There weren't always dragons in the Valley.

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. In fact the species that ruled the area was the domesticated feline, your average house cat. The felines had taken over the planet. There was at least a population of 3 cats to each human. Being an invasive species they kept breading and killing. They killed so much they drove many different species to extinction.

They were considered godly and worshiped for increased wealth and good fortune since the times of Ancient Egypt.

One random day 10 years ago the dragons showed up in the valley and most intended to stay. The valley was rich with the elements they needed for survival.

It didn't take long for the fighting to start over territory and which species owned the claim to worship. The cats believed themselves godly and did not fear what they should have hidden and ran from as soon as they smelled them. What can fly, breathed fire and liked to eat people and cats as a special snack. As the war waged on Dragons became the dominating force slowly driving the domesticated feline close to extinction. Deity worship changed almost over night removing the feline from power. Just like that cats were no longer revered and hunted instead of revered and worshiped. Humans would sometimes form hunting parties and raid areas known to hold a pocket or two of resistance cat fighters. The populace of the cat was dwindling and a treat for the new gods, the dragons.

We had removed an invasive killing machine from the environment only to have it replaced with the flying lizards that could breathe fire and needed gold or other rare earth metals to sustain themselves. Dragons needed to consume a pure element in order to continue to produce an element as well as their ability to fly. The valley being a pocket of thermal vents had rich deposits of cobalt, gold, copper and rare earth minerals used in our electronics. Dragons had also found their new home rich in a warm temperature needed to sustain their cold blooded bodies. Dragons needed two things to live healthy, a pure element and warmth. Without one or the other they lost the ability's to fly and breath fire and slowly turned to stone

The valley had the largest deposits of metals and minerals of any other place in the world. This was largely due to the thermal vents in the valley and mountains. The Dragon were here to stay and eating our only resources. Cats may be on the way out but they were being replaced with something deadlier and bigger. Were humans the next species set to be made extinct. A dragon was not above eating you If you pissed one of them off. They would just assume eat you than talk to you. The dragons only spoke to other dragons. They allowed the most devout of the zealots near them for feedings and luxurious care and worship but no one was allowed to touch them or speak to them. The dragons believed themselves a superior race to the slow humans.

Nobody knew where the dragons had come from. We had never know this planet to not have dragons. It was thought divine that the dragons had sought to remove the felines from power and take it for themselves. Mostly the dragons only stayed for a bit and moved on but some found their new habitat a great comfort and just never left.

These prehistoric beasts were showered with a luxurious lifestyle as soon as they showed up. Its not a wonder there are so many present today. The original in habitants of the area worshiped cats as gods and now due to what should be an insignificant event they were in charge of this area. All of the valley people now worshipped the dragons as their goddess of luck and fortune. A clear sign had been presented and could mean nothing else when a local family suffered ill fortune immediately after driving three dragon from their home. In reality the patriarch of the family had a serious gambling problem and had lost everything playing poker trying to make a quick buck. This was not a wide known fact. Great pains were taken by the elemental fire priesthood to hide any evidence that pointed to anything other than the Dragon being their new deity of fortune and luck. If you wanted to be richer just give all of your money to a dragon for a meal and you would be rewarded 10 fold. Or this is what the priesthood of the elemental fire would have the population believe. Anything to usurp the cats and get rid of them for good. The priesthood of the elemental fire believed the dragons were a sign for a time of change as they could breathe fire and what better to be worshipped by a priest of the elemental fire brotherhood. These fanatic's believed themselves to be the ones in charge of the dragons and therefore everyone else. The Dragons only let them believe this for as long as it took them to take the seat of power. On their coronation day shortly after the seating ceremony the dragons started attacking all of the priest and eating them just because they could. Soon the streets ran with blood and gold.

It was best to bestow kindness upon them and adorned them with precious metals and an extra snack of cat if one could be hunted. Fanatics can't be changed or negotiated with. The rest of the continent treat the dragons like an invasive rat. They got no special treatment and were frequently killed or made to leave where they lazily lay bathing in the sun.

Why were the people of the valley so susceptible to superstition and fanatics? Was this also due to the increased heat and rare earth metals leaking from the mountains peaks and throughout the valley due to the vented heat from the earths core. This is what my team was here to figure out.

Christy Bang