I am intrigued by my unexpected visitor. The faint smell of fear is overpowered by the smell of molten gold and silver. How could he possibly know that the one smell would overpower the other? Maybe I should talk to him? Find out how he knew? Hmmm, I have not had a conversation with anyone in decades. Mostly because anyone stupid enough to stray into my home is normally part of the wall art by now.
What shall I say though? How does one start a conversation with your enemy? In the history of catching intruders, I have always flamed first and never bothered to ask pointless and one-sided questions afterwards. This will be a first for me. Well, here goes..
"HELLO THERE!"
I can hear my voice echoing in the adjoining caverns. Maybe I should whisper? Ive never considered how booming my voice was. I suppose it could be intimidating to lesser beings? Maybe Ive scared him?
"Hello?"
Still nothing. Am I wrong? Did I kill him? I don't smell charred meat? I may have slept for a long time, but surely I have not, after all these years, lost my touch? I'm still young. Definitely not old enough to start losing my abilities or control? No, I must try again. He's surely still recovering from his near-death experiences this day.
"You can come out now. I won't kill you."
YET.
First questions then...dinner. Yes. If I can control my excitement, I'll roast rather than incinerate him. I'm sure he'll make a lovely hors d'oeuvre. First, I must satisfy my curiosity, then, my hunger. Hmmm food, this gnawing hunger may get the better of me if this thief does not start co-operating soon.
There, the sweet smell of meat mixed with a heady blend of fear and adrenaline..and something else. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but there is a faint trace of something else. Something I cannot quite place. Not wholly unfamiliar, but...
"I am here."
The voice that finally responds is faint, and not all that masculine. Maybe he is young and trying to impress a potential mate? Not a wise move, if I may say so myself. There is brave and then there is stupid. This move, falls in the category of stupid. Who would want a mate who is partially maimed or scorched? Surely the human race has not become so desperate to reproduce that it would even mate with the the damaged, or the stupid?
"Come out then, I will not harm you."
YET.
I can see two hands, arms raised in the air, appearing from behind a shield of re-shaped gold and silver. How did this human manage to form a shield from the molten trinkets without burning with it? Sorcery? Surely the time of sorcerers has not come again? I know I did not sleep that long. It takes centuries for the human race to repeat itself. I was never alive to see a sorcerer. But the history of my race is filled with tales of heroes with lances on horseback and sorcerers conjuring spells. It would be a spell of bad luck if I was to cross paths with a sorcerer right now.
Maybe I should reconsider this choice and just prepare my pre-meal snack now?
