What If

Chapter 2

His human form was like looking into a gender bending mirror. He had facial features exactly like her own, but instead of freckles on his face, he bore small reddish scales. His hair was short and curly and raven black like hers, with only tints of red. His eyes were not the same as hers, for they were not just one colour. The dragon's eyes were reddish orange, with splatters of blue and gold. He was now only six feet tall.

"Why have you come here, Dragon, and what do you want with my Mountain?" Aislin all but yelled at the beast that took over her home. When he did not answer, she walked toward her "twin," staring him down, but he was no longer looking at her. "Dear dragon, what do you call yourself, so that I may have a name for you that is not so insulting."

Aislin watched him carefully as she waited for an answer. It was then that she noticed something very interesting, a star-shaped scar on the dragon's left side just underneath the ribs. It almost looked as if it were from a Black Arrow, which were legends and stories told to children. Black Arrows were said to be the only thing that could pierce through a dragon's scales and kill it. There is a tale of a dragon that had gotten struck by one but it had not killed it. The dragon's name was........Smaug. 'Could it be? Is this the great legend standing before me? It cannot be, can it?' Aislin thought panickedly.

"You wish to know about me when I know nothing of you. How is that fair, hmm?" the firedrake answered, causing Aislin's gaze to snap up to his. She was quite startled by the fury in his beautiful eyes that seemed to pierce her very soul and she could feel a blush creep across her face.

"I apologise, I was merely curious, dear dragon, I meant no offense. I am Lady Aislin, Queen under the Mountain." she told him, bowing her head as if she were addressing a king. When she looked into his eyes, the fury had been replaced with a mixture of surprise and adoration. He then returned her gesture and stepped closer with such inhuman speed. Aislin could barely comprehend what was happening as he grabbed her hand. "I am Smaug. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my Lady." he said as he kissed her hand, like a gentleman.

'What is with this guy?!?' Aislin thought as she pulled her hand back. "You must leave this mountain immediately, Smaug, for if you do not, you will surely regret it." she stated, placing a hand on the hilt of her double-bladed sword. "I do not wish to use this sword, but I will if I must. Please, do not make me force you to leave, Smaug, that is all I ask."

When she said this, Smaug had looked away, saddened by what she was telling him. He had believed he could befriend her and she would not need to get hurt, but how wrong he had been. Suddenly, Smaug heard Aislin unsheath the double-blade. Looking up, he saw that the young queen was not giving up her mountain so easily. After a few moments, she came at Smaug and with a sweep of his wings he had forced her backwards into a stone wall, which she hit with a thud. But the queen would not give up, she got up swiftly and rushed him again. This time, she had anticipated his movements, ducked below the forceful hurricane of the dragon's wings and struck true. The dragon fell to the ground, pulling out the blade as he did, and with his final breath, he told her something that she had only ever heard once before. "Ignis aurum probat, vero heu! Aurum semper triumphat! Ave atque vale, Domina Aislin." And with that, the dragon was no more.

Or so she thought.

So, rough tranlastion of what Smaug said to her is "Fire tries gold, but alas! Gold always triumphs! Hail and Farewell, Lady Aislin."