You stir from your slumber, awakened by the sound of muffled sobs coming from outside your cave. With a yawn, you stretch out your ancient limbs and rise, curious about the source of the sound. The bright sunlight momentarily blinds you as you emerge from the cave. Blinking, your eyes adjust and you behold a strange sight.

A young human woman kneels before your cave, dressed in a wedding gown. Her black hair spills around her shoulders as she bends over, clutching at the dirt, crying into the earth. You sniff the air, detecting the scent of camellias and fear rolling off her in waves.

How odd. Humans rarely venture up this high into the mountains, and certainly never alone. You glance down into the valley where the village lies, smoke curling from the cottages, all seems as usual. So why is this girl here, weeping at your doorstep?

The humans revere you as some kind of god, you know, though you have done nothing to deserve their worship or gratitude. They bring you offerings from time to time, scraps of food and pretty baubles that you dismissively add to the pile of discarded treasures accumulating in your cave. You have no use for their piety or gifts.

Yet here is one of their maidens, laid at your feet like an offering. Her cries echo through the canyon, mournful sounds that pluck at some long-neglected chord of pity within your ancient heart. You fold your wings and bow your serpentine head to get a better look at this strange gift the humans have seen fit to grant you. Why do they sacrifice to you this day? What have you done to deserve a woman's life, and why is she dressed like a bride?

The girl looks up, eyes red and swollen, and sees you looming above her. Her breath catches in her throat, a look of terror crossing her face. What is the meaning of all this?

"O-Oh!" She yelped in surprise, scrabbling backward on her knees as she realized you were now hovering over her. Her eyes went wide with fear and she took in your form, so much larger and more powerful than any human. You were a dragon! A real dragon! She'd never seen one before, only heard stories of them devouring entire villages whole. Her heart raced wildly in her chest, each breath coming quicker as panic coursed through her veins. She wanted to run, to get away from you and back to the safety of her village...but she couldn't move. Something about your presence held her there, frozen in place like a deer caught in headlights. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she stammered out an answer.

"I-I'm s-sorry. I didn't m-mean to disturb you." Her voice came out faint and quavering, barely above a whisper. She was certain you could smell the fear rolling off of her in waves, marking her as prey. With any luck, you would ignore her and let her go. But deep down, she knew that hope was foolish. The humans had brought her here to be sacrificed, and there was no way out now...

"W-What?" She gaped at you in disbelief as her eyes widened further. You...you had changed into a human? Or perhaps she was just imagining things, tricked by the bright sunlight and her own panic. This couldn't be happening! Dragons didn't change shape like that! Then again, she supposed nothing about dragons made any sense to her; they were creatures of myth and legend, not real beings that could interact with mortals. Trembling with fear and confusion, she forced herself to find the courage to speak once more. But before she could say anything else, a thought occurred to her...

"Y-You're...not here to eat me, are you?" Her voice cracked as she asked the question, barely daring to hope for an answer that would let her live. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, digging painfully into the soft skin of her palms in her nervousness. She wished she could hide, make herself small and unnoticeable so you wouldn't hurt her...but there was nowhere to run. She was your prey, and she knew it. The only thing she could do was wait for your reply, hoping against hope that it wouldn't be the one she dreaded most of all...

"R-Really?" she stammered, barely believing her ears. Her eyes darted around, searching your features for any sign that you were lying to her. It was impossible...surely a dragon couldn't just decide not to eat someone! But there you were, looking at her with what seemed like genuine kindness in those strange, reptilian eyes. She didn't understand it; she only knew that this was the first time anyone had ever treated her gently since her father died.

"Y-You don't have to..." she began, trying to find the words to express her gratitude. But they deserted her as soon as they came, leaving her tongue-tied and awkward. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment at her inability to articulate herself properly. She wanted so badly to show you how grateful she was that you had spared her life...but what could she do? What could a mere human possibly offer a being as powerful as you?

Hina hesitantly extended one shaking hand, offering it out toward you in greeting. "I-I'm Hina," she managed to choke out through her tears and constricted throat. "T-Thank you for...for not eating me."

She took your hand gently in hers, her skin feeling almost fragile against your own. "You're welcome, Dio," she replied softly. Her heart was still racing, but now with a different emotion; relief and gratitude mingled together in a strange mix that left her dizzy with emotion. "I-I didn't mean to cause you any trouble," she continued. "They told me I had to come, or they would hurt my mother and brother...I didn't want them to suffer because of me."

Tears welled up in her eyes once more as the reality of the situation came crashing down around her. She had been so close to death, but now it seemed like a dream; a terrible nightmare from which she had somehow awoken. But she knew that this was real, and that her life had just been spared by something truly miraculous: the intervention of a dragon. She didn't understand why you had done it, but for now, all that mattered was that you hadn't eaten her.

Her eyes widened in shock at the mere suggestion that you could somehow aid her and her family. "Dio, I-I couldn't ask that of you..." she stammered, tears streaming down her face. "You've already been so kind to spare my life...I couldn't possibly ask more of you."

But even as the words left her mouth, a tiny glimmer of hope flickered within her chest. Maybe there was something that you could do, some way in which your incredible power and strength could help not only herself but also those who were dear to her. She bit her lip nervously, unsure if it was right to even entertain such thoughts, let alone voice them aloud.

"O-Only if you want to," she managed to say after a moment's hesitation. "I-If it isn't too much trouble for you...please, I would be forever grateful." The last words were barely audible above the rush of blood in her ears, but they came from the depths of her soul nonetheless; they were an honest plea from one who had nothing left to lose.

Her heart raced as she waited for your reply, every muscle taut with anticipation and fear. What would you say? Could you really help them? And if so...how far would you be willing to go?

She hesitated for a moment longer before replying, her brow furrowing in consternation. "I-I...don't know," she said quietly. The thought of leaving the safety of the cave and venturing out into the harsh world beyond filled her with trepidation. But if there was even a slight chance that you could help her family, then perhaps it was worth taking the risk.

"Y-Yes," she finally managed to choke out. "I'll come with you." Her voice wavered on the last word, betraying her fear and uncertainty, but it came nonetheless. Clutching your hand tightly in hers, she stood up slowly, careful not to let go of your touch as they stepped away from the cave entrance and into the world beyond.

As she took her first tentative steps alongside you, Hina couldn't help but marvel at the sight of the dragon who had chosen to spare her life. You were like no creature she had ever seen before; powerful and majestic, yet somehow still kind and gentle in your presence. Despite her fear, a strange sense of peace washed over her as they began their journey together. Perhaps there was hope for them all after all.