Home is a Treasure Beyond Price

Chapter 1

As Nick lay on the wet grass, struggling to breathe through the pain in his gut, he admitted that spitting on Ruiz was a stupid idea. But since he was leaving him to be eaten by a dragon, he had no regrets—getting punched was worth the look of shock and disgust on Ruiz's face.
Over the sound of his own gasping breaths, he became aware of a rustling sound coming from the mouth of the cave behind him, like dried swamp plants being dragged slowly over stone.
The dragon.
This was it.
Maybe he'd get to see his mother again. He would've liked to have said goodbye to Theo, but he'd left the city months ago. He wondered how long would it take for Antonio and Chris to realize he was missing. A week or two at least, since life and responsibilities had been taking up more of their time.
Enough. Stop putting it off. Softly, whispered in his mind, he heard his mother's voice: You always stand up, Nick. He groaned and got his knees under him, grateful that his hands were tied in front of him, and not behind. By slow, painful short bursts of movements, he stood up.
Stars swam before his eyes as he swayed on his feet, balance was difficult to find due to his bound wrists and ankles. He could already feel the hot dry draft of the dragon's breath against the back of his neck. He looked out across the empty clearing, at the trees just turning golden in the early autumn, and tried to draw some peace from the beauty of his surroundings. With a shaky breath, he shuffled around. He got an impression of leathery wings and inky blackness and—
He blinked.
"I thought you'd be bigger." Horror crept over him as he heard the words leave his mouth.
The dragon's head reared back and its eyes flared silver, tail lashing back and forth like an angry cat's. Not only was he going to die, he was going to die horribly.
He squeezed his eyes shut as he heard the dragon approach. Then came a loud inhale which ruffled Nick's hair. Oh no, it's smelling me. Please don't let me smell tasty. His knees felt like water trembling beneath him. The dragon sniffed at him a few more times, then something cold and pointed slid between his wrists and sliced right through the ropes that bound them. The same thing happened to the ropes around his ankles. He gasped as blood rushed back to his hands and feet, bringing with it a flood of stabbing, jabbing prickles.
He waited for something to happen. Nothing did.
Nick opened his eyes. The dragon was sitting on its haunches, head cocked like a very large and curious bird. It studied him with beautiful cyan eyes that held a disturbing intelligence.
Now that Nick could get a better look, he realized the dragon wasn't small at all. It was about double his height, and had an hourglass-shaped build built for speed and corded with thick ropes of muscle for power. The jet-black of it's scales reflected the sunlight and it's crest looked like a halo of flame; black at the base, gradually shifting to scarlet red at the tips. The claws on it's feet were long and narrow and it looked like it could slice it's opponent to shreds.
He'd heard many stories about dragons when he was growing up, on long winter nights when folk gathered around the tavern fireplace to share warmth and each other's company. The stories all told of the dragons' strength and aggression, of the destruction they left in their wake. Yet the dragon in front of him didn't seem all that aggressive or destructive.
<Are you my tribute?>
Nick looked around wildly. He'd heard a voice, but the dragon hadn't opened it's mouth. The wide clearing in front of the cave was empty, and Ruiz and Gomez should be halfway back to the village by now.
<You're very small...> the voice continued doubtfully.
He turned back to stare at the dragon. It was definitely the dragon speaking, its head now canted forward in an attitude of polite inquiry. Somehow it, no, she—that voice was very feminine—was putting words right into Nick's head. He'd never heard anything as clear as that voice before. It was smooth, with a hint of gravel, and it made all other sounds seem soft and muzzy in comparison.
Then the dragon's words registered—the slight emphasis on the word 'small'.
His fists balled up at his sides.
"I'm not that small," he shot back. He regretted the words even as they left his mouth.
<Do you want me to eat you?>
"No, but—" He broke off his instinctive response. All his life, he'd believed in doing what was right... he was not about to stop now. Wincing at the prickling pain in his feet, he straightened up to his full height.
"Yes. If it means you'll leave this place."
<You do look very filling.> The tip of the dragon's tail twitched.
<I don't suppose you're an athlete?> she asked, sounding hopeful.
<I've heard they taste better.>
He gritted his teeth and refused to answer. He stared at the dragon. The dragon stared back. Then the dragon got up, turned around, and went back into her cave.
Nick gaped as the long, snakelike tail slithered out of sight. Was he not good enough to eat? He was an athlete, damn it. He had a sudden impulse to chase after the dragon to inform her of that very fact. He shook his head. Being tossed around in the back of Ruiz's van must have turned his brain to mush.
He was free, he realized. If the dragon didn't want him, he could return to the village. He thought about it, thought of walking away and returning to his small house in the woods.
But if he wasn't accepted as tribute, the village would pay the price. The stories were all clear on that. So either Ruiz would find someone else, or the dragon would start hunting livestock, or worse, people. Everyone else had families, people who depended on them, people who would miss them. Everyone except him.
The dragon didn't seem unreasonable. Perhaps she could be bargained with? In what had to be the stupidest decision he'd ever made in a lifetime of making stupid decisions, he resolved to follow the dragon into her lair.
The cave mouth yawned, dark and forbidding before him. He stared at it, willing himself to take the first step.
<Well? Come on, tribute,> the dragon said.
He was so stupid, he thought, as he hobbled into the cave mouth. So, so stupid.