Ebony rapped on the tower door as hard as he could. The tower stretched to an unbelievable height and would impress most. It didn't impress Ebony. He had flown much higher and lived in cliffs that would dwarf even a tower such as this.
Dust floated in the air, falling from the old wooden door. Even more came from the dusty leather shirt and pants that he wore. The dust hanging around Ebony became thicker and thicker, but he hardly noticed. He slammed his fist into the door over and over yelling for its human to show himself.
"Where are you little human!?" Ebony shouted in a deep booming voice that did not match even a large human frame like his.
An old man stuck his head over a balcony 60 feet up.
"You're looking pretty small to me down there. You also look pretty human yourself," the old man spoke whimsically. "Do I know you?"
"Turn me into a dragon again!" Ebony demanded.
"Ahh," the old man spoke with recognition. "I'm guessing you're Ebony. Can't say I'm glad to see you. I figured the locals would have finished you after you weren't a dragon anymore. You did eat many of them, including my nephew as I recall."
"Turn me back now!"
"Not in my lifetime. You ate my nephew," the old wizard said. "Now go away before I turn you into a very little lizard and let my cat have a go at you."
"You hated your nephew, and he had it coming."
"I never hated my nephew. Well, ... found annoying and troublesome, true, ... but I can't let anyone get away with what you did. Now leave. I'm busy."
"No."
The wizard started casting a spell.
Ebony tromped off toward town leaving a cloud of dust at the door he walked away from. His long sword, "Dragon's Breath" slapped against his back as he stomped away. He grabbed its strap to secure it, and continued away.
He muttered at the air, curses that no human ear had heard in a thousand years. His anger slowly subsiding. Finally his anger gave way to frustration. Frustration gave way to despair and finally fear.
He sat down on a knoll of grass that was in the sun by the road. He liked the feel of the sun. He remembered mornings on the rocky cliffs waiting for the morning sun to drive away the night chill. He would stretch his wings catching the morning glow and then he would glide over the cliffs finding currents, rising higher and higher only being driven landward to find a cow or elk for breakfast.
"I want my wings back," he finally muttered and sighed drifting off to sleep in the sunlight. It felt wonderful. For a moment he forgot what had happened to him. Then Ebony heard a wonderful sound. It was mystical. It was unlike any music he had ever heard. He opened his eyes and turned his head to find the source. It came from over a small pond not far away.
He walked to the edge of the pond. There was a cabin there, and also a clearing under the canopy of leaves. He tracked the music to a fair woman in the shade. She had brilliant red hair that made her snowy white skin even more pronounced.
"You are very beautiful for a human maid," Ebony spoke.
She looked up and smiled slightly, but kept playing the harp. The sound was like nothing Ebony had ever heard, not like a harp anyway. It was magical. She was bewitching him. He would not have been surprised to see animals from the forest come to listen to such a sound.
"When I'm a powerful dragon again, I shall take you away to my castle and you shall play for me every evening as the sun sets."
"You're not a dragon," she said.
"I will be, and I shall take you away."
"I don't like the sound of that, and I'm sure I don't like you."
She stopped playing, and stood.
"Too bad. I shall take you despite your feelings."
"That would be kidnapping."
"Call it what you will."
She frowned and turned to go into the cabin. He felt he must say something to stop her, but was at a loss. Why did he care? She was just a human, but what a human.
Ten extremely large men burst in to the clearing just then.
"You will come with us," they told the maid.
"I will not."
One of the men made a move to grab her. Ebony's flaming blade, "Dragon's Breath" flew to his hand and felled the man before he reached the woman.
All the men turned on Ebony, but were dispatched as they came within reach of his sword. The last man looked at his nine fallen comrades and ran back into the woods.
The woman curtseyed as if he had merely said good morning and turned back toward the cabin.
"Wait! Play again."
"After dinner," she said.
"What's for dinner?" He asked.
"I don't remember inviting you."
"I did just save you," he pointed out.
"I didn't need your help," she said curtly and turned again to enter the cabin.
"Nonetheless, I did."
"Humph," she said and paused. "Rabbit, and you're peeling the onions, and fetching the water, and digging the potatoes.
"What?!" He was insulted. "I'm not a servant. I don't ever ...."
After he had finished peeling the onions, digging the potatoes and fetching the water, Ebony sat in the cabin watching the woman prepare the meal.
"You haven't asked my name," she said while using a knife expertly.
Soon the aroma of boiling rabbit and vegetables filled the area. Neither spoke. Only the boiling water made any sound. It was a gurgling sound, not unlike the fire pits that Ebony had once made his home.
"What is your name?" He finally asked. He wasn't use to asking anything. Dragons don't ask by nature, they demand and that is that.
"That smells good," a familiar voice boomed out across the clearing outside the cabin. Ebony could hear the person stepping around the fallen men.
Ebony looked away from the woman, to see the old wizard from the tower walk in the room. Ebony stood, fire blazing in his black eyes. He upset the chair and table with the swift movement.
The wizard took a stance with arms raised and fingers curled. Ebony froze, knowing he didn't stand much of a chance against a spell from this human. He had learned his lesson earlier, and dragons have very good memories.
"What is THIS doing here?" The old man asked in a very annoyed voice. He almost hissed the word "this".
"I'm marrying him," the woman said whimsically. "He's going to take me back to his castle and I shall play my harp for him every evening."
"You shall not, girl."
"You can't stop me, Father. He has just rescued me. Besides I'm sure his castle has many towers. You should be impressed since you only have one." She smiled at her little joke and set the table and chair back right. She motioned for them to both sit, and they obeyed.
"I suppose that is your mess outside then?" The wizard sneered at Ebony.
Ebony just glared back at him.
The woman turned back to her cooking.
The old wizard snapped his fingers and Ebony felt a tingle of magic. The woman glared at the old man, but he played innocent. Ebony wondered what the old man had done to him. Would he wake up in the morning as a little lizard in the jaws of the wizard's cat? He acted as if the man did not scare him and asked the woman her name again, continuing where they left off.
"Robin. My mother gave me the name. She felt I would have red hair like her, so she gave me the name."
"And you do," Ebony said.
"No, her hair was a dusty red." The wizard spoke, stopping the conversation before it continued.
They ate the meal and uneasily spoke of little things, like the weather. Ebony felt awkward and wasn't sure hearing the harp was worth the constant stare from the wizard. The meal wasn't settling well in his stomach. He felt something was happening to him, and he was sure the wizard was behind it.
The old wizard stood finally and walked out the door, mentioning something about cleaning up the mess outside. No sooner had he walk out the door than the whistling sound of arrows was heard.
There was a very distinct sound of a person hitting the ground as the wizard fell lifeless back into the cabin.
Ebony felt he would never forget the look on Robin's face. Then he felt something very undragon like. He felt sorrow -- sorrow for another. He wished he had never seen such pain in her face.
He stood again, grabbing for Dragon's Breath. He felt dizzy, magic was coursing through him.
"What?" He managed to speak before fainting away.
Ebony awoke to the smell of smoke. It smelled like home. He did not remember anything at first, rolled over and stood. He looked around at the smoking remains of the cabin. Robin was gone, and the wizard had mostly been consumed by the flames of the burning cabin.
Then Ebony wondered, why not me? He stretched his mighty black wings and had his answer.
He was a dragon again.
"The wizard must have reversed the spell, but why?" He did not understand humans.
Then the look on Robin's face came to his mind again. That look he had never expected. It seared his soul and he let out an unearthly groan. It was a rumbling only those of the fire element could make. The ground shook and smoke billowed from his nostrils.
He rose into the air, stirring dust, ash, smoke and flame into a torrent of wind.
As he soared higher and higher he spotted the troop of men with the captive maid. There were over 50 well armed men and several archers. The dragon grunted in disrespect.
Most of the men died before they even smelled the sulfury breath falling on them. Ebony fell on the rest with his claws and teeth. He then ate the leader in one gulp. Ebony thought that would make him feel better. It didn't.
At last he turned to the form of the maid laying alone, all by herself among the fallen. She was awake. He could tell by her breathing. She was very still and silent.
Ebony used one razor sharp claw to cut the ropes binding her.
He coiled around her still form for days. Finally she moved. She put an arm over one of his claws.
"Don't you have a promise to keep?" She spoke softly, but in a steady voice.
Ebony thought a moment, wondering what she meant. Then he took her in a firm but gentle grip in a clawed hand and carried her away.
It is still said that sound of a harp can be heard from the castle Ebony lives in. Most are wise enough to stay away from a dragon's lair, but some of the more foolish say that the danger of approaching the castle at dusk is more that worth it, if only to hear the beautiful sound, though sad song, of the harp drifting over the sulfuric breeze.