Ancient Myth (3)

The dragon watched as generation after generation lived in the village. When another group came through and killed every man living in the village it worried the dragon but the humans still survived. So the gifts were working. Should the violence worry the dragon, nah. They are just toys right?

A little girl ran away from the village as the males from the other group started taking the women and killing the children that couldn't work. The dragon watched as the little girl ran through the woods. It wasn't long before a group of men noticed her and started following. The girl ran harder and started up the mountain.

The men caught up to her twice but each time she slipped away from them. She wasn't ready to die. The girl made it to the cave were the purple dragon watched. She was almost dead on her feet from exhaustion, when she spotted the dragon she gasped in surprise. "You are real." With a glance over her shoulder she crawled into the cave with the dragon hiding in the corner near the entrance.

The girl let out a squeak as the group of men came into the cave. The men entered with caution. Caves can be dangerous after all. The dragon reached out a claw and carefully covered the girl and her hiding place. She looked up at the purple dragon with wide eyes but she didn't make another sound. You see humans cannot see dragons in their true forms. They lose the ability in most cases sometime between the ages of 8 and 12. So even though the men were standing in a cave just inches from the purple dragon they couldn't see him or anything he touched, it all appeared to be cave wall to them. "Damn, this is a small cave. She cannot be here, I am getting tired. Must have heard a mouse earlier. She isn't going to be much fun anyway, maybe if we get back some of the other women are still alive."

Another man growled in frustration and swung his sword at the wall. It clanged like it had hit stone but it really bounced against the purple dragon's stone scales. The dragon didn't kill them for the insult just let them head back into the conquered town. The dragon pulled back its claw. The girl curled up into a tighter ball and started crying.

"What is wrong little one?"

The girl looked up at the dragon with surprise on her face but her tears wouldn't let her get anything out. So she just put her head back in her arms and cried. The purple dragon thought maybe its from was scaring the girl, but what would not scare the girl? With a sigh the dragon chose to just sit and wait. She would wear out soon and maybe talk then.

The little girl fell asleep while still crying. The dragon lifted her and put her farther back into the cave. After the purple went back to watching the town. The humans behaved strangely. Killing the dragon had seen before but this seemed wrong somehow.

The humans grew quiet again as the sun rose. The girl had curled down against the purple dragon's warm scales and was far enough back that the sunlight didn't wake her right away. The girl woke slowly at first then seemed to realize where she was. Letting out another squeak she came all the way awake. She scrambled to get off the dragon and against the wall.

"You are safe here, monkey." The dragon moved so that his eye could focus on the little girl.

"I am not a monkey." The girl blushed and tossed herself to the ground. "Sorry, master dragon."

The girl's head had only just touched the ground when she started crying again. "Why are you crying?"

"I lost everyone. How can I do anything but cry, master dragon?"

"Why would that make you cry?"

"What?" The girl was trying to take big breaths to get control of her crying, "I thought you watched over us, master dragon."

"I watch from here."

"Then how could you not know why I am sad?"

"Sad?"

"A feeling."

"Feeling?"

"Yes, how you feel."

"Humans feel soft on the outside but crunchy on the inside."

The girl sat back on her heels and turned white. That statement did nothing to calm her mood. She folded again. "Oh, I didn't mean I was going to eat you, little monkey."

"Not a monkey!" Wow her expressions change quickly, thought the purple dragon.

"What would you like me to call you then?"

"Human, though Shu would be better, master dragon."

"Human. Now what is a feeling?"

"How could you watch us if you don't know feelings? You must have them, master dragon."

"I don't understand."

"They are important, you must have them, master dragon."

"Will you explain, Shu?"

"You cannot explain feelings they aren't always logical they just are. Like the air, and ground." The nieve words of an eight year old girl.

"The air is made up of molecules that are widely spaced, 80 precent nitrogen, 20 precent oxygen, though there is a mix of other elements. The ground here is made up of mostly granite, though I like to look at the jade running through it. It is solid because the molecules are tightly packed."

"What, were those words?"

"Yes, and I guess it proves your point, Shu. Is this from scaring you?"

"Scared, that is a feeling."

"That is a reasonable response when faced with something that could kill you."

The girl sighed at the dragon, clearly the purple dragon didn't understand. "Yes, you are scary to me in that form. Yet you cannot change what you are, master dragon."

"No, but I can change how I look. Will you help me understand Shu?"

"Sure, master dragon. You saved me from a bad end already, my life is yours."

"It never wasn't. What form would be most useful to you, Shu?"

"Well can you look like an adult human male? It would be safer if you are going to experience being human to understand us better."

"Safer, nothing here is a danger to me, Shu. I am immortal. Would it be safer for you, those were males chasing you before, right?"

"Yes, master dragon."