Here’s the latest challenge and the picture.

“So what have you come here for? No one would come into a Dragon’s lair unless they were confident and/or desperate.”

The creature in question’s body was easily twenty paces long from the tip of it’s snout to the base of it’s tail, with said tail being another twenty paces in length. The creature was resting on its’ back partially propped up against the cave wall it’s rear legs stretched out lazily as it’s right hand held a dragon-sized pipe. It set the pipe in it’s fanged mouth and inhaled deeply, the bowl glowing a fierce red, before it exhaled, filling the small cavern with odd smelling smoke.

The young human, who set upon the curve of the muscular tail coughed as the smoke enveloped her. She waved her hand fruitlessly attempting to get a breath of fresh air. Then she glared defiantly at the creature’s face.

“Let’s clear up a few mistakes. First, you’re a Wurm, not a dragon. Dragons have wings, they can fly, and breath fire.” She held up her hand as the Wurm’s eyes narrowed in irritation. “Secondly, if you decide to eat me, I can’t stop you, but since I am the daughter of the Baron of this territory, I’m sure there’s a bunch of knights wanting to curry my father’s favor by killing the very Wurm that ate his child.”

The Wurm, now really wishing it was a dragon so it could roast this uppity human child and fly away, inhaled another deep breath of smoke and exhaled at the child once again.

“So I’m a Wurm.” He sighed dramtically raising his other claw to his head “Oh what am I to do with this vile human who threatens my very existence?”

In truth, Hesta was a very timid Wurm who actually feared humans, for the simple reason which this irritating girl had already explained. As he listened his mind whirled close to panic. How was he going to survive this? He’d move if he could, but Dragons and Great Wurms, which he wasn’t, are VERY territorial, and suffer no others like them in their home range. If he tried to travel, he’d be torn to pieces, and if he stayed, well, humans. Enough said of that.

“Well, the girl said, only coughing slightly from the smoke-laden air, “I would like to make it a fair trade with you. What I want would be for you to do is kidnap me and make me your servant.”

Hesta’s eyes grew wide as his green on green skin paled to a green-white. He spluttered and coughed hard and harshly for about ten seconds. He glared at the little female.

“I do not believe my earholes understood you correctly. You, a human, a small human, a small, helpless human, want to be my servant? What a thought, I have a human here with me doing what I tell it to do.” He glared at the young girl. “Are you trying to get me killed?! The moment any would be hero finds out I have a human living with me, they’ll be coming to kill me and steal my treasure…” he looked around at the few scattered coins on the floor of the cavern…”such as it is.”

He lowered his tail and shook it gently to dislodge the girl, who slid awkwardly to the ground. She picked herself up and adjusted her clothes. She then turned to meet Hesta’s eyes. In the ensuing stare down, it was Hesta who blinked first. Inwardly cursing his timid nature, and kThe girlnowing he was on the verge of giving in he sought to stall until he could find a weakness to exploit and make the girl go away.

“So, what’s in this…servitude…to me? All I’ve heard so far is wanting to be my servant, which as I stated earlier, is a definite not happening.”

The girl gave him a most unsettling smile, one that reminded him of a sibling when he’d gotten a wonderful awful idea. “What if I said I could turn you into a dragon if you took me as your servant?”

“I…” Hesta started, then stumbled, completely flabbergasted. “Me, a Dragon?!” His mind whirled with the thought of having wings and flying. His deepest desire made true. At the same time the cynic in him was screaming about when something sounds too good to be true, it is.

His left claw flashed out and grabbed the girl, lifting her into the air to be held in front of his toothy maw.

“Do you take me for a fool, little girl?” he said, menace dripping from his mouth. The girl was suddenly wide-eyed as she suddenly realized that she was on the razor’s edge between life and oblivion.

“No! I don’t! “ she gasped out as her clothes half-choked her. “I’m a mage, I can do it.”

“Oh really? Do you think I’m so gu….” a HUGE flaming ball twice the size of Hesta’s head appeared above the girl’s upraised hand. He quickly placed her back on the ground. “I am so sorry for my temper good mage. Let’s chat more about your reasons for being here” he said smoothly and with only the slightest quaver in his voice. Teh girl let the fire ball disappate. Then sat down and looked up at Hesta.

“I owe you an expanation…an apology too.” She shrugged and started talking so softly that Hesta had to lean down a bit to hear her clearly.

“I was summoned here from another world because those … she seemed to search for an appropriate word… scumbags wanted a powerful mage to lead their troops into war so they could wipe out their neighbors and claim their land. So I left after blowing a hole in their castle. They quit chasing me after I fried their entire Wyvern Corps. That fat baron had the gall to proclaim me his daughter so he could get the money the kingdom wanted to use to …well…turn me into their weapon.  That won’t stop bounty hunters though. Anyway, I remembered some of the locals saying you lived down this way, so I came to look you up.”

Hesta felt something completely foreign to him…excitement. If the wizard was truly that strong, he just might be able to turn a Lesser Wurm into a Lesser Dragon! He looked down, a crocodile like grin spreading across his face.

“I accept you as my servant Miss…err…what’s your name?”

She sat straighter and her hood fell back to reveal bright copper red hair.

“I’m Hannah Absent.”

“Very well Hannah Absent, now You are accepted as my servant. Now how does such an illustrious mage as yourself go about making me a Dragon…?”