The Twin Fires: Chapter 8

A Game of Chess

The weather above the English Channel was like usual, cloudy, bitter and turbulent, but today a large streak of red contrasted heavy with the grey surroundings. The massive Red Dragon, Tholaxxius, was in a straight and level flight holding his body fairly straight, with his neck and tail extended, his front legs tucked under his chest, and his rear legs thrown back. He found this to be the most comfortable form of flying, staying aloft with deceptively slow and stately wing beats. His wings developed tremendous lift and thrust on each stroke, allowing the dragon to coast for brief periods. To further conserve energy in flight, he made use of any updrafts he could find.   

If the conditions proved to be right, Tholaxxius could soar like this for hours with little effort, going from one updraft to another. Even after all this time, the joy of flying hadn't dwindled a bit, such a pleasure it was to be
ascended above everything into the never-ending blue of the limitless sky, the twilight lingered longer up here, what passed below him brushed and blurred with the shadow of speed. While he had flew before in an airplane when he had been human there simply was no way it could compare to this. He folded his wings tight to his body and made a dive, just for the sheer joy of it.

He still had a long way to go in the search for a suitable place to make a lair, he couldn't stay in Europe, far too many humans around who would constantly bother him, far too developed as well. They would actually dare to send tanks and soldiers after him in a vain attempt to destroy him. The very thought of such a display of arrogance on their part drew a soft growl from his lips. While he was quite sure that he could trample them all underfoot like the flammable little insects they were, some quiet seclusion would be welcome from time to time. After all he had to sleep somewhere and have a secure place to store his hoard and preferably in a warmer climate since he was coming to loath the cold for a reason he couldn't quite get at this point. He found that the best way to deal with these new instincts and drives was to just accept them as they came, wasn't that what life was all about? To take satisfaction wherever and however he could get it and indulge in every desire? he certainly had the strength and power for it now.

Tholaxxius' wistful musings would soon be cut short, a few minutes behind him the No 3 Squadron of the Royal Air Force out of Coningsby was on an intercept course. Taking the lead was Lieutenant Brand, or "Kaboose" as his pilot callsign would have it, he "earned" that one for always being the last guy in the line up. Flying at the head of the formation in his supersonic Typhoon F2, his squadron was quickly catching up with their target: the Red Dragon.

"I've got the lead, get into attack formation boys and girls. Let's identify our target." Kaboose spoke trough the comlink and immediately got a reply from his wingmembers.

"Acknowledged sah! vector lock'd in." came the gravely voice of "Shaker" the one who didn't shake hands with the squadron commander, who stood there with his hand already out, welcoming him on the first day at the squadron. He thought he had already met him. The big one from Scotland wasn't the sharpest tool in the box but he was reliable in a pinch and had the reputation of never backing down from anything.

"I've got visual contact! Confirmed, it is the target." The feminine voice of "Drone" chimed in, she had been the squadron's first female pilot, which gave way to the remarks that her plane was flying "unmanned", like a drone, but make no mistake, this one was a lady with ice in her veins instead of blood.

"Corner speed, let him pass between us." Kaboose relayed as the jets slowed down to 400 knots, the confrontation between beast and machine was about to begin.

Tholaxxius heard it before he saw it, humans again. Hadn't they learned their lesson yet? Could they still not see how out of their league he was? This would prove to be an entertaining distraction from the long trip. He'd enjoy fighting in the air, the rush of air beneath his wings, the whistle of wind in his ears, and the sensations of diving, swooping,and soaring would combine very favorably with the taste of blood and the smell of gore. He swung his wedge-shaped head around and roared a loud challenge at the incoming jets, louder then any sound their engines could produce.  

The dragon fruitlessly swiped his claw at the jets as they whooshed past him. The squadron made a sharp turn and came around above him again while the dragon was still in the process of turning this body around to face his assaulters. The BK 27 gas-operated cannons on the jets now came to life and in a matter of seconds the sky was filled with bullets and the rattling sounds of an automatic crossfire. Numerous bullets struck the dragon in his flank, but like harmless pebbles they all failed to penetrate the thick armored plates he was adorned with.  

"Jesus Christ on a bicycle! Look at the size of that thing! We're not even getting a dent in it!" Leave it to "Beagle", the one who always kept 'bouncing around with his plane on landings like an excited beagle puppy to fulfill the role of the quirky one. He pulled sharply on the left hand throttle and his Typhoon executed a sharp turn that brought him away from the dragon.  

"Beagle, stay frosty you big baby! I'm coming up on your left side." Drone said and she pulled up steeply, carefully picking up speed as to prevent stalling, together they made a looping, flying over the dragon in a wide arc and coming out directly behind him again.  

Kaboose interjected and said: "Switching to missiles, stay well away from it's head, and claws boys and girls, Shaker, you're with me! Take the right and engage." he had his hand held firmly on the center stick and he watched the crosshair on his HUD swivel over the form on the Red Dragon, there was a short series of bleeps and the crosshair turned from green to red. "I've got tone! Taking the shot." With an angry hiss, a Sidewinder infrared homing missile was on it's way to the dragon, leaving a trail of smoke behind. Tholaxxius had difficulty executing quick maneuvers in the air. He prefered to make wide, slow turns, using his tail as a rudder.

These jets were proving to be quite an elusive prey and they were a great deal faster and maneuverable then he was, like angry and annoying mosquitoes they buzzed around him and stung wherever they saw an opening, it was infuriating as they kept slipping between his claws. He saw the missile too late that was homing in on him, he tried to make a turn and avoid the projectile. With a loud wet thud the missile impacted against his left thigh, a flash of white pain shot trough his body, the force of the impact threw him of course and he had to beat his wings furiously to adjust. He roared out in pain and anger at the jets. Luckily no vital organs were hit or any bones broken, but still it had left an ugly gash across his thigh, his acrid blood seeping out of the wound.

"Bingo! Take that!" Kaboose cheered over the radio. "Shaker, see if you can get a lock on him."

Tholaxxius was furious now, his blazing eyes set on the nearest jet who was speeding away from him. He folded his wings tightly against his body and dropped from the sky towards the jet. There was nothing elegant about his maneuver, he just plunged and threw his whole weight into his dive his claws outstretched.  

"Beagle, look out on your six! He's coming after you!" Kaboose tried to warn him but it was too late, the dragon dropped on him like a bird of prey on an unsuspecting hare.

"I can't shake him!" Beagle yelled out as panic was seeping in his voice, his radar warning receiver went crazy, bleeping at an increasing pace as the dragon neared him. Suddenly Beagle was jerked forward as something logged on on his jet. He looked out of the left glareshield and, to his horror, saw the opened maw of the red dragon clamping down on the cockpit. The rows of razor sharp fangs scraped against the glareshield, causing it to crack and fissure as the dragon began to apply pressure. In a few moments the dragon would break open his plane like an oyster and he couldn't even eject like this. Tholaxxius clawed and mauled at the plane with his claws, tearing off one of its wings.

Luckily, Beagle managed to keep his head leveled and in a flash of insight released several flares. Usually used as countermeasure against enemy missiles. The flares discharged in a series of bright flashes and Tholaxxius released his prey. The flares had not blinded him as a dragon's eye is protected by a leathery outer eyelid and three smooth inner eyelids, or nictitating membranes. The innermost membrane is crystal clear and serves to protect the eye from damage while the dragon flies. The other two eyelids mainly serve to keep the inner membrane and the surface of the eye clean. They are thicker than the innermost membrane and less clear. He could use these inner lids to protect his eyes from sudden flashes of bright light. The flares however startled him for a moment, which was enough to cause him to release his hold on the plane. Wingless, the jet spiraled out of control towards the sea below. Loose piece of shrapnel and a plume of smoke trailing behind as it fell.  

"I can't get control! I can't get control!" Beagle screamed out above all the ringing alarms,  but he managed to slam his hand down on the "eject" button and activate his ejection seat. The canopy was jettisoned by two rocket motors and Beagle was launched out of the burning wreck. The Typhoon exploded a few seconds afterwards before it hit the surface of the water. Tholaxxius' victory was short-lived, Drone and Shaker had brought their jets into position again and both of them fired a salvo of missiles at him. There was nothing he could do to avoid them, the projectiles homed in on him with deadly accuracy. One missile impacted in his lower flank and the other exploded against his right hind leg.

Tholaxxius roared savagely, twisted and whirled his mass around, as if  trying to shake off the pain that shot trough him. His hardened scales had absorbed some of the shock, without them he surely would have been blown to bits by now. He felt something lurch in his chest, an icy cold spread around his heart, then he knew what he was feeling...fear.
No! He should never felt something like that again! He was a dragon now! He should fear no one and nothing, those humans were nothing compared to him. Isn't this what you were afraid of? The voice at the back of his head spoke again. They'll shoot you down and your corpse will be carved open in some laboratory and afterwards stuffed and put on display in some museum for everyone to see and mock. Aren't you smarter then this?

Tholaxxius flew right between the two planes, the bitter smoke from the missiles still lingered in his nostrils. He hissed as he inhaled, stoking his fire in his lungs. A long and deep shiver rippled through his chest as he inhaled, he aimed his head at one of the fleeing planes. he exhaled sharply, sending a bright searing ball of fire after it. The fireball scraped the plane's tail, partially melting the metal.

"I'm taking fire. Executing evasive maneuvers" Drone soon found out that the helm was no longer responding and instead of evasive maneuvers her Typhoon began a nosedive.
"Hmf, this ain't good, total system failure" Drone said over the radio in a rather disinterested and casual tone, as if this was an everyday occurrence. She broke off with an equally casual "Ejecting" as she used her ejection seat to escape her crashing plane. The Typhoon soon disappeared between the clouds, but the loud explosion when it it the sea below could be heard all the way up.

It was up to Shaker and Kaboose now. "Allrite ye mangy cur, yer asking fer it now! Let's finish him off! Thrusters te maximum!" Shaker said as his Typhoon began to pick up speed for another attack run.

"Roger, I'm coming in Shaker, hang in there" Kaboose joined him and together they prepared to deliver the deathblow to the red monster.

Tholaxxius realized he was in trouble, he couldn't take another hit from the jets missile salvos. The wounds he received throbbed dully, the excitement of the battle and adrenaline were blocking out the pain but his head was already feeling light. He wouldn't go down this easy, he'd find a way to defeat anything that dared cross his path. His fiery eyes fell upon something glinting on the horizon, a feral grin spread across his muzzle when he realized what it was: his key to victory. In a violent maneuver, using his head and tail to turn himself,  he wheeled away from the confrontation.

"Would ye look at tha, looks the tha wee beasty be fleeing with it's scaly tail tucked between its legs"

"Stay on target Shaker, I'm trying to get a lock on him." Kaboose replied and took the lead, he kept his hand firmly on the center stick and hovered his finger over the trigger. His eyes were now focused on the HUD as the crosshair darted across the screen. The dragon was flying rather steady so it only took a few moments before Kaboose heard electronic buzz that indicated a lock.

"I've got tone!" He exclaimed in triumph, but just as he was about to squeeze the trigger and put an end to the red terror, Shaker called out in alarm. "Hold yer fire! Hold yer fire! Civilian aircraft, 12'o clock!"  
Kaboose quickly removed his finger from the trigger and looked out of the glareshield. To his surprise and horror, a civilian airliner was flying dead ahead at cruise altitude. Kabooze turned sharply, the twin engines of his Typhoon roared in protest.  

"Just comfirm'd sah, it's Flight 546 out of London." Shaker said.

"Dammit, what's that guy doing up here! Tell him to get out of here immediately" Kaboose was frustrated, he nearly had that dragon, the last thing they needed now were more distractions.

"Sah, ye better take a look at this, tha dragon he's..he's..." Shaker didn't need to explain more, Kaboose could only look on in horror as the Red Dragon positioned himself near the airliner and was keeping up with it. He could only imagine what the passengers of that plane were going through at the moment.

"Tha bastard! He's using them as a shield! We'll risk hitting the airliner if we fire now.!" Shaker was slowing down and kept some respectable distance between them and the airliner, waiting for a command from Kaboose.
Kaboose had already informed HQ and awaited formal orders and possibly the permission to fire. The answer soon came and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

"It's a negative boys and girls, the risk of civilian casualties is too high, permission to fire not granted, we are to keep up pursuit, but not to take any action that might endanger civilian lives." Kaboose slumped back in his seat, the tension of the action left him. He could swear that dragon was grinning at them now as his opponents were reduced to helpless observers.

"Sah, tha might be a problem, we only 'ave fuel left fer an hour before we have to return te base." Shaker sounded disappointed as well. They maintained radio contact with Flight 546 and their pilot was understandably scared out of his wits. Kaboose told them to set a course for the nearest airport for an emergency landing. More fighter jets were inbound for their position, but they would not arrive in time. After an hour had past, Kaboose and his squadron had to return to base. With much reluctance, Kaboose accepted his defeat and spoke over the radio, "Break off pursuit boys and girls, heading back to base." The Typhoons made one last pass around the dragon, who was still flying close to the airliner and then they disengaged and flew off.

Tholaxxius watched the jets disappear over the horizon, he was still grinning at his own cleverness. Another positive thing was that he even didn't had to look far for something to work out the frustrations on he had endured during the battle. He turned his attention to the airliner and leisurely dived upon it, taking his time to slowly scrape his claws across the top of the plane, there was a sudden hiss as the cabin depressurized and he could have sworn that he heard people screaming which wasmusic to his ears.

The No. 3 Squadron was only fifteen minutes away when Shaker broke the news. "Sah, Flight 546....Through the way the Scotsman let his sentence dangle, Kaboose could already tell that no good news would follow.
"Flight 546 has disappeared off the radar."

"No! That bastard!" Kaboose slammed his fist against the glareshield. If only he had fired that final missile faster all those people would still be alive. He gritted his teeth and and clenched the centre stick so hard his knuckles went white. The long flight back to the base continued in utter silence.




Tholaxxius fought headwinds all the way to the coast of Morocco in North Africa. His wounds still ached, but at least the bleeding had stopped. If he remembered his geography lessons well enough, there was a large mountain range nearby, the Atlas Mountains.
Rising in the west at the Atlantic Ocean and stretching in an eastern direction to the Moroccan-Algerian border. The range includes Jbel Toubkal, which at 4,167 m is the highest mountain in the range and lies in some National Park.

The range also served as a weather system barrier in Morocco running east-west and separating the Sahara's climatic influences, which are particularly pronounced in the summer, from the more Mediterranean climate to the north, resulting in dramatic changes in temperature across the range. The High Atlas forms the basins for a multiplicity of river systems. The majority of the year-round rivers flow to the north, providing the basis for the settlements there. A number of wadis and seasonal rivers terminate in the deserts to the south and plateaus to the east of the mountains. All in all this would make a fine location for a lair. Funny, he'd never suspected to ever make us of those dry geography lessons in such a fashion. They had seemed too tiring and trivial back then.

The rough red landscape crawled beneath him. He'd be looking out for large caves or complexes of caves, with access to both high vantage points and contain entryways the depths of the earth. Though seeking out high ground for surveying his territory, he'd feel safer sleeping and storing his treasure beneath layers of rock. As he approached the upper reaches of the valley it closed into dramatic gorges, featuring spectacular canyons, a small river winded it's way at the bottom. Hardwood forests and tough shrubs covered the slopes of the mountain that now rose before him. The mountain of Toubkal, it was only logical that he'd take the highest mountain of the range to claim as his territory. There was enough game to be had in this national park and he had seen several small villages nearby and even a large city just where the mountains ended, well within a day's flight range, offering the promise of easy pillage to come. A large cave mound opened into the promontory. Tholaxxius would have to inspect it more closely to be certain.  

The cave complex was everything he'd have hoped for: it was large, defendable and spacious enough to store a hoard; The only downside was that it smelled like humans in there. Presumably hikers and other tourists visited these caves. How cute, that would mean that his food would be making it's way up to him...at last until they realize who had claimed these caves as his new home. Tholaxxius spend his next few days arranging his treasure into a neat pile, he couldn't explain why but it was pleasurable to examine each piece, the gold glittered so brightly. When he was finished he huddled down on his hoard, yawned mightily and lay himself to rest. The long flight had tired him out and all the muscles in his wings were stiff and sore. His blazing eyes fluttered once and then his eyelids dropped shut and for the first time since his transformation he was content and at peace.

The same dream haunted his sleep again and he found himself suspended in a black void, which contained no light and offered no sense of direction It was as if the canvas of reality had just fallen away. Voices rang out from all around him, some sounded angry, others were pleading, they assaulted his ears, but they seemed more distant then in his last dream. A clear and loud voice rang out again above all the others. The now clearly masculine voice called him by his dragon name and spoke in a regal but not commanding tone.  

"Tholaxxius, seek out the place where the golden sun touches the earth, come to Hullenhoshi, come Tholaxxius, son of fire, fulfill your charge."

With an audible hissing gasp, Tholaxxius awoke, his eyes suddenly wide open and his forked tongue lolling from his jaw as he panted a little. He remembered every detail of his dream. This wasn't ordinary, this could not be chance, was this some sort of ability only dragons possesed? He absent-mindly played with some golden coins between his claws, the twinkling sound had a soothing effect on his senses as he reflected on his dream. What was that place that was mentioned? Hullenhoshi? It sounded Asian, but he wasn't that good at geography and he couldn't just go find an atlas or look it up on the internet. He'd have to bully some human into doing that for him. Though world of humans could no longer be his, unfortunately the world was human. "I am a dragon now and I am not about to change who and what I am, so I'll have to change the world to suit my needs!"

He got up and walked outside and he settled himself on the sunny ledge outside his cave. Haughtily surveying his domain. The lands beyond Toubkal mountain were full of humans and humans had large reserves of food, livestock and rich treasure, he could feel his stomach rumble in hunger, the long flight had tired him out. All that wealth and food should be his instead. He unfurled his great wings and pushed himself off the rocky ledge and glided outwards on the wind, soon the smell of cooking fires was in his nostrils as he soared above a local village.

The region was mainly inhabited by Berbers who farmed organically in the valley below and tended to their goats in the mountains above. Their lifestyle was agrarian, judging by the many fields of crops that surrounded the reddish ochre and earth toned abodes, aside from that they were know for their  exceptional craftsmanship of pottery, carpets, and jewelry, and also their charming, jovial hospitality. Tholaxxius wasted no time in revealing himself by flying over the village to throw his shadow over it. He swooped downwards and set the largest building of the village on fire with a single breath. Humans wearing turbans and long clothes rushed out in panic, but stopped dead in their tracks as the dragonfear gripped them. They were clearly terrified of the 56 feet tall red dragon now standing in their town square.

Tholaxxius roared at them. "Behold your new lord and master, grovel before me insects or be devoured!"  
And grovel they did, oh how they did grovel, as one they all flung themselves down before his claws, squirming in the red dirt as they sang his praises. No one dared to raise a protest or challenge him. There was no doubt about the fact that they were not sincere and were planning to betray him later on, but right now they were terrified and docile. At his command, they gathered what few valuables they had on a pile before him. Afterwards he ate a bellyfull of their goats, shattered a few more homes for good measure, and proceeded to terrify them some more before he took to the air again.


Several weeks had passed since "Al Tineen" or simply "The Dragon" had settled into the High Atlas and terrorized the local populace, who cried to the government for salvation. The king and parliament were holding an emergency meeting in the capital city of Rabat to asses the situation. Nobody was eager for a repeat of the events in France. Hasan, an envoy and personal servant of the fifth prince of Morocco was making his way up to Toubkal, sweating heavily under his expensive suit, and his briefcase full of documents wasn't exactly good mountaineering equipment either. Hasan wasn't used to this sort of labor most of the people the prince asked him to approach lived in far more hospitable conditions, but his comfortable limousine would never reach the top of that mountain without getting dented and scarred.

The closer Hasan came to the peak, the more nervous he got. Going up to strike a deal with that...that monster, the red fire demon as the local Berbers had called him when he had asked for information and directions in the nearby village. Hasan half wondered if he had displeased the prince in  some way and he'd send him to his death; Anyone who had dared invoke that dragons ire or had spoken out to it had met a most brutal demise. The entrance to the cave looked dark and foreboding. Hassan fished a small flashlight out of his briefcase, took a deep breath and walked into the cave. Hoping that even a dragon would respect the flag of truce.

The darkness inside the cavern was all-enveloping and the long shadows created by his flashlight seemed to be playing tricks on him. There was no indication of the dragon nearby, the only sound came from his breathing and his footfalls echoing against the unyielding rock. After a few winding turns deeper into the mountain, Hasan found himself into a large chamber. He shone around with his flashlight not completely certain where to go next. It was hot in here, the warm air mixed with something else, the smell of sulfur and brimstone. Suddenly, Hasan heard something shift behind him accompanied with a tinkling sound. He turned around sharply only to see two large orange red eyes staring down at him trough the darkness. Hassan abruptly dropped his flashlight and briefcase as he slammed both his hands in font of his mouth to muffle the scream of terror that had crept up his throat.

The whole cave seemed to shudder as the dragon took a step forwards out of the darkness. "Well, well, you entered my domain uninvited and unwanted little cretin, if you wanted to end your life so badly, you could have just jumped off a cliff. Any last words before I make a meal out of you?" The dragon took another earth-shaking step towards him and craned his long neck, he looked over Hassan with a hungry look in his eyes.

"No! Wait!" Hasan cried. "I bring a message! An important message from His Excellence, Prince Izmir." He held up his briefcase in front of him like a shield, as if such a futile gesture would actually protect him.
Tholaxxius just kept growling menacingly at him as he advanced on the hapless human, so far this little pest hadn't said anything that was worth his attention, he couldn't care less if he brought a message from some prince, just another pompous human who thought he was worthy of the attention of a dragon.  

Realizing that his approach wasn't working, Hasan desperately tried something else as he backed off. "He has an offer for you. A very profitable one...and a gift as well."
That got Tholaxxius' attention, the prospect of acquiring more wealth was enough for him to at least hear him out. He stopped his advance, but he didn't stop growling at him.
Hasan fumbled with the lock of his briefcase and with trembling hands took out a document, heavy with colorful seals. "Prince Izmir is formally inviting you to his estate outside Rabat to discuss his offer, there will also be a feast in your honor tomorrow evening."

"Oh is there now?" Tholaxxius rumbled.  "And where can I find this Prince Izmir's estate?"

"It's outside the city, on the shores of the river Bou Regreg, the location will be marked with spotlights, so you can't miss it from the air."

Tholaxxis chucked with his jaws closed. "Then I'll be sure to pass my thanks for the invitation to the prince when I see him, as well for the tantalizing appetizer he send along with it."

Hasan tilted his head in confusion, he didn't like the way the dragon was looking at him one bit. "W..what appetizer? He didn't sent...." He asked concerned, but when it suddenly dawned on him his eyes went wide with fear. "Oh no! No! Don't! Prince Izmir would not look favorably on that, he's very influential and..."

"Oooh, now I am quivering in...fear." The dragon cut Hasan short as he crouched down and bared his fangs at him. Hasan wanted to turn around and run, but he tripped over a loose rock and ripped his expensive suit in the process, he tried to crawl away on his hand a knees, but a massive clawed paw swooped down and caught him. He had said his piece and Tholaxxius had no further use for this human, except as a tasty snack. He picked Hasan up and watched him struggle in his caws. Like a cat playing with a mouse, Tholaxxius dropped Hassan several times and let him crawl away, but snatched him up again before he could escape his reach. After a while he got bored of his constant screaming and pleading and started to place Hasan on his extended forked tongue. Could that human possibly scream any louder? "Oh shush you, I don't like it when my food talks back to me." And with that he devoured him in one bloody gulp.

Satisfied with himself, he settled back on his pile of treasure. Tomorrow, he'd fly to Rabat see what this "Prince Izmir" had to say. In the case that he wouldn't like what he'd hear Tholaxxius would do some negotiating of his own trough brute force. Tholaxxius gave his frill a good shake before he rolled on his back. In a unguarded moment, he could derive such pleasure from his hoard it was nearly indescribable, like a pig wallowing in the mud on a hot day he rolled trough the pile of gold, equally deriving a degree of physical pleasure from the act.  

The next day Tholaxxius was flying above Rabat, the sounds and smells of the Atlantic Ocean greeted him and the city's many lights twinkled beneath him. It was a cloudless evening so he had no trouble spotting the circle of spotlights that had been set up next to an impressive estate outside the city. This must be where Prince Izmir lived he thought to himself. He sure had taste for a human, judging by the many expensive sport cars and the numerous statues and ornaments that decorated the abode. Ita ppeared the feast would take place outside, as he noticed several long tables and chairs with colorful cushions on them stood invitingly on the garden terrace. The area was illuminated by firelit lanterns, basking everything in a warm yellow hue. He landed heavily in the gardens, the many guests that had gathered all fell silent and huddled together like a flock of frightened sheep, a quite fitting allegory. A middle aged, black haired man with a short and neatly trimmed beard stepped from their midst. He was wearing a extravagant suit with a golden brooch pinned on his chest.

"Greetings and welcome to my humble home, oh mighty dragon. I am Prince Izmir and I am glad to see you decided to accept my...invitation. We have a lot to discuss, but now, please accept my hospitality and let us enjoy the food and drink." He waved towards the arranged tables and had his guests seated. There was something slimy about this man, and he was far too confident in his presence, Tholaxxius wouldn't trust him as far as he could throw him. Figuratively speaking that is, he could fling him over the horizon if he wanted to.

Luckily they hadn't forgotten to have some food for him, several sheep were slowly being roasted above a firepit. Without so much as a thank you, Tholaxxius threw himself upon his food with a such a ravenous appetite that it was unsettling to watch. He wolfed down the roasted sheep with hooves, bones and everything. The cook who had been tending the spit only narrowly avoided being devoured as well. Tholaxxius wiped the juice and saliva that was dribbling off his horned chin with his forearm. The other guests were speaking in hushed tones, occasionally casting a worried glance at him. Prince Izmir clapped his hands and rose from his seat, the food and plates were hastily removed by the waiters. The small orchestra in the back now came to life and started to play some traditional music.

"What is happening now?" Tholaxxius asked a nearby waiter, who at the powerful sound of his voice, almost dropped the tea set he was carrying. The waiter first nervously cleared his throat before he answered the dragon. "His excellence writes his own poetry, he traditionally recites some of his latest work to his guest after dinner." The man said and hastily excused himself. Just great, poetry, this was getting under his scales. That boring stuff was best left to girls. He snorted once and settled himself down, his tail lashing idly behind him in annoyance. He'd had to sit trough this if he wanted to hear that profitable deal.

Izmir was standing up straight at the head of the table and recited the verses with much bravado from a small black book that he held in his hand while making some dramatic gestures with his other.  

Are you ready to remember
the myths told long ago.

When dragons ruled the fiery skies.
Creators of legend guard this place.

Hue of life's blood; the
Passion and fury beneath
Like molten lava.

Sky-high, blood and bone
The shred of wings - a fallen
Scream that marks the end.

Seeing all with their mystical eyes.
Begin to believe,
and you will come to see
Wonders of magic so wild and free.

The prince bowed lightly when he had finished he received a spontaneous applause from his guests, but Tholaxxius made no effort to stifle a yawn. Dessert and tea was being served. Waiters carrying plates full of pastries and sweets served the guests, the waiter who he had spoken to earlier approached Tholaxxius, who's massive horned head was resting on his front paws.

"Excuse me...sir...would you like a dessert too?"  

The dragon blinked once at him. "That would be lovely."

Before the waiter could reply, Tholaxxius' head snapped forward as he bit into the man. The man's eyes bugged out and crimson blood splattered all over the terrace. The orchestra abruptly stopped playing and all the guests looked on crestfallen. One of them even fainted and fell off his chair while another was trembling so badly that the teacup he'd been holding clattered to the floor. Prince Izmir, on the other hand, acted like nothing happened and took a careful sip of his tea as the dragon casually swallowed his dessert. He waved his hand in a dismissive way to the other guests. "Leave us." Prince Izmir said, and he certainly didn't need to repeat that, the guests almost fought each other to get away as fast as possible.  

Tholaxxius licked his talons clean and turned his attention to Izmir. "I trust you have been enjoying yourself so far?" Izimr said without looking up from his teacup. "Well, let is talk about this proposal I have for you, I just happen to have heard that you like to play chess? Why don't we discuss this delicate matter over a game? hmm?"

Izmir's hand moved towards a box that had been sitting on the table, out came a chessboard, he arranged the pieces and made his opening move by sliding a pawn two squares ahead. "Now, I do not know how familiar you are with the political situation here in Morocco, but I have a problem, one you can help me with, and in return, I will help you."

Tholaxxius leaned in to look at the tiny chessboard. "Pawn to F3, I am assuming your problem is political in nature then, and you need a "dragon" to handle it?"

"Pawn to E6. Yes, you see, I am only the fifth in line of the throne of Morocco. As things are now, I will never be king. I suppose I could try to "remedy" that on my own, but there is a glaring problem with that. If my brothers and father were all to have a terrible accident while I miraculously survive, people are going to ask questions, questions I'd rather not have answered. I can not use conventional means without casting an everlasting shadow of doubt on my rule. No, I need something more conclusive. That is were you come in. What I want you to do is to fly to the Royal Palace in Rabat and wipe out my competitors in broad daylight, preferably in front of the whole city. Can't get more conclusive then that, the people will not be looking for more plots behind that then if a natural disaster wiped them out, which isn't far off from what you are."

Tholaxxius chuckled lightly, like Izmir had just given him a compliment. That man was sitting here calmly talking about killing his own father and brothers just to get what he wanted. Amusing, but he didn't see anything profitable for him come from his little scheme. "Knight to B5, and I am to help to get you on the throne out of the kindness of my own heart?" He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Rook to A5. The position of King still means something here, the King of Morocco has vast executive powers, he can dissolve the government and deploy the military, among other prerogatives. Now, I understand that after your little...trip..through France, the international community is out for your hide, you're the talk of the United Nations right now, our current good king is all to eager to lend his assistance in an operation that would rid his country of the...red fire demon."

Tholaxxius could see the merit in that, his run in with the RAF had been a sobering experience, those humans could hurt and kill him. "Bishop to H6. And you can keep them from interfering with my ways?"

"Pawn to G6. Quite so, my claim to the throne is legimate, I will be the rightful heir and the United Nations must respect the sovereignty of my country. My first act will be to close the borders until the dragon problem is dealt with, we'll ask the international community for weapons and funds to deal with this terrible disaster. If they find out later about our little agreement, I will have a firm hold over these lands and the weapons they have so graciously provided will turn this place into an impregnable fortress"

"Knight to D4. And just how do I know you will keep your promise after I've done my part?" The dragon retorted.

"Rook to H3, what would stop you from stomping me flat in that case, I am smart enough not to make enemies that are out of my league."

"Queen to E7, how smart of you, very well, I'll solve this little problem of yours in the morning and...checkmate."

Prince Izmir observed the chessboard for a while and rubbed his chin, he played a bit around with the King piece before toppling it over. "Excellent, and to seal our agreement, I have a gift for you." He dialed a number on his mobile phone and spoke some sentences in Arabic. The main gate opened and a large pick up truck made its way in, carrying a large wooden box it in its cargo space. "Go ahead, it's all yours." Izmir gestured at the box. Gleefully, like a child on Christmas day, Tholaxxius ripped the lid off the box revealing a large golden bracer sparkling inside. It seemed to be custom made out of solid gold to fit around his wrist and was richly decorated with typical Arabic engravings. This trinket must have cost the prince a small fortune. Tholaxxius clasped it around his wrist and admired it, the gold went well with his blood-red scales and he could see his own reflection in the highly polished metal. One thing stood out on it, a rather large engraving of a dawning sun with five rays.

"Normally I give Swiss watches to my honored friends, but I settled for something more special this time." The prince took another sip of his tea when Tholaxxius noticed that on the golden brooch the prince was wearing stood the same image of the golden sun. Izmir caught the dragon's wandering gaze. "A fancy little thing no, it is the symbol of the Order of the Golden Sun. I'll tell you more about the old legends that surround them, but our mind is on the present now. Feel free to spend the night in my gardens, my guards will make sure you are not disturbed. Tomorrow will be a new start for this country. I bid you a goodnight." and with that Izmir rose and nodded politely at Tholaxxius before he disappeared back inside his estate.  

The Golden Sun? Now, where had he heard that before? Tholaxxius dismissed the notion, right now he wanted some rest. He found himself a nice spot in the garden and curled himself into a tight ball. Just when he was about to close his eyelids, two men bearing rifles on their backs approached him. They were forcing along a young and slender black haired female who was gagged and clasped in iron shackles on both her hands and feet. What did they want now? One of the men forced the woman on her knees with the stock of rifle.

"Great one, Prince Izmir wants to give you another gift to show his endless generosity and appreciation he holds towards you."

The guard was not a good actor, it sounded he had to practice that line a few times and still didn't manage to pull it off convincingly. The woman looked up at Tholaxxius with tearfully frightened eyes, like that of a doe. She was dressed into a scandalous outfit that left little to the immagination. The two guards bowed hasty and made themselves scarce. Tholaxxius wasn't hungry anymore, he sniffed at the captive, and startled. His appetite, which he thought sated just moments ago, rose sharply again. The hunger that wasn't all hunger wetted his mouth and quickened his heartbeat. The muscles in his jaws ached in a pleasant way and he suddenly wanted nothing more then to sink his fangs into her. It seemed to mesmerize him as he wholeheartedly gave in to his instincts. His forked tongue darted past his lips as he ran it across her several times, savoring the taste. Her muffled screams soon died out as he began to devour her. Never before had he tasted something so sweet and tender. He made sure to chew slowly, the first thing he'd do when he'd get back to Toubkal would be to demand more of this from the local villages as a tribute.

Prince Izmir stood on the balcony and observed the spectacle with his arms folded across his chest, a sly smirk spread across his face.

The majestic Royal Palace was located right in the heart of Rabat and is was open to the public It was moderately impressive from the outside, it was neither old nor very big, but the palace still provided a fine illustration of Islamic architecture. It was surrounded by a wall with three gates. The complex was well protected and the main gates of the palace were impressive.
The gardens that encircled the Palace were stunning, scenic and green.The street leading to the main square and entrance of the palace was lined with well cared for trees. Tholaxxius regarded it all from above, it would burn lovely and he could smash it all to flinders, but he had a job to do here. He touched down at the plaza in front of the main gates, his tail idly knocked over the statue of the previous king. A score of rifle bearing honor guards tried to put up a semblance of a fight but they were no match for a dragon, after a single fiery breath half of them were reduced to smoldering ashes and the other half scattered in all directions.

"Send out the king!" Tholaxxius roared, the palace servants fled at the sound of his voice. "I demand to talk to him! Send him out or I'll tear this whole city apart and eat him piece by piece once I am done! Now!"
Someone screamed and a side door was pushed open, mustering whatever dignity he could, the king stepped outside. Tholaxxius could smell his fear, the king's servants begged him not to go, but he approached him with something that passed for human courage. The king looked up and addressed the dragon in a remarkably steady voice. "I am the King of Morocco, what is it that you want fr-" Tholaxxius wasn't in the mood for another preach, a quick flash of his sharp claws and the king was cut into gory ribbons. He rounded up the other princes and gave them a similar treatment. He put his snout to the main entrance of the palace and breathed a cone of fire into it, setting it ablaze. He took a moment to survey his handiwork before he pushed himself off. He hovered in the air above the palace, his wings still kicking up a whirlwind of dust, he belched a guttural laugh, then lifted into the sky and few off.

Prince Izmir was already waiting for him in the gardens of his estate when Tholaxxius landed there. "The deed is done then? You've taken care of my problem?" He asked.
Tholaxxius flexed his claws. "Congratulations, you may now call yourself King Izmir. Everything went according to plan, the beloved king died tragically at the hands of a rampaging dragon."

Izmir clapped his hands, a wicked smile on his face. "Most excellent, this was only the easy step, I have a lot more work in store for you."

Tholaxxius didn't like Izmir's arrogant tone nor the face that he was looking at him like he was a horse on auction. "I've done my part of our agreement, I am not some pet you can order around." He growled.

Izmir gave the dragon a blank look. "I'm sorry, but you are." He said flatly.

"What? How dare you even suggest that, you little rat...your charred remains will litter the floor!" His anger and fury at this human's lack of respect got the better of him. He drew in a deep breath and prepared to scorch  the flesh off Izmir's bones.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, it'll be your own demise." Izmir remained calm even in the face of the orange glow eminating from Tholaxxius' maw, indicating that he could discharge his breath weapon at any second. Izmir retrieved something that looked like a mobile phone from his pocket. "You see, I have collared you beast, that bracer I gave you and now adorns your arm is in fact a highly powerful explosive device, if I press this button here..." He hovered his finger menacingly over a red button on the remote. "..you will be blown to smithereens. And just before you get any bright ideas, trying to pry it off will only cause it to detonate as well." To put some more power behind his claim he pressed the button next to the red one and a the golden bracer around Tholaxxius arm began to bleep, indicating that the detonation device was now armed.

Tholaxxius face wasn't very flexible, but he looked as if all his scales had just fallen off. He looked at the golden bracer in disbelief, it might as well be a golden shackle now. "No!" He roared at the top of his lungs. "No! You miserable pathetic human, I'll...I'll tear you into a million morsels, I'll feast on your entrails! I'll.."  

Izmir waved his hand dismissively at him. "You will do nothing of the sort, Playing a game of chess with someone can reveal a lot about your opponent's character. I have learned that deep down, you are a coward who does not want to die. Quite true isn't it? Why else did you even agree to my offer in the first place if not out of fear for international retribution. Go ahead then if you dare, end it then if you are not. I have humbled you dragon, as I will the rest of your kind."

Tholaxxius heard him say the words, but he could barely understand them, he was still trying to get over the idea that he, a mighty dragon, was reduced to..to the slave of some backwater prince. It was all coming back to him now, this was actually worse then when he was human, his freedom, his power, robbed from him by trickery. How could he have been so blind, he wanted to roar and stomp, drown the hurt that now rose in him in an orgy of death and destruction, but his fire failed him. He slumped to the ground and wept piteously, hiding his snout in his claws.

"So? What's it going to be dragon? Die free or live as a slave?" Izmir said gleefully, still holding the remote that could seal his fate in his hand.  

Tholaxxius' whispered his answer through tears, tears for what he said and for his own cowardice.

Izmir clasped his hands behind his back and continued to sneer at the dragon."Well, well. How amusing it seems there still is a "shred" of humanity left within you. You can remember what is was like yes? After all, you did spend some years as a human. Before you drank from that blood." Each and every word Izmir said stabbed him like a dagger, how could that man possibly know that he was a human once? He just couldn't wrap his mind around it. He feverishly wished this was all just a bad dream, a really bad dream and that he would soon wake up on his comfortable bed of treasure.

"Your kind were rapacious beasts back then and it would appear you still are today. You haven't learned a thing, have you? I can picture the moment you awakened, that moment you realized you were a creature of immense power, intelligence and strength and what did you do? Oh, that's right, you proceeded to treat us as little more then mindless cattle, a grave miscalculation as you can now see for yourself. While you were peacefully and blissfully hibernating as a human, we have learned and grown in your kind's absence. The roles are reversed now, once we were the students of your kin, now we are the masters and I will be your teacher, your teacher in humility and obedience. Let us find out how you like it. Today, a new Order of the Golden Sun will arise from the ashes of the old one! And with the power of the dragons at our command, we shall dominate the whole word! Starting right here and now. Better learn your place if you want to live, a certain Golden Dragon is on it's way here to kill you even as we speak, so we have some work to do if we are to prevent that. From Kings to Pawns!"  

The prince fished a King chess piece out of his pocket and flicked it at Tholaxxius' snout with a smirk on his face.

"Checkmate"