Genre: Fantasy
Location: ???
Timeline:
STORY:
It’s time for the village to feed the dragon a sacrifice so it doesn’t destroy them all. They decided it will have to be the local witch, which all of them despise for one reason or another. They show up at the witch’s place, where she promptly threatens to turn them all in to frogs and newts if they dare to touch her. The villages insist they have to feed the dragon SOME one or they’ll all be doomed. The Witch volunteers her daughter Lydia (who is utterly shocked at her owns mother’s ease to volunteer her). She calls her mother a heartless old viper and the witch confesses that Lydia wasn’t her real daughter anyway. She can get a new one. The villagers take Lydia away and chuck her down a deep hole in to the dragon’s lair.
In the lair, Lydia has an interesting conversation with the dragon. He confesses that he’s not the dragon that demands sacrifices, in fact he hates the taste of human. Lydia says she’ll just leave, then, but he says he IS mighty hungry and might just eat her anyway. Lydia and the dragon strike a bargain. He promises he won’t eat her, if she becomes his personal servant. She asks, what would stop him from eating her anyway since he could be keeping her around to fatten her up for later. Dragon chuckles, mentioning she was brighter than the last person to get chucked down there by mistake. He lowers his head and flicks a tongue at her shoulder. There’s a tingling sensation and when she looks, there is now a dragon shaped birthmark. It’s a representation of his honor bound word. As long as she is loyal to him, he will be loyal to her.
Lydia is with the dragon for two years, and in this time she asks what happened to the last person to get tossed in his lair. Dragon says THAT person he made a King some hundred years ago. Lydia thinks he’s over exaggerating or telling her some tall tales. He liked to tell stories, and that one wouldn’t be any different. One evening, the Dragon had eaten way too much and decided to stretch out by a large pond. A dragon slayer pops up, intending to kill the dragon! Before he can strike, Lydia gets in the way and tries to lecture him off. When that doesn’t work, they have a near bloody fight over it… Until the dragon finally slaps his tail down in between them. He says “How dare you attack my Queen.” Lydia complains at the dragon, wondering what he’s getting at. He replies with, “There’s no sense in hiding it, this man is not worth the effort.” The Dragon tells the slayer that Lydia is the Queen of the Mystical World. The slayer is in disbelief, but she is there with a dragon, and the dragon sounds convincing. He gives a half assed apology, then explains he is there to slay a dragon that has been trying to lay siege to the kingdom. The Dragon suggests that he and Lydia return back with the slayer to his kingdom, and that they could be of some help. Before Lydia can protest, the dragon is already off fetching her things.
Lydia and the Slayer have a curt and unfriendly discussing. He asking if she’s really a Queen, since she’s not dressed like one. And she mentioning that it wouldn’t be practical for a Queen to be out in the forest wearing silky robes and fancy jewels anyhow. They conversation is cut short when they are suddenly attacked by strange creatures (a cross between a troll and dragon). The Slayer fights them off, but Lydia is kidnapped when her shirt is ripped and they see the dragon mark on her shoulder. The dragon returns to find her gone, and states they need to go fetch her immediately.
Lydia is taken and dropped off with another dragon. He looks very dark and unfriendly compared to her own dragon. He blows noxious smoke down at her, commenting “So this is the one he has chosen… disgusting.” Lydia asks what his purpose is, but he doesn’t bother to explain, he’s only puffing up more smoke to breath down at her and looks about ready to eat her. The Good dragon arrives with the slayer and has an interesting conversation with the Bad Dragon. The Bad Dragon complains about his “brother’s” choice. The Good Dragon comments that his brother would not have been chosen anyway, so what does it matter? The Slayer has acquired Lydia, so the Good Dragon leaves with the humans before much else can be said.
They arrive to the castle of the kingdom, and they find out the Slayer is actually the current King, descended from the King of the Dragon’s story.