Alex had bought off all the dragon meat he could get his hands on. He had watched as Max had thrown it into a volcano.
But now he had a problem.
The world traveler had been called upon by the goblins to start to hunt for more meat.
There were sightings of the human and his Lich Archdemon husband climbing Mount Doom.
Alex was ready to defend Max to his last. How could he not, as the dragon had cried like a child after throwing at least five tons worth of sausages into the magma?
"This has to end!" Alex said, as he stood before the cave's opening with a crossbow. "It is madness!"
"Alex," Max whispered as he slowly but surely began to write his will. "I won't survive this."
Alex shook his head, not wanting to take a step away from the cave's opening.
"If you get red peppered, then I will be red peppered with you!" Alex stood there. Waiting for the maniacs with the red pepper to come inside. To try to get their poisonous spices on his dragon.
"I think that the dragon's lot was decided a long time ago," Max said as he sighed. "We have to pay for our sins!"
Alex shook his head. He didn't want to believe that.
A man came before the cave. He had a jar with something red in his hands.
"Step back!" The man roared as he began to get the lid off the jar.
"You step back! You are arrested for committing genocide against dragons!"
The handsome man next to the world traveler tugged at his sleeve.
"Honey, this one is a shifter," the Lich told him, as he pointed at Max, who was still writing his will. "We do not do cannibalism!"
Nikola blinked, only to narrow his eyes.
"He can turn into a dragon," the brunette continued to try to uncork the jar.
"You will be cursed until the end of time!" Marcel murmured. "Don't do this! You just can't!"
Nikola looked at the red-haired dragon, then at the retired policeman.
"Then how are we going to feed the goblins and the Big Capybarians?" Nikola asked.
Marcel smiled.
"Easy, with the pigs, sheep, and goats, the dragons are no longer eating!"
Marcel, even though he was an Archdemon, believed in second chances.
Nikola sighed, put away his red pepper jar, and then turned around.
"Fine. But I want pork sausages and not something made from snails!"
The two left just like they had come.
Max looked at Alex.
"Did this really happen?" The dragon asked.
"You are the first one to not be red peppered," Alex told him with a soft smile.
Max nodded, stashed away his will, but then something caught his attention.
A mug.
In the sink!
"Alex!" It wasn't so important to Max that he had survived this brush with the grim reaper.
It was more important that Alex had to wash his darn mugs!
"Right away, honey!"
And so, a dragon survived the test of time, evaded getting red peppered, and got his soulmate to be by his side.
All on a fine and sunny Monday!
The End!