Dragon Kin - Part 1

"'It's for the good of the country' he said. 'We have to think about the safety of the people' he said."

Sophia couldn't help mumbling aloud to herself as she tried to wiggle out of her bonds. The rope that bound her wrists together were starting to feel tight against her skin, and it didn't help at all in the least that she was dangling from a tree limb by said rope. Even after an hour of struggling, she still hadn't made any progress whatsoever.  Not that it would have really mattered in the end, as the dozen guards that were waiting at the bottom of the tree would have caught her and strung her back up right where she started. Her blood red hair was tied into a braid and swayed down her back. The simple white dress did not help her stave of the eerily chilly night air, and she couldn't help but shiver.

"Gah. Stupid, bloody King and his stupid, bloody yet immense treasure. Not like he really would have needed any of the gold I was stealing anyway...He would have got it back, eventually. I mean, that's how the economy works, right? Taxes and all that crap would have gone straight back to the King..." she reasoned with herself as she gazed out onto the horizon.

It was a well known fact that for the past hundred years or so, the country of Den'nevar has had to offer a tribute once a year so that their little country would stay safe. For the most part, their tributes had been simple enough: their surplus harvests from the season, or livestock, or even both should the need arise. In exchange, their extortionist (or as he was officially known, "the protector") would keep their enemies from bordering, hostile nations at bay, as well as the roaming monsters throughout the lands. No beast or man had dared attack Den'nevar while he claim "protection" over it, and it seemed to be a fair enough deal for both.

That is, until this year.

The crops had failed to yield much this year, barely able to feed the people of Den'nevar let alone use as tribute to the "protector". The same was said about the livestock, and the King began to panic. Especially how close it was to the Tribute Day. He had to think of something to offer the "protector" and he had to think of it fast.

"I suppose this is all my own fault, really...Should have realized there was only one other option to use as a tribute...It just had to be me, though eh?"

Yes, it was indeed her own fault. Who in their right mind would dare to break into the Royal Vault in broad daylight? Sophia, it would seem.

"I almost had it too...At least I still have some time before the end. Gives me a chance to steady my nerves and repent.

...

Oh, who am I kidding? Why would I repent? I've had a fun life! Who cares if I broken a couple dozen laws a couple hundred times? I don't regret it at all! Still, I must make my death a dignified one. No use in crying or screaming my lungs out. I'll just-!"

Her mumbling was cut off when she saw an enormous shadow come racing from the distance, its form silhouetted in the moon itself. She had never actually dared to find out what the "protector" truly was all these years past. Very few even knew where the Tribute Tree stood, and even fewer would have been able to tell her if she had the desire to find it's location. It was a surprise to her, so much so that she could only stare in wonder and fear. It's flapping, clearly battle worn wings were wider than her granddad's pumpkin patch, it's tail swishing menacingly behind. It landed with a resounding THUMP on the ground some feet before her, and it made the very earth (and "her" tree) quake with ferocity equal ton itself.

Sophia was in shock of what was staring at her intently.

It was an honest to goodness Dragon.

And it didn't look too happy, to say the very least.

Considering there wasn't much else for Sophia to do besides dangle there helplessly, she took in the details that was the enormous and deadly-looking dragon as it stepped into the moonlight and into the open field before her.

Its scales were as red as blood, nary a scar to be found on it's body besides it's leathery wings and the scar over it's right eye. Not that the scarred eye could be seen as it was covered by a surprisingly jeweled eye patch. The rubies went well with the black leather, each jewel set along the edges were the straps met the covering piece. She found it odd that a dragon would have need for an eye patch or for multiple piercings in it's fin-like ears. She quickly remembered however that dragons simply love treasure, so perhaps adorning one's scaly self with jewels and gold wasn't outside the realm of possibility. The twin, twisting horns on it's head, the scaly ridge that ran along it's back, and even it's claws were as black as pitch. The one good eye that fixed it's gaze upon her was a clear, deep amber that reminded her of the golden wheat Den'nevar was famous for.

She had to do her best to keep her nerves steady, but it was clear (to Sophia at least, for which she always reprimanded herself for) that she was more frightened than she had ever been. She remained as still as a mouse as the dragon came so close to her that, if her hands were free and she wasn't hanging precariously from a branch, she would reach out and touch it's snout.

"I, uh, don't suppose you're fair, young maiden-intolerant, huh?" Sophia asked nervously, doing her best to keep her usually solid as steel nerves from shattering like an eggshell.

It merely let out a huff, blowing hair from Sophia's face and causing her dress to flap a little. If she wasn't mistaken, it even scowled disapprovingly at her. It took a step back and sniffed the air, letting out a low growl as it seemed to catch a scent.

"I know you're still here, Guards of Den'nevar!" he growled furiously (his voice being much too deep for a lady dragon, or at least Sophia assumed), staring at the ground beneath Sophia's feet. "Come out, or I MAKE you come out!"

"Holy Crap, you can talk?!" Sophia asked in shock.

The dragon payed her no mind and waited for the reluctant guards to show themselves. Sophia couldn't see much from her point of view until she saw one of the guards, the Captain she quickly realized by the plume in his helmet, step anxiously before the dragon.

"What is the meaning of this?!" the dragon asked the clearly scared man, practically hearing the clinking of his armored knees from up high. "Where is the tribute of crops and livestock?!"

"I-it w-was a t-terrible s-season for D-den'nevar...t-the c-crops and c-cattle we h-have are b-barely e-enough to f-feed the n-nation!" the Captain stammered nervously.

"Your King approves of this as a tribute?!"

"I-it w-was his i-idea!"

"And he dares to think this will appease me?!"

"I-it w-was all h-he could think of t-to offer..."

The dragon wasted no time in letting loose a devastating roar, shaking the very air itself in its wake. The Captain was not quick enough to escape the dragon's claws, becoming trapped beneath it's talons in an instant. The dragon brought his snout down close enough to his foot that the captain thought for sure it would be the end of him. The sharp, fear-inducing teeth didn't help matters a as the dragon opened his jaws wide.

"Listen, and listen WELL, Guard of Den'nevar!" the dragon threatened menacingly. "Tell your King I will accept this as my tribute once and ONLY once. Dare to offer such a sacrifice again, and I will burn and ravage this entire continent to nothing but a pile of ASH. Write that in your history books if you must, as I will not repeat myself. Be sure not to stutter when you do."

With that, the dragon lifted his foot off of the captain who swiftly got to his feet and ran back to the city, his guards following close behind. Sophia gulped when she saw the dragon approach her again, a scream catching in her throat as a red and black claw reached for her. She dared not to close her eyes as a talon cut her down from the tree, her hands still bound unfortunately, and found herself restricted even more by scaly, cold claws.

Letting loose one last, devastating roar, the dragon flew off into the night with Sophia in hand. There was only one thing that suddenly ran through Sophia's mind and escaped through her lips as she watched her self getting further and further from the ground, and further and further from her homeland:

"...I am so screwed..."