All the people want fire
She leaned back against the bar, a skewer in her left hand, her right kept free. A habit unneeded for this environment, but a healthy habit to keep. She ripped the meat off piece by piece, eating at a solid pace but not wolfing the food down as some others did.
The old man near the stage got a drink from a random young man, young eyes sparkling in anticipation. The old man suppressed a grin, enjoying the moment and living in it, but still keeping up the showmanship. He took the drink, a deep gulp, a deep breath. Then he started his tale.
"You look out there, and you see the marvels we created. Our ancestors built empires, and even though they fell, they still fill us with pride. Yet have you ever wondered why they weren't proud? Or why we still tell stories of creatures that we have never seen? The answer is simple, young lads.
"See, we're not the first humans to walk this earth. Used to be a lot, entire civilizations. But wicked soulless creatures came an' took over. So the dragons came and cleansed the world with fire. Then they took the souls of the deceased and sent them back to seed this world with life.
"Now the wicked things were without soul so they were all gone, ne'er to 'turn. But you can still find the remnants buried. Forests covering burnt rocks, desert dunes covering hills o' glass, entire nations collapsed into rubble. So 'member that ere you lose yourself in arrogance.
"For they are still out there, those mighty dragons. Buried in the ground and sea, sleepin', until they are needed once more. If we become wicked ourselves, they may purge us as well. So beware your soul, young lads. It is such an easy thing to lose."
They nodded in reverence, then offered him another drink for another tale. She kept one ear on it, but let her mind wander. She could not tell whether there was truth in his words, but she did feel the Power in his tale. A trail she could follow, to find dunes of sand blasted into glass.
As she followed the thread, letting it fly without letting it slip her grasp, the beast within her stirred. If there was a dragon, she might be able to learn from it. Maybe fight it. Part of her hoped it would.
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