In the belly of the Beast

"Ha ha, I guess today is my lucky day! I've been awarded a snack!" the man exclaimed while licking his scaly lips with a long forked tongue and smiling to display razor sharp teeth ready to tear into his next meal.

Before he could react the man rushed toward him, Alexander noticed for the first time the man had no legs only a snakelike body behind him. "Aka the lord of Dragons awaits this meal lain before me today. Be a good boy and stay still while I have a nibble of your succulent flesh!" "Aka?! Like in the legends? Aka that killed the great phoenix and ate his heart?" Alexander blurted out.

"One in the same boy! Now stay!" Aka rushed forward and stretched out his large scaly hands. Alexander seeing the man moving toward him elected to run rather than attempt to fight. He wildly turned around and fled, where to? He had no idea, he could only see the distance the light reached into the large room which wasn't far. "I can't enter the darkness or I'll be at a disadvantage."

As he turned to run he felt the mans hands brush against the nape of his neck. Barely scratching the skin blood began to flow down his back as a deep wound appeared. "It can't end like this! What can I do? The man continued to pursue him around the room, he was neither fast nor slow causing Alexander to not be able to take a rest or slow down.

As he neared the darker parts of the room Alexander wildly looked around for another route, quickly turning he managed to evade another swipe from the mans razor like claws. "What luck is this? Am I cursed? Have I died and gone to hell?" thoughts raced through his mind like wild fire. "Is this it? Am I in hell about to die again?? What the hell!" His mind would not allow him to accept this, for fear of dying Alexander continued to run from Aka.

"I have asked you time and time again, why are you here boy? Why are you toying with my emotions and making me angry?" Alexander looked over his shoulder with a bewildered look and yelled out "You think I want to be here? I don't want to be chased by you, most importantly I don't want to die." Aka just shook his head and continued to pursue him with a wide toothy grin.

Realizing his predicament Alexander began to think about how he could hurt the man or at least slow him down so he can rest. He began to think of all the lessons his father taught him regarding unarmed combat to prepare for his challenges. "Nothing I can think of will work, if only I had more time..."

"I don't want to die! I have to make it back to my father, Bella would die of sadness if I were to be killed or disappear." He began to cry thinking about all the times in his life he was never good enough, every time he let someone down.

"I will not give in, I'm tired of being the weak useless boy that needs everyone's help. I want to be a man!" Alexander roared out as he whipped around to face Aka. Aka showed an expression of interest, this boy was a weak willed worm a few short minutes ago but now he was yelling and talking nonsense. "Oh well, time for a snack." Aka thought to himself as he hurried his approach and opened his jaws wide in the face of Alexander.

Aka snapped his teeth shut.