One Man's Treasure, Page 3

This actually worked out better than he planned; it involved less of a chance of bodily injury.

  Slowly, he climbed to all four feet, wriggled his borrowed tail experimentally and unfurled his stolen wings. He found them tattered and torn and opened his jaws in a toothy smile.

  "I guess the old drunk wasn't lying about grievously wounding you, huh? Sure makes it difficult to fly though, doesn't it? No wonder you were so worried about your next meal."

  He turned to face the dragon, which teetered unsteadily on its two borrowed legs, and menaced it with one upraised claw. "I could squash you like a bug for threatening to eat me."

  Dragon-Gorlan cocked its head without any trace of concern or fear and smiled. "And kill yourself? Then what chance would you have of reclaiming your body?"

  He had to admit it was right. Gorlan dropped his foreleg and watched as the dragon in his stolen body walked toward the tunnel. It was gaining proficiency in moving upright with every step. Something about its manner was too cocky and made him uneasy. "You're willing to leave all that treasure?" he asked.

  By now, Dragon-Gorlan had reached the tunnel entrance and it turned back to face him. "May it bring you joy. I had expected this cave to be my tomb, therefore it is a small price to pay to thank you for giving me such an unexpected gift." It held up a hand before its borrowed face and Gorlan caught a glitter of gold.

  Gorlan's reptilian eyes darted to his right claw and he felt an icy lump in the pit of his stomach. The ring was gone. When he looked up again, so was his old body.

  Gorlan leapt into the air, but as he'd already confirmed, his wings were too full of holes to hold him aloft. He hit the ground with a resounding thud and roared. The volume of his frustration shook the entire cave and sent the sleeping bats into terrified flight.

  Across the valley below, the bellowing of Gorlan's rage carried all the way to Hader's ears where he sat astride his stolen horse. The big man shuddered as he turned to one of the mounted men beside him. "That's it. That's the monster. Kill it and you'll get twice as much money as I've already paid you."

  Beside him, the mercenary captain raised an eyebrow. "Your friend was either very stupid or very brave. He turned to his men, all twenty of them armed with barbed lances and spears. "You heard the man! The greatest share of the loot goes to the one who lands the killing blow!"

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  About the Author

  Jamie Simo is the author of the novel “The King of Futures Past” published by Authorhouse and has been published in Aurora Wolf Literary Magazine’s New Fairytales Anthology. In addition to writing about the fantastical, futuristic, or macabre, she enjoys hiking, birdwatching, and travel. She currently lives near Denver, Colorado.