"...Only thrice do we know of a dragon carrying a man except for ill purposes. Always it was a dragon lord, and the other two times the dragon owed a great debt to the dragon lord, a life debt, and paid it off by carrying him.”

“Did either of them ride on the dragon's back...” Gerald could see the answer on their faces.

“No. The only dragon lord who ever suggested that was allowed onto the dragon's back, but was then dropped into a volcano.”

“We don't really count that one,” noted the King wryly.

“Nor do we mention it to dragons,” Cuthbert commanded.

Gerald nodded. That seemed like obvious wisdom.

Excerpt from YEAR OF THE DRAGON LORD.