"It was rare to find me outdoors at any time let alone during the heat of the day. I can't stand to be too warm, it makes me light headed and I suppose you'll tell me that my experience was a combination of sun and too much heat producing exertion, but it was as real as I am standing here before you. Yes I was light headed, but mostly from shock rather than the heat because once I was inside the gate it was cool, almost too cool.

We had recently moved to a new location, my husband and I. Days were spent packing and rearranging while he was at work. I was doing my level best to restore order to our new surroundings when I just couldn't stand it anymore. I had to go and investigate the abandoned property down the road. The cab driver that brought us from the station when we arrived had seemed uncomfortable when I asked about the place. The two stone pillars, the wrought iron gate slightly open, and all those flowers. Those lovely flowers just begging to be picked, yet when I said this the driver averted his eyes and said that they'd all grown over with weeds. Weeds, I saw no weeds, just this well kept and inviting patch of beauty. The type of beauty that I myself will never manage because I'd have to be out of doors to care for them. I did say I seldom went outside didn't I?

I found myself taking an old hat down from the peg, putting on my sturdy walking shoes and without any thought, set off down the road. Oddly it hadn't seemed, while in the car, that the property was that far away. By the time I reached the gate I was sweating heavily and not sure I could go that much farther. Just inside the gate, underneath the oak tree was a bench. Just what I needed and not a moment too soon.

The flowers were well tended but the grass had been allowed to grow so tall it was impossible to push the gate open so that I wouldn't have to squeeze against the pillar to get in. Odd that the flowers should be so beautiful and the rest of the property so unkempt. Once inside I wandered over to the bench and sat down. By then I was needing to sit so strongly that I never even cleaned the seat the way I usually do. I am deathly afraid of spiders, and would normally have checked my surroundings more carefully , I just needed to sit down before I fell down. I don't know how long I actually sat there, I may have fallen asleep. It didn't seem that I had been asleep, felt as if I had barely closed my eyes when I noticed how cool it was there. I began to shiver a bit, like you would when first diving into cold water on a hot day.

Then I began to notice little things that just didn't feel exactly right. It's difficult to explain. Warm muggy air feels heavy on the skin, while cooler air tends to feel damp. This cooler air felt very heavy, almost as if it had a substance to it. It felt like a blanket oozing over all of me. A blanket made of a substance similar to slime. My eyes tried to open and couldn't. I couldn't see what was all over me. I could just feel this coolness, this ooze of something that grew progressively colder and colder until I was quite uncomfortable. I was wishing I had brought with me a sweater or a warm wrap of some kind. I couldn't hear the buzzing of the bees anymore. Everything was still and I could hear the rapid beating of my heart. Oddly I wasn't frightened, just curious, and then I could open my eyes.

I was still seated on the bench with my back against the oak, but things had changed. The path was clearly visible where I had trod through overgrown grass. The path led through the trees to a house so beautiful that, in my eyes, it qualified as a mansion. A stately Victorian with wide front porch and tall windows, and curves common to the homes of the era. I lived there. It was my home. No husband was waiting for me in the library, it was getting near dinner time and we were expecting guests. Who are "we"? My sister and I. We live together in this house, a house so beautiful that the neighbors are envious that we own it. We are important now, women of substance Emma and I.

I must hurry, it is getting late, Nance will be arriving from Boston soon. I am excited as we have not seen each other in a month or more. Can't have her come too often, my beautiful Nance. Emma will be suspicious and we can't have that. We shall have to ply Emma with wine so that she will sleep well tonight. I can't have her catching Nance and I in the act. It wouldn't do, then she'd believe that I did have something to do with that other thing.

Emma with her mousy ways and her friends in Boston that she could escape to when Father was so abusive. She left me there to deal with it on my own with no one but my darling Bridgette to keep me sane. Father nearly caught Bridgette and I one night but I convinced him that the scream he heard was not one of delight, but from a nightmare I was having. He took my word for it but it was a close call. The penny pinching bastard and his shrewish wife. We could have had a house like this if he wasn't such a miser, but no...we had to live in that dump on Second St. How I hated that house. How I hated him for being so mean.

The bitch that he married was making my poor Bridgette wash the windows, and her just out of a sick bed. Food poisoning my foot. They were trying to get rid of the only friend I had in that hateful house. She knew it...that's why she never said anything. She helped me wash up afterwards, she burned my clothes in the kitchen stove, they were stained with blood. She hid the axe I used to do the job and she never said anything, nothing at all about who killed them. I loved her for that. After the trial we sold the house and purchased this beautiful mansion on the hill here. I gave enough to Bridgette to keep her in style the rest of her life, I owed her that. Sadly she chose not to stay here with Emma and me. I understood, Emma might have caught us and then Bridgette would have had to help me again. It's better this way. The townspeople don't accept me very well, but I don't much mind. It would have been nice to be a part of society but I have my beautiful house and Nance. Oh! I must hurry I hear the train whistle, Nance will be here soon.

All of this was going through my head, and at the same time I knew clearly that I was still me and yet I was...her. I could see that the cab driver was right, there were no flowers there in front of the gate, just weeds. The stench of rotting leaves was overpowering and it was no longer cool there. I know it was 100 degrees out and I hurried home in that heat as fast as I could go, but I was still not home before my husband came. He was so hateful. I had only gone for a walk I told him, but the house was not yet in order, and the dinner was not cooking in the kitchen and he was so angry. I had to, don't you see?

I was frightened of Andrew. He was always Andrew, never Andy. I wish I could have called him Andy. Maybe it would have made him less frightening, more human and not so mean somehow. Andrew Borden and his lovely wife Elizabeth. That was us. Never Liz or Beth, always Elizabeth, just like he was never to be called Andy. He just kept screaming at me and pushing me and pushing me. Finally he was tired and went to sleep on the sofa in the small room. His den he called it. I was fixing his dinner in the kitchen when I saw the axe in the woodbox just outside the kitchen door. As soon as I saw it I knew what I had to do. I couldn't let him hurt me any more. I had to Your Honor, I just had to. "She" took over me again and I took that axe and swung it at his head while he lay sleeping and I just kept swinging and swinging. "She" made me do it, my husband Andrew Borden was killed by the ghost of Lizzie Borden. I swear it wasn't me. Lizzie Borden took the axe and she gave my beloved husband forty whacks."

Enter through the gate
The path will take you there
Heed not the sound of music
Walk quickly but with care.

Fear the world of dreams
That thrive in darkness deep
Inhabited by dragons
To rob you of your sleep

Until you see the light
From out of darkness shine.
You may begin to think
That you have lost your mind.

Dragons don't exist
When comes the light of day
To illuminate the shadows
And keep your fears away.

"Teacher" asked Senset, "What does this mean, dragons don't exist? That is what we are and we exist, don't we?" "Do we?" answered Teacher. "What does exist mean?" "It means to have real being, to have life" answered Senset. "And are we alive as you understand life? Do we breathe? Do we sleep? Do we eat?" asked Teacher.
"I....well....no, we don't" answered Senset. "Teacher, what does this all mean? If we don't really exist, how are we here?"

"We are here, because Mankind believes we are here. It is their nature to be fearful of that which they don't understand, they need something to save them from themselves young man, and so they imagined dragons. At least this time it was as instruments of good rather than of evil." "Evil?" "Yes my son...evil" "But...but..." "Hush my son, I shall attempt to explain."

"In the Middle ages Dragons were man eating creatures of evil. The power of good was necessary to slay them and rid the land of their destructive powers. They breathed fire, burning villages and fields, kidnapping fair maidens and generally behaving in a manner designed to bring terror to the hearts of man. It was as if man needed a personification of all that he viewed as evil around him. An evil that he felt powerless to control. When a young knight of pure heart began to enter manhood he would undertake a quest, the result would be to find the evil dragon that they were being cursed with and then slay him so his feifdom could prosper and thrive. He would then win the heart of the fair maid being held captive by the evil dragon, they would marry and live happily ever after. Of course you must understand that these dragons did not exist then anymore than we do now. The tale was nothing more than an analogy of good triumphing over evil.

Over time, the evil became more prominent in the world and no longer was the service of an imaginary dragon required. It was, after all, an accepted fact that evil existed in the world because the devil exists and provides a strong temptation to man to do his bidding. So, one by one all the evil dragons ceased to exist, and became the subject of folklore. They joined other creatures like unicorns, fairies, trolls and ogres and became tales told to children to make them mind. Eventually they found their way into written lore as well. Thus giving substance to the fiction with descriptions of how we are to look. Just as we are now, we have always been in the minds of men all over the earth.

The difference being that now mankind views itself as evil and we are the good that keep them from harming each other. We will exist and help mankind thrive for as long as we are needed. When we are not needed in great numbers, or when it is convenient we fade into memory. Centhra apparently was no longer needed by her human, and you see what happened to her. That is the fate that awaits all of us when we are no longer needed, but I shouldn't worry anytime soon. As long as the earth does not thrive then we will be needed as the symbol of good that keeps man striving towards the light of day and a better life. Who knows? That may never happen and we will continue to exist for all eternity. The earth sustained tremendous damage at the hands of man. Someday someone will come along with the knowledge needed to heal that damage. He may exist all ready and we will know soon enough. In the meantime, we will continue to be and do what we are created to do, and that, Young Senset, is the truth about Dragons."

While Selbat was visiting with Doris his mind kept returning to the impending meeting with Jacob. Something was changing here, he knew it, he knew it was good and he knew it might possibly be the source of his doom. He had broken Dragon Rule for his own selfish reasons, and that would not go unpunished regardless of the outcome. It was of much concern to him. While he was quiet and unassuming, for a dragon, he had a certain pride in his place as head of the Egg Family. At the very least he would lose that position and bring shame onto his wife and children. At the most, he would face exile along with every member of his family. Dragons are no longer bred to live a solitary life, exile would bring about an early Fading until one by one all members of the Egg Family would cease to exist. As exiles there would be no one to mourn them and the family of Selbat, Egg Keeper Dragons would cease to exist in the minds and memories of all who would be left behind. A brief flash of anger intruded, "Who is this Jacob that he must come and destroy?" he thought. Then his sense of responsibility took hold and the anger died before he needed to vent it.

Doris felt his anguish, thankful that all other members of his family were far enough away not to fully understand what they were feeling. She wondered what he would do. She knew that whatever he decided it would be the right thing, Selbat only did the wrong thing for her. She knew that. She knew that she should not exist and she knew that her existance was the reason that Selbat continued to do the wrong thing. After all, he again hatched a smaller egg so that she could have a companion in her beloved Zack. If Jacob and his followers had only gone to Layton's Rage then none of this would be happening. She knew that was an untruth. Sooner or later they would have been discovered, the ability of their wastes to fertilize would exist even without Jacob to understand what was happening. Someone would have felt the changes and come to seek the reason. Jacob simply hurried the process.

Doris knew that Jacob wanted and needed more time to prove his theories. To reestablish Earth as a fertile planet would be a miracle, one he thought could be accomplished by the smaller dragons. There were not yet enough smaller dragons to test his theory and it would be quite sometime before she and Zack could produce a sufficient number. She also knew that Jacob was not going to ask Selbat to repeat his sin of stealing the smaller eggs so that they could be hatched in numbers sufficient to prove his theory. Partly because he had no idea how many it would take. It would not do to have too many dragons with no space for them to thrive, and no food for them to survive on. Jacob was careful, she would have liked to tell Selbat that, but he needed to see and understand that nothing would be asked of him except silence, if his conscience would continue to allow him the silence they needed. First he needed to speak with Jacob, and then they'd see.

Jacob felt Selbat returning before he saw him. A brief feeling of fear washed over him. "What if Selbat decided to harm him?" he thought. He shook himself, forcing that feeling back into the darkness where it came from. There were more important things to think about, being afraid of Selbat was not going to accomplish anything...if anything could be accomplished. " I will not harm you, Jacob" spoke Selbat, "I am here to listen, and give consideration to all that you ask of me no matter how difficult. I will not stand in the way of this rebirth that I can see and smell. It is to be desired, a benefit for all mankind. Whether it will be so to the Dragons remains to be seen. What is it that I can do for you?"

A rush of relief along with a glimmer of excitement and soon Jacob was animated with the telling of his theory. As he spoke, Selbat could see that he had much to think on and nothing to fear. It would be a matter of staying quiet about his role in the birth of Doris and Zack. On some level that bothered him, honesty had always been his policy except when it came to Doris and her brood. A brief twinge of conscience followed by relief as he heard Jacob tell how they would explain Doris and her family. It might work, there was no one that really knew what transpired at Layton's Rage. It very well could have been a breeding program initiated by Daniella that caused the birth of these dragons. Still, Selbat knew that he would confess at some point in the future. Jacob knew it too. In the future, after Jacob had ample time to test and prove his theory. After a new settlement could be formed in the valley. After some of the Earth's beauty could be restored. All that was needed was time, and Selbat had plenty of that.

Selbat knew that there were people in the valley before he cleared the mountain. He smelled them. His concern for the safety of Doris and her family made him stop on a cave ledge where he could look down the mountain. There he could see without being seen. He could inform himself more fully regarding this situation if he had a place where he could watch. He was bound by Dragon Creed to do no harm to humans and had always followed the Creed without question. Smelling humans in the valley where there had been none on his last visit gave him pause. He needed time to observe, and decide what he might have to do about this. Landing high above the valley and slowly making his way to the ledge he began to think about what he might find, and he was not happy with his thoughts.

He did not think that Doris or her family would be large enough to fend off any intruders if they meant harm. There were 30 to 50 according to his senses, and with no idea where they came from he was not comfortable with this knowledge. Finally arriving at a spot where he could see without being seen he settled patiently to wait. At first there was nothing to see except the green meadows. They appeared to be more widespread than on his last visit. He could also smell water. That too was different. He was too busy worrying about Doris, these things would have to wait.

It felt as if he had been waiting for hours when he finally got a glimpse of Doris. She appeared to be fine, and she appeared to be in deep conversation with the man walking next to her. It took a moment before Selbat's dragon hearing could catch what was being said.

"Jacob, I'm not so sure that other dragons will not notice the changes here in the valley and investigate their cause. Our senses are much more developed than those of humans. The scent of the water will draw attention for sure" Selbat realized that Doris was correct, and he wondered what response Jacob would give.

"I know Doris, and it concerns me greatly. I wish to speak at length with your father, Selbat. I don't know that he will have any real solution, but if we all work together here as we have been doing so far, the Others may see the benefit of this undertaking and allow us to continue. It would be more than worth it if we could fertilize more of Earth than just this small section. I am no scientist, but a return of the natural order might go a long way towards allowing Earths environment to return to a state of health. We must live underground because of the excessive heat found on Earths surface. What will happen if we could again experience trees and grass? I don't know, but we have a unique opportunity to find out thanks to you, Zack and your children. It would be best if we have more evidence that this is changing something.

"Jacob, I believe you will get your wish to meet Selbat soon. I believe that is him I see on the ledge up there."

Jacob looked in the direction Doris pointed and could see nothing but a speck that appeared to grow larger as he strained to see what it was. A brief feeling of fear traveled his spine making him shudder as if with cold. Doris saw it but chose to say nothing. She knew Jacob had lived with the Darkwing dragons and would react to that until he got to know Selbat. She assumed that the Others were like him and and Selbat was a dragon of caring temperament. She knew he would listen to Jacob's theory with respect and that was all Jacob really wanted.

Sensing Jacobs fear, Selbat set down a distance from them and approached carefully and quietly. His mind had begun to process the changes he saw, once it got over the sheepish feeling of being caught eavesdropping. He knew what this valley had looked like when he brought Doris here and now he could smell the earth in a way that he had forgotten. Fertile earth has a rich loamy smell, it suggests to the senses that it is alive and nourishing to the soul. This small valley had that feel to it and it had the feel of something dead before. This interested him and he was hoping that Jacob could suggest a reason for this change. He also saw the respect that passed between Jacob and Doris, this was good, very good. Maybe the Darkwing humans were not like their dragon counterparts after all.

"Doris, I see you have some new friends" said Selbat.

"Yes we do Father, and I'm sure you were able to count all of them from your mountain perch. Were you in need of a rest before coming to see your Grandchildren? I know they are rather energetic for someone of your great age."

"I'm sorry that I resorted to such slyness, but I sensed the humans here and felt the need to examine the situation before fully involving myself. It's a bit unusual since they were not here last month." Turning to Jacob, he said, "I am Selbat, Father to Doris by adoption, I had a father's worry in case she had come to some harm."

Jacob responded, "I am a father myself and know that kind of worry indeed. I understand your concern sir and wish you to know we mean no harm here to anyone. We escaped from Laytons Rage before Medlik could annihilate all humans there. We lived in mountain caves, and foraged for our food. For some of us it was harder to feel safe with Selina and the new dragons residing there now and we left to come to a place where we could feel safe. My son encountered Doris and she allowed us to take what started out as a temporary rest here. However, now we wish to remain here in this valley. There are possibilities I would like to explore."

"I see", said Selbat. "I do see the changes here and am interested in knowing what brought them about, we need to have a talk, you and I, but first I should like to spend some time with Doris and her family. Suppose we agree to meet here in an hour?"

"Yes, I will take the time to gather my thoughts and wait for you here. I have no wish to take you from your family, my ideas can wait."

Lost in thought Jacob did not hear Selbat until he was standing next to him. He was startled that something so large could move that quietly, and thanks to his experiences at Layton's Rage a little frightened by that thought. He didn't know where he should begin to tell what he suspected was happening here, nor did he entirely trust Selbat to accept his conclusions without violence. Doris had said she was here because Selbat had broken Dragon Rule. Was he going to accept responsibility for his actions or would he try to hide them again by doing something drastic? Jacob thought there was only one way to find out.

The Dragon Chronicles will resume as soon as I'm back online following my move.

In the meantime, all text in this blog is copyright protected. It may not be used in any form without the express permission of the author.

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