No Man's Land

The chasm between dragons and all other moving creatures was as wide as it was unknown. On either side of the existence, only what was passed down from preceding generations taught one creation what purpose another served. Man saw dragons as breeders of majesty, regulators of populous cattle, and a means to wealth. Dragons saw men as herders at best and enemy hunters at worst. It was, therefore, unfathomable to scaled flyers that a human would enter the Fire Breath. That area was a no man’s land unless that man was seeking to kill. Schrader wondered if that was what this man intended.

He appeared to be a mere babe, sitting on the forest floor, with arms no wider than one of Schrader’s claws. Was a man’s seeming frailty a mere deception to lure a dragon to its end? Schrader had every intention of finishing his watch and returning to his nest unscathed. Even if he made it out of the interaction with the human unscathed, there would be endless questions. There would be no rest tonight. What Schrader wondered was whether there would be rest at all in his future or if this was the way it all ended for him.

“Mama!” Schrader could not help but wonder at the weakness of the babe’s roar. Any fear he felt was immediately diminished at the realization that this man was barely formed and still cried for his maternal bearer, not even attempting to hide its weak nature. Schrader smirked at how unmatched the child was. He could destroy it as easily as he could speak to it.

“Your mama is not here. You have no kin here, man.” The babe startled and finally became aware of both Schrader’s existence and size. It would have been enough that Schrader’s voice was deep and booming, but his wingspan was also vastly impressive, whether he was in flight or hunched over with his back still tall enough to reach the leaves above. Schrader didn’t know if he should pity the child or laugh at how wide its eyes could get. As quickly as its eyes expanded though, they lowered to the ground as the babe’s weak voice began to whimper.

“Mhmm-hmm. Big puppy right. Mama no more. No more.” The babe seemed surprised and impressed but unafraid of Schrader’s presence. What did it call him? Is that not the word humans used for dogs?!

“I am no puppy, you ingrate! I am one of the most fearsome beings walking this earth!”

“No puppy, you eat cake? I want cake. I hungry.”

“I said ‘ingrate,’ not ‘eat cake!’”

“Yes, I want cake please and thank you, puppy.”

“I don’t have cake! I will not feed you when you insult me. I should eat you!”

“Please do not eat me, puppy. I need go home to Luyi. I all she has. She all I has. Papa gone. Mama gone.” The babe had the audacity to look up and straight into Schrader’s eyes. A dragon’s eyes were known to cause a weak-hearted man to die of fear. The fear was not unfounded as it was indeed a fool’s errand to pretend a closeness to dragons that was not earned. Many fools suffered for such an attempt, and death was often the type of suffering that occurred. This creature may be as frail as a fallen tree limb, but it did not know fear. The babe twisted its lips, tilted its head in excitement and said, “Puppy, you know how go home? I lost. You can show me home, puppy!”

“Home? Your kind is of Irisexit. I would never dare approach it as you should not have dared appear in Fire Breath. Your life is forfeit now. I see no other end for you, little one.” Schrader found himself surprised at the sorrow he felt at the thought of the babe being executed. It was the law though. Fire Breath was not for man and no exceptions were made for as long as Schrader could think back. He would have to take the child to the Partners and they would decide how and when the human would die.

“I…risi…sixtexit. Yes, I think that home. You know where? Luyi need eat. I go help her.” The babe began to roll off of the floor, showing the first signs of youthful joy. It fit well on the child.

Schrader finally allowed himself to process what was revealed in the discourse with the tiny human. Thinking it over, he realized the babe was not merely abandoned in foreign territory, but orphaned in this world. Death might actually be the best outcome for it. Schrader could not help but feel pity for the creature. He may have been alone, but that was a choice. This thing had no say in the matter.

“What is your name, little man?”

“No name man. I name Sam.” Sam extended his hand to Schrader as if to shake his claw. Shrader shook his head in amusement and turned his back on Sam, only to call back over his shoulder.

“Come along, little Sam. We cannot stay here.”