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And I’ll leave too soon.
Drake
Dragons have fascinatedhumans for centuries and have held a prominent place in myths, legends, and folklore across various cultures around the world. In many cultures, they represent both awe-inspiring power and wisdom. The history of dragons spans across different civilizations, with each culture providing its unique interpretation of these mythical beasts.
Most dragons believe it’s all intentional, that there were dragons who actively focused on creating the myths. One of the earliest recorded instances of dragons was in ancient Mesopotamia, about five thousand years ago. The Babylonians depicted dragons as powerful serpent-like creatures, often associated with chaos and destruction. They believed that dragons had the ability to breathe fire, symbolizing their immense power and potential for devastation.
I can just imagine a dragon repeatedly irritated by people disturbing his rest and so showing himself in an area until people stayed away and then, of course, told all their friends until it became myth and legend.
In Chinese mythology, dragons are revered and seen as divine creatures. They are considered symbols of good fortune, wisdom, and strength. Unlike the Western depiction of dragons as vicious and malevolent beings, Chinese dragons are benevolent and protectors of the people. I can promise you that was something some dragon in the past did intentionally.
I think about these things as I smoke my pipe and watch her in the kitchen. This girl is…
Damn it, she’s perfect.
I want to reveal myself to her so badly, it hurts.
But I can’t. There’s too much risk.
Another legend, or rather legends, of dragons that is unfortunately based in truth are the legends that dragons were often slain by knights believing they were rescuing captured princesses, which, now that I think about it, is actually a very well-known myth. The few dragons that remain, including my parents, caution me against ever revealing my true nature to any of my lovers. Humans, they say, are superstitious creatures and just as likely to attempt to harm me for being a dragon as they are to accept me, far more likely, in fact.
I’m not concerned about some concerted effort to “slay” me. Dragons have faded so far into myth that if news of my existence were somehow to get out, it would be quickly dismissed as fake, such as the repeated sightings of UFO’s, many of which, ironically, are sightings of dragons. I’m also not concerned because even if the armies of the world united to kill me, they wouldn’t find me. While I’m at it, I could probably take on any armies of smaller countries.
What I am concerned about is how Sienna will react if she learns my true nature. It’s one thing to fall in love with a man. It’s quite another to fall in love with a dragon.
Love.
Is it too soon to be thinking about love?
The answer is obvious. Of course, it is. It’s way too soon. I’ve only just met the woman. I enjoy her, but it’s far too soon for me to be imagining a future with her that lasts any longer than the physical attraction. She’s going to return home, too. We’ve talked about the mechanics of getting her to the appropriate waystation with my utility vehicle and the transportation there taking her to the little municipal airport that will take her to Juneau so she can return home.
Then again, I am a dragon. When I want something, I don’t stop wanting it. Even when I have it, I want it. Hoarding is another aspect of dragon myth that is rooted in truth. Dragons don’t sleep on a pile of gold, and we don’t kill kings for their wealth or lands, but if we do want something, we will stop at nothing to obtain it, and once we obtain it, we guard it jealously.
We also rarely want something only to find later that we don’t want it anymore. All six of my previous lovers remained with me for decades. They all remained with me for life. In no case did my desire for any of them wane with the passing years. Even as they grew old, my affection for them did not wane.
So, it’s the human in me that wonders if it’s too soon to believe I’m in love with her. The dragon in me was certain the moment I caught her falling off of Mount Hunter.
I’m in love with her, and that’s dangerous because this is the first time my love has been powerful enough to make me consider revealing my true nature. I would have risked my life for any of the others. I would have gone to very great lengths for them but I did not and would never have revealed myself to them.
I just have an overwhelming desire to know and to be known by her. I don’t just want her devotion. I want her love.
My past lovers loved me, I suppose, but they didn’t really loveme. They loved the me that I created for them, the me that I felt safe revealing. They loved what I could do for them and how I could make them feel, but they only knew the image I created to make them desire me.
I want Sienna to desire the real me. No, I want her to love me the way husbands and wives love each other, the way soulmates love each other.
And that will eventually be either the end of our relationship or the consummation of it. I will either be wise and release Sienna so I don’t harm her by revealing what I really am, or I will be foolish and reveal myself only to scar her for life and stain the memory of her with a final moment of fear, loathing, and rejection.
Or I will reveal myself to her, and she’ll love me.
Damn it all to hell, this is not an easy thing to know and far too impossible to predict.
Looking at the ecstasy on her face as she moves above me, it’s easy to convince myself that she will love me forever. It’s much harder to think of myself as (regardless of what naturalists think) the largest creature on Earth or, for that matter, in the seas, and imagine the same joy in her eyes looking at me then that I see now.
So though the urge is powerful, I don’t reveal myself to her. I content myself with holding her and thrusting steadily into her while she shrieks with pleasure above me.
As she drifts to sleep, still throbbing around me, I can’t help but feel forlorn. I wish that I could show her who I am.
But for her sake and mine, I can’t.
