When We Were Dragons

by Brandon Berntson

  “These aren’t people! They’re monsters!” someone bellowed.

  “But we’ve come too far in decades past to resort to such primitive thinking!” Preston shouted.

  In minutes, it was pandemonium again.

  Pick-up trucks brimming with angry citizens carrying chains, baseball bats, and rifles showed. Shouts and gunshots rang through the air.

  “Please! Please! People! Remain calm! This is exactly what we’re trying to avoid!” Preston looked frustrated.

  “We did not come here of our own free will to overtake your world!” Dilla-dale tried to placate the crowd. “We are just as confused as you are. But we mean no harm. Our dragons are here to help you, to protect you! You see them standing among you! We are all in this together! Please, we need to have order! We need a civilized society, and we can make that happen if we all come together!”

  But when dealing with magic, not all of Earth agreed. Dragons, after all, breathed fire. How did they know we weren’t here to create more destruction? Look around, they shouted! The Old Ones were immortal. The people of Earth were afraid we would enslave them and take over their world. Things had already changed. Proof of that was everywhere. On Paramis, we’d never faced this problem before. Earth, and its people, would not listen to dragons, the Old Ones, let alone, their own Vice President. Thankfully, not everyone agreed. Many were quite willing to give it a try. After all, what choice did they have? But not everyone saw it that way.

  So, rebellion ensued. Shouts and jeers claimed we were the result of the collision, that we had made it happen.

  “Go back where you came from!” someone shouted.

  Dragons can be quite intimidating, and sometimes a cold stare is enough to make one’s point, but in this case, we would have to try a harder. For a second, I thought of sending out a cloud of flame, a mighty roar to get everyone’s attention, but I knew that would only make things worse.

  Holly and her children stood side by side with me and Karen behind them. How we could live peacefully when so many were unwilling to listen and cooperate? Still, Holly and her children were proof others felt the same. We had to nurture this, lead by example, if we were going to make it work at all. I thought about the man I’d seen at the department store. We were no different; we were not monsters. We would have to rebuild society and enforce new laws. We had no choice. Preston and Dilla-dale returned to these issues emphatically, but to no avail. The mob had other ideas.

  I thought about Lane. No doubt, she was close at hand, a wicked smile on her pale green face, yellow cat eyes peering over the crowd, Tor-Latress, his shadowed wings, hovering at her shoulder.

  Dilla-dale, several dragons (Louis and Cullen among them) and four men of Earth’s Government, including Preston Montgomery, stood before the crowd. What a colorful mix of men, women, and dragons! Rudy Granger, Broomfield’s mayor, was a tall, brown-skinned man with a deep, booming voice. He spoke through the bullhorn:

  “If I could have your attention please! Attention, please! Everybody! This is solving nothing! This is solving nothing!”

  The crowd, after some time, managed to calm down.

  “Startling revelations have come to all of us,” Granger continued. “And I have been appalled by the crimes I’ve witnessed so far. For those of you criminals, laws are still and will be enforced. Police are still on duty. There has been looting and thievery. I understand the collision has destroyed families and homes, and that we need food, shelter, and clothing in order to survive. We have encountered an impeccable change. We have provided caravans to help those in need. But rest assured, any crimes committed will result in punishment. We are newcomers to dragons and the Old Ones, just as they are newcomers to us. They did nothing to set these events in motion, just as we will not bring harm to them.”

  “How do you know?” someone shouted. “They’re pulling the wool over your eyes, mayor!”

  Rumblings, stirrings through the crowd.

  “Please! Please! Enough is enough!” Granger paused, and silence followed. He nodded a single time and spoke through the bullhorn again:

  “Look! Our worlds are not the same! And there is nothing we can do about it! Nothing, people! Enough lives have been lost already. But we still have a world to live in. We still have friends and families. We are still alive! We are foreigners to them, just as they are foreigners to us. Ill will, rancor, and hate will not be tolerated. This is as much their world as it is ours. We have no choice but to live with one another, to help those in need, and come together as men, women, children, dragons, and Old Ones. For that to happen, we need each and every one of us to reach deep inside ourselves for the utmost compassion and empathy! We need to help each other and rebuild a sustainable working community. Please! Was it not one of the ten commandments that said, ‘love thy neighbor as thyself!’”

  “He didn’t mention anything about dragons!” someone bellowed.

  It was getting away from them, and I could see the frustration mounting on the bandstand.

  Many of Earth’s denizens refused to see things our way. People dispersed, walking away, shaking their heads, taking their families with them.

  “Traitors!” one man screamed from the back. “Look what’s happened to our world!”

  “Nothing has happened to our world that hasn’t happened to theirs!” Rudy Granger bellowed. “Rebellion won’t accomplish anything! We are better people than that! We have battled this over the ages among our own kind. We cannot start the same decline again. Let’s prove to the Old Ones and the dragons that we are a tolerant, open-minded people, a loving, compassionate race of men, women, and children, that we can share our land and homes, just as they can share their knowledge with us. Imagine what we could gain from one another! Imagine the opportunity for growth! This is not a catastrophe! It is a blessing! It is an opportunity to move forward as a people!”

  Shouts of praise echoed over the thousands. Cheers erupted with a deafening roar. I had to admit, I felt a tug of emotion, hearing Granger’s point of view, one I hadn’t thought of myself. I was amazed the rest of the world, Earth, had not taken to this man’s philosophy, but it had been well played, whether he meant it or not. Those words, though they didn’t resonate with everyone, resonated well enough with many of us, and to those to whom it did remained standing.

  For a second, I felt a shred of hope. I looked around and saw many nodding, dragons, men, women alike, smiling at one another as if to say: “Of course, why wouldn’t we want progress? We can do this.” And for the first time, I saw men and dragons immersed in something I’d never imagined. Those remaining behind were anxious to start a new life. For those who’d lost loved ones, it was easy to blame us for their losses. If we could’ve prevented it, we would have, of course. I’m sure many thought the same. Holly did not blame us for the death of her husband. She was willing to accept change despite how difficult it would be.

  Of course, many thought we didn’t have a choice.

  “There are still trying times ahead!” Granger reminded us. “The Old Ones have confirmed a greater threat. If we do not come together to battle this evil, we will be no better off. Think of your wives and children! Think of the state of our society! We have no choice! Please. People and dragons! We must find a way to live in peace!”

  Cheers all around again, but still others followed the throng of non-believers, wanting nothing to do with it. Trucks backed up and peeled out of the area, bats and rifles held high

  And just as quickly, it turned ugly. From nowhere, shouts and curses arose drowning-out Granger’s pleas. Rocks and bottles showered the bandstand. Earth’s people were angry. A wave of pity surged inside for these uninformed creatures, people unwilling to share their world, their lives with ours. It was like watching a bunch of kids fight over a stupid toy.

  Stones sailed through the air. Someone clipped Granger on the side of the face with a rock, and he fell to the stage, holding his hand to his jaw. Dilla-dale instantly moved toward him, trying to protect him. He grabb
ed Granger by the arm and pulled him out of the way. Preston took the bullhorn and tried to calm the crowd, but it was too late.

  Our first attempt at bringing people and dragons together had failed miserably. Was there another way, I thought? What else could we have done?

  Some shouted and claimed dragons could protect them. We were a blessing, but any hope to coerce them turned to more insults, jeers, and further violence. Still, I was proud to see every dragon spreading its wings as the debris began to fly, holding their wings in front of innocent bystanders.

  We had to get Holly and the children out of there. As quickly as we could, we spread our wings without transforming, shielding them as the others had done. Charlie, Mellicent, and Jody were more in awe of our massive wings than in the riot unfolding.

  Later, through town, I remembered seeing a sign reading: Dilla-dale for President. Another read, The Dragons Have Arrived. I turned to these things as signs of hope, but always, with hope, it shattered. Homes were set on fire. The looting continued. Hadn’t there been enough destruction already?

  Luckily, Preston and Granger had organized a band of police officers with shields and tear-gas in case of such an emergency. After several hours, with clouds of smoke covering the park, the crowds dispersed. The worst casualties suffered were several concussions, some broken bones, and minor injuries, but it could’ve been worse.

  Some of the rebellious had turned to Lane’s side, and no doubt, she only reiterated their beliefs: that we were harmful, that we had caused this madness and must be destroyed.

  Some shouted they didn’t need leaders anymore, let alone immortal tyrants and dragons. They’d fend for themselves.

  Despite the collision and the horror to follow, war between Earth and Paramis seemed inevitable, what Granger and Dilla-dale had been trying to avoid since the beginning.

  We checked on Dilla-dale, Preston, and Granger. Granger was bleeding from his temple, but the wound wasn’t deep. The rock had taken off a layer of skin was all. Their faces mirrored my thoughts. It seemed hopeless.

  “I’m afraid I haven’t represented the people very well,” Granger said.

  “It’s not your fault,” Dilla-dale said. “We were fools to think a few speeches would bridge the gap between two vastly different beings. Dear Cerras, we’re practically alien races to each other, and suddenly we’re forced to coexist side by side whether we want to or not. For now, it’s best to let things simmer down. We’ll figure something out.”

  “Are you okay, Rudy?” Preston asked.

  Granger tried to smile, touching his head lightly, and said, “So much for politics.”

  “That might be part of the problem,” Dilla-dale said.

  Surprising us, Granger and Preston both laughed. Dilla-dale looked at Holly and the kids. “You seem to have made some friends,” he said.

  “Dilla-dale,” Karen said. “This is Holly Underhill, Charlie, Mellicent, and Jody. We met several days ago and thought we’d watch over them for a while.”

  Dilla-dale cocked his head and looked at Charlie. A strange, bewildering expression crossed his face. “Hello there, young man,” he said.

  Charlie stuck his hand out, the perfect gentleman, and they shook. “What’s up, dude?” he said, grinning.

  Dilla-dale seemed at a loss for words, and couldn’t reply. The rest of us were quiet. Dilla-dale frowned at Charlie, then looked at me. “I think this is just what we need,” he observed. “Lead by example, Justin. Watching over Holly and her kids is just the thing to do, proof we mean no harm by protecting ourselves and each other.”

  I nodded, agreeing.

  Before we parted, I noticed Dilla-dale sneaking another glance at Charlie. I had no idea what was going through his mind, and reminded myself to ask him about it later.

  ~

  I failed to mention something else when we were in the barn, before we met Holly and the kids. There was more to that conversation:

  “Murrochoe,” Dilla-dale said, “thinks Cerras has another enemy.”

  Murrochoe, unlike Dilla-dale, looked his age, roughly seven-hundred or thereabouts. He had long-silver hair and green eyes, but no one had seen him since the collision. There was also Karen’s brother, Gill, whom we still hadn’t seen. Karen had grown restless with his absence. We assumed he’d have sought us out and found us by now, but no such luck.

  “You mean, besides Lane and Tor-Latress?” I asked.

  He nodded. “A possible twin. An opposite.”

  “Why should I have known that?” Lila said, and shook her head.

  Dilla-dale sighed and rubbed his hand across his brow. “We are at a disadvantage,” he said. “We have to find Lane. I never thought the Eye of Cerras held power, at least that much. Lane knows something we don’t.”

  “What do you suggest?” Cullen asked.

  “Dragons,” Dilla-dale said. “We have to get all the dragons together we can and search the land, look for any sign of Lane.”

  All of us, of course, were quick to volunteer.

  “That’s admirable,” Dilla-dale said. “A few of you I want with the rest of us. Dragons can cover a lot of ground in a short time.”

  “Why do you want some of us here?” Cullen asked. “The more dragons in the sky we have, the quicker we’ll find Lane.”

  Dilla-dale looked at Cullen for a long time. “I need some of you to remain behind for obvious reasons,” Dilla-dale said.

  I raised my eyebrows.

  Dilla-dale sighed, frustrated, as if it were obvious. “I need you to remain behind because I’m worried about these humans here on Earth,” he said. “I need you to protect us.”

  ~

  When we returned to Holly’s house after the riots, a noticeable change had taken place around the neighborhood. Many of the ‘fallen stars’ had shifted again. They never stayed in the same place for long, it seemed, and every day a different part of the neighborhood brightened with their changing illumination. Some of the stars rose high into the air again as if realizing they belonged to the sky.

  The stars, however, were not the reason for the change.

  In the surrounding neighborhoods, people had gathered, apparently organizing some things of their own. Denizens and dragons covered every lawn, trucks moving in and through the makeshift streets of asphalt and grass. Vehicles carried furniture, boxes of food, clothes, and various supplies for those in need. After the rally, it was a hopeful sight. Despite everything we’d experienced—those who’d come together instead of rebelling—had decided their community was worth salvaging, and I felt a surge of emotion for these compassionate creatures and how they’d banded together. Various dragons moved among them, helping with furniture, clothes, and food into nearby homes. I had never seen a community of people coming together as I did then.

  “Wow,” Holly said.

  We stopped to take it all in.

  The houses were still without electricity, but operable, perfectly habitable.

  “Looks like we got some neighbors, Mom,” Jody said.

  “Maybe Granger’s speech had a better result than we thought,” Mellicent said.

  Karen was beaming. “I think I’m gonna start crying,” she said.

  I couldn’t believe how busy the neighborhood was. After several days of confusion, the sight of the vehicles, the people and dragons in the brisk, warm air—under a bright blue sky—made me realize it was worth holding onto hope…even if that hope was limited.

  “AHOY!”

  A man shouted at us from a large yellow moving van with the word Penske written on the side. He wore a black sailor’s cap. An unlit cigar was pinched between his teeth, as if he enjoyed the taste without the smoke. “Where do you want it?” he asked.

  We looked at one another, stunned. I shrugged.

  “Excuse me?” Holly said.

  “Where do you want it?” he asked again. He had a bristly face with silver and black whiskers. He was everything nautical. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I was looking at a sailor fro
m Paramis. His arms were thick, bulbous, and bronzed from the sun.

  Holly looked at me, waiting for instruction. I shrugged and held my palms up. “Accepting gratuities is half of being charitable,” I said.

  Holly smiled. I thought she was going to start crying. Her eyes glossed over. She walked over to the man, leaving us near the pathway toward the house. I looked around, watching the neighborhood.

  “These mortals are a surprising people,” Karen said next to me.

  I nodded. I didn’t want to mention my cynicism as to how half of them were just as willing to lynch us an hour ago.

  The man and Holly exchanged a few words. Holly laughed and wiped tears from her eyes. The man laughed as well. They talked for several more minutes before Holly came back to us. The man put the truck in gear and backed into the driveway. Luckily, no one had claimed the house while we were gone.

  “It appears as if we have some furniture, new clothes, and more food,” Holly said.

  “Wow,” Charlie said. “I get to sleep in a bed tonight? That kicks butt!”

  “We all get to sleep in a bed tonight, you goof,” Mellicent said. Charlie rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at his sister.

  Karen and I looked at each other. We walked over to where the man was backing the truck into the driveway of Holly’s new home. With all of us helping, it didn’t take long to unload. There were only three beds for the four of them, but Mellicent said she didn’t mind sharing one with her sister. Karen and I said it was okay to go without beds because of our height. Rugs were a step up in the world compared to cold, cave floors.

  The man, whose name was Jonathan Mokkell, said he was going back into town for more supplies. Several other trucks dropped off various items throughout the day: barbecue grills, clothes, food, sleeping bags, blankets, first aid kits, anything and everything you could think of to put the neighborhood back together again.