There were dragons when I was a boy

Friendship may forget but brothers? They'll remember.

"There were dragons when I was a boy."

I can remember... I remember the way that the wind went through my hair, the feeling of being free, no responsibilities, no one telling you what to do but with everything that has happened, I wouldn't of changed the outcome... even if I can't have that type of freedom anymore, it was for the best.

"There were great grim sky dragons that nested on the cliff tops like gigantic scary birds."

That foolish dream I once had, how I wished for it to happen but reality happened, it showed me and my people how there would always be people who would harm these creatures, our friends, our allies, our family... I know that people of the new generation are slowly forgetting these creatures, even the people that I fought side for these creatures with were slowly forgetting the past we had with them.

"Little brown, scuttle dragons that hunted down the mice and rats in well-organised packs."

It just feels like only I would remember what happened, the heart ache that had put me and my people through but it's for the best, I will keep the secret of these creatures to my grave, after all, these magnificent creatures would be hunted down like sheep for a hungry wolf. Oh, how I wish that we, humans, could learn not to kill these amazing creatures in this world but greed and fear will always follow the heart of man until the very end of time.

"Preposterously huge sea dragons that were twenty times as big as the big blue whale and who killed for the fun of it."

Looking up at the pitch black sky of the night, a sad smile tugged at my lips, how I wished for one more ride, one more time to be like a dragon within the sky and to see new land with my best friend, who later turned into my brother. We had many battles, for dragons to people, we won them but that just all meant that our time together was coming to an end. It was the part of my life that I would never forget my best bud leaving with his new mate to the hidden world of dragons, an adventure that we could not go together, it was the adventure that my brother had to go alone while I had to stay behind to look after my people.

"You'll have to take my word for it, the dragons are disappearing so fast they may soon become extinct..."

People in the future generations might think these creatures didn't exist but I know that wasn't true, I know that they were hiding away from humans to keep themselves from being killed, from being slaves to do our sinful bidding. Maybe... just maybe there would be legends, stories about these creatures that once roamed the skies and the seas, the creatures that would protect their own from anything and anyone, no matter how big and strong the opponent was, they wouldn't turn round and flee, they would stand and fight for their lives, for their freedom.

"Nobody knows what's happening, they're crawling back into the sea from once they came. Leaving not a bone, not a fang on earth for the men of the future to remember them by..."

It wasn't long when I felt a small tug on my pants, looking back down, my dark green but tired eyes locked onto a young child, the future generation of my village. Once more flashing a sad smile to the child, I started to tell them the old ways we had, before my people became friends with these creatures. It doesn't matter if everyone has forgotten about them but I could never forget the first time I saw my first friend, who had helped me grow into the person I am today and I owe him that as he taught me the way of being strong in more than one way.

"So, in order that these amazing creatures should not be forgotten, I will tell this true story from my childhood."

Every once in awhile, I would pause my story for the child to ask me about the people but also the creatures within it, the child had asked why these creatures had caused so much pain and suffering to people and I told them why, I told them how it was out of self defence and how that they would of been punished by their queen if they did not raid the vikings villages. At first, the young child did not understand but as I got deeper into my story, I could see the small hint of understanding that was hidden within the child's eyes, the understanding that it was a life and death situation for those creatures but that was all that was hidden within those eyes, there was curiosity that was growing with each word of the story.

"I was not the sort of boy who could train a dragon with the mer lifting of an eyebrow."

Everything was coming back to my tired mind, the deaths that we had to go through, the loss of our chief, the best one we ever had but that might be what I thought, after all, he was my father and as a father, he protected me until the very end when he saved me from my best friend. Even though my story was a sad one, it still had those happy moments, the happy memories and I wish to share it with people, hoping that I'll be able to change the people's minds about these creatures one more time.

"I was not a natural at the heroism business, I had to work at it..."

As the story finished, the child was soon shushed away from me as it was late for the young child to be out though it seems that after I had finished my story of my childhood, I could see the small spark in the child's eyes that I use to have before everything had happened, the spark had set hope within my old heart, the spark was one of a dragon's soul, one much like mine... I could only wish that I would be around for that child to do great things in the future.

"This is the story of becoming a hero the hard way..."

Slowly, I moved myself away from the busy villagers that were steadily heading back to their homes, you might be thinking to why I wasn't going home that was warm and cosy, I'll tell you why... it's because my dragon soul was restless, it wanted to have one more adventure before I go to sleep. So, that was what I did. I slowly made my way up to the highest rocky ledge I could go with my old joints and bones.

As I arrived at the top, the view that greeted me had made me smile, it might not be flying and not have the same feelings as being in the sky but this, this was similar. I could see the village that was growing, I could see the new and old houses of my people, even though I lead my people, the chief, I dream of being free, to fly to the highest point in the sky before diving down and letting the cold air hug me. Those were the days that I will forever remember.

Laying down on the rocky surface, I stare at the night sky and I just managed to spot a figure of someone that I once know so well, even though his body was pitch black, I could never forget what he looks like, how could I? He was there through thick and thin. The harsh but familiar sound of a dragon roar could be faintly heard where I was. The roar was one of the things I could never forget about him, the roar that belongs to the night fury, one of the most dangerous creatures that lived on this earth and that night fury was my brother.

Closing my eyes, a faint smile stretched across my cheeks as I let out a shallow breath. It was quiet, almost too quiet as I was still use to the loud sounds of villagers and those magnificent creatures at night, the snores of the dragons was what put me to sleep but without that, I struggled to sleep even though it was a silly thing but I just couldn't help it, especially when I had been so close to a magnificent creature in my younger days...

"Toothless... Goodnight..."

"There were dragons when I was a boy..."