Sketch-A-Day

January 1: Nature

It was said that in the forest beyond the kingdom walls, there lived a creature of immense strength and power, waiting in the shadows for those foolish enough to venture into the forest. But what they did not know was that there was more to the creature than what they had originally thought.
For one, it was a dragon. True it did not have wings like some, nor did it breathe fire. Nor did it even have legs. It was a strange creature to those who lived within the kingdom. Only one had ventured into the forest and returned alive. He told stories of a massive beast, as tall as the houses in the village, and perhaps even as tall as the wall that protected the kingdom and those within, but he had only taken  a fleeting glance at the beast as it chased him from the woods.
"A beast of scales and poison," the man had said. He had just returned from the forest and was sitting in the local tavern, a mug of grog in his hand. He was shaking like a leaf as he recalled all that he could remember about the creature.
"What was it," the owner had asked.
"Awyrm."
As he sat, talking to the owner of the tavern, deep in the forest, the wyrm was lurking. Guided by a single beam of moon that remained ever in front, the creature slithered beneath the grown. The vines tangled around its body somehow managed to avoid getting snagged on anything, along with the tiny strands of blue lights that came from the tiny glow worms that lived with it. It slithered through the trees, leaving not a single trace for anyone to follow, if they even dared to enter the shadow world. Dark green scales, as vibrant in Color as the undergrowth that the beast slid through, with spines along its back that were dipped in the deadliest poison found in the forest.
In the cave, the wyrm reared up, staring at the flower of red and orange that danced in the middle of the cave it called home. Sitting next to the fire was a figure dressed in a dark cloak, silently stoking the fire. It took only a moment for the figure to realize that it was not alone, and even then, it didn't move. Instead, it remained by the fire, folding its hands on its lap. The wyrm lowered itself down and slithered deeper into the cavern, nearing the figure. Rather than attacking the figure that sat in its midst, it calmly approached them, coiling around their body once and allowing their head to rest in their lap.
"Hello." It was a feminine voice that greeted what the rest of the world thought to be a monster. "How was your day today?"
A gentle rumbling echoed from the wyrm's throat and the woman chuckled.
"I see. Well, at least you didn't kill him. I suppose he will go and tell everyone else about you now. You will have to be more careful now."
Another purr-like sound bubbled out of the wyrm's vocal chords and it nuzzled closer to the woman.
And so, the legend of the deadly wyrm was born, and though no one knew much about it, both the wyrm and the woman that lived in the cave with it were soon the deadliest legend in the kingdom.