Cinderfella

Opener

Fire rained down on the villagers from the dragon's open maw. The screaming of those trying to run for cover could be heard for miles, catching the attention of a prince who was hunting in the woods. Upon hearing the distress of his people he quit his campaign to seek out the those in need. After an hour of traveling, pushing his horse farther than he had ever pushed a horse before, he finally came upon the burning village. A dreadful sight was before him, a dreadful sight that was no where near it's completion as the dragon flew over head once more. Dying embers raged to infernos once again as they were renewed by the dragon's own breath.

The prince was at a loss as to what he should do. No knight he knew of had ever slain a dragon, but undeterred the prince raced into the village grabbing water buckets to quench blazing fires, rescuing who he could manage to get out of charred buildings. Unfortunately he knew it would not be enough. The only way to properly save these people would be to conquer the dragon, a feat never managed by any person who lived to tell the tale. With his trusty sword in hand the prince ran to a field of burning crops, choking slightly on the smell of burnt wheat. It was here that the prince began to get the dragon's attention.

"Dragon! Dragon, please leave!" The prince shouted at the top of his lungs with all his hope that his voice could somehow stretch to the dragon's ears, "Dragon, please leave these poor villagers in peace!"

The dragon paid him no heed. Quickly the prince reflected on what he knew about dragons, very little was known about the solitary creatures that coveted gold above all else. That was when the prince came up with his plan.

"Dragon," He yelled again with every hope, prayer, and wish that it would listen this time, "I offer you my gold! All the gold that is entitled to me! That you may take it and spare these people and future people!"

The dragon stopped breathing fire. It circled the village one last time before landing in front of the prince the force of the landing making the prince stumble. Bright emerald eyes fixed pointedly on him, eyes alight with intelligence; this was no dumb creature.

"I will offer you all the gold to my title of prince if you will leave this land and never harm another soul." The prince stood taller to assert his authority into his words, somehow the dragon looked skeptically at him. Without prompting the prince pulled out his coin pouch, pouring the large amount of gold into his hand, as proof of its existence, placed it back in the bag and set in on the ground in front of the creature. The prince then pulled off his rich bear fur cloak with a pure steel clasp inlaid with a diamond to show rank and placed that with the gold. To further strip him of all the riches he carried, the prince pulled off his worn leather gloves to pry off his ring, a silver ring with his family's crest in the middle surrounded by small gems. This he placed straight into the dragon's paw.

As soon as the ring hit the creature's talons a whirlwind swept up the ashes and dirt around them, blinding the prince. When the winds finally settled a weary young man stood where the dragon had loomed moments before, shocked the prince raced forward to help the man sit down, for it looked as though he would surely fall.

"You saved me," The strange boy whispered, voice ragged and drained, "I was cursed and you saved me." The prince was so overcome with the need to protect the man in his arms that he held him close, grabbing the discarded cloak to wrap around the shivering man.

"I was cursed to be a dragon until someone offered me gold willingly," He tried to explain through chattering teeth, it was much warmer being a dragon, "I cannot thank you enough, your highness." The prince was taken aback by his sincerity and handsomeness.