It was dark but also very, very cold in the cave. We must have been near the top, in the eternal snows, where no one ever ventured.

I was alive and whole and the minutes became hours and it seemed like an eternity.

I made no noise but I could feel that the dragon was not sleeping. He was scratching and digging. He was around the underground lake with an island in the middle.

The center where he was sleeping, well, resting was warmer and there was a thin line of light that crossed the vault decorated with sharp stalagmites. I looked to see if it was possible to climb the ceiling and pass from stalactite to stalactite to get out. I had strength but not that much. It was slippery and at best I would fall into the lake, but it was partly frozen, or I would fall on the dragon, which really wasn't a good idea.

I ventured to look over the crevice. I crouched down and peered out. Soon, I met the dragon's gaze.

Its aura struck me. I was an insect before a god. I could feel his power and will, but not a killing intent.

He looked at the ground and whimpered like a dog deprived of a sweet treat.

I was hungry and thirsty but the frozen air was dry, fortunately I was cooling down slowly but surely.

I stayed hidden for another 2 hours and I was thirsty. I was dying of thirst and the only source was the edge of the lake but I had to face the dragon then.

Calculating and looking around, I was amazed that the cave was clean, with no stains or bad smell. Yes, it smelled like a reptile but not like a scabby beast.

The cave was clean.

I ventured around from crevice to crevice and slipped silently between the stalagmites. It was a crazy thing to do. Trying not to be heard, but the ambient silence could almost make me hear a beat. Was it my heart?

No... the dragon's. The further I got behind his back, I could hear the beating accelerate.

The dragon knew exactly where I was. It was no use.

Hiding would serve no purpose, only to increase my torment and lengthen my agony.

To die crushed, or of thirst and hunger. It was quicker and in a way less painful in the end. But it was the most frightening.

I got up and went to the dragon, to its back. To get a drink and the creature wasn't moving, its pace was quickening too. Would he be worried? It was very pale and it looked scared actually.

Then I heard what sounded like a child crying....

I was looking for the source of the crying but I didn't hesitate for a moment, I bent down and took some ice water in my palms and started to drink.

The dragon hissed as he turned his back to me. He was looking at the ground, like something invisible. Yes... I could see... there was a hollowed out stone altar...

The dragon? The dragon would have dug something?

The grief became a sob and the beast began to wail more and more. It turned around and a stream of tears fell from its blue eyes. He turned his head as if he wanted me to comfort him, but I was afraid... very afraid.

The dragon turned his head away and put it between his paws and fell asleep with grief.

I went around the cave. Dying to die might as well be a less stupid way to go.

I then carved my name in runic on the wall. It was pronounced Torin but written as Thor in lower case, Torin meaning little Thor in the scriptures. It was also a powerful warrior's name.

The dragon saw my name and began to wail again.

What was wrong with this beast? It had kidnapped me... no.. She saved me from the Warg. This is a certainty.

Seeing no way out, I ventured to touch the tip of the dragon's tail. It was hot...

No reaction. It was a mountain in front of me. The dragon must have been at least 25 meters long.

So I started stroking the tail and went up to the base of the back. I paused for a moment and ... it purred.

I didn't know. All I know is that when reptiles look happy, they are ready to bite...

"WHEEZY!"

I heard

I continued to caress the dragon and I arrived at the wing.

The scales were pearly and soft, polished and pleasant to the touch.

I felt a chill. It was as if my instincts were speaking to me, but I was a human and the creature was a dragon. I was determined to die.

I took a breath and knelt down as if begging a god to be merciful.

Then I closed my eyes and crossed my arms in total submission and surrender.

The dragon had moved and I gritted my teeth, waiting for the fatal bite.

"MUM..." were my last words...

A big tongue licked my head and my whole body

I was between two talons and the dragon was purring.

I then felt myself being pushed against him and he opened a wing and closed it on me.

His head was on the ground, against his body and under the wing. He would occasionally stick out his long pink forked tongue and it would sometimes wrap around my arm, my torso and I was on my knees under his wing.

It was hot and he was devouring me with his eyes, well one at a time, the head being too wide. He was sniffing me and "washing" me.

Then, he saw my scale around my neck as a pendant and started to moan and cry again. He closed his eyes and... I spent the night like that, brooded over by a sad dragon.

I woke up the next day by the light of the sun. I had slept on the island dry, but if I wanted to go out, I would be all wet and freezing. And even naked, the mountain was unforgiving.

Simple and ingenious. A prison without bars whose only refuge is the dragon itself.

The dragon was gone and the stone rolled away. I looked at what was on the island. A broken egg? a piece of black cloth and a chewed up warg skin. It was suddenly dark... the dragon had returned.

He had a boar in his mouth and a sharp elk in one of his talons .He leapt up and landed on the island above me...He purred and looked happy that I was still there.

His head approached and I closed my eyes. A flick of the tongue.... then spat! the boar was at my feet.

With his muzzle he pushed his prey towards me. He kept the momentum for himself. As long as he was in a good mood, I ventured to caress him and he dropped down with his back to me so that I could scratch. He purred more and more. I acted like I did for Milo. Would I have a chance at friendship with a dragon?

Was this a blessing from Thor?

I was hungry and started to carve the boar. Seeing all this hard work, the dragon moaned when he saw me and was seized with another fit of grief. What had I done?

Was crying a sign of anger?

I didn't know anything about dragons, but he watched me avidly with his big eyes. I cut the bacon but I never ate cold or raw...I hesitated and then I ate a piece of bacon. It was disgusting but it filled my stomach.

After I was full, so to speak... I stopped eating.

The dragon looked at me and the boar was torn to pieces.

Then he groaned and took the carcass between his teeth and fire came out of his mouth roasting the pig.

Finally, the boar.The steaming carcass fell in front of me and a small, questioning moan came from its throat.

"Thank you Dragon!"

And then I threw myself on the cooked meat and it had immediately revived my appetite. The dragon looked at me and the more he looked at me, the more he cried...

It was a crazy story.

Naturally, I put myself against the dragon, which covered me the following night. If he had wanted to kill me, he would have done it long ago. It was a real mystery.

The next day, I pointed to the altar and the dragon girdled me with its prehensile tail and deposited me on the outer bank, on the side opposite the exit. Immediately, the cold came over me, but it was bearable.The dragon joined me and tried to show me something, as if he was trying to talk but couldn't.

With his huge claw above my head and in front of me, he carved the symbol of Thor, But instead of a pickaxe, it was a dragon, with wings more prominent, a head and a tail.

Then he groaned as he looked at me. He withdrew and returned with a chest full of jewels. He pushed it with his nose. There were scrolls, crosses, scepters and daggers and swords.

Everything was bright and these objects radiated magic. What did the dragon mean, that I should look at the objects? He was nodding his head so that I would understand ....But it didn't make sense...so I started to cry all of a sudden... I was afraid...afraid that I would disappoint the dragon and that he would eat me...

The dragon then whimpered a little and pointed to my necklace. I lowered my neck and realized that there was the scale. He was crying for me to give him back his scale?

I presented it to him on my knees but the dragon nodded as if to refuse. His palm towards me...as big as my size.

Then I looked and he showed his belly. There was a scar and a scale was missing. I placed it, and...like magic it reappeared in its place, repaired and revived.

That's what the dragon wanted??

yes... it was to have his scale back!!

I greeted him and he let me go. I discovered that there was no path... just a 500 meters vertical abyss...There was no way out.

I turned to the dragon and he started to "Smile?" but it was not a mockery. I looked at the sun and sat on the edge. The dragon put his head down next to me to look at the valley together.

"Do you understand what I am saying then?"

The dragon squeaked a little...

"It must be yes..."

But the dragon wanted to tell me something but not everything. I also had to find out for myself the riddle...

"Do you mind if I go home? My parents are waiting for me..."

At these words the dragon started to cry again.....

"Did they hurt you? Are you angry with them? The dragon hesitated and then made a sign that he was not.

"You are kind...but do you want me to go?"

the dragon cried, inconsolable. I put myself against him to caress him and dry his tears.

"Would you like me to stay here with you?"

the dragon answered in the affirmative...

"You know, I'm a human... and you're a dragon..."

....The dragon nodded, not wanting to hear the rest...He was still looking at the Thor Symbol... He pointed at me with his claw.

"Thor???"The dragon groaned in agreement..."

I pray to Thor every day..."

The dragon pointed his eyes up to say that it wasn't that."

I am Torin... not Thor"

GROARR

The dragon was annoyed and went back to whining in his corner. I went back to eating a piece or two of meat and the dragon ate with me. Probably happy to share his meal.

He was big and he rubbed his nose against an eggshell...The dragon would be a ....dragonne? That's why she wants to incubate me.

I'm starting to understand .I then tried to read the scrolls and they were mostly priest spells and items of worship and healing...There was nothing to offend... nothing but priest stuff...

"Sorry lady dragoness... but I'm too small... I don't understand. But I'm willing to be your friend..."

"I give you my word on Thor that I will come to see you at the cabin every month... I can't climb the wall or fly...The dragon put his head against my body and purred. Then he lowered his wing so that I could climb on it.

He nodded to me and... I climbed on his membranous wing and found myself sitting astride the dragon's neck. I was holding onto two spikes.

One in the back, and one in front...So the dragon moved forward, making sure that I was not hurt or crushed by the stalactites.

The light... then... the void.

I was flying on the back of a beautiful dragoness. I caressed the creature for its kindness and I could see my city and the cabin from above. We went around the mountain several times.

The dragon was certainly observing that there was no danger, no humans or monsters. He sniffed the air for a moment and there were still 3 Wargs. The dragon dived and a cone of ice froze the three monsters instantly and then they fell apart.

The dragon was very powerful. Unimaginable strength.

The next thing I knew, we were on the ground but the dragon didn't want to fly away. He was looking at my cabin with sadness...It was getting late and going down at this hour was dangerous.

"Wait... I'm coming. "

I went to the cabin to get a large skin against the rocks and a jar of honey that I opened and the tongue of the dragoness went to the bottom.

She closed her eyes visibly pleased with the gift. And I spent the night under her wings, very warm. I could already see myself as a dragon rider... then as a hero....saving Lord British and restoring the honor of Exodus.

But in my dream, I heard a female voice trying to speak...Thorr... Torin... will watch over you... dragoness... danger....humans....These were mistranslated phrases The dragon was a mystery, but now I was beginning to like her as a great friend...But in the early morning the dragon began to roar... towards the path...There was a rider...in armor and with a spear.

It was Dad!I scrambled out from under the wing and ran towards him. The dragon was ready to pounce, but he dropped the spear and climbed off the horse to embrace me.

The dragoness moaned. Wait... dragon....And I rushed to the creature's neck and it licked me.

Ragul was terrified. But in his head everything was clicking. He did not say anything... he wanted certainty.

"The dragon wanted a friend... he cries all the time after me."

Ragul "That's normal, it's Voltrax! Exodus' companion! He is the worst of all dragons and the most powerful of all... He has turned the whole country upside down looking for something..."

Me: "I know dad..! It is the white scale. I gave it back to her and she has refused..! She is cured..."

Ragul knelt down, took off his helmet and implored the dragon.

"Have mercy, Lord Voltrax. We are only humble servants of Thor..."

Me: "So your name is Voltrax..."

The dragon looked happy that I understood a little. She released me and looked playful.

"Say, Voltrax, we'll keep it a secret... right? dad??? "

Ragul didn't dare to repeat the word father in front of a bereaved creature. Especially since she knew that he had been part of the punitive expedition. A dark look between the dragon and Ragul had been enough for him to understand.

Ragul "I am sorry and every day I fight to restore your companion's honor."

Voltrax "GRRRRR. rrrrrrr.. IIIIIIIIII"

Widow's tears in the face of the repentant hunter did more harm than any claw.

"My son is yours....to pay.."

Voltrax growled and pushed me back (licking me) toward Ragul. She didn't want revenge...She was a noble creature and she knew that Mondain and Minax were the ones responsible, Shepard had only carried the gesture and gone back to his world.

And probably died of old age. well...maybe...I returned to Voltrax and made her promise to come back for me...After a groan, she flew away in the clouds.

We returned slowly and without a word to the house where mom and my friends were waiting for me and it was a party I will never forget... But now, instead of looking at the valley and the beauty of the landscape, I was looking at the sky in search of my new friend...