The Dragon and the Fox

The Dragon sat on the cliff, gazing out over the horizon and admiring the sunset. The sun was blood red, due to all the smoke in the air. The fires were still burning, and probably would for weeks to come.

He knew this. In fact, it was he who had started the fires in the first place. He would rebuild this place, and from the ashes there would be a new era reborn—an era of darkness and light together. For so long, darkness had been kept back, held below the rule of those who disregarded the shadows as scum beneath their talons.

But when he was done, the world would be fixed, and he would rule above it.

Already, they had conquered the biggest kingdom, the Fox Lands. It was quite an achievement, if he did say so himself. They had made themselves known. Everything was going according to plan.

Even that fox that had allied with the Dragon Princess was subdued, according to his servants. Chained in an arena, not even able to fly. The Dragon Princess herself was imprisoned as well, in a place where no one would ever be able to find her.

The Dragon breathed in and out in the blissful silence, punctured only by the occasional crackle of flames in the distance. Their attack on the Moon Dragons had only been slightly successful—they had imprisoned most of the army, but the queen and the rest of the Moon Dragons still remained at large.

Oh well, he thought viciously. If they want to beat us, they can try.

He chuckled to himself as he thought of how exactly he would slaughter them all.

His thoughts turned to his secret home, hidden between the surface and under the ground. His little servant might be insane right now, but he wasn’t sure—she had a surprisingly resilient mind for such an anxious creature.

I don’t have to worry about her. I don’t have to worry about anything, now that I have my army. The Dragon smiled with the satisfaction of his accomplishments, relishing the moment alone on the cliff.

The breeze stirred, and a white hair drifted past the Dragon’s eye. Startled, he reached out and snatched it out of the air, lifting it to his nose and sniffing it.

Fox.

He should have figured that the Fox had been here. He looked around with a more scrutinizing eye, and noticed tiny details that he had overlooked before: the traces of Dragon footprints, the scent of magic in the air, the colorful feathers littering the pine trees.

The Dragon snorted angrily, his moment of happiness gone. Couldn’t he have one moment alone without encountering some sort of light magic pollution?

Apparently not.

But I’m going to change that, he thought with fury. When I’m done, this world will be unrecognizable.

He stared out at the disappearing sun once more, grabbing a feather and crushing it between his claws.

And when I’m done, darkness will roam free at last.