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A Change of Heart

Krayden walked slowly through the cave, holding his torch slightly behind him so that the light didn't completely blind him. The cave was large, the tunnel he was traversed was wide. It was easily large enough for what he knew awaited him at the back of the cave. There wasn't any stalactites or stalagmites. Lumps on the floor indicated where they once stood but no longer. Those places were worn smooth with age and repeated travel of the creature that resided in the cave. The ribs that flowed down the wall were left untouched and gave the cave a majestic and even organic feel.

Krayden paused a few moments to marvel at the ribbing formed by mere drops of water and the beauty that they held. He wandered if the creature marveled in their beauty as well. Maybe that was why they had been untouched. If so then maybe he stood a chance.

It had been Krayden's choice to come here but the only alternative would have found him at the end of a rope. He had killed the city's mayor after all. The people of the town revered their mayor but Krayden wouldn't take what he did back even if given the chance. He had been hired from farmers and villagers near by to find what had happened to their daughters.

The people of the town were convinced that the dragon was responsible and many of those that lived in the land near by did as well but those that had hired Krayden believed differently. They still thought that the dragon was a curse on their land that stole their livestock whenever it pleased and demanded all the treasure for itself when it came across it, often killing for it The parents of the missing daughters felt that there was something "off" with their daughters' disappearances. They simply wanted to know the truth to what had happened and to stop it if possible.

Krayden, being a worrier of honer bound to help those in need and honor his word, did his deactivate work. Dragons weren't alien to him but he had never need to "take care of one" before nor did he ever intend to. The killing of a dragon was a difficult task that had to be done by an army specially equipped to the task. A single armored worrier would make nothing more than a crunchy snack for the beast. Even when the army went forth against a dragon many lives were always lost and thus they rarely did so unless the creature was creating a great enough problem. This town was on the edge of civilization and this dragon, as far as any one knew in the town, was there first. That didn't change their opinion on removing it though.

Krayden knew that the removal of young farmer girls was not usual of any dragon that he knew of. It didn't take him long to follow the leads and clues back to the mayor. The previous night he had slipped into the mayor's mansion and found the answer to his mystery. The man had them locked in his basement and had his way with them whenever he pleased. Krayden had witnessed him beating them for not being "quite little whores."

Krayden slipped into the basement and released all those there and the walked up stairs as if he owned the place. There was a guard outside the door to the mayor's bedchamber. Krayden easily disarmed him and struck him across the head with the flat of his blade, knocking him out cold. He then proceeded to kick the door in, pull the poor girl away from the monster that was therein and once she was out of the room, slit his throat.

Looking back now Krayden knew his anger at what was going on fueled his actions and he wondered if he could have handled it better. The town was in all honesty outside of any one kingdom's control. Multiple governments claimed the town in theory but none of them executed any authority there. In effect the mayor was the king of the land there and he previously had his fingers in every aspect of the place. There wasn't any way to execute true justice on the man as he would simply continue to blame the girls disappearance on the dragon. He probably would have killed them just to hide his dirty little secret. One of the cells had contained someone's bones after all.

Krayden know for sure that this way the girls would go free. The death of the mayor and his proceeding flight from the town put all of the residence's attention on him, allowing the girls' escape to easily go unnoticed. He was sure that they were reuniting with their family as he looked upon the ribs of the cave, if they hadn't already done so.

There had been only one place for Krayden to flee to without getting ran down. That was to the lands of the dragon and deep into them at that. Krayden knew that there was almost no chance of him making it past the dragon without it noticing him and probably killing him for trespassing. Krayden decided that going straight to the creature would be his only chance, if there was one.

Krayden knew that dragons could speak. When he was young and still training he had been escorting a small caravan that had been robbed by a dragon. It was only satisfied with its take when it had been completely convinced that every ounce of gold and silver had been given up. He knew that it had been a reasoning being as it was able to smell deception like a blood hound does a man.

Ever since then Krayden had wondered what it would be like to truly talk to a dragon and had even went so far to device a plan to do so. He had never tried to follow through for fear of loosing his life. Now though it looked like it would be his only chance to live. Even if he didn't Krayden would be satisfied that he had been able to save those girls from the monster that had imprisoned them and raped them every night.

Strengthening his resolve, Krayden continued down the tunnel. It opened up into a large chamber that stretched hundreds of feet back and nearly a hundred feet high. Within fires burned keeping it lit. Gold and jewels stretched as far as Krayden could see, great heaps of it here and there while organized stacks of coins and piles of like jewels lined the walls. It was more precious gems and metal than he had ever seen.

Right in the middle of it all sat the dragon. He was a great creature, stretching at least fifty feet from head to tail tip. He was an impressive emerald green color, his scales sparkling in the fire light almost like the gem. His underbelly was a near black as well as the wing membranes. He had four great slightly spiraling horns that grew majestically from the back of his head, giving him a aerodynamic but yet impressive look. Large claws adorned the tip of each digit of his paws.

He was impressive to look at, Krayden had no doubt to that. It was like looking at a great cat and all the power that they command. Here though there was cage or protection against the powerful creature he was beholding. There was nothing from stopping the dragon from simply tearing him in two. Nothing but his daydream of a plan.

The dragon was watching him as he walked into his home. He laid in place seemingly unconcerned about Krayden's presence. The only thing that said otherwise was the way he stared at Krayden. Krayden found it unnerving.

"You come to slay me and steal my treasure have you?" the dragon asked him. Krayden, rather nervously drew his sword. The dragon stood when he did. Krayden took his sword and threw it at the dragons feet. The dragon watched it slide towards his feet and then looked back at Krayden seemingly confused.

"I have done no such thing. I have come to offer you what gold I have in exchange for crossing your lands... alive," Krayden said.

"And why not just go around or go at all? There are no humans on the other side of my lands for many horizons," he said. Krayden hadn't suspected that the dragon would care and took a few moments to consider his answer. "Are you going to answer me human?"

"Yes... I find that I am no longer welcome with the humans near by and must travel to someplace new," Krayden said.

"And why are you no longer welcome? Don't lie to me human I can tell when you do," the dragon said.

"Um... I killed a monster there that the people regarded highly as they did not know his true nature. Why do you care dragon? Don't you just want my gold?" Krayden asked.

"I do and I think that I will kill you and take it from you but you spiked my curiosity; I wanted to know what would drive a human into my home," he answered.

"Ah," Krayden said. This was a little more what he had been expecting. "Well, dragon, that wouldn't be as profitable to you. If you let me pass than I may wish to pass through again and would bring more gold to do so. This is what I have to offer you this time." Krayden then pulled out his gold and laid it in front of him.

"So that is your ploy is it? Try and convince me that you will be back this way to bring me a meager amount of gold," the dragon said.

"You do have a great hoard here and these few coins really don't add to it so I will just take them with me..."

"You will do no such thing!" the dragon declared.

"So you do accept my agreement to cross your lands," Krayden said.

"Don't be sly with me," he said.

"My life hangs in the balance. If yours did wouldn't you be?" Krayden said trying to change things in his favor. The dragon was quite. He turned his head to one side and then the other.

"If I was as puny and weak as you I would be which makes me wonder if you're not just a distraction while others make off with my treasures," he said.

"I only see one way in and out of here. Surly you heard me coming and would easily hear others coming into your home. I just want to live to see tomorrow but if I do die I will know that I tried everything possible and will go at peace," Krayden said.

"I suppose that is just what we all want. You spoke of killing a monster. What kind of monster?" he asked Kayden.

"The worse kind. It was a man that stole daughters in the night so that he could imprison them and rape them at his leisure," Krayden said.

"Rape... young ones?" he asked.

"Yes and because of what I did their torment ended and they got to go home. If you kill me I will at least know that they got there life back because of my death. If I remained the people there would not have believed that he was doing such a thing and hanged me for murder. I couldn't have out ran them on the roads so the only way to get away from them was to go somewhere they wouldn't so thus I am here," Krayden said.

"I... I will accept then. I can not harm one for helping young ones. They are most precious," he said.

Krayden hesitated. Here was his chance to truly talk to him and understand but he wondered if he should press his luck. In the end he decided that he would never have such a chance again and asked, "If you would allow me I would like to remain a while and speak with you. I truly doubt that I would ever get the chance to just speak with a dragon and I find myself most curious about your ways."

The dragon hesitated for a few moments before asking, "Curious about what?"

"Why all the gold? What use does it have for you? You can't eat it. There are much more comfortable things to sleep on. As far as I know you don't trade it for anything like we do so what do you do with it beside pile it in great heaps and stare at it?" Krayden asked.

"To show that we are great and prove to females that we are worth while to mate with," he answered.

"Oh... couldn't you show that you are great in other ways? Maybe by having a large amount of land or great herds of animals so that you and your young ones will always be fed? Isn't that more important that a giant pile of pretty metal?" Krayden asked.

"Then how would she know that I could defend her from other males and the likes of your kind?" he asked.

"I think I understand. I have another question. Every time I here of a dragon somewhere there is only just one dragon. Do you not socialize or wish for companionship? Do you not stay with your... females afterward and love them?"

"For a time. We are not like you humans and need to be around others all the time just to live. We are free from your petty struggles to simply live," he said.

"Free, hmm. I would assume after your "time" that you go back to gathering more shiny things? If so doesn't that make you a slave to your own petty struggle to gather more of something that you never really use?" Krayden asked. The dragon looked around almost as if he was seeing his treasure in a new light. "If I understood you right you gather this so that a female will be with you and then you have your fun. Shortly after you're back to gathering gold for something you long for again. Would you trade it all for someone that would stay with you all the time?" Krayden asked but the dragon didn't answer. "Its obvious that you're a thinking, reasoning being. What do you do all day to entertain yourself, look through and stack your hoard?"

That made the dragon stop looking at his hoard and look at Krayden. Amusing that he had struck truth, Krayden pressed forward, "Have you been with a female and had children?"

"Of course!" the dragon replied quickly.

"Was it the best time of your life?" Krayden.

The dragon didn't seem like he was going to reply but then he said, "Yes."

"Then wouldn't you rather wake up everyday with her at your side rather than obsess over something that you can't even use?" Krayden asked.

The dragon began to growl before saying, "This is a trick! Your trying to talk me out of my gold."

"Not in the least," Krayden said calmly, "Your kind is always stealing and killing and I just wonder if maybe you could be something better and be happier for it." The dragon stopped growling. "Well, there was just one last thing that I've always wondered about. Your kind always steal for their gold. Don't you know that there are better ways to bring in gold?"

"How?" the dragon asked seemingly eager for the change of subject.

"We barter and trade things for gold. Items are created and sold for gold. Food is traded for gold. Protection is traded for gold. The town that is near by would pay you for your protection. More over, you could buy farms and industries that would make their good for you and you would earn the profit back as gold. You could build things, expand places and even help others all while bringing in gold and probably far more than stealing some here and there would. You would have to be willing to part with some of yours for a while to do such things, hire those to work for you and bring in the supplies to start them. After they would make it back for you and more if you're careful and manage things well. There is risk in it but if you were diligent it would turn a profit for you. Wouldn't that be more rewarding that stacking your gold one way and then another on the next day?

"I guess that is more of something for you to think about. I think I have pushed my luck enough for one day and will continue my journey across your land before you change your mind and eat me," Krayden said and turned to leave.

"Wait," the dragon said and Krayden turned back around. "I am an older dragon, not old but older. Females prefer young males even if one my age has ten times their treasure. I will admit to you that I do long for what I had with a female when I was young but there is little now I can do to get that back. I should stop hoping for what will never again be fore me. Maybe a change would be good... if you will stay and show me how," the dragon said.

Krayden smiled before asking, "What is you name?"

"I am Zamkinzer," he answered.

Careful to get his name right, Krayden said, "Zamkinzer, I would be honored to do so."