You are a hungry child hiding behind some rubble in a dim gray world. An empty pit of pain in your belly is only eclipsed by the pounding headache you have had the last few days as the hunger has gotten worse and worse.
Above you, far above are the sounds of a grand keep and all its busy servants. But down here in the roots of your fathers keep there is only blackness and slick wet stones and goblins so far lost in the dark that they have forgotten that there even is a lord above them in the keep.
After a while of staring down the ruined hallway a tiny flying form comes in to view. A hatchling blue dragon no bigger than a house cat, and very skinny. So skinny that you can see the creatures ribs under his dark blue scales. Your constant companion for as long as you can remember, and you have never been happier to see your tiny winged scout. Small scaled feet grasp on to your forearm and shoulder and the blue wyrmling shows you his prize.
A biscuit. A disgusting biscuit made of goblin bone meal. It was more like a cake of chalk once in your hands, flaking and crusty and stinking of old blood. Despite the hideous scent of the gray biscuit you force yourself to take a bite, causing your belly to quiver and clench tight. Forcing your mouth to chew the hard powdery crust, you tear rest of the morsel in half and give it back to the dragon on your arm. He wastes no time getting to gnawing on the stale treat and your heart lifts just a bit to think you will get to sleep with food in your belly.
"Oi there boyz. Wot you got there there, little gray face?"
It was Skollo, one of the many goblins to call these wrecked halls home and he was one of the worst bullies you knew. Yellow and gray and warty, he was covered with hideous self inflicted scars and has a green crust around his oversized nostrils. In addition to being as ugly as possible, he was a cruel bastard always quick to give you a beating with his club studded with copper pegs.
The ratty dressed goblin strode up to just within reach, leaning his club against the wall of the ruins so he could grab you by both wrists and look at the content of your hands. The powerful grip of the scabby goblin locks your arm in place as he takes your food.
"I saw that stoopid worm of yours steal this biscuit! Now there is a whole biscuit here and I want it all!' The goblin declared.
Knowing if you do not eat now you may never eat again, you clench your little gray hand down on the biscuit and from the depths of your hungry desperation you say a word.
"No"
"Wassat you little ***? You sayin no to me? I will club your *** head in"
The goblin turned to grab his stick, intent on smashing your head in and taking that terrible tasting biscuit... but when he turned to look down there was no club anymore. Down the hallway your loyal and so very clever dragon had taken the club and flown away as fast as he could. You might get a beating but you will probably live you think.
The reality sets in quickly however when Skollo turns and hammers your face with his big warty fist. Your world explodes in white sparks and you stagger back only to be set on again by the furious goblin. The world turns red and then black. Someone is screaming.
You are the one screaming, and somehow you are on top of Skollo. A broken piece of rubble is clutched in your hand as it comes to rest on the mangled and smashed face of the goblin. You collapse, then you vomit up the contents of your stomach and think that *** biscuit tastes just as disgusting the second time.
Your arms shake and threaten to give out as you struggle to sit up, staring down at blood platters on a dusty floor you hear the soft wing beats of your dragon returning and the clank of him dropping Skollos club on the floor.
You look around, frantic worry that the food might have been lost.
"Help me look for the biscuit, Ix" You say to the skinny dragon.
"Master, we have real food now. Forget the biscuit"
Slowly you turn your head back to look at the dead goblin. From your shoulder your dragon continues to talk.
"You have to drag him somewhere the others will not find us, then we eat him all ourselves."
It is well over an hour of dragging the body of the goblin before you find a corner where you two feel safe, and the eating begins. With the goblins own eating knife you start to cut slices off his arm and tear at the rubbery hard meat with your teeth.
Another two hours pass with no sounds save for you and your dragon devouring as much as you can of the goblin before sitting back covered in blood but more satisfied than you can remember. Warm copper flavored blood and tough old meat make for a glorious feast for the two of you.
"We should stay here and hide in this spot as long as we can. We can eat for a few days now, master" The dragon says "And now that we have a club, we may be able to eat other goblins."
With that hopeful advice your dragon curls up and is quickly snoring softly atop the rest of your feast.
It is only after he is asleep and the only sounds you can hear are the far off shouts of adults in the keep above that you relax enough to cry. Without the energy for a proper sob you just sit there with wet streaks forming on your dirty cheeks as you contemplate a life with enough food for the two of you to eat.
You take hold of the copper studded club and wrap both arms around it holding it to your chest. It feels safe to have a weapon. But even more important than that, this is the first time you ever went to sleep with a full belly and no worries about what you would eat tomorrow.
Eating Your Fill
