Ꮖɦɛ ɢʀɨʍʍ ʀɛʋօʟʊᏆɨօռ

Ͼ6: HФΛЯÐS ΛЯΞ ŦФЯ ÐЯΛGФЛS

Laurence's POV:

Ertis, my sweet red dragon, purred to me as he laid in my treasure hoard that he loved to play in. He sat up as he saw me and stretched his old wings before he walked up then nuzzled his head against my chest. "Laurence," he purred to me then pulled back to look me in the eyes happily. "You haven't grown an inch since the day I came in here." He laid down in front of me and fluttered his wings a little. "Do you want a ride before I get too old to take you in the sky?" He laughed a little before his purr rumbled in his chest. "It won't be too much longer I think. I'm as old as time...." I glanced him over before reaching out and rubbed his head.

"I just came down to tell you I'll be having guests in the castle again. So if they come, I'd like them to meet you. They don't have dragons I would imagine," I explained to him before kneeling down in front of him and wrapped my arms around his head. I held him tightly there before letting his head go. "You are old," I purred to him and rested my head on his head. "I think you have a few more centuries left in you," I said confidently. He laughed then as he looked up at me then nudged me before he purred and let his head rest in the gold.

"I would imagine they don't have dragons. Not many of us get friendly with humans or vampires or whoever was in the castle first. It takes a special soul to be able to live with a dragon and not be eaten." He sighed and breathed smoke my way a little before he pulled back and coughed. "I don't know about a few centuries, Laurence. Sometimes I feel like my fire is going to eat me up inside." He leaned down and nuzzled his throat against the cold gold coins.

"You're a very old dragon," I told him. "Just imagine my age," I whispered and watched him. "I'm going to out live you for more than you can imagine." I rested my hand on his head before I glanced over my shoulder at the servants waiting outside the hoard doors. "I told the servants to bring you some fish," I told him and nodded at them. They walked it- fifteen in all with large baskets of fish from the town markets. I always fed him right. He looked towards the fish with interest and purred, waiting calmly for it as he watched the servants setting the baskets down before he sat up on his hind legs and picked a basket up carefully and started to eat out of it, licking the fish out. He had the baskets finished off in a matter of seconds before he looked down towards me and leaned down, licking my cheek then laid back down.

"I'm grateful for the fish," he told me and then nuzzled his head against the gold as he watched me. "Laurence, when I get too old-" I heard a roar then from the front doors, shaking the entire castle. I could hear a few of my servants screaming in terror. Ertis sat up quickly and looked at the door in alarm then quickly nudged me with his front paw under his chest where I could easily hide and stand as he kept a paw in front of me to hide me. I could hear him growling in anger as he stared at the door, tensing up.

"A dragon?" I asked softly. "Dragons stopped trying to break in here years ago," I muttered. This castle has been dragon free for a very long time- dragon intruders that is. Ertis has kept dragons away for a long time thanks to his well known strength- plus I have visions to help prevent these attacks- but I didn't see this one happening today. It was a last minute plan. "Ertis," I whispered in worry. He's not even feeling good today with the way he was talking about his age. I placed my hand up on his chest to comfort him in case he was freaking out about one being today. I felt him purr at my touch and relax slightly before he stood up all the way. He was about to go to the door when it was thrown off it's hinges and Ertis was tackled from above me down into the gold beside me. A younger black dragon had him by his throat and was slamming him down into the gold as his claws tore at Ertis's chest, tearing his scales off to get at his more fragile skin. Ertis let out a roar of pain before he thrashed in the black dragon's jaws and clawed with his hind legs at the dragon's side, trying to get free.