Marcoul and Lagrathor by ilbv
Marcoul had been exploring the caves near his home for a week, he liked to explore places and since his older brother was away, he had the house to himself for a good long time. One day he walked farther than he ever had before and found a cave that he had not yet explored, so he ventured inside the rocky side of the hill. It was dark, but the light from outside was seeping inside so Marcoul could still see everything fairly well. As he ventured deeper into the cave he heard a deep wind coming from ahead. He slowed down and listened more intently. The wind sounded like… breathing.
Marcoul gasped, for as he reached the back of the cave he saw a huge blue and silver Dragon curled up and sleeping. The Dragon’s head was on its side and its jaws were parted slightly as it breathed. Marcoul had always admired Dragons, and was interested in the power of their teeth, “I wonder if I could take one.” he thought to himself.
Slowly, Marcoul crept to the dragon’s mouth and looked inside. The Dragons tongue was flopped over it left Marcoul enough room to slip between the lips and teeth and stand partly inside, he looked up at where the teeth jutted from the Dragon’s gums and watched them shimmer in the light that was coming from the mouth of the cave.
Marcoul reached in his belt and pulled out a small hammer and reached up to tap at the base of one of the teeth when they pulled away from him and the whole set of jaws moved as the Dragon yawned. Before Marcoul could dive out they closed shut around him as the Dragon shut its jaws at the end of its yawn. Feeling something on its tongue the Dragon instinctively swallowed and Marcoul was sailed into the dark cavern of its throat and pulled into it by the throat muscles and the dragons tongue pushing him down.
The Dragon swallowed again instinctively and Marcoul yelled loudly with panic and outrage as he slipped downwards in the tight confines of the Dragons throat. It was squishy and warm as the muscles of the throat rippled around him and dragged him downwards, the sound of the Dragons heartbeat pulsed louder and louder and then quieter and fainter as he slid past it in the esophagus.
As Marcoul had yelled, the Dragon opened its eyes in surprise and lifted its head, looking around to see what had made a sound. It then felt its throat moving and noticed a lingering taste in his mouth. “Hmm is that Human?” the Dragon thought to himself. With a groan of his stomach, the Dragon felt something slide into it. His stomach didn’t bulge out but it now emitted a series of gurgles and even a few sounds that did indeed sound like a panicked human.
The Dragon chuckled and rolled on his back, exposing his belly to the ceiling and causing its occupant to roll round with him. “What possibly made you think you could enter my mouth without this happening?” The Dragon said. Inside his belly, Marcoul had frozen in his place. It was bad enough that he was inside a Dragon’s stomach, and worse still that it was full of yellowish liquids and was rolling him all around the place, but now he swore he heard a voice.
There was a tapping on the outside of the stomach as the Dragon clinked his claws along his scales. “Well human?” he asked. Marcoul blinked and rubbed his eyes, he was awake. “Is the one who speaks…you Dragon?” he asked.
The Dragon smiled to himself, “Yes, that would be me. Now human, how did you end up in this predicament?” “My name is Marcoul, Dragon, and this is all a misunderstanding. I was only seeing if you were dead.” Marcoul lied so that the Dragon wouldn’t be angered for what he was trying to do before being eaten. The Dragon snorted, “My name is Lagrathor, and I am the Dragon of these fields, how did you come upon my cave?” “I was only exploring, Lagrathor and I saw you sleeping here, you were very still and I wanted to see if you were alive.” Lagrathor rolled his eyes, “And did it not occur to you that if I had awakened I would have tried to eat you?” Marcoul looked around himself, “I think you did that already.”
The Dragon smiled and rubbed his stomach, “That I did, and I am quite fond of the flavor you left in my jaws. I may just keep you in here. Curiosity killed the cat after all.” Marcoul was frightened, “But please oh great and powerful Lagrathor, I did not mean any harm to you, I was only exploring.” Lagrathor growled, for he had the ability to read the intentions of others. “You are lying Marcoul, I know you tried to take one of my fangs for your own use, and that is unacceptable. I think you have been justly punished and will remain inside me.” Marcoul scowled and pounded on the inside of the Dragon’s stomach. “Release me! Or I will cut my way out!” He pulled out his tools from his belt which was still around his waist.
Lagrathor raised his eyebrows, “My stomach acids will dissolve all of your metals before you can take a single swing.” and at these words, a valve in the Dragon's stomach released gallons of yellowish digestive liquids into the stomach and knocked Marcoul over. He was soon treading in the acid as it destroyed all his metal tools and helmet. His skin started to tingle and burn, and he was afraid now that he would be digested right along with everything else. “Mercy!” he cried. “I’ll do anything!” After another minute of bubbling liquids, the acid receded back into the intestines and Marcoul collapsed in the Dragon’s stomach. Lagrathor was not a cruel Dragon and did feel that the Human deserved a chance to fight for his life. “Alright Marcoul, I will release you, and you will dual me. We will make it fair.” He hacked and rolled his throat and spit a slimed Marcoul out of his jaws and onto the cave floor.
Marcoul stood and wiped off as much saliva as he could. “disgusting.” he said as he flicked a large glob onto the stones. He looked up at the large and proud faced Dragon, “Very well Lagrathor, but I will need my sword and spear, back at my home.” “Then go and retrieve them.” “It is a far journey.” Marcoul said looking out into the fields through the outside of the cave mouth. The Dragon stood and lowered his head to the Human. “Climb on and I will fly us there, I really would like to see the outcome of this dual, for if I am victorious, you will be inside me once again.”
Marcoul hesitantly climbed onto Lagrathor’s back and held on as the Dragon flew off into the sky towards his house. By the time the two of them arrived, they decided that a dual wasn’t really needed. No one had been harmed and they were fascinated by each other. A friendship was blossomed, and the two of them bonded and became Dragon and Rider.
The End
