Long time ago, as it was, and it was told dragons ruled the earth… This is their story.

A shadow appears on earth, moving fast, people run to take shelter. A gust of wind follows the giant shadow as houses shake, roofs of straws and wood come off as dust fills the air. The sun clouded by the dust. A roar vibrates the dust as a giant rumble shakes the earth as the dragon lands. An explosion clears the dust as a barrel explodes as the dragon breathes fires and starts torching the houses. The sound of screaming people echoes as they are being burnt alive. As every house, every building, every single person is burnt, the dragon huffs and puffs, smoke fills the air covering the sun completely. I have told you this day would come. You lazy, entitled, puny little critters wanted it all! Yet you could not work! You could not mine! You could not saves your skins even though your lives depended on it! The dragon shouts as the fire rages around him. All you had to do is mine the gold, get the the precious stones and gems. And what did you do? You lazed around, you lied to me about everything! You tried to keep it for yourselves! When we had a deal which you do not betray! We keep you safe from any danger at any time, and you, worms, provide us with gold, precious stones and work them for us. And now look at you… Burning… Screaming… In agony… And for what? Your arrogance? You thought you’d outwit us? You just could not listen! Shouts the dragon as no one is left to listen before taking off. The flames whirlwind, the smoke clears as the dragon flies off, before covering the sun up again. As the flames crackle, the smoke thins and buildings crumble, in its wake only ruble and charred bodies are left behind.

Hours passed, the sun started to set as the flames died out and from the rubble a noise is heard. From inside a well a man climbs out. He looks around and starts moving from house to house, moving rubble trying to find the doors in the floors. Stone by stone, charred wood moved piece by piece carefully as to not burn himself. With the smell of burnt skin with the ash the flowed through the air, he felt nauseated as he tried to move things around. At last, he finds the first door. He knocks on it. No answer. He moves to the next house. Finds the door in the floor. Knocks on it. No answer. As he passes the charred bodies he can’t help think that no one that remained in the village survived. He goes to a third house. He knocks on the door in the floors. An answer. As the doors open slowly before thumping down hard, another man with a sweat on his brow and soot on his hands smiles at the man from the well. They embrace. Brother, Austrulf! The man from the well shouts. Brother, Baldbert! he responds as they now shake hands. Uncle, a little girl exclaims as he hugs the man’s leg. Ingrid! Austrulf exclaims with a smile on his face. Austrulf, a woman sighs of relief from behind the two men. Arngilde, glad to see you are all safe and sound, says Austrulf. How did you manage not to get yourself killed? asks Baldbert. Luckily no stones fell into the well and the water kept me alive, explains Austrulf. Which houses have you been to? asks Baldbert. This is the third one, I went to old Ulbert, but no one answered. And then to the Waldbert, no answer. Every building seems to have collapsed, so clearing out paths has been quite the difficult taks, says Austrulf. Let me help you, says Baldbert. You two, stay safe, in case the dragon comes back, be ready to get down in the basement, he continued.

Power, gold and precious gems, the dragons have it all and we can’t have it, says Baldbert as they clean the neighboring house of debris. But luck with you and your idea to build these shelters inside, exactly for this day, he finished his thought out loud. This is no luck. After Waldbert and his family moved here and told us their story. It was only a matter of time until it happened to us, says Austrulf. Yet not everyone listened, said Baldbert as he raised a stone to find a set of doors on the floor. He knocks. No answer. These dragons, they come, they demand, we either deliver or they kill us, says Baldbert angrily as the leave the house to move onto the next one. Remember when grandpapi used to tell us stories from before the dragons care of our ilk? Before the gold? Before the stones? asks Austrulf. Grandpa Steinhard, he built this village stone by stone… Simpler times, says Baldbert as they enter another house. Back then the only real threat to us was another human, a wolf or a bear. And even then villages like ours never saw this level of destruction, says Austrulf. If we could only do something other than hiding, says Baldbert. What can you do when a baby dragon is already the size of a house and a half? asks Austrulf. Grandpa Steinhard talked once about killing a dragon, says Baldbert. Those are just stories, they were legends. Just like the legends of the people taming and riding dragons. These creatures are as old as the world itself. They were born from molten lava and pure fire. That’s why they all have those amber eyes and fire that melts stones and turns sand into glass. Luckily, they never use their fire enough to do that often. Yet still, you saw, you can’t underestimate these creatures. They’ve enslaved people, they corrupted people with their power into taking their side. Who knows who here was a spy, says Austrulf. Don’t speak like that, not now, at least. Let’s find everyone first, and then we’ll try to figure out what happened, says Baldbert as they continue to clear houses.

The story will continue….