us and turned them into pets. You have killed many of us, while we have killed none of you. None! Do you know how easy it is for a dragon to kill a lesser being? If you were looking at this from the outside, how would it look?”
I start walking backwards. “The dragons that died all came after us first. We have only defended ourselves.”
“Defended yourselves. Using lethal force every time. Never letting a dragon escape with his life. You know, that sounds more like attack than defense.”
I look down on my knife. It's sharp, but the blade is pretty short. “You can't blame us for dragons losing every fair fight they're in.”
Isualic takes one step towards me. “Perhaps those fights are not fair at all? Perhaps it's not so easy to win those fights when they're tricked into them. Perhaps they simply don't want to kill? Perhaps the reason none of you have died is that dragons, who are extremely powerful, have deliberately not killed? Perhaps dragons would rather die than harm any of you? Have you thought about that? Because that's how it looks.”
I back up to keep the distance between us. “We never sought out the dragons. Not to kill them, not to trick them. But they sure can't stay away from us.”
He keeps coming towards me, slowly but surely. “Were you there? Can you be sure that they were not tricked?”
I keep backing up. “I've seen it happen. The dragons pick the fights. Every time. One dragon tortured and starved twelve of us for months.” The memory of Troga sends a shiver down my spine.
“And now you blame all of us for the actions of that one dragon. Yes, very fair.”
Soon I'll be backed up against a tree. I should call for help now. “No, we just blame that one dragon for her actions. As we hold every other dragon responsible for theirs. Now I want to go back to the village.”
He stops and opens his arms. “You want me to degrade myself. Very well. I am the weakest party here. Little nymph, you asked me what I want. I want the same as every dragon on this planet: to leave. But we can't leave if we don't have hoards. Yes, we keep seeking out your kind, your tribe, your village – it is the only place we might find the valuables we desperately need. I know we can be intimidating and demanding. It is who we are. We know no other way. Will you punish us for being what we are? We had no choice being hatched as dragons. But now we are very weak. Some of us are sick. All of us will soon be dead unless we are allowed to leave. The lack of a hoard is killing us. None of the others will plead with you. But I, Isualic the Old, will go one further. I will beg. Please help us leave!” He reaches his open hands out towards me.
I take one more step back, but he doesn't follow.
Is he sincere? Can we actually help the dragons leave and get rid of them peacefully?
I lower my knife. “I don't think we have hoards for all the dragons.”
“But you must have hoards for some of us. Just the weakest ones.”
“Yourself included, I'm sure.”
He drops his thin arms to his sides. “I am the oldest dragon on this planet now. Yes, I am weak. Even so, I plead not for me, but for the younger dragons. My time will soon come, anyway. If I die here or elsewhere is of no concern.”
Damn it. I have no idea what to do here. Why did he have to talk to me? Why not a smarter chick, like Delyah or Caroline or Mia? Maybe because I'm the only chick stupid enough to go into the jungle alone.
“We'll think about it,” I finally say.
Isualic nods. “If you help us, then we dragons might be able to help you, as well.”
This might actually be a breakthrough. Whoever heard of a dragon begging for help?
I take one step closer to him, to show my openness to this suggestion. And because I now see that he means well. “How can you help us?”
He grins with black teeth. He really is quite attractive. “Little nymph, I will show you right now.”
There's a flash of light and a metallic clang. Then the dragon is gone and the jungle is filled with a mighty roar.