Rick Phoenix often wondered how he managed to receive the worst assignments. And more often than not, he realized that it was his somewhat quiet and shy nature that made it possible.

Rick's magazine editor and chief, Nash Bailey, had told him more than once that he was given such trying assignments to make him a better writer. But after nearly two and a half years of drudgery, Rick was sure that it was just an excuse. A creative way to shut him up from asking for more than scraps. . . and to his shame, it worked. Other than some small grumbling and disdain, he'd never outright refused a project.

When Rick had been hired straight out of college he'd been ecstatic. The Largefield Magazine was highly respectable and gave him the chance to write with the best in the business… But after the initial excitement had worn off and his rose colored glasses had been removed, the young man had realized he'd been naive. Largefield didn't want him for his talent as a journalist. They wanted a grunt to take the crappy jobs and go on coffee runs.

In truth, Rick had wanted to quit for sometime. But his student loans and empty pockets demanded that he stay. So he'd kept his head down and done his work. But even in his quiet conformity he dreamed of being free from it all. From the horrible research trips and angry sources, to the awful deadlines and unforgiving grind. He wished to be rid of the magazine altogether, once and for all. . .

Though that wasn't to imply that he wasn't a good journalist, or that he didn't enjoy aspects of his job. But even with the good facets of the magazine, Rick longed for the chance to prove himself. There was such a wide world to discover and write about, so many breathtaking stories to share! … But he was stuck writing bland editorials and the occasional petty crime article.

Though currently, a police report sounded too good to be true. . .

Two days earlier, after running to grab his coworkers and boss their coffee, Rick had been called into Editor Bailey's office. The young journalist had hoped that it would be for something interesting, but no such luck. No, he'd been tasked with writing a nature piece and tying it into global warming.

"The readership deserve to be kept in the loop, Ricky!" Bailey had said around the brim of his coffee cup. "Go and dig up something about the great outdoors! It'll do you good to go out and get some sunshine and exercise. You're thinner than my nerdy lil' nephew."

Rick had left Bailey's office in mild annoyance, though it was hardy a new experience. Bailey always said heinous things to him, though this time he had to admit he was bothered by it. He didn't want to go out in the middle of nowhere to look at nature and write a half-assed article that no one would read. But then again, Rick Phoenix very rarely got what he wanted…

Now after an extremely aggravating morning of driving out into the wilderness, Rick stared up from the base of the massive mountain that he'd stopped at. To say he wasn't excited for the project ahead would have been an understatement, but he didn't have a choice. The almighty dollar was calling to him, so he shouldered his backpack, zipped up his coat, and began his hike. He clutched his phone tightly in his hands, clicking random pictures of the rocks he scaled and the bushes he got close to. None of it was interesting, but he made sure to be thorough.

Originally, Rick thought he'd have a day or two to plan a trip to one of the national forests, or a waterfall, or perhaps even the ocean. But Bailey had moved up the timetable for the article and wanted a draft in his box by the following morning. So Rick had been forced to drive to the nearest mountain range and hope for the best.

Rick had never been the most athletic person, nor did he go hiking often. But lucky for him, the path up the mountain wasn't treacherous. It wasn't exactly a straight shot, but there was an odd little path that clearly led up into the alcoves of the mountain that wasn't too strenuous. He followed the trail without thinking, as he snapped picture after picture and mentally made notes of his surroundings. Thank goodness the article was short, or he'd never have had anything to say…

In fact… it was quite surprising how the path led him along. He had expected a hike from hell, but that hadn't been the case. Rick hadn't planned on going too far, but somehow his feet and hands made the climb of their own accord. As if something were leading him along, or perhaps that maybe he'd visited the mountain before and knew the path... With a nervous laugh, Rick pushed the thought out of his head and continued on his way.

For nearly two hours he hiked the paths of the mountain, stopping several times to catch his breath or merely look around, before a dark spot caught his eye. For a moment, it looked as if the mountain had been punctured by an endless darkness… But then Rick realized it was an opening in the rock formation. . . The entrance to a cave.

The thought of going into a dark cave didn't appeal to Rick in the slightest. There was no telling what kinds of creatures might call it home… But before he could turn around and go back the way he'd come, the silence was broken.

At first it sounded like a cry on the wind, a whisper of promise. But then the sound grew, until Rick could make out words; words coming from the depths of the cave.

"… Free me…"

In that moment, Rick Phoenix forgot every horror movie he'd ever seen, or crime report he'd read. Instead, he brushed his raven hair from his eyes and entered the cave, intent on finding the owner of the voice.

The cavern was pitch black, but Rick's iPhone was able to illuminate the space a bit. The cave was high-ceilinged and vast, seeming to go on for eternity in the void. The young man shivered as fearful goosebumps rose on his arms and legs, but he continued to creep forward. If someone needed help, he couldn't very well leave them in here on their own.

"Hello," he called into the darkness, shining his cell phone flashlight high. "Is someone there?"

There was no reply for a moment, before the voice whispered in his ears, "... Closer..."

"Where are you?"

"...Closer…"

Rick obediently drew further into the cavern, and noticed that the ground was uneven beneath his feet and clunked each time he took a step. As he glanced down at the ground with his flashlight, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Gold? Gold coins? The more he looked the more he fought his disbelief.

The cave's floor was covered in innumerable pieces of gold. More wealth laid here than one country could ever hope to ascertain. But it was real, and it glittered in the small light of his phone, winking at him.

Rick reached down with shaky fingers and pocketed a handful of the gold coins. Before leaving the cave he would fill his backpack with the amazing treasure. But first, he needed to find the person who had called to him.

He picked up his pace and nearly tripped on the uneven, coin-laced ground, but caught himself just in time before toppling over. It was a good thing he'd worn boots with a good grip or he surely would have fallen and broken his neck.

After several minutes of walking, Rick called out again and the voice responded, though this time it was stronger than before. No longer did a whisper answer him, but a deep, guttural rumble that vibrated throughout his entire body and echoed about the cave.

"Closer child of man, so that I might see you clearly."

Child of man? What on earth was this guy talking about? And why was his voice so deep? It was as if the earth itself was talking to him, simply waiting to swallow him whole.

"Who are you?" Rick asked, waving his light from side to side, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious speaker. "And why are you here in this cave, man? Did you get lost?"

"Lost to time," the voice replied. "But little else."

When Rick began to shake from the beginnings of fear, the disembodied voice chuckled. "Do I scare you, little one? Does my presence make your heart falter and your stomach roil with dread? I surely hope so."

As the laugh grew louder, Rick covered his ears, but found that it did nothing to stop the noise. Instead, it intensified until the journalist thought he'd go mad from the sheer force of the sound. It was almost enough to burst his eardrums.

"STOP!" Rick screamed, dropping his phone as he desperately clutched at his head. "PLEASE, STOPPP!"

As his phone hit the ground it shattered and the light was snuffed out, leaving Rick in absolute darkness. He cried out as he felt something touch him, and scrambled to get away. He ran several steps in the dark, before his feet twisted beneath him and he fell. When his head smashed into the golden floor, a dizzy spell settled over him, making it impossible to move. And all the while the voice laughed.

"My! What fine entertainment!" Once more Rick felt a presence settle by him, and he looked about in the darkness. "I had nearly forgotten how sniveling your kind can be. But I must thank you, nonetheless. You have cured me of my infinite boredom, if only for a moment."

Rick tried to make sense of the words and what was happening to him. But his mind was too muddled and his heart raced far too fast. Though he didn't have more time to consider as the voice addressed him again.

"Tell me your name, human. So that I might know the title of the one I will consume."

"C-Consume?"

"Oh yes," the voice crooned wickedly. "You were doomed from the moment you set foot in this cave. You just didn't know it."

Rick jolted from the ground and began to run again in absolute terror, though this time, it wasn't a physical force that sent him to his knees. It was something unnatural and incredibly powerful; Rick felt it like an electroshock through his veins and was helpless to fight it.

From the depths of the cave, from the very bowels of the mountain, a formless presence manifested. It reached out and infiltrated the deepest parts of Rick's mind and soul, and as his knees landed on the gold, he could feel the presence rise and take root inside him. Something that wriggled in his mind and delved into his core, manipulating it and absorbing all in found. There wasn't time to resist or even scream. And then in the matter of a minute, it was over. . .

"Richard Phoenix." Now the entity spoke directly from within Rick's mind, as if he himself were thinking the words. "A fitting name for my vessel."

"V-Vessel?" Rick asked, as his panic fought to overwhelm him.

"Yes. My spirit has been trapped in this accursed mountain for a millennium, waiting to be set free. And now, I have found my salvation in joining with you. . . Together we will ascend and make good on your namesake: rising from the ashes to be reborn as something devastating and unequaled in our majesty!"

"...What are you?"

"In life I was a God, though your kind knew me as a Fire Drake. Smaug the Golden, the Defiler! Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities!"

"Wait… You were a dragon?"

"I AM a dragon," hissed Smaug. "Now and forever."

Rick felt the warmth of a thousand suns travel though his body, before his consciousness faded to the back of his mind. He was still very much present, but now Smaug held supremacy. Rick no longer controlled his limbs, as his body unhurriedly stood from the ground.

As he left the cave behind, his back was straighter than an arrow, his footsteps graceful but heavy on the ground. So unlike him..

Due to the dragon's spirit, everything had changed. But who in Rick's life would notice the difference? No one had much interest in him… Both dragon and human laughed at the situation, one with eagerness, one with sad acceptance.

Rick stared into the radiant sunlight; his once dull amber eyes now a luminous bright red- further proof of the creature that had possessed him…

. . . A Few Weeks Later. . .

It was almost midnight and Rick was wide awake. Though that had been normal since he'd gotten his new companion. After the first week, Smaug had given him back control of his body, though had stayed ever present in his mind. Now, after the initial fear had worn off, Rick found the Dragon to be a profound source of wisdom and hope for the future. Smaug understood him more than anyone ever had, and didn't treat him like he was less. . . In fact the opposite was true.

Smaug respected him, so Rick now heeded the creature's advice without question. Which was how he currently found himself on the rooftop of the tallest skyscraper in the city. It was raining, but Rick felt nothing as he stood at the ledge and looked out towards the skyline and the city that lay below him. It all seemed so insignificant to him now. Gazing at the lights and the countless superficial buildings and people, it was a wonder that he'd ever cared to fit in among them.

"I don't know what I saw in this society," Rick thought. "I never should have tried to join them. I was always bound to be different… To fail."

"You were never good enough for them," Smaug agreed. "Your boss, your peers, your so called friends, they were never able to give you what you really needed."

"Yes. But now I have you."

"Yes, little firebird, you have me." The deep voice rumbled with a laugh, and Rick joined in, though his wafted through the air to be lost in the rain.

For several minutes Rick stood in silent contemplation, before Smaug spoke again. "Do you wish to be free of your confines, as I am, Rick Phoenix?"

"You know that I do."

"Then you must embrace what you wish to be," the deep voice cajoled. "Walk from this ledge and into the sky."

"But I'll die…" Rick looked down at the sprawling city of Largefield, gauging the distance from the rooftop to the ground. "If I impact there will be nothing left of me."

"Do you really believe I'd let my vessel die? … Do you believe you could die? When you are a phoenix to be reborn from the ashes?" Rick felt the power and prompting as real as a hand to his shoulder, and he basked in the warmth before he understood.

It was the only way.

With one last look to the skyline, Richard Phoenix jumped from the skyscraper and began to fall. The wind and rain pelted him and batted him to and fro, but Rick never panicked. The man enjoyed the feeling of free-falling, knowing that he'd be safe in the end.

"Give me control, little bird…. Give me control, and I will make your wildest dreams come true!"

Rick surrendered himself completely, and in an instant his eyes began to glow an unearthly shade of red. Then with a mighty roar, Rick began to transform.

Red scales, wings, and a body nearly as big as the skyscraper, and two minds intertwined for all time.

Rick was no longer human.

As the massive dragon flapped its wings, it stopped falling almost instantly, and then turned its attention on the city.

"BURN IT!" The dragon cried in a voice that sounded like a hurricane. "BURN IT TO THE GROUND!"

Then with a great inhale, he blew out a line of fire that collided with the nearest buildings. Even with the rain, the structures went up like kindling. Quite satisfied with the result, the dragon flew high above Largefield City, and rained fire down on all it saw.

Even from so high up, the screams of the dying and wounded could be heard. It made the dragon laugh triumphantly as it continued.

Diving towards the skyscraper he'd jump from, the beast held onto the spire with wicked claws, before channeling the largest blast of fire it could muster into the building itself. As the massive building imploded with flames, the dragon thrummed with pleasure. The orange tendrils flicked up to tickle its belly and began to work at the foundations.

Noting its success, the creature lifted off to finish the job it had started.

It decimated every inch of the metropolis, wiping the humans and their filth clean with every bash of his tail and turret of flame, until only ruins and corpses remained.

The dragon landed on the wreckage and surveyed it's work. Finally there was silence. No noise to take away from the glorious night.

"Beautiful," the dragon crooned, admiring the way the smoke billowed from the charred ruins. Largefield City was gone, along with the 7 million humans that called the region home.

"You can never go back, little Phoenix. You will never be rid of me," Smaug whispered to Rick, as the two shared the moment. "You have been forever reborn."

"I have no desire to go back," Rick replied aloud, smiling widely at the destruction. "The flames have set me free."

"Our destiny awaits, dear phoenix. Our fates and minds intertwined in this singular form. With the charge to wipe this world clean!" Smaug rumbled as his mind once more became one with Rick's. "Who are we to keep them humans waiting?"

As the dragon lifted into the air, it spiraled up above the ruins with purpose. Then as it glided into the rain clouds it laughed heartily. "One city down, twelve to go…"