A Dragon's Beginning

The damp forest air filled my nostrils as I breathed in and stretched after a long and cold night. Ever so carefully maneuvering to not crush the eggs below me. Still thriving in these colder conditions, the two eggs are due for hatching any day now.

Covering them up with the brush and twigs from the nest, I set off for the hunt. It's been almost a week since I've had a meal. Every second away from the eggs is unsettling. From freezing to death, to being stolen and eaten by thieves, or even other dragons looking for their own cave. That is why this hunt must be quick.

The forest was calm and quiet at this time of the morning. The sound of the stream smoothly flowing beneath me as I glide to the forest floor. After getting my fill of crisp water from the stream, I take one more glance up at the cave before heading into the thick trees of the forest. Taking off into the sky would scare any prey for miles so this is the smarter move to make this hunt as quick as I can.

Lurking in between the bushes and trees I scope out my surroundings through my incredible senses. I can see, hear, and smell all that is around me. From a small little mouse sipping on some dew dripping from a leaf, to the tasty white rabbit that's up ahead of me. That is the target. I get as low as one could of my size. I'm not the largest of my kind but we aren't small by all means. This meal is a simple snack before attempting a real hunt. My belly cooling down as it rubs against the cold forest floor. I lay silently, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

In the distance I hear twigs snapping, trees and bushes being pushed around. The rabbit takes off quickly before I even get a chance to react. I stood back up in pure annoyance as I see two dragons running through. One was much bigger, and older than the other. Bright red scales shine from the gleams of light peeking through the tops of the trees. Plenty of visible scars while the smaller one was almost exactly the same without the scars. I've never seen such bright red dragons in these parts so they must be new or just traveling through.

"You just cost me a snack!" I growled.

They scoffed at me.

"Oh please! We both know a puny black dragon like yourself wouldn't have bagged that." The larger of the two snickered.

I glared at him, I was smaller than him but not by a whole lot. Regardless, arguing with some random tourist wasn't in the agenda. I needed food and I needed it now.

"Thanks for the concern but I don't have time for you and your nonsense." I said as politely as I possibly could.

I began to walk by them as he stepped in front of me.

"Where do you think you're going little miss?"

I bared my teeth at him and let out a deep growl.

"I'm done here! I don't need any trouble and neither do you! I suggest you just go the other way and be done here." I growled very angerly

The smaller one spoke out randomly. He had been standing quiet as if he was some innocent bystander who ran into a couple of screaming dragons.

"Maybe we should just get back to trainer father."

Surprisingly he simply snorted at me and walked in the other direction with his son. I was nervous I was about to have a duel with this dragon. I kept my eyes on them, making sure they were far out before I continued on with my hunt.

I managed to sniff out ram that was wandering through to find the river that flowed through the woods. He was an easy target. Carelessly walking through stepping on every twig and lead imaginable. The ambush was quick and the chase was exhilarating. I didn't bother trying to be sneaky with the limited time I had.

I lifted up into the sky that was simply covered in dark and thick clouds. A storm was approaching very quickly which meant other creatures will be seeking shelter in any place possible. I needed to get back, now.

As I approached the cave I knew immediately something smelled off. I dropped the ram to get more speed as I rushed into the cave. My fears were a reality as I gazed down at three smaller creatures devouring what would have been my wyrmling.

My blood grew hot. Anger and rage filled my eyes as I bared my teeth and let out a loud roar. Without hesitation I grabbed the closest one by the neck. It snapped easily. I repeated with the others as they tried their best to claw and bite at my face as I came in for the kill. It was all over in seconds. Blood dripped from my teeth as I panted, trying to catch my breath from all of the quick motions.

I devoured every single one of them. Forgetting all about the ram that was laying splattered on the forest floor. Scavengers would have a nice meal at least.

I laid there almost lifeless, letting the meals settle. My heart sank as I finally glanced over at the busted open eggs. The shredded meat and bones of my kin. These bandits barely had time to properly enjoy their meal. If I hadn't been stopped by them red dragons this could have been prevented.

Angry and upset only began to describe the aches I had. I couldn't stay here, that much I knew.

Before leaving the cave I set it all ablaze. Nothing but ashes will remain of what happened here. The stench and smoke filled the cave and flooded out the entrance very quickly. I went back down to the stream to wash down the meal and wash off the blood from the fight before heading to the sky. It wasn't wise to fly out right before a storm but I had no other choice.

Days pass as I mindlessly soar through the sky. Flying over lakes, mountains, and forests all alike. I didn't know where I was going but I didn't care. As long as I was far away from my old life.

I saw many other dragons throughout my flight. No other black ones. We were the more rare of dragons out there so it wasn't too surprising. The most common were the red and blue ones. There were plenty of those flying throughout the sky and roaming the lands as I went by. Some gold, white, green, orange, multicolored, and every possibility in between were around. No black ones that I could see. We can be pretty stealthy.

After mindlessly thinking about all of the different dragons I've seen, I noticed a very large and dark cloud of smoke in the distance. Curiously I headed toward it to see what was going on. By the time I reached it, it started to die out and settle. This made it easier to figure out what was on fire. It was a small village. Everything was charred and burnt to a crisp, nothing looked lively. A dragon or dragons must have done this, but why?

Humans and dragons do not coexist but neither have sparked enough hatred for this. Usually us dragons keep far from these creatures. Peace hasn't been an option when it comes to the humans. They're angry little things. Always stabbing and yelling at us to get away. Understandably though, as we do have a very threatening look. Some might be lust out for human blood but most of us have no interest.

I scoped the village, not seeing the dragons responsible. I dove down to get a closer look and to just rest my wings. Several humans laid lifeless on the ground. Most were burnt and melted to the bone. Some just had slight burns but they were all dead. Shields, swords, spears, and many other weapons were also laid out everywhere. Was there a battle? I wonder what provoked all of this chaos. There was a single lifeless dragon. A small green dragon was stabbed multiple times all throughout the body. Many questions just rushed through my head that wouldn't be answered.

There was a forest surrounding half of the village. I could smell the fresh water coming from the trees. It was time to replenish my hunger and thirst. Some fresh air was in order as well from all of the smoke that lingered throughout the village. I may be a dragon but too much smoke is not pleasant.

I headed in. Watching my surrounding to be sure no dragon or human was lurking through the trees. I had no idea if any survived so I needed to be cautious. The stream came into sight and I sprinted over. Taking large gulps of the cool water. The water flowing through me, cooling my body as I swallowed more and more until I was satisfied.

A twig snapped behind me and I ducked down into some bushes beside the stream. Like it mattered, whatever was there had to of seen me. I was wrong. A small human kin crawled up onto a rock. Clueless as to what was around him. They sat there on this rock and was wiping their face. They had tears flowing down their face. Must have been part of the village but how did this young of a human make it all the way out here. Is he alone? I couldn't hear or see anyone else. I may not know everything about humans but I do know this one was very young and shouldn't be out here alone. It may have been my motherly instincts and the terror of what happened to my own kin but I wanted to help him.

I laid there watching and listening. If his parents were around I didn't want to bother if it isn't necessary. The forest grew colder and darker as we both just sat there watching out surroundings. He was shivering. The material he wore was torn and didn't offer much warmth. Surely he would freeze if I didn't make a move right? That gave me the courage needed to approach.

I got up and crept up to where he was sitting.

"MOM? DAD?" He screamed excitingly.

His frown quickly went away as he saw me come from the shadows. I quickly laid back down to make myself look less threatening. The tears began flowing harder. I think he was too frightened to move, which helped in my case. I kept my eyes on him to be sure he didn't come to and bolt away. Quickly, I started digging a small hole. The cold dirt under my claws made me shiver slightly. Winter was over but spring was still working on warming up. Even these islands get very cold in the cooler seasons.

Tears still flowed as I worked on a fire. I needed to get him warm and make him see I'm no threat. I don't know if it was pure terror or if he was just curious at this point but he never moved. I was able to put twigs and some leaves into the hole and with a slight breath of flames, we had a fire going.

He stared into the fire. Scooting off the rock onto the cold forest floor. He kept scooting closer and closer to the fire until he was at a comfortable distance to keep warm.

"Are you a nice dwagon?" He suddenly whispered

"My mommy and daddy say all dwagons are mean and scawy but you don't seem too bad. You seem nice."

He stared at me. Dragons are advanced creatures but we still don't have the ability to speak verbally to humans. I understood every word, even the ones he mispronounced but the only thing I could do in return was nod my head to confirm I indeed was nice.

"YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ME?" He shouted in excitement

I chuckled inside. I once again nodded at him. A smile grew on his face and then he decided to talk on and on about the village and his family. He was a very talkative kid. I'm not sure if they are all like this but he sure enjoyed talking for such a young thing.

I learned a lot from his constant stories. I learned he was only four years old and he had a mom, dad, and a little sister. I also learned that his parents are who sent him into the woods when the attack happened. He said he saw a green and black dragon flying overhead before he ran into the woods. How he's the only one who managed to get through safely is beyond me. If there were others they must be in a separate area of the forest. I haven't heard any movements so if they're out there they must be far away.

It grew late in the night as he let out a yawn. Seeking out comfort in the night he walked over to me. Staring at me in awe as he got in reaching distance. He felt the scales on my tail before coming over to my belly to rest his head on. It was almost comforting to look after a child. I wanted my own for years and while that was stripped away from me, I can be a mother to this youngster until I can somehow find help. I made a barrier with my neck and tail. Then used one of my wings as a roof to fully encase him into the warmth of my body. I stayed up for a short while keeping watch before slowly drifting off into sleep.

Nothing bothered us through the night as expected. He stretched out and yawned so I removed the shelter of my wings and tail. I too did a nice stretch as I remained laying on the ground. The morning air was once again cold as I breathed in to let out a deep yawn. My stomach rumbled, I haven't been able to get a meal since coming down to this island yesterday.

"Oh your tummy is rumbling. Mine too. My mommy would feed me eggs every morning from of chicken Lucy. Maybe there's still eggs at home we can eat!"

Without hesitation he began walking in the opposite direction of our little camp. I quickly got up. Going back was the best bet of finding someone else to take care of him. I know I wouldn't be able to provide the care needed to raising a human child. I'll do what I can now but I need to find him his own kind. Even if it seems hopeless with the state of the village. Maybe someone else survived and was already at the village as well. Only one way to find out.

We made it back to the village and I don't think he fully understood the state it was in.

"Hello? Mommy? Daddy? We're hungry and need help!" He began calling out into the quietness of the ashes.

He walked deeper into the village, tears streaming down as more bodies showed up. He tripped over a shield and scraped his knee. He sat there crying more and closing his eyes. In my best efforts of comfort i rubbed my face gently on his head and gave his knee a subtle lick. The scrape quickly stopped bleeding and scabbed over. He opened his eyes in amazement as his knee healed in front of his eyes.

Suddenly I hear people! Shouting off in the distance towards the shoreline. I flew up into the air ever so slightly to find out where it was coming from exactly. There were ships and smaller boats along the shore. That was my best chance at getting this boy help.

I grabbed the boy into my arms as best I could I headed towards these people. I knew the risk I was taking on myself doing this but this boy needed help and I don't think his parents will be coming out of that forest. My only hopes were they'd see the boy and realize I'm no threat to them. I don't know if these people were part of the attack from yesterday but if they are then they could mistaken me for the other black dragon who attacked, assuming the boy's story was true about the dragons being green and black.

As soon as I become in eye view of one person they all were aware of my presence. All of the shouting the same things over and over.

"Dragon! There's a black dragon! Ready your weapons!" One shouted.

I landed a pretty good distance from them, a few spears were thrown as I landed but their throws were too weak to reach. That's when someone finally mentioned the boy.

"WAIT! The beast was carrying a child!"

They charged me. I should have taken off as soon as I set him down safely but I couldn't leave without knowing he was in safe hands. The boy tried stopping them but they had their priorities already in order. They threw out a net over me, as if that would do much. It hindered my flying ability but not much else. I remained calm. I didn't want to lash out and make things worse. That's when I felt a sharp burning pain in my leg. I was cut deeply with a sword.

"No! No! She saved me! Don't hurt her!" The little boy shouted out.

I remained calm as all of this was happening and it must have been enough to help his words mean something.

"Stand down. Remain in position but no further blows until I give the command." One of the men said.

I was surrounded by swords and shields but none touched me. They were simply pointed at me. I had to let my wound bleed in fear of making any sudden movements would surely result in more harm.

"You say this beast saved you boy?"

The same man said down to the child.

"My name is Oliver not boy. And yes she found me deep in the woods. She built me a fire and kept me safe all night long. She's nice!"

The man stared at me. I sat there calm as I gazed into his eyes.

"Well Oliver, call me Captain. You know a black dragon was part of that raid last night. The raid that burned down your village and killed everyone."

Oliver looked up and nodded.

"Yes sir but, but I don't think it's the same one. This one is too nice."

"Well I suppose if it didn't also harm you when it found you, then it can't be the same one. Nobody knows where the one responsible flew off to. Men unarm yourselves." The captain said calmly.

They hesitated but they followed orders. The captain walked up and removed the net with the help of a few others. Once removed I turned and licked my wound. Everyone was amazed as it healed right before their eyes. I kept still after that. Making sure to not provoke anything or cause any panic.

Oliver ran up to me and hugged me as best as he could with his tiny arms. I sat there and enjoyed his embrace as the crew started heading towards their base of operations. Most of them seemed to be packing up the smaller boats. A few already headed out to the bigger ship in the distance.

I knew the end of this was drawing near as the captain grabbed the boys hand to have their medical aid person look him over.

"No I don't want to leave! What if my mommy comes looking for me?" Oliver shouted and threw himself on the ground.

"Son, we searched all morning. There's nobody left. I don't know if you fully understand but they aren't coming back. Your mom is gone. I'm sorry but there's no easy way to put it."

The captain paused before continuing to hug the boy.

"Don't worry though. We have amazing people in our village on another island. Plenty of other children to play with and we'll find you an amazing mother to care for you. Does that sound good?" The captain calmly said to him.

Oliver nodded and wiped some of the tears that were rolling down his cheek. He agreed to walk over to the medical aid to get looked over. They even gave him new clothing to put on. Some that weren't so torn up and damaged.

After a bit they walked back over to me. I knew this was it.

Oliver hugged me again and the captain patted me on the shoulder.

"I never thought the day would come where I see a dragon actually helping humans but here you are. Thank you for helping out this boy. I'm not sure if he would have made it if you didn't bring him over here. You're a good dragon and my faith in your kind has been somewhat restored. Your story will live on amongst our village and maybe even outside of that."

I nodded at the captain as a sign of thanks for his kind words.

"I'll miss you very much! Thank you for your help and I hope you can come visit me and my new friends in my new village!"

Oliver hugged me a final time. Tears still flowing down his cheeks. They turned and headed towards the last boat sitting on the shore. A sadness grew inside of me as I watched them walk away. While our adventure was short lived, it's something I'll never forget and will always be grateful for.

I watched as they boarded their boat and headed to the ship. Once they set sail and I could barely see their ship, is when I decided it was time to head out myself.

I flew off in the opposite direction. Flying out to a new beginning of my life. While they spared me on the beach I wasn't trying to run into more humans anytime soon. Maybe one day our paths will cross again and he'll remember the dragon who saved his life. Highly unlikely but one can dream. One day when dragons and humans can coexist in peace, maybe we'll see each other again.