Im not certain how or why, but I am slowly becoming aware of my surroundings. Something must have awoken me from my seasonal hibernation; what, remained to be seen. Literally. Opening one eye briefly, I surveyed my horde. At first glance it seemed in order. It had better be. Naturally, I would have woken up if any part of it was disturbed.
Closing my lazy eye again, I strain my hearing. It is windy outside, the rush of wind through the leaves on my mountain lull me back into a peaceful slumber. There are chirping sounds which mean I have slept longer than planned. I had only intended to sleep for a month or two, certainly not through both autumn and winter.
But then, I was bored. I have been bored for a very long time. Nothing excites me anymore. Not like in my youth. The first 75 years of a dragons life if filled with excitement; racing others to establish superiority; fighting to determine dominance and of course, war. War with the humans excited me even more than being the fastest and strongest dragon in the world.
My fire is the strongest and hottest in living memory. Considering how long most dragons live, living memory tends to be quite lengthy and some even begin to forgetbut not me.
I
REMEMBER
EVERYTHING.
I remember how tedious the wars became. Humans kept inventing more ingenious ways to fight against us, just to see our dragon fire melt it down again. Its really quite unfair – from their perspective, at least.
I need to eat.
In hibernation, Dragons can survive for years without food. But once awake, our metabolism catches up and we have a constant, gnawing need to eat. The rumbling of my hunger is loud enough to displace sections of my treasure.
As I stretch my limbs, an involuntary huff of smoke escapes from my left nostril. My fire is still strong, but will need fuelling soon. My tail swishes, dislodging more of my hoarded treasure. Maybe after feeding and quenching my thirst, I can count it again.
My gold.
My silver.
My trinkets tokens.
My most valued collection of riches.
Yes, I should count it...mine.
