Misunderstood Hero

• Kira Villiers, Grade 7, Redlands College
• Short Story
• 2013

Excellence Award in the 'Dream Big 2013' competition

Greetings,

My name is Zavoraz. You may have heard of me. They say I'm a killer, evil and dangerous, hungry for blood, and more. Look at me. No, not my feet, look into my eyes. Do I look like a killer to you?
Oh, you're surprised that I'm a girl. You thought vicious, dangerous creatures had to be male, since they're supposedly stronger? Well, let me tell you one thing. Just one teeny weeny little fact: I'm not evil.
Okay, so I may have big sharp teeth that drip blood. I may have huge claws big enough to rip your head off. I may have scales like armoured tanks. Guess what? I didn't choose to be born a dragon. And by the way, that blood is from my dinner. Think of it as tomato sauce.

So you've heard I terrorized a couple of villages and then burned them down. News flash! I was trying to tell the people that the dragon armies were going to battle above them, so they might want to take cover. But the moment I opened my mouth, they screamed and ran for their lives. And I didn't burn down their houses. That was the army.

You heard I tried to kill a maimed member of my kind on the order of a maniac. By the way, that maniac was my king. You ever tried disobeying a king? It doesn't go well. And that dragon was no member of my kind. He was from an enemy tribe, and had tried to spy on us. I would have given him many a scar to remember, if that pesky human hadn't turned up and rescued him! Sorry, inborn violence surfacing. Please don't be scared.

You heard I kept on chasing that dragon for years, trying to end his life? Well . . . That is true. But please excuse me for that. Did you know that his mother killed my father? Whoa there, we're dragons. I was trying to avenge my daddy. Come on, a daughter has a right to defend her father, doesn't she?

And then it turns out that that dragon was working with his clan to try and save our land. I hadn't even realised we were in danger, and definitely had not realised that I had been hindering their efforts.

Now, human, please imagine me as a little cute kitten or something. Just so you can listen to me without all the hate swirling around in you. Lies are spread about me so nobody will listen to me anymore. So just for a while, think about what I told you.

Whenever you pick up a story, and find a 'bad' character, remember me. Think about what it is to be me.

Above everything else, remember that I'm not evil. I'm just a misunderstood hero.