Chapter 9
Well, that's a rather inglorious job as a guard. I'm not here as a guard, I'm here so the young dragons can get a look at an average human.
Well, on the other hand, it's kind of flattering that they thought I was a good example for a first introduction. And it's kind of nice for people to at least think I'm interesting, even if it's just because I'm the only example.
Still, it might have been nice if they'd told me up front, rather than saying I'd be a guard. And guard? Guard against what? I don't think any of the dragons in the colony would harbor any intentions of attacking, and even if some of them did, there were loads of other dragons who-
Oh, forget it. A waste of time, thought, and ink.
But this is the thing that bugs me – I don't like being talked down to. Nobody likes being talked down to, as far as I know. But everyone talked down to me – Pernas, the other dragons, the elves, my mother, Lawrence, teachers, peers. It got to me. Try as I might to overcome, it just kept whittling away at me, bit by bit.
It was at dinner about four days into the trip that it got to me. You know, I could swear that we didn't actually eat anything, if not for the fact that I don't particularly remember eating much except at meals (save for the odd orange I stuck in my pocket for guard duty), and that there was actually food there. But that's not important.
No, the important part were the conversations. Most of the time they talked about other things, but this time they started to talk about me. Pernas was speaking mostly on my behalf. By "on my behalf," I mean "interrupting me all the time and making me out to be some idiot."
"Well, I think this has proven to be a good idea." One of the elves said. "Getting young dragons to know what humans are like will help with race relations. That is what the Riders are all about, after all."
"I don't know." Said another elf. "I worry it might give a bad impression."
Tick.
"Don't be silly." Pernas said. "What can Justin do to give a bad impression? I mean, he bathes, right?" he paused, then looked at me. "You do bathe, right?"
"I think he might've missed a spot." said one dragon.
Tock.
"I think he's a fairly amiable, if unremarkable example of what humans are. Not like he's some kind of ape." Said a third elf.
"I'm not to sure about that." Said the second.
"I don't agree with either." Pernas said. "Ape, not ape. The real truth is at neither extreme, but somewhere in between."
That's it.
"Pernas, shut up." I said.
"Hey, I'm just giving my opinions on-"
"Nobody asked for your goddamn opinions!" I snapped. "I sure as hell didn't. And I didn't ask for yours, or yours, or yours." I said.
The elves and their dragons looked at me, surprised at this.
"What? Cat got your tongues? Or you unfamiliar with ape-not-ape-speak?" I said. "Huh?! Listen, let me make a few things clear – no, I'm not an ape. Yes, I do bathe every night and morning. No, I didn't write a thesis on Metaphyisical Implications. Yes, I got in mostly because of my athletic talents. No, I'm not an elf, and I'm not a dragon, but I'm a human being and I don't like being talked about as though I'm some kind of mediocre race horse!"
Dead silence.
"I'm not hungry." I said, storming off.
"You can see I'm really proud of him." Pernas said as I left.
