9 Good boy!

I turned away from the Treant and grappled my way up another tree. The small dent in its side remained from the Treant's earlier attack.

I needed a place to call home and this forest wouldn't do. I had an overarching sense that something big was about to happen, but I didn't know what. This hidden gem, a forest within the charred wasteland, was no place for a dragon.

The mountainous volcano that I recall seeing over the horizon at my mother's home was now fully visible. It was just a few day's walk from where I currently stood. Ashen dragons cannot fly, breathe fire, use magic, or mate, but I do not need to fly. 'I still have wings so why not put them to use,' I said to myself as I jumped off the tree towards the volcano. There was no way I could make it to the volcano with such amateurish jumps, but I wanted to get out of this forest as soon as possible. Ever since I woke up, I've had a bad feeling that something big is about to happen.

'Before I abandon all sources of food I should look out for a parting snack,' I thought as I licked my lips. My slow descent was inevitable but excusable for I was making distance fast hopping from one tree to another. As I approached the base of one tree, I grabbed another, climbed to the top, and jumped off again. Rinse and repeat.

This continued for an hour until I caught the faint scent of blood. This was my chance to third party whatever was going on and grab something to eat. I shifted myself to the right and shot off of the treetop. Breaking under my weight, it sent me straight at the smell.

As I was nearing the end of the glide, I saw an opening in the forest. Standing exactly where the sunlight hit the ground was a beautiful young woman, who looked to be in her early twenties. She had long blond hair and perfect ivory skin. Her light blue eyes shone brightly from her stunning face. She wore a tight brown short-robe with light silver armor covering her vital organs.

I touched down by a tree and watched her walk forward and reach for something on the ground. I peered out from behind the tree to get a better view of what she had in hand.

She grabbed the hilt of a majestic dagger and tore it out from a dead knight's chest. The knife had a brown wooden hilt and a sharp green blade. The blade curved slightly backward. It matched the one she proceeded to pull out of another knight the few scattered about the many. She twirled them around a bit before sheathing them at either side of her waist.

I assumed she had killed them because she retrieved the weapons from the corpses. I looked closer and noticed her ears came to a point as they rose. It was a small detail, but the pinnacle of her ears resembled those daggers.

My intense curiosity at this rare beauty could not be held back any longer; I had to know if she was really what the legends portrayed. I walked out from the tree behind her, causing those sharp ears to twitch as her body froze. Once my humongous shadow completely consumed her, I lowered my head to her and asked:

"Excuse me Miss, but are you an elf?"

At that, the sprite whipped around and readied her knives. Despite our disparity in size, she looked as though she could slice me open at a moment's notice.

"Dragon, how are you here? Dragons cannot come into this forest without the elder's permission?" she probed in, backing up so she could get a good look at my full body.

"I come in peace dear elf. I have not broken any rules purposefully, but am kind of lost to be honest. I need to get to the volcano but don't know the best way.

"Hmm," she said pensively. "I have never seen your race before, are you really a dragon?" the elf said, seemingly questioning reality.

"I'm but a simple newborn fire dragon," I replied, hoping she would stop questioning me, so I could ask about her.

"Ahh, so you must be a mutant... So very rare! I love the black by the way," she said as she reached a hand out to me.

"Thank you," I said, taking her hand as gently as possible.

The she-elf seemed pleased by this and looked up to me with her dazzling blue eyes.

"I can tell that you are a newborn, so foolish," she said as her soft, innocent smile turned into an evil grin. Her hand, which was engulfed in my claws, broke out as if it were the easiest thing in the world. She grabbed my head with both of her hands, as her eyes turned green. Just then, the ground split and thick green vines sprang up to restrain my limbs.

The elf began a chant as she placed one hand on my forehead and the other on her breast over her heart.

"Dragon, never offer someone your hand," she said, her eyes flashing to black then returning to the normal blue.

"What did you do to me?" I said. I felt restricted and bound down by more than these heavy vines.

"I made a servant contract with you. You cannot come into this forest for it suppresses the magic of all who come in without the elders permission. You don't have to listen to everything I say, but you still are mine, so I would suggest listening to me until I figure out what is wrong with you." She said as if nothing had happened, the soft smile returning to her face.

"... Who are you?" I uttered, wondering if this would hinder my trip to the volcano. Other than that, I wouldn't really mind.

I am "The Mirden Menace'' otherwise known as Meridith," Meridith replied nonchalantly.

"I am Magnu- I mean Scourge, I am Scourge," I replied vowing to keep my human name a secret.

"Hmm, well ok then 'Scourge' let us go to the new elven city Erispire," Meridith said and completely released me from my shackles.

"Yes ma'am," I said and got up while shaking the dirt off my body.

"Good boy Maggy!" she said as she stood up with both feet on my foot.

"Uhm… Can I help you?" I asked, confused on what she wanted.

"Duh I need a lift, your body is three times taller than me, are you going to make me walk there?" she said assuming I should have known this.

I reached my tail around, slid it behind her upper legs, and pushed forward a bit causing her to naturally sit down on it. I then lifted my tail up and slid her off onto my back.

"Ohh, a pervy dragon I see?" She said as she covered her playfully gasping mouth with three fingers.

"Oh shut up how else was I supposed to do it?" I asked and marched forward over the dead knights.

"Hehe, don't worry I don't mind it. Oh here catch," she said as vines came out of the ground and lifted up one of the knights. The vine threw the knight into my open mouth as I was going to reply to Meridith and I bit down on accident. Blood burst out within my mouth and filled my every taste bud with a luxury I had never come to know. It almost made me forget that I was eating a human. I couldn't throw it out of my mouth if I tried, it tasted too good.

"Mhhm, why would you do that Meridith?" I yelled as I finished eating.

"What, don't tell me you didn't like it did you?" She said playfully but also confused.

"That isn't the point, I don't want to eat humans," I replied and faced away from her again.

"Whatever man get over it, you're a dragon," Meridith shot in then crawled a ways up my neck to pat me on the top of my head, then slid back down to sit on my back.

Getting loved like a pet was something new to me, but affection was affection so I just tried to ignore the situation and roll with it.

'Off to the elven city huh, I wonder what it will be like?' I thought to myself as I continued the steady pace towards the elven city.