Why I Am The Dragon
Author: Johnny Dragon
I have always related to the dragon. I was never really sure why, but it has always felt right. I recently read the following excerpt from a book, and it all became abundantly clear. For those of you that have known me for awhile, it will make complete sense. I also want to say a special thanks to the one and only St. George for fully understanding the dragon.
The Dragon
Excerpt from “Magic Kingdom For Sale” by: Terry Brooks
“Who are you?” the dragon asked, head lowering again.
“What were you doing in the mists?” He showed his teeth as his lips curled back from his gums. “Are you one of the fairies?”
Ben shook his head. “No, I’m not.” He gathered his wits quickly now. “I’m Ben Holiday, from Chicago. From another world, really. I’m Landover’s new King.”
“Are you?” The dragon seemed unimpressed.
“Yes.” Ben hesitated, his courage slowly returning. “You know, I didn’t think dragons could talk.”
Strabo shifted his bulk slightly, undulating his long, serpentine body so that his backside rested against a series of smaller pools, the flames dancing against his scaled hide. “Oh, one of those,” he sniffed.
Ben frowned. “One of which?”
“One of those humans that think that dragons are illiterate, mindless beasts who spend their time wreaking havoc on poor, hard working, simple folk until some champion appears to do them in. Your one of those aren’t you?”
“I suppose I am.”
“You read too many fairy tales, Holiday. Who do you think spreads those stories about dragons? Not the dragons, you can be sure. No, humans spread those stories, and humans are not about to characterize themselves as the bad folk and the dragon as the one mistreated, are they? You must consider the source, as they say. It is much easier to cast the dragon as the villain-burning fields, devouring livestock and peasants, seizing beautiful princesses, and challenging knights in armor. It makes great reading, even if it isn’t the truth.”
Ben stared. What kind of dragon was this?
“There were dragons before there were humans, you know. There were dragons before most of the fairy creatures came into being.” Strabo bent down, his breath was terrible. “The trouble did not start with the dragons; it started with the others. No one wanted the dragons around. The dragons took up too much space. Everyone was frightened of the dragons and what they were capable of doing-never mind that it was just a few giving the rest a bad name! And our magic was so much stronger than theirs that they could not control us as they wish.”
The crusted head shook slowly. “But there are always ways to get what you want if you work hard enough at it, and they worked very hard at getting rid of us. We were exiled, hunted, and destroyed, one after the other, until now there is only me. And they would destroy me as well, if they could.”
He did not specify who “they” were, but Ben guessed he meant everyone in general. “Are you saying you aren’t responsible for any of the things for which you are blamed?” he asked, looking a bit doubtful.
“Oh, don’t be stupid, Holiday-of course I am responsible! I’m responsible for practically all of them!” The voice hissed softly. “I kill the humans and their tame animals when I wish. I burn out their crops and homes when I choose. I steal their mates because it pleases me. I hate them.”
The tongue flicked. “But it was not always so, you see. It wasn’t so until it became easier for me to be the thing they thought me than to try to survive as the creature I once was…“
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