Gold Dragon (Heritage of Power #5)(11)

“We are bronze dragons and scientists among our kind. We enjoyed studying our world of Serankil before we left, and we enjoyed studying the great volcanoes of the new world we entered through the Portal of Avintnaresi, and now we are studying here again. We are researching the populations of dragons, humans, and various herbivores—our preferred dietary staple—on the continents here.”

Is it me, Azarwrath said, or is it not clear from the way he created that list that humans aren’t part of the preferred diet?

Don’t worry, Azzy, Jaxi said. Nobody likes to eat swords. Especially grumpy ones.

“We estimate there are four hundred to five hundred dragons that have returned.” Wyleenesh looked at Angulus.

The king nodded and looked at Trip. “That’s what we’ve heard.”

“Didn’t we kill some of them?” Zirkander grumbled.

“Not enough to put a dent in the estimate,” Sardelle said.

“Indeed,” Wyleenesh said. “And there have been a few new births already. Very encouraging for our kind.”

Nobody at the table looked encouraged.

“But there is a problem.” Wyleenesh removed his spectacles and used his shirt to wipe them. He frowned at a resistant piece of gunk on one lens. Trip felt a tiny bit of power being called upon, and a flame appeared on the glass, burning off the gunk. The dragon wiped the lens again, then replaced the spectacles on his nose. “The human population has increased drastically since we lived in this world last.”

“Drastically,” his colleague agreed, his goggles rattling as he nodded.

“There are fewer wild lands where dragons can hunt, especially on this continent and on the large one across the ocean.”

“Cofahre,” Angulus said.

“I suspect this is part of your problem, human king. We dragons see animals grazing on open land, and we are hungry, so we pluck them up and consume them. They seem little different to us than wild prey, except that they’re usually easy to grasp because they’re in the open. It’s quite pesky to fly around trees in jungles and forests to find sufficiently sized prey to consume.”

Trip looked at Rysha, wondering if she knew where this meeting was going. Were the dragons only here to justify why they were eating people’s sheep?

“Are you saying,” Zirkander said, “that our farmers’ sheep are too enticing a target to resist?”

“Indeed. They are delicious. And, as I stated, easier to acquire than wild animals. But dragons do not mind a challenge. If there were more wild animals, we would happily chase them and enjoy the glory of the hunt before sinking our teeth into fresh flesh.”

Ew, Jaxi said into Trip’s mind.

Azarwrath did not comment, though he was perhaps thinking that dragons were unlikely to employ sommeliers at their dinner gatherings.

“This is what is happening on Yveranoar, your jungle continent.”

“Dakrovia?” Angulus asked.

“I believe this is what you call it, yes. Human settlements are much smaller, with less land cleared for your farms and livestock. There is a great deal of wild hunting land, and many dragons have gravitated there.”

“Lucky Dakrovians,” Zirkander said.

“But many dragons in one area leads to many battles for territory. The most powerful dragons claim what they wish and are able to defend it. The less powerful are either killed or, more often, driven off to squabble over inferior hunting grounds.” He gestured toward one of the glass walls of the solarium. Indicating Iskandia as a whole? “As you may be aware, more and more dragons have been coming to your land. Many are indifferent to your presence on it and simply wish to hunt. Others believe humans are evil, that they’re the reason there are fewer prime hunting grounds now—which is undoubtedly true to some extent—and will attack without provocation, simply because they are irritated with the situation.”

“Is there anything you can suggest we do?” Angulus asked.

“I have a possible solution,” Bhajera Liv said, stepping forward.

“It will not work for them,” Wyleenesh told him.

“It is a possibility they may wish to consider, nonetheless.”

“I highly doubt it.”

Phelistoth, who had found a seat on one side of the table and gripped what appeared to be a steaming mug of coffee, sighed noisily and muttered, “Bronzes.”

The two speakers ignored him.

“My suggestion,” Bhajera Liv said, holding a hand up with curled fingers toward his colleague, “is for you humans to get rid of your farmlands and plant trees all over the continent, so it will return to wilderness such as it once was, and thus improve the habitat for dragons.”

Rysha snorted softly.

I don’t think the king is going to go for that, Trip told her silently.

Not when seventy percent of the nation’s food comes from farmlands, no.

“That would not improve the habitat for humans,” Angulus said. “We need the farmlands to feed our people.”

“Yes,” Bhajera Liv said, “but if there were fewer farmlands, your species would have less food and perhaps be less fecund. In future generations, there would be fewer humans in the country, thus creating more balance in the world.”

“Balance,” Angulus said darkly.

“I told you they would not be amenable,” Wyleenesh said, elbowing Bhajera Liv aside. “My colleague is overly blunt, but he is correct that right now, the population of dragons and humans is not in balance. We estimate there are one billion humans worldwide.”