your throat? Would you not agree to any so-called truce forced upon you if it prevented them from spilling your lifeblood into the marsh?”

With that, Revaramek threw his head back and roared unto the skies. The ear-shattering was all primal power and pent-up fury. Mirelle clapped her hands over her ears, screwing up her face. She’d never heard a sound so all-encompassing. It rattled her teeth in her head, rustled the leaves in the trees. It reverberated through her very heart and spoke of old powers most of the world had long since forgotten.

When the roar ended, Revaramek took another deep breath till the green plates that protected his chest expanded. Then he released it all at once, painting the sky above them with fire. A roiling gout of red-orange flames billowed from his jaws. The heat of it stung her face, forcing Mirelle back a few paces. The heat was so intense she half-expected it to tan and darken her olive skin. When the dragon ran of breath, the flames ended, and he hung his head, panting.

Mirelle stared at him, her jaw hanging open. Her whole body trembled, adrenaline spiked her blood.

Still trying to catch her breath, Revaramek glanced at her, licking his jaws. “Why are you…looking at me…like that?”

“That was…that was…” Mirelle worked her jaw a few times, struggling to form thoughts. “That was terrifying! And…exhilarating! And…and the fire! By the Gods, dragon, if you’d done that earlier instead of acting like a scaly pervert…” She trailed off, then shook her head and laughed. “Well suffice it to say, that was incredible! I don’t know how you can from from…ego and lewdness and childish arguments to…to that!” Mirelle held her hands up in front of her face. They were shaking. She took a slow step towards the dragon. “It seems we both have a temper. I think I pushed you too far. And…I should apologize. So…” Mirelle took a deep breath, and forced herself to utter two very difficult words. “I’m sorry.”

Revaramek took a breath so deep the plating upon his chest looked ready to pop right off. Mirelle tensed, expecting another roar or blast of fire. Instead, he only gave a long, heaving sigh. “Thank you. Those is…nothing something I hear often.”

“Nor something you say often, I suspect.”

“No, so don’t expect to hear it.”

“Trust me, I won’t.” Mirelle took a few more calming breaths. “May I approach you now without being incinerated?”

“Yes, you’re safe.” The dragon grunted, then flopped back onto his haunches. “Awwh!” He winced, spines pinned back. “I jarred my balls.”

 A smirk twitched at Mirelle’s lips, and she fought a giggle.

“Oh, shut up.” The dragon shifted his weight. Mirelle wasn’t certain, but she thought she saw a smile tugging at his muzzle, as well. “It’s not that funny.”

“So you admit it’s a little funny.”

Revaramek cocked his head, his ears perked. “It’d be funnier if it was another dragon. But yes. It’s a little funny.”

“Then we’ve found something we agree on.” Mirelle approached him, slow and cautious, until she was within reach. “This seems as good a time as any for us to…well, let’s just start simple. With a more official introduction. See if we can handle that, at least.”

“That sounds fair.”

“Good.” Mirelle gave the dragon a smile, and then offered him a deep bow. After that last little outburst, a gesture of respect finally seemed at least somewhat appropriate. “My name is Mirelle.”

The dragon held out his paw as she straightened. “Greetings, Mirelle. This…” He glanced at his paw. “This is what humans do, right?”

“Close enough.” Mirelle reached out, put her hand atop the dragon’s paw, and gave it a gentle shake. It was warmer than she expected, with pebbly green scales across the back, and softer, black and gray pads beneath. “And your name is?”

“You already know my name.” Mirelle stared at the dragon till he caught on. “Oh. Right. For our official introduction.” He cleared his throat with a growl, and held his head out, neck arched in pride. “I am called Revaramek the Resplendent.”

Mirelle sighed and shook her head, trying not to laugh. So much for losing the ego. “Of course you are.”