Samuel’s Dragon Dream

Havermouth, Present Time

The heat was fierce, driving the people inside their homes to sleep through the hottest part of the day. Samuel’s tunic stuck to his back with sweat, and he was grateful for the swath of cloth that kept the sun from beating down upon his head. At his side, Ember reveled in the heat, lifting her face to the rays of the sun, soaking it in.

He watched her, in between sweeping gazes over the street and buildings around them, ever vigilant for attack, for there were always those humans who sought to prey on others. The sun had reddened her cheeks, forehead, and nose, and her hair shimmered with absorbed heat. She was storing energy, basking in the bright golden rays of sunshine. Her beauty astonished and awed him. Like a flame, she was both fragile and fierce, the warmth of a hearth, but also the danger of a raging forest fire.

The buildings were built for the sand and sun, the walls made of a stone, limestone, and volcanic ash mixture that was quick to build with,