The Greatest Day of My Life

It was the most peculiar thing.

I rose from my slumber and walked to the opening of my cave - as I once had every morning. But when I gazed out at the Mystic Wood that had always been my home, the world seemed remarkably brighter, the colours more vivid, the sounds more melodious.

Of course, I did not complain! As old and weary as I had grown, I rarely had the opportunity to find such splendour, such wondrous beauty in the world.

The very air seemed richer and better able to satisfy my wasted lungs! It was lighter and fresher and, oh gosh! So utterly splendiferous!

It took me no time to notice the scents that drifted by in fantastical flurries! It was sweet and floral and fruity and... I cannot find the words to describe it, for I fear there are none in the universe to do it justice!

Although I had not even walked in what felt like a lifetime, I decided to extend out my frail, aching wings. They started to elongate out from my ancient back. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself, but they were now at full mast! An old boy like me shouldn’t be able to do that! And the pain, well, that’s the thing, there wasn’t any!

Not many of my kind lived to be more than two hundred and fifty years, but I believed I was somewhere near three hundred. It’s hard to be exact because there hadn’t been another to keep me company and count my passing years for a long while.

A sound. A new sound that drew me from my enthralment with the impossibility of my accomplishment. It was reminiscent of a million tiny silver bells ringing all around me, echoing from the cave, the ground and the trees stretching infinitely out before me. The sound cascaded and bounced and tumbled from the cloudless sky. Oh my! It was like snow, lazily raining down in mesmerising spin drifts!

I took my chances and decided to wander from my cave into the woods proper - the furthest I had ventured in many a moon. I followed the noise to where my body told me it originated.

And there it was! In the clearing!

The first I’d seen since I was no more than four and twenty!

It was a human babe! And it was just sat there playing amongst flora and fauna without a care in the world. It was hard for me to guess its age. I had once heard they age three years for every one of ours - if you can believe it! But if that was the case, I dare say it couldn’t be older than two or three. Oh, a babe indeed!

And that sound! It came from the babe’s mouth as it found pleasure, playing with the kaleidoscopic wildflowers that were giving off such a sensation smell!

It saw me then, with its large blue eyes. A deep, vibrant crystal blue that shifted under the luscious sunlight like rolling waves on an almost still sea. I felt momentary fear, that the sight of this great, cumbersome dragon, intruding in its moment of delight, would upset the little thing. But alas! I did not need to fear. It looked at me with amazement and wonder, like I was the special one out of the two of us! Oh, what a day I was having!

The child stood unsteadily and moved towards me then, with an odd hobbling walk. It must have only recently learned the skill, I dare say! Its chubby miniature hands reached towards my scaled leg. Even at full height, the mite must have been half the size of my front leg!

The feel of its skin against my scales was breathtaking. I couldn’t remember the last time I had contact with anything other than the cold hard floor of my cave, but now, on this most miraculous of days, I was touched again! I smiled at the thought. The human made the sound of silver bells again, and I realised it was laughter!

The babe was laughing with sheer unfathomable joy! So, inevitably I joined in with the laughter, and you’d never guess what - smoke tendrils whirled from my open mouth! Have you ever heard of a dragon past the age of two hundred still being able to summon their fire? I can assure you I have not! I decided to test out this marvel for myself and exhaled from the deep pit inside me where my flame had once dwelled.

Oh, it was tremendous, extraordinary! And this is only referring to the sight me and the babe beheld! The feel of it drawing from every nerve in my body was sensational, resplendent, other-worldly! The human babe was clapping its hands together with glee. It jumped up and down on the floor as if it were weightless. Perhaps it was, in this strange new world that we found ourselves!

I played with the human for quite some time in the clearing. It truly loved the dazzling pyrotechnic show I performed with my reignited flame! At one point, I tried to ask it where its mother and father were, but unfortunately, I did not understand the language it spoke, and it seemed stumped by my own in return.

When the evening drew in, the fireflies began to ignite in the clearing, and I thought about making my way home to the cave. I gestured towards my resting place with my gigantic head, hoping the babe would understand that I was inviting it to accompany me. I couldn’t very well have left it alone in the woods, could I?!

It seemed to understand my intentions and began to follow me home. But before we left this enchanted area of the woods, it turned tail and ran towards the wildflowers where it had been playing on my arrival hours ago. I tilted my head in confusion. The babe reached into the flowers, and as it parted them, I spotted what must have been its small bed.

It was made of the finest oak, polished to a near-blinding shine. The inside was lined with a luxurious, soft fabric in gleaming white. It appeared to be thickly padded, surely a wondrously comfortable resting place for the human babe. I realised the clothing the babe wore was also the same fine quality. Such strange attire, I thought, for an outing in the woods!

The babe rummaged around at the bottom of the wooden, rectangular bed, with beautifully crafted brass rails running down the sides. It stood up straight then and in its arms was a delicate, lovingly crafted fluffy bear. It looked sumptuously soft! The bear even wore some human clothing with an image depicting the human babe with two larger humans. I presumed the bigger ones were its parents. I felt the love rolling in waves from the little bear. It was obviously given with deep, deep love for the human. I wonder why they left their babe here if they loved it so very much!

The human turned and started, once again, to walk towards me. As it did, I noticed the little wooden box with the lid beginning to shimmer in the light of the fireflies. It began to blur at the edges and fade into the surrounding flora until it was gone entirely! How very peculiar, I thought!

The babe and I then retreated to my cave and found a soft bed of leaves had appeared for us to rest our heads. I curled up with my long, thick tail circling the babe to end at my head. The human cuddled up against my neck, which was lovely and warm due to my recently reignited fire. The babe would be safe with me until it was reunited with its parents, but in the meantime, I was incredibly grateful for my newfound companion. I had wished for such a friend for far far too long.

Oh, what a day to be alive!