The reptilian lay in wait. Curled round and round itself, and hidden beneath the rotting boards of the old palace, it slept lightly. Lazy golden eyes glanced up as particles of dust glided between board cracks. Smoke threaded from opening and closing nostrils. A slight tapping of a claw as the dragon twitched in its sleep. It waited. Waited for a body to pass above. Waited to feed on an unsuspecting. Waited to be satisfied. Waited to damn the next walking steps into the pits of its growling cavernous belly.

And she came walking.

The reptile sprang from its hiding place.

From the earth under the rotting boards, up beneath the feet of the girl and mouth larger than Jonah's whale, swallowed her up.

It burped, smiled and skittered away.