The Locked Door

The Basket

A women ran with a wobbling basket through a tree infested forest. A scream echoed through the uninhabited woods. The women looked back and stopped running. A smirk appeared on her face as she held the basket tighter and started to trot through the trees, a safer more calmer expression upon her face as she headed towards a large area of rocks that were charred and broken. Her calm expression vanished and she looked around quickly for the culprit of the fresh marks that still had warmth as she put her ridged hands in the cracked surface. A grunt can from the near by trees.

"It was just a fox," the women mumbled, trying to hide the guilt from her own lie. "It isn't guilt," she thought, "It's truth." Suddenly, a shadow cast over the charred rocks and the cloaked women. As she looked up, she saw a beast of a dragon with a large, round snout that was covered in green, scaly skin and bright emerald green eyes. It looked down at the tiny peasant holding the trembling basket. The women didn't move and tried to blend in, but it was too late, she'd been spotted.

The dragon's nose flared before he breathed fire onto the place where the women was suppose to be, but she was gone. The dragon's green eyes grew wide. He quickly looked around to find the women behind him with her hood down and he finally looked at the not so easy target. She had ebony black hair with dark, brown eyes that showed she was no ordinary person.

The dragon snarled and fired right where she was, but again, smoke came from the place of her used to be existence and she appeared at his side. With the flick of her wrist, the dragon was on the ground, whimpering quietly knowing that it had been defeated. He closed his eyes, ready to become another lost family member in the dragon family, when he felt nothing. The no longer fearsome beast opened one eye to see the women standing inches away from him and started to speak a language he could understand.

"Stop your worrying, you pathetic beast, in not going to harm you let alone kill you." She said in a harsh, cold voice. The dragon looked up with thankful eyes and said,

"Madame, I'm great full for your kind heart." He said in a deep voice.

"Trust me, I'm not a kind soul. I'm only in this for my personal gain." She said.

"I am thankful for your honesty and anything you want, name it." The dragon purred, bowing his head to the mysterious women. She looked down at him with her cold eyes.

"I want," she cooed, "A favor."

"That's it?" The dragon scoffed. "You don't want hold or protection?"

"All I want," the women's voice rising, "is a favor from my loyal servant." Again, the dragon bowed his head low.

"At least let me guide you to your destination. It's not the favor you were asking for, but a friendly guestur." He said softly. He took a great liking to this abnormal women and want to show her how he felt.

"It wouldn't hurt unless you speak to no one of my location or your favor will be to rip out your heart and I watch you die in pain." She said with a straight face. The dragon nodded and he followed the quick pace of the women. "Would I enquire to know your name Madame?"

"Well, I keep my identity to only the loyalist of servants and you haven't earned it yet." She said stopping by a close patch of tulips.

"You enjoy flowers?" The dragon asked politely. The women snorted said the question was a joke and with another flick of the finger, the tulips withered away to show the wobbling basket. She picked it up and continued on down the small dirt path at a quick pace. "What's in the basket?"

"None of your concern, but I'd enjoy to know your name." The women said, once again stopping and looking into the dragon's green eyes.

"I won't tell you unless you tell me your name." The dragon said quickly, hoping a punishment wouldn't come with the question.

"Fine, but you must pledge your loyalty to me."

"Done."

"After you have fulfilled your favor, you still will serve me."

"Only if your favor is for me to be your faithful servant, then it is as good as done." The dragon and women shook each other's paw and hand and continued walking on. There was silence for a long period of time until something cried into the already darling evening. The women looked down at the basket and the dragon finally saw what was in the basket.