dragon!charlie
“You’re my bride now,” he chirps. The dragon wraps his tail around Thandi’s legs, nosing her hands. “So, you have my protection. You can go anywhere! Do anything! No one will ever harm you.”
Thandi blinks at the creature staring her down, a beast that defies her concepts of size by a vast amount. She reaches out to pat the nose of this thing.
“Okay, but um. I wasn’t exactly expecting this to happen? Are you sure you’re fine with me?”
“Well yes, just look at you. Wonderful form.” His tongue darts out and tickles the hollow of her throat. “And you smell wonderful. Like an honest, hard worker. I want to spoil you.”
“Um. I’m sure that’s all well and good, but really, I’m sure you can do better—”
“Oh? You would rather compete? Very well! I’ll call all the greatest warriors in the reach of my call and you will see how you outrank each of them!”
Thandi watches him draw in a breath, chest swelling, scales glittering, and she sees through his skin faintly: light. Before he could shoot the flames, she rushes to his chest, tripping over his tail as she does.
The creature swallows his fire with a cough, snout smoking as he catches her with his face. “Oh?? Oh?? No longer wishing to compete, my dear?”
“Um!! They’re probably all busy, these people! Why don’t we have a trial period? To see how we do together?”
The dragon purrs and again, his huge tail comes up around her. “Certainly.”