"Must you go so soon? Can you not spend the night here?" A woman asked, pulling the covers of the bed over her chest.
"As much as I would enjoy it, dear lady, I must go. We are on a time crunch, and I have no time to stay and enjoy...desirable temptations."
The woman blushed and smiled at the man as he dressed himself, his black scales shimmering in the candlelight and his blazing red hair flowing down to his shoulders in waves. He was completely beautiful. The woman hoped she would see this man again once his adventure was completed.
"Goodbye, dear lady, I shall not forget this night for the rest of my days."
"Nor shall I. I wish you safe travels."
The man smirked and nodded politely before picking up his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder before walking out the door. The woman laid down in her bed and sighed happily. This was one of the most exciting nights of her life.
No one would have thought it would be ruined in a matter of days.
~~~
It was such a sweet day. No one would have thought anything bad could have happened. The birds were singing, the sun was shining down, the flowers were blooming, there was a gentle breeze, and small, white, fluffy clouds were dotted sparingly in the blue sky.
But alas, something bad did happen.
Something very bad happened.
The Black Dragon had taken charge over the entire town like it was nothing. Laying waste to homes and historical buildings, using its acid breath to kill over a hundred people at once. All hope seemed completely and utterly lost until the dragon had perched itself on one of the tallest and most grand buildings in the town, noticing a crest made up of beautiful jewels and crystals. The creature demanded to know how they had obtained these things, desiring them for itself. Its voice made all who heard it tremble in fear. All who lived in the town could feel the ground shake as it spoke.
Once the dragon learned that the town was built on top of a lucrative and fruitful jewel mine that brought merchants, traders, and all sorts of other rich folks to the town for exchanges, it was practically drooling. The creature demanded that the town suspend all trades and strip the mine of everything it contained for the dragon to hoard. In exchange, the dragon would stop destroying the town and would let the remaining townsfolk stay alive. There was really no choice. It was either comply or die horribly.
The town unanimously agreed to the Dragon's terms.
And so it had been this way for almost a year. The townsfolk would go into the mines and return with the spoils of their venture. Usually, this would go to far travellers, bringing wares to the town to exchange for the riches they'd found. Alas no. Not anymore. Now, it all went to the vicious beast that owned their lives. The Black Dragon had taken refuge on a small, marshy island in the middle of a lake within the town. The dark, dingy, wet, barren environment was perfect for a beast such as this one to thrive in.
Once the people had collected all they could carry, the people would take their rowboats and deliver all the beautiful and fabulous jewels and crystals that they'd worked hard to acquire and give them all away.
But a Black Dragon's greed is endless. A bottomless pit of selfish desire for wealth and riches. And the ground only held so much in it. Soon, the minecarts began to fill slower and slower. Less and less jewels and crystals were brought up to the surface. They couldn't find any more. The town began to panic, knowing that they couldn't defeat the Black Dragon but also knowing what would happen if they couldn't keep it pleased with them.
The final delivery was rowed out to the dragon's little island on the lake.
The Black Dragon's eyes slowly opened, its pupils narrowing at the humans as they approached. The mighty creature rose into a sitting position and gazed down at them with a haughty expression. When the deliverers revealed their offerings, the creature's chest rumbled as a thunderous growl erupted from its chest. The Black Dragon bared its razor-sharp, pointed teeth in pure fury. Before they knew it, the humans were all brutally killed. Ripped apart by its knife-like claws, eaten and crunched like grapes, or crushed beneath its giant feet.
