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That dragon looked as Mark ran to his shack. He wouldn’t be flying to his den tonight anyhow. Kelrith had offered him to stay the night, and there was plenty of space.

The dragon’s mind kept wandering back to that child. He couldn’t shake the thought of him. He looked no older than 10, and reduced to the low living standards of this?! He was never all to fond of humans, but this was just an absolute outrage to him! A hatchling, never mind him being human, a hatchling is forced to work all day, and is given this horrid quality of life?! Even to him, Apolis, this seems like such an undeserving treatment to the young one.

At first confused, Apolis knew what was needed of him; He would rescue the boy from this hellish place. He would live with him, not as a slave, but as a friend.

Apolis waited until it was time for everyone to fall asleep, and even then, he would wait 2 hours for them to fall truly into a deep sleep. Apolis tip-toed out of the cave, away from the other dragons. He had to get Mark.

Mark at this time was sleeping. He was on the cold ground with the chilly outside air effortlessly penetrating into his “home,” but he was used to this. After all, this is what he is used to. Or, was used to. Mark was thrown awake when he heard a strange thudding noise, followed by the sound of hay. Mark looked up, and only saw a strange figure grab him.

The child was squeamish. Perhaps too squeamish for Apolis to get away with him. None the less, he took off in flight, and when he was out of sight of the cave, Apolis lifted a claw off the child’s mouth to allow him to speak.

“PLEASE! WHATEVER I DID, I’M SORRY I DID IT! WAS THE DEER UNDERCOOKED? OVERCOOKED? I CAN MAKE IT UP TO YOU! JUST SPARE ME! PLEASE!“ Mark continued to yell and plead in a frenzy. As much as he wanted to act normally, he just didn’t want to run the risk of dying. Tears began to well up in Mark’s eyes, and soon, his plead turned into a fit of crying.

Apolis was panicking. If anyone caught him trying to help a human, he would most likely be killed for it. Dragons did not like it when one of their kind was sympathetic towards any other species, especially humans. He had to act fast, or they would both die.

“Shhhhhh… Human, don’t make a sound, or we will both surely die tonight. All I can say for now is that I’m trying to save you. Don’t make a sound now, but when we return to my cave, I can explain everything.” Apolis said in the softest, friendliest tone possible.

Mark would follow with the dragon’s orders, but he would still continue to cry silently to himself. At this point, Mark has given up on life. He was born a slave, witnessed his parents death, and was tortured with the thought of being eaten if he didn’t work. This is no life to be had, to only be raised in fear of being killed at any time. Mark just continued his silent cry, as he was brought to the new dragon’s cave.

Apolis landed, and gently brought down Mark, but also curled around him. Apolis wanted to talk to this troubled human first before anything.

“Human, I want to ask you a few things, but first, please don’t yell and scream. I promise I won’t hurt you.” Said Apolis. The dragon was concerned for Mark, but was talking in a very deep, yet playful tone. He wanted to sound friendly to Mark, as he was naturally intimidating to such a small creature.

Mark just nodded, afraid to say anything, and afraid to make eye contact.

“What is your name, young one?” Mark replied with nothing short of a small squeak of his name.

“What brought you into the clutches of that wicked dragon? Where are you’re parents?” Mark, not wanting to share anything with this strange dragon and wanting to hide his past, began to ramble on about a story of him wandering out to play in the woods. Apolis picked this out as being an obvious lie, but decided to let him tell his story while smiling at Mark. However, while Mark was continuing his story with Apolis, he interrupted Mark, wanting to end his story.

“Don’t lie to me.” Apolis said, cutting off Mark’s story, and throwing Mark into a bit of a panic.

“Please spare me, Do you think I’m that gullible.” Said Apolis while keeping his playfully friendly manner about him. “No one just wanders out into a dragon-infested forest looking for play. Instead, those who wander in that forest seek death.”

Apolis started to sniff Mark, almost cringing at the smell. “Child, you smell bitter. More bitter than I have ever smelt anything. And your face; It’s all red. You have been doing an awful amount of crying in your time, haven’t you?” Apolis had unraveled himself from Mark, and was slowly walking him to the back of the cave. He knew he was even more intimidating and scary to Mark, but this was purely to make sure he doesn’t just run off. Who knows what will get him then.

Mark just backed up until he was against the walls of the cavern. He was too afraid to do anything else.

“The smell of bitterness only clings to a creature when they have been depressed for far too long. The smell of bitterness on you makes me cringe… Tell me child, what has brought you to this?”

Mark just made a few muffled sounds. He was on the verge of crying once more. He just wanted this to end. He wanted his miserable life to end.

Apolis noticed this, and once again, he wrapped himself around Mark, and laid his head on top Mark’s head. Mark was confused at first, but then Apolis began to make a gentle, deep rumble. It resonated through both of their bodies, and this was enough to calm Mark. It was like a massage and a hot bath at the same time it was so relaxing.

“It’s okay, child. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Said Apolis. Mark, now having some more trust in the dragon, had now actually wanted to say something, but was afraid of what his reaction would be. He was just a human, and he was used to being laughed at when others hear of his story. Mark just made a small squeaking sound again to say something, but when his parents returned to his mind, he stopped, and was on the verge of tears again. So many thoughts welled through Mark’s mind, he didn’t know what to do. Then, Apolis said something to Mark.

“I won’t judge you.”

This sent Mark once more into a fit of crying, but this time, he cried into Apolis’s neck. The dragon began to comfort Mark, as the truth of the story poured out of Mark. Apolis both could and couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew dragons were cruel to humans, but this was on a whole new level.

Mark would eventually stop crying, and one thing would remind Apolis that life outside of his cafe was still happening; A gust of wind blew in, and Mark began to shiver. Apolis recognized that, and was thinking of how to keep Mark warm. He had already given him a warm cave to stay in, and even wrapped himself around Mark. There wasn’t much else for him to do…

An idea popped into Apolis’s mind. He knew Mark would reject it, so unfortunately, he would have to subtly force it.

“Child, you are cold, are you not?” Asked Apolis. Mark, still recovering from his fit of tears, just let out a choked sound and a nod, affirming Apolis’s observations.

“I will give you a safe, warm place to stay the night, but I want to ask you something first; Do you trust me?”

Mark didn’t fully trust the dragon yet, but he knew he wouldn’t last an hour outside of the already warm cave. He would let Apolis do whatever he wanted to him, as he did have nothing to lose but a worthless life.

Apolis took the opportunity, and shoved Mark’s upper body into his mouth.

Mark was both appalled and not surprised. He was taken back when someone he had trusted for a brief moment decided to eat him, but wasn’t surprised because that someone is a dragon. Mark had given up at this point. Life for him had turned out to be only painful, and in the end, Mark knew this is how he would die. Mark just accepted his fate at this point.

Apolis didn’t take his time in eating Mark. He quickly shoved him down into his maw, and gave a quick taste. Humans had always tasted sooo good to him in every shape and form. As much as he wanted to taste Mark for 20 more minutes, he had to carry on. Apolis took two swallows, and then Mark made his descent into Apolis’s belly.

Mark landed with a squelch, gurgle, and finally, a plop into the fleshy abyss. Mark couldn’t get the idea out of his head. His parents fell to the same picture. The same setting. The same pain…

Mark was done crying, not because he wasn’t sad, but because he had no more tears to give. Mark just found the comfiest spot to lay himself down on, and slowly closed his eyes. Before he faded into unconsciousness, Mark only heard the gurgling and sloshing and churning of the dragon’s belly…