The Revelations of Dragor

By Lynn Taylor

This is a tale that starts 4 years before the destruction of the Comet Empire. How they were enslaving this world whose best natural resource is its people taking them to another world. It is about a single pilot who is shocked for his ship is shot down. All he believed is in question. All he knew was true is changed. Realization hits hard. Also I in my story here have explained why only Prince Zordar has the magnificent eyebrows.

.....The Revelations of Dragor...

...Little urchins...

He woke in pain his head hurt his arms hurt and his leg was stiff and also in pain. first thing he saw was the little boy looking at a book and reading.

"No it says tight so that the leg can't move. Let me do it we want his leg to grow back together right." the boy said putting the book down and lifting Dragor's leg.

What are they doing he thought? "Ok one splint there and one there. Give me the scissors we have to cut his pants away. Like it shows it here." the boy pointed to the picture for the 7 other children to see.

"What are you little urchins up to." Dragor asked startled.

"Lay back you are injured. We are trying to fix your broken leg." The boy said sternly.

The boy in question was near as Dragor could figure 8 or 9 years old. He seemed to be the oldest of all the children he saw.

"Your head was bleeding pretty badly to." The same boy said as if he knew what he was talking about.

Dragor laid back dizzy losing consciousness again. For he had sat up too quickly bringing on the dizzy spell. His head hurt his ribs also. And then now he was told he had a broken leg? How come these children of the ones they came to capture were fixing him up?

When he woke next it was dusk and he felt heavy weights on his legs and chest and couldn't move. It took him a moment to realize that these children were laying on him. The youngest a little girl no older than 5 was asleep on his chest. He lay there shocked.

He had been told all about these people. They didn't care for their children. They let them grow like weeds and the children were supposed to be little monsters. So far they had done nothing bad to him just bandage his wounds. Dragor wondered what to do. He needed to see if he could tell his people he was fine.

He thought of how he got to be in this position. He was one of many young men sent out in single man fighters to show the seriousness of the Comet Empire. He was one who got the honorable job of destroying cities. He was 18 and had been made leader of his Squadron. For he had very good leadership skills as well as he was the best pilot amongst all Prince Zordar's pilots. The first city had been a cinch as well as the next two. But on the fourth he got shot down.

Dragor had not grown his eyebrows out yet for only if you got certain rank could you amongst his people. And only nobles had the full brows like Zordar himself. The eye brows that attached to the sideburns and with a line of hair between the eyes going straight up the middle of his forehead to the hairline was the brow of a man. So, only nobles were allowed to have the full natural brow. Every other male had to shave the middle of their forehead and the side so they didn't attach to the hair line or sideburns. Dragor wondered sometimes what he would look like with them. But now it seemed an insignificant thought for survival on this planet and getting back to his people to prejudice.

He had been surprised when these insignificant future slaves had deemed to shoot them down. His ship had skipped like a stone into a wooded area just outside this city. Dragor remembered crawling out of his ship and stumbling to try to get his people’s attention. But he had gone un-conscious lying in the dirt.

He was of a noble people. Or that is what Prince Zordar hand told them. For Prince Zordar said any citizens of the Comet Empire were all nobles. His family as well as everyone else in the Comet Empire had slave to do menial jobs. For the Comet Empire was a Monarchy with a slave based economy.

In fact, this was why they were here. This planet didn't have sufficient natural resources in minerals, gems, or metals to suit the Comet Empire. Only people in abundance. But just a few planets over in their solar system was one that was very rich in ores, Gems, and Minerals. It was so rich in these resources that it was considered still economical to relocate the slaves for their planet to this new one.

Men and women were taken as well as older children to do hard labor in the mines. Younger were to be taken to be trained for house slaves. He himself had been raised by a domestic slave for a nanny.

It was alright for he had been taught all about these and other slave species. He had been taught they were little more than animals. He had treated them so all his life. He unlike some had not mingled his genes with them. He was waiting till he found a girl after a couple of battles so he could give a few slaves to his in-laws as a token of his ability to care for the girl. He had no idea who she would be but had high hopes because of his success in impressing his commanding officers.

But now he lay here looking at his circumstances. Alone with slave children in a wooded area bandaged up and now a pillow for them. They were helpless little urchins as he could see. The little blue skinned children reminded him of the blue man Desslok that Prince Zordar thought was a good warrior.

These however were not in general a warrior species. So they were deemed a slave species. These people were of Bolar decent put here because they didn't believe in war. They prayed to the god of peace and now for some 2000 years had thrived. No good for wars but good stock for fine slaves. The men had been big and strong and the women pretty and sturdy looking also.

...Through the eyes of the children...

Notorro who was just 8 had seen his entire family taken away. He and others had been hidden in the woods for safety. They had all watched in horror as the ships opened up and all the people that survived were taken away in chains.

He as in all of his people believed in the peace loving creator who would protect them. "Don't worry he will help us. We just have to find a way to survive." he told all those younger then him.

They had found the green man wounded laying as if dead. "We must help him or he will die." Notorro had said to them.

Notorro was not stupid. In fact he had been given the responsibility he had for he was very smart. He was able to learn at a fast rate. Some had called him a genius when he was just 5. So at 8 he was sent out to protect 7 younger than himself.

He had planned on taking his group to other communities to see if any other survived. Till he found the man. One Credo of his people was that good comes to those who do good to others. So they all started to take care of the man. Notorro had gone to the library and found books for survival in the wilderness. And he had raided a store to help them all have food.

He knew this man was one of the captors of his people. But Credo 2 was to not keep bad deeds of people in your mind. To give them the benefit of the doubt.

"Besides…his people had left him to die. And now we are all this man has. He is alone he may need us." Notorro said.

Notorro knew that since this man was older and stronger they would need his help too. It was good for the others to help look after this man also.

The fellow had been in and out of conscious for 3 days now and was finally getting better. He saw Leeta, one of his 5 year old charges, looking at the man’s skin. "He pretty color," Leeta said grinning poking the man’s cheek.

"You think so? I think he is an ok color. You are a nice color!" Notorro said tapping her hand.

Leeta giggled and ran off a little ways watching him. He had went to changing the bandaging on the man’s head next making certain that it didn't fester. When the man was fully conscious he would take them all into the city were they could be safe. He had heard the Pelan {a bear like creature with digging claws and teeth of a carrion eater} stalking around there camp. Pelans were short nosed round headed big beasts that most of the time ate nuts and berries. But had been known to eat carrion. And now that the noise of the city was gone, they seemed to get closer each day.

He knew other predators would be loose to and he had worried over this. He did till the day a Pelan came into the camp. The man who lay watching them saw it charging and from his side he pulled a gun and shot the beast. they had all been very grateful to him for it.

The big guy was now fully aware of his surroundings and just watched them closely. He said nothing only observing the behavior of them

..Dragor and the wild animal..

Dragor had just watched these children and he had listened to them. They seemed normal to him. Just like children of his people. Save these children were taking care of him. Bringing food and making certain his wounds were taken care of. Dragor had not really tried to stand on his leg much. If it had been broken he thought he might re-injure it if that were the case.

The day the big round hairy animal attacked, he had heard it in the night. And the boy called Notorro had not slept. So Dragor figured it was a bad creature dangerous to deal with. When it came charging in Dragor had jumped up and aimed firing at it several times before hitting it. The beast had been huge. Dragor was no little thing himself being very tall and pretty stocky. That was when he found the little girl crying scared out of her wits. Dragor did the only thing he could think of he picked her up and patted her back. "Now don't worry little one. The animal is dead it won't hurt you." Dragor had said.

"Since you are able to walk, we must move into the city and find a dwelling so the beasts won't hurt us." Notorro said.

"Yes that seems to be a very good idea. Do you know of any dwellings that would house our number?" Dragor asked.

"All we have to do is look I am sure there is." Notorro said.

Dragor limped and looked down at his leg. Setting the girl down he started undoing his leg wrappings. "Don't… your leg won't heal right." Notorro said.

"I am not certain it is broke. It isn't swollen," Dragor said examining it closely. Realizing it was a wrong diagnosis he looked at it careful walking around a bit.

The kneecap that had been cut was healed and didn't hurt anymore. And Dragor smiled ruefully. Well I suppose you had to take no chances. He would be as kind as they had been to him. Seeing that the littlest ones were the target of the wild animal he worried about them.

Dragor bent his knee and looked startled as the little girl looked at it smiling. "All better." she said happily.

"Yes, thanks to Notorro here if I remember correctly." Dragor had said.

"Why thank you sir. I did the best I could," Notorro said.

Dragor stood back startled. The boy had manners. Something that he had been told was not the case with the slave species. They were all barbarians with no manners. He further looked when the little girl who had wanted to be picked up came up to him again. Consoling himself with the thought it was just because these lower beings didn't love their children as he had been told. That they were starved for affection.

Dragor followed Notorro and the others in the direction of the city. Dragor found it had been 4 days now since his people had left and 6 days since his accident. The longer it took to get there they would be cold for it was fall. Dragor knew that these children would not survive if it got much colder.

"You walked this every day to get food?" Dragor asked for just now they had got to the outskirts of the city and they had been walking two hours.

"Yes sir Two there and two back. When your people were here, though, I had to sneak around the city so it took longer." Notorro said.

They found a house on the edge of the city and because it was tiring for the littlest ones, Dragor and Notorro decided to go in. It was an intact but very small home. Dragor decided tonight they would stay there till they could find a home big enough for all of them.

Dragor had noticed un-marked mounds and how the children looked sadly at them. "Graves! They allowed the dead to be buried before they stole everyone," Notorro said sadly.

"Of course not! We are not barbarians!" Dragor said harshly.

"Come we must pray for them." Notorro said kneeling.

All the children knelt also and Dragor watched as they asked for the Creator of them all to make this resting place un-disturbed. And that their families be safe were ever they were.

He couldn't believe these little children would even pray… that those who did the capturing be forgiven for they were strangers and didn't know any better. Had not Dragor thought the same way about these people. He too thought of how due to divine right his people could take anyone as a slave.

That night had been a safe one for inside the home the animals were not heard. So they were in desperate need of sleep and they got it. That was till the youngest woke hungry. She had come up to where Dragor had been sleeping and was crying. He looked at Notorro lost.

"I will go to the store and raid the shelves," Notorro said sleepily.

"Not alone. I must go with you. The animals may be roaming this time of morning," Dragor said.

"I will be careful and if you leave she will cry and wake everyone up." Notorro said.

"Why did your families leave you behind to fend for yourselves? It seems heartless," Dragor said picking up the little girl who was sobbing.

Notorro stood looking shocked at Dragor. "You have got to be kidding me. You think they left us behind on purpose? They had us hide to save us from the invaders! For a grown man, you sure are stupid!" Notorro said leaving slamming the door.

Dragor stood staring at the door and was only just aware that Notorro had awakened everyone with its slamming. For his belief that the people let their children grow like weeds and didn't care for them seemed to be wrong. His Prince Zordar made speeches about it and had told them that they would benefit these people by making them slaves.

"We will teach them to take care of their children by our teaching them and caring for them," he had told them.

Dragor looked at the little girl who was still leaning her head on his shoulder sobbing.

When Notorro came back he had in toe three more children a boy of 10 and two girls 8 and 6. He wondered how many more there would be.

"We will have to find the other children if there are more. We must all come together so I can protect you," Dragor said thoughtfully.

Notorro looked harshly at him. "Protect us? Your people did this to us!" Notorro said.

"Are you saying you don't need help? We will need a much bigger place to have sleeping area. Also we must find all we can to help them also. I am not stupid I am aware that my people took off your parents. I am sorry I was told things contrary to what you have told me. So I will protect you because of that alone." Dragor said.

The newest girl came up behind Notorro and looked at him frightened. "You said he was an adult! But he is not one of our adults. He is one of them!" she whispered in his ear.

"He was injured we fixed him up. He since then has killed a Pelan to save us," Notorro said.

"Do all sit and we must eat. Today we must find a bigger place where we can set up sleeping areas." Dragor said.

"What about the school it has a sizable gym. And the doors are too heavy for an animal to open." one boy said.

"A School?" Dragor asked.

"Yes two blocks from here." another boy said.

"We must all go to check it out. If it is good enough we can set up right away." Dragor said.

After the food was polished off by the children. There were 10 children counting Notorro now three of them were 5 years old. Dragor made Notorro and a couple of others carry the five 5 year olds. The walk to the school was an eye opener. For, now…he had seen the reason for the animals to be in the city. Every once in a while he found a body and Dragor decided he would bury them. If he did they wouldn't have a reason to come into the city.

The school had been very suitable. Dragor found the gym perfect for a large group. He thought they should start raiding homes for beds. And whenever they came upon any other children they were told to bring them.

Food however was getting to be scarce and worrisome. For in no time the stores would be empty. He had them bring canned foods to the kitchen and they would store them and eventually open them and eat it cold. For Dragor didn't know how to cook.

The day he met Ersilia he realized just how lacking he was in skills of survival.

...The village girl and the Pelan...

Ersilia had decided to bundle everyone up on her families Oxen cart to take them to the city. She had seen all the adults taken away by the green men. She had seen what they had done to her mother and sister. Her father and brothers had been taken away separately.

She had taken the others to hide from the attackers in the storm shelter below the village square. When they had come out all the people 14 to adult were gone. She had been a baby sitter for this lot of 12 in the park. The ships in the air were something she had never seen before so she had all of them going to the storm shelter.

She had left them in the shelter and went to see what was going on. She had seen them and what they were doing. She decided not to say what she had seen but it had shook her to her very core. It was three days later she came out. Ersilia had gathered up a cart and the Oxen and then one by one she went to the houses of the children. They got all the food they could carry and their clothes.

"Now we are going to the big city and we are going to see if we can find families we can stay with. We must tell them what has happened." Ersilia said to them calmly and sweetly.

She was however trembling with great fear inside. She was able to hide the fact that all had been captured or were dead. If we survived then others must have also. She had thought.

She was only aware of the Pelan stalking them after they had left. And her big fear was they were in the open sided cart. "Hold onto the younger ones you older we need to get going fast as we can." Ersilia said evenly.

Ersilia had never known that Oxen could run that fast. Using her whip she urged them on praying they found a building in which to hide.

Ersilia was glad she had her two brothers with her amongst the children for they were tall and strong for being so young. One was 12 the other 11.

She saw the tall buildings of the city looming just beyond the edge of the forest they were in. The Pelan had gained on them and she was afraid for their lives. That was when she saw him a big tall Green skinned man standing there with a shovel in hand looking up startled.

"Pelan!" She hollered to the children with him.

"Get down!" the green man with dark brown hair said pulling his pistol from his belt. She had seen these things one of his people had killed the oldest man in her village with one.

Ersilia had ducked as the man fired. Her cart was only pulled to a stop when she heard the children cheering. She found the green man near her reaching out for her when the cart stopped.

"It is ok, girl it is dead." he said reassuringly.

Ersilia tried to back away from him when his hand had touched her shoulder. "Don't touch me! Leave me alone!" Ersilia said trembling.

"Sorry! Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you. Notorro we will bury it with the people." the man said startled his lovely blue eyes looking sad.

"What! Burry it. No!" Ersilia said looking startled. She motioned for her brothers to get the butchering knives out for her.

She stood and they handed her the biggest one. "We skin it first boys remember what dad taught us." Ersilia said.

...Dragor's shock...

"What are you doing that for?" Dragor asked as the girl cut the throat to bleed the beast. The girl was a pretty brown haired girl with the most amazing green eyes he thought. But to see her doing this made him very ill.

"It is food…we are going to butcher it. We will share the meat with you. And we would like to find a place for us to stay." Ersilia said.

"You will eat it? They are edible?" The big man said he had pushed back his hair that had fallen into his forehead. This showed his strange unshaved eyebrows. He had not shaved them since his accident and they were grown in now full and natural. She had seen the others and only one had this kind of handsome eyebrow.

"You a city boy, then. Yes it is edible. You can make it into steak and stews Also we can dry it and make jerky." Ersilia said looking at him.

"I am Notorro, This is Dragor he was injured when someone felled his ship. He has been protecting us since then. We are removing the bodies from the city so the Pelan and the other wild animals won't come in and attack us." Notorro said.

"I am Ersilia. I am the butcher’s daughter of the village some 15 miles away." Ersilia said.

"How many children do you have here then, Ersilia?" Dragor said.

She eyed him carefully and then spoke in a trembling voice. "There are 13 of us I am the oldest at 16 everyone else is under 12." She had said.

Dragor watched as the girl skinned the beast and he felt ill. Then they folded the hide putting it in the cart. The butchering was done and Dragor had to go to the bushes getting sick yet again.

He found the girl staring at him harshly. "You are a warrior? You have killed people, and you get sick at that sight? Have you never hunted?" Ersilia said.

"My people didn't hunt; that is left to the servants. Warriors like me never see the bodies usually we only destroy the buildings and let the people take care of their own." Dragor said looking sadly at her.

"Oh that is just about right! Kill people, and not animals for food how useless!" Ersilia said.

"He has been sick all day burying people." Notorro said.

"Now you see the damage you have done!" Ersilia said looking up at Dragor who had come up to her.

"I have; I am sorry," Dragor said.

"Tell them and the Creator! Not me. I saw what your people did to my family. My father and my older sister and mother." Ersilia said again side stepping so his hand couldn't touch her.

Dragor looked at her sadly and then walked back to where they were finishing putting dirt over the dead people. "May your Creator accept these departed ones! And protect the living," Dragor said tamping the dirt down.

He heard her voice this time kinder and softer. "Never prayed before?" She said softly.

"Not to a god of peace. Just to a god of war. Ever since they made me a fighter pilot, when I was just 15." Dragor said.

"How sad," she said picking a wild flower and placing it on the mound.

She went back to the butchering of the beast. When she had finished she wiped her hands off and looked up. "It is done! Now where can I find a place for the children to stay?" she said.

She was directed to follow them to the school. Dragor took the reins of his beast of burden that they had got to pull the cart with bodies on. He looked down feeling so conflicted within himself. This day had been very disturbing to him. He may have been directly responsible for some of these people’s deaths.

When they pulled up in front of the school they saw some of the giant rodents, who were almost mid-calf high. Dragor cringed he knew he would have to kill some of them. He had not heard her come up behind him. "So how many children have you got here?" Ersilia had light steps and her voice startled him.

"Let’s see… 8 found me. Then we had 9 after Notorro found 3 more 12. With your 13 we have 25 children then you and me 27 in all." Dragor said.

"So where do you cook in here. I will make a stew or something for the children." Ersilia said.

"Cook? I suppose Notorro knows were the kitchen is." Dragor said.

"Has he been cooking for you all then?" Ersilia asked.

"No We have been raiding the stores and the bakeries. I don't know how to cook. And Notorro has been opening canned goods." Dragor said.

"What! Oh, for heaven’s sakes!" She exclaimed. When she saw the children she realized that even the girls were very little and wouldn't know much about cooking.

Dragor watched her frown and go off looking. When she found the kitchen she turned the lights on. Ersilia had her brothers bring in the meat and put it in the fully functional freezers. Then she looked at the stores. Dragor watched as she almost looked angry while cutting things up and putting them in a big pot.

"You are angry? Why?" Dragor asked.

"You don't cook, you don't hunt! Do you do anything other than kill people?" Ersilia asked.

"I told you I am a fighter pilot. That is my duty. As for cooking and hunting I told you that is for our servants! Dragor said angrily.

"You’re useless and helpless! Didn't your people teach you how to survive if you got stuck in the wilderness?" Ersilia asked.

"I am a fighter pilot we don't usually get stuck in a wilderness. Like I said we leave the menial jobs to servants." Dragor said.

"You mean slaves! Call it what it is! People like mine do all the work while your people what kill!" Ersilia asked harshly.

"We didn't try to kill anyone. It was a slave capture." Dragor said coldly.

"Right, like I didn't have to burry old man Cooyan, the oldest citizen of my village! Someone of your people killed him with your type of weapon. None of the children saw but I had to dig a hole and bury him! They murdered him. And what about those you buried today?" Ersilia said tapping Dragor in the chest with the cooking spoon she had in her hand.

Dragor looked down sadly. "Like I said I had never seen victims of my ships’ work. I am sorry! I didn't realize!" Dragor said.

Ersilia frowned and then she turned back to her work. He looked at her and started to walk out. "You do realize you are useless except for the killing of the Pelan?" Ersilia said tersely to him.

Dragor left walking to the gymnasium. He looked at Notorro who looked up. "We have found three more beds. How many now will we need?" he asked.

"Ten more. Let’s separate the boys on one side and the girls on the other. Let’s go check out more houses." Dragor said looking down again feeling ill for thinking of the bodies he had buried today and the butchering of the beast.

He and Notorro and two other boys went looking in houses. 10 beds were easy to find it was the bringing them to the school that was the hard part. By the time they had finished they were worn out.

But all had beds and all had blankets. He stood looking at the rows of beds set up and was proud of himself. He had directed it all very well. He had not realized he was ordering them about the way he had done his families’ slaves. It was when Ersilia called everyone to the lunchroom he was made fully aware of it.

She had seated the littlest and started giving them the food first. "Hey, we worked hard.. where is ours?" Dragor said to her harshly.

"If it was not for the children I would leave you to fend for yourself! I am not your slave! They aren't ether! Get a bowl and serve yourself, monster!" Ersilia said she headed out of the lunch room angry and upset.

Dragor followed her quickly catching up with her. "Wait I am sorry! I didn't realize. Look I know I am not going to be able to save these children without help. Please I won't treat you like a slave I am sorry! I need someone who knows how to cook to help me. Give me a chance I will learn!" Dragor said he had reached out and grabbed her hand.

"If you are serious I will help you!" Ersilia said.

"Help me raise these children so they can survive." Dragor said.

"Ok tomorrow we assess what we have what we need. And what we must learn to survive." She said looking up at him.

...The teachers and students...

The teachers were anyone who knew a skill would teach it to others. Like Ersilia found they needed to be taught basic sewing and cooking. All had to learn.

Even Dragor found himself in the kitchen learning how to cook. She did it on shifts and every other day. Most of the cooking was done by Ersilia but still they all had to know at least the basics.

Then they set up class rooms for different life skills. Like trades. Dragor had been shocked to find that this society was based on a sort of barter and trade economy. With some agrarian villages and some hunter-gatherer villages. They would bring their goods into the cities and bartered and traded for the goods that cities offered. Like cloth for clothing. Pans for anything that needed a foundry or Mill.

That even though they had technology they preferred a simple life. No one had a surplus, but no one was in want. It was a subsistence life. No one was starving, and there was no rank. Dragor was shocked by it all but it all made sense.

"You know this is why they thought your people didn't love the children," Dragor said.

"What! Didn't love the children?" Ersilia said looking stern at him.

"Yes you don't have special gifts and your children and your women didn't dress in finer clothes than the others. All are dressed similarly and all oddly content. For to us we shower expensive gifts on our women and children," Dragor said.

"That is silly. Making a class distinction like that. Love is showed in many ways and gifts don't have to be the way. Like when my mother had my brother I made a blanket for him. Bright and pretty of good sturdy quality I think back home he still has it so when he has children his will use it. Reading stories to them and singing with them. Even playing with children lets them know you love them. Do you think my baby brother was aware of the work of love the blanket was?" Ersilia said.

"Like the stories you have been telling the children at night? This is how you show them you care and love them?" Dragor said curiously. What she had just told him shocked him for hadn’t his Slave Nanny not read to him! She had sang to him and kissed his forehead when putting him to bed when he was little?

"Yes… and hug them and kiss their foreheads. It is actually how come Leeta follows you around. Since you comforted her when she was sad; she feels you love her. You are her adopted father,” Ersilia said.

Dragor looked at her startled. He was fond very fond of the little girl. He had a sister her age when he had left to train to be a fighter pilot. He watched Ersilia he was very impressed with her reading stories to the children. But more than that the stories she read all had a theme. One had a theme of loving all of God’s creatures and protecting them. Another had been about the love a mother showed to her child by giving her life to save them. He had thought that only his people felt that strongly toward their children.

Other things that amazed him was that all their homes and buildings had solar power. So they had lights and water. The school had very advanced cooking facilities and refrigeration. It seemed to him every house he had been in so far had. He couldn't reconcile the life style that they had lived with the technology.

He couldn't understand why these people didn't want more. Why not have modern modes of transportation instead of the horses and Oxen they used. He noticed to that everything was ecologically safe. They had little or no pollutants. And trash was all biodegradable. This was a far cry from the Barbarians that his people had described to him.

No crime, No hunger, and little or no sickness if he guessed right. For the first aid book the children had read was all about accidental injuries.

...The library...

Three months into his stay he found the library when hunting the Rodents to rid the city of them.

He found they had books about most all subjects that his people had. Dragor was surprised to see the category called Romance. He decided to get one of these to see if their idea of love and Romance was very different from his peoples. Dragor just couldn't let it go the ideas that his people had taught him. But upon reading the romance story he found that not only did these people love, but the book also showed him that they could be very passionate. This made him think of Ersilia again in a different more interesting light.

To he found books on different occupations. And how to that he thought he and his charges might like to learn. Dragor didn't want Ersilia to think he was still useless .

He had learned to do simple cooking and for this he felt embarrassed. He felt like it was beneath him…especially washing the dishes. And at times he couldn't help it. It was all he had known tell the slaves to do it and they did. He had to admit to himself though that he found some things fascinating. Like when he had learned to track the rodents and beasts. And when the boys showed him how to make and then use a bow and arrow. It was antiquated but so fascinating.

Dragor found that in 6 months they had found all the bodies. Plus they had recovered all food supplies that they could hold in the school’s kitchen. Then to Ersilia was teaching the children different things for them to have a profession. Dragor wondered just how things were going to go if they ran out of flour and other supplies. It was winter now and they were mainly inside all the time. So schooling was more intensive. And singing and dancing and games to keep the children busy.

They now had 76 children. And, schedules had to be made for meals as well as showering. Boys to the boy’s showers and girls to theirs. And some of the older children helped with the younger. And they had to find clothes in the homes for the growing children. Sewing machines were also brought in and set up in one of the class rooms. Even Dragor had gotten taller and he found Ersilia laughing when his pants legs were too short. The one thing that worried him was that the rodents found were they had been putting out the scraps and trash. So Dragor began going out and protecting the boys who took it to the dump site. It was finally decided they would have to burn it so it wouldn't draw the rodents. It too was finally decided that Dragor and the older boys were to help him take the carcasses of the rodents and take them some 10 miles out of the city to an open field. This drew the beasts as well as the rodents away from the city.

The was another thing that disturbed him; and he didn't have any way to fix it. It was Ersilia. No matter what he did, and no matter how hard he tried she trembled with fear when she was too near him. It was great fear and he was being as kind as possible! If he stood too near, her fear made her tremble. And if by accident his hand touched her she would shrink back and leave the room or run off. This saddened him for he had come to like her very much.

He had found that of all the children and people on this planet her opinion of him meant the most. For she was close to his heart. If she couldn't or wouldn't forgive him it hurt. The younger ones had lost all their fear now. He had even taken to reading to them just before bed time. He leaned on the wall and looked at all the beds and smiled sadly. He had never thought it was possible. But he knew what he was feeling for Ersilia. Dragor was unable to tell her for she was too afraid of her.

...Spring and new lessons...

Ersilia woke early and began gathering things up. She was not aware that Dragor was watching her again. Not till he asked. "What is all of this, Ersilia?" he asked curiously.

Ersilia jumped and then looked at him kindly. "I am in need of showing the children how to plant these grains. If we don't we won't have breads. Some of these children must become farmers. So we can get our society back to what it had been beforehand." Ersilia said.

"Is that why you and Notorro and a few of the boys went out early a few days ago with the horses?" Dragor asked.

"Yes we had to till the land. Now this grain we saved must be seeded." Ersilia said.

"You are very smart. You have thought of everything." Dragor said quietly.

She was startled by what happened next. Dragor leaned forward and placed his hand on her cheek. It all happened before she could do anything about it. His mouth touched hers his fingertips slid lightly down her chin and traced her neck. Ersilia couldn't help it she gasp and shrank back. She started to tremble and was afraid. She had seen what his people had done. To the women, she had seen what the man who had taken her sister off screaming had done.

Dragor looked startled then very sad. He bowed his head and was turning away. "We will need protection for we saw three Pelan roaming the area while we tilled." Ersilia had said.

"Why did you go out and not ask before?" Dragor asked.

"Before now they hibernate now it is warming up they will be up and roaming around more. I didn't think of everything I am sure. I wish that were true. I am only doing what I know needs to be done. Anyways I am afraid I being the oldest person of my people I may have forgot some important job." Ersilia said.

"Ok I will gather all the boys who are trained in bow and arrow and I will go with my laser." Dragor said looking at her again so sadly she couldn't take it.

Ersilia didn't know what to do. He frightened her when he came near. But he had never hurt her. He had always been very sweet and kind.

Planting was important and then to Ersilia started teaching them about wild grains and fruits, and berries. Her village had been a hunter gather village so she knew all of the eatable wild foods. To Dragor was showed how to fish and hunt.

Each child that new a skill was to teach everyone else. And so it was that new lessons were being learned. Ersilia watched Dragor learning and how he was really trying to do his very best.

She had noticed to that Dragor had taken to cutting bangs that he combed over his eyebrows so as not to make them as noticeable. He had tried to shave them but when the children had watched him and giggled he let them grow in natural. Ersilia actually like his strange eyebrows, and smiled to herself.

She herself had to sew him clothes of her own design for him for he was so tall and so big that no found clothes would fit him. He was almost 2 foot taller than the tallest young man they had.

...Chosen professions...

Dragor was surprised when after a hard three years, Notorro had chosen to be a baker. He was very good at it. And he was seen looking at the house in the back of the bakery a block from the school.

"You mean you are wanting to move out and live at the bakery?" Dragor asked surprised, for Notorro was 11.

"Not till I am 20 for then we will have expanded and I will be old enough to marry," Notorro said.

"Oh and you have someone in mind all ready?" Dragor asked mirthfully.

"Leeta! She and I have always liked each other. And she is just three years younger. Actually our parents thought it was funny when I met her the first time she said I was her boy." Notorro said.

"Almost an arranged marriage," Dragor said surprised.

"Yes I suppose so. Do your people have arranged marriages?" Notorro asked.

"Sometimes. I didn't have one. For I wanted to build up my reputation before I got a wife. Anyhow I thought you would become a doctor for you were so good at taking care of me." Dragor said. He saw Ersilia who had been walking by just look at them.

"A doctor? Oh you mean the first aid? We all are taught first aid. We don't need one special person to do first aid. We can all save lives when needed," Notorro said grinning at Dragor's clue less look.

He didn't say anything to anyone but he felt bad that no matter what he couldn't keep her from being afraid of him. He hated it. It was no surprise to anyone that he became a hunter. And he had long since lost the sickness he got the first time he had seen them butcher the beast.

He had chosen being a hunter-gatherer because he was good at it. He liked fishing too. He had another profession too, which was protector and he was training Ersilia's brothers also. He had fears that soon his people would come back and if they did he thought he would have to fight them.

He knew that Ersilia disliked this and has scolded her brothers for even thinking of it. For now, though, the protecting was keeping the rodents and Pelan away from the children.

One profession he also had was daddy. He had not expected it but he felt fatherly to them. Even Notorro was like a son to him. He didn't feel odd about it ether. It had come upon him very naturally.

It was becoming apparent which children had skills in each job needed to survive. They had farmers, hunters, and cloth makers. There were boys reading and learning how to do some metal work. Each lesson of each profession was started with reading then going to the different shops to implement the knowledge.

He was surprised that after just 4 years of him being here even he had learned how to do many things. He still hated his own cooking. He found that others to disliked his cooking but for the benefit of the community all took turns. As the children got older they spent more time in the kitchen.

So all had learned how to cook and no one would starve because of ignorance.

...Men from the other cities...

Ersilia was in the wheat field with a cycle harvesting it when the wagons pulled by horses came down the old road. She had looked up startled when five people jumped down laughing.

"People! Look there are people here also." one fellow said.

"Hello,where do you hail from?" Ersilia asked.

They had been from the next city over. "I am Xem…I am a potter. I and 5 others survived the attack. We thought we were all that had survived!" Xem said.

"We are 90 now with the children coming from the villages around and in this city," Ersilia said.

"So how old are you? I am 20 and the only girl we have is my sister who is just now 15." Xem said.

"I just turned 20 I am the oldest of our people in this area. These here all had been under 12 years here." Ersilia said.

She pointed to those working around the field. "Wow what a lot of children!" Xem said.

"Yeah and I am mama to all of them." Ersilia giggled.

"You would make a great mama. I think you would make me a pretty mate." Xem said looking at her again smiling fiendishly.

"Don't do that." Ersilia said taking her hand away from where the man had taken it.

"Come on pretty! Don't be that way! We are the same age. We can be the first to start having children." Xem said taking her arms looking as if he would kiss her.

"Don't!" Ersilia yelled yanking away. Before she could do anything else she saw a big green hand take the head of Xem.

"She said don't! She is not in the custom of letting men like you man-handle her." Dragor said.

"You are one of them! So you have this group as yours?" Xem said looking hatefully at Dragor and Ersilia.

"We are all people of this community. They are not mine. I am the protector of them. We are more than willing to let you come and stay. But you must behave!" Dragor said.

He looked at Ersilia who was frightened and trembling and he looked at her sadly. "Are you ok? Do go sit down…we will harvest." Dragor said.

That day Dragor watched the 5 new comers helping do the harvest. He had made them for they had upset her. He was so down for he had seen how Ersilia reacted. Would she never forgive him for his part in the attack on her people?

When they had thrashed the wheat and then took it to the city and stored it Dragor saw Notorro watching him.

"You like her so much why don't you tell her?" Notorro asked.

"I can't she has not forgiven me yet for my part in the attack on your planet. She is afraid of me and no matter what I do she trembles with fear." Dragor said.

"You think she hasn't forgiven you? You are mistaken. Remember our god is a loving god. One of the Credos we live by given to us by him. To forgive others the bad they do. Give them the benefit of the doubt. You need to go to her and ask her how she now feels." Notorro said.

It took Dragor a few hours to go find her. For he was afraid of how she would react. He had to think of what he would say to her. He found her going into the School’s kitchen carrying some freshly milled wheat. He waited till she sat it on the counter when he approached her.

"Ersilia, may I speak with you please?" Dragor asked.

"Certainly!" Ersilia said pulling a bowl from the cabinet.

"Ersilia I want to ask you for forgiveness for my part in the attacks on your people. I found I can handle it if all others wouldn't forgive me but. In my heart deep inside I can't stand it if you don't. What can I do to make you trust me?" Dragor asked sadly.

Ersilia had stopped doing what she was and looked at him startled. "Dragor! Didn't you know? I forgave you the day you asked me to help you protect and raise the children. I liked you from that day on with no reserve." Ersilia said walking up to him smiling kindly.

"You have? You do? Oh thank you so much." Dragor said he had fell to his knees and through his arms around her waist and hugged her.

He felt her start to tremble and he was going to let go till she put her arms around his neck pulling him to her chest. "Oh my poor Dragor, I liked you from that day forward. You need not have worried so much." Ersilia said.

"But you tremble when I am near? And when I tried to touch you! You are afraid of me." Dragor said tears had escaped his eyes.

"Oh, my! It is my fault. When you first met me, I had seen all that happened to my village. I saw what your men had done to them especially the women. I know you are not like them. But I still get afraid. I am sorry!" Ersilia said trying to keep her voice even.

She looked down into his eyes and he looked up at her tenderly. "Is this why you grew bangs to cover your magnificent eyebrows? You thought it made you look like them? Don't hide them those men shaved theirs. I like yours so much." Ersilia said she had smoothed his bangs back to uncover them.

Then to Dragor's delight she kissed him on the mouth so very tenderly. He kissed her back as he stood lifting her off the floor holding her tightly.

Dragor helped her make the supper that night. And just before they ate Dragor announced that he had become the husband of Ersilia. All their children cheered. They had singing and dancing and the story that she told that night was a love story. A happily ever after tale….

Dragor held her tightly after the last child went to sleep. He felt her tremble in his arms and he hugged her tightly. "I will take this slowly so you will eventually never tremble when I hold you." Dragor said. He soon realized that this first night had been the last one she ever trembled with fear on. After this it was a tremble of joy and anticipation from this day on.

They took his bed and put it on the stage where they could pull the giant curtains to hide it…for they had been sleeping Dragor on the boys side of the gym and Ersilia on the girls side.

After this he reflected what had passed these last four years. What had been and what had changed. As he held his sleeping wife he realized he had relearned everything.

These people were just as much a thinking people as his. In fact he learned they were smarter than his people. The first lie that they were stupid barbarians proved wrong. The second lie was that they didn't love their children and only had them to carry on the species. He had seen the love Ersilia showed for children that weren't her own prove this a lie also. The third, that the children were little monsters and not to be trusted had been laid bare. For, had these children not taken care of him he would have died. Fourth, was that their life style that was so different was a barbaric way of life. That it was better for them to be slaves than to live this way. Dragor smiled to himself. Here no one was a slave. All worked for the community. They made things or grew things or hunted food and bartered and traded for what they needed. No one was poor no one was starving and no one felt deprived. Dragor himself felt very good about his life now. He knew more than he ever had before.

He had been told all those lies just to make him and the others feel justified in taking slaves, and in destroying planets for profit and slaves.

The next day Ersilia and Dragor officially adopted the children they had with them. The five new comers joined the community. And Dragor went off to the other villages and cities to find more survivors.

It had taken him three months to bring everyone. Since their city already had the start on restarting there social system they brought them back.

The city had now 350 people most of them are still under 14 years of age. Dragor is treated like a member of their species.

They will marry and take up residence in a home in the city when they turn 20. All are to marry and have as many children as they want. For they will spread out from this city that they call Dragonia.

It was while they were working hunting nuts that Dragor found his demolished ship. In the front on the nose of the thing he found a rock lodged tightly in it. He was startled that it was a rock. A further shock was his when a boy who was helping came up.

The boy who was now 14 years old looked down, embarrassed. "I am sorry sir, it was my fault." he said sadly.

"Your fault! What do you mean?" Dragor said examining the rock.

"I saw you attacking our village and I used my rock launcher field clearer and fired the biggest rock I could manage at you," the boy said looking down ashamed.

"Rock launcher field clearer? Wasn't it a weapon?" Dragor asked surprised.

"Weapon? No sir god forbid. I was wrong for using it as one to think I could have killed you!" the boy said.

"That was how you cleared your field?" Dragor laughed trying to hide his smile.

The boy looked startled and miffed. "I know! I know! My dad thought it was a dumb idea, too. I was just tired of carrying rocks from the field." the boy frowned.

"It is ok. I wouldn't have been able to help you had you not done so. You changed my life in a very good way son," Dragor said kindly patting the boy on the head. He was surprised to hear the radio was working. He listened to it shocked. For what he heard startled him. His hopes of eventually going and getting or seeing the families of these people to bring them home was now shattered. It was because he heard that the Comet Empire was destroyed and they had lost all of their ships save just a handful. The people living on the Comet ship were all killed. He looked up in the night sky and saw the planet that Ersilia's people had been taken to. He was sitting there sadly when Ersilia came up. "What is wrong, husband?" Ersilia asked.

"I had prayed I would be able to go get or somehow bring your people home. But my people are all dead save a very few. They died trying to take over another planet." Dragor said.

"It is alright our god of peace will help them have peaceful lives. I hope too, with the survivors of your people they will find peace also. They can see us from where they are also right. I know they will be praying for our peace, too." Ersilia said.

"He gave me peace. He gave me you," Dragor said smiling to himself for the god of war had only brought him grief and sadness. But the god of peace saved him not just by dropping him here. But letting them save him and letting him learn peace and truly loving ways.

Ersilia had laughed when He told her about the field clearing rock launcher that had knocked his ship out of the air. "I knew there had to be some explanation! We don't have weapons." Ersilia said smiling.

"I think that is why I was so startled myself when I was hit. I am ever so grateful to that boy." Dragor said hugging her looking at the stars.

Dragor is soon to realize even more joy for his wife will bear him a little blue green baby boy with his daddy's eyebrows. The way of war was not going to be his way of life, either.

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