Tonight’s prompt came courtesy of Irene:

“Hatchlings, listen! I’ve seen it a hundred times in a hundred worlds. Wherever men and dragons coexist, our kind eventually fades. Don’t underestimate them.”

The prompt was for us to continue this story. So:

“You let them get some alcohol in them, and the next thing you know, they’re all ‘Smaug versus St. George,’ and in no time the business district is leveled. But even when they’re not fighting one another, they’re pretty ornery on their own. There’s a reason there’s no such thing as a dragon village. And men — well, when they’re drunk, it’s knives, and when they’re sober, it’s lawyers. Either way, they’re always at each other’s throats. It’s what they do. And the few times men and dragons cooperate, there’s usually a throne made of car parts involved.

Look, I don’t pretend to understand either of them. Why is it the men’s dogs are house-broken, but not their dragons? And why is it dragons can shape-shift into the form of a beautiful human woman, but they still have brimstone breath?

My fellow Hatchlings: Here is what I know. When humans or dragons move into your neighborhood, your home insurance rates go straight through the roof. And don’t get me started about when some idiot dragon decides to perch on your rooftop — blocking the solar panels at peak sunlight hours. It’s almost as frustrating when some idiot human decides to lean on your fence and enlighten you about his deep-state conspiracy theories while you’re trying to do yardwork.

So, seriously, folks: An elf we can put up with, desite their annoying music. But dragons and humans, especially if they’re in league, well, that never ends well for anyone. If you see one of them in your neighborhood, pick up the phone and call your real estate agent immediately.”