She stood there, so helpless and frihtened amidst the blazing flames. For a long moment I simply admired the bueauty of her svelt figure, barely hidden by the blood coloured muslin robe, that she was wearing. Girl’s long, night black hair flowed gently on the light breeze, that shyly started to enter the ballroom by the burned out and broken windows.

I stepped towards her and stopped for a while, charmed with the spectacle of her tiny bare feet, so cold in the rivulets of wine flowing abundantly from the crashed gigantic barrels. The beautiful creature gazed at me, at the same time timid and hopeful. How could I resist such a mute call?

I approached the girl slowly, as I have grown used to being awed by most of the ladies I met. Alas, she was not frightened of me at all and when I bowed my head towards her, she gently touched my big nostrils and smiled. A thirll of unknown pleasure went though me when I felt the pure perfume of her body.

At first I didn’t know, what it was that shook me so much. But just then I realised it was her being a virgin, that made her smell so... Well, how can I describe that feeling, that made me shiver and dream? She was like a narcotic to me, that would have made me sing if I had ever been able to utter more than a howl.

The girl stood there, looking at me with her big, sea grean eyes, so at peace, not minding the spreading fire and shreaks of agony, that were melting into a horrible symphony of pain and death. Drunken wizards were going to hell, as I then thought.

Finally I came back to my senses, enough to realise that the beautifule creature I was staring at so mindlesly was at great danger. Some sparks have already cought her long hair and gown, making her shine like a misterious fairy.

I lied down in front of the girl to let her know I wanted her to climb on my back. She understood me in a blink of an eye, and for the firs time I felt the wormth of her body agains my brownscaled skin. With the strength I gaid during long years of service, I spread my wings and bit with them to go through the ceiling I had broken on entering the ballroom.

I dreamt as we were flying over the green fields. I fancied our life together, so different from what I had known untill then. I would no longer carry heavy luggage or fat wizards. No more being a servent, no more of this emplyment so inappropriate for my race. I got free with the death of my master. The death that I finally managed to cause.

I could not get back to the house of my deceased lord, so I needed to find another dwelling for me and my new found love. I decided to go into the mountains where I knew a cave I had spotted during one of my flights with the imported goods. I would also have to start to hunt, as nobody would bring me fat cows anymore. Alas, that was not a high price for freedom.

* * *

How many years have passed since I made my final decision? I don’t remember, although my race is supposed to have a very good memory. So much have changed since that feral moment, that I don’t even know if I am myself anymore. I sure am not that silent, obedient creature the wizzard brought up from a hatchling.

The wizzard lives no more. In my dreams I often see the day I ended his miserable life. Poor drunkard, like all his collegues. His enchantment bound me to his will though. I have never been familiar with the arcane knowledge, but I understood well that I could only get free when he died. He was rather old and for a long time I simply waited in hope of his demise. But strange are ways of magic and my master clung to life with all his power.

The old man did not bother to show me the ways of my race. After all I was not intended to become a powerful war machine, only a simple carrying animal. There was no use of teaching me combat skills, fire breathing or even hunting. All I had to know was how to obey. I knew that but too well.

Strange things I heard about my race. I then thought they were only stupid myths of mankind. For what was the point for me in kidnapping virgins with their bony, little bodies, when I could eat a big, juicy cow instead. What was the use for me of gold and jewels, that my kindred were supposed to collect so greadily, when I preferred fresh hay that I could comfortably lay on.

All things change, as the saying goes. I also changed. The day of the great feast came and I carried my wizzard to the great ballroom at the world’s end. A beautiful place it was, with its walls of colourful marble and the roof of mountain crystal. We landed at the courtyard and I was taken to the nearby grassland when my master entered the palace.

The day changed into night, then a new day came. The music and drunken voices of wizards rang all over the plane, crashed on the rocks and hurt the sky. Finally I could not stand it any longer, my mind obsessed with thoughts of my humiliation and hopes for freedom.

The anger grew in me and with it grew my power. Never before have I fealt such a burning fever within me. I roared in my helplesness and suddenly the fire broke out from my throat. Amazed I tried it again just to realise that I came to master my races’ skill. I spread my wings, half mad with joy and fury. I took off, insane loughter ringing in my whole entinty.

Through the ballroom’s crystal roof I saw the feasting wizzards. Their wands were scattered all over the place, messed up with the broken cups and pieces of food. Along the walls of the reachly decorated room there stood gigantic wine barrels, often used by small magical servants flying all over the place and pouring the liquor for everybody.

In one second I realised it was my chance. Nobody down there would be able to stop me with my newly acquired power. They were half conscious, they would never know what had hit them. With a sudden dive I broke through the ceiling into the ballroom. The immense noise hit the ears of the gathered people, as I stumbled onto the tables in a shower of sparkling crystal rain. My roar rang like thunder as I breathed fire into the wizzards’ frightened faces.

The confusion grew with each new piece of furniture consumed by the flame. I delighted in the carnage I caused, feeling as if my veins were filled with pure poison. Never have I experienced such a damnful passion, never have I been that close to hell itself. My instincts raged within me, making me finally worthy of my kind. I turned and with one hit of my enormous tail I crashed the wine barrels. The precious liquor flew freely in a gentle wave over the chaos of blood and fire.

Out of fire, blood and wine she came forth, so filled with magic that I could see it through her translucent body. She was a creature that may arise once in a thousand years or not arise at all, newborn and yet older then the time itself. She was more beautiful than the rainbow, purer than the rain, and yet more lustful then the flame. And so my life began anew.

* * *

Today I woke up late, after last nights’ hunting. I ate many a fat cow, and maybe one or two people trying to defend their herd. Or maybe they just did not manage to run fast enough... It did not matter much. After this nice supper I crashed on the caravan, treavelling from the east. I knew my love would appreciate delicate silk and shiny emeralds they were transporting. My darling liked such toys so much.

I was not mistaken. When my girl woke up, she first approached me and kissed my nose to show me how much she loved me. Then she looked through my loot and clasped her hands as she unpaked a few bloodstained packages. She started at once to try on her svelt body the reachly embroidered gowns, the neklesses heavy with emeralds and sapphires, the earrings sparkling with diamonds, the rings burning hot with rubies.

Each time she wore something new she gazed at me for approval. Fascinated I admired her beautiful body and inhaled her virgin smell. She was perfect and my joy was complete. Without words we both knew the others wishes, with one bow of my head I could show her my affection, with her one smile or frown she could let me know her mood.

I cosied on the pile of gold and silks admiring my wonderful mistress. I thought about how I carried her willingly over the forests and over the cities. Where we were spotted we ispired awe and fear. With the time my scale changed the colour from brown to pure gold, so shiny in the sunlight that it blinded poor people’s eyes.

During our flights my beloved showed me often what treasures she would like to posses, and I obtained them for her, happy I could make her glad. All the time I smelled sweet perfume of her body and sometimes I craved for her flesh. I would have never hurt her, so on my night hunts I sometimes looked for virgins to satisfy my appetite. I think that my love did not know about that...

My happiness was complete. But things change, as the saying goes. I came from one of my hunting trips and felt something was missing in my cave. For a moment I could not define my trouble and then I realised the virgin smell was gone. At first I thought my love went for a walk, but just then I saw her sleeping piecefully cuddled in a pile of silks as she always used to do.

I could not understand. How was this possible? I breathed in the air coming from the mountains, thinking that I had lost my sense of smell. The harmony of perfumes entered my nostrils, mint and wind, even the crystal clean water of the streams, everything had its own proper smell. Everything apart from my beloved.

I roared when I realised what must have happened. My darling was no longer a virgin. She woke up terrified and looked at me for a long while. In her sapphire eyes I saw the whole story, I did not need anything more. I felt as if my heart was broken in two. Then the rage came, and strange words came into my mind, “Out of the fire you came, into the fire you will go!”.

The fire from my throat greadily consumed silks, melted the gold, shattered the perfect body of my beloved. She did not utter a word nor try to escape. She just stood there and gazed at me. Her stare kept me in place, unable to move, unable to think or feel anymore. My dwelling started to turn into a gigantic furnace.

Gold flowed around me in slow, gentle waves, sealing me forever to the rocks of my cave. Precious jewels surrounded me, as if they wanted to witness the death of the gold dragon. My love existed no more, consumed by flames, yet I could still feel her look upon me. ”Fare thee well my love”, rang in the cave. I do not know whose the words were, mine or hers.

Triptych – Everything Changes

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