Flame and Fable

- July Flash Fiction 2023 Popular Vote Pick

Said the dragon to the boy, "You and I both breath fire, I with flame and you with fable."

The boy ignored the dragon and pressed his quill to the parchment. The dragon flew to a nearby kingdom, destroying all that stood.

One hundred years passed before the dragon and boy met again, one ancient, the other ageless, but both astonished by their life's work.

"I did not believe you then," said the boy to the dragon, "you have taken their homes, possessions, and lands, but I have taken something much greater. I have their imaginations."

The dragon laughed and flew away, off to reign terror once more. The old man knew what awaited his rival, for he taught the people to use their imaginations, and they dreamed up a way to slay the dragon.