My name is Yena; I was born in the forests of Keyvold. My older sister preceded me into the world by ten years and helped my mother to raise me while my father governed our village. There were only 70 of us living there and every day we lived in fear that the tigers would find us. You see, it was not only dragons that lived in our village, but witches too.

After Heaven fell to the darkness of the Shining Children, we, the Burning Ones rallied to protect the devout of our creator and were scattered throughout the world. It was soon apparent that we were few and the enemies were many so we built havens.

Witches had become the main receiver of the tigers’ aggressions and it was their loud pleas that we dragons were called to the most.

I remember the first cry I had heard. I was maybe five or seven. I found her in the trees hiding in a hole. Her body was covered in whip marks that had become infected. Her name was Gayl and she had escaped from a cruel master. I held her larger hands in my own and showed her the first miracle she had ever seen; I healed her.

She screamed and struck me down calling me a demon and hell spawn. I did not understand at the time why she called me so. All I remember was the pain as she attacked me. Being young I did not think to turn to my dragon form and that may have spared both our lives for Gayl’s pursuers found us then.

I lay still on the ground pressing my bloodied cheek into the loam as they knocked her to the ground and tied her wrists. She was carried off still screaming while I lay silent feigning death. They passed over me and were gone for an hour before I dared to move. I ran crying back to the village afraid to speak of what I had seen and felt. When my mother had finally calmed me she coaxed the story from me.

I was told our purpose was to protect and that Gayl was my charge. She told me of the lies that the False ones had told of us to turn humanity against. With their short life spans humanity was quickly forgetting what we truly were, guardians of Heaven. The tigers replaced us in heaven and took over our roles while hunting us down.

I only saw Gayl one more time. She had escaped from her master and fled as far as she could into our forest. She was wrinkled and grey when I found her lying by a stream hidden by a half-moon outcropping of rocks. She did not recognize me as the young girl she had beaten decades before. Her master had broken her physically and mentally. She cowered as I approached her and offered food. She told me of the cruel life she had suffered as a slave and showed me the scars left as reminders of her mistakes.

She died peacefully in my arms and I cried for her.

Over a century later I fell in love with Adwin. For years the two of us had been at odds finding arguments in every subject. We were so similar in views that you would think we would have been close from the moment we met, but instead it drove us to anger. We began to compete with each other to see who would be the first to solve a problem or complete a project. Each win against the other only fueled our feud.

The day we harmonized we were at choir practice. Our instructor could not decide between the two of us who should fill the role of lead solo. We sang together, Adwin and I. At first I tried to drown his voice with my own, but as we continued I felt his voice drawing me to him. My energy flowed from me to him and his own flowed to me. In that instance our lives connected and I saw that the reason I had loathed him was because I loathed myself.

I hated the fact that we hid in the forest protecting only a few people. I hated that I failed to save Gayl. I saw Adwin as a reflection of myself with all of our similarities a reflection that I was scared to face.

Harmonizing made me look at the darkness in my heart and dispel it so that I could love him; and love him I did. I married him and spent centuries by his side. We both knew we wanted children one day, but I could not bear to bring them into a world that would hate and scorn them. I did not want them to fight the battles that I fought for a tomorrow that was still yet a dream.

I had been so resolute for so many centuries, the conversation of having children ceased between Adwin and myself so when the oracle told me of my impending death I knew that waiting was no longer an option.

I kept the prophecy from my husband and allowed myself to become pregnant and bear an egg. Now that my life is drawing to a close I can give him this one last gift. I wish things had been different. I wish that I could see the end to this cruel war, but my part to play is over.

My only regrets are that I will never see my child’s face and that I will never get to say I love you again.