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Chapter 2: A Dragon's Day

Two years had passed over Lumara, although those who did not inhabit a city or found themselves breaching Lumara's lands during times of strife would not have noticed the time pass by. The country kept expanding, and slowly, its enemies had no option but to fall back further into their territory. Our story takes us to the north-western border of Lumara, into a wild mountainous area where a dragon soared freely through the skies.

Veledar spread his wings, gliding upon the gentle currents of the wind, basking in the warmth of the sun falling upon his crimson scales. Few things felt as exhilarating for a dragon as flying. The dragon tilted his tan wing membranes and did a spin, closing his eyes in happiness. He loved every little thing about flying. The foreign smells carried by the breeze, the gusts brushing against his wings, even the way his tail swung back and forth. With another flap and a slight tilt of his wings, the red dragon descended toward the tree covered mountain top below. His blue eyes narrowed on a stream he usually visited during warm days. He landed as softly as a dragon of decent size could, but even so, the animals took notice of his presence, which produced a low rumble within the dragon's throat. He didn't mind the reception. Such reaction was warranted when you happened to be an apex predator. Veledar walked towards the river, then opened his maw and slurped in the water with his dark pink tongue, sighing in relief as the coolness of the water washed over his weary body. His front claws twitched slightly to anchor him in the rock bed of the river, and Veledar paused for a quick moment to gaze upon his own magnificent reflection.

The dragon considered himself in better shape than the scrawny body presented upon the water's surface. He stood at roughly 28 hands high, and 22 feet long from nose to tail, a presence that already intimidated every animal around.

Probably not humans though. Veledar snorted. He wasn't exactly small by even dragon standards, but there was no drawback for a larger size, especially with dragons. The larger wyrms controlled vast territories, with wisdom to match their legendary deeds. Veledar had a mind to become a legend himself one day. It was amusing, to think of humans reciting tales of his deeds to their children.

The dragon immersed himself into thoughts of self-grandeur until an ungainly rumbling from his stomach drew his attention back to the present.

How annoying! Veledar hissed as he brushed his belly with a wet front paw. He had no mood to chase his prey through thick trees and trip on their gnarled roots, but alas, even dragons had to submit to the basic needs of every living being. Veledar sniffed the air, looking for a trail that he could follow for an easy meal. He moved his snout from side to side until his eyes sprang open. He recognized the smell of deer, one of his favorite prey to feast upon. The dragon took flight from the river's shore and chased his prey from the air until he isolated a single doe. The frills lining his snout twitched in anticipation as she made him work for it, so in return, Veledar planned to give her an honorable death. The dragon crashed back on the ground and chased with great speed after the creature. With a great pounce and slice of his claws the doe crumbled to the ground, giving her life to prolong Veledar's own.

The dragon burned whatever remained of the doe to honor the female's sacrifice, then returned to the stream to clean the blood from his claws and teeth. Although he liked the intimidating image of himself all covered in viscous blood, he rather disliked being dirty.

"Why not do something about this?" The dragon growled happily before he jumped into the stream with a great splash. He swam around for a bit, then hopped out onto the shore to shake the water off his dripping scales. How he hated the cold water! The stuff poked through his scales like daggers, although a hot bath every now and again lessened that hatred. Veledar relaxed on the river's shore for a bit to soak in more sun. He spread out his tail frill, twitching it slightly, then looked at the sky to notice that the white clouds sailed away from the blue sky while he was feasting. Time passed quicker than he had expected.

The dragon rose on his fours, then unfurled his wings to take to the skies when a faint cry reached his ears. Veledar turned his head towards the sound and quickly found the source behind a small bush. The culprit was small, perhaps not even the size of a little house cat.

Curious as he was to check on the source of the disturbance, Veledar remember his mother scolding him once for trying to peek on the elves near his old home. He scrunched his snout up at the ridiculous notion he was forced to swallow that day. It had something to do with privacy or some man-made nonsense like that. The red dragon pushed it from his mind and moved the bush with his front claw, yet the thing was persistent. Hard to gaze through. Veledar ripped it from the earth rather harshly, scattering dirt all over.

"Yaaaaawwwwhhh!" The fairy screamed and darted out of his reach. She was a small humanoid in appearance, with wings sprouting from her back. She began to flutter in front of him roughly at the same height of his head, pointing and cursing his lack of decency. "Have you no respect for a fairy's privacy, you big, lumbering scale-head?!"

"Scale what?" Veledar's snout curled with irritation. "You don't get to call me names, little thing!"

"Fairy. I am a fairy in case you are not familiar with my kin, which your lack of manners clearly suggests!"

Veledar found himself quite amused by the creature's courage. She wore a green dress to go with her short brown hair. Her blue eyes dripped with half cried tears not from the brief exchange they had, but for some other reason that Veledar could not understand. The fairy looked at him, unsure of what to do.

"Sorry about the outburst. I might've gotten a bit ahead of myself, but just so you know, it's rather rude to rip up a girl's hiding place from her!" she shouted at him.

"Outburst, again." Veledar growled slightly. He often hated when a lesser creature addressed him with such a lack of respect, but the fairy was right in one regard. He did intrude upon her.

"You're not making it easy, you crimson-scaled brute."

"Brute now, am I? Well, excuse my lack of patience, gentle creature, but I had to find where that annoying noise was coming from. From what I know you could've been in danger!" He shot back, sounding perhaps more aggressive than he meant to.

"No, you!" The fairy slapped him on the snout with her tiny hand. "You are the danger, sticking this oversized snout into somebody else's business!" The fairy flew back several feet to avoid Veledar's pokes. "First those nasty humans, and now a dragon? What else can possibly go wrong today? I feel like the world is playing a joke on me, after...after....yaaah I can't even say it!" she cried out in frustration.

"Lady, you need to calm down," Veledar said calmly.

"I'll calm down when you give me back my bush!" The fairy sounded even more irritated now.

Veledar sighed and pieced back the bush as well as he could with his ungainly claws. "There. Your shrub is back. Feeling more protected from the crimson scaled, big nosed brute now?"

"Slightly." The fairy rubbed the last remaining tears from her eyes. "But... it doesn't fix the damage that's already been done."

Veledar strained not to growl at her. Her persistence to seek justice was unwavering, but he remembered his mother's advice regarding the lesser creatures. She had said that, in situations like the one Veledar found himself in right now, there was a far greater reward than coin or gems to be earned with little effort.

"Fine," Veledar rolled his eyes and sat down on his belly, paws crossed. "Nasty humans you say?" he cocked his head. "How did they grieve a small- no, a gentle creature such as you?"

The fairy seemed irritated at first, but then she crossed her arms, as if considering her reply. "Why should you care about my problems, dragon? Don't you have a village to burn, or a maiden to capture for ransom? I heard what your kind is capable of."

Veledar fought the instinct to bare his teeth, and simply smiled instead. "Oh, you are mistaken, my good fairy. I do try to lend my skills, my wings, and my paws to lesser creatures whenever I find myself...available." He emphasized lesser louder than the rest. "For the right price, I might be able to do something about this...situation you find yourself in," he finished.

"I don't have any coin or shiny gems that can ever match the size of your ego," the fairy grumbled. "But the humans I speak of are even nastier than you, dragon. They trampled over my grove with no regards for my flowers, which they plucked one by one until there was nothing left. Even my favorite fell prey to their fat, greedy fingers!"

"What kind of flower are you speaking about, fair fairy?"

"I don't reaaaaaally remember what name it bears in human or dragon tongue... but we call it the sun's tears on account of its orange color."

"Of course," Veledar rolled his eyes. "When in doubt, go with the obvious. Now, where did the humans run off to? Perhaps you can illuminate me on their whereabouts."

"Illuminate you?" the fairy looked at him as if he suddenly spoke a different language. "You want me to turn your scales white?"

"No!" Veledar jumped on his feet. "I mean...graaarrr, I mean...."

"I can show you then!" The fairy zipped around his head. "I promise not to use any spells on you...unless you ask for it!" she started to fly away, then turned back towards him, "I'm curious about your name though!"

"I did not give it. I request you give yours instead." Veledar started swelling his chest as he usually did when he would proclaim his title.

"Trixie," the fairy said, a smiling forming on her face. "It rolls like a river on the tongue, does it not?"

Veledar wasn't really going to provide his real name to a lesser creature, be they fairies or otherwise. Titles were what dragons used for such encounters, and even though she proved herself somewhat reliable, Trixie wasn't that special yet.

"You may call me..." Veledar paused and grinned, "Crimson Sky. Easy to pronounce and obvious on the eye."

"Well, Crimson Sky, can you follow me please?" Trixie turned to fly off, going upstream with the dragon following close behind.

Trixie led him to a clearing not too far from the spot she had been crying in. The bushes and local flora were sliced into pieces, with orange petals scattered all over the ground. Trixie immediately burst into tears.

"Nyyyaaaaaaaaah! I can't bear to look upon this...devious devastation! See what they have done? See?" she zipped erratically around the dragon's snout before she pointed in horror to a particularly large growth of leaves and bisected vines. "Most humans come here in peace, but those smelly, two legged, pelt-wearing bastards took all my flowers!"

Though the tragedy hardly had the same impact on him, Veledar felt a sliver of remorse for the fairy. He paced back and forth, disappointed by the carnage that had been wrought through this once-peaceful grove.

"Why did they harvest your flowers, Trixie? Have they said anything to you before...well, before this happened?"

"They didn't give a reason," Trixie sniffled. "They just... stomped around in their stupid boots and ripped my flowers with their fat, sausage fingers!"

If you were as sharp with your spells as you are with your tongue, perhaps they wouldn't have had the chance, Veledar thought, but even a proud dragon like him realized that was the wrong thing to say in this situation. Instead, he looked around and searched for tracks with Trixie sobbing behind him. She would occasionally point out more damage the humans had caused, until at last he found boot prints leaving the clearing.

"Worry not, Trixie friend. I, Crimson Sky, will return your flowers back where they belong, and as a bonus for your unique form of hospitality, I will also make sure these humans never set foot near your grove again." Veledar dipped his head to her with pride.

"Thank you! Oh, thank you so much. You are a good dragon, Crimson Sky. Very good dragon!" Trixie hugged a scale on his snout with her little arms.

When she retreated, Veledar moved quickly after the trail of boots. He raced through the underbrush, following a combination of boot prints and smells of what he remembered to be human in origin. He barely avoided a head-on encounter with a tree as his mind planned for what he was going to say when those two oafs gazed upon his magnificence. Perhaps he would make a threat or two or open the short-lived dialogue with a great roar. He would knock them around a bit to put them in their place, then take back the flowers. He grinned, already celebrating his victory in his mind when he was pulled out of his pleasant daydreams by the sound of two voices talking.

"Quiet, Jenn! I think I heard something nearby." A male voice said, bristling with concern.

"I was quiet until you opened your mouth again! I would be concerned if this was not the twelfth blasted time you warned me of nonexistent threats!" an angry woman's voice yelled back.

Veledar stalked around the two. One was a rather large man dressed in furs of various kinds with a large pack hoisted upon on his back. Beside him was a woman with long brown hair, resting on her studded leather armor covered in tribal markings. She held a bow at the ready, scanning the foliage with her brown eyes.

"Listen here," she began, "you can't be jumping at every sound while we make our way back to town. That's not what a man does! That fairy we met will not be coming to retrieve her lifeless plants. Besides, think of the children. We need these herbs to brew healing teas and cure their ailments."

The man sighed. "I know, I know...I just...I find myself wishing to have a tenth of your bravery, lass." Morca replied, and Jenn smirked. Then Veledar made his move and pounced in.

He collided with Jenn, knocking the girl off her feet. She slammed into the hard ground with a thud, the bow falling from her grasp. Morca went to pull out his quarter staff tied to his back, but quickly found his legs dislodged from the ground by a quick swipe of Veledar's tail which sent Morca in the ground's embrace in the same way as his woman.

"Why hello there, humans!" Veledar swept the bow from the ground, snapping it in pieces between his jaws. "Now that weapons are taken care of, we can share words in peace. What brings you out to this dangerous part of the forest? After the encounter with that fairy, you never know what kind of beast you could run into. It might've been a bear that got you, but today, you have the luck to stand in the presence of a bigger, and much better-looking predator."

"You forgot to mention your pride," Jenn managed to squirm her way out of his grasp, jumping back to stand beside Morca. Veledar's eyes locked on them as he began to circle the terrified man and his much more confident woman.

"T-that's a D-Dragon!" Morca exclaimed, clutching Jenn tightly. "How can you address his Brightness in such a crude way? What in the blazes we gonna do if he feels insulted?"

"Well, it seems your mate here is a master of stating the obvious." Veledar chuckled. "My fairy friend would like him...if he put his mouth to use instead of his hands! She likes to hear tales, that is, when she is not screaming at you."

"Cut to the point, dragon. What is it you want from us? Money? Steel? We carry nothing of worth on our bodies or bags," Jenn said sternly.

"Is that so?" Veledar puffed his chest. "I believe you happened to steal some rather unique flowers from an acquaintance of mine. Small of size, carried upon the air by gentle wings. Oh, and you might've heard her rant at me if you happened to be in the vicinity."

"See? See?! I told you that fairy would find a blasted way to get her revenge on us!" Morca cried out, color all but draining from his face. "We are dead, woman! We are dead dead DEAD!"

"Shut your cryin' mouth for scale's sake!" Jenn hissed, her defiant eyes fixing on Veledar. "We did take those flowers, but not to make coin from them. The children in our village are ill. They need tea brewed from these flowers. I promised the wee lads that I'll return to them with hope in my bags, an' you're not getting in me way."

"Fascinating," Veledar said. "You say that with such bravery. Or as some others would say, foolishness." he grinned, "You are aware of the repercussions that can fall upon you if you fall on the wrong side of a dragon?"

"I focken do, red scales, but these plants are worth the risk! Didn' ye hear a word I said? Our young 'uns are sick in their beds."

"Can you provide proof of that?"

The woman shrugged.

"Hard for me to trust the words of a thief. Produce proof, or-"

Her sword poured from its sheath with a hiss, so Veledar offered a threat of his own, fangs barred.

"You are about to make a huge mistake, human. You can swing that feeble spike at me, curse my name, or punch my scales until you scrape your knuckles bare, but that is not going to change anything. Place the flowers on the ground and leave, or you will find out how deep a dragon's retribution can cut." Veledar growled, flexing his claws into the dirt.

Jenn's eyes darted to Morca, huddled over with fear. "I will not get any help from my man, nor justice from the pain you've just caused, you heartless thing," she exclaimed. She reached into her pack to throw a group of flowers onto the ground. "Take your plants back, but know that retribution will find you one day. You mark my words, beast."

Veledar laughed. "A thief telling me I'm in the wrong! That's beyond precious," he thrashed his tail and roared. Jenn and Morca sprinted for their lives away from him. Veledar grinned to himself and looked to the small flowers. They were far too fragile for his paws, too gentle to be carried in his mouth. He sighed and performed a quick gesture with his claws, muttering a quick phrase in draconic. A small disk just large enough to fit the flowers appeared underneath the bundle of plants and lifted them three feet into the air. Veledar turned and made his way back towards Trixie's grove.

"Cry no more, gentle Trixie, for I, Crimson Sky, have returned with your flowers." he boasted with his chest swelling with pride.

Trixie flew over, barely able to stop her cries of joy as she hugged the dragon's snout in whatever ways she could.

"Hey, I gave you no permission to get all teary-eyed again!"

"I'm sorry, Crimson Sky." The fairy wiped her eyes. "I am just so relieved to have my flowers returned, damaged as they may be." She floated over to the disk to retrieve the flowers, then reattached the cut stems to the flowers, making her garden whole again before Veledar's own eyes.

"See how beautiful they look? Tell me, tell me!"

"Yes, they are positively radiant!" Veledar tried to keep a straight face.

"All because of you!" The fairy added. "There has been no braver dragon strolling through my forest until you happened along."

Veledar pushed out his chest again. "What can I say, Trixie? I really am the best!"

"Owwwh, you really are," the fairy hugged him again. "I would offer you something else in return apart from words and hugs, Crimson Sky. You see, my grove is connected to my sister's, far, far away."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"With the right words, a passage forms, which allows the user to be transported there!" she beamed. "Whenever you are in need, come here and I will allow you to use its power."

Veledar sighed. A reward was a reward, after all. Certainly, better than nothing.

"Very well, Trixie. I will contact you if the urge to experience the wonders of fairy magic strikes me one day." Veledar turned towards a mountain that overlooked the forest and pointed with a claw. " And if you ever need my help again, my lair can be found up there near the top of that mountain."

The fairy smiled warmly. "Thank you again, Crimson Sky, for your valiant victory. You truly are the bravest dragon around!"

Veledar smirked at the honest praise. He always loved the sound of praise no matter where it came from. With a flap of his mighty wings he left the forest far below and returned to the sky.

Veledar flew towards the mountain that had been his home for the last two years. On his way there, he admired the forest rolling below him, the river that snaked its way down the slant, and the vast mountainside that encompassed his domain. His territory was truly a gift; one that Veledar would protect with his very life if it ever came to that.

The dragon dove down swiftly, startling a flock of birds as he passed by them. The cave that was his home was nestled near the top of the mountain at the perfect altitude for a dragon to look over his territory. It was hard to get to without wings, and deep enough to shelter a sizable amount of treasure. The dragon landed at the mouth of the cave, inspecting the slashes carved into the top center. This crude symbol would tell any dragon that this cave was claimed. With a smile, Veledar strode past the entrance, lighting the torches lining the walls with his breath, his flame funneled into a small strip that would not damage the frail things.

The rear of his cave was filled with piles of gold pieces and various gems. As he approached the pile, the dragon let out a satisfied sigh. His hoard was large enough for him to sleep on, but paled in comparison to his mother's mountains of treasure. Though Veledar was somewhat happy with his possessions, he still longed for more riches, just like any respecting dragon would.

In time, he would get there, but for now the red male strode over to his collection of soft furs and laid in them. How could he multiply his fortune? Through deceit and destruction like other members of his kind? The prospect of something so distasteful turned his stomach. His mother had raised him to respect the lesser creatures, not frighten or hurt them beyond the necessary amount, like he did with the two humans that messed up Trixie's garden. They deserved a scare, not to lose their lives over some healing tea flowers.

Veledar wondered if another dragon would've showed the same mercy. He picked up one of his golden goblets and tossed it across the stone floor, watching it until it collided with a tower of books and other objects.

On top of the tower lay his favorite item, a collection of stories depicting the dragons that inhabited the various places of the world. He walked over to the pile of books and picked up the top book. The cover was orange with the title Knights and Knaves scribbled in the middle. He quickly tossed it aside to grab onto the next book from the pile. This wasn't the right book either! The dragon stifled his frustration and pulled book after book harshly from the stack, tossing them from the rapidly shrinking pile. When he had gone through all his books he started to remove gold and search beneath that as well. He was certain the item he searched for was there in the morning, right before he went on his hunt.

His hunt. Humans! Veledar took a deep breath, growling as he noticed a scent that evaded him when he entered the cave. It smelled like fear, sweat, and horse. His green eyes widened at the realization.

"You little thieves!" he shouted aloud. He searched around, and soon enough found a faint trail of boot prints.

"How dare you come into MY HOME, and STEAL my POSSESSIONS?" he roared. Oh, he would do a lot more than scare them this time around. Blood burning hot, Veledar followed the tracks outside, but their lead came to a premature end. Veledar sniffed around. There was another smell along the human stench. Something he hadn't smelled in over two years. It was the smell of a gryphon, heading eastward, towards a village bearing a name he had long forgotten.

Veledar paced around, claws clicking on the stone of the cave's ledge, his tight jaws trying to hold control of the anger that now boiled in his blood. He tried to breath in and out to calm himself but all he could see as he closed his eyes was a human male holding his book and laughing with glee. A wretch without manners, just like the flower thieves.

"I will teach you what befalls those who steal from a dragon!" Veledar took off into the sky with haste, ignoring the words of his mother as they rang in his ears. Rage must be tempered. Instincts too can lead you astray. The quickest decision is rarely the wisest.

Veledar ignored every word of his mother's wisdom, following the trail of that vile scent all the way to the village, to a humble house on the outskirts. The small house was made of wood, with a golden gryphon painted on its door. Shadows covered the building from some nearby trees, giving it a false sense of protection.

The dragon landed softly and slowly crept to the building, making sure there were no others around. He made sure that with each paw placed on the ground he made as little noise as he could. The smell he followed led right inside.

Veledar flared his nostrils and slammed his bulk into the door, causing the thing to splinter and collapse inward. His momentum carried him over a wooden table that broke itself upon his body as well. Veledar flared his wings and roared out for all to hear.

"Little thieves! How DARE you sneak into my lair and--" he began, only to be cut off by the scream of a little girl dressed in a simple brown dress. A man stood in front of her, cold fear in his eyes as he held a broken chair. Veledar paused to see the kitchen he had destroyed with small pots tossed over, their contents leaking onto the floor.

"W-what do you want from us, monster?" the man stuttered as the child clung on to him, with tears rolling down her terrified cheeks.

Veledar held his maw agape for a second before cocking his head to the side. Was this really what he wanted? To unleash his vengeance upon a defenseless girl? "I..." his eyes narrowed. No. He couldn't appear weak. Humans were known to be adept liars. "You have stolen something of importance from me, human! Did you not think I'd notice your stench laying around my cave? That my vengeance would not find you, no matter how far you ran?" he asked aggressively.

"I-I am a simple carpenter, dragon! I swear I have not left this house since morn!" The man's hands started to tremble along with the broken chair he held. "Ppp-please...my daughter...let me take her to a safe place, an-and then we'll talk, alright? We'll talk about this."

"Hraarrrr..." Veledar hissed. "The culprit is here. I know it for a fact. Unless you are suggesting your whelp grew wings, entered my lair, and snatched away my possession, I will hold you accountable." Veledar said, strutting in the cramped house still eyeing the family. "Where is your mate? I would have words with her as well."

"My w-wife works for the king, dragon. If you are to kill me, please... spare my daughter, for she is young and innocent. Truly the purest soul you can find. My-my greatest treasure of all! Spare her. Please, forgive us!" the man cried, dropping to his knees before Veledar to grab and kiss at his toes.

Veledar was almost insulted to have his paw touched by the human's trembling fingers. He took a step back, holding his paw aloft. "I wouldn't kill your whelp, human, nor I appreciate you throwing your life at my feet." said Veledar, gently guiding the man around to a chair that was still standing. "Take a seat and tell me where your mate is."

"Wife." the man replied, a bit calmer now that his trembling body found purchase on the chair. "She'll be here at sundown."

To wait almost an entire day on this man's promise? Veledar did not feel fully convinced. "Where can I find her? I said it before. The item in question holds significant value to me, and the more I wait, the higher the chances are that your wife will pass it into another pair of hands."

"Oh...do you...are you referring to the book me mum had?" the little girl asked softly.

Veledar turned his head towards the little whelp, who was currently wiping tears from her eyes.

"I've...seen it. Had pretty pictures of dragons in it. You would be pretty too, if you weren't so angry."

Veledar approached her, his neck and head low. His eyes were locked on her, and as he neared, the father raised from his seat.

"What do you intend to do, dragon? She but complimented your-"

Veledar hissed at him, but the man already grabbed his makeshift weapon and swung, though the hit missed its mark. Veledar tripped him with his tail, causing the man to collapse lightly onto the floor with a groan.

"Gah, you and your infuriatingly long tails. Don't lay a claw on her, dragon, or I swear by the Gods above that..."

Veledar ignored the man's empty threats and focused on the girl. "Let us make a deal, little one. You tell me where your mother took my book, and I will allow you to touch any scale of mine you like."

"She didn't say..." the girl looked down. "I'm sorry. I really wish to help you, dragon. I really do."

Veledar rumbled softly. "Can you tell me where she is then?"

The girl nodded a few times. "But only if you promise not to hurt her."

"I promise." Veledar said.

"You swear?"

Veledar held up a paw to his chest, "I vow upon the very scales of my body."

"That's good enough for me," the girl smiled, extending a hand towards his snout. "So red...so pretty! Can I...touch?"

Veledar closed his eyes, bowed his head, then waited for that petite hand to make contact with his snout.

"Don't trust him!"

The girl drew back, Veledar opened his eyes to the shout that came from the outside.

"Vern!" the voice was the first among the chatter of at least twelve other voices. "What manner of misfortune befell your house? You alright in there?"

"I got a focken dragon in here." The girl's father rasped. "Raise weapons. Sound the alarm. He's just about to eat my little daughter!"

"I'm so sorry about this," Veledar whispered. He had all the intentions to smile when he watched that girl's eyes widen as his snout made contact with her curious hand, but unfortunately, he had no time to fulfill that bargain anymore, thanks to loud mouthed Vern. Veledar knocked him down again with his tail, then bounded out of the house into the twelve men wearing chain mail, carrying a combination of long spears and crossbows.

"By the gods above. Vern spoke the truth!" one of the men gasped aloud.

"Dragon! Focken dragon!"

"It's red like fire. He gonna burn us!"

"Can we even fight something so big? We'll all die!"

Veledar had no time to deal with this nonsense. He spread his wings and charged them, tossing the men aside like pebbles. Two bolts glanced harmlessly off his scales, but by the time the men gathered their bearings, Veledar already pierced through their ranks, his wings taking him into a realm where they could not hope to follow.

He looked back to see most of the guards back on their feet, firing uselessly as the distance between them grew larger with each wing beat.

_That could've gone so much better if I didn't barge in like a tempest._The dragon shook his head and scolded himself at how reckless and stupid that was. His sister would've made the humans comfortable with her presence. Maybe even bring them gifts to pave her way through to their hearts, while Veledar brought with him only rants and destruction. The red dragon flew through a curtain of rain clouds to cool off his blood, then landed outside his lair once more, looking to the far-away dot that was the village. It had already started to disappear as the sun sank beneath the mountains. He would probably spend the night looking into the stars. Veledar laid down in his usual spot, a patch of earth that had left an imprint of his form. He looked up as the stars started to reclaim the sky and sighed. Tomorrow would give him another chance to right today's wrongs.