Sorry this one took a bit longer, motivation is sort of coming and going at this point. Still, when I could I had a ton of fun writing this chapter, so hopefully you guys will enjoy it as well!

Robin thinks he's home free after leaving the dragon's den with more gold than he's ever seen before; however, a sudden meeting causes him to make the trek once more to Thylodeus's cave!

This is still a story in development so feel free to offer suggestions as to how the story should evolve from here! This is still a big thank you for 1000 watchers story so give any proposal if it would help you enjoy the story better!

I hope you all enjoy!

---

If you were to ask 100 different people how they would cope after encountering a dragon and escaping with some of its treasure, you would certainly receive 100 different responses. Some might move as far away as possible, while others would stash the money. However, few would dare to think about waltzing into the nearby tavern boasting about the impressive feat while waving the treasure about.

Which, naturally, is exactly what Robin decided to do the following day.

“So there I was, face-to-face with the biggest dragon I have ever seen! I was practically cornered against the wall here, his big, scaly muzzle inches from mine. Suddenly, I feel the air start to heat up as the big brute opens his maw, his throat glowing a fiery red!” Robin chose that moment to pause and take a swig of his hard cider, revelling in the anticipated looks he received from his audience. To say he was enjoying the attention would be as massive of an understatement as saying Thylodeus was a little overweight. Robin had always enjoyed bragging to everyone at the Hog’s Gut Tavern about his over exaggerated stories; however, this was the first time he had a crowd of people listening to him without laughing. Normally, that honor was for the successful adventurers who would come back from a mighty quest, sharing their wealth while telling tales of their heroic deeds.

Well, today was Robin’s day, and he was going to ride his newfound fame out for as long as he could.

“Quit stallin’, yeh evil bastard, and get on with yer storeh!” a grey-muzzled stoat demanded.

The fox grinned and leaned back in his seat, kicking his feet onto the table. “I did what any usual, hyper-intelligent vulpine would do in that situation! I tossed a bag of sand into the dragon’s open mouth, making him cough and gag, giving me ample time to devise a strategy. I ran underneath the wheezing dragon, making sure to avoid its massive feet, and got to work wrapping my rope around the beast. Now I know what you-”

“How big was this dragon, again?” asked an audience member whose face Robin couldn’t see.

“I already told you, he was as big as a house… make that two houses… actually, the size of town square. Now then-”

“How the bloody hell would rope work against a dragon that size?”

“Shut up, I’m getting to that! Anyways, as my pompous friend here as already mentioned, rope alone wouldn’t keep that monster down for long. My time was limited, so, using the resources at hand, I constructed a trap using chunks of spare bone-”

“Bone?”

“Yes, bone. Dragons take cows, dragons eat cows, and dragons leave behind cow bones. So, as I was saying, I took the bones, wedged them into a crack in the wall, and tied them against a stalactite on the ceiling, all while the dragon was still coughing and sputtering. I could tell it really wanted me dead, for it was thrashing about and stomping angrily, but luckily I predicted all that! Soon, it stepped on the bone I had laid out, and the trap was sprung! The big brute unknowingly set off my trap by using his own weight to pull on the loose rocks overhead, sending them toppling on top of him! And with that, I took advantage of the confusion to grab a handful of its treasure and escape!” The fox grinned, holding up his leather sack of gold coins as proof.

Robin’s smile widened even further as he heard the various ooh’s and aah’s of the audience, their eyes drawn to the glittery jewels like moths to a flame. “W-what kind of treazure iz zis? Itz nozing like the currenzy we uze here!”

“That’s because dragons have their own currency, everyone knows that!” The fox chuckled, scratching the back of his head nervously. Truth was, he had no idea why Thylodeus’s gold was different from the Gold they used. Even so, Robin never really questioned it, seeing as how nobody asked questions when he spent it on a round of drinks for the house. The only one who actually questioned the currency was the bartender herself, but Robin was quick to convince her that, at the very least, she could melt down the gold and sell it that way.

He was, however, more than happy to answer the audience’s questions, even if he had to make up the answers himself. “Where does this dragon live again?”

“Oh he lives far, mate. Past the borders of Siklandia to the mountains in Gerrigsland. I know, I didn’t even know those countries existed either until I ventured out there.”

“How did you find the dragon?”

“He had a bounty on him, of course! He had kidnapped a poor helpless skunk and was about to eat him whole, so I came swinging in to save him!”

“How big was this dragon again?”

“I just said he was the size of a city like five minutes ago, please pay attention next time.”

“Wait… the dragon has a gender?”

“I’m... not going to answer that question.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Look, you can’t ignore simple biology here. The fact remains that-”

“No, I mean yer entire story. I don’t believe a single word.”

The once-talkative atmosphere of the bar started to die down as all heads turned towards the speaker: a gruff-looking bear whose lower jaw jutted out into a rather strange grin.

Robin’s smile quickly dropped as he leaned forward in his seat, swinging his feet off of the table. “Mind running that by me one more time, mate?”

“What, are those big ears of yers just for show?” The ursine sneered, leaning across the table towards the fox. “Let me spell it out for ya: I think yer tellin’ a tall tale, a fib, an excuse to hide the fact that you stole some poor foreigner’s purse.”

Robin’s cheeks flushed with anger as he recognized the bear immediately: a stout fellow by the name of John who was always the first person in the room to poke holes in his stories or make fun of him. Even though Robin only went after those who appeared on Wanted posters, he secretly hoped the bear would commit a crime just to give him an excuse to kick his ass.

But today was not that day. “Right, and I’m just relaxing in a tavern showing off my loot while they’re making my Wanted poster as we speak. I may have big ears, but at least I have a brain in between them, fathead.” Robin spat, crossing his arms over his chest.

The bear simply chuckled, as if arguing with a toddler. “Trust me, that’s still a much more believable story than a scrawny little nobody like yerself defeating an enormous dragon and making off with some of its loot. Wouldn’t it just be grand if other bounty hunters were looking for you now after seeing yew Wanted poster? Should I turn you in myself and see the humiliation on yer face as you go down as the bounty hunter with a bounty?” John roared with laughter, slamming his fist on table multiple times.

Much to Robin’s delight, the rest of the crowd didn’t join in with the bear’s laughter this time, choosing instead to remain silent. “How about this, fathead. If it gets you to stop running that soggy turd of a muzzle, why don’t I go back to visit my dear dragon pal of mine and borrow a few more coins. Maybe that way we can finally afford a tailor that can make a proper shirt for you,” the fox grinned, poking John’s exposed stomach.

This time, the audience snickered with Robin, who felt his confidence soar to new heights. It didn’t matter that he had essentially bought them over earlier with free drinks. All that mattered was seeing the bear’s head glow bright red with rage. “Alright... I see yer game, fox,” John growled silently, gripping his end of the table until his knuckles turned white. “I see what yer trying to do, but I ain’t gonna let ya have yer way! I want you to come back with more than just gold this time, pup. I want you to bring back… a scale from the dragon!” That frustratingly cocky grin of his came back, especially when he realized that he had finally cornered Robin. “Well? Should be no trouble to someone so smart and heroic.” He said that last part in a mocking tone.

Robin’s expression may have been calm, but inside his heart was pounding. It was one thing to come back and ask Thylodeus for another piece of his gold or two, but to ask for one of his scales? What if that was something completely off-topic in dragon culture that got you eaten on the spot? He had seen how much Thylodeus was capable of wolfing down in an hour or two, and knew that he himself would hardly make an appetizer. Shaking his head, the fox shook away the terrible thoughts and instead went back to his happy place: humiliating the bear. “Ha, I thought you were about to ask for something difficult! Fine then, I’ll accept your challenge, and when I get back, I expect you on your hands and knees spit-cleaning my sandals.” The fox held out a paw.

John not only took the much smaller paw in his, but also squeezed it so as to hear Robin squeak in pain. “Only for you, pal. Now I’d better get packing right away if I were you. Wouldn’t want the dragon of yers catching wind that yer on your way back and flee now.”

Robin tore his paw from the bears and rubbed it sorely, maintaining his cheerful grin with John even though his eyes were watering. “Right you are, fathead. However, I think I could use a good meal or two before I go. All this deal-making’s left me starved!”

---

Robin didn’t sleep well that night, or the next night for that matter, which left him feeling worse than he should have when he made the trek to Thylodeus’s den on the third day. Images of the rotund drake scorching him with fire breath or devouring him like an hors d’oeuvre plagued the young hunter’s mind, who was really starting to regret talking himself into this situation. However, even with the fear of death looming over him, Robin would still rather continue with his plan than to return to the worst public humiliation of his life, right? Besides, he couldn’t trust someone like John to not claim he had stolen the gold from a foreigner either, which meant he would either return with a scale or be sent to prison.

Robin was so focused in his inner monologuing that he barely noticed himself traveling directly to where the hidden entrance of the cave was. Once he was standing before it, the fox saw it was rather easy to discern the cave opening from the rest of the mountain, even if it was shrouded in magic, due to how the rock appeared to shimmer, as if radiating an intense heat. He was honestly surprised he hadn’t noticed it sooner.

Once inside the cave, Robin noticed the entire atmosphere had changed. Instead of a dimly-lit passage with no end in visible sight, the room was bathed in light due to the several torches mounted to both sides of the wall. The excess smoke drifted into deep cracks in the ceiling, answering Robin’s unasked question of how there could be so much fire inside a cave without causing a suffocating buildup of smoke. Considering he was walking into a cave, and a dragon’s one at that, Robin expected expected the floors and walls to be covered with jagged rocks and layers of dust, but, to his surprise, it felt like he was walking along a clean granite road. As he neared Thylodeus’s lair, however, he discovered why this was.

Sylvester was hard at work sweeping the area, wielding a broom made out of sticks and a wooden plank, while Thylodeus lay by the table in the same spot as before, prompting Robin to wonder if the fat dragon had moved at all since he left. Once Robin stepped into the cave, Thylodeus twitched his snout and opened his eyes, turning his big head towards the small fox and smiled. “Ah, Robin! What a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting you to return so quickly.”

Even with his anxiety, Robin couldn’t help but smile and rub the back of his head awkwardly. For an enormous drake, Thylodeus had such a gentle voice, even if it was rather deep. “Ah, well, what can I say? That tea of yours is really something else, I just had to give it another try.” Feeling himself reddening even worse under the dragon’s gaze, Robin quickly turned his gaze towards the skunk. “Hey there, Sylvester! I see you’re looking well. How’s the new job?”

Sylvester didn’t answer. He just looked up to glare angrily at the fox before continuing with his sweeping. Oblivious to the obvious hatred seething from the skunk, Thylodeus simply turned to Sylvester and grinned. “He has been an excellent help. I cannot thank you enough for bringing him back to me. I’ve managed to get him to sweep the entire cave twice now, sort my food stash and gold (under my close supervision, of course. Can’t have a repeat of last time now, can we?), and even fetch me the food that’s delivered here! I don’t even have to lift a finger. It’s wonderful having a personal worker!”

The skunk snorted and mumbled to himself, obviously not sharing the dragon’s excitement, even though Robin found it quite humorous. “Hey, I’m glad to hear it! He does look a little soft around his middle. I bet walking down to town and back carrying enough food to feed a dragon would be a great way to shed some pounds.”

Thylodeus chuckled and shook his head. “I’m not that cruel, Robin. Every morning, I have my daily shipment of food delivered to the entrance of the cave. I make sure to leave behind a small pile of gold for their troubles, then step outside and fetch the crates once they have left. So far, no one has bothered staying behind or asking questions.”

“Huh, really?” Robin tilted his head and rubbed his chin, looking deep in thought. Although he was doing his best to charm the dragon using any means whatsoever, he had been curious as to how Thylodeus managed to hoard so much food. He was also curious as to why none of the delivery crew questioned why they were ordered to bring boxes of food to a random spot on the mountain, but he figured that if he was being paid an incredible sum to do the same, then he wouldn’t care enough to ask questions either.

“Of course! Did you believe I’d walk down to the town and retrieve the food myself?” Thylodeus grinned.

“O-oh, obviously not.” Robin responded, picturing the obese drake casually waddling down the mountain towards town. Could Thylodeus even make the trek, or would he need a seperate delivery crew to carry him back up the mountain? Could the crew even handle that much dragon?

Thylodeus chuckled. “Well, in any case, I’ve tasked Sylvester with retrieving the crates of food for me instead. I’m honestly considering hiring him after he’s worked off the gold he stole.”

“Is that right?” Robin nodded, looking towards the mound of treasure. “Just curious, how did you manage to get so much g-”

“Tea is done!”

Robin blinked as Thylodeus shouted over him, the enormous drake heaving himself off the floor before waddling towards the stove. Being the oh-so cunning fox he was, he knew better than to pursue the topic the dragon found obviously uncomfortable, despite his overwhelming curiosity. “Oh, excellent! Mind if I have a cup?”

“Of course! Make yourself at home,” Thylodeus smiled as he brought the pitcher over to the table, pouring its contents into a cup before settling his great bulk down again.

With a confident grin that belied his nervousness, Robin sat down at the table and took a sip. “Thank you Theo, I would love to.”

Thylodeus smiled… then frowned, cocking his head to the side. “What did you call me just now?”

Robin accidentally gulped the entire contents of his cup the moment the dragon’s expression changed, his throat burning from the hot tea. “Ack!... S-sorry, I just figured that, uh, since I can’t pronounce your name well, that I could give you a nickname. Is that alright, sir?”

The drake hummed in thought, his sausage-like tail swishing behind him. “Well… I admit, it is a strange concept to call someone something other than the name they were given at birth.” He looked down at Robin, who was starting to quite visibly tremble beneath the drake’s gaze, before smirking. “If anyone else had requested the same thing, I would have denied them; however, for you, I’ll make a special exception.” Theo smiled, his golden eyes shining. “Would you like some sweets to go with your tea?”

“O-oh, yes please,” Robin mumbled, turning his head to avoid blushing again. When he looked back, he saw half the table covered in colorful, sugary treats. With a slight smile, the fox unwrapped a cookie and started to nibble on it, willing to be the best guest possible if it meant obtaining a scale.

However, he had no idea that being a good guest required eating so many treats.

Robin thought that he could be incredibly charming when he tried. For example, he bragged about his accomplishments much less so this time than during his previous visit with the dragon. However, that was mostly because his mouth was hardly ever empty. For some odd reason, the fox was feeling exceptionally hungry, the cookie from earlier disappearing into a pile of crumbs the moment its taste registered on Robin’s tongue. Maybe he had been looking forward to dining on the high-quality treats more than he had realized, or perhaps all that anxiety made him hungry. Regardless, the bounty hunter did little to slow down his rapid intake, pausing only long enough to continue with one of his stories.

Even with Robin’s sudden appetite, the two of them certainly had enough to talk about, even if Theo’s eating habits were just as bad, if not worse, than Robin’s. The fox not only continued his stories about his life as a bounty hunter, but also shared some info about the outside world as well. He talked about the different kinds of buildings and monuments the anthros were building, the new style of suits and dresses that were becoming quite popular with the lords and ladies, and even the newest books that were coming out, the drake appearing most interested in the latter. Whenever Robin tried asking Theo about his life, however, he would immediately deflect the question, saying something along the lines of “don’t worry about it, that was a long time ago. Please, have some more cupcakes, you’re looking starved!”

And that was another thing. Robin would have tried to hold back had he felt he was being rude to the dragon by overeating; however, said dragon was quite insistent that he eat everything on his plate and then some. Theo looked so happy and proud whenever the vulpine polished off a helping of sweets. He didn’t seem to mind whenever Robin let out the occasional burp or hiccup. Likewise, Robin didn’t mind how much food Theo was trying to impose on him just as long as he remained on the dragon’s good side.

Unfortunately, even he had his limits.

“Urf, n-no thanks, Theo. I’m bwurp really full,” Robin groaned as he pushed himself away from the table, his basketball-sized stomach now resting on his significantly-tighter belt.

Theo took a break from stuffing his face with his own pile of pastries to look over the fox. “Are you sure? You’ve hardly eaten much at all. Please, I insist, have some more.”

As tempting as that offer was, Robin shook his head. “You said the same thing five donuts and four kringles earlier.” He really was stuffed, as evident by his drum-taut stomach, but the dragon’s concerned look made him feel a little uneasy. He had to act now if he was to grab a scale and make it out. “I-if I were to keep eating, I’d end up as large as… as your pile of treasure over there!”

“My treasure?” Theo frowned, looking from the mound of gold back to the fox. “I fail to see how someone as little as you could end up that large overnight.”

“Ah, you’re totally right,” Robin grinned, looking up at the dragon. “You’ll have to forgive me, I couldn’t think of anything else to compare myself to other than your pile of treasure. Much like our thieving friend over here,” Sylvester paused his cleaning duties to glare at the fox yet again. “I have an eye for anything shining and dazzling. Your scales, for example, are some of the finest I have ever laid eyes on!”

Theo shuffled in his spot for a bit, and to Robin’s surprise, actually looked a little embarrassed. If dragons could blush, he was certain the drake would be beet-red. “You think so? Honestly, I expected my scales to dim somewhat after living in a cave for so long. I make sure to groom myself daily, however, so it makes me happy to see others appreciating them.”

“But of course!” The fox grinned. He was so close now. He just needed one final push. “Every single one of them shines like a gem in their own right. A single scale from you would be worth far more than the gold you graciously bestowed upon me before. And besides, you have so many scales, surely you wouldn’t notice if one were missing, right?”

Robin’s heart was pounding furiously in his chest, his breathing quick and shallow due to his nervousness and his overstuffed middle. His eyes locked onto Theo, who appeared to be considering the fox’s words before finally responding. “Wait… are you calling me fat?”

Oh, crap! “N-n-n-no! I-it’s just that… u-uh…” Robin’s brain was working a mile a minute, trying desperately to figure out a way to fix himself from this mess. He hadn’t realized what he said could be taken that way at all, yet he couldn’t outright lie to the obviously-fat dragon. “I-I mean, y-you’re just so… u-uh…”

Fortunately, Theo let out a roaring laughter, thumping his meaty tail against the ground in amusement. “Ahahar! I’m just teasing you, Robin. You need to learn to relax a little.”

“O-oh… that’s good…” Robin felt so light-headed, he was surprised he hadn’t fainted yet.

Theo continued speaking. “So, if I am to assume correctly, you’re asking for one of my scales?”

“Y-yes please!” The fox struggled to control his shivering. He had seen the face of death far too many times this past few weeks. “But only if you don’t mind. I was, uh, hoping that I could keep a token of our friendship, you know?”

“I see,” Theo mumbled, looking down at his expansive middle. Robin gulped nervously. What if this was his biggest blunder yet, and the dragon was now deciding whether or not to eat him after all? That would explain why the drake had been so insistent on stuffing him. Much to his relief, Theo looked back to the fox and smiled. “Very well, you may have one of my scales, but on one condition,” Theo’s smile started to turn into a smirk, the drake bearing his very sharp teeth. “You must defeat me in combat!”

Nobody moved. Robin just stood there in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what he just heard. Even Sylvester, who was polishing Theo’s gold with a rag, stopped what he was doing to stare at them. After a few moments of awkward silence, Theo sighed and shook his chubby head. “That was a joke, you know. I was going to give you a scale regardless. I just thought it’d be funny if... Nevermind.”

But, to Theo’s obvious surprise, the fox crouched into a battle stance and grinned, drawing the small knife from his tunic. “Robin Lee Forthwind steadies himself as he prepares to do battle with his toughest foe yet: the largest dragon in the West! Wielding his trusty blade,” Robin grips the knife with two paws, “he lunges forward to attack!”

Theo’s surprised expression swiftly melted into a playful sneer as he rolled onto his side, exposing all four legs as well as his gelatinous middle. “Thylodeus of Ridgeback Mountain has been caught unguarded by the fiercest vulpine I... I mean, he has ever seen! However, even when staring down the fox and his mighty blade, he remains steadfast and strong, ready to retaliate in order to protect his precious scales!”

Robin attacked, and Theo counterattacked! ...Well, what really happened was that Robin awkwardly lunged forward, still feeling rather slow and sluggish due to his overstuffed stomach, and Theo lazily swatted at the aggressive fox with his pudgy claws, making sure not to harm him in the process. Robin didn’t want to admit it, but he was having way too much fun! Even if he was just dodging Theo’s lethargic swipes at him, he was having a great time imagining dodging powerful attacks from a larger, less obese variant of the dragon before him. And from the looks of it, Theo was enjoying himself as well, the large drake looking more like an overfed cat lazily playing with a new toy than anything.

As if they couldn’t be dorkier, the duo continued with their cliched LARPing between fits of laughter. “The speedy fox ducks beneath the dragon’s powerful blow and jumps forward, ready to strike!”

“But the dragon prepares himself! He uses his tail to push the dangerous fox away, then prepares for a powerful fiery attack!” Thylodeus opened his mouth wide, his throat glowing, a couple sparks flying out instead.

Despite the anticlimactic ability, Robin gasps and holds his arms over his head. “The fox feels his fur singe beneath his armor, but he remains stoic! Thinking fast, he reaches over and grabs his squire to use as a shield!”

“Hey, what are you- GET YOUR PAWS OFF OF ME! I’m not a part of your stupid game!”

“Oops, sorry Sylvester! Anyways, the fox withstands the devastating inferno and, spying an opening, lunges forward to deliver a mighty blow!” Robin noticed Theo was panting after his fiery “attack” and choose that moment to dash up towards the dragon and planted his knife in the drake’s exposed gut.

Suddenly, Theo let out a loud groan of pain, gasping and whining. “H-how could you, Robin? I-I thought we were just playing! Th-that hurts!!”

Robin yelped and dropped his knife, his eyes wide with fear. “O-oh my god, I’m so sorry! Are you all right?” He folded his ears as he stepped closer to inspect the damage, but upon finding none, realized he had fallen for a nasty trap. Theo’s look of anguish changed to one of mischievous glee as he wrapped his forelegs around the fox and shoved him against his doughy middle, laughing triumphantly. “You were a fool to believe a pitiful toothpick such as the one you wield would be a match for the great and mighty dragon! I declare myself, Thylodeus of Ridgeback mountain, the winner of this duel!”

But Robin didn’t quite care about that; in fact, he hardly listened to a word the dragon was saying. To him, there was no cave around him, no skunk and dragon staring at him, no mountain of gold and sweets behind him, or even the ever-elusive scale he needed right in his paws. He had no idea something covered in scales could be so soft, squishy, and malleable. He would have thought he was on cloud nine, but he was certain not even clouds felt as warm and comfortable as this.

Uttering a soft moan, the fox continued to lie there even after Theo released him, feeling himself sink into the dragon’s thick pudge. All of a sudden, he felt very tired and wondered whether he could just nap right there, right on top of the biggest and softest bed he has ever encountered. Just as he was about to start kneading the jiggly surface beneath him, however, he felt someone’s warm breath ruffling his fur. Opening his eyes, Robin found himself staring at the blubbery dragon himself, a playful grin spreading across the drake’s chubby face. “Are you cozy?”

Robin’s face flushed redder than his fur as he scrambled off the drake’s gut, its jiggling and sloshing causing the fox to blush even further. “S-s-sorry! I-I, uh, w-was just coming to terms with my defeat, that’s all…”

Much to Robin’s surprise (and embarrassment) Theo roared with laughter, his voice echoing throughout the cave. “Ahahar! I’m just teasing you, Robin,” he smirked, patting the poor fox with his large claw. “Such a shame, too. Here I thought I had finally managed to get you to relax a little. What can I do to convince you that I have no intentions of harming you?”

“Oh… well…” Robin didn’t really have an answer for that question. All this time he had seen this dragon as a potential threat, a creature that could end his life at a moment’s notice. He had heard plenty of tales of fierce dragons gobbling up wayward adventurers and roasting entire armies, so hearing one ask him to loosen up was a bit surreal. Besides, after lying on Theo’s stomach like that, the fox was still too embarrassed to think of a proper response.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to, as Theo suddenly perked up. “Oh, that’s right. I believe you wanted a scale?” Robin had to avert his eyes as the drake reached a claw beneath his pudgy stomach and fumbled around, the blob of gold scales jiggling against the ground until he finally retracted it to reveal a single scale. “Here you are. Don’t worry, it’s normal for dragons to shed their scales as they grow in adulthood, although mine never stopped shedding for some reason.”

“Is that right?” Robin mumbled, wondering if the reasoning behind that had to do with dragon’s immense weight. Shaking the thought away, the fox leaned forward and took the scale, a grin slowly spreading across his muzzle. “Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me!”

“My pleasure.” Theo smiled, resting his head on his paws. “If you wouldn’t mind, actually, would it be possible for you to bring back some of the books and stories you mentioned earlier sometime? You don’t need to rush for my sake, and you’re more than welcome to use my wealth to purchase them if you’d like.”

“Of course, no problem,” Robin swiftly responded, feeling nervous now that the dragon’s head was eye level with him. Theo had just said he wasn’t planning on harming him, so why was he still so anxious around him? Not wanting to stick around and find the answer, the fox slipped the scale in his tunic and turned to leave. “It’s getting rather late though, and I should be heading back. There’s, uh, a certain someone who owes me a shoe-cleaning right about now.” Robin couldn’t hide the satisfaction in his voice when he said those words.

Theo snorted with amusement. “Very well, I could use a nap myself. All that exercise has left me quite winded indeed.” The dragon let out a low yawn, failing to register Robin’s confused expression as to how lying on your side and wiggling your legs could be considered exercise. “Farewell, Robin. Please visit again soon.”

Robin smirked. “Of course, big guy.” And with that, he waved at the still-annoyed skunk and wandered off, thinking heavily about the day's events as he made his way back into town. He was so engrossed in his thoughts, in fact, that he didn’t even notice when his bed creaking when he crawled into it.