Lizbeth and Miles

Miles had just achieved a perfect three-point landing, tail first then a hover planting both feet flat on the ground. “Perfect,” he pronounced, bragging to himself.

He sensed a presence nearby in the wood. There he noticed a small child staring at him from a perch nestled in a pine tree.

Little Miles was neither large nor mighty, but he was smart. His plates hadn't yet fused into an impenetrable armor to protect him, so he kept his head down and never flew above the highest trees in the forest. He was agile and could enchant almost any human with a glance, until he met Lizbeth. She was just a toddler herself, but she knew how to recognize a dragon when she saw one. No amount of mesmerizing would change her mind.

He concentrated very hard and looked the child directly in the eyes. She didn't even blink, instead she leapt and said, “I can fly too little dragon,” as she came swinging down on a rope attached to the tree's limb.

Miles had to back-up to avoid being hit.

She laughed as she landed. “My name is Lizbeth,” she declared. “What's your name dragon?”

Miles tried again to charm the little girl into forgetting. He finally gave up and told her his name. “I am called Miles.” He put a growl into the words to scare the little girl.

“Miles, that's a wonderful name. Perhaps we could play in the forest together?” He had been alone for many years, which was the dragon way, so he considered the offer. “But I am a dragon, and you are a human, that just can't be.”

“Why,” she asked? He could not think of a single reason why not, so he said, “what game should we play?”

“I can't fly but I can climb trees.” She rushed to the base of an enormous oak and began climbing up its branches.

They became fast friends and met almost every day. Without realizing how many years wandered by their friendship grew and became as strong as Miles' plates which fused into an impenetrable armor. As he matured the color of his hide became a shiny black, shot through with lines of ultra-blue which fluoresced in the sun and glowed in the moon light. He learned to spew great streams of fire from his mouth and his wings grew so powerful that he could carry Lizbeth high into the mountains or to the far ocean's edge.

The small girl grew into a lovely woman with hair as fiery as Miles' flaming breath, and eyes as green as a dew kissed meadow. There was many a man from the village who showed an interest in her. She looked only to Miles.

They talked and laughed about human and dragon society. They began flying off together for longer and longer journeys.

They visited the great jungles of the West. They found Quetzalcoatl, the dragon of Mexico.

While on a particularly long journey over the warm Southern Ocean, they met Quetzalcoatl hovering over a step pyramid in the deep jungle. Miles landed and carefully let Lizbeth climb down his tail. The feathered serpent quickly lunged toward the girl, causing Miles to extend his wing and blast a warning flame from his mouth.

“What do they call you, bird dragon,” he yelled as he shielded his friend?

Quetzalcoatl rose into the air and stretched out to his full length, flashing his colorful feathers. “I have no name. I am made from the blood of human sacrifice. I am a God.”

“We eat people here in Mexico. We don't carry them around like mules. What kind of a dragon does that?”

Miles realized this feathery serpent was no threat to him. His plated skin was much tougher than this dragon's feathers. But he feared for Lizbeth. He pried open one of the plates near his heart and picked her up placing her beneath his armor. He fixed the hovering dragon with his most intense stare and rose from the ground.

“She is under my protection. I give you one warning. Fly away big bird or I will roast you like a pigeon.” He could feel the fires rising in his throat. The thought that this glorified snake would threaten Lizbeth sent him into a rage. People began assembling on the ground all looking up at the impending battle.

It was a short fight. One burst from Miles' breath and Quetzalcoatl's feathers were in flames. He fell like a stone crushing some of his followers beneath his smoldering bulk. Miles was pretty sure it would be hard to maintain divinity after this defeat.

They traveled on stopping anywhere they wished.

They discovered Panlong, the coiled dragon of the Yangtze River in China. She was much more friendly than her Mexican counterpart. She took a liking to Miles right away, until she saw Lizbeth riding on his back. The simple fact that they were together seemed to annoy her. He didn't understand the rapid change of mind, but Lizbeth knew the reaction right away.

“What are you called mighty dragon,” she asked? And why do you carry your food on your back?” Her accent was difficult to decipher. But dragon language is universal.

“I am called Miles. She is Lizbeth, my friend. She is not food. Have you no fish in this great river to eat?”

“Have you not been taught that all humans are untrustworthy, and their only use is for sustenance? Come and rest in my river, I will teach you the ways of the dragon.” She rolled in the water flashing her iridescent flukes and raised the frill that extended down her back.

Lizbeth decided that she was getting very homesick. And that Panlong was way too exotic for her to tolerate so she asked Miles to take her home.

Home was in England by the great cliffs that looked out at the North Atlantic Ocean. It was many years before those places had those names, but it was the same place. The Dragon Keep was too hot and humid for Miles to think of anything besides flying high into the distant clouds to cool off and stretch his wings. His scales made him uncomfortably hot. They were great protection, but they held in his body heat. He had melted a small cave for Lizbeth, so she didn't have to return to the village. They were happy being together for many years.

As the years went by, they noticed that Lizbeth was aging faster than Miles and in the ripeness of time an awful day came. Lizbeth lay dying. He could not imagine what he would do without her.

Miles took her up in his talons holding her close to his heart, willing his strength into her body. “I will not let you pass away from me.” He cradled her body close to his breast as her life began fading, it passed deep into his heart, to live there always.

And as all beings know, you will never die if someone holds you in their heart.