Sebastian leaned against the rock wall of the cave and stared across the river at the smoldering ruins of Kansas City. It was all his now. He ruled as far as he could fly in a single day, all of the former United States and parts of Mexico and Canada. The humans would take some convincing of course, but without power they wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight for long against their dragon masters.
"It's done, Sir." The broad-shouldered redhead stood ill at ease in his human form. He was large as a dragon, and similarly large as a human, but while Jeremy was full of free spirited grace when he stretched his wings, his strongest features as a human were his sheer bulk and his sarcasm.
"It was the right thing to do, wasn't it?" Sebastian asked. The sirens echoed back to him from across the river. He couldn't see the details of the destruction his flight had inflicted on the people from this distance, but the dark clouds from the fires they had set billowed and blew with the wind bringing the smell of ash into his lair. For now the humans would be able to put out the fires and communicate using the gas in their vehicles and the batteries and generators they already had. When those ran out, when word spread that the dragons had taken their plan of attack straight from the US Federal Government's own disaster analysis, that's when they'd start to panic. When they realized the world had changed and they no longer ruled it, that's when the true chaos would begin.
"The deal was made a thousand years ago, Sir. Just because the humans forgot it doesn't mean they aren't obligated to uphold it. Our time of sleep is over. It's our turn to rule."
"Our turn?" Sebastian questioned.
"Your turn," Jeremy said. His history with Sebastian was deep, rich, and full of displays of temper from his beloved but deadly friend. "If you hadn't claimed your throne, someone else would. Reports are already back from Europe and South America. Those lands have already been claimed. The others won't be far behind. It's the age of dragons."
"And what of the humans?" Sebastian asked.
"Do you mean all the humans," he asked gently, "Or do you mean Charlotte?"
Sebastian shot a glare at his oldest friend. No one else would have dared mention their king's weak point.
"You could keep her as a pet," Jeremy suggested.
"I have enough dragon maidens willing to take my orders. I don't need a human begging underfoot and waiting to be crushed." Not that she'd take my orders anyway, he thought.
Jeremy paused, pretending to think, before suggesting, "She only knows you in human form. You could 'check up on how your subjects are fairing'. If the first subject you check happens to be one who stiffens your wings, that's just a king's prerogative."
Sebastian scanned his oldest friend from head to toe, checking for hints of disloyalty in Jeremy's slouched posture and fiddling hands. The next few days wouldn't just bring challenges from the humans. Other dragons would try to rise to the top, try to take his empire. Charisma and brute force had made him their leader. Weakness would undo him. The girl was a weakness.
"You think spending most of my first day as king flying to Wisconsin and back is a good idea? I should abandon my throne before my ass has even finished warming it?"
"No," Jeremy said with a laugh. "That's a terrible idea. That's why I had her brought here."
Author's note: This is well outside of what I usually write. I am not currently planning to add more to this story.