Disclaimer:

I don't own anything to do with the Harry Potter universe, J. K Rowling has that honor. I also don't own anything to do with Temeraire, that wonderful Naomi Novik does. I'm just borrowing the verses for a bit.

AN:

So right off the bat, some of what is covered in here is pretty...well, heavy and it should not be seen as a reflection of what's happening now or of me personally. I've made it pretty clear that Harry holds these views pretty early in the story and would push them at times. So please, don't start flaming me and being a shit about it. I put myself in the shoes of the characters to make them more 'real'. They are supposed to be people, people have their own beliefs and they probably will piss off both the writer and the readers, but that's what makes a story enjoyable. It is the fact that characters are not one dimensional and the readers can either love or hate them as if they were real people.

This chappy is mostly a flash back of how Harry views the dragon handling and how much it needs to change because it is very much like slavery in places. The whole flashback to the argument after Julien/Harry got back from rescuing Temeraire is about this topic so be warned.. If you would rather skip it all, just know Harry is REALLY channeling Hermione and her S.P.E.W when it comes to dragon rights. When you see *Flashback* just skip till you see *End Flashback* though be aware that is most of the chapter and you will have very little to read if you choose to do this.

Also in that flashback is a tiny spot about religion, as it was a VERY heavy thing back then, ( I think even more so then than now but that's just my opinion) and I knew I couldn't just totally ignore what would probably be a conversation point at some time in the story. I try to leave religion out of my writing mostly to prevent offense but also because my stories are not ABOUT religion, but it will still get mentioned as it is an important part of human life.

Only me working on this story so if there is an issue with spelling, missing or double words or whatever, let me know!

Chapter 5: The way things are...not anymore.

Gregory LaCroix frowned down at the hastily drawn maps spread out before him on the table. His ink spattered hands were stationed on either side of one of the miniature battle grounds of the war, the borders were depicted by outlines of heavy charcoal or grease while the troops were represented by the many colored pegs and pins stuck into the cloth at varying locations; red for the English and a royal purple for the French. Various allies of the French were shown by bright blue flags, while allies of the English were in orange. Off to the far right of the map was another little doodled section of cloth that was supposed to be the ocean - not at all geographically correct in its position to the nearest bit of land because it was a separate map he had pulled over to look at - and it was this one area Gregory was tracing over and over with his eyes at the moment. The location was none other than the very spot where Temeraire and Julien had clashed with a few English dragons just two days ago. The fight had crippled a number of the well known English dragon crews and entirely removed one dragon from the war in a more permanent way. It was too bad the Parnassian had managed to avoid becoming crippled as well, as that would have made things a lot easier on everyone, as the English did not have a whole collection of Parnassians on standby to use whenever they wished. It would have been a blessing to have that larger one taken out completely.

Of course no one blamed Julien for failing to do so, he was an inexperienced young dragon with little to no control over his ranged attack abilities and it is quite an unrealistic expectation to place on the black dragon, especially seeing as he had been out numbered and terribly wounded as well.

Unfortunately, even though no one blamed him for not killing or at least maiming the Parnassian, he was still in a lot of hot water due to his rash actions. Yes Julien had won the battle and saved a valuable dragon and Captain, but the damned beast had also painted a rather large target over himself by going out into the fray without a crew, indeed without even his Captain on hand. According to their spy in the English ranks, this had apparently marked him as a 'target of opportunity' in the English's eyes, as they figured Julien was unattached and could at the very least be gathered up and kept in a breeding ground if no Captain could be placed on him.

The French high command - both Navy and Arial Corps - were in a quite the temper over Julien's little stunt because of this, though at the same time they were counting their blessings behind said dragon's back due to him keeping Temeraire and Laurence out of enemy hands. Gregory of course had a different take on their anger though.

'More cross over his ignoring protocol than anything else, too afraid as to what this could mean for the other dragons in the Corps if they start following his shining example. If dragons could just leave and go about their business without a crew to control them, who knows what kind of trouble they could get up to? Over land and sea.'

It was this change in the way things were done that had the command worried, and any change that could see them losing what little control they had over the race of dragons as a whole was something to be feared.

Fear of any type, Gregory knew, was an excellent motivator. It was also a very potent enemy if abused or left unchecked to run a muck as it pleases. The soldiers on a dragon would understand the need to rush off and help others of their kin if only to prevent a loss of a useful dragon and crew, though the lives and what they meant to the people involved would still play a heavy role in the decision. Those who did not care or had never had a dragon to form that attachment to - some of those in command in the Corps and of course pretty much the whole Navy - would be unable to fathom the pain of losing something so dear to you that was not another human. It cripples you in a way, the loss of the dragon you are Captained to, the beast you not only raised from it's first breath to it's last, but also learned to trust and love as you do your fellow man. It hurts all the more when you have to watch it go in agonizing pain, you being helpless to make the passing less so for the creature in question.

Gregory very clearly remembered what he had experienced as a tiny lad when Bella, the Papillon Noir he was a flag signaler on since she was old enough to carry crew, was killed fighting pirates off some French merchant ships. She was still a young dragon and had been inexperienced in the dive runs her Flight were forced to preform in order to prevent the pirates from killing the crews of the merchant ships and running off with the goods. Bella was skewered on the sharp mast that the top had broken off of during the battle, not able to pull out of the dive fast enough when the base cracked after another dragon in her Flight bumped it on a fly by, causing it to fall at an angle. Gregory watched her take the blow straight through the chest as if in slow motion from his perch on her back, barely able to dodge out of the way when the top part of the pole came exploding out of her flesh where he was stood.

Even now he could remember Bella's horrifying squeal when the wood impacted and punched all the way through to her back. The way she clawed frantically at the pole sticking in her, thrashing around in a futile attempt to get free. Her terrified face when she realized there was no way to stop the bleeding. The wailing screams that tapered off to gurgling whimpers as she finally died. Those same screams were then echoed - howled one might say - by Bella's young Captain as the dragon lost the fight and breathed her last, her medium small body hanging there limply over the side of the ship, slowly pulling it over with her weight until the base snapped the rest of the way, weakened by her thrashing, and plunged the young Papillon Noir into the sea... Gregory would never forget anything about that day but those final moments on Bella were the most vivid.

A dragon would do anything for it's Captain, this is well known and understood, though the same could also be said for a good Captain when it came to their dragon; only those who were bonded would understand what Julien did was the right thing, saving his brother's life and keeping him from feeling the pain of losing his Captain, either to death or capture.

It did not, however, excuse his behavior in leaving his Captain behind. No crew being on him could be forgiven easily, as time was of the essence and truly Julien was not yet big enough for a full crew, nor did he have a harness that was safe for a crew to use. Rushing off without his Captain was just plain stupid and dangerous. 'The fool beast could have been killed or captured! Without a veteran of war on his back and going into a large scuffle completely blind...well he was damn lucky'

Julien's punishment would be considered severe in the eyes of any dragon, and indeed, poor Temeraire seemed to be fussing enough for six dragons and it was not even his punishment to share! Gregory felt a great swell of affection for both the other dragon and his English Captain, for both of them were very kind to Julien and appeared to care quite deeply for the rash beast. But where as Temeraire was very visibly and vocally upset with the situation, Julien on the other hand seemed entirely unconcerned with it all. At least this appeared to be so to the untrained eye; he was very quiet, received all his orders and carried them out - whatever they may be - without complaint and did not try to slither his way out of staying grounded. Anyone who looked at him would assume he was unaffected by the whole thing, but Gregory knew better, his Julien was hurting in more ways than just from the wounds he suffered from the battle.

'He will learn from this, I hope, and I will not have another such event come to pass again anytime soon.' The man paused and then snorted 'Though that may just be wishful thinking on my part, as Julien is far too sure of his own ideas to let something be. Poor thing is still irritated over the lack of rights he has as a dragon living in the world of men. What rights would an animal have? Dragons are beasts of war and they serve just as any man or woman does, and they should be proud of it!'

And most were, though that was quickly changing now that Temeraire had started parroting his big brother. If one could learn it from Julien than many could.

Gregory shook his head and frowned ever harder as the conversation he had with Julien shortly after his hatching fluttered against his mind. It was almost the same as the argument the blasted dragon bellowed out once he returned from his little rescue and was reprimanded harshly. The only differences were related to whatever responses to his ranting that the gathered people had thrown at him.

'Where does he get these mad ideas from? Do they stem from his time in the egg, were the people or dragons from his land of origin placing these words in his head to cause strife in the world?' As he pondered on the thoughts, the Captain glared at a rather large cluster of red flags being used to represent the English troops gathering near French controlled outposts of importance. 'I will admit, that if I were blindfolded and told to have a conversation with Julien without having known first that he was a dragon, I would assume him to be a man of good breeding. He is very well spoken and learned in many ways. That dose not, however, mean he is owed the same rights! He is not a man!'

But here Gregory's train of thought faltered as the argument after the rescue came roaring back, starting off as nothing more than a scolding before eventually dissolving into Julien preaching dragon equality at the angry nay sayers around him. The dragon pointed out a lot of very good cases, now that Gregory was really reflecting on it, with how dragons are handled that actually made the dragon's Captain very uncomfortable to contemplate, as he himself was strongly against slavery of any peoples, including indigenous savages. That Julien proved dragons were very much like a man in many ways only hurt the Frenchman's pride even more...what kind of man was he that he was keeping a dragon - a being who was now starting to show it was able to reason just as well if not better than a human - as a slave when he was fighting to stop such things from happening the world over to his fellow man?

'Is he right? Have we misidentified the race of dragons so terribly that we are just repeating the same mistakes over again? And dragons have become so dependent on us, trust us so much due to imprinting on us from birth that most do not even notice it? As Julien said, if we only teach them what we want them to learn, how can they show who they really are? A man will be the same if he is kept ignorant, this is known, so a dragon not moving beyond where he has been placed intellectually is not the beast's fault if he does not know there is a better way, that there is more to know.'

And that was the true issue now arising within certain ranks - those who cared anyway, others just saw it as something that would blow over eventually, like a phase - it was the real reason Gregory was alone in here looking over a map he had long ago memorized over the last two days. The man was thoroughly conflicted, after hearing those vicious words again from Julien about dragons and their right to representation, about slave labor not just among humankind but dragonkind as well, and the great people treating them as nothing more than well beloved pets at best, were just as bad as the ones who treated them as nothing more than stupid beasts to be exploited. Now that his mind was no longer filled with fear and outrage, Gregory had to admit that Julien did have a very good point.

Dragons were smart, especially if someone took the time to teach them or gave them access to things for them to teach themselves. They learned very quickly, had their own desires, ambitions and could be just as passionate about a cause if they should choose to take one up as any man or woman. Dragons even had their own language! This was something Gregory had not known, and apparently (from what he heard from the visiting Aviator yesterday) men could even learn and speak this language, so it was a legitimate tongue. Dragons could read and write in any language they are taught just as well and in some cases even better than most humans.

Gregory closed his eyes and thought back to the highlights of the argument again, focusing only on the important parts and heavily editing out - for his own mental health - the vulgar language used in places whenever the dragon snapped at someone for making a - in his words - 'stupid remark'.

He could remember the smell of blood in the air and see the tired look on his dragon's face as five minutes of scolding him for running off finally tapered into talks of Julien's place in the Corps and what that means for his current attitude. That had quickly escalated into the realm of ownership of dragons by the Corps and then dropped into talk of slavery and dragon rights.

*Flashback*

The pad dipped heavily to one side as Julien suddenly stood up on three of his four legs, putting most of his weight nearer the edge of the platform so it was unbalanced a bit. His eyes narrowed in anger at the idiot of a man who had dared to say that dragons were not people, but animals, like dogs and horses, who were also used in war when needed.

"What deems something worthy of rights and privileges like what man has given himself, then? What must a people do to be seen as a people and not as animals? What gives humans the right to decide something is not worth the same treatments as human kind, that they can label dragons as mere beasts of burden that can be taught tricks and only have use as war mounts of some kind? Who crowned man the ruler of all? What truly is the difference between the races of men and dragons aside from looks and size?"

Julien snapped at the Aviator commander near him that had spoken. The man reared back and sputtered, looking at his equally befuddled fellows, which included a shocked stupid Gregory. A Navy man leaned forward and gave the dragon a patronizing smile as he answered.

"Well, dragons can breath fire or have some other fantastical way of defending themselves! Quite alike how many forms of insect can spit acid or squirt a foul smell. Why, a skunk can spray a terrible scent about and it is but an animal! Men do not have such abilities. And dragons are creatures who love fighting and have a blood lust for it! They are animal minded and should be handled as so. For our safety."

Julien raised his eyebrows as high as the damage to his face would allow and curled his lips up in a cruel smile that had Gregory swallowing hard at what the dragon's answer might be, knowing his dear treasure of a dragon as well as he did, it would not be kind. "Men can spit fire and other nasty things too, they just had to be clever about it and build machines to do it for them to cover their inadequacies." he sneered, holding his hand up to silence the man when he went to speak. "I am not finished." he snapped.

Gregory slowly slid to the ground in dismay as his dragon geared up for a fight of words; this was already seeming to be a horrible repeat of the blasted rant Julien gave a day or two out of the shell! If this turned out to be even close to that then they may well just decide to put Julien down rather than find a way to bring him over to their way of thinking.

"Men love fighting too, you actually in fact go out of your way to start a problem just so there will be a fight! And you fight over the most ridiculous of things as well! Men can be just as savage and even more so in some ways than say, a dog or a cat. Most animals only kill to eat, protect themselves, their territory or family. Humans can do the same, but you also kill for sport, to collect trophies, and scare other humans. Some even have a terrible love of watching others suffer, because they enjoy it...pure and simple." here Julien glared down at the gathered men who were only silent out of anger and shock than out of any true respect of the dragon's words.

"So where is the difference? Some dragons are proved to be like this too so it only goes to show we are not so different from each other"

The one of Aviators present frowned and carefully glanced over at his commander before speaking. "Dragons are known to hoard things, very much like birds or rodents do." and Julien quickly interrupted the man before he could add anymore animals to the list.

"But so too do humans; collectors and museums, and even zoos are excellent and obvious cases of humans hoarding something, and again trophy gathering can be labeled as hoarding! So do not try and make it a trait only mere animals possess!" Julien shouted, a few very not nice words swiftly followed as a group of men growled out various versions of 'it is not the same thing!'.

"Alright, let me ask you this. What makes men so much better than dragons that only they are allowed to be treated as an intelligent species? Who told you humans were better? Why are humans the only ones allowed to go to schools, to have a choice of jobs, where as dragons can only be used to go to war or carry things for humans as messengers. Dragons cannot be a florist, nor can they be a barber, or a stage actor. They are not allowed to practice medicine, or law, or become a chef or any other thing that is not how to kill and fight for their country or in some way be a service to humans in similar ways."

Gregory blinked slowly at those words, part of him was bristling at the insinuation that human kind only thought it was better than dragons, though the rest of him was slowly grasping the rest of the conversation and he quickly forgot the blow, intended or not, that had been dealt his ego. He was not sure why a dragon would want to be something so mundane as a florist or chef though he understood the point that was being made; that dragons, like men, should be allowed to CHOSE to be one or not.

"Why are dragons told to do these things for humans and not allowed do these same things for themselves or decide not to if that is the wish? Why must they do it only FOR humans, and be forced by way of indoctrination to make sure they comply? Why are we being told we MUST, that we are ONLY good for these things and nothing else? Why do we dragons have to hate and fight other nation's dragons just because the humans of those nations are not getting along at the moment?"

No one answered and many looked floored at the idea of such a split within a nation. Gregory was trying very hard to control his breathing and not sweat more than what the temperature was causing as a few dangerous looks were leveled in his direction now, as if the current views of his dragon were his fault.

"Yes, we may inhabit the same lands, some not by choice though, humans have moved us where they want us, but the wars of humans are human wars. It was humans that started them for whatever human thing. Now if this human thing becomes a dragon thing too, in that it is not just about humans but declaring war on the nation as a whole, over shared ideals between dragon and man, then it is understandable that dragons must also go to war. Because now it is not only a human problem but everyone's problem."

Gregory's breath caught as he listened to his dragon preach what was almost borderline treason. The Captain's eyes darted to the other men around him, those still standing and the ones who had done the same as Gregory and taken a seat on the pad. Many were frowning, some in anger, some in irritation, and some were looking quite sour that the dragon was pointing out things they obviously had wanted to counter but were not fast enough, nor were they loud enough, to break the speech. There were even a handful of the men with a thoughtful look about them, mostly the bonded Aviators or the few visiting dragon crew members who had come to tend to Julien's wounds after his scolding and had instead been roped into this drama.

"Truly even if it was a human only war many dragons would help if they were only asked, but they are not given a choice, they are forced to do so because humans say it must be so. Why? Dragons are conscripted into the military just as humans are, if humans are going to treat us like their own in this regard then why are you so adamant on not treating dragons equally in other ways too? Dragons must obey humans laws like a human yet at the same time dragons are seen as equal to something like the common horse! We are talking horses in your eyes!. Horses do not have to obey humans laws so why must we if we are only animals?"

'A good point' Gregory thought, shifting his eyes from his proud dragon to the many horrified faces of the gathered people. 'Dangerous, but a very good point'

"You cannot have it both ways! Either we are too animal minded and must be handled to keep the peace, and therefore cannot be punished for breaking human laws when cats, dogs, birds...many animals break them all the time and are only chased away! Or we are not animals and must abide by human laws, and should be given the respect of something that is able to follow such laws just the same as any human can!"

A Navy man rubbed his chin and leaned over to whisper something to an Aviator standing at his side, who shook his head negatively in response, which sent the Navy to quickly shoot Julien a calculating look. Gregory did not like that look at all, it was a look that promised trouble, though what kind of trouble was a mystery at the moment.

"Dragons were here long before humans started colonizing everything and many wild dragons still have their own established governments. If this is so, why are dragons being forced to live with and work for humans like they are nothing but tools? Should humans not be forming an alliance with the dragon governments? Like any other peoples do when they want something? Humans are stealing dragons from their homes, domesticating them and then telling them they should be proud of being there! You humans do the same with your own kind, with people you see as savages. If you do not care to see that as a problem then I will put it another way. It is no different, what you are doing to dragons, than say, an English man going to a French house and taking their newborns to educate them on how they wish the children to be, never-mind what the parents would want."

"Turning them into laborers of some kind, many unpaid and to be replaced with only a shrug and a few uncaring words if they should die. They see them as less than them, as animals. Why would they be sad? Animals can be replaced, there are many more where they got those few French children. Just like those French children I just used as an example, dragons are not savage animals, we are a people. But humans refuse to see us as such, why?"

A few of the gathered people suddenly looked very uncomfortable and even Gregory felt shame wash over him as he noticed, like many of the others there surely had, the many parallels to slavery of men that the dragon situation currently displayed. To some it would be a blow to their honor, for they were against such actions. Others it may not worry them over much on the issue of keeping slaves, more what the reactions of anti-slave groups would have when they too realize the dragon's predicament. This would up-end the world.

"It is a simple answer" continued Julien, either unaware or thoroughly aware as to what his words were doing to his audience. "humans do not recognize us as being civilized, as having our own nation. You like to boast about being civilized, and yet you are often far from it, but what makes a civilization really? Tool making? Dragons can do this. Making music or writing stories, reading? Dragons can do all this too. Building cities? Wild dragons already do these things though the areas that are allowed to them as their territories do not give way to much room for elaborate abodes, so they live in cave like dwellings or in mountains that have carved out places for them. If dragons were allowed to build and desired human shaped cities, they could do this as well."

A brave soul spoke up from the group, though he was not so brave as to allow Julien to know which of the men had spoken. "God made man in his image, nowhere is it shown that God made dragons the same as men. They are under men with the other creatures of the Earth."

Julien did not seem to like where this was going and he took a deep, bracing breath before he answered carefully.

"Religion? That is what you are going with? That it is only civilized nations who have found God? Many you see as uncivilized peoples have a form of religion even if you do not recognize it as a proper religion. Dragons are not allowed to have any such ideas of their own kind among humans, but I am sure we must have some kind of religion in the wild. Most peoples find God in some way in their path through life, it is proven in history. But that is not what you are saying is it? You are saying that it is only those who follow YOUR God, or your IDEA of God, that are civilized. Well I know we dragons can at least understand and accept the word of God as man knows it. That is if you bother to teach us. So if a dragon is raised a Christian and believes the same as a man does why is he still not worth the same in the eyes of humans?"

No one spoke. Indeed it looked like there might be a fight brewing soon from some of the men just from the blazing eyes. Julien must have noticed this as well for he quickly changed tracks.

"If it is laws that make a civilization then I can tell you wild ones have laws too. Yes they are more savage than what humans are used to now, but they are still laws. No doubt domesticated, learned dragons could write laws too if they were allowed and perhaps they could rewrite or teach a better way of laws to the wild ones."

"Dragons and humans worked together long ago, somehow, somewhere, humans started taking dragon young and raising them, perhaps at first it was a kindness, parent-less dragonets needing help when they are most vulnerable. Maybe men realized how much easier it was to get a dragon to help them out if it was in debt to them, imprinted on them, and thats how things changed. No matter what really happened, humans eventually forgot the reason and dragons were seen as livestock. Wars happened between us and then it all stopped somewhere."

Julien paused only long enough to take a breath and shift his weight a bit more comfortably on the pad. Many of the grouped men around him had to shift as well to keep their places as the wood tilted back to a more flat position.

"There is no reason that a species as smart as dragons could exist on this Earth and not learn to better themselves at some point. It is obvious from the wild ones in how they learn and can be just as smart and able as a domesticated dragon so long as they can find ways to learn the same things. Humans did this over time, going from banging rocks together to building ships, to where you are now. It is obvious that human expansion has in some way stagnated the current dragons' ability to learn, or perhaps it is their will to learn? Wild ones just want to be left alone and so are more feral and choose to be 'wild' only because ways to better themselves are not readily available. We who are raised by humans have shown that if we are given a chance and the materials, we will learn. So it is not our inability to learn that keeps us from being seen as a people by your kind."

Gregory blinked and tried very hard not to gape. The gathered men were not much better off though a few were darting worried looks back and forth between the stunned Captain and Julien as if looking for a clue as to what his own views were on this.

"In closing, it is well understood that man does not like being told they are not the smartest or indeed the best at something. It is a threat to your species, either real or imagined to acknowledge there might be a more superior species to you. Just as man is more superior to apes so too will there be something more so than the human race. In no way does that mean that dragons are the ones that take that place of honor, but surely man cannot believe he is better than everything else in existence? Surely the ego of the human race is not THAT large? How can humans be sure that THEIR way is the RIGHT way? What if someone else has a better way?"

"And if you wish to use the argument that dragons are a conquered race which is why humans are the ones to make the rules in the world, then humans need to start treating dragons as a RACE and let us live along side humans, integrate us into your lives better than you have. Build places for dragons to live and work that are not cramped, uncomfortable places far away from humans where we feel left out from the peoples we are suppose to be a part of. Give dragons jobs that are not war oriented. Imagine all the construction work that could be done if dragons could help? Have a huge mess after an earthquake? Dragons will help you! Do you need a lot of larger food cooked and then shipped to places quickly? Dragons are eager! New sports for humans and dragons to enjoy together to help form a bond between us as a combined peoples, where everyone can have a dragon friend who is not tied to them because it is required. They will be tied together just as humans do to one another. Shared interests! A love for their fellows! A desire to better the world! Think of all the new discoveries that the two peoples could do if they worked as one? As equals?"

Julien was panting now, having been shouting in places and rushing quickly in others as if he hoped that if he got the words out loud and fast enough, then they might take root in the heads of those listening. But now he calmed himself and lowered his body to the deck once again in a relaxed pose for resting.

"Ask us for help, pray, do not demand or expect it because that is how it has always been done."

*End flashback*

It was such a long and tedious argument, interspersed with vulgar swearing and rude hand gestures whenever someone tried to correct the shouting dragon. In the end, though, it was obvious that Julien's word had little impact on those who mattered there and everyone left dissatisfied, angry even, and the situation was unresolved.

'Damned if I know what to do about it. A fool's idea this, pure and utter nonsense.' And yet in his heart, Gregory knew Julien was right...to a degree. Dragons should be treated better. He was not sure yet if they should be treated as equals but definitely much better than they were at present. Julien would not stop, however, until dragons were no longer kept as little more than tools of war for human use. This Gregory knew just from the mutinous look he gave his own Captain when Gregory had told him off for his nonsense after everyone else had left. It was this small gesture, waiting until no one was there to see Captain and dragon at odds, that Gregory was sure was the only reason Julien was not refusing to speak to him or follow his orders after that scolding.

'Mayhaps if we give them a few of these 'Rights' Julien is so set on, they will just leave everything else be for a while. Wait until the people can see if dragons deserve that level of trust or not.' It would not do if the dragons started making a fuss out in the streets about pay or some other such rot, seeing as the beasts were already being housed and fed without them being charged for it. They were also given treatment when sick and many Captains would give them gifts without asking for anything in return.

Though if Julien's attitude was any indication of how the future was going to be in regards to dragon relationships with their commanders, then the battle against this major change was already lost. The great brute certainly had a fancy grasp of basic law and was very eager to learn even more, which was a terrifying thought; what would he do with an excellent grasp of the law if he was already turning the Corps on its head with only his small knowledge now?

*Elsewhere*

Draconic eyes stared out in the direction of the first light of the rising sun, watching a tiny figure's silhouette dance joyously in the opening moments when the light just started to crest the mountains. The great eyes reluctantly shifted to the far distant buildings where the peoples of the area were no doubt already up and preforming their morning routines. The figure was a secret from them all, from the humans and other dragons nearby. No one but her knew that the little one was here, and no one but her knew of the fantastic things the small child had told her. Shown her even. And she was not allowed to tell anyone on pain of forgetting it all.

'And I do not wish too.' she thought, eyes going back to the dancing figure as her mind whirred.

The dragoness did not know why she had to do these things, why she had to keep these special words, visions, even places a secret from all including her dearest. It was still unclear even after all these months of knowing the child, but the little one with the moon in her eyes told her it had to be done, that it was too dangerous to 'Tell just anyone', so she would keep her voice silent on the matter. Her partner was like the others in that he was unaware of the impossible visits by the little one, indeed, it would be a very bad thing if he were to discover this pale girl child of unusual knowledge and power roaming the grounds and the house. But she knew the child was harmless to them so again she would keep those secrets.

Or least was harmless so long as they did not threaten her plans. The little one was a child, but only in looks. She was not as she seemed and was much older than anything the dragoness could name off the top of her head. And so very powerful. But the child was acting her appearance in age most of the time they met, so it was hard to remember the little one was not a child at all, but something far older, and therefore it was hard to label her as anything other than a child.

The dragoness sighed and smiled without humor as she thought on her partner, on his family and the troubles that were brewing there. Troubles the little one would help with if things played out well, and if not then she would make sure that at least he would be unharmed in the coming war if he understood, if he accepted. Otherwise he was a threat and even a mighty dragon could do nothing against the little child that is not if she chose to kill the dragoness' partner or lay waste to this whole realm.

Stretching out her long neck, the dragoness moved her thoughts away from their dark path and turned to curiously watch the child continue to dance, arms out over her head as if in welcome, through the beams of light cast from the now awake sun. 'A strange gift that has come to me, but a gift none the less.' she thought, eyes twinkling with amusement as the child turned and waved at her, as if hearing the great dragon's thoughts, before vanishing silently in the blink of an eye, no traces of her being there for anyone to find.

'Yes you are quite the treasure, little one, and I wonder what is to come once your plans truly begin.'

End chapter five.

AN:

Okay, so that happened!

I've had this mostly written since about a week or so after I posted the last chapter but I got hung up on how to deal with the argument, whether I was going to do a flashback or if I was just going to bring up a few things when Gregory remembered that day. Took a few days off, wrote some of my novel, did some editing of new chapter of The Chameleon, and finally came back to this and did the flashback in part. It was longer, with a lot of swearing and pointing out of obvious things that make dragon handling very much like slavery. But then I read it over a bit and decided it was too heavy a subject and it isn't suppose to be the main focus of the story. Yes Harry wants better treatment for dragons, but he isn't going to become 'Breaker of Chains' and go around freeing everyone.

Mostly because he knows it is not something he can do as a dragon. But also because he is still worried about fudging things up and making it worse not just for dragons but also the humans in the same situation. So he is trying to get them to understand that dragons are not dumb beasts to be exploited and should be given better lives even if humans never see them as 'equals' due to species differences.

Also, a little sneak peek at elsewhere in the world though it will be a bit before anything on that front comes here. I'll tell ya now just to keep any of those 'Hate a Seer Luna' people happy, that no, the child is not Luna, but she is VERY important to the whole Thunder God series and is a canon character of a series that will be visited in Thunder God...and now your minds are gonna go haywire trying to figure it out XD

A lot is happening in the real world right now. I will not go into any of it and tell people who is right and who is wrong, or what must be done or not done. That is not my place, that is not my job. My job is to entertain by way of telling this story to whoever comes here so that is what I will do. But what I will say is that no matter what you are doing, no matter where you are...Please stay safe and take care of yourselves!