Today was just like any other, the flowers burning the cows screaming and that dragon roaring...
Wait a second—that's not like any other day at all!
A fire dragon? In Insan? That's unheard of, usually only sky dragons fly above, but fire dragons never came out of their territory before
Could it be...?
Of course, the fire is normal, so are cows reactions... but this is important! I've read for years about dragons and I've always wanted to meet one in person, I check my clothes, a bit ragged but dragons don't judge based on that.
I step outside, I can't wait to see where this goes!
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As I step out the door, I see the dragon perched in the town square, it's got a 160... no 200 foot wingspan for sure an adolescent but still impressive, I flip open my encyclopedia, the small cuts I get from the paper not even registering in the excitement of the moment.
Fire Dragons:
"Fire dragons, one the largest kinds of dragons, native to the magma regions—"
I skip over a few pages; I need to remember how to behave.
"— Known for their aggression it is recommended one approach a fire dragon with ready tribute, unless one wishes to be tribute themselves, humans have an advantage in this regard as we are seen as advantageous in a commensalism relationship with them, they mainly enjoy tough meat"
Tough meat now where am I gonna get tough meat?
"Mooo!"
The cow in my backyard responds.
...
I return to the outside 15 minutes later, a bloody hatchet skewering 5 slabs of bloodied steak.
"This should work"
Alright, so now the next step is not to—
"AHHHHH AHHHHH AHHHHHH"
A man, with spear at his side and wool laden clothes runs past me; on fire, a hunter who doesn't know what level game he was trying for.
Of course dragons are deities to me, my mother had told me they are the embodiment of the hunt, the apex of the apex, and if anything was to bless a bow, it'd be them.
I begin to steady my breath, clenching my offhand as I stare at the dragon, it unaware of my presence, a good 30 feet away; if it does fire at me I'll have a chance to not get crispy
"Uh hello?"
Dammit! That's no way to start off with a fire dragon!
Their massive head deftly swings in my direction, a puff of smoke drifting out their nostrils, evidence of their previous fire.
"I have a... tribute! For you! Sir!"
"Sir?" A strong booming yet definitely womanly voice rings in my mind, the edge to the pronunciation ringing bells of how wrong my guess was.
"Ma'am! I meant ma'am!"
She encroaches upon me, the humid heat of her nostrils grossly filling the air around me, as I take in shorter yet shorter breathes, my clothes dampening with my sweat and the warmth in her eyes.
"Human, you have a mighty gall to approach a dragon with your knees so far from the ground."
I gulp, I know I should kneel, but my fear prevents me from moving my legs an inch, buckled like beavers to wood. I slowly move my tribute to her lips, I see her nostrils inhale the bloodied scent, as her eyes sharpen with hunger for a mere-moment before dulling back onto me.
"But... I suppose it is only right of you to serve so eagerly."
She licks her lips, the forked tongue brushing against my face, lathering me in her divine slobber before she lets her jaw rest, her breath invading all of my senses, the tangy smell of smoke and blood reminiscent of mothers live goat stew as spit slowly piles around her tongue, I can barely hold myself back from delighting in the bitter boiling concoction as I layer her tongue in coats of the steaks blood, before she clamps down upon the meat, shattering both the blade, and any hope I had to not get aroused in one metallic CLANK.
They lift their head up, the small creak of vertebrae in their neck letting out a satisfying pop, before quickly being drowned out by the sound of metal on metal, as they shred the beef and heartily gulp it down in mere seconds, their eyes landing back onto me as casual as one would take straw out between their lips, steam duct out of their nose once more.
Now... now it's time to, try and speak on a more equal footing, my arm tentatively reaches out, inching towards the snout of the beast, instinctively it sniffs at my hand, before my skin slowly intermingles with her scales, each resonating with a hearth-like warmth shooting through my arm.
...
I stand in silence, partly in reverence for the being standing before me, and partly out of fear I'll be snapped in two at the lightest of leisure.
"It's odd."
She murmurs at me, eyes filled with consideration.
"Your body, every inch of it quivers with fear and respect... yet your aura, your aura tells me you're a near equal, in all the absurdity that entails."
My... aura?