Birthright

“There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. They will tell you there were. But they are lying.

“They will tell you myths from centuries ago, confusing fantasy and reality to try to take what was never theirs and never will be. These devious, entitled creatures say they were here long before us, long before our brave ancestors settled the Valley – the City, even! That they were here. That this land is theirs.

“Of course it's a coincidence, this claim comes to light now, now that the land is prosperous. After we laid the groundwork for a cultured society. After we created a civilization that has no room for such vicious beasts. After we gifted them the entire Upper State in the Treaty – when we owed them nothing! Nothing! And still, they demand more.

“And they will never stop. We know how to build, but they only know how to destroy. Their innate nature is a savage one, predisposed to primitive solutions of violence and ruin. You know what havoc these beasts wreak – if we let them. You know of the destruction in the North: how they showed no mercy and took no prisoners. How a little girl – a little girl! No older than my own precious granddaughter! – watched her family burn before they killed her. And your family could be next.

“It is only a matter of time until what they have stolen is not enough for them. How long until these monsters encroach on the mountains, the mines, ruining everything we have worked so hard to build? How long until we have to defend our Valley from their invasion? How long until our skies mirror the North, darkened with smoke and ash? Every day we wonder: is this the day they make us fight for what is rightfully ours?

“We cannot be held mercy to the whims of these creatures. They will never be satiated until they have our City. And if they cannot have it, they will burn us to the ground. We cannot let them. We will not let them.”

A cheer erupted from the packed-in crowd, drowning out the Speaker with applause. He waited for them to settle with a practiced pause.

“Which is why I have something very special for you today.”

He gestured to the wings, where a large glass box containing a dull blue dragon was wheeled onstage. Even though the small dragon inside was muzzled and bound, the rowdy cheers immediately turned to frenzied screams. The dragon shied away from the sudden noise and light, and they tried to curl up as much as their prison would allow.

The Speaker held his palms out, quieting the uproar. “No need for fear! Wild animals are just that – animals. They can all be tamed. And I am incredibly pleased to share with you that this one is finally completely under our contr-”

A loud crack cut through the excited silence, all heads snapping to the back of the audience. A stone-faced Enforcer in the corner had an arm raised to the sky, a thick red streak of smoke arcing into the air from the barrel of their gun.

Under the dragon’s wing, one eye followed the flare’s trajectory.

The Speaker laughed easily while he winked at the security on his right, relaxing the crowd once more. “Ah, well, you there have the right idea, but let's hold off celebrating quite yet! This is only the first step in what will be our finest line of defense against these invaders. It is time they learn that if they refuse to cooperate, we will fight fire with fire.”

The electric enthusiasm returned to the audience, a tenuous exuberance mixed with taunting jeers that grew in confidence.

“This convict here was caught trespassing south of the Line without City-authorized identification, which according to the Treaty – the Treaty they signed, I remind you – is a crime the King could punish by death.”

The Enforcer was fast as they slid towards the shadows, but they were not fast enough.

“But our King is not merciless or brutal. Not like they are. He is reasonable. He is fair. Instead of delivering a well-deserved punishment, he has graciously allowed this prisoner, and others like it, a reprieve through service to the City.”

The dragon kept their eye on the horizon.

“Of course, for the safety of our citizens, we cannot utilize any of these beasts unless we can guarantee their compliance. Which brings us to today: thanks to our Ministry’s tireless research and our own Valley’s resources, we are thrilled to announce we can finally begin!”

A hush fell over the room as the Speaker brandished a small vial from his jacket, swirling the shining black substance within.

“Isn’t it beautiful, folks? Local, home-grown – derived from our very own Valley mines! Made fully in the -”

A clawed foot crashed through where the Speaker stood, an enormous brilliant blue dragon landing heavily with a ferocious snarl a split second later. The crowd exploded into chaos, holding their hands over their heads as they scattered to protect themselves from the inevitable flames while the Enforcers began to fire at the stage.

However, the dragon’s only concern was the caged prisoner.

“Oh, what have they done to you?” she murmured, scrabbling at the glass but finding no purchase with her claws. The small dragon tried to help by throwing their body against the sides as much as they could, but after a few seconds it soon became obvious it would not crack.

“Well, forget that then,” she muttered, hugging the box to her chest instead and moving to take off.

But as she turned, she came face-to-face with the Speaker, who remained standing atop of a mess of splintered floorboards. With a growl, she struck again – but was taken aback when her talons closed on empty air.

As he smirked at her, still unscathed, her surprise turned to anger. They regarded each other for a beat, both their eyes narrowing menacingly in an unspoken challenge.

The whine of a weapon flying past her head snapped her back, and she instinctively curled her claws around the box and began to move. She huffed as she clambered up the bandstand to launch herself off the top, nearly toppling over with the added weight.

“This isn’t over, Silas!”

The Speaker’s face hardened at her words as she flew away, every determined flap of her wings hindered by the heavy prize she carried. He ripped the device off his wrist, and his hologram onstage blinked out of existence.

In the City at a Ministry boardroom, he watched the screen unemotionally. The crowd flooded the exits in pandemonium, forced to climb over others who had already been crushed in the stampede. Pressing his earpiece with one hand, he waved dismissively at the display with the other. “Round them up when it’s over, burn the bodies. Slash a few – they all saw her claw me, so it’ll be an easy sell.”

Barely registering his officer’s confirmation, he switched screens and turned his attention to the errant Enforcer’s file with a quiet fury.

“Now bring me the traitor.”