[ WP ] As a dragon of innumerable age you have guarded your gold horde for millennium . Many heroes have come with long speeches on how they will slay you , the great evil , none finish . However this one is odd.He throws a coin on your stash , looks you in the eyes and says `` I have a proposition for you . ''

I have to say I have seen many a crazy person enter my den. They've carried all manner of `` enchanted this'' or `` magical that'', giant helmets someone oversold, lacquered shields sold as impenetrable `` dragon scales'', which did n't seem to save them from a squishy death beneath it. They've come with silver swords and golden swords and swords awash in the blood of 99 virgins and with all manner of talismans and trinkets meant to ward me off or beguile me in some way. They've come alone, sometimes with squires or mages, and more than a few times as a team. It does n't matter one bit. Whatever they bring, however they attack, they're just a snack to this old dragon. I've seen it all. 
 
 Well, I had seen it all until last week when that nearly naked man walked in throwing bits of change into my horde. If it were n't for the novelty of it I would have snatched him right up, but naked and throwing money, I just had to see what the ruse was. I was certain he was mad, but there's always a chance. 
 
 He walked right in and sat down on a rock within easy reach, reeking of fear and cheap ale. At first I thought `` ah, he's the bait to draw my attention while others attack from the sides,'' but in sniffing the air and listening to the drafts there were no others, just the one lonely fellow. The bravest man I'd probably ever met, or the dumbest one. 
 
 `` I... I'ave a... proposition that I'ope you will'ear,'' his voice cracked, ``'ear me out on if you would.'' 
 
 I raised up on my hindquarters and looked down on him menacingly, slowly snaking my tail around the rock he sat on. 
 
 `` We... um... we'ave a king who... uh... is covetous of yer gold. The only problem is,'e's run outta knights and noblemen to come to fight fer it.'' 
 
 I continued to look down upon him. I was slightly relieved, knights and nobleman were too predictable and tasted foul with all their perfumes and ointments. Plus their armor was grating to chew on for the measly bits of meat held in it. 
 
 `` Well... I... uh... I didna come'ere to fight.'' He paused as if waiting for the snap of my teeth and then blurted out forcefully `` I came'ere to ask you to kill our king.'' 
 
 That got me. I'd never heard of such a request. It was always about the gold or the glory. I lowered down, withdrawing my tail and laying low enough to be eye to eye. `` Yes?'' I responded. 
 
 `` The king...'e sent me'ere to fi... die I'spect... but I'ad me another idea. What if I go back and just tell'em I killed you?'' He gulped and tried to rub his sweating hands on his already sweaty legs. `` I mean, the king'll want to take credit fer it, and so'e'll come'ere to use'is own stupid sword.'' 
 
 The man's hatred for the king was present in almost every syllable and the more he spoke the more confident he appeared with his words. 
 
 `` Yes?'' I said. 
 
 `` That's it really. I'd need to take something back...'' 
 
 I bristled at the thought and believed that I was seeing through his ruse to negotiate a little pocket change. 
 
 `` Not gold... not gold...'' He quickly corrected himself. `` Just a trinket of old armor and maybe a salvaged weapon. Sir Kayhill's battle axe or Sir Dominar's sceptar? Something to prove I came'ere.'' He braced himself for a final request, `` And a scale or a nail or something of you.'' 
 
 And THAT was bold enough to hook me in. I quickly plucked a tooth from my mouth and tossed it at his feet. `` Look to the edges of my den for whatever trinkets you desire,'' I told him somewhat dismissively. Which was hard because I was beginning to like him. 
 
 `` So after your king comes here then what? Seat yourself as king?'' I asked. 
 
 `` No, no... we're not much for a kingdom and less so fer a king. My mother always said we were better off as an autonomous collective taking turns to act as a sorta'executive officer fer the week'.'Course that was before the king showed and started repressing everyone and killin' people with his'quests' and such.'' 
 
'An autonomous collective...' I thought to myself.'Sounds interesting.' And so I watched as he scavenged a few bits that were n't completely destroyed and then he picked up my tooth and left. 
 
 The next day I lay as still as possible on the den floor, my mouth agape with the raw wound from the tooth for all to see. The king and what remained of his knights as well as his court magician circled around me. He readied his sword as if he were going to hack into my neck and take my head. At the moment he got all the way back into his swing I opened my eyes fully and saw the `` Oh damn'' look come across his face. And that day was the last anyone saw of the king and his knights. 
 
 No more knights ever crossed my threshold, but sheep did, fairly regularly, I guessed for services rendered. And they were so much more satisfying than people in a can.
