Dragon's armor

Caedus entered the cave which so many from the kingdom were afraid to go near, shedding his armor as he did so, leaving behind a trail of protective metal. He left his sword and shield on a stone shelf as the large entrance narrowed slightly and began to twist and turn, heading deep into the mountains to the massive beasts that it housed. The kingdom's greatest knights feared what Caedus was heading towards. Yet he was relaxed, a calm smile planted on his face.

The path ahead of him brightened abruptly, a roar echoing through the halls, and a burst of heat rushing the air and drawing forth his sweat in an instant. He hesitated for only a moment, letting the distant flames die down before he continued onward. He was well familiar with the dragons - plural, despite what the kingdom's people believed - but even he was still a human. He could not withstand their power or their flames, and he knew that they would burn him to a crisp if he was not careful.

But he knew that they would not do so intentionally. The dragons had their preferences, their desires, their impulses, and their instincts. They preferred their homes hot, and frequently breathed flame into the stones to make them radiate heat for extended periods of time. The cave pathways were much too small for them to navigate, but allowed the heat to circulate and last for longer periods of time. Instead, they tore massive holes in the stone above their heads, allowing them entry and exit, as well as letting the light of the sun pour into their home, as they liked.

The dragons lifted their heads as Caedus approached, reaching out with their long necks to nuzzle him lovingly. Their scales were hard and rough, but he had long since toughened his skin so that they would no longer tear at his flesh as they showed their affection for him. He could not recall what had first brought him to this cave, or what life had been like before that day - it had been many years since then, and life had been better as a child of dragons. He had little he could ask for.

The head of their family, Drazlin, looked down at Caedus, wishing to speak with him. Caedus nodded in response, and placed his hand on the dragon's snout, closing his eyes and opening his mind to the beast.

Drazlin told Caedus of a gift he wished to impart upon the human. A gift of scales, shed early so as to retain their solidity and strength. Scales which could be sewn together into a new set of armor, to replace the feeble steel of human craftsmanship. Armor which no other human could compare with. Armor that would protect him as he went throughout the land, so that even when he was far away, his dragon family would always be with him.

Caedus smiled as he opened his eyes and looked up at the monster which he looked to as a father. He hugged the dragon's snout tightly and thanked him profusely. With dragon scale armor, he would be invincible. He would never again have to fear whether or not he could return home to them.