The New Dragon Dawn
#9 of The Last Dragons, Revisited
Alrighty, the last chapter of the new version of the Last Dragons. For those of you who still haven't read the original, the story continues in 'The Knights of Juno' story series, already posted to this site. I hope you enjoy it.
As always, comments are appreciated and requested.
Continued from 'A Father's Anger'...
"Welcome my young friend." The older Hunter said, making a wide gesture of welcome, the mad grin on his face immediately putting me on guard. "You certainly breezed through my guards easily enough. Rest assured, I will not be so easy an opponent. You know, I suspected that the blue dragon near the meadow wasn't the sire of these eggs. After all, if I remember my history correctly, the colors always match the parent."
"Is there a point to this?" I asked, the magic I was gathering growing even faster at his condescending attitude. I could feel the rage just under the surface, pulsing strongly with every beat of my heart, threatening to break loose at the slightest provocation.
"Well, you see, we seem to have a problem." Jason stated, beginning to pace back and forth in the laboratory. His tone was unconcerned and conversational, almost as if he were commenting on the weather, rather than facing down a very angry dragon. "I originally intended simply to drain the magic from these eggs, and then imbue whatever we wished with it. But, everything we try, every spell no matter how powerful, gets us nowhere. However, I am very sure that our magic is strong enough to shatter them. So, now you have a choice, either you imbue what we want with your magic, or we will make you watch as we shatter your eggs, one after the other." When he said this, Juno looked at his brother with a look of surprise, his eyes suddenly focusing.
"Or, I could take the third option." I stated, looking at Juno with interest. "I kill you and take my children back."
"Well that really is a shame." Jason replied, a manic look suddenly coming into his face. "And here I thought we could be reasonable about this. Oh well." As he said this, magic suddenly flared around him, powerful magic, more powerful than any human should have been able to manage. Something else was going on here, something dangerous. But there was one unknown quantity in this situation, one thing that could tip the balance either way. Ignoring the elder dragon hunter for the moment, I looked at Juno. He presented the appearance of a man who was torn between two equally tough choices, his fingers occasionally twitching as if longing to do something.
"And what of you, Juno?" I asked, staring at him. "Have you really abandoned the things that you believed so strongly in?"
"What?" he replied, his tone confused and empty as if he was coming out of a trance, only half listening.
"I know you Juno. I know you uphold your word at any cost." I stated and Juno nodded slowly in agreement. "Are you really going to go back on your promise? And what of your honor? Attacking innocents, threatening children? Is the code you taught me to follow really that worthless to you?"
"Enough." Jason stated angrily, stepping between us, breaking Juno's eye contact with me. "We are both bound by an ancient oath to hunt down your kind, dragon. We joyfully renewed it when we came of age, and we hunt your kind with the same joy. Now, we will take what you would not give freely."
With that, his hands began to glow and the hilt of an ethereal sword appeared in them, crafted all of magic. The dragon in me recognized the spell, and more, my instincts warned me that even my scales would not be enough against it. But one advantage that the dragons had always had was that every spell that the hunters created, no matter how complex, was something that we could do too. After all, magic had originated with us in the first place. A grim smile curled my lips as the hunter stepped forward, and a glowing katana appeared in my hands, a sword that I had practiced long with.
Seeing my readiness to fight him, Jason smiled and stalked forward in ready position, his brother and the internal conflict raging in him forgotten. For a brief moment, we were totally still, dragon and dragon hunter, the oldest of enemies, facing each other once again. Our magic blades were between us, points toward each other in the classic dueling pose, then, the hunter struck the first blow. His longsword's blade swiped quickly at my head and I brought my own sword to the side out of reflex, my blade catching his before it came close to touching me, holding its dangerous edge well away from my flesh. Pushing his blade back, I slashed with my own sword, intending to open his chest with the strike. Jason parried quickly, redirecting the blow down and away from his body, but, before he could reply, I struck again, three strikes in rapid succession, each coming in at a different angle.
To his credit, Jason blocked or avoided all of my blows, not allowing my sword near enough to harm him. By all rights, the battle should have been over in moments, my strength many times the equal of a single hunter, not to mention the fact that I had been very well trained in hand to hand combat, practicing it almost daily. But despite my advantages, the Hunter was matching me blow for blow, and I began to withdraw from my all out assault, my instincts becoming wary. No human should have had this kind of strength, not even the greatest dragon hunters in history. I began to fight more cautiously, still blocking his blows by instinct, trying to find a reason how he could be so strong.
Then, as Jason began another attack, his first strike almost driving my sword back into my face, I caught a change, something so small and so fast it would have been invisible to most people. It was in his eyes, the hue of the irises. Every now and then, a new color would swirl with the others. When the fight had begun, his eyes had been a cool green, but now, several shades of brown and blue had joined it. Something was indeed very wrong here. Moments later, when his next strike was even stronger than his last had been, a possibility worked its way into my mind, an improbable idea that nonetheless had the ring of truth. Somehow, this human was channeling the strength of his clan, every hunter of his bloodline who had died in the past, their power continuing on in their descendants. It was a spell that was entirely possible, but it had never occurred to us that the Hunters would have done such a thing; the consequences of such a measure could be very terrible indeed. Although such a spell being used did explain how the hunters had overcome us in the past.
Though one alone could not match the strength of a dragon, several hunters together could do it. Even a Dragon Lord, as powerful as we were, could be overwhelmed. Jason and I's swords clashed once more as I understood what he had done, and while our blades were locked, the hunter raised his hand toward me. I recognized the spell he brought to bear just a second too late. A bright flash shot into my vision, blinding me and pain exploded in my side, breaking my concentration. And then it happened, the same spell that he had used on my mate washing into the wound from his blade. My katana vanished in an instant as the spell banished the magic that created it. On instinct alone, I lashed out blindly with a fist and felt it connect, and I managed to grin despite the pain. As powerful as he had become, he still couldn't defy physics, not without preparation anyway. My arms held incredible force inside them even in this limited form, and my single blow sent the Hunter flying backward.
Shaking my head to clear the after effect of the flash from my vision, I saw the hunter climbing to his feet across the room, a grin of pleasure on his face as his magic healed the last remnants of the pain the strike had brought him. His eyes were wide, a mad quality in them as his gaze settled on me once more, held within the bounds of his spell. Jason let out a laugh, a high, strange laugh that went on entirely too long, and at last I understood. The words of my mate, spoken earlier in the summer, at last came back to me. Every method of gaining more power than your body could normally use had a side effect, and this one was no different. Tapping so much of his ancestors' power to fight me, as much of an advantage as it gave him, was steadily consuming what was left of the hunter's mind, his sanity dissolving away. It was an advantage for me, but I knew that if I didn't end this fight quickly, he would become more and more unpredictable, and there was nothing more dangerous than an unhinged magic user.
Grimacing, I reached for the magic to bring my sword back into being, but nothing happened; there was nothing there. The flow of magic within me was gone. Horrified, I watched the hunter approach, taking his time, strolling over at his leisure and I knew that I only had one chance here. Clenching my hands into fists, I prepared to fight unarmed against the swordsman, despite the spell steadily draining my strength. In all my training, I had never heard of a situation where the one without a weapon won such a fight. Then, struggling against the magic that dragged my limbs earthward, I commanded my arms to come up, into fighting position. The wound was sapping my strength with every second like I had been poisoned, my movements sluggish, my thinking beginning to slow. Then, before I could make a move, my legs grew suddenly weak and I dropped to one knee, struggling against the urge to surrender, to lay down and rest. Seeing the hunter grinning sadistically at me as he walked forward I knew that, unless a miracle happened, I was going to die here, die at the hands of a lethal enemy. Then, all of a sudden, a shape moved between us, a human form whose arms bore the glowing mark of a hunter, but his back was to me, his face towards his brother.
"If you are to kill him, then you will have to go through me first." Juno stated, a magic katana almost identical to the one I had been using appearing in his hands. His brother's manic look instantly turned to one of anger and betrayal, and the elder hunter tried to step around the younger, intending to get his target no matter what, but Juno moved with him, his sword raised into a guard position.
"Juno, get out of the way!!" Jason commanded, but Juno did not move, "You are going against your family, our entire clan. You would insult the very idea of honor that you claim to hold so highly, all for the sake of a damned dragon?"
"No." Juno replied, pride and relief in his voice, as if a great weight had been lifted from him. "Honor does not lie in blind obedience. It lies in doing what is right, no matter the cost. Everything I have done since you dragged me here has been wrong. Now I will balance the scales."
"Right or wrong, you swore an oath, brother." Jason protested, his rage growing until he was trembling. "That thing is a dragon, the most evil of all creatures. Have you forgotten what our ancestors fought and died for?"
"I have never believed our father's teachings." Juno stated, glancing back at me before looking at his brother once more. The look on his face was one that lacked the lines of stress that had piled up on it in the last few years, making him look much younger, and almost serene in appearance. "Dragon or no, he is my friend, and more, he is a good man. If you must kill him, then you will have to kill me first."
"So be it!" Jason finally shouted and swung at his brother with a hard blow, his muscles straining. Juno took a half step back, then parried the blow, sweeping his opponent's blade around in a wide circle, then stepped in towards his brother, slashing at Jason's chest. Juno may not have had the strength of a dragon, and so could not match his brother, but what he did have was a lifetime of training and experience to draw on. He fought as only a master could, expertly deflecting the force of his brother's blows and replying with quick, controlled techniques that more often than not sent his brother dancing back. Despite all of the magic strength that Jason could call on, he was being driven further and further back with each exchange of blows, his impudent fury plain on his reddened face. However, as impressive a sight as it was to see so strong an opponent driven back by a weaker one, I knew that it was only a matter of time before Jason landed a lucky blow, a blow that Juno could not afford. Using the precious moments that my master bought me with his brave stand, I struggled against the drain of my energy. Though I could not seem to defeat the hunter's spell on my own, I managed to slow the drain on my strength almost to a standstill.
As Juno went into a complex series of strikes that Jason only barely intercepted in time to avoid injury, I cast around in my mind for the barrier that separated me from the magic force within, seeking for the familiar tingle. I knew that if I could get access to even a small fragment of power, I could break the spell that held me, and I could just barely feel it on the edge of my perceptions, but it seemed just barely out of reach, as if my searching thoughts were bare centimeters from touching it. Then, it happened, what I had known to be inevitable. Juno overreached with a parry, bringing his blade a little too far out of line. And that was all the chance his faster brother needed. With a motion so quick even my dragon senses almost missed it, Jason's blade disappeared for the briefest instant, reappearing inside Juno's guard and, quickened by the tireless magic of countless hunters, cut across my friend's gut. Juno staggered, his eyes wide, and for a moment, he stood upright, straight and still, then he crumpled, falling into the spray of blood before him, never making a sound. For the briefest instant, the room was silent, then a terrible cry of rage and pain filled the chamber. It was so loud that it made the air reverberate around me, and for a heartbeat, I thought it was Jason, the hunter realizing what he had just done. But no, the deafening cry came from my own throat, accompanying a wild, feral rage that was not the fire of the dragon within me, but rather the grief and pain of my human self.
Juno had turned his back on the ancient oath of his family for the sake of honor, for the sake of me and my children. A man who was willing to defy millennia of tradition and the ties of blood for the sake of a friend in danger did not deserve such a death. He deserved to live, to be celebrated for all the years of his life, held up as an example of the very best of mankind. And then, as the bloody haze of anger descended on my sight, the feral rage of my human heart suddenly merged with the ancient fire of my dragon soul, the two feeding off one another and a single thought came to my mind, a thought so clear that it filled every aspect of my being. Whatever magic had held me before would not hold me any longer. Strength suddenly resurged into my body and I reached for the magic once more. This time, my rage was so great that the barrier dividing me from it was shattered. Magic flooded me, the wound in my side closing as if it had never been. Pushing myself to my feet once more in a single fluid motion, I felt the katana come into being in my hands as if it had never left it and I snarled. Jason was facing me once more, the look on his face one of confusion, though whether there was enough of him left to recognize that his spell had failed when it should have held me forever was up for debate. All the same, he came towards me once more, his stride eager, and I felt the flood of magic making changes within me, my body swelling in size as my blood surged with the fury that burned so hot within me.
Suddenly faced with an opponent far larger than he was, Jason stopped in his tracks, shocked at my display of power. Seizing the advantage, I advanced quickly, the katana weaving back and forth in my hands, already moving far faster than before, until it was barely a blur as I wove it back and forth. Somewhere deep inside my heart, at the very core of my being, something was changing, giving way as the flood of magic continued, but I didn't care. All I cared about was slaying this man, destroying him so completely that not even his name would ever be remembered again. When I got within range, Jason struck at me, but I blocked his stroke easily, almost knocking his sword from his hand with the sheer force of my blow. My return stroke had such power behind it that he staggered, only barely deflecting the blade to the side. Pressing forward, I struck again and again, magic amplifying the strength of my arms, only the Hunter's retreat saving him from harm. And then, Jason's luck ran out. Just as he stepped back once again, his foot slipped in his brother's blood, my blade carving a slice into his side much like the one he had scored against me earlier. Gasping in pain, he lost his balance, falling backward, his sword falling from his hand. It was not a fatal blow, but my next would be, and he knew it.
"I call upon the blood of the Hunter." He managed to say, his teeth gritted as he clutched at the wound. "Rise and do your duty."
At once, I felt my arms pin to my side, coherent bands of energy encircling my torso like a vise. When I tried to cut through them with my katana, it vanished and I knew that the hunter on the ground before me was not the culprit; wounded as he was, he wouldn't have had the concentration to do this. A sudden movement at my side caused me to turn my head, my eyes going wide when I saw what it was. Juno's body was struggling to rise to its feet once more, his hands glowing brightly with magic. For a brief moment, I thought that my master had returned to life, but his eyes were wide and unfocused; his chest did not rise and fall, no heart beat within his breast. Some residual magic that resided in the blood of the fallen hunter had responded to Jason's call, rising to fulfill the ancient oath. Tensing my arms, I forced them out to the side, straining to break the bonds with strength alone, but Jason was getting back to his feet ahead of me, the wound already sealing as the combined magic of his ancestors strove to keep him healthy. The long sword appeared in his hands once more as he took a step towards me, his eyes wild and almost inhuman, so many hues swirling within them that it looked almost like the view through a kaleidoscope.
"You see, my young friend," he said, stopping within striking distance, his tone almost singsong. "We hunters fight even when we are dead. Now then, know with your dying breath that when you are gone, I will toast your memory with your blood."
A hungry look filled his eyes and I knew somehow that he had tasted dragon blood before, and that he wanted more. A dragon's blood was so charged with magic that it acted almost as a reservoir for it; anyone who drank it would gain a boost of energy unsurpassed by any other source. It was a sensation that had driven whole families of hunters in the past to madness as they grew to crave the blood of my kind, driving them to greater and greater extremes until even the other hunters had turned on them. And to one whose sanity was already slipping, it was a temptation all too great. And as he raised his sword to strike, I suddenly understood what I had to do if I was going to survive these next moments. Closing my eyes, I let the dragon instincts within me swell to the surface, letting them fill every aspect of my soul, and for the first and last time, I truly surrendered myself to them. The last bit of my humanity spiraled away, consumed by my dragon self. As I sacrificed the last thread that had linked me to my old life, new strength swelled within me, more strength than I had ever felt before; oceans of strength, and still more. Without thought, I pointed one claw at the dead body that held me with its magic and a bolt of lightning seared from my claw tip. The spell was effortless, the effect instantaneous. The corpse went stiff as my magic slammed into it, twitching with unending current and then it collapsed back into the blood pool it had left on the ground. The bands of magic faded away just as Jason's blade descended towards me.
One white and silver scaled hand caught the wrist holding his sword in its iron-hard grasp, stopping its fall in an instant. Then, when the hunter's eyes went wide in shock, I stabbed forward with my other hand, claws bared. The hunter jerked, his eyes suddenly returning to their original color as my claws pierced the skin of his gut, the spell that had allowed him to gain such power dispelled by the horrific wound. My claws would have made short work of inches of metal plating, and they did a fine job on his body as well. My hand sank so deep into his body that my claw tips almost pierced right through his back, his warm blood gushing out around it, painting my hand red, but I wasn't satisfied yet. The Hunter's mouth worked in silence like a fish out of water for a few moments, his eyes flicking downward in horror, disbelief on his face. The ancient, fiery rage guided me now, and I clenched my hand on his beating heart, twisting my grip cruelly. With a quick jerk, I pulled my hand free, unleashing a torrent of blood as I released the Hunter's wrist. Jason, the last of the dragon hunters, toppled backward after a moment's hesitation, dead before he hit the ground. I stood perfectly still, looking down at him for a moment, appalled at the savagery of what I had just done, then tossed the handful of muscle back onto its owner. As hot as the rage had burned moments ago, it now cooled into satisfaction and I knelt, cleaning my bloody limb off on the hunter's clothes.
The last of the dragon hunters had finally been killed. But at what cost? I had given up my last link to my old life. There was nothing left of the human I had once been. Only dragon remained. But, as I looked on my eggs, safe once more, I knew that it had been worth it. Striding over to the machine that held them imprisoned, I punched one clawed hand through the metallic covering that housed important components. Honestly, I didn't know what it was I was destroying, what the machine had been designed to do and I didn't much care either. The human's machinery was of little consequence. Seizing the thing that had the most cables and components attached to it, I yanked, pulling it loose as electricity arched across my scales. Instantly, the energy field that separated me from my children disappeared and I reached out to them with a gentle touch. The moment my hand touched the shell of the nearest one, I knew that what the hunter had said had been true, no harm had been done. I had done it, I had saved them, finally avenging the insults done to my race. Smiling, I gathered my progeny together with my magic, beginning the process of carrying them out of the facility, to safety. But, even as I left the lab and headed for the elevators, I pushed my awareness outward, and found a surprise. A huge force of soldiers was arriving outside the facility, heavily armed and prepared for battle. At least a thousand men waited for me up there, a thousand guns all set to fire at me at once. I doubted that even I would be able to withstand that many. Fortunately, I had another option.
Smiling to myself, I reached out and found my brother's mind, issuing my last commands, outlining my plan. Though my lust for battle and blood had been sated, if the humans wanted a fight, then they would have one...
***
The facility's upper levels had long ago been emptied by the time I got up the elevator shaft once more, so I didn't run into a single person on my way to the main entrance, not even the sergeant I had left sleeping at his checkpoint. Finally, I stood before the doors into the facility and though this part would be easy enough, I had to wait. The one thing I knew I could count on was that most of the soldiers out there had never seen a dragon and the shock would startle them just long enough for me to carry out my plan. Smiling to myself when I felt a familiar brush on my consciousness, telling me that all was prepared, I reached for my magic. It was time; diving head first into the magic that flowed within me, I allowed it to take hold, removing the barriers that parted me from it. Magic and flesh flowed together once again and I swelled. The hallway would not hold me in my true form, but then, that was sort of the idea. The cinderblocks that made up the walls began to crack when my scaly hide pressed against them and all at once, they crumbled, taking the floors above with them. The whole front of the building suddenly crumbled down inward with an almighty crash and I hunkered down, shrugging off the rain of debris with ease, waiting for just the right moment.
In my mind's eye, I watched a pair of soldiers as they warily approached the piled wreckage, their weapons at the ready. When they had almost reached the pile of stones, I rose quickly into the sunlight, scattering debris everywhere, the effect more like a volcano of cracked masonry. My scales shown brightly in the sun, blinding many of the soldiers and they scattered backward, not one of them having the courage to fire at me in those first moments. My sharp eyesight took only a moment to locate a man in the crowd who was wearing stars on his lapel, his nametape reading 'Grey'. He looked like he was about to shout the order to fire and I hurried to speak first.
"Sure you want to do that general?" I asked, my thunderous voice echoing through the crowd and the officer hesitated, suddenly looking confused. A half second later, a wild roaring echoed from all directions and more than a hundred dragons suddenly appeared in the air where they had been hidden, surrounding the humans. The troops all whirled around and I saw it dawn on them, slowly at first, but then with ever increasing speed, that they could not hope to survive the coming moments. "Perhaps you would like to talk before you doom your men with a pointless attack?"
"Perhaps." The general called and motioned for his soldiers to lower their weapons. Stepping forward into the crowd's edge, I started towards where the General was standing, the soldiers obligingly moving aside. I could see the fear in their eyes at my appearance, and in more than a few of them, wonder as well, their fear struggling with their awe. A mental cry of joy echoing in my head made me look up, spying a familiar scarlet dragon flapping quickly down to land in front of me, the soldiers scattering as she swooped down like a great bird of prey. Greeting each other warmly, my mate and I rubbed heads affectionately, making it clear what her status was to any of the Marines who hadn't been on the foray into the mountain.
"You got them back!!" She exclaimed joyfully, the soldiers around us looking apprehensive by her use of our language, which no doubt sounded threatening to them. But, it was easy to ignore them in the presence of my beloved mate. "Despite what they have done, I would rather not have this occasion spoiled by having to fight all of these humans. The war with their kind was bad enough."
"Well, with luck, we won't have to." I replied, the hisses and growls of my speech making several Marines shy away from me. Nodding in agreement, Scarlon flew off, taking the eggs back to our nest site, my parents flying behind her as extra protection. I watched her wistfully until she was out of sight and then turned my attention to the general. In my true form, the top of his head barely came up to my knee and I obligingly lowered my head to look him in the eye.
"What is it that you want?" The general asked, looking at my fierce face without a trace of the fear he must have been feeling.
"To live in peace." I stated and the general seemed truly surprised, taken aback by the announcement. "That is all we have ever wanted. Contrary to what the dragon hunters have no doubt told you, we are not evil beings who wish to destroy or subjugate humanity. Nor are we merely beasts that lack the most basic intelligence. Rather, you humans are barely children to our eyes, children we have no quarrel with."
"So you say." The General stated, then his look hardened, his tone becoming one of challenge. "What about the soldiers that you killed? Hardly the act of one who has no quarrel with us, wouldn't you say?"
"I have never killed anyone who has not tried to kill me or the ones I care about first." I replied and the general looked skeptical. "Have we not the right to protect ourselves, to protect our kin?"
"You have no rights, besides what we 'children' decide to grant you." He snarled, and I knew that a battle was eminent, despite my best efforts to be diplomatic. "Prepare to fire!!"
"Wait!!" A voice called out and the general looked around in astonishment. A young Marine who looked to be about nineteen was standing at the edge of the crowd around us. Like all the other Marines, his hands were clasped tight to his rifle's grips, but the barrel wasn't pointed at me. It was leveled at the General. The officer looked at him with shock as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"What the hell are you thinking?!" General Grey asked, glaring at the young man.
"I have seen what a single dragon can do." The soldier shouted, loud enough for the entire army to hear. "One dragon, just one that was not nearly as large as this one, slaughtered an entire platoon by itself. Only the hunters had the strength to fight it and they are dead now. I say we listen to what he has to say instead of blinding attacking something we cannot kill." A rumble of agreement passed through the assembled soldiers and the General at last seemed to realize the folly of what he was about to do.
"I know that the hunters promised you the magic of a dragon would be yours." I stated, looking at the young Marine contemplatively. "We had done nothing to provoke you and you tried to kill us or make us slaves. General, all that I want is for my people to be allowed to live without the fear that has forced us into hiding for thousands of years."
"What are you talking about?" The general asked, his hand reflexively gripping the butt of his pistol.
"Millennia ago, we two races lived together in peace. We taught you magic and many other things besides." I explained, returning my sight to the General. "But your religions taught you that you were meant to rule everything on this world, including us. We didn't see it that way and a war began. A terrible war, in which countless men and dragons died. In the end, we dragons lost the final battle. Hunters like those that convinced you we were evil used our own magic against us, slaying our unborn children before our eyes and killing so many of us. At last, we were forced to hide. But now the time has come for a change. Humanity has grown in the centuries since the war between our two races. I believe that in this modern age, this age when humans are enlightened enough to live together in relative peace, that we can do the same."
For a moment, the general looked to be considering it, then he suddenly drew his pistol and took aim at me. Every soldier raised their weapon once more and I took a breath, preparing to loose the flame from my jaws, my wings tensing to lift my body into the air. And then, before anyone could so much as take a breath of air, a single shot rang out, a shot that didn't sound like that of a pistol. And then, the General was staggering, falling to the side slowly, his uniform over his heart staining dark with blood.
"That offer sounds fine to me." The young marine said, stooping to lay his still smoking rifle on the ground at his feet. Looking around at the other soldiers, he spoke again, his young voice carrying far in the stunned silence. "What have we done but offer hostility to the dragons? And even after all that, they offer us a chance for peace. Who cares what has come before? I think it is time to put all of that behind us."
For a moment, the air was filled with so much tension it was making my scales ruffle. The other soldiers looked like they were about to attack the young marine, or else attack the nearest dragon, as their commander had obviously been about to order. The dragons that flew above the battlefield looked ready to incinerate everything below them at the first shot fired at them. But then, in ones and twos, then in a wave that spread all around the crowd of men from the circle where I stood, the soldiers lowered their weapons, the dragons relaxing at last. Finally, as the last soldier laid down their arms, I reverted back to my anthro form one last time. I felt in my heart that this would be the last time I assumed this shape, for it would never again be who I was. It was time to stop hiding it behind veils of magic. I was a Dragon Lord, the leader of a proud race, and all the world would know me on sight.
"I am sorry that you had to do that." I said, looking at the young soldier who was staring down at the dead General at his feet.
"I am sorry he couldn't accept a reasonable offer of peace." He replied, looking at the general's corpse with disgust.
"Well, here is to peace." I said, offering a scaled hand to the soldier. He smiled and we shook hands...
***
The sun peeked slowly over the mountains once more and I looked out from where I perched atop the bare peak of my home. Nearly a thousand years had passed since the last of the dragon hunters had died. When word came that the Dragons had risen again, the entire world began to change. Human and dragon now lived together in relative harmony once more. Technology and magic worked hand in hand and the environment, once on the verge of decimation because of human technology had healed itself. The world was in better shape than it had ever been before. But there were still the dissidents that hated us, mostly holdovers from the old religions. Though the wars we had once waged were long over, battles were still occasionally fought between us. A lasting peace was still elusive, but the world no longer fought as it once did.
Looking contemplatively out towards the distant dawn, I smiled when my mate nuzzled my cheek affectionately from her place beside me. Down below our perch, several young dragons flew into our field of view, a few of them white, red, gold and silver. Six more broods of eggs had been added to the first since that day, our family growing by leaps and bounds. But each of my numerous children had made me proud.
Even after all this time, all these years, I was still the leader of the dragons and I had seen many generations of humans come and go. In every generation, there were a few who stood with the dragons and fought against those who still would do us harm. Always, their number grew with every generation. Juno had been the first to fight for us and I still remembered what he had been willing to sacrifice to protect a dragon, his ancient enemy. It was in his honor that these warriors called themselves the Knights of Juno. They grew and trained with the dragons that they would ride, living together from day one, the symbol of our unity. I smiled and thought back to the battles I had fought since that first day. I had chosen only one knight to be my rider, Mikael, the young Marine who had killed his superior to prevent a needless war all those years ago. He was long dead, even the magic of the Knights not enough to hold age at bay forever. Dismissing my wandering thoughts, I paused a moment to stretch my ancient sinews in the sunlight, warming up for the day. There was still more to do. There would always be more.
"What are you thinking my love?" My mate asked, and I turned towards her, admiring her scarlet and gold body in the sunlight.
"I was thinking of all that has happened." I explained. "And I was thinking of Mikael and Juno and all that he taught me, all those years ago."
"I think he would have been proud of all that you have done, had he lived to see it." She stated, looking at me with a loving smile. "You have done much to be proud of."
"I guess I have." I stated and then smiled widely at my mate. We had spent wonderful centuries together, through all the sorrows of war, and the triumphs of peace. And we looked forward to many more centuries to come. "Not bad for a dragon that started life as a human nobody, huh?"
Pyre laughed and nuzzled my chin once more. With that, we stretched our broad wings, and took off into the growing golden light of the Dragon Dawn...
The continuation starts here: http://www.sofurry.com/view/35394