The Rule of Names

"The Rules of Names" is the second Earthsea short story, first published in Fantastic in 1964. It introduces the dragon Yevaud, who later becomes an opponent of the young wizard Ged in A Wizard of Earthsea.
== Summary ==
Mr. Underhill is a wizard who has lived for five years on Sattins Island in the Eastern Reach. He is an odd fellow, somewhat reclusive, and not particularly skilled in magic, but generally well liked by the villagers, who include a fisherman named Birt, who is secretly in love with the young school mistress, Palani.
One day, a traveling wizard named Blackbeard comes to the island, making inquiries with Birt and the other villagers about Mr. Underhill. Blackbeard is on the track of the lost treasure of the pirate Sealords of Pendor, which was taken by a dragon when it destroyed Pendor. Blackbeard, who reveals that he is the Sealords' heir, believes this dragon was killed five years ago by a powerful wizard, who then fled, keeping the treasure—which includes a giant emerald called Inalkil the Greenstone—for himself. 
Blackbeard, who has used black magic to learn that Underhill’s true name is Yevaud, confronts Underhill. Unwisely, he uses the true name to force Underhill into his true form, at which point he realizes his mistake—Underhill is not a powerful, dragon-slaying wizard, but the dragon himself, hiding in the shape of a human. Yevaud proceeds to eat Blackbeard. Witnessing all of this, Bert flees the island in terror, taking his love Palani with him, for dragons are known to eat maidens. A few day later, judging his cover to be blown, Yevaud goes out in his true form to snack on the remaining maidens of the village.