Descending the jade stairway step by step into the depths, Drake rounded a bend and was suddenly dazzled by a treasure trove's glittering allure. Gold, silver, jade, gemstones of every hue, lustrous pearls, and unfamiliar metals pulsating with magical energy were heaped haphazardly throughout the chamber. The rainbow of color from the rare metals was captivating, but none shone as brightly as the mounds of gold coins that nearly filled the vault. While the treasure seemed modest against Drake's four-meter length, it would've been a veritable golden mountain to a human.
Drake's eyes turned to dollar signs, the dragon's innate covetousness tempting him to dive into the glimmering pile. Keeping his draconic instincts at bay, a task made possible by his former human soul, Drake pushed on to discover a most untimely human presence amidst the hoard.
An impoverished-looking elderly mage stuffed his pockets with gold coins in a frenzy. At the sight of Drake, the mage's face froze, his forced smile uglier than tears.
...
Magus Marchis considered himself the unluckiest man in the world.
His plan had been simple: join the church's decennial crusade against foreign lands, capture a beautiful and noble elven slave, sell her for wealth to cover his debts incurred from a failed magical experiment.
The church's crusades, waged for centuries, had been predictable affairs, with both sides often avoiding serious conflict. It was why Marchis, a formidable seventh-circle mage, had joined so readily, even receiving preferential treatment from the Grand Marshal of the Knights of the Holy Fleurs-de-lis.
Who could have foreseen that a war, routine for hundreds of years, would summon a mythic primordial dragon, a demi-god no less?
Marchis knew of the elven semi-god queen's practice of summoning legendary beings to minimize casualties. He had assumed he'd be safe following the army, that the legendary knight would shield him, and that he'd simply snatch an elf and escape amidst the chaos—a delightful prospect.
But the unexpected arrival of the demi-god dragon in what should have been a war of appearances had caught everyone off guard. Even the legendary knight fell quickly, though not before buying time for Marchis to escape the battlefield and return to Central City.
Aware of the demi-god dragon's horror, Marchis had no illusions of the city's defenses holding. Thus, without further thought, he planned to escape before the dragon's arrival. As a seventh-circle mage, he could handle most wilderness threats and ensure his own safety.
However, his greed took hold. Marchis stayed not to escape but to loot amidst the chaos, taking advantage of the dragon's distraction to plunder without consequence.
Just as he'd predicted, the cathedral's high clergy fled without a backwards glance upon learning of the demi-god's approach, enabling him to bypass the treasure room's protections with ease.
But as he basked in the treasure room's colors, his joy was cut short by an unexpected face-to-face with the dragon. The creature seemed different, now resembling a fledgling rather than the overwhelming demi-god, but dragons were known to alter their size or even shape-shift to sow their seeds. Considering the dragon's true size, it made sense it would shrink to enter the palace.
There, bathed in gold as beautiful as the coins surrounding him, the majestic scales of the dragon confirmed it: this fledgling was the demi-god.
In a panic, Marchis tossed the treasures back and dropped to his knees, crawling forward and crying out, "Oh great dragon, I did not covet your treasures! I merely wished to prevent lesser thieves from absconding with your riches while you graced us with your noble, supreme, and majestic presence. I was checking these coins for their purity, ensuring they matched your exalted status. Only these high-grade imperial gold coins are worthy of your esteemed golden splendor!"
Embracing the dragon's leg, Marchis wept aloud, regretting his avarice.
'How could I harbor greed for a dragon's hoard? I must have lost my mind!'
It was too late for regrets now.