Page 66 of Escaping my Dragon

“Are you saying you feed on people?” I asked even as I prayed the live feed was making it to Giles. No way of knowing.

“People. Animals. Fish. Grass. Bushes. Anything with life in it. Except for trees. They get caught between my teeth.”

“A dragon your size must eat a lot. What does that mean for those of us living on Earth?”

“Most of you will feed me, but being a benevolent god, I will preserve an adequate number to ensure a plentiful supply is ready when I wake from my next nap.”

“I think I speak for many when I say we’d rather you not do that.”

“I must eat and humans are the most copious meat source.”

“We will fight.” I couldn’t help but threaten. Leviathan’s nonchalance struck a nerve.

“Is this the part where you embark on a heroic speech explaining how you will stop me? How you’ll send jet planes to sting me with their tiny bullets. Submarines to fire their missiles. Perhaps one of your nuclear capable countries will press that button you’re all so fond of talking about and really make things interesting.”

“You don’t think we can harm you.” Stated, not asked.

“Gods are immortal.”

“If you’re a god, do something miraculous.”

“I am not a pet to do tricks,” he growled, the rumble vibrating the ground and shaking the building we stood on. I dropped into a semi crouch trying to keep my balance.

Vernon hit the roof on his ass and slid right off⁠—

—onto the mattress Noah had readied outside. He’d dragged out several and lined them up for landing. Smart. I almost started laughing, but worried if I did, I wouldn’t stop.

I stood slowly and took a deep breath. I still held the microphone and Vernon gave me the thumbs up. Still recording.

“Surely, you’d be willing to discuss your plans. Perhaps come to an arrangement with humanity. We have ranches around the world. We could try to increase production of livestock. Increase our farming yields. Before we resort to violence, surely there’s a compromise we can reach?”

“I tried that before with the Incas. Almost worked, too, until the drought followed by disease that wiped out herds and crops. It left me with no choice but to eat them.”

“Is that what you do? Kill those who don’t cater to you?”

“How many times do I have to say, I need to eat? You know, previous civilizations initially offer up their undesirables, ridding themselves of the unworthy. I might suggest you do that as it will ensure only the strongest and most capable partake in the rebuilding later on.”

“We are not sacrificing people,” I huffed.

“If you don’t want to choose, you could use a lottery system. Imagine the excitement when the names are drawn.”

“Are you being intentionally psychotic?” I couldn’t believe anyone, even a dragon, would speak so callously aloud of murder.

“What would you suggest then?”

“Isn’t there another planet you could move to? I mean, you’re technically not from Earth. You told me yourself, you’re an alien.” I looked away from Leviathan to face the camera as I added, “He came here in an asteroid that started the ice age that wiped out the dinosaurs.” A claim that I belatedly realized relied on him having told me the truth. Then again, why lie? Could he even lie? Leviathan tended to be annoying blunt when he spoke.

“Leave?” It took a second to realize the rumbling of the building had his laughter to blame. “Why would I leave for somewhere barren and dead of life?”

“Because killing billions is wrong.”

“Why would a god care what its next meal thinks?”

Ouch. I didn’t manage to keep the wince off my face.

“I am what I am,” Leviathan stated. “I will not harm myself to preserve your short lives. Before my next awakening, you’ll likely have forgotten all about me again, unless I manage to surround myself with better drones.”

“To clarify for the audience, when you say drones, you don’t mean machines.”