The Third Councilmember

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After decades and centuries of much in-fighting, bickering, squabbling, and other general snippery, the Council for the Betterment of Dragons was created to help dragons come together and make their world a nicer place to live. It was decided that the Council would be comprised of three very important positions.

The Seer of the Past, whose totem icon was a dry old scroll, was charged with the job of making sure the dragons did not forget what had occurred in years gone by.

The Scryer of the Future, whose totem icon was a beaten copper telescope, was delegated to the job of encouraging the dragons to think ahead.

And then there was the third position.

Unfortunately for the Council for the Betterment of Dragons, the totem icon chosen for the Viewer of the Present was a beautiful shiny mirror. The mirror was meant to signify what was happening right now, and it was supposed to encourage the dragons of the present to take a look at themselves and understand that the present was where the past and the future co-mingled; where the choices of today would make or break the paths ahead. It was the most important position of all.

Of course, dragons, being a particularly vain strain of fantastic creature, also had a love for all things beautiful and shiny. So while the dry old scroll of the Seer and the beaten copper telescope of the Scryer offered no issues for the Council, the mirror of the Viewer presented problems.

Dragons from all around would come to speak their minds with the Council, raising hopes, dreams, worries, and grumblings... and become distracted as they would see the Viewer of the Present gazing at himself lovingly in the mirror instead of listening intently. Growling matches would occur as different dragons would feel they were being made a joke of or their problems belittled by the most important part of the Council. More than one firefight broke out in the chambers over the first months of the Council sessions.

The Council excused themselves and closed the doors for a while to discuss why their efforts were unsuccessful. During these introspective discussions, the Seer and the Scryer noted that the attention being paid by the third member of their party was, perhaps, a bit lacking. And possibly filled with more drool than was entirely necessary.

So the Seer and the Scryer booted the Viewer from his position, wiped his tongue-marks off of the mirror, and held an open call for a new Viewer of the Present.

Dragons came from far and wide for a chance to sit on the Council. However, dragons in the dozens were turned away by the Seer and the Scryer. Now that they knew what to look for, they were able to spot problematic vanity and greed immediately, and as soon as any potential Viewer's eye began to gleam and his attention started being pulled into the mirror, he would be thanked and then – sometimes quite forcefully – shown the door. Even the Seer and the Scryer admitted to each other that they too would be sorely tempted with such a beautiful treasure in front of them. It would take a very special dragon indeed to properly fill the position of Viewer.

The Seer and the Scryer were very near to tearing their scales out with frustration when they noticed motion around the totem icons; it was Stesslis, a young dragon whom the Council had hired on to keep the Council chambers clean and tidy between sessions. After all, it didn't present a very good face to the troubled dragons of the world if, seeking a solution to their issues, they were to enter a room filled with scorch-marks and molten torch-holders. So Stesslis would amble in, quickly scrub down some of the walls and floor, replace burned items, tastefully arrange the totem items, and quietly leave again. Stesslis was not much to look at; he was on the small side, with feet and paws and ears that appeared too large, wings that appeared too small, and a scale color that just didn't stand out much in the world of golden, silver, and fire-red colored dragons.

The Seer and the Scryer watched Stesslis as he tidied the totem icon area. He set the dry old scroll at a fetching angle, pointed the beaten copper telescope so it caught the light just so, wiped the beautiful shiny mirror free of the last interviewee's drool, and was heading back out as the Seer and the Scryer exchanged a glance.

“Stesslis, would you spare us a moment?” the Seer said.

The young dragon stopped, his big ears drooping back, perhaps a bit worried that he had done something wrong. “Yes, your Wisdoms?” he said, lowering his head. “What can humble Stesslis do for you?”

“We noticed you cleaning the mirror,” the Scryer said. “Did you... not wish to... hold it? To gaze into it?”

Confused, the small dragon shook his head. “I have never been one for mirrors. Unfortunately, I was hatched small and drab, with these big ears, and I admit I don't like to be reminded of the way I look.”

“Yes, but the mirror is shiny, and beautiful,” the Seer said. “Surely, as a dragon, you wish to keep it for yourself? To add it to your treasure hoard?”

Stesslis shook his head sadly, his large ears flapping a bit. “Treasure? I would rather have respect, but with the way I look? It will not happen in this lifetime, or at least as long as dragons treasure beauty over all else.”

The Seer and the Scryer exchanged another meaningful look, and they immediately offered the position of Viewer of the Present to this unassuming young dragon. As self-abasing as he was, it took Stesslis a moment to understand that the Seer and the Scryer were not merely poking fun at him. After a moment, he nearly tripped over his own large feet to accept the position.

And the Council for the Betterment of Dragons truly became that – with a Viewer of the Present who was not very impressive to look at, but who could always keep a wise and level head even in the most heated of discussions – which, as it turned out, generally involved treasure in some manner or another.

The Seer and the Scryer did, however, still occasionally check the mirror for possible tongue prints, just to be on the safe side.