The Forest’s Choice

“Dragons have not flown in 300 hundred years”, Mare circled the room, her hooves clacking against the stone. “Nor”, she paused eyeing each council member carefully, “have they breathed fire.”

A breeze blew through the shattered brick walls, the vines swaying and scraping methodically against the red, stained building.

Dragon uncurled herself from the crumbling stone pillar, her shrunken wings clasped tightly against her scales.

Mare turned towards her, “Do you know why?”

Dragon blew smoke through her nostrils, stretching her neck until she was looking the horse directly in the eye.

“We did not need them anymore. So they returned to the Earth”

“Indeed. Because they,” she tossed her head towards the child at the center of the room, “were destroyed. Every last one of them. Burned.”

“Not all of them.”

“So it would seem. Where did this child come from? Dragon, you claim that there was no evidence of more nearby. A child suggests a mother…and a father.”

Dragon shook her head.

“I suggest that we dispose of it immediately. They only grow larger, and the larger they grow, their violence grows with them”, the Lord of the Elks bellowed. The representatives from Deer nodded vigorously in agreement.

“I am not so sure. If I may”, Wolf padded towards the child, breathing in its scent. It giggled as his wet nose brushed its cheeks. “My people remember them with fondness, an ally. They fed us, and we protected them in return.”

“I remember them turning you into something more akin to ssslaves”, Snake hissed. Wolf lifted a lip toward the snake.

“Even I cannot see the ends of this change”, Eagle offered. “I am ashamed I did not see this before Dragon. Not much in this forest goes unseen by me or my kin.”

“I do not condone slaughter, but I fear what may come to pass if this is not checked. My thoughts turn most immediately to the child's parents, and if they are indeed present. Eagle, I request your assistance”

Eagle bowed his head and with a great leap swept himself into the air and out of the broken ceiling.

Mare then turned to Dragon.

She met her gaze.

“My people have their own tales of their kind. We were bound and mounted, metal forced between our teeth and our sides kicked until we ran red with blood. At least we were allowed to live, not so much can be said for the others here at council. The return of the Human here to this land, will not be welcomed. Your kind were the only to benefit from their existence, save the humans themselves. All eyes will turn to you, no matter which way this matter turns. Are you prepared for that, Dragon?”

Suddenly, her wings felt leaden, and her throat cold and stale.

“I am not ignorant to the atrocities humans committed against those of us present. I remind you that it was my kind who rid them from the land once and for all. But I will not deny that my people yearn for the magic that was taken with them. It was their presence that stoked the fire in our belly’s and balanced our wings atop the wind.”

“Those powers were granted to you to keep balance. You have no more need for those things.”

“ There are those of us, who regret the…harsh actions of our ancestors. Many believe there should have been a middle ground, a way that humans could live peacefully among us.”

Elk’s hooves rapped against the stone.

“I will not be forced to hide amongst the try while being chased with sticks. Let us be done with it!”, bowing his head, he brandished his antlers and charged at the child on the ground.

Dragon lept in front of the Elk and opened her jaws. Black smoke billowed from her throat. Elk skidded to a half , collapsing onto his forehand, as he coughed up the fumes.

Something grabbed at Dragon’s tail, who spun around teeth bared and throat hot. But it was only the child, tears clearing a path through the ash on its cheek.

Elk, stood his fur now black.

“Long…have we known the Dragon to be the messenger between the animal and human. Long…have we looked to your kind. But it is clear now, that fire cannot grow, only destroy. You have chosen your side, Dragon”, he turned, leaving the council room. The Deer, Badgers, and Lions followed him.

Snake slithered up the column till he looked Dragon directly in the eye.

“You will get your fire and flight back for a time. But soon they will take back their fire and bind your wings. You will grow smaller and smaller until they put you in glass bottles and dissect your corpses”, he followed the Elk, his scales slipping across the paved floor.

Only Horse remained in the council room, her tail swishing back and forth.

Dragon lifted her gaze from the child.

“I have followed your family for many centuries now. But I cannot follow you into the destruction of our world. The forest has spoken, to let the child live would lead to war. I cannot allow that.”

“Then do not allow it.”

“Give the child to me, Dragon.”

Dragon lowered her neck, the child grasped the spines, and was lifted between her shoulder blades. She seemed to fit perfectly.

“ You say the humans hunted us, and enslaved us. Perhaps they knew if our power grew unchecked we would become creatures vile enough to execute a child.”

“Do you know your family will stand with you?”

Dragon remained silent.

Mare bowed her head.

“Peace would appear a small price to pay in the face of such great power.”

Mare turned and slowly walked from the council room.

Dragon waited until she could no longer hear the clicking of her hooves against the pavement.

Between her shoulders the child had fallen asleep, soft and quiet.

“You’re lucky they didn’t kill you here and now”, Wolf stuck his head out from behind a pillar.

“Would you have tried to stop them?”

“I am still here aren’t I?”

Dragon lowered her head, looking the wolf in the eye.

“Where do we go?”

“We go to your people, and we hope they…feel the same”

“And what if the Forest is right? What if we burn?”

Wolf lowered his gaze.

“I cannot say.”

“Why do you remain?”

“I find myself partial to…well partial to not killing children…of any species. Of course my people also have a … soft spot for them.”

“I imagine Elk and Mare are gathering forces as we speak. We should leave now.”

Dragon lowered her neck.

Wolf eyed her warily.

“You don’t expect me to ride you?”

“Well I am not waiting for you hop the whole way”

“I am as fast as you are!”

Dragon was silent, but remained still with her neck lowered.

Wolf sighed, cautiously positioning himself between her shoulder blades. As he settled, the child moved, laying a palm against his coat.

Dragon stood and walked to the eastern wall, or what remained of it, and looked out on the sea crumbling stones, a homage to the human empire that once ruled.

“Are you afraid? Of their return?”

Dragon did not respond, but stepped closer to the ledge of the window.

Wolf sat up.

“The s-staircase is at the other w-wall”, he peered cautiously over Dragon’s shoulder at the ground that loomed far below.

The child suddenly woke and pulled itself against the Dragon’s neck, giggling.

“D-dragon, lets not move too f-fast-”

But his words were cut off as Dragon stepped from the ledge and into the night sky.