Waking

It grumbled, shifting in its troubled sleep; it dreamed of smoke and fire. Some dreamed of freedom in their caves; some fought their waking as they desired not to leave the deep dark and its comforts. It could feel all of them, all ... was it 47 now? ... moving and pushing against the ground (like music, all of the bellowed breath and thrashing of tails). It opened its eyes just a crack - just enough to see that its scales were still the color of gold and its wings could fold and unfold when required. "Not time yet, but soon," said the great dragon (with a sigh that shook the earth a tiny bit) and then returned to its rest ... in the place of trees and mountains that it had chosen for its home ... in Yellowstone.