“Insects having hard wing-cases; beetles“

The dragon rose from his bitter sleep,

Nostrils flaring at the smell of man.

They’d entered his domain,

Ready to steal his gold and trinkets,

His immortal secrets.

The dragon watched through golden slits,

As one brave man stepped forward,

Wielding the most impressive blade.

Yet as the dragon’s eyes widened,

The man froze,

Hypnotized by the fire behind

The dragon’s eyes.

A chattering

and clanking of armor followed.

The smell of fear, on these men,

Tainting the air,

His air.

The dragon smothered a smoky laugh,

Wisps of white rising from his nostrils.

The men weren’t a threat,

Their swords, though impressive,

Could not penetrate his coleopteron-like scales.

With a scraping of claws the dragon,

Scooped up his cold and trinkets,

Sliding them under his soft underbelly,

Before resuming his slumber.