A FIENDISH ROAR

You wake up one morning and find yourself back in the Stone Age. You soon feel as hungry as the wolves that lurk nearby. To make matters worse, you discover that you have a dragon as a neighbour. How do you think you will cope?This is a story about the dilemma between appeasement and conflict. A small group of our ancient ancestors chooses to live quietly alongside the local dragon called Morgana. As a nearby village expands, their hunters stray onto the dragon's territory. To counter this threat, she starts to kill people to protect her food supply.Both communities are now at loggerheads. The small settlement on the cliffs seeks to remain at peace with the dragon. The larger group inland wants to kill the beast.When an ingenious plan to slay the dragon fails, hostilities quickly escalate. As the death toll mounts, there are difficult decisions to be made. Do they move home to avoid further retaliation from the dragon? Do they stay put and seek to survive alongside her? Do they go on the offensive with a second attempt to kill their nemesis?There follows a three-way battle of wits. The dragon is a key character in this tale. Her actions and drives are explored as she seeks to defend herself against irksome humans. Does she seek revenge for the attacks upon her or is her response solely borne of instinct? Does she distinguish between the relative threats posed by the two communities? Are her decisions driven by her feelings towards any of the main characters?Ultimately, all the dragon wants is a peaceful existence and a sufficient supply of prey.