Whispers of Dragons

Chapter 1

A dragon came stomping in. It was the color of the darkest part of the ocean, a blue so deep it was black, and bigger than a camel. I glared at it as it advanced and tapped my foot dramatically while I waited for it's arrival. The dragon had the good sense to quiet down and look ashamed. I glowered.

"And just who do you think you are!?" I yelled at it. The dragon mumbled something under it's breath. "HUH?" I screamed louder. It started talking to me in a language only I could understand. It was times like these when I was glad to have my gift. It's always good to know the dragon's point of view since the humans can be biased sometimes.

In it's language, the dragon explained to me how he was just so bored and how it was only a small squirrel he ate, not even a big one, and that he didn't do anything wrong. I smiled internally while keeping a stern expression on my face. Of course the council over exaggerated the tale. According to them, this innocent dragon had burned an entire city to the ground and eaten all it's members. It's sad that we've reached a time when dragons are more trustworthy than humans.

I dismissed the dragon with a warning to not eat any more squirrels and went to confront the council. When I burst through the doors of the room, I saw all 5 of the council members sitting around a round table, eating a gourmet meal and laughing about some new watch one of them had acquired through trade. As soon as they heard me enter, they swiveled in their chairs to face me, pinning me with 5 sets of steely, dark gray eyes.

At one point in time, I would have been terrified to have them all stare at me but since accepting my position on the council, I have become their equal and according to law, were they to harm me in any way, shape, or form, not only would they lose their seat, but they would also lose their souls. I knew there were loopholes to get around that law but I was confident none of them would try anything. At least not yet.

I met their hard gazes with my own silver eyes. Traditionally, all council members' eyes changed to a dark, iron like gray upon their acceptance ceremony but for an unknown reason, mine didn't turn to the trademark gray. Instead, they became a beautiful light silver color that shimmered in the light. I loved the color. Everyday when I looked in the mirror, it reminded me that I was different from them, and that I wasn't just another person looking to be pampered and praised for doing nothing to change the way things are.

"So, a whole city burned down right?" I said sarcastically. The whole council glared at me. We had this mutual dislike of each other but honestly, I didn't value their opinions enough to care about what they thought of me.

"Well, technically a whole city of squirrels did burn down since that squirrel was the only member of the city." I stared blankly at the speaker. The council member who spoke, Conor, had a smug expression on his face. I wanted so badly to walk over and smack that look off his face but knew that doing that could have it's own consequences since the laws about harming council members also applied to me. No way did I want my soul taken; his life wasn't even close to being worth it.

"Give it up already!" I snapped angrily. "Why do you always insist on trying to condemn innocent dragons?"

"Because Clara," Conor started, "they are not as innocent as you believe they are."

"Really?" I fumed. "Prove it then. Name one instance where a dragon has directly harmed you or anyone around you!" He had the good grace to look slightly ashamed. Another member of the council, Sam, spoke up.

"We don't have to answer to you. Yes, you are now officially a member of the council, but that doesn't mean you are our equal. Or that you even deserve a fraction of our time. You are just a commoner with a convenient gift of being able talking to dragons. Without that, you would be completely, and utterly worthless." he sneered. I laughed loudly.

"You know, that would wound me if I actually cared what you think. Unfortunately for you, I don't, so stop trying to persecute every dragon you see. Do yourself a favor and get a life instead." On that note, I stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind me. Walking away, I took comfort in the memory of the council's shocked faces as I defied them, yet again.