In a land, where a cataclysmic event sent the world into an alternate course from the one we know, setting humanity back centuries, a knew creature would evolve. The common ancestor was the draco lizard.

In the ribs commonly used for gliding, muscles and tendons began to grow over the millennium that humanity took to get back on it's feet, from lack of pollution and far greater forests the oxygen level was just right, if not better for them to grow the the size of what we would've called a great Dane. They were quickly domesticated and their numbers grew along with ours. most creatures exhaled carbon dioxide however when they breathed it had an faint scent, even in the cleanest of their mouth's. Several homes exploded due to the fire for warmth in the winter. These people connected the dots with the "poisonous demon air" from the mines. They did some experiments and found there breath, when trapped in a bottle and heating bursts into flames, quickly they were utilized it war.

They were being bred specifically for one thing. To serve us however we demanded. They did not fight back, however showed little to no loyalty as a canine would. soon they were a common sight, in every city and large village where the houses wouldn't burn. However humanity wasn't exactly human with them, and the dragons... They were learning.

It was a rare sight at first, but the. More and more people saw it. They learned how to use tools, and developed a language. people would try to decipher them, understand them. They realized they were internalizing everything over the past ten centuries, and we're growing more restless.

They knew the humans knew what they were saying and all at once as if they had wires connected to each other. They flew to the sky, all the way into the capital. They made an attempt to negotiate. "We leave you with your society and we get ours." The humans fearing the worst agreed. They let them go and they were undomesticated over the years, they had created tribes all interconnected like a hive mind. When one found something they all found it, replicated it, and made a use for it. Even their breath, they trained their lungs to inhale more air to produce more flames. Quickly they were a their own nation.

Humans realizing their intelligence and potential was on par with their own and made an offer. " You don't have to live in the harsh wilds, you could rejoin us but more equal and not just pets." The dragons adamantly refused. "We would never sully our culture with the likes of slave owners, we only avoid war to avoid destruction of our societies, and any other potentially sentient creatures out there. It took years for us to remove the inbreeding from our people." The humanity rolled it's eyes. " Too bad then."

The two nation's watched each other closely learning about them. The dragons cought wind of all the domesticated animals and still stayed their fire, claws, and jaws. The humans entered another war, this time they used more advanced weapons, the dragons did all they could to stay out of it. Until the resisting nation decided to use the expansive forests for their weapons. Mass producing it faster than the forests could grow. The other nation did the same, leaching off the dragons, just like one hundred thousand years ago. This was the final straw.

"Make peace or we'll end both of your nations." They both scoffed, "you? Destroy us? Don't make us laugh. You said we could."
The dragons clenched their jaws. " We never did say that, we've been watching you both and could easily tear you apart from the inside. Turn your people against you, then you'd both lose to yourselves." The humans glared at each other. "Just pick a side and it would be over already. In case you couldn't tell we're at a stalemate, your vast numbers would easily turn the tide." The dragons sighed. "It's clear negotiation is not an option." And unleashed several generations of natural selection, scales as strong as iron, strength surpassing ours, heat condensed Into a two foot metal pole centimeters thick, they had completely lost all regards for the humans, even armor was used against them, the metal plates heated to a glow and roasting the wearers.

The humans in a last ditch effort attempted to negotiate.

The dragons leader spoke, "this may be the last time we gather around this table to speak." The human nodded grimly. "Indeed, we've made a form of water transportation. we could leave by the masses and never return, if you spare us our lives." "Spare you? After you've everything you've dragged us into? Never."

The human opened his mouth to speak reaching into his pocket for the flintlock. "Then do unto us as we've done to you." The dragons glared. "We would never stoop to your level. All you have to do is keep us out of it. Leave each nations problems to that nation."

The human shakily grabbed the handle and flashed the handle in the warm mid morning glow. "You've proven you could be a threat. We could easily stop this threat by taming it." The dragons placed an unusual orb onto the table, it had a string attached to it leading into what appeared to be a lighter. "You know why I'm the leader of my nation? I have the most control over my breath, even breathing into and open flame doesn't ignite it. We've taught our young how to control it. In combination that with what we call elastic. Formed from the tree sap being consistently stretched. I've filled it with an extremely concentrated amount of the explosive breath, we've also infused the rubber with the gunpowder you use for guns."

The human leader stared at the orb, taking in the full threat of what lay before him "well we believe unity is what we need, everyone working together for a common cause." The dragon caressed the lighter. "You call being an invasive leaching species a common cause? You disgust me."

Moments went by in silence waiting for the other to make a move as a crowded gathered around the window opened by the maid.

The dragon sighed and slapped the table with his tail. "I have an idea, you give us the ships and we could see if there's any lands worth while, if there are, you can colonize it. under our supervision." The human clawed at the table. "Why won't you let us go, you've already won." The dragon looked at the crowd out the window. "Because humanity is just a bunch of self destructive ape's who can't even beat a small village of gecko's. If we let you go and get as far and happy as you want, you'd take over and kill everything."

The humans sighed, "So that is how it is." Then shot a bullet. The crowd roared in Horror as the dragon rose up again and lit the explosive. " I guess we'll have to be the explorer's" the fuse quickly burned out and the nation's capital was gone, and with it the last humans. The dragons copied the boats and explored a new land. Forever remembering the ingenuity of man's nimble fingers and memorializing where they began and ended with a mural of man's history.

I smile a wide smile as I grin at my blushing bride, The preacher tells of the miracles of God to me and my bride.

I await with great satisfaction with my scheme coming to reality, and I commit myself to saying "I do" and kneel in.

Our lips grace each other in a moment of manipulated love, a love I thought hoax, untill I felt it. She leaned into my shoulder after and whispered, she whispered things I never thought dream able, let alone humanly possible.

She suggested bombings, war crimes and devilry in all the worst way's. My plans had gone too well. Where all I wanted to do was prove hero man wrong, that my life style was possible.

Three years and counting, I still haven't found the solution, even after giving up on my home and joining hero man's hero coup. I've divorced her and even cut off any and all ties with her. She still found me, I'm not sure when the war will end but I pray it will be soon...