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[Euneria By Charles Larch]

The Dragon Egg

“Gibbers, I need some numbleweed in the worst way.” Pips squatted in the mucky water lapping against the sides of his feet and planted his fingers in the mud. Squishing gunk with his palms always helped to calm him, and sludge made the most perfect kind of gunk. He pancaked a handful on the tops of his knurly feet, leaving his oversized toes poking out.

“That looks just like a family of knobbleheads all bedded down and snuggle-y under their covers. What ya think, Gibbers?”

Gibbers stopped searching long enough to glance at Pips and his feet. Hunched over the way he was, Pips looked like a giant avocado, if an avocado had immense bat bear ears, stumpy legs, hands like pans, a nose longer than its feet, and well, then there were the large feet themselves. His arms were unusually long; Pips could touch his knees without even bending, a feat he often demonstrated whenever his crusty knees itched. He was bumpy all over, even in places Gibbers thought you shouldn't be bumpy, and his skin was a dark olive color, mottled with brown and black spots of all shapes and sizes.

A badly bruised avocado, Gibbers decided.

Gibbers didn't respond, and Pips looked up at him through dull, glazed eyes. When he saw that Gibbers was paying attention to him for once, Pips displayed his choppers in a sadly attempted grin.

Now he looks like a dangerous avocado, Gibbers thought.

Pips' mouth was not meant for grinning. His teeth were like bramble thorns crowded between his slimy lips. No matter how he opened his wide mouth, he looked as if he was going to scarf you for dinner. If he didn't inhale you first. His nostrils were bigger than his eyeballs, and his eyeballs looked like two very large, yellow walnuts had been glued to his head.

Gibbers did not return Pips' grin.

“Yes, just like knobbleheads, Pips. Can you help me search instead of playing in the muds? The suns are going down soon. Moons won't be showing tonight. It will be blacker than the inside of your belly button out here. Night creatures will be waking. I would rather not be dinners for some beastie.”

Pips stuck his thick finger in his belly button, tilted his head to one side, his eyebrows scrunching low over his pop-eyes and his lips pursed in a look of thoughtful confusion. He had never thought about how dark it was inside there. He wished his finger had eyeballs. There was no way he could get his head in there to see the blackness. He pulled his finger out and popped it in his mouth.

“Which direction is the nest, Pips?” Gibbers cringed and looked away as Pips sucked on his finger like it was a juicy drumstick.

“Thap wayb,” Pips gabbled, his finger-pop still in his mouth. He pointed with his other stubby finger in a westerly direction across the mud flats toward a grove of knotty trees that grew at the edge. It was the perfect spot for a black dragon lair entrance.

Gibbers checked the skies. Not a giant winged acid breathing beast in sight. Still, he longed for the cover of the temperate forest where he lived. Here, in is this place, he felt too exposed. Even scrub brush would be enough to hide his two-foot frame, but there was no such cover in this coastal wetland.

“You are sure you saw it fall into the sea?” Gibbers yanked Pips finger out of his mouth.

“Ouches. You made me cut my tongue with my fingers nail.”

Pips stood at last, wiping his hands on his drab leather clothing. He towered a good foot over Gibbers, and the splintered handle of a morning star dangled from his waist. The last creature he pounded on caused the haft to shatter, sending the head flying through the air, never to be seen again.

Gibbers growled at him. He would not be intimidated by a stupid goblin who refused to part with his useless stick of a weapon. Besides, he had what Pips wanted: numbleweed, hard to find and delicious. He could probably take it from Gibbers if he wanted; he was bigger and just as fast. But Gibbers out-armed him, and Pips was a coward without his goblin companions.

“Yes. The big black dragon fell into the sea after fighting with the other big black dragon. Then, the other big black dragon went away. Now, give me some numbleweed like you promised, Gibbers.”

“When I have an egg.”

He, Gibbers, was about to become the only kobold in his tribe with a dragon. He rubbed his horny head with one scaly nut-brown hand and glanced at the crude shortspear in his other hand. It was well worn and not as sharp as he would have liked, but it was the only protection he had other than the short curved dagger that hung in a leather sheath from his belt and the small leather sling he kept tucked in one pocket. He was adept with each, but they were useless against a dragon. He might as well stand and shout insults for all the good they would do. His kind were not known for their bravado, and he weighed his chances carefully. If he was going in after an egg, he wanted to be sure he was coming back out with all of his limbs.

“Come on, Pips.” Gibbers trotted across the mud flats in the direction of the tree grove, nimbly hopping over patchy clumps of short marsh grass on his delicate clawed toes. Behind him he could hear Pips sploshing like a floundering fish with his wide flat feet. Gibbers hunched his spiny shoulders and lowered his head. If there were anything lurking in the sky above, he wanted Pips to be the choice target.

They found the lair opening easily, but Gibbers paused before entering. He listened with both of his tiny ear holes and strained his beady red eyes searching the black interior. In the complete absence of illumination, his dark-seeing never failed him, but his light sensitive eyes were still trying to filter the tawny glow of the setting suns. Nervously, he played with the spiked ball on the end of his long thin tail.

“Go inside, Pips. I'll be right behind you.” Gibbers thought of making Pips go in alone, but he might keep the egg for himself. You can't trust a goblin. Gibbers would sooner eat him than rely on him, and it would not be the first time he had eaten a sentient being. He had to admit, bigger brains do not make one any less tasty.

“Give me some numbleweed first, Gibbers.”

“No.”

“I am not goin' in.” Pips crossed his arms, a sure sign he was not budging.

“What if I give you the whole pouch when I have an egg in my hands?”

“I am goin' in.” As Pips entered the cave, Gibbers grabbed the goblin by the leather belt that bound his waist and followed.

By dragon lair standards, the cave was not large; most black dragons prefer vast caverns with winding maze-like tunnels connected to smaller nooks. The female must have been very immature to have chosen such a home. Consequently, the nest was not far inside the entrance. There for the taking were all the pearly gray dragon eggs he could wish for and no dragon in sight. Gibbers drooled at his incredible discovery.

But on closer inspection, he found that each egg had been cracked open at one end and sucked dry. His anger grew as he tossed hollow shells out of the nest one by one.

“They are all empty.” He growled and bared his reptilian teeth at Pips. Lapsing into the language of dragons that all kobolds spoke, he yapped at Pips like a toy terrier, the small four-legged creature humans kept to annoy other humans. Pips ignored him and continued his search.

“Here's a good one.” Pips pulled something from under a mound of shells at the other end of the cave. Gibbers leaped over the nest and grabbed the precious egg away from Pips.

“Give me numbleweed, Gibbers.”

“Fine.” He laid the egg gently on the floor of the cave and turned his back to Pips, pulling the pouch out of his waistband. Before he handed it to Pips, he emptied most of the numbleweed into the red pocket on his ragged leather shirt.

“Here.” Gibbers turned to face Pips. To his horror, the goblin was squatting on the dirt floor sucking the insides out of Gibbers precious black dragon egg.

“This one is as tasties as all the others were, Gibbers.” Pips grinned up at him.

[Euneria By Charles Larch]

Baubles and Revenge

The tiny dragon flitted and swirled in tight circles, chasing her own tail mid-flight, sometimes ascending, sometimes diving in a mindless dance of happiness amidst the temperate forest she called home. Soon, she tired and landed on a coniferous branch, nipping at the needles with her sharp teeth and brushing her fine mahogany scales against the natural comb formed by the spiny leaves, purrs of satisfaction rumbling beneath her hide.

Momentarily, she caught her sharp horns in the foliage and wrestled the branch to free herself. She hissed at the inanimate foe, certain it knowingly had entangled her. Intending to slap her adversary with her claw, she suddenly and instinctively froze mid-strike.

Closing her eyes, her other-sense kicked in. Forest sounds sorted themselves to her ears. Sniffing the wind, the stealthy creature snuffled and tasted aromas as if every scent had been extracted and bottled distinctly. Each movement among the vegetation was a vibration meekly tapping against her body. Opening her eyes again, she searched for shifting of the foliage below until she spotted what she was looking for.

A humanoid creature slinked through the forest beneath the branch where the miniature dragon perched. Using dark-seeing, she focused on the intruder, taking in the details of its form. Scaly skin. Long hairless tail, spiked at the end. Horned ridges on its head and beneath its long snout. Eyes glowed in the darkness like plump evil cherries.

A kobold. She hissed in its direction, unpleasant memories sour in her mouth.

She had encountered many of these upright walking creatures in her young life. Sadistic and cowardly they were. Tipping her head to one side, she made a decision. She would have some fun with this one.

Miu reached out with her mind and connected with the lizard-like creature below. Its thoughts were like puzzle pieces, to be captured and wrangled into a meaningful order.

Seething hatred. Something about an egg. Great hunger. It had not eaten yet today. The hunt had been unlucky. Perhaps it had been searching for eggs to consume. It would likely see Miu as food. She would have to take great care. Her beautiful legs would seem as succulent meat bits to its eyes.

She stretched a delicate limb out to admire it, knocking a seed cone from the tree as she did. It tumbled through the air and hit the kobold squarely on top of his head.

Miu froze and willed her scales to mimic the colors of the branch where she rested. Perhaps the scaly rust-colored beast below would not see her, camouflaged as she was.

“I sees you.”

Drats, she thought to herself.

To the other below, You speak the words of humans? Is that not unusual for stupid creatures such as yourself?

“I am not stupid,” the kobold yapped angrily. He calmed himself. “You are unusually small for a dragon. Or are you just a winged lizard?”

“Sssssss.” I am no lizard. Would a lizard speak in your head this way?

“Then, let us talk in the language of dragons. It is tastier to my tongues.”

Silly kobold. I only speak in the language of the forest sprites or with the words of humans.

“Fine. Come down so I can get better looks at you. Prove you are not just a flying lizard.”

You would eat me for dinner. My drumsticks are juicy.

“Dinner? Don't you know that kobolds revere dragons? If you are dragonkin, I would lay before you all the shiny trinkets from my pockets, for I know that dragons love these.”

Miu purred. She did indeed love bright, sparkly objects.

Show me what you have, and I will show you I am dragonkin.

The kobold put his hands in his pockets and pulled out all sorts of  beads and baubles, coins and buttons.

Miu forgot herself in the dazzling array that was laid on the ground beneath her perch. She plunged to the ground and crawled close to the pile of delights, chirping her desire for them.

Before she was aware that something was amiss, a cage was thrown over her head pinning her beneath it. She hissed and growled at her new prison, biting at the woven twigs and trying to flap her wings in the small space.

Let me out!

The kobold ignored the tiny dragon's demand invading his brain. Excellent trap builder that he was, his one rule was never engage a victim once it was captured. Why would he? Any creature silly enough to be trapped didn't deserve a response to its empty-headed pleas.

He held the cage firmly against the ground using the end of his spear as he tried to reach the thatched bottom with his other hand. It was just out of range, and no matter how he stretched he couldn't grab it.

Miu gave up her silent verbal assault and watched the kobold, shaking her head at its obvious ineptness. She clamped her teeth on her prison bars. She would chew her way out while the stupid humanoid bumbled about.

Overstretching his reach, her captor's feet slipped out from under him, and he landed with a thud on his back, the spear flying out of his hand and flipping through the air. Seizing her chance, the dragonette leaned against one side of the cage, and when it tipped over, Miu scrambled from beneath, soaring straight up into the dense forest canopy, vocalizing her rage with hisses and throaty rumbles of anger.

The kobold sat up rubbing his head. He groaned when he saw that his quarry had fled. Stunned, he limply sat, disappointed at the failure of his effort.

Miu watched her deceiver for a bit and decided to chance revenge. The kobold was still sitting where he landed. She dived from her perch and grappled him about the forehead and cheeks with clawed feet. Winding her very long tail around the surprised humanoid's neck several times, she stung him with the barbed end. Then, she loosed him and fled back to the branches above.

The kobold did not have time to react to the new hat he briefly acquired. He felt a prick on the back of his neck and knew what it meant. His eyes rolled up in their sockets, and his thoughts disappeared in the darkness that confronted his vision. The unlucky creature went to an unconscious place where dark-seeing would not aid him. With a thud, he fell back on the thickly padded floor of the forest.

When she was sure he was knocked out, Miu swooped down once again and alighted on his chest, depositing a present which she then covered with dirt and dried bits from the decaying forest base. For good measure, she grabbed his snout between her teeth and shook her head vigorously. Then, she scooped up as many shiny baubles she could carry and fled to her nest.

Three hours passed before the kobold awoke from his forced sleep. His chest felt unusually heavy, and his nose stung as if it had recently been thrashed by a thorny bramble bush. He moaned as he brought his hand to his heart, but when he did, he made contact with a muddy substance.

Weird-some, he thought, his mind not yet clear of the slumber effect.

He was sure there hadn't been any mud in the clearing where he had wrestled with the miniature dragon. He opened his eyes, bringing his hand before his face. Some of the thick brownish substance fell from his fingers and dropped onto his snout near his mouth. He brought the hand closer and sniffed.

“Dragon poops!”

Gibbers sighed and closed his eyes.

[Orangebottle]

Ahahaha. Beststory.

[Euneria By Charles Larch]

Dinner and a Dragon

Petite leaf boats gyrated in a rainwater puddle, tossed to and fro by a mere breath of shifting air. Gibbers thought they looked like human water vessels when they were heaved about by forceful seas in a typical Eunerian spring storm. Once he had traveled far, to where the humans lived, and seen these boats for himself. But there were no dragons, and he was not interested in the tall beings that wore too many clothes. He was fond of their small four-legged pets, though. They sounded just like his people, kobold, except they spoke another language that Gibbers could not decipher. One had barked at him incessantly, and although his voice was pleasant to Gibbers' ears, he was even more pleasant in Gibbers' belly. He licked his lips, thinking about that meal; he hadn't eaten for nearly two passes of the suns.

The morning rain washed most of the dragon deposit from his face and clothes, but he still smelled like he'd been playing with an Ettin. He didn't really mind so much, except the forest sprites were attracted to the smell of dragonkin. They would be buzzing around him like flies on a corpse, and they were pranksters, the same as the tiny beast that had left the parting gift on his chest. He hated sprites as much as he hated gnomes, with their short chubby bodies and always smiling faces.

Rain puddles made fine washing basins, even if they were sometimes filled with worms and beetles and sediment and leaves. Gibbers squatted at the nearest pool and scooped handfuls of chilly water to his face, scrubbing vigorously. He did the same with his leather shirt, scouring hard enough to put a few more holes in it. Then, he sniffed it.

Better. No dragon poops smell.

Gibbers paused in the middle of a long sniff of his ragged shirt. The sounds of horses and wagons drifted into range of his hearing. He grabbed the javelin lying beside him and dived into the closest bush, easily hiding his small scaly body.

One horse carrying a human came from the direction suns go to sleep after a long game of tag across the skies. From the other direction came a wooden beast pulled by a horse and followed by another one. Gibbers knew this to be the creature that humans travel in. Sure enough, the wood beast stopped, and a tall, lean male was vomited from its belly. The human riding atop the beast leaped to the ground.

"Stay in the carriage, Emeline."

"Father, we have to go back for the little dragon. She's my friend." The kobold could hear sobbing inside the beast. Gibbers thought he would cry, too, if he had to travel this way, not knowing when or where he would be retched up next. A tiny human, barely taller than himself, appeared in the doorway.

It took a second to register, but suddenly, Gibbers stood straight up, as if someone had yanked him by an invisible string on the top of his head. Dragon? Little dragon?

'Father' strode to the front of the carriage along with the other human and conversed with the rider, who was still mounted. Gibbers took this opportunity to sneak behind the carriage to the other side, out of sight of the large humans. The opening was too high for him to jump and reach, so he opted for another method to get what he was seeking.

"Hsssst. Small human."

The top half of Emeline's head appeared in the opening. Seeing an upright-walking horny lizard that barked like a dog and had a tail like a rat startled her. Her green eyes were wide and round, and her head disappeared into the carriage.

"Hsssssst. Human Emelie, the dragon asked me to get you."

Emeline's entire head appeared in the opening this time.

"Emeline."

"No, I am Gibbers."

"No, I am Emeline"

"Of course you are, Emelie. The little dragon said to bring you."

"Emeline. Miu?"

"No, I am Gibbers," he snapped. Stupid little human.

"Did Miu send you?"

"Who is Miu?"

"My dragon friend is Miu."

"Of course she is, Emelie."

"Emeline!"

"Hsssst. Quiet, tiny human. I will take you to Moo. Can you climb out of this wood beast's belly?"

"Miu."

"No, my name is Gi ... get out here, stupid human." The goblin who ate his black dragon egg was looking abundantly intelligent to Gibbers now.

Her head disappeared again. He waited, strumming his clawed toes on the ground with impatience. What was the annoying human doing? What was taking so long?

"Emelie?"

"Emeline," she said, directly behind him.

Gibbers crashed face first into the carriage, hugging it like it was his new best friend. Behind him, Emeline giggled.

"That was not funny. Let's go."

Emeline tried to keep up, but Gibbers set the pace of an adult human.

"Wait. You're going too fast."

"Are all humans as slow as you?" He stopped to let her catch up. She was out of breath. Gibbers guided her to a small clearing far enough from the other humans that they wouldn't be found right away and told her to sit in the center.

"Wait there. When I am out of sight, call to the dragon, and she will come." Gibbers dashed to a nearby bush that would allow complete concealment of his small frame and pulled his sling out of one pocket. Scouring the ground for pebbles, he gathered a handful for ammo. He chuckled quietly. Soon, he would have his dragon and enjoy a delicious human dinner. He might even share meat bits of Emelie with Moo, if she didn't give him too much trouble.

"Miu!" Emeline called out and then grew quiet.

"Call out again, little human."

She hesitated, eyes growing wide, and she tilted her head to one side before calling out the dragon's name again.

"Miu!"

Rust-colored lightning flashed from the sky and touched down near Emeline's feet. Miu scrambled into the little girl's lap, wrapping her wings and tail about her. Gibbers took careful aim with his sling, raising his arm above his head and whirling it in circles, expertly. When he released the sling, the ammo hit its target with a resounding thud. Miu went limp in Emeline's arms.

With overabundant glee, Gibbers vaulted from his hide-y hole, spear at ready and sprinted to the pair in the center of the clearing.

"Miu, wake up!" The tiny dragon didn't respond. Emeline scowled. "Gibbers, that wasn't nice!"

Gibbers pulled the dragon from Emeline's arms and wrapped Miu's own long tail about her, pulling it snuggly. When he was finished he laid the unconscious dragonkin on the damp ground and turned to face the little girl.

She was trembling, her eyes wide and shining with tears yet to fall, as if she knew she was soon to be dinner, but was resigned to her fate. Gibbers was so hungry, he could no longer wait. He pointed his javelin at Emeline and bared his sharp lizard teeth at her.

"Miu." Emeline's voice shook, and the tears tumbled from her eyes at last as Gibbers looked down at her.

His belly made hunger noises.

[jetex1911]

PTW.

[Crustypeanut]

PTW.

Call me a noob, but what does PTW mean?

[Euneria By Charles Larch]

Professional Train Wrestler. I did not think anyone knew about my other job. 

PTW.

Call me a noob, but what does PTW mean?

[Euneria By Charles Larch]

Taking Home the Prize

The twin brothers of daytime, Eustar and Austar, poked their golden fingers through the thick forest canopy. They seemed to be searching for nocturnal creatures daring to venture out in the simulated night provided by the dense overhead vegetation. The kobold dining by firelight was one such creature.

Meaty juices dribbled from his jowls onto his clawed toes as he sat on his heels before the cooking fire, ripping roasted flesh from the bone of his recent kill. Behind him, a small cage rattled and the bound creature within it quietly sobbed in fear. Thumping her head against the bars of her prison, she made any noises she could, but she was unable to create more than ineffectual clatter against the cage with her head and feet. Her wings were lashed tightly against her own body, and her jailor had made sure to gag and sedate his captive else she would attract attention from other woodland inhabitants.

Gibbers sucked the last bit of flavor from the bone and cracked it over his thigh to expose the scarlet essence within. When he couldn't reach any more marrow with his tongue, he splintered the bone in half with the curved dagger he kept sheathed at his waist. He tossed the empty bones into the fire after slurping the last bit of nourishment his probing tongue could find.

Swiveling on his toes and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Gibbers turned his attention to the helpless being, who now lay still in her cell.

"Your friend was tasties." There was no reply from the cage. "I know you can hears me. Do not worry. Your fate will not be the same as hers. I have other plans for you."

Gibbers kicked the fire out with one foot, picked up his belongings and regarded the cage. Squatting down once again, he gazed upon the treasure residing within.

"Just wait until all of my tribesmen sees you. They said it could not be done. No trap could snare a creature such as you. But I have caught you, and I will show them that I have done what no other kobold could. What no other being could do. I will be revered among my tribe."

Standing tall and proud, Gibbers gripped the cage by the handle at the top and tugged, moving his prize a mere length of his toe.

"You are a hefty one. You do not look as fat as you weigh. Were you preparing for famine?" The only reply was a halfhearted wriggle of protest. "My mistake. Maybe you have more muscles than you used when you did not manage to escape from me."

The basket cage rattled with more energy this time.

"What did you say? You are hungry? Hungry for more valley root?" Gibbers pulled the pouch out of his waistband and shook a palm-full of the contents into his hand. "This will make you not so wiggly. So you cannot give me troubles."

Reaching through the bars, he rubbed flaky gray bits into the captive's nostrils. The wiggling ceased. He tugged on the cage again, moving it bit by bit over tufts of grass moist with morning dew. After several minutes of grunting and struggling, he looked behind him. In his effort, he had only moved the length of his arm.

"Why are you so big? I thought you would be tiny like bugs. I thought that is why you are so hard to catch." Gibbers kicked the cage in his frustration. "You are as big as me and weigh as much as a fat bison. Stupid pixie."

Before today, he had only ever seen pixies once before, though he had often heard about the pranks they played from his tribesmen. Four little balls of light bouncing in the air. Nowhere near the size of the two foot creature he was currently attempting to drag across the forest in a twig cage meant for much smaller prey. Gibbers rubbed the top of his horny snout with the palm of one hand and studied his captive.

She reminded him of an elf. Slender, but smaller. Comparatively, her ears were longer than an elf's, and between her shoulder blades, a set of long slender wings bloomed, sheer and delicate like transparent petals. The kobold wanted to rip them out. If not for pixie interference, there would be a tiny dragon in his possession instead. Once again he booted the enclosure.

Gibbers should have ignored the little balls of light. The kobold was about to make a meal of the little human when eight shining orbs appeared out of nowhere and buzzed his head. He was so angry, he chased them until they stumbled onto a trap he had prepared and forgotten long ago. The lights went out, and in their place, were this creature and her tasty friend, unconscious from the vast amount of tranquilizing herbs he had lined the trap with. By the time he remembered the dragon, she and the little girl were gone.

Still, he would not go home empty handed. Or empty bellied. He rubbed his full tummy, vacant for two passes of the suns until this meal.

A rustling of leaves in the canopy above his head diverted his attention. He squinted his eyes to get a better look, and a ball of mahogany dropped like lead from the branches, landing on his face. Four clawed legs emerged and grappled his head before he had time to dodge. His spear was yanked from his hand, and with both hands now empty, he tried unsuccessfully to pry the scaly beast from the front of his head.

Amidst the hissing and growling originating from the top of his head, Gibbers heard the sounds of his cage being dismantled. For an instant he panicked. But the tiny dragon blocking his vision and making it difficult to breathe was the prize he wanted most. To have an elusive pixie that no one had ever been able to capture would raise his status to revered warrior in the tribe. But a dragon. They were worshiped among his kind. Surely they would make him their leader.

Instead of trying to remove her from his face, Gibbers grabbed her tail to keep her from stinging him into unconsciousness again. With his other hand he rummaged in his waist band for the pouch of valley weed. He found the tranquilizing herb only to have it jerked from his grasp. Still, he held onto the dragon.

Miu sunk her teeth into the kobold's horny head. Gibbers screamed but it was muffled by her dragon belly and sounded like the whine of a rusty wagon wheel. He let go of her tail and reached up to pry her teeth out of his head, but in doing so he freed her to flee from his grasp. She released her grip on him and pushed away, tumbling the lizard-like humanoid backwards to the ground.

The miniature dragon landed near the little human female. Emeline stood near the open cage, the kobold's spear in one hand, his pouch of herbs in the other, and the unbound pixie lying on the ground next to her.

Gibbers scrambled to his feet, yapping angrily in the language of his kind, spittle escaping his mouth and taking flight in all directions. He stamped his feet and smacked himself on either side of the head.

If I were you, kobold, I would not linger. A band of pixies are on their way, and you ate Fitheal, their sister.

The frenzied dance of frustration stopped as Gibbers contemplated his chances. They didn't seem good, and he was not so brave.

"Give me my spear, human."

No. Miu repeated the answer to Emeline, and the little girl held the spear behind her back.

Gibbers turned on his heel and ran, barking over his shoulder.

"Stupid human! Stupid pixies! Stupid dragon!"

Beneath him the earth opened its mouth to swallow him, and when he stopped falling, he looked up at the tree tops peering at him in the hole like curious spectators, their leafy hands rustling with applause.

"Stupid traps."