Milking the Dragon

By Stephen D. Rogers

With the loss of its caretaker, the young dragon became despondent and refused to eat. At the present rate of deterioration, the young dragon would perish sooner than the aging dragon that the village needed to replace if they meant to keep their source of fire.

The villagers were in a panic.

Life without fire was inconceivable. How would they cook? How would they heat? How would they bend metal? If the village had no dragon to milk, they were doomed.

While the adults gathered to bemoan the situation, Gwin went to see Ober who was sitting outside the stone dragon pen in his black and red uniform.

"Why can't you milk this dragon too?"

"Dragons are temperamental. Without the life-long bonding, they are too dangerous for anyone to approach let alone milk."

"Could someone pretend to be Jan?"

"They could. Only the dragon wouldn't be fooled for a second." Ober grinned. "Whoosh. Roasted pretender."

Gwin shivered. "How do dragons make fire?"

"They have two hard, thin protrusions hanging at the back of their throat. Dragons quickly rub them together to create a spark which lights their rather noxious breath."

"Could you create a spark if you rubbed two chicken bones together?"

Ober laughed. "That would look pretty silly, wouldn't it?"

"But would it work?"

Ober stood and patted her on the head. "You're a very inquisitive girl. The trait might prove valuable some day."

"Have you ever tried bones?"

"You keep thinking." Ober chuckled. "Unfortunately, I must milk my dragon now for the cooking fires." Wishing Gwin a good day, he entered the pen.

Gwin wanted to stamp her feet, she was so frustrated. If chicken bones wouldn't work, what about rabbit or deer? Had anyone ever cut the protuberances from a dead dragon and tried those?

"Don't people want to be able to make their own fire?"

Asking the question aloud gave Gwin a sudden insight. If anyone could make fire, Ober would no longer be important and powerful.

The seekers who found baby dragons, the trainers who directed the bonding, these people would lose their standing in the village. If Ober or the others had discovered the secret of making fire, it was in their own best interests to keep the knowledge a secret.

But what about now? The village was in danger of losing its source of fire. The young dragon was failing quickly, and the aging dragon wouldn't last much longer.

The person who taught the villagers how to produce fire themselves, that person would truly be important for the village would no longer be dependant on the rare and troublesome dragons.

Turning her back on the pen, Gwin decided to test materials until she found one which could be rubbed to produce a spark.

She would save the village despite itself.

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