You only do it once.

Here I am, sitting in one of the most common places in the world, a dimly light, smokey common room of a seedy tavern, doing what I do best: scamming, cheating, and lying, well more telling half-truths. There’s no fun in purely lying. Besides, the best lies are just twisted truths.
Just finishing a hand of cards with some of the most common wildlife in the world, found only in such environments, seedy taverns. The thugs grumble and grunt as they lose yet another game to me. They complain and accuse me of cheating. But they are only upset that they aren’t good at cheating.
“Alright, enough. I’m sick of losing ma coin to sum two-bit story-teller.” said the pack leader of the thugs—a giant barrel-chested beast with a claw mark from the right side of his jaw to his collarbone. Bald head shinning -somehow- in the dim light, dull grey-blue eyes gleaming with vicious animal cruelty. Eying me up like a rabbit in a snare 
“Two-bit story-teller? You wound me.” I say, feigning an arrow through the heart, “Now you must allow me to prove you wrong, good sir.” I mockingly plead. 
The alpha thug gives a deep guttural noise in his throat. “We ain’t gid or are we sirs. Just get on with telling your story. Two-bit”
Two-bit? I have had many nicknames, and most unkind, but two-bit gets to me more than I thought it would, and I have to take a second to compose myself. 
“So then, what do you lads want? What type of story shall I tell you.” I ask my fellow individuals at the table. Six of us in total. Four thugs, myself and the odd one out, a young lad -barely a teen- who was the son of the pack leader. He clearly took much of his physical appearance from his mother, whoever she was.
“One of the thug’s barks, sut’in wit killin’ in it,” which the rest of the pack barks in agreement
“Aye, with big monsters in it.” more barking of agreement. Children honesty. Speaking of which, that was when the lad piped up for the first time all evening
“With a hero that slays the beast.” the pack glares at him, and he quickly shrinks back into his chair. 
“Well, I have just the story to satisfy all needs. How about I tell you of the time I stole from a dragon.” I say.
“Wit” you stole from a dragon and lived?” accused one of the thugs
“No, sadly, I died in the process, but don’t you worry, I got better to tell the tale.” The thug looked confused for a moment, and before he could open his mouth to object to the joke, the alpha smacked hard on the back of his head.
“Of course, he didn’t die. To begin with, he never stole from a dragon. He’s just lying,” Said the pack leader. I shrug at the accusation. Story-telling is just an exaggerated lie, and lies are just half-truths, so he isn’t wrong. 
“Well, with another round of drinks, I think we start” I declare. The alpha nods in agreement and kicks the chair of his son, who jumps and runs over to the bar. 
Soon, the lad was back with a round of ale. I took a deep draw of my drink, and then I began.
“Well, it was a rainy day in Cerograch, and a friend of mine was more like a business acquaintance. He informed me of a group of heroes looking for a thief. A skilled and brave one willing to participate in the heist of a lifetime. To steal from a Dragon.” The table seemed too interesting. No outbursts so far, and that is a good sign. 
“So I met with the heroes in a bar, not unlike this one, and we got to planning. With all the members now gathered, we went to planning. Before the heist started properly, we needed supplies and equipment. The first thing on the shopping list was a-”
“Oh, just skip this part. None of us cares about any stupid planning. We want to get to the good bit. The bit where the dragon wakes up and kills yis.” growled one of the thugs. The rest barked in agreement.
“Fine, fine. But I want you to know none of you knows that the anticipation and build-up make a good heist story.” I complain
“Well, none of us wanted a Heist story. We wanted a story about monsters and killin’.”
“Yeah, I guess you did. Let’s skip a month of systematic planning and get to the climax.” I take my drink and down the rest of it. 
“So there I was in the belly of the Barrow-durn, wading through a sea of gold and jewels as far as the eye can see. But I wasn’t just looking for wealth; I was hired to steal some particular things. Six items, all lost heirlooms of the kings of the old Cerograch kingdom, needed to crown the next king.” My audience seemed too enthralled with the image I set before them. Well, of course, they were. I do more than tell stories; I give my audience an insight into my tales that no other storyteller or bard can. Few have my gift. 
Most of the pack was drooling at the sea of wealth; the lad had the image of kings and knights, and the alpha had a relatively clear picture of what I saw that night.
“So wit were you stealin’, what were the thingy-ma-jigs.” Asked one of the thugs. 
“The six heirlooms were the ceremonial items of the king, and you can’t crown a king without the crown, now can you?” the pack nodded sagely.
“I was to steal back the royal rings, bracelets, necklace and finally, the crown of the Cerograch kingdom, which was stolen earlier this year by the said dragon.” continuing my exposition.
I try my best not to get involved with kings and queens, but it’s hard when you hunt for the most exciting stories. Kings and queens tend to get themselves into the most exciting trouble. It's a shame they have the annoying habit of leaving thousands of innocents dead in their wake.
“So, as I was saying, wading through the sea of treasure, I will skip the diving for the first five heirlooms and get to the last one, for that is when things get exciting or truly terrifying, depending on your point of view.” 
My audience hung on my every word. With the correct nudges here and there, you could keep anyone on the edge of their seats. I only needed nudges in the right direction, as the mind has a lovely habit of filling in the rest. 
“I had found the crown Cerograch, which rested on the top of a stone pillar with sharp edges. I was surprised that the stone was hot and had a faint pulse. This stone pillar wasn’t a pillar or made out of stone at all.” 
“It was the dragon…” The lad whispered to himself
“It was indeed the dragon. I was lucky enough to gingerly pull the crown from its horn tip and begin my journey back to my companions waiting for me on a ledge at the lip of the tunnel to the surface and our freedom.”
“But what caused the big scaly to wake up?” asked one of the thugs. They were dangling fully on the hook now. 
“I don’t know if you have ever waded through waist-deep gold and jewellery. But it is challenging to do and be sneaky about it. I was in that pit for nearly sixteen hours before I found the last heirloom. Exhaustion was beginning to kick in, and I slipped, causing an avalanche of treasure. Guess what happened next?”
“The dragon woke up…” whispered the lad again.
“The dragon woke up” My tale enthralled everyone. All but one, he saw what the rest saw. He just saw it differently. I continue my story.
“The earth began to shake, and I thought the roof would collapse around me. I no longer needed stealth or subtle, and the fear of death woke me up as nothing else would. I ran, and I ran like my arse was on fire.” 
“The dragon was about to torch you like a candle.” Laughed one of the thugs,
“Common misconception, but not all dragons breathe fire. It all depends on the type; this dragon spat acid and rivers of acid. I figure out this dragon's heritage the hard way.” 
I roll up my sleeve to show my right forearm covered in acid burns. I got some hearty woo’s and ha’s and my scar. They don’t know this scar will disappear in a few days, but the compliments are still lovely.
“I got to the ledge and began to climb. Gregor at the top dropped me some rope and practically hauled me up the last half. Once up, we all ran for our collective lives. Each member of the crew held one of the heirlooms. One was enough to crown the new king, so the plan was to get them all or as many as possible and then scatter only one of those needed to escape.”
“Which one did you hold?...” whispered the lad again. Too scared to ask. This was no place for a child to be raised. But there were also far worse ones. But it was a problem to figure out later, so I continued.
“I held the crown. Well, I wore the crown.” 
“You word the bloody crown of Cerograch?” Bellowed one of the thugs
“Of course, you telling me you wouldn’t, given the opportunity?” I asked, and the thug sat down. The rest of the pack nodded in agreement. 
“We got out into the forest above, and the bright midday sky blinded me. Being below ground and searching by simple candlelight left my eye weak to the sun's light. Richard, the crew’s de facto leader, made the call. ‘Scatter, get back to Cerograch’ he called. So we did.” 
The audience was on the edge of their seats; this was the part they wanted, and they were waiting for the big reveal.
“Then the very earth itself shattered and exploded, and an eruption of dirt and stone exploded into the sky, causing deadly debris to rain down. I lost sight of the rest of the crew. Only Gregor was in my line of sight. But not for long. Another explosion caused a massive dust cloud. It was followed by a roar of like thunder, an ear-shattering thing.” 
I can still feel the fear of that night. I thought I would die when Acktun emerged from the earth, wrath incarnate. 
“When the dragon finally broke free from his earthy burrow came the most terrifying sound a man will ever hear—the bubbling guttural sound of a dragon breathing death and destruction upon all that gets in the way. I hear Arthur and Jamison scream. The first of our crew to feel the wrath of the dragon.” 
The audience was divided. The pack was excited and engaged by the tale, the lad terrified and the leader indifferent. 
“With the dust cloud, my vision was blurred, and the dragon’s rage blocked out all other sounds. But I could make out the silhouette of one of our members. They stood defiant, sword in hand, at the feet of the dragon's enormous, hulking scaled mass, its black scales giving off a faint rainbow oily shine. The ridged of razor-sharp spines quivered as the dragon shot forward, and its jaw ripped the figure in twain. Thinking fast, the beast turned in my direction, picked up a chunk of dislodged stone, and threw it as far as I could. It was enough to lure the walking death away.” 
The audience’s feelings were the same but growing stronger. It was the storyteller's job to keep the audience enchanted for better or worse and to build it up until it was at the limit, to a breaking point. 
“Richard, our leader, was the defiant swordsman to fall to the dragon. That left three: myself, Gregor, and another. I know roughly where Gregor was, so I went searching for him. Creeping like a mouse while the dragon raged. I found him dead.” 
“Another hero fell to the dragon…” The lad whispered again. I shook my head.
“No, the dragon didn’t claim his life. His throat with slit, and the necklace he wore was gone. Stolen. We were betrayed.”
“Ha! Classic. Ain’t a good heist story without a betrayal.” Barked a thug, the nods and grins of agreement followed.
“It isn’t ever a good story without betrayal or tragedy in general,” I explain. 
“What happened next?” the lad asked. 
“Well, I am exceptionally good at hiding and running. Eventually, the dragon got so bored and angry that he couldn’t find me, he flew off to vent his anger. I wandered through the destroyed forest, found every one of my friends, claimed their heirloom and gave them a proper burial as I could.”
“Who was the betrayer?” Whispered the lad. His father grumbled about getting another round of drinks.
“It was the sixth man of our crew, a man named Blaine, and I don’t know what became of him,” I answer. 
“Ha! That’s our boss's name, and it's that funny.” Barked a thug. The table erupted into laughter as they had just heard the funniest story in the world.
I stood at this point and gave my farewell to the table. I gathered my cloak and staff. As I walked out the door, the young lad followed me, asking.
“Was it true?” 
“What do you think?” I asked him if seeing any emotion from the lad besides fear and self-doubt was good.
“I don’t know.” He said.
“Well then, let me tell you this. Stories are exaggerated or dramatised lies, and lies are just half-truths. I also only told one lie that entire story.” The boy was intelligent, and his eyes showed a sudden comprehension. 
There was a scream inside the tavern. The lad turned to go back inside, and I stopped him. I pulled him away from the door. He stumbles and falls to the ground. I kneel beside the boy and say
“Do you have anyone you can go to any other family?” 
“I...I have my da.” He stutters
“No, it has to be someone else.” 
“I have a cousin in the town over.” He says, not looking at me and focusing solely on the commotion behind the tavern doors.
“Excellent, take this. Can you ride a horse?” I ask as I hand him a pouch of coins. He looks at it dumbly and then at me before he nods.
“I can ride, yea.” 
“Then take that horse and ride as fast as you can. Go, Go now! Before it’s too late,” I command.
The lad scampers to his feet and runs to the horse picketed just to the tavern's side. It wasn’t long before he was riding away into the distance. 
A minute later, a cloaked figure joined me outside, wiping a dagger clean. 
“Your information was accurate, story-teller.” He says in a voice as cold as his steel. 
“Now, where is the boy.” 
“Oh, the child is gone, and I don’t know where,” I say. The man steps in front of me and points the knife in my direction.
“You are playing a dangerous game, Teller. No one double-crosses his majesty.” 
“Tell me, is that the same way no one ever steals from a dragon and lived to tell about it? I think I will take my chances.” The masked figure clicks his tongue and turns away. 
“His Majesty won’t be happy that a contender is running around.” 
“Yea? That sounds like his problem, not mine. I ain’t no king. Just a humble storyteller.” 
“Well, humble storyteller, I recommend you leave the kingdom while you can. The king still likes you. His favour will change once he learns you help the boy escape.” I chuckle at the threat and say
“Don’t you worry. I will be a world and a lifetime away before his royal majesty hears about this” 

The End