Ah, well, indeed it has been a long/lengthy/era of time flown by since last I placed pen in claw to dabble lines on this enormous web-wide page. What can I say--even Dragons have duties/ errands/obligations that call them to go awing into the world to settle all those odious but necessary activities that define us as members of a social order. Would that I could find my own Nirvana, a nest of rest, a cozy cave, a positive space in which to recline on my laurels and think of naught but...well, naught! But there is a 'real' world even for such as I, and no matter how hot the flame I spew or loud the roars I rage, I cannot escape it!
In this instance, I am woefully weighted by worries of debt, and am in the process of negotiating my treasure trove in exchange for continued existence. T'won't be at the same level of existence to which I am accustomed, but at least the furies will no longer be beating their scabby wings about my head and shoulders in constant pursuit of what little I possess. What a woeful time for all, when a Dragon has to pluck jewels and crystals, coins and currants and treasures of whatever ilk out of his lonely cave and toss them like meaty chunks into the maws of hungry creditors. Creditors, I do believe, have hollow legs, so fervently do they pursue the hides and scales and, indeed, even the bones (and the marrow therein!) of Dragons such as I. They must be fed if one is to retain their hide, or at least a semblance of the flesh that shapes them in this world. So I have been absent, dear fellow Dragons and writers of wondrous words, pacing and conniving and thinking and pondering the manner in which I must strip my cave of its comforts and pleasures in order to survive.
The deed is done, the effort drawn now into action, and if I can manage to stumble from one month into the next on the paltry sustenance left to me, I will turn my concentration back to the more pleasant activities that make the suffering worthwhile. Like writing, reading, expressing my Dragon self and wisdom as whim and will prevail. After all, I do not fly alone through the storm of deadly darts of debt that currently fill the flyways/byways/highways of our lives. Stay hearty and hopeful, my fellow travelers, writers, Dragon folk and others--one day we'll lounge about and tip a cup to past burdens and new freedoms. Believe me in this for a Dragon does not lie.