The dead lay all around under the bridge. The battle had been bloody and furious. The Dragon fort bravely and slayed the sons of man .They had again attacked him without reason or warning.
Truly he could not understand why they hated him so much. Every hundred or so years they would come and search him out. He was tired now and lonely. All his kin had long died or taken to the air to leave this inhospitable planet, peopled by the evil son’s of Adam and Eve.
Why he wondered were they so unkind and blood thirsty, why had they always persecuted him and his kind. If only they would try talking he could of explain that he was the last guardian of their selfish , miserable kind. No matter how they treated him he would stay to protect them until he was no more able to. Yes he killed them in Battle but never blindly or without feeling. Every time he took a mortal’s life he died a little inside .
They just would not learn, he could see into the future and what he saw was terrifying beyond belief. War machines, that flew the skies, some that moved across land at high speed and even more that ploughed the waters above and below. He wept, he hurt for them …would they ever learn? He saw men from different nation’s and eras preaching war, a few preached peace but they did not shout as loud and were soon silenced. To his horror he saw also the females become leaders and some were as evil as the men.
In despair he wept. Then he felt a presence before him. He raised his face and looked into the eyes of a young knight who too was weeping . The Dragon read the lad’s mind and showed him what he foresaw. He told the young knight what he feared was the fate of his world. The knight wept , the Dragon wept, they wept together.
The knight saw how mortally tired the Dragon was but he had no wish to harm him. “How can I help” asked the boy, he was all of thirteen dressed and armed as a knight.” I don’t know” answered the Dragon a huge tear running done his scaly face. They sat a while in silence then who knows, maybe God or some other supreme being sowed a seed of hope in both their heads.
“I know” said the boy , “you need sleep” . “Yes” agreed the Dragon “a millennia at least,” smiling as he spoke. “Well ” said the boy , then he and the Dragon spoke as one.
“If I / You pretend to kill you /Me, I/You can tell the world I /You killed you/Me the last Dragon . ” they stopped and looked at each other. The boy said , “yes then you could sleep and no one will look for you or attack you ” “I will give you one of my diamond eyes and part of my tail as proof. ” “Really said the boy in shock will that not hurt you ” The dragon waved a clawed paw at him , “only momentarily, after a few hundred years I will of repaired myself. ”
“Make it look real boy use your sword, then leave me to rest . ”
The boy wept as he cut out the dragon’s eye and removed part of his tale. The Dragon for his part let out a huge roar that was heard in every village and town for miles.
“Go boy”whispered the Dragon, “make them believe you. Then I shall sleep and awake when this world needs me . ”
The Boy mounted his white steed and and rode off towards the city of men to tell them the last dragon was dead. He also vowed to keep his promise to the Dragon to make a difference.
The snow began to fall as the Dragon settled down under the bridge . The bodies of the slain men turned to stone as the snow covered them . The Dragon fell fast asleep and God or some other supreme being cloaked him to be invisible until man was better, wiser and ready to listen to his wisdom and find the way to peace.
The boy, shall I tell you his name? It was George and he became a saint . The Dragon well he still sleeps , gathering his strength , awaiting the day when we will of evolved enough for him and his kin to return and show us how to live in peace.
Sadly I doubt I shall see that day, but it will come.
This is part of Hélène’s What do you see prompt.
willowdot21 