The Dragons of Wingatui

Long before the roads were laid and the farms fenced, a species of dragons roamed freely across the mighty Taieri Plains alongside the local Taniwha.

They were creatures of the open skies and wide wetlands, hunting the small native fish, frogs and small creatures in the warm season, returning to the rocky hills when the weather turned.

But the world changed…..

The plains became farmland, roads appeared, houses, sheds, streetlights crept further into their territory.

They adapted.

These days a small population lives quietly on the fringes of civilization, beneath bridges, behind sheds, in small corners where people have forgotten how to see. Years of living near humans has rubbed off on them.

They’ve acquired names, personalities and habits more akin to a domesticated pet cat. Some are watchful, some are troublesome and some are surprisingly friendly, particularly to the very young who still know how to see.

They still remember the old days though.

If you happen to see one lurking at the edge of the road at twilight, you might notice it watching the sky.

Perhaps remembering when the whole Taieri belonged to them.