#princesss | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hirokiro · 1 year

Text

Princesses, Dragons, and Elves, oh my! prt 1

(Just some more random writing. If you’re curious about more I’m likely posting in sections as there’s currently 17 pages and counting)

“Ah! Good morning to you!”

The dragon blinked at the traveler sitting outside his cave on an outcropping of rock, “Hello to you, too?” he returned the friendly greeting with some puzzlement.

“Lovely day!” The traveler hollered up at him since he was so large.

“I suppose it is. What are you doing outside my cave?”

“Well,” the traveler stood and dusted himself off a little, “I was waiting for you to come back. It seemed rude to just waltz in and make myself at home when we don’t know each other personally.”

The dragon noted the sword grip poking out from under the man’s cloak. Long sword was his keen guess “And did you have some business here?”

“Well, it’s not my business so much as the king’s I guess.” he replied with a shrug, “See, he would rather like his daughter back. I figured since I’m probably the only person in the area experienced with tracking dragons, that I’d get here first and ask politely for you to return her. Save a lot of people the trouble of miserable failure and maybe death.”

The dragon narrowed his eyes, “How thoughtful of you,” he replied with sarcasm in his tone, “However you’re wasting your time. I’m not returning her.”

“How come? What use have you for her?”

“None of your business.” The dragon replied haughtily.

“Well then!” The traveler replied brightly, “I can only assume it is nefarious, and I guess the trouble of miserable failure starts with me. Shall we find a good spot and start the battle? Or do you need a minute since you just got back?”

A puzzled silence was the only response the traveler got for a few seconds.

“Why all this politeness and consideration? I’m your enemy,” the dragon pointed out.

“You don’t have to be, but safe to say, I’m not you enemy.” The traveler smiled from under his hood, “I’d rather discuss the matter amicably and come to an agreement, or at least understanding. I don’t like fighting if there’s a better way to handle a situation.”

“I’m not interested in hearing arguments as to why I should return the princess.”

“Would you consider an exchange?”

“No I would n-what?” The dragon had started entering his home before sparing the traveler another glance, “Exchange for what?”

The traveler pulled his hood off to scratch his head. He had mussy red hair of an orange hue and a freckled face. The elf ears did not escape the dragon’s attention. They weren’t small enough to hide.

“Oh, I dunno,” the elf replied, “If you can’t name something you’d want in return, how about me? You still have a human, or I guess a person, and that poor girl is no longer terrified out of her wits and can go be home with her family. I got no family so no one would really miss me. No one’s going to decree if they save me they get my hand in marriage. Oh!”

He slammed a fist into his palm, “And if someone else did come to fight you for her and beat you somehow, then she doesn’t end up in a marriage she didn’t ask for!”

Despite himself the dragon chuckled. It rumbled through him and sent tremors through the ground, causing the elf to start in surprise and brace himself a little.

“So it's one of those situations. You have this all very well thought out.” he commented.

The elf colored a little and scratched his cheek, “Well, no. Not really or I’d have a more educated guess what could make you give the princess back. I just think that people who think promising marriage for someone else without their knowledge is a garbage thing to do. Imagine thinking you get to go home and return to your nice comfy bed only now you’re sharing it with some guy you only just met,” His tone warmed in annoyance as he frowned. “You don’t know anything about him and you’re supposed to be so grateful as to be perfectly fine with it. No courting, no getting to know if the guy’s even worth his salt…”

He paused, and turned a little more red, “Sorry, I’m rambling.”

The dragon chuckled again, “Suffice to say, you don’t like arranged marriages.”

“I’ve had an issue once or twice before,” the elf replied with embarrassment, losing eye contact as he rubbed the back of his head “One being exactly saving another princess. I didn’t even know there was that stipulation. A gold reward or given land or a title seemed more logical for the trouble. Not that I have any use for those except money for my basic needs. I like traveling too much to manage land or anything and I like anonymity.

"But enough about me!" He went on brightly, "What about you? What do you like?"

All the dragon could think was that this must either be the most fearless man he had ever met, or some kind of nutcase. Or both.

"I like you." He replied after a moment, eliciting a surprised expression from the elf, "You're different. I don't know what your goal is here. Nefarious or otherwise. For all I know there's more of you getting into position while you distract me."

He was pleased to see the appalled expression as the elf sputtered.

"But you've got guts little elf. And I admire that. Unconventional way to slay a dragon."

The elf chuckled, "Oh I'm hardly good enough with words to slay anybody." He joked, "But in all seriousness I'm glad you like me. But I suppose..." he paused with a thoughtful expression.

"Yes?" The dragon prompted, curious as to what the elf would say next.

"Well," the elf frowned, "As much as I enjoy conversation, and I'm enjoying this one," he assured, "Don't get me wrong. But I think somewhere the point of all this got off track."

The dragon gave a thoughtful huff, "Sadly this is true. You were asking what I'd take in return for the princess?"

"That's right!" The elf confirmed with an energetic nod.

The dragon lifted one great clawed paw and scratched the side of his head, "Well. Were you serious about taking her place?"

He smiled, "I'm always serious about helping other people."

"What about taking care of yourself?" The dragon queried, continuously amused.

"Oh, I'm terrible at that. I'm not a me, me, I, I kind of person." The elf replicated lightly, "I'm very foolishly prepared to throw my life away for people if I think it necessary. Very unhealthy lifestyle, I'm told."

The dragon could only shake his head at these words. Foolish indeed if the lad was serious.

He lowered his head a little, eyeing the elf, who gazed steadily back. Few dared look a dragon in the eye. Next he inhaled deeply, focusing on the scent. He sensed some fear. The man hid it well. But was it fear for himself or fear for the captive? The elf kept a dangerously relaxed stance for such a situation as this.

“You talk big, but can you prove it?” He challenged.

The elf blinked and tilted his head, “I won’t know until I try.” He replied glibly with a bit of a smirk, “How shall I prove I’m willing to swap? Or I guess if you’ve got some other idea I might be willing to go along with. I’m pretty set on her going home one way or another.”

The smile between them was pleasant enough until the dragon’s turned mean.

“Take your sword off.” He commanded.

The elf blinked and there was uncertainty for the first time as he mulled that over, a hand going protectively to the handle.

“Well… that’s hardly fair, don’t you think?” he asked a little defensively.

“I’m not here to be fair,” the dragon replied with a nasty grin, “I want proof you’ve got nothing sly planned. No tricks. That you’re willing to put your life in my claws, for the princess. Then I’ll decide where we go from there.”

He leaned in a little and the elf stepped back a pace, clearly torn on the matter.

“I hate this.” the elf mumbled, “I don’t have any insurance you’re not just planning to have two meals for the price of one,” he replied, eyes narrowed, “I’ve already taken enough risk not drawing my blade as it stands.”

“I noticed,” the dragon replied, “The relaxed stance I’m not buying however. You could be quick enough even if caught flat-footed.”

“Pfft!” The elf scoffed with a slight bow, “You give me too much credit.”

He remained tense, hand still gripping the sword before he relaxed again and dropped the hand to his side.

“She is still alive?” he asked worriedly, still a little tense in his shoulders.

The dragon grinned his same nasty grin, “What do you think?”

The elf shuddered a little, “I’ve been thinking I’m too late for something like a week now due to various stressful delays. Just give me a straight answer for my sanity’s sake even if you’re lying.”

Adorable.

“She’s very much alive for the time being. Well?”

There was a thoughtful pause as the elf determined what to do.

“That’s all I need, I guess.” He replied, shoulders sagging. He took his cloak off first, revealing a little light leather armor, but it looked badly in need of repair. Clothing was a little on the patchy side and looked more akin to a peasant than any kind of adventurer or knight.

Rolling up the cloak the elf put is aside as he knelt. Next he pulled off a pack and laid it next to the cloak, glancing at the dragon before lowering his head to look to the buckle to the straps holding his sword on his back.

As he started working the buckle the dragon took the moment of distraction as an opportunity.

The elf heard the tail coming in time enough to look up and uttered a surprised, “Om!” before he was slammed in the side and knocked to the ground.

The dragon wrapped his versatile tail around the blade’s handle and removed it before next catching the unconscious elf up in it.

He held the limp form up closer to his eyes.

“Two for the price of one. The fly invites himself over to the spider’s?” he mused before turning back into his cave, elf in tow.

#Fantasy #dragons #adventure #adventurer #princesss #knight #elf #dragon #rescue

0 notes