A Dragon

It's a dragon! It has to be... a real life dragon!

The huge creature with now folded down wings, pressed against the smooth metallic silver scales, that ran all the way down its long neck, across the strikingly strong looking body, and all the way to the fine tip of its long tail. With a lighter and finer scaled underbelly, with gracefully swept back horns beside the head, and piercing green eyes, it was a sight to behold.

{You have the honor as speaking with the great Lygawa!}

Mai was bewildered by the wonderfully majestic creature.

"So beautiful!"

{Ah - well, yes I am.}

The large creature curled into a pose, before pausing.

After a little more of Mai's open mouthed stare, it shifted about, lowered its long neck and then began to stride closer, trembling the ground with each step it took.

{But you dare gaze like that upon my magnificence!}

It sounded angry now, so Mai averted her eyes down, while feeling the very air pressure around her push down upon her, making her fall to her hands and knees too.

{Shall I crush your impudence, or munch your soft flesh off?}

Her body shook with each nearing step, and when that stopped, Mai felt the creature's hot breath, and then heard the clicking of the razor like teeth beside her, that would have each been about a hand size across. It dawned on Mai just how terrifying powerful the huge creature truly was, as she found her body freeze totally with overwhelming fear.

Uh - I'm in some serious peril here! What should I do... or what can I do?!

{Well don't you... smell particularly nice...}

The loud voice echoed forcefully in Mai's head.

Eh-?!

It inhaled strongly beside her, pulling her black hair sideways.

{What is that delicious smell...?}

"Oh, so sorry - you're so loud... in my head..."

Mai blurted out, as the voice inside her mind was rather intense.

The head recoiled right away.

{Oh - I've never interacted with a human before... sorry.}

The volume had thankfully been dialed down a bit.

{But perhaps...}

The creature's whole body glowed brightly for a moment, before a pair of uncovered humanoid feet emerged before Mai, softly on the small ferns.

"...this might be better."

Spoken words caused Mai to raise her head, revealing a slender, pale female figure, with long silvery-grey hair, faint skin, a light-grey dress, with an added long, smooth, thin grey tail and a pair of small, sleek, swept back horns on her head.

"Yes this will do nicely, yes?"

Mai nodded up at the pretty, bright-green eyed woman, who brushed a few ferns away from her legs with her flicking tail as she stepped a little closer.

"I am the great and powerful Lygawa! Nice to meet you."

She smiled proudly as her wrists went to her hips and the tail twirled about again.

"I am Mai Misaki... a sincere pleasure."

Mai still felt the need to tread politely and cautiously, even with the cheerful girl form it took.

The dragon girl offered a hand to help Mai back up off the forest floor.

"Sorry about the whole eating you thing, I just wouldn't, there are far too many bones to meat ratio anyway."

The dragon girl gave a good chuckle, while Mai gave a little half hearted laugh in return, while her heart still puttered back to a more regular rhythm.

"You are quite a bold woman to seek out a mighty creature such as myself."

She held a firm grip on Mai's hand, with a focused gaze on Mai's own eyes.

It feels like her sharp green eyes are looking deep into my mind and soul...

Even the dragon's human form was quiet attractive, even intimidating in a different way, but she appeared very cheerful and light-hearted presently.

"Are you still captivated by my beauty, or terrified by my immense power?"

The smug female broke the lingering silence between them.

"Oh sorry, uh... what was it you asked me?"

Mai had been lost in the multitude of emotions and thoughts, still partly excited to have met a real dragon, and to be still alive and interacting with it.

"I am curious why you came looking for me, and as to how you did find me too?"

She finally released Mai's hand and tilted her body, looking to the human with interest.

"I just felt... a soft pull, that I followed..."

"That sounds like a faint magical tracking or attracting, for a human that is quite remarkable..."

The silvery girl then inspected Mai, who stood still, at the same height, before the curious one started shifting about as she began looking for something on her person.

"I must say that you are holding something tantalizingly divine, yes?"

"Um, do you mean these?"

Mai brought out the only food she had on her, her wrapped cookies, that she had been saving for a later snack, safely in her pocket, but presented them all toward the eager dragon.

Lygawa carefully took one, biting it in half, crunching it about behind her sharp teeth, before quickly stuffing another couple in her small mouth.

"By bhah grand halls... these are fantastic, where are they from?"

Another two instantly disappeared.

"I actually made them myself."

The grey tail swished back and forth behind her.

"Shut up! So you can make these - and any time you wish?!"

The remaining cookies went into her hands, as she looked at them, conflicted weather to eat them right away or not.

"There's no magic or rare ingredients to them... but they are so yummy!"

The female dragon couldn't hold back any longer.

"I'm pleased you like them so much..."

The last sweet treats were munched down, and the hungry dragon gazed at the creator again with her brilliant green eyes.

"I demand more... at your best opportunity."

Okay, now here is where I negotiate...

"Please I must first ask that you don't steal our village's supplies anymore."

"I would never do such a dastardly thing!"

She frowned, but didn't sound particularly angry.

"Sorry for the accusation, but I would gladly bring you more cookies if what I needed got to the village safely..."

She drooled slightly from her small fanged and opened mouth.

"I would happily wait for more 'cookies' than go near another plain old wagon load again!"

So it was you... I had a feeling it might have been...

After another moment, her mouth snapped shut, as she glanced about; possibly making sure no-one else had seen her less than-sophisticated recent actions.

"We shall agree then that I will wait here, and no longer interfere with any other humans... or their cargo - in exchange; more delicious food will be provided, yes?"

"Very well, that sounds like a good deal."

Mai nodded, and the dragon-girl returned the head bob.

"I Lygawa shall meet you again tomorrow then, Mai Misaki!"

She grinned a sharp tooth-filled smile, as she stepped back, gesturing Mai was free to leave.

"At the best possible opportunity, please."

She continued with her fang filled grin, allowing Mai to slip back into the taller ferns, with a gentle parting wave of her own.

Mai walked back toward the village, this time taking a straighter route, still in some mild disbelief.

Did I just strike a deal with a dragon - and make a later meet-up as well...!

Going back the following day to deliver the next, larger batch of sweet biscuits, Mai felt happy to go find the mysterious female out in the forest, who no-one else knew about.

Retracing her trek was easy, and as Mai neared the same clearing again, Lygawa, still in her human form, suddenly appeared again from the sky, jumping down - practically on top of her, with added excitement upon her return.

This time Mai had gotten over her bewilderment, as she gave the creature a bigger variety of her cooking, and explained what each was to the ravenous girl.

After Lygawa had surprisingly had her fill, she rested; lying peacefully on the ground besides the already sitting Mai and the two shared a few questions for the other.

"So where do you come from?"

"You are quite brazen, asking of a dragon's origins."

"Is that a sensitive topic?"

"No, it's not very interesting though... most dragons hatch up in the high mountains, so we do very little till we grow and venture out for ourselves."

Mai nodded, but knew a tit for tat response was imminent.

"So where did you sprout from?"

"I was born on an island nation, called Japan..."

"An island huh... did you spend much time there?"

As the magical creature was being very forthcoming, so Mai was likewise responding in kind.

"Yes, all my childhood..."

"So you're small size is at its fullest then?"

True that Mai's body was a fair comparison to her old one, but she appeared fully grown in this land, but at about 160cm's, she had a shorter stature than others she'd compared herself too, not that it bothered her in the slightest.

"I believe so. Are you?"

She flicked her tail over to rest gracefully on the edge of Mai's skirt.

"Close enough, I shall remain a swift and flexible frame, like my kin."

Mai was tempted to stroke the soft looking tail, now in reach before her, but instead asked another personal question.

"So your 'kin', do you get along with them?"

Lygawa remained silent this time, before springing up and storming off a little way.

Oh, that's a touchy subject then... Darn, I missed my opportunity too...

The silvery girl didn't look back.

"I think I've had enough of your presence today..."

"Oh, alright..."

Mai was a bit disappointed that the dragon had called their conversation over, and made a note not to ask about her family in the future.

Lygawa still seemed pretty upset as Mai lost sight of her, but as the daylight was already starting to fade a little, she needed to hurry back anyway.

It had already turned quite late when she finally got back to the village and was almost totally dark when Mai eventually got into her quiet little home.

But just as Mai was settled and about to drift off to a peaceful sleep, she thought she heard something; a rustle and a soft bump, before a light clank sounded from below her bedroom, but still within in the house, late in the middle of the night.