THE MOMENT
Lance couldn't move. More specifically, it was impossible to want to move; he was told to stay there and watch. The black-scaled beast form emerged from a lean, sinister old man that the dragon slayer met by chance. He was on an assignment to scout the dragon's lair and spotted the wrinkled stranger wandering the area. Even from a distance, the man's age was apparent and Lance worried that the man might have found his way to the dragon's cave via senility.
Once he approached the man, Lance sensed something was amiss; but, it was too late. He'd revealed himself. Surprisingly the old man started a conversation and Lance lowered his guard a bit. Maybe he was nervous being so close to the dragon's home and assigning too much threat to a senior citizen. The conversation easily turned to dragons and Lance proudly proclaimed his deeds.
"Are you sure they were dragons?" the stranger asked with a glint in his eye.
"They breathed fire and had wings, I'm pretty sure," Lance nodded. He chuckled, and that was his last amusement.
"Well, let me ask you," the old man said. "Did they look like this?" His leathery face shimmered, and he began to change and grow larger. Lance stepped back, then decided to flee when he realized what was happening. But, as he had that thought, dense black smoke took the shape of a crown over the emerging dragon's head and it spoke with a low, grumbly voice.
"Stay," the dragon said. "Learn what a dragon truly is, and the difference between me and a drake." It happened so fast. Within seconds Lance found himself face to face with a large reptilian head covered in black scales. Its eyes glowed red, and it huffed out a plume of black, suffocating smoke toward Lance. Given the dragon's command, all he could do was stand there as the smoke settled around him. At the very least, he could be terrified without permission.
The animals he'd fought and conquered weren't much bigger than a large human; but, this black dragon was easily as large as a house. Its wings seemed to block out the sun as Lance coughed in its shadow. And, he'd never fought one that could use magic before; but, it seemed to come easy to this creature.
"Tell me why you're here," the smoke crown persisted over its head and Lance nodded.
"Mayor Monday sent me to scout out any useful information," he said.
"Did you learn anything useful?" the dragon asked with amusement.
"There is a big difference between drakes and dragons," Lance answered. The dragon laughed harder.
"That is useful," the dragon nodded its serpentine head with big swings up and down. "What can you tell me about the Mayor's progress? Has the town been improved at all?"
"She brought a refinery online, they can create base materials from scrap now. She is currently in the process of establishing a school to train cyber-mages."
"Interesting, thank you," the dragon nodded again. "I'd like you to deliver a message for me," it said. The smokey crown grew more intense as it ordered Lance. "Return to town and give a detailed report, be completely honest, I don't mind," it chuckled. "Then, once you've completed your duty to Mayor Monday, return to me." Lance nodded, and knelt; it seemed like the right thing to do.
"As you wish, Master Coronado," he said. It seemed like the right thing to say. He stood, then turned and began the trek toward town.
"Make it fast," Coronado added. Lance took it to heart and instantly started running. He was too far gone to hear the rest of Coronado's complaint; but, it didn't matter. "I'm starving."