Just Rewards

As the dragons waded through the valley of tears; tears that they, themselves, had shed; the female alpha was startled by an unfamiliar sound emanating from the edge of the forest.

“Silence,” she bellowed from her monstrous blue-green scaled snout.

Mina, the oldest and largest dragon in her clan, had gained the respect of both males and females in her colony and was considered by all to be their leader. Admired, not only for her bravery and wisdom but also for her kindness and empathy, when Mina spoke, others listened.

As instructed, silence came about the clan as they perked their massive ears to listen for the direction of the strange noise they heard. They waded closer to the forest edge, searching for the source, and discovered that the unfamiliar sound was coming from inside a metal shed, one of the few structures still standing after the great fires and floods.

With conflicting emotions of trepidation and intrigue, Mina tore off the shed's door to discover what seemed to be a miniature human being. At least, that's what she thought it was. She’d seen many humans in the years she’d spent protecting the mountain, but never one this tiny.

And why was the thing screeching so much?

“Silence,” she commanded as she leaned in for a closer look.

Much to the horror of Mina, and the rest of her clan, the thing only got louder. Mina picked it up with her giant claws to look closer and try to quiet its screams. She placed one of her digits over the tiny creature’s mouth, then let out a slight squeal as the thing angrily punched and bit into her toe.

The clan, while trying to hide their amusement at Mina’s yelping from the bite of such a tiny creature, moved in closer and came to the conclusion that they were indeed correct regarding the species. It was evident in the attitude. This arrogant little savage, unlike every other creature on the mountain and in the valley, had no respect for dragons. It had to be a human.

**

I was three summers old when my Mina found me. At least, that's what my clan guessed. There was no way to know for sure. I was found in the valley after the disaster, amongst the burnt-out remains of what once was a village inhabited by humans.

I was not the only human my clan saved that day. When Mina found me, the sole survivor in my village, and brought me back to their lair, she discovered that other humans were also found in the surrounding area by her clan mates. There were twenty-three of us in total, primarily children.

Most of the adults that survived would insist that the dragons were evil. They would say that there was a war between humans and my dragon friends and that the dragons were savages who used their fiery breath to burn the valley, causing the near-complete annihilation of our species.

Some of them knew the truth, though, and others learned eventually. They knew that it wasn’t a war at all. It was an unavoidable disaster brought upon humans by their own actions. Centuries of ignoring the warnings, of using the earth for their benefit with no concern for any other species, ages of fighting amongst themselves and with all other creatures they shared the lands with, and a complete lack of respect for the earth herself would lead to their destruction.

That’s the story the dragons told us, which is the truth I have come to believe. My clan’s purpose was never to destroy humanity but to save it from itself. Sadly, most didn't believe and were hell-bent on eliminating the dragons and any other species that did not bend to their selfish ways.

I don’t remember the day my Mina found me, which I guess is a good thing. I was told that I was very aggressive, that I fought and screamed against her. Mina said she knew I’d be a fierce defender. That's why she named me Alexander.

She giggled every time she told the story of that day and how I bit her. Yes, dragons can laugh. They have emotions just like humans do. All beings do, actually. Dragons can also cry, but nobody wants to see that, for it is the dragons’ tears that caused the great flood.

I learned a lot from Mina about the purpose of dragons and why they breathe fire. Did you know they don’t always do it? Most times, they don't, actually. Most times, they breathe air just like the rest of us.

I’ve not seen them breathe fire often, to be honest. They do it sometimes to start little blazes in the brush to regenerate the forest. They burn the dead brush, and they leave seeds, from their breath, in the ashes. They also breathe fire for funeral pyres of clan members and spread those seeds as well.

When dragons are under attack, they breathe fire to protect themselves and all the other creatures of the mountain that have no power over the aggressors. That's how my human village got burned.

***

I had been with my clan for ten summers when my Mina told me the story of how the valley was destroyed.

Humans had existed there for centuries and had overpopulated and poisoned the land. They continued their propagation until such a time came when there was no more livable space for them in the valley.

Then they began to build on the mountain, driving out or killing any other species that got in their way. They continued their destruction even as new growth stunted due to poisoned lands and more and more species became extinct. Humans climbed higher up the mountain in an attempt to claim every piece of habitable territory for themselves.

Nothing could stop them; not drought, not floods, not fires, not scorching heat, not even un-breathable air. They just kept building and destroying further and further up the mountain.

That’s when they found the dragons.

Humans were unaware of the dragons' existence until that day, as they were never meant to meet. However, two younglings playing in the forest got a little too close to the edge of our territory. Unaware of the danger nearby, they were ambushed and savagely slaughtered by humans. Their hides were used as clothing; their scales were no more than trinkets hung around human necks.

My clan was furious in their grief. They wanted revenge. They wanted to rain down fires on the beasts who had murdered their children. But Mina wouldn’t have it. Ever the wise one, she knew that a war with humans could only bring devastation to all creatures of the valley.

Mina, along with the other high-ranking members of our clan, tried to warn humans of the errors of their ways. She tried to reason with them, to negotiate. She told them of the dragons' purpose and importance to the ecosystem, along with the trees, the bees, and all the other species that inhabited the forest.

They did not listen. They climbed further up the mountain, destroying the land, slaughtering more dragons, and whatever else got in their way.

The point arrived where allowing humans to continue their self-appointed reign would mean death, not only for the dragons but for the very mountain itself. The dragons were left with no other choice but put an end to humans’ arrogant rule in the most forceful way possible.

The fires came fierce and swift. The entire valley was wiped clean in a powerful blaze. In less time than it takes the sun to set and rise again, the valley was obliterated, along with all creatures unfortunately stuck in the fires’ path.

Then the dragons cried, for this was not what they wanted. They cried for the innocents trapped in the path of the fires, and they even shed tears for the humans who brought this upon themselves. The dragons’ tears flooded the valley and doused the fires, leaving nothing but burnt ruins in the flooded path.

****

My dragon clan has been very kind to us, especially my Mina. Since the day she found me in that flooded tin shed, she has been my protector and teacher. I have learned a lot from Mina, a lot that I would never have learned had humans continued their rule. Raised to not just take from the land but also give back, I was taught to have admiration and respect for all earth's creatures, even those we eat.

We have learned to hunt and forage. We have learned about controlled fires and about redirecting streams to prevent flooding. We have been taught which plants are safe to eat and which are not and shown how to grow our own food. We will carry with us survival skills which were passed on to us not only by our dragon protectors but also by the older humans. We have learned so much in our time on the mountain, but mostly we have learned to not only coexist but to love.

My childhood in this place holds treasured memories that I will forever cherish. Growing up with dragon siblings makes for some wild and exciting playtimes. Though it is discouraged by the adults of both our species, soaring through the air on the back of a dragon is a thrill ride all kids should get to enjoy. So is sliding down a mountain at full speed while holding onto their wings. Dragon younglings like to play games just like human children do. Don't bother getting into a snowball fight with one, though. It's a game no human can win.

*****

It has been thirty summers since my Mina found me, and on this day of her funeral, I carry her ashes with me. As I stand here at the foot of the mountain, overlooking the valley, I think of the promise I made to her.

Though I will never know for sure how my life would have turned out or what type of man I may have become had humans continued their rule, I can't help but feel that my time spent here on this mountain was precisely as it was meant to be. The time has come, however, for me and the rest of us humans to leave, for that is also how it is meant to be. We were never intended to stay with dragons forever. We were never even intended to know of their existence.

New trees and plants have grown, and insects and animals are thriving. It is time for us to repopulate and reclaim our place in the valley and, hopefully, this time, do it right. Hopefully, this time we will not make the mistakes of generations past but instead pass the lessons we learned from our dragon protectors to our children and their children as well.

Today will be the last time we speak of the dragons. Future generations will not be aware of their existence, which is how it has to be for their and our own safety. We will never forget them, though, and hopefully, we will never forget the lessons they taught us.

Knowing that the time has come for us humans to leave the mountain and rebuild the valley, I promise that I will not forget the lessons my Mina taught me. I will have respect for all Earth's creatures. I will coexist, not attempt to control. I will care for my fellow humans and other species with whom we share the land, and I will try my best to protect the land itself.

I will go back to where Mina found me, remove what’s left of that old rusted shed, and spread her ashes there, where I will build my home. I will keep my promise to my dragon protector. I will do it for her. I will do it for myself and for my wife. I will do it for humanity and for their future children, but mostly, I will do it for Mina, my precious daughter.