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The dragon lay coiled upon its hoard, ancient eyes half-lidded in the dim glow of its cavern. Over centuries, it had grown accustomed to humans storming its domain with swords drawn and greed burning in their hearts. It had flicked them away like gnats, burned them to ash, or – if particularly amused – let them take a single coin before cursing their lineage for generations.

But this one was different.

The boy stood at the threshold of the lair, clutching a battered tome to his chest. His robes were too large, his boots too scuffed, and his spectacles slightly askew. He did not wield a sword or speak in challenge. Instead, he peered up at the dragon and cleared his throat.

“I need help with my homework.”

The dragon blinked once, twice. It tilted its massive head, embers of curiosity sparking in its golden gaze. “I am unused to visitors who wish to take knowledge rather than treasure. And even then, most come seeking some grand secret of the universe. Not… homework.”

The boy shifted on his feet, undaunted. “It’s kind of a secret of the universe,” he said earnestly. “I need to decipher this spell, but the grammar is all wrong, and my teacher says I need to understand the syntax of Draconic. You… uh… speak Draconic, right?”

The dragon let out a low, rumbling chuckle that sent dust and echoes through the cavern. “Child, I am Draconic.”

“Oh. Good! That’s… convenient.” The boy flipped open the book with a hopeful expression.

For a long moment, the dragon simply stared. No one had dared demand its time in such a manner in centuries. Yet, it found itself intrigued. The boldness was not of the sword-waving variety but of the knowledge-seeking kind. It had been long, too long, since it had been consulted as a font of wisdom rather than a conquest.

With a sigh that sent ripples through its hoard, the dragon stretched one claw forward, tapping the book gently. “Show me your spell, little scholar. Let us see if your homework is worthy of dragonfire.”

The boy beamed. And for the first time in centuries, the dragon did not feel like a guardian of treasure, but a keeper of knowledge, a wielder of wisdom, and, perhaps, a teacher once more.