[Anninja]: 428.Just Another Fire

Sniffing the scent of burning wood, the creature couldn't have been more pleased. Another job done- another human village burned down. But this time the youth had proved their worthiness. K-120 looked at how the two-legged monsters ran out of the burning forest in a miserable panic, with a disdainful smirk. Glimpsing him- their self-made creature- some started screaming and ran off in a straight angle to the next village. Sometimes it looked like the same village of men were moving one town ahead in every time of burning- they acted so much alike. But that, of course, would be a miracle, thought K-120, setting the panicking monsters on fire.
L-17 ran to him and pulled him out of his thoughts. “Dad, tell me again why are we doing this!”
-”I think I've told you already!”
-”I want to hear it again, you're good at it.”
-”Okay,” K-120 smiled a proud smile, “That we are doing because they tortured us. Men were experimenting on us, trying to make their race stronger. They added to man alligator scales and planted cells that improve the burning process in their throat. Then those monsters started doing experiments on those new-made creatures, us. We didn't like it. When such creatures were around one hundred, I, K-120, thought of a fleeing strategy. We have gotten to the point called “a total destruction of all possible enemies”. That's why we shouldn't stop the burning, remember- they are all our mortal enemies!”
K-120 straightened himself, satisfied. He was well-known for his storytelling skills. “Great, dad!” L-17 praised him. K-120 lingered in adoration for his storytelling skills for a moment, then called B-1 to him. “I rely the burning of the next village on B-1 to B-40. You will lead. Now get all of them and start going ahead of us.” B-1 bowed and ran off to do what he was told to. L-17 hurried away to do some brain exercises before they set off again.
A few moments later a group consisting of 40 dragons moved ahead, leaving the rest to congratulate youth and eat in village ruins.

A-85 sat at the campfire, thoughtful. K-120 was giving orders again, soon another human village will get burnt... She didn't agree with everyone. Not all men are the same. They wouldn't wish the dragons dead if they hadn't started burning those villages. While still in the laboratory, she had heard at night sometimes the scientists arguing- some agreed that dragons should be investigated for the good of mankind, others pointed out that they were all living men, just a little “genetically modified”. The mother of A-85 was among the “others”. The girl hadn't seen her, but had started to make out her voice from the crowd as the years went. The other dragons didn't believe her- they hadn't heard those quarrels or were pretending they hadn't, as A-85 sometimes thought they did. When K-120 called all dragons to the rebellion, she couldn't argue. The only thing she would have done would be die young. But now she should be able to make it. The dragons must not kill all humankind, destroying feelings along with them. Part of the men must be hidden. Now is the right time for it- everyone's mind is occupied with the youth, the crowd that was a hundred before, now had grown almost twice in size. They won't notice one disappearing. No one anyways would think of running away. Except for her.
A-85 was sitting at the campfire still, now in the crowd around map. C-12 showed where the bunch of destroyers is going to go next. Straight ahead, through a forest, then twice bending right and going in the opposite direction, along a path some twenty miles afar from this one.
A couple of hours later the group continued walking. A-85 looked with ice-cold eyes as the running people were burned with a sadistic laugh, though in her heart, as always, she felt grief for them. She felt a huge need to cry. But that would kill her. The girl moved back, slowly and unnoticed, until she was last. She looked right- some twenty miles in that direction a family will owe their lives to her...
By the next bundle of trees, she was gone.