Where there’s blood there’s fire…

For thousands of years humans and dragons lived peacefully. Humans built their towns, grew their crops, domesticated animals, created their tools and societies. When the first wars between humans began, the dragons were baffled at their hubris and arrogance to fight over land and draw random lines in sand and call it their own, with no regard for other. Yet they were entertained by their brutality, as they were spectating over battles. Until one day, when some humans discovered gold. Its beauty enthralled the dragons and created a never before had need to have something. Power, might and now gold, the dragons wanted it all. Yet in their hubris, the humans wouldn’t give the gold up without a fight. Thus, the long war between humans and dragons began… Yet much much later…

We have checked every single home, twice now. Anymore searching will be for naught, as we can not see much anymore and these lanterns do not help much with the search, says Austrulf. All remaining women and children went towards the mine, some of the elderly and some of the teenagers escorted them, says Baldbert. Good, good, says Austrulf. I already sent the rest of the men towards the mine, in case anyone or anything would come back, they’d find just us and not them, says Baldbert. I don’t want to think about that, Bald. I don’t want to believe that someone betrayed us, says Austrulf as the two began their walk towards the gold mine. When a hundred of our people burn up in flames, when two hundred flee due to their fear of the dragons, you have to realize that something is very wrong, brother, says Baldbert. I know! Isn’t that why we built the cellars for everyone? Isn’t that why we made a second exit to the gold mine? asks Austrulf. But you have to recognize that not everyone is like you, says Baldbert. I recognize that. I just don’t care for it. If we pretend we’re human, then we should at least pretend to have a line we do not cross. Betraying and killing your own people is simply vile. You either care for all humans or for none. And when you only care for your own survival at the price of anyone and everyone around you, you care for no one! exclaims Austrulf. You are one of the smartest people I know, yet you can be so naive, says Baldbert. I am not naive, I know how they think. It doesn’t make it right, says Austrulf. It’s the gold, says Baldbert. It corrupted even the dragons, the one who needed nothing. The ones that lived to observe, to know, to be free from it all, now are bound to Earth by gold, says Baldbert. It’s not the gold. If it weren’t for the gold, it would’ve been something else. At some point they would’ve considered us a threat to their existence, explains Austrulf. Where does this idea come from? asks Baldbert. Do you remember when we lost father? We went hunting for the wolf that terrorized the village. When we cornered the beast at the edge of a cliff. What did it do, Bald? It attacked. Did that make sense? No, it didn’t. We had weapons, the wold just its claws and fangs. But what did the wolf think and feel? “I have no way out but through. I need to attack or they’ll kill me.” What would you have thought, Bald? asks Austrulf. Probably the same thing, he responds. Exactly. At some point if our tools got better, if our fire power was more impressive, the dragons would’ve seen us as threats. That’s why they divide us, that’s why they murder us, village by village. It’s not because we didn’t work hard enough. It’s because they don’t want us to get better tools, to get to be more people, to be stronger together. That’s why they need to corrupt any and all. Sow doubt in our hearts. Convince us that we’re the worst to one another. There lies their might, explains Austrulf. I see smoke from the other side, Baldbert interrupts Austrulf as they reach the entrance to the mine.

Let us hurry, says Austrulf as they enter the mine. Do you really believe anything of what you are saying? asks Baldbert. Why would I not? Humanity has thrived long before the era of gilded blood. I still wish to have seen the palaces of old, the giant structures we used to build. Yet now they are lost to time, says Austrulf. Have you not kept your books? asks Baldbert. With time they were got covered with so much ash, that it was impossible to make out anything that was in the pictures or the text, explains Austrulf with a mournful expression. As they move through the mine, both get silenced by the tragedy of the day. Glad we dug into the walls here, much easier to traverse through, says Baldbert. All your idea. I would’ve put some ropes on the wall and called it a day, says Austrulf. The awkward tension brought back the silence as they focused on getting through the mine as fast as possible without fumbling. The gold shines in the bedrock of the cave as the two move towards the exist. The smell of burning wood and pig is felt by the two as the get closer and closer to the exist. Yet as the crackle of the fire and the sound of their footsteps is heard, nothing else follows. No voices, no laughter, no anything is to be heard. As the two see the exist, they are blinded by the light coming from the fire outside. They both rush out, the camp burnt to a crisp. The forest burning around them. A hellish light at the end of the tunnel crushes the men to their knees as they scream in agony into the night…

The tragedy will continue…