Hopping on the Bandwagon

The theme of the month appears to be Dragon Scales, so I’m adding my take to the pile. Enjoy.
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The hairs along Kendra’s forearms prickled when the man stalked into her shop, and not just because he was the most attractive male she’d seen in a long time. That strong, angular face had a scowl on it, which tainted its handsomeness. Normally she didn’t go in for the shaved-head look, but she found the flame tattoos that decorated his skull intriguing. Her disquiet stemmed from the way he walked. It took her a moment to put her finger on it. He moved the way a cobra would if it had legs. The way the Serpent would have moved through Eden, before God consigned him to his belly. And he was headed straight for the counter.

She took a deep breath and made sure her silver spell knife lay within easy reach. Her confidence in its properties waned the nearer he came to the counter. Close up, he stank of raw magic and a power far beyond her own. What he was doing in a small-time magic shop she didn’t even want to guess. Handsome or not, Kendra decided it would be in her best interests to get rid of him as quickly as possible.

She fixed a bright smile to her face. “Help you?”

He glared straight into her eyes. The impact nearly reduced her to ash on the spot. “Dragon scales. I need dragon scales.”

Goody, a nut job. A potentially dangerous nut job. “Sorry, fresh out. Have you tried Hauptmann’s over on 8th?”

“I just came from there,” he growled. “He sent me here. Don’t play games with me. I know the kinds of wares you really carry.” He leaned across the counter. “I want dragon scales. Now.”

He was even scarier up in her face. His eyes weren’t the brown she’d assumed they were. They were maroon. That deep rumble he called a voice sounded like he was dragging it out of a pit. And –

And he had smoke wisping out of his nostrils.

“Sweet Selene,” she blurted. “You’re a dragon.”

His lips twisted into something that faintly resembled a smile. “Not at the moment, as I’m sure you can tell. I need dragon scales to change back. Tell me you have some.”

“Don’t you have any of your own? I know what your kind is like. You’re hoarders. You never throw anything out.”

“Of course I have scales in my lair. Unfortunately, I’ve been ejected from my lair by the sorcerer who did this to me. I need my true form back to fight him. For that I need dragon scales. Not wyvern, like Hauptmann tried to sell me. Dragon.” He leaned in even closer, and smiled. The heat of his breath hit her face like a Saharan wind. “You’re going to help me, aren’t you?”

“I – I don’t carry things like that.” In the distance she caught the wail of a siren. “I’m only a low-level witch. You’ll have to try somewhere else.”

“There is nowhere else, and there is no one else. You’re my last hope.” The siren grew louder. The dragon’s smile grew broader. “Fire engine,” he pronounced. “Probably Hauptmann’s store. It was burning quite vigorously when I left.”

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As I was working out Dragon Man's physical description, the image of Vin Diesel popped into my head. Wouldn't he make one badass dragon? Damn, I wish I could figure out how to upload pictures.