I struggled to catch my breath, uncertain whether the quiver in my voice was stemming from exhaustion or from the pure relief I felt at seeing that the dragon was unharmed. “If you’re going to leave, at least say goodbye before you go! I know I tried to send you away before, but I thought we had built a good rapport now!”
The dragon flapped his wings vigorously, twisting his body in my grip. Exhausted, my arms loosed around him, allowing the dragon to free himself from my embrace. Immediately, the creature transformed into a child that looked to be about three years old, and his eyes welled up with tears. I placed my arms back around him, soothingly rubbing circles on the child’s back despite the anger that still laced through me.
Glaring at the child, I demanded, “Why didn’t you answer me?”
“S-Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” the child sobbed, hiccuping through the words.
“If you didn’t hear me, then why were you hiding in the curtains?”
