Book 3
Where Have All the Dragons Gone? The Beginning of The End of Dragon Time
Midna was asleep, yet something tingled in the air, rousing her. She had been resting from the mating flight of the day before, soon, she would lay her eggs and there would be new hatchlings to raise and nurture. But that day was not here just yet.
She was quite happy; the flight had been exceptional and would produce many eggs when the time came. Her musings were cut short as she heard the scrape on the stone behind her, a soft shuffle.
She opened her eyes and whirled around, {: A HUMAN! :}
She screamed with her mind to the others. Instantly they were all awakened, roaring in anger. She fixed the man with one eye, he was shaking and trying to blend into the rock of the cave wall. She ignored him, he had no weapon, but the village below would learn that this cave was theirs.
Humans could grow no crops here, raise no livestock. Dragons did their best to only choose areas that were of no use to humans. They didn’t want to provoke any further hostilities with them. There had been too many killed on both sides since man had shown up.
They seemed to have decided as a whole that they needed everything that they saw. Dragons were much more sensible. Only taking what was needed at the moment. No need for waste, or to over-hunt an area. When the prey was low, they simply relocated, allowing it to flourish again.
However, humans were not that way. They started to build settlements and wanted more and more of the land. More of the prey, and eventually more dragons as well.
The rest of the dragons exited the mountain cave, through the roof opening. They went straight to the settlement in the valley below, they had already discussed it when humans had started moving into the area.
If the humans left them alone, they would leave them alone. It was a steep climb to reach their cave high upon the mountain. And would take a determined human to reach them. If this happened, the brood would be threatened. Then and only then would the dragons take care of the humans. Taking care of them meant a preemptive strike against the settlement. They made certain not to advertise their presence, so that the humans would have no reason to come looking for them.
Yet here one was. Inside their cave! Their anger had grown over time, as more and more of their kind had been hunted, killed and their eggs broken open to kill the unborn within. The majority of the elders had voiced their choice, that if the humans came again, annihilation of those below would be the only answer, wipe them out. Send a warning to any others that dare to challenge them.
Younger voices said that humans were impossible to avoid, and there were rumors that some had made excellent helpers, with healing injuries as well as a few capable of speaking to dragonkin. The elders won. If a human entered their domain. Instant retribution upon the village would be meted out.
The dragons flew from the top of the mountain, swooping down towards the village below. A shepherd girl, taking the sheep out to graze, only reacted when the sheep started bleating and running at her. She screamed and dove into the grass. The sheep trampled her just before the momentary heat from flames wiped everything out.