Dragon's Prize

by Shannon Tripp

see the entire room. “There’s only one door.” He glared at Trevor. “I won’t fit through. How did I get here?”

  Trevor took one look at the no longer playful dragon. “Um, well, about that…” Trevor stammered. “M-magic.” He stepped back until he hit the wall. He glanced over at the door, regretting locking it behind him.

  Jacob was no longer in a good mood. He wanted to go home and start fixing his ceiling. Who knew what was happening to his treasure while he was here. “How did I get here? Did you say magic?” He lowered his head until his whiskers barely swept the floor. He narrowed his eyes and blew a smoke ring at the man trying to decide if he could make it to the door in time.

  Trevor coughed and batted at the smoke drifting around his head. “Okay, I confess. I messed up. Is that what you want to hear? I didn’t mean to get a large dragon.”

  Jacob didn’t know if he should laugh at the confession. “What size dragon were you trying for?”

  Supporting a sheepish grin, Trevor said, “One that could fit through the door.” Trying to decide if the dragon would find him amusing or if he should make a dash for the door, he slowly straightened up, dropping his hands to his sides.

  “Fine. Try again. I’m leaving.”

  “How? I brought you here. The door is too small and the only way out is if I …” He stopped suddenly and stared at teeth the size of his head.

  Jacob grinned at the little man’s discomfort. He inhaled, letting the fire build in his stomach. Tilting his head back, he let the fire go, watching it go from yellow to red to purple. When it reached blue, he focused the flame to a point. He brought his head down and looked at the nearest wall.

  “What are you doing? It’s stone.” Trevor ducked as Jacob swung his head to face him. The flame washed over the stone where his head used to be. “Hey, watch it.”

  Jacob snapped his mouth shut, “Sorry.” He waddled closer to the wall and stared at his handiwork: a three foot swath of melted rock. “Ah ha, jackpot.” He inhaled, feeling the flames fill his belly again. He aimed for the melted rock and opened his jaws. He narrowed his eyes against the backwash of fire and nearly singed Trevor’s hair off. He reached out his claw and snagged the man’s shirt, pulling Trevor away from the door and pinned him against the floor. Cutting off his flame, he peered closer at the wall. A hole, the size of his claw, sat in the center, edges still glowing from the heat.

  Something wiggled in his claw and he looked down. “Well, aren’t you just a lucky guy?”

  “How so?” Trevor asked in disgust. He didn’t feel very lucky. He’d botched the spell and ended up with a giant lizard with a belly full of fire. When he tried to leave, he’d been pulled away from the door and pinned to the floor. He knew he was destined to be a pancake; was only waiting for the dragon to shift his weight.

  “You’re not dead,” the dragon grinned down at him. “Yet. If you hadn’t wiggled, you might have been flattened.” He lifted his claw and let the man go. “You might want to step back. This is going to get messy.” He turned back to melting the wall.

  Trevor slumped against the opposite wall and watched the hole grow. He better eat me or my boss will. How am I going to explain a hole the size of a…a…well, a dragon. And it’s melted rock. Fire can’t melt rock. How is this even possible? Eventually, it occurred to him that he had nearly died. He wrapped his arms around his knees and started to rock back and forth.

  Jacob inspected his work and nodded in satisfaction. The hole was now big enough he could get his head and shoulders through. He stuck his head through the wall and looked at the hallway on the other side. Like a rat, he could fit through anything he could get his head and shoulders through. He’d climbed through the hole before a high pitched keening sound penetrated his concentration. He twitched, shaking his head, trying to clear the noise from his ears. He sighed in frustration, the noise was not stopping. Convinced the wall was crying, he stepped to the far side of the hallway, but the keening followed him. Glancing back into the room he’d just left, he saw Trevor curled up in a ball on the far side.

  Trevor curled tighter, hugging his knees to his chest. Frustrated, he stared at the hole the dragon had climbed through. Sunk in his misery, he didn’t really think beyond what his boss was going to do when the hole was discovered. Closing his eyes tightly, he missed the talons heading his way.

  Jacob winced as the keening turned into a shriek. I guess I surprised him. “What’s all the fuss about?” He lifted Trevor up to his eye level and shook him. “Stop that noise. I’m not going to eat you.” Shaking his head in disgust, he set the man down before opening his claw. “I think I liked the joker better,” he muttered under his breath.

  The dragon yanking on him had snapped him out of his depression, but now it dawned on him that his drama could be beneficial. Trevor stifled a sob and peeked over his arms. Is he softening? If I can get him to at least look at the statue, I’m sure she can change his mind. He sobbed again, babbling about his boss killing him, a hole in a rock wall and a real big lizard trying to kill him all while watching the dragon through his eyelashes.

  “Alright, I’ll go see this miracle treasure if you stop that noise.”

  “Okay, it’s a deal. Turn left at the end of the hallway.” Trevor felt a grin stretch across his face. He climbed to his feet and headed down the hallway, sure the dragon was right behind him.

  Feeling like a fool for falling for Trevor’s trick, Jacob reached out and snagged fabric. Not wanting to let the man get ahead of him, he yanked backwards and felt glee at Trevor’s surprised shout.

  “Hey, let go.” Trevor kicked and twisted, trying to free himself from the dragon’s claw. They rounded the corner and Jacob took off, bouncing Trevor along the ground behind him.