The Flame Dragon

• Leila Warnes, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2011

I should have been afraid, the creature should instinctively have attempted to kill me, but there I stood, feet confidently planted on the floor, making fearless eye contact with the beast that rose above me. His yellow eyes were angry, but as he saw the obvious bravery in my own eyes they seemed to soften and his pursed lips rose into a comforting smile. I was amazed, shocked and shaken with disbelief, and yet I trusted this creature that could crush me accidently; what it could do purposely was sickeningly brutal.

What I was feeling was pure power; there was this instant connection between us that was unexplainable, a combination of both love and fear that was only felt between us. My heart was a racing lump in my throat that was irritatingly impossible to swallow, but with every second I was gradually becoming more confident. That was before it moved.

I backed away, screaming at the top of my lungs as the Flame Dragon turned to face me. I started to run faster, but I tripped over a risen tree root and stumbled, planting myself flat on my backside. Its foot was as big as half of my body and the step it took almost crushed me; its toes just scratching my shins. I felt dizzy as if I would faint. . .

An evil, vicious expression took over its face. I was shaking and I finally realised what a mistake I had made when I had risked my life so that I might be able to finally feel real dragon skin. I was stupid, absurd, and now I would die for it.

The Flame Dragon stopped and looked at my bloodied shin. I had no choice but to sit there as still as I possibly could, and not draw too much attention to myself. It was still staring at my knee . . . staring and concentrating. . .

It dashed for my shin, and before I even had a chance to flinch it had reached my leg and locked it in its jaws. A small squeal escaped my mouth, before I realised that the bite didn’t even hurt. Its teeth were just resting on my leg to frighten me into not moving. Something I had studied about Flame Dragons was that if they were going to attack, they would do it swiftly and quickly, so I knew I was safe. I still wondered what it was doing though, and I still felt faint.

I could feel its tongue brush against the scratch, coating it in dragon saliva. The wetness didn’t sting; it actually made my leg feel better. When the dragon released me, my leg was completely healed; there was no mark to show that anything had ever happened.

I took out my journal, and wrote down my new discovery, ‘Flame Dragon saliva contains magical healing powers’.

‘You’re unnaturally tame,’ I said to the dragon, ‘I like you. I’ll call you Miracle, because that’s what you are.’