A Bronze Rising: The Gift of Patience
#2 of A Bronze Rising
The Bronze decides to secure his new territory from the natives by more subtle means than rushing in and breathing fire over everything.
I resist the temptation to simply fly down to the village, create a ruckus and position myself as the peoples' new ruler. Not that I couldn't, but that approach lacked finess and besides, they tiny things would probably attempt to kill me as soon as I shut my eyes; not that they would have a chance of succeeding, but still, it'd be annoying.
I knew from rumors circulating in dragon lands that this pathetic stain of a settlement in the midst of the clean wilderness was just the tip of a vast hive of tiny bipeds who in their numberless hordes were said to imagine themselves to be rulers of the world. I thumped my tail in a fit of amusement at the insane notion. Still... it was best to take my time settling myself into my new territory. The long centuries, millennia if I was lucky, stretched out before me. I could afford to wait and I knew my patience was a gift that the rest of my misbegotten family lacked and didn't value. I would make full use of it here.
I spread my wings and felt my bronze scales rippling over my sleek and powerful form. Barely out of adolescence, I had come into my body since my expulsion and it had hardened and grown powerful during the course of my travels. I had nothing to fear in all the wide world, even other dragons would give pause before challenging me. But my strength was only a fraction of the power I could and would wield. If this was to be my new home, I would take the time to understand its intricacies as I took the time to study the patterns of migration of deer and other game back across the mountains and across the desert whence I came. The most potent weapon of all was information.
Tensing my hindlegs, I lifted up my chest and sprang into the air, cupping the wind with my wings and lifting myself up. My legs smoothed against my body and my tail lashed, balancing me as I turned to face the wind. The sensitive membranes of my wings told me how the air was moving and about the tiniest changes in temperature. I flapped, lifting myself higher and away from the trees. I saw a hawk rising in front of me and followed until I could feel the thermal lifting me higher; I set my wings and soared. I closed my eyes and reveled in the sensation, the air rushing past my face, the loving support of the wind under me. It felt good to rest, it felt good to rest.
I opened my eyes and circled for a while, just for the fun of it. The green valley under me was indeed fine country. I could only imagine what good food-beasts might be found here. But I couldn't let my belly take charge, as much as I'd like to believe otherwise, this valley wasn't my own just for looking at it. I scanned the valley, looking for the village's outlying buildings and shacks... looking for potential prey. I didn't have to search long before I found what I was seeking. A lone...