Since Willow was but a thin child of eight she had discovered in the warm foothills of the humble mountain that squatted by her town, a special friend. While most children her age could make the same boast in the form of imaginary friends Willow could boast that her friend was real and in the flesh. Of course, if she did make boasting of it in any way to anyone it would surely ruin the friendship, such is the conditional love of being friends with a Red Dragon.
On the last day of the week, Fridas, Willow would gather a fairly larger lunch than she would normally consume and head to the sunny hills behind her cobblestone town. The miniature metropolis was populated by little more than six hundred people and the outlying hills by little more than sheep and the occasional wolf that was sure to steer clear of the herds or grazing grounds with the typical respect of one predator to a viciously territorial and superior one.
Hastening to the nest of rocks by the stream she climbed the stony but steep hills as quickly as her little legs could allow, after all her friend would become a little grumpy if she was late.
Willow scurried past the last outcrop of rocks towards the mouth of the cave of her friend and hurried inside just to edge of where sunlight could reach.
She stood at the lip of light defiantly, smiling smugly into the darkness.
A deep and clearly brutal growl breathed out from the depths of the cave.
"Who, dares enter my lair unbidden?" spoke a voice from the depths of the cave.
"Princess Willow!" said the little girl, a red ribbon holding the length of reddish brown hair back in two pigtails.
"Royalty deems my little cove fit to visit? Truly an honor" said the voice, whispering the second sentence thoughtfully.
From the shadows in the back of the cave emerged a red dragon that dwarfed the small child in such a way as a hunting dog would dwarf a mouse. The great creature strode out to the circle outcrop and sat not unlike a cat on its haunches as it considered the child with unimpressed interest, not unlike a pest.
"Hi" said Willow holding her head back as far as it would go swaying her hips unconsciously as her dressed swirled like ripples after the motion.
"Back again child?" asked the Dragon.
For the love of Tiamat, you've returned. I suppose I shouldn't be annoyed, at least this time you weren't late and aroused my hopes of perhaps being left in peace.
"Yeah! I wanted to see you, I do every Fridas"
The Dragon considered the child for a long while, focusing on her features; from her pigtails to the buckshot of freckles strewn freely across her face and to her thin, stupid smile. He never encouraged her to come back but she always did. He had to confess he was curious as to why she would always come back, why she was not afraid of him as she should be, and why she was always smiling at him like an insipid little idiot as most of her race was.
He poked her chest lightly as he considered eating her.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked as her dress continued to swirl.
Eating you, you little runt. Maybe burning down the town afterwards, making the valley a fit place for me to live in.
"I was thinking about how dirty your dress is. Are you a slave?"
Willow's smile dampened a little as she sat down on a rock and began to open her picnic basket.
"Mommy doesn't make a lot of gold"
The Dragon continued to sit and consider the child with only the basest of attention as he persisted in trying to recall the taste of a woman's flesh and blood.
"Is that so? And where is your father?"
Willow stopped smiling for an instant before she began to assault the creature with the full force of her brightest smile not really questioning the microsecond where the creature winced.
Io's Blood does this child do anything else but smile? It is just like a human to feel offended that dragons eat them or hunt them for sport when they behave little better than animals, just like a human male to mate and move on.
"Mommy made biscuits, would you like one?" she said offering the creature towering above her one daintily.
The dragon shook his head slowly and disinterestedly paced back to his cave. Digging through his horde he scooped up a clawful (which was considerable) and strewed it before himself in a semicircle. His eyes lit up as the gold and silver glittered in the sunlight.
So lovely…
Briefly the dragon wondered if the child would try to steal some from him. Being obviously of low stock and ill breeding the little creature would surely try to snatch up a coin or two from him eventually. Oh yes, then he'd have to eat her what else would a self respecting dragon do? The dragon smiled as he decided on an internal game like a knowing adult: how long would it take little Willow to bring about her own death?
The dragon fingered a pewter goblet as he nonchalantly grinned.
I like this game
He ignored the child, pawing his gold admiringly at the excellent job he'd done gathering it without attracting attention, but of course what other outcome was possible? He was after all so brilliant!
With his peripheral he noticed Willow hop off the stone and edge closer to the gold. Giving no indication that he could see her he allowed her to get closer.
One little hand placed itself on the gold
The edge of his lip curled ever so slightly
Another little hand placed itself deeper into the pile
His eyes locked onto the child with mounting anger
Little fingers gripped his talon and tugged it closer to her.
The dragon's anger abated to curious surprise. Willow had completely ignored the gold and was simply fascinated with the creature's claw. The child held it to her chest comfortably.
"You are so warm" exhaled the child clearly liking the warm sensation of the dragon's claw.
Relaxing, the dragon eased into the dirt while still lending his captive limb to the child. Willow returned to her picnic basket to pick out a handful more fluffy biscuits and continued to eat them with half a mind as she touched and explored the dragon's hand.
"Can I ask you questions?"
"That in and of itself is a question, so are you not doing what you are asking already?"
"Mommy told me it's polite to ask before asking with strangers"
"Did she also tell you it's polite to simply come up to their homes whenever you please?"
"But I told you I could visit you on Fridas, you didn't say no"
But I did not say yes either runt. I suppose excitement nullified your manners, clearly your mother needs to teach you something or two in regards to restraint.
"I suppose you are right child"
"How old are you?"
"Twenty years old this last full moon"
The child's eyes brightened
"But you are still a child! Call me Willow then" said the little girl, delighted at the prospect of having an older playmate.
The great beast laid his head sideways as he stared in fascination at the child.
"Willow" exhaled the dragon as he glanced at her sideways. Obviously having twelve years of age difference takes away the ability to call one's junior a child.
"What did your mother name you?" asked the child as she sat in the palm of the dragon's open hand.
Mother named me "Little Monster" as she was so fond of calling me. But you, oh yes you are something altogether worse: you suppress anyone's desire to murder you then you annoy them ceaselessly.
"She named me Siegfried"
"Like the dragonslayer?" asked Willow, furrowing her brows in curiosity of the irony.
"The same" sighed the dragon in irritation.
"Why?"
You are Bahamut's punishment incarnate
"Because my mother thought she was being clever, all the other dragons like to tease me over it"
The child looked at her little clog shoes.
"My shoes aren't so dirty" she thought aloud, but without really noticing she had done so she continued her interrogation.
"No one teases me because of my name, even if it is after a tree"
You and willow trees have the same thing in common: you'd be great fun to burn.
"I like willow trees" exclaimed the dragon lightly as he gazed at one less than a stone's throw away from his lair.
"Do you like me?" asked Willow with the innocent enthusiasm only a child could have.
Siegfried looked up at her crookedly
"What?"
"You know, if you like me we could be friends and play often and do things together. I already like you tons Siegfried"
Oh Tiamat, now there will be no force in the world capable of killing her. She'll just keep rising until I give in.
"I like you Willow" sighed the dragon dreamily with heavy laden eyes. Resignation clearly shining within them.
Like a flash the girl fastened her arms around the dragon's neck under its chin. Immobile and with now a very disturbed expression on its eyes the dragon counted each agonizing second before the child let go.
Ten seconds of pure horror. I will never be the same again, I'm scarred.
"Your birthday was only three days ago, is it too late to bring you a present?" asked Willow listening eagerly for the nuances and rules of gift giving post datum.
I acknowledge and respect that in your culture giving another on the day of their birth a ball of dung shined to a mirror's splendor is an act of affection but please don't trouble yourself. If you do I'll drown you.
"You can if you want to"
The girl smiled sheepishly but with a hint of pride.
"My birthday will be in three days from today"
…..
"Do you think it would be ok if you came Siegfried? I mean, you are a good dragon maybe you could come, if I talk to Mommy I'm sure she'd say yes"
Of course, I'll eat your friends, set fire to the jester and burn down your hut. Of course that would be if you could afford any of this.
"I don't think that is possible Willow, dragons can't go into town"
"Why?"
"Because we have an ill reputation in many places, and Red Dragons are the worst"
And it's completely undeserved. People are so inconsiderate to not acknowledge my races' brilliance and power above all others. It's because they fail to properly observe this natural law that we are forced to kill them.
"But you are a nice dragon!" protested Willow, incredulous of the unfairness of this rule.
Did I just hear you refer to me as nice? I will eat your legs and arms and force you to crawl home on your stumps you little whelp.
"I am gladdened you think so Willow"
The child looked back at the town and by some unperceivable sign she hopped off his hand and gathered her basket.
"Where are you going?"
"I have to go home Siegfried, Mommy wants me back before the afternoon today. I'm sorry I can't stay longer like the other times"
Because of course I needed the company, I wouldn't mind it if you were a mute mind you. It's just the sound of your voice makes me want to set fire to a healing house.
"Pity" muttered the dragon disinterestedly wondering what kind of worthless gift the child would try to procure for him and how he could fake interest. Actually, just what she would get him.
As Willow walked off waving enthusiastically to which he answered by waving a single talon lazily he stared at the filthy hem of her dress and dispassionately called her back.
Willow trotted back to her friend who sat back up on his haunches and looked at her quietly.
"How much does the best tailor in town charge for making a child a dress?"
"I don't know but I saw this really pretty violet dress on the shop's window and it said fifty gold pieces but Mommy said we could never afford it but it's really pretty! It has a lot of ruffles and the violet parts are really shiny, not shiny like coins but like silk" but before she could continue Willow stopped as the dragon plucked fifty gold pieces deliberately from his small horde and then thirty more.
"Happy birthday Willow, here are fifty gold pieces for the dress and thirty more for food for your family. Frankly if I am going to be seen with you, you might as well look presentable. And due to the lack of the angry mob I suppose you've told no one I exist but I'd just like to ask that you don't, I prefer being left alone and you are almost more company than I am comfortable with"
The little girl stared wide eyed at the lump of gold in her basket, Siegfried had the impression she had never seen more gold together at any one time in her life.
I hope to Tiamat there is not another hug coming, I will throw myself off a cliff.
Lowering himself to eye level with her he began drilling out instructions: go straight home, don't let anyone know you have the gold, put it in a little sack and use it discreetly, discreetly means slyly and slyly means nonchalantly, and nonchalantly means that people don't know you are doing it! Stop asking word questions and go home.
But Willow did not move, hiding the lower half of her face behind her basket she lowered it momentarily and kissed the dragon on the lips then hugged his snout. Then very quickly running away she waved bye smiling her distinctive smile.
The dragon had elicited no response save a long disgusted hiss long after she was gone.
An hour after recalling the entire visit Siegfried piled all his treasure in his cave and sat quietly in the dark feeling violated and filthy. But very stealthily in the back of his mind where the rest of the brain wouldn't notice, Siegfried imagined what kind of dress Willow would purchase. He also wondered how would she explain it to her mother and why didn't he tell her a good lie to whisper to mother to perhaps put her at ease. He was not familiar with the economy of the nearby town but he knew well enough that for poorfolk seventy gold pieced was nothing to sneer at. Curious as to what the child would say and how her party would go he began to count the minutes until the next Fridas.