In a small cave deep in the hilly landscape of the abandoned land of Huguria, a fearsome red dragon dwelled over his great hoard of treasure.
Well… a great hoard it was not.
Scattered across the cold, rocky floor of the cave lay, at most, ten copper coins and the absolute grand prize: one whole silver coin.
And the fearsome dragon guarding it? This beast, who, in his own little fantasy, was the most threatening creature in the land, was called Rory. Rory the Little Red Dragon. His head was no bigger than a human's, and his body and tail together were no longer than a two-person park bench. A threat? He was far from it.
"Stupid bigger dragons! Always stealing everything that has even a little value. I'm so sick of it! Just because I'm small, they think they can boss me around. Well, no more! From now on, I will defend my great treasure hoard with the ferocity of a berserker army! Now, let's see if all my coins are still here. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten… and my most beautiful possession, number eleven. The silver beauty!"
Rory proudly admired his carefully arranged treasure. The ten copper coins formed a neat circle around the silver coin, placing his most prized possession right at the centre. He gave the silver coin an affectionate little pat, satisfied that everything was exactly where it belonged.
He shook his soft, smooth scales in anger and defiance, striking a military pose to show off his mighty appearance. "Right, Major Boulder?"
Before him stood two stacked rocks, with a face carved into the top one. Rory's voice echoed through the cave. Major Boulder, of course, had no answer for the bravado displayed by the lonely dragon standing before him. After all, Major Boulder was a rock.
It had been this way for as long as Rory could remember. With a sad thud, Major Boulder's carved face clattered to the ground, as if to signal that even he no longer believed in the fearsome facade of the tiny, crimson dragon. "Okay then, fine! I don't need you anyway, you major moron! I just need myself and my treasure. That's enough for me! Hmph … fine. Here stand up straight Major Boulder. You should always keep your head up. After all, if your to be a friend of the most fearsome dragon in the land. You should learn how to pull your act together, right?’’ Rory, waited. Only silence answered him. Major boulder’s face very slowly shifted downwards. Rory sighed. ‘’I’ll take that as a yes.’’
Rory's face trembled as he forced a smile. He then trudged back to his small pile of coins and lay down on top of them, firmly grasping his most prized possession—the one silver coin—between his tiny, padded paws.
Little did the red dragon living in the desolate land of Huguria know that his quiet little life would be turned upside down in just a couple of hours.
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"Ughhh… Why is this place so empty?" an unknown creature muttered. "Not even a stupid cave or anything for me to sleep in! 'Go to Huguria,' they said. 'There are no humans there.' Well, they failed to mention that there's also nothing else!" A sigh escaped the creature's mouth as it continued searching for a place to crash. Then, it noticed a small entrance in the side of a grassy hill. The creature hopped with joy. "Finally!" It pranced towards the cave entrance.
"Lalala! A place of my own. A place to decorate and fill with riches. A place where I can grow into a fully-fledged dragon! And anyone who wrongs me will end up in stitches! “It sang with excitement.
But then it spotted a small red dragon clutching his few coins in his sleep "Hmm…" The creature exhaled thoughtfully. "Maybe not a cave of my own. But it seems I can get a head start on my own treasure hoard if I play my cards right. Heheheh—snort!" It quickly stifled its strange little laugh, just in case it woke the crimson dragon.
"No… snore… don't take my treasure," Rory mumbled in his sleep. "Don't do it… My precious silver coin…" Rory slowly opened his eyes. A blue silhouette filled his vision. As his red eyes adjusted, he found himself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes blinking back at him.
"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Rory roared. The blue figure jumped backwards in fear.
Standing before Rory was a small blue dragon, roughly the same size as him. Rory's eyes widened. He had never expected to see another dragon his size. "Who are you?" Rory asked. But before he could get an answer, he glanced down and spotted his beloved silver coin in the paws of the creature standing before him.
"You dare steal from me?! Do you wish to face the wrath of the Crimson Menace?!" He puffed out his chest and glared at his blue rival. Unfortunately, Rory looked more like an inflated balloon animal than the fearsome creature he was trying to portray.
"I-I am Blaine! The Blue Fury! I hereby claim your treasure as my own, whether you like it or not!" Blaine puffed out his chest as well, matching Rory's threatening display.
From an outsider's perspective, it looked like two clumsy puppies getting ready for a playdate. But to them, it was the beginning of an epic battle.
Rory raised his paw and struck Blaine in the face. The blow lacked any real force and felt more like Rory was petting him. "You dare?!" Blaine exclaimed. He returned the favour by striking Rory in the chest with all his strength. Unfortunately, it felt about as threatening as a pillow hitting Rory.
The two dorks continued their "epic" battle with multiple "gruesome" strikes. Not a single bruise was inflicted, and neither dragon sustained an injury. During their adorable scuffle, Blaine managed to swipe one of the copper coins with a flick of his tail.
The coin tinkled as it rolled to the other side of the cave. Blaine quickly leapt after it and covered it with his body. "Ha! A great victory for Blaine the Blue Fury! I deserve all the coins in the world!" He cackled loudly, his laughter occasionally interrupted by a snort.
Rory glared at the cackling figure before him. "You think having two coins makes you great? I still have plenty more! You… blueberry!" Rory trudged back to his remaining nine copper coins and lay down on top of them. "You're lucky I'm too tired from our epic battle to take them back. But tomorrow… tomorrow, you will feel my wrath, you thief!"
"I've already won once, and I'll do it again! I'll keep going until every last one of your coins is mine!" Blaine declared. They turned their backs on each other and clutched their coins close to their bodies. The two dragons continued growling pathetically at each other until sleep finally claimed them both.

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