I could hear the peaceful sound of crackling fire. It was warm under the furrs. I slowly moved my fingers, then my legs. There was no pain, no broken bones. I checked my ribs. Still nothing. In fact, I was feeling well, but very thirsty.
"Was that a nightmare? Or perhaps... Am I dead? There's only one way to find out."
I opened my eyes and saw only darkness. Something was weird. My hands darted at my eyes, expecting to find only one, but it felt like my eyes were in their place, even the one that was stabbed.
"What is happening? Am I blind?"
I raised my hands and touched something like a stone above me, but it was warm.
"Am I buried alive?"
I chased away that thought, since panicking wouldn't have helped me at anything. Besides, I wasn't out of air and I could hear the sound of fire.
"Hello?" I whispered, but my voice sounded like a balloon that was deflating.
The plaque of stone rose, revealing a giant mouth with rows of sharp teeth.
"Hello!" answered the creature with a rasp, deep voice.
My eyes almost popped out at the sight of that white beast. It was huge, with pearlescent scales and horns, and orange-blood eyes that seemed like liquid fire. I gulped.
"H-h-h-hel-l-l-o-o!"
"Hello!"
"Hello?"
"Are you trying to test my patience?"
"No. I just... I'm not sure how I should react. Am I dead?"
"No, but for a while I thought you were already sleeping among the poppy shores of Somnia."
"Somnia?" I murmured. Something about that name sparked an unclear memory in my mind. Or perhaps a dream? I couldn't remember, but it had a familiar ring to it.
"Kingdom of the Death Goddess."
"What do you plan to do to me? Kill me? Eat me?"
Strangely, my voice sounded so calm, and I felt almost totally detached from that scene, as if it wasn't happening to me. Being constantly threatened to lose my life made my mind and feelings numb, like I was under anesthesia.
"That would make my efforts to save you meaningless. I shared my blood with you. We are connected now. Should you've been wanted or not. You are mine, human."
"You sound... happy?"
"I am happy, indeed. I was getting tired of talking alone. I always enjoy a good company, although I don't get the chance to have many guests... that don't try to kill me."
The dragon laughed, but I knew that kind of laugh, the one that hid the real feelings behind nonchalance, although it hurt inside. I moved my eyes over the fireplace, gazing into the flames. For a while, we kept quiet and the dragon didn't move at all, but I could feel its eyes scanning me. Then, he moved an arm and placed a large wooden barrel near me.
"Drink all you want. It's the best wine I could find in the cramery."
I took the goblet he was offering me and, covering myself with the furs, I rose on my feet, filling it to the brim. I drank the first cup so fast that I almost choked myself. I didn't even feel the taste, only a pleasant warmth spreading though my body seconds later.
"This is awful," I said, sipping from the second cup and feeling my mouth and throat burn. "This is mostly pure alcohol."
"It's the only wine I have down in those cellars. I drank lots of it, for a peaceful night of sleep. You are lucky that I share my last barrel with you. Or would you prefer melted ice?"
He laugh and took the barrel in his hand, then drinking it all in a few seconds.
"Do you have some edible food for me?"
"I prepared some boar meat for you. It's a little bit charred, but it can fill your stomach. I've tried my best not to burn it."
He passed me a piece of meat that sat on the floor, blackened on one side and raw on the other.
"Thanks," I said, but didn't touch it.
His eyelids were almost closed and his large head was balancing slowly back and forth.
"Aren't you afraid that someone will enter here and kill you in your sleep? After you get drunk, I mean."
"Who in their right mind would do that in such weather? It's very difficult to get here, even in good weather. We are in a lost fortress from the top of The Amethyste Mountain, near the Arcana Forest. Nobody comes here, unless they are extremely powerful, too arrogant, or have a death wish. That aside, tell me more about you."
"Back in my world, I was a librarian."
"So they went on with that wicked ritual. That is..."
I waited for him to share his thoughts, but he sat silent, as if he was thinking intensely of something, then he shook his head.
"Maybe I exaggerated a little with that wine. I'm not able to have a proper conversation with you on this problem in this state. Please, continue."
"I used to read lots of folklore, mythology and fantasy books, mostly with dragons... and I started to write a fantasy book too. At first, it wasn't that hard. Everything was going smooth, the ideas were flowing... until I introduced in the story a dragon and that story simply stopped being interesting for me."
"Why?"
"I guess because I couldn't imagine what a dragon would say. I didn't know how to make a dragon act wise, majestic, fearsome. Or what my protagonist would do or say. Nothing seemed to make sense or be good enough, so I just gave up on that story, saying to myself that there is no need for another story with dragons when the best ones are already out there in the world." I chuckled at those words, my head feeling quite heavy. "Now that I think about it, maybe I should've just written that story anyway, for me. What I mean is... this moment is just like that from my story, where I am the main character, but my mind is completely blank."
"Same with me. I wanted to say something memorable to you when you would've woken up, but I fell asleep and forgot everything... not that it was any good. Anyway, I think you worry too much. It's just us here, you can allow yourself to just speak your mind. As for me, I am happy that I can talk to someone."
"Do you have a name?"
The dragon raised its head and took a proud stance.
"I am Pyrope, The Living Fire, the ninth son of The Great Mother of the North, Chalazia, and the sole heir of The Divine Thunder Lord, Ceraunia, the descendants of The Imperial Dragon Gods, The Guardians of The First Empire and The Breath of Somnia, The Goddess of Death. Are you impressed?"
"Yes? Well... not really. You uttered these ranks and names as if anyone should already know about their importance, but I never heard of them."
The dragon frowned and I could see his hand muscles clenching, then he nodded slowly.
"Their names are in the legends, so are my siblings. I, on the other hand, am not among them. I'm not worthy... What about your name?"
"Elamiha Amber", I answered with relief, as the atmosphere was becoming quite uncomfortable when he mentioned his relatives. I figured out they weren't on good terms. "Miha. I don't have such an illustrious descent like you, I was abandoned at birth and raised into an orphanage. Some other kids wanted to find their real parents, but that was never my case. They abandoned me, so no matter what their reason was, I decided to do the same and live my life without digging the past."
"You make that sound so easy. I was abandoned too. Not at birth, but after I was old enough to realize that no matter what I did, I could never live up to the expectations of my parents. Not even those of humans..."
"What do you mean by that?"
Before I could finish my question, the dragon was snoring.