long - 1.3

"This has been our world for countless years now.  You and I, Hero, we do not notice the mortality of those who are... mortal."
"I notice.  I see them die.  I-- wait.  I am mortal."
That smile.  "Well.  That may change."  Don't look, don't look.
"Look."  It was no friendly suggestion.
"Keep... going."
A map slid out from under the table, conveniently into her hand.  The microwave beeped.
"Ah.  After we partake of this innovation I stumbled upon weeks ago."
The package says... Hot Pocket?
"Yes, I believe that is what humans call them."
"And you dragons would eat this?"
"We are wyvern formes, Hero.  And I enjoy this quite a lot.  It says, ground beef.  I quite like a cow."
I laughed.  Why did I do that?
"Thank you."
"You do know though, they are extremely unhealthy."
She gasped.
"Oh, no.  No.  I've been trying to cut down the excess around my chin, here..."
Don't look.
"Yes, don't look."  She blushed.  I looked.


"Sorry."
"No, I don't... do you find it repulsive?"
I stared at her, worrying at the excess fat that clearly wasn't there, pulling at her chin.
"Uh.  No.  I don't."
"You don't like it!"
"No, no, yes, I do!"
She smiled.
Why did I... "Oh.  No."

long - 1.2

The doors swung shut behind me.  This was no time to be caught off-guard.  Sword unsheathed itself.

"Please, put that down."  The wyvern king boldly turned her back to me, gliding towards... a microwave?

The back of her dress was too low-cut.  

"I wore it for you."

Confusion.  I ran my hand through my hair.

"Hold on a minute, I'll just... fry something here."  She placed something in the microwave, turned, smiled.  I blushed.  Hadn't meant to do that.

Okay.  Don't look at her.  "How do... you have microwaves?  That's human technology."

Another smile.  Don't look.  "Look, please.  Well, I call this the heat ray.  It was a gift from one of my generals.  Quite more efficient than using heat spells, mmm?"

"Mmmm.  I see.  And... how many humans did he kill for that?"
She was close.  Too close.  Too... her eyes searched for mine. 

"Right."  No.
"Yes."  She matched my pace as I stepped back.

"No.  Stop.  I can't."

"Can't?"

"You have killed my people.  How can you be you?"  Slender, delicate, sinuous... beautiful.

"Thank you."  She blushed. 

"Oh.  No."

Her lips parted.  "There is reason to this war.  War may destroy some, but it sustains more than it destroys."

"What?"

long - 1.1

"Well... You can't just tell me that and expect me to answer you."
I eased Sword gently out of its sheath, but I was still quite a long way away.
She was still long away.  "Wha-" Inches.  Just inches?
"How did you... get here?  How did I...?"  Her hand pressed on mine, seating Sword back in its sheath.
"Questions will have answers.  But for now, come to the palace of the wyvern king."
I'd thought this was the palace.
"It's not, really, just the reception area for visitors, which I unfortunately don't get very often."
"You can read my mind?"
"Also unfortunately.  It's a bad habit I picked up."
The doors fell open, stretching long into the distance.  Or, it was just a step's length.
"This is quite, em... interesting."  Confusing.
"It does seem quite confusing at first, but my wish is that it will grow on you."
"Sorry."
"It's alright.  I've been waiting.  A bit of hesitance, I don't mind.  But, the Hero... You are much braver than I'd imagined.  I saw the fight with my wyvern Guard."
"You couldn't have just called them off, since you were planning... this?"
"Well, you know, it's uh... I don't make rational decisions when I'm in love.  I'm just a wyvern."
In love with someone she'd never met...
"Well, I've dreamed."
"I can't even think."

long - 1.0

[Read:: in a Bristol accent ::Read]

Reclining at the end of the wyvern hall was a long woman.  Everything was wrong.  Long.  My hands tensed; I began walking down the oddly light blue carpet, seemingly unaware of its non-place among the deep red decor of the wyvern's eyes.  The pale colours remained undiminished against my caked, muddied boots.  The hall stretched... stretched.  Long.  How many seconds had it been?  Sweat beaded on my chin, dropped.  Looked down... it was still dropping.  Long.  A long way down.  

I reached the woman.  Everything was long.

"He will say yes to anything you ask of him because he loves like you love: sometimes too eagerly, sometimes too early, but always deeply."
Something was wrong.  This wasn't... exactly what I had come for...?  Why was the king a woman anyway.
"I'm sorry?  Are you not the wyvern king?"
"I am the wyvern king.  Welcome.  I am the wyvern king.  And you are finally here.  My Hero."
"Excuse me?  I came to... to defeat you!"
"I am here to be defeated, Hero.  By you."
"I can't.  I do-I don't hit women."  Stuttering.  This is not what Heroes are made of.
"Then marry me."