Understandably, people were having some difficulty with aspects of my story about Herensuge’s journey with his 7 sisters. This “prelogue” is by way of explanation. Functioning as a prelude and partial epilogue, this story is a “fill in some gaps” exercise and a thought piece should I ever expand this to a longer story including Ledda’s return to the wilderness to raise the nestlings with Herensuge.
In dragon lore, the practice began with the rise of man. Never content, ever striving humankind forgot the connective energy between all things and nature. A dragon’s heart has always beat to the pulse of the earth. Guardians and stewards of the environment, dragons became concerned at the rate by which human folk consumed all that was natural around them. After a high council, it was decided to use an enchantment granted to the dragonkind by a powerful mage a millennial ago. Until a nestling came of age, it could take human form. Thus, it could be exchanged for a human child – a changeling. A dragon in the midst of human folk. The human child became a thing of nature, well tended and cared for within the dragon’s wilderness and lairs.
If their nestling was well-treated, if the people of that place respected the earth, then the dragon-to-be could chose to remain in human form, but with the heart of a dragon. Someone to see wrongs righted, to protect the children and the earth. The human children came of age in the natural world of dragons and knowing no other, celebrated as their siblings elsewhere might.
Any mistreatment or disrespect to or sensed by the changeling meant when that nestling came of age, a dragon with wild emotions and an untamed spirit emerged. Perhaps a vengeful dragon or a playful one, but a dragon none the less. Man’s fear of what he could not tame or understand caused him to strike out – and the dragon to strike back. Some nestlings now dragons escaped, their home lair imprinted upon them. With a roar, and a great flap of wings, off to home and wilderness.
For the humans, there rose the dilemma of how to discern the changelings from the rest. There was no dragon test, such as there were tests for witches. No measuring stick, no indication until it was too late, until the inner dragon had been unleashed. A child might be fey – but that alone a changeling did not make. No brimstone burps. No errant wing deployments or attempts to leap off high places. No affinity to gargoyles on cathedrals.
Town councils, in some cases, hired mercenaries skilled in the art of clearing dragon’s nests and recovering children to solve the problem. With the human children returned, the changeling could be dealt with.Or all children coming of age were locked in gaols or dungeons til the birthday passed. Other places, exiled – allowed back only if appeared “human” in nature, spirit, and form. These did not bear the strong heart of the dragon; yet humans remained blind to this telling feature.
Thus was the way between humankind and dragonkind when, under instructions from his dying parents, Herensuge set out on his journey with his seven sisters. For JD’s Microfiction Challenge Journey
December 16, 2016 at 7:41 am
This definitely helps clear up some of the “mystery” of the story.
Dragon lore – fascinating stuff. Mythical, epic and magickal :)
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December 16, 2016 at 8:03 am
I don’t know much about dragons — fessing up — some reading years ago and a wonderfully ludic animated series based on books: Jane and the Dragon, and my classic Paperbag Princess.
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December 16, 2016 at 8:08 am
LOL … well you certainly know more about dragons than I do! And you come across as an “authority” …. even if you’re not technically, what you’ve written here makes perfect sense …. so it’s all good to me …. besides, unless someone states otherwise, as one of my really amazing friends once said; “reality is just a collective hunch on our parts” 😜
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December 16, 2016 at 8:09 am
May I quote that as A really amazing person once said on my quotes page.
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December 16, 2016 at 8:11 am
LOL…. by all means, and if you need a name, her name was/is Nancy. I called her Nanners. ;)
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December 16, 2016 at 8:13 am
I think I’ll use Nancy — I have a cousin by that name, but she would never come up with such a saying — at least not when I knew her.
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December 16, 2016 at 8:22 am
I’m sure my friend would smile :)
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December 16, 2016 at 8:57 am
Always like it if I can make someone smile. Gotta have a purpose.
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December 16, 2016 at 8:59 am
indeed … and smiling is always a great option :)
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December 16, 2016 at 9:26 am
I agree!
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December 16, 2016 at 8:21 am
Done.
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December 15, 2016 at 3:56 am
And Ledda wan’t taken back to her human parents because presumably they had proven themselves good, understanding people and the changeling Ledda was happy to stay where she was? Nice idea that could run and run :)
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December 15, 2016 at 6:47 am
Some thing on that idea — Thanks, maybe some day it will.
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December 14, 2016 at 10:23 pm
I like
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December 14, 2016 at 10:27 pm
Thanks, Wendy. I’ve forgotten what I knew about dragons.
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