"Well, I don't know about 'whenever you want'. What if I want to be someone else's food?" you ask.
"How about if I eat you right now? Would that be okay?" asks Flame.
"I just got here! I would at least like to get my bearings first," you say.
"Hmm, " says Flame, lowering his head in thought. "How about this? We will play a game. You will run and I will hunt you. If I catch you, I can eat you. I'll even give you a five minute head-start. How does that sound?"
"Actually, it sounds like fun. But you promise I won't die?" you ask.
"I swear!" says the dragon with a smile.
"Then you have a deal! You can eat me if you catch me, Flame," you say, extending your hooved hand out to shake. It proved impossible to shake his clawed hand. "Well, I'm off!"
You quickly will yourself back into feral form. You feel full of energy. Could it be adrenaline released in response to your fear? Or just excitement for the challenge ahead? You hop around a little, before turning around to look for a direction to run.
"I would go that way if I were you," says Flame, pointing to a wooded area just to the right and down the slope leading to the main entrance.
You nod your head in thanks and begin to run in that direction. The other animals scatter as you jump past them, a little startled and confused by your actions. You stumble a little at first, almost tripping over your own feet. You are not used to running on all fours. But soon you are racing like a natural at breakneck speed through the woods. You have never run this fast before. Your surroundings almost seem like a blur. But you have no difficulty navigating through the thick woods. You feel great, not tired at all. You feel like you can run all day. You have never had so much fun in your life.
"I'll see you in five minutes," yells Flame from the top of the hill overlooking the woods. "Good luck! You are going to need it!"