Fire-breathing warriors of the mist.

Vast ancient guardians of the deep ethereal regions of time and dimension.

Fierce protectors of the hearts of Man.

Long have they been our companions,

Long have they fought beside our heroes and brave hearts,

Long have they defended the fortresses of honour and justice.

Long have they stood as silent and unmoving as the mountain ranges of the world, letting no evil pass through their defenses.

How safe have we been kept from the incessant assaults on our senses.

How little we know of them.

How scant is the notice we give them.

How many more nights must we sleep unaware of the keepers of our dreams?

How frail we are.

How given are we to thoughtless pastimes and children’s games.

How minuscule our greatest achievements in the infinite scale of the Universe.

And yet, somehow we are treasured.

Somehow, somewhere, some one cherishes the tiny specks that we are with our feeble efforts at construction and creation.

Some force out there, must believe that our each breath carries some grain or spark of value.

It must be so, otherwise, why send such powerful, magnificent creatures to keep us protected from the ravages of the pounding tidal waves of chaos that surround us.

The way is open for us, if we only find the hidden path amidst the debris of our stories and fairy tales.

If we only care to search beneath the faded lettering and inscriptions on the tattered books lying forgotten in the attics.

If we only take a moment to whisper their half-remembered names into the dancing flames of our hearth fires.

Maybe then we might catch a glimpse of them.

Perhaps a sudden rush of heated air on our face,

Perhaps a flicker of fire on the distant horizon,

Perhaps the faint, eery cry of some unheard of  bird of prey.

All these could be clues for us.

Stand guard and alert, and keep yourself tuned to the forces of the invisible.

There lies the way to discovery, reconnection and renewal of the bonds between the warriors of old and the forgers of the future.

Let us reach out now to these great hearts and make them more welcome in our midst.

For they have kept us safe, and, unbeknown to all but a few, kept the fire of life-force burning in our breasts when all hope had long been abandoned.