Ash woke up on his side and felt something very hot against his stomach. His eyes flew open when he registered that something was wrong. He looked down to see something on the bed. It had scales and was a pale gray color.

“D-dragon.” He whispered causing the dragon to look up at him with blue eyes.

The dragon began to purr when it saw him awake and rubbed its head into his side. That left Ash confused. Why was the dragon acted liking a cat? Hesitantly, he put his hand on the smooth scales of the little baby dragon.

The dragon blinked at him and seemed to smile at him with his eyes. “Hi.” Said Ash quietly.

Hi! Said an eager voice in his head. Ash jumped and looked around as if he expected the voice to have come from someone around him.

When he didn’t see anyone, he looked down at the dragon in confusion. “Was that you?” He asked, confusion knitted his voice.

Yep. I’m Aegon.

(Pronounced with the “Ae” like the sound of the “a” in baby and “gon” like gone.)

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ash. How did you get in here?”

Someone left the door open, and I felt a presence that I wasn’t familiar with, so I came in to check it out. I liked you, so I decided I wanted to take a nap on your soft bed.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? You look like a baby, but you sound intelligent.”

I’m two hundred years old.

“Wow! That’s old!”

Actually I’m still considered a baby in the dragon community. I won’t become a fully mature dragon for about another eight hundred years.

“Dragons get that old?” He asked in wonder.

Some. Not all. Others get much older than that. I’ve known some dragons that have lived for thousands of years, even before the time when humans walked the earth.

“Wow! That’s amazing! Are there any dragons here that old?”

Only a handful. Can I ask you a question?

“Of course.” He said curiously. “I’ve already asked a ton, so it’s only fair that it is your turn.”

Why are you in bed? You could go see the world if you wanted to.

“I can’t. I’m injured.”

What? How?

“I’d rather not talk about it.” Ash said quietly.

Suddenly, his door burst open causing Ash to jump. In ran none other than Drew. He huffed and puffed, his hands on his knees. When he finally regained his breath, he asked Ash, “Are you okay?”