The Dragon's Stone

For thousands of years, he had been considered the most terrifying creature in this godforsaken world. He was feared by all and made sure they knew why to fear him. He could control them all with a single glare, send women and children running in fear and men quaking in their boots. He was a Dragon. Unkillable, unmatched, the very poison that polluted the skies. He filled the air with the stench of burning flesh and death. A true monster, covered in scales and blood, death with wings. His name was the bane of their existence... Until that day. Until that woman. Until she cut him down, drowned him in love and sorrow. Brought him into her life only to throw him out, spit on him, and caged him on the ground. Bane was the most feared creature in existence and even now, he was the most feared human. So then why, pray tell, was this child able to stand before him without an ounce of fear?

"What is it now, Faye?" Bane's large frame filled the doorway to his cottage. His arms were crossed in front of his chest in a vain attempt to intimidate the Dryad.

Faye pushed her untameable green curls out of her dark brown eyes with one hand while balancing a basket of berries in the other. "I brought you some treats!"

He almost found it funny. This small child brought a basket of treats to a Dragon, smiling so innocently at him. Like he wasn't the most terrifying thing she'd ever seen. This must have been a punishment from the heavens. She came nearly every day, to talk, to bring him gifts, to simply be near him. It annoyed him and touched him. She knew what he was, Faye wasn't that naive. Bane tried to drive her away but every time, he would open his door for her and they would talk for hours. He wanted to shove her away and tell her to go back to her happy life in the forest. Why then was he stepping to the side and motioning her in?

"Opening the door half-naked isn't going to scare anyone away, Bane. Everyone has scars these days and they aren't always there because you did something brave." Her voice got quiet towards the end as she glanced back and saw the dark expression on his face. "That's better. The glare helps."

The cheeky smirk on her face left Bane shaking his head and slamming the door shut. Nothing he did seemed to scare her.

"How did you get all those scars anyways?" She said, shouting from the other room.

"Humans attacked me." Bane wasn't sure why he said that and he hoped she hadn't heard. Her head poked out from around the corner and his heart hurt as he took in her expression. He didn't know why she looked so sad right there. Faye stepped into the room and moved toward him slowly.

"Why?" She asked softly.

The gentle tone of voice scared him. "I'm a Dragon, why wouldn't they?" His voice was too gruff. He cursed the heavens. The past was the past and yet it still stung to remember. It hurt him to think about the woman who left him in this cursed form.

"That's not it. There's more to it." She reached out to touch his face. He let her. The gentle touch of another, something in his soul cried out in joy. It had been so long since-

He pulled away, walking past her. "What does it matter, Faye? The humans did this to me, justly so. I killed them by the thousands. I'm their devil, their nightmares, their innocence lost, their death! They receive no pity from me and I expect none from them. I took the lives of their loved ones and they stole my stone. It's karma at its best."

She didn't respond. Had he finally driven her away? Would this be enough to chase her out of his life? He glanced back. There was no fear, there never was. She was simply deep in thought. Bane could hear her mumbling something under her breath. He stepped closer in hopes of hearing what this Dryad was thinking.

Faye snapped her fingers and bounced over to him excitedly. "You're talking about the Dragon's Stone, aren't you?"

"What?"