Nati squared her shoulders. Before her was the dragon’s cave. Behind her a group of bannermen lay in wait behind the large boulders that marked the threshold between kingdom and nature. They had stuffed her into their sweaty training gear and dared her to take on the dragon. Just because she said she wanted to be a knight.
Boys.
Nati sighed and unsheathed her sword. The only real piece of protection she had against the likes of a dragon. The gear’s padding alone wasn’t fit to stuff her pillow.
She entered the cave. The dragon lay on top of a small pile of books, gold, and fabric. Nati stared, unsure of what to make of it. She thought dragons only hoarded gold.
That is an exaggerated stereotype. A voice echoed in her head. Some of us prefer more academic hoarding. I have the completed works of Merlin somewhere in here, if that’s to your liking.
“N-no thank you,” Nati replied. “My cohort just wants proof that I wounded you. But honestly a tooth or toenail will probably do.”
Take both. Take a scale, too. The dragon cracked an eye open and yawned, dislodging a scale in her jaw. Nati had never seen a dragon up close and gaped. Stop gawking, girl, and come take your spoils.
“Thank you.” Nati picked up the scale.
One of my teeth came out in my dinner last night, and I chipped off a piece of nail scratching the wall. These old bones aren’t what they used to be.
“How old are you?” Nati asked.
Cheeky little human. The dragon chuckled, making the cave shake. But I suppose that was a leading question. Now go, before I change my mind about letting you live.
Nati sheathed her sword, bowed, and exited the cave with her spoils.
No one would believe her if she told them about the dragon who hoarded books instead of gold.
Thanks for reading!
Until tomorrow!
R E Powell 
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