The Dragon’s Bargain

The village of Kareth sat on the edge of the Wyrm’s Peak, where no sane person dared to venture. But Talia wasn’t like the others. As the dragon’s shadow swept across the valley, she tightened her grip on the enchanted blade strapped to her back and marched toward the cavern entrance. Her father was missing, taken by the beast. No one else would face it, so she had to.

The cave loomed dark and forbidding, and the scent of smoke and sulfur stung her nose. She stepped inside, eyes straining against the darkness, and there it was: the dragon, coiled around a mound of gold, its emerald eyes gleaming like jewels in the gloom. The great beast lifted its head, smoke curling from its nostrils.

“Another foolish human come to beg for mercy?” the dragon rumbled, voice like thunder.

“I’m not here to beg,” Talia said, heart pounding. “I’m here to make a deal.”

The dragon’s laugh reverberated through the cave, shaking the stalactites. “A deal? What could a fragile human offer me that I don’t already have?”

Talia took a steadying breath, forcing herself to meet its gaze. “My father. You took him a fortnight ago.”

“Ah, yes,” the dragon mused, flicking its tail. “A brave man. Tasted of courage and steel. What about him?”

“Return him,” Talia demanded, drawing the sword from her back. The blade shimmered in the dim light, runes etched along its length. “And I’ll give you this—the Sword of Fyrebrand.”

The dragon’s eyes narrowed, focusing intently on the weapon. “The Fyrebrand… forged in the fires of the Magma Sea and enchanted to pierce even a dragon’s scales. Interesting.” Its gaze shifted back to her. “And you would part with such a treasure for one human?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “Return my father, and it’s yours.”

The dragon considered her, smoke curling lazily around its massive frame. “But why not simply use it against me?” it taunted. “A single thrust could end me.”

“Because I know I’d die trying,” Talia replied honestly. “But my father means more to me than a weapon.”

Silence stretched as the dragon watched her. Then, slowly, it uncoiled, its immense body shifting to reveal a figure lying motionless behind it—her father. Talia gasped, taking a step forward.

“He lives,” the dragon said softly, “but barely. You would give up the only thing that could truly harm me for his life?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

The dragon’s gaze lingered on her, thoughtful. “Very well. A trade, then.”

Talia stepped forward, laying the sword carefully on the ground before it. The dragon leaned down, its massive maw inches from her face, and exhaled a cloud of hot breath. The blade vanished in a flash of emerald flame.

“You have kept your word,” the dragon murmured. “So I shall keep mine.”

With a flick of its claw, the dragon gently nudged her father toward her. Talia dropped to her knees, pulling him close as he groaned softly.

“Father,” she whispered, tears welling up.

He blinked, eyes fluttering open. “Talia? You… you came for me?”

“Of course,” she choked out, helping him to his feet.

“Go,” the dragon rumbled, watching them with something almost like respect. “And do not return.”

Talia met its gaze one last time, nodding gratefully. “Thank you.”

With her father leaning heavily on her, they stumbled out of the cave and into the fading daylight. As they reached the safety of the valley, she glanced back at the dark entrance.

A part of her had expected the dragon to break its word. But it didn’t. Instead, it simply watched them leave, its silhouette framed by the golden glow of the treasure she had left behind.

For in the end, even a dragon could appreciate the value of a promise kept.