We teach them for a short time while they are not yet hatched, and leave them a territory to explore and grow in. If they are strong and clever they thrive. If they are not sufficiently worthy, they die. Some Draak will give further advice or save their hatchlings from dangers that could not possibly have been avoided, but others consider that wrong and believe luck and fate has to do with worthiness as well. I disagree. Idiots. What is learned or tested by being crushed by a force beyond your comprehension? Nothing.

That does explain why you'd have grown slowly from a seed population of a few hundred. We rear our children until they're adults, and usually continue to render assistance if needed later on too.

Both our ways have produced a species with power and intelligence. Many Draak think that if only the smartest and strongest children survive, Draak as a whole will slowly grow stronger due to small changes in our genetics as some die and children slowly replace us. Some follow a new way like yours, a path of compassion, cooperation, and care. Perhaps they will be stronger and in time all Draak will feel greater compassion to their children.

I have tried both paths - children left in their own territory except for occasional advice, and children guarded and guided each day of their lives. I cannot feel what the followers of compassion feel. I feel pride that my children are wise and strong and satisfaction to spread my good traits to the world so that if I die there will be echoes of me - but no love like less intelligent animals so often feel for their babies.

We care about our species growing stronger, but achieve it by arranging that the best of us are the ones who have more children at all, not by raising those children without love.

Interesting. How are worthy ones chosen? How is it enforced? It must be, somehow. Some would decide they wish to have children anyway and then all others would see no reason to obey.

Both of those vary depending on country.

The concept of 'country' is difficult to understand. 

You mentioned your people had fled from a war and implied others had stayed behind, correct? Since we cannot leave our planet, events like that can sometimes lead to groups of people living separately and arranging collective things for their own group, even though we're all on the same world.

Yes. Some followed Darktooth and fled, most followed Many Times Burned and fought and died. A few followed Great Mother and killed themselves. I do not understand what they could have been hoping to accomplish.

Country is... Collective rules and systems?

The comparisons to beehives are coming out again. Queen, gatherer, warrior, carer. 

A hive of complex minds instead of simple ones?

A country is an organization, and I suppose our castes have resemblance to the kinds of specializations you're imagining in eusocial animals too.

I am failing to understand. Each thought reveals new complications. It is fascinating, but tiring. While this is easier than words your mind is strange to me. Frustration.

He draws back the thought contact.

The blue sits down abruptly and continues relaying what was said to her companions, doing her best to answer their clarifying questions.

Compassion, they thrive on considering others far more than he does. And they are clearly powerful in some ways, so being friendly is a good idea. So what would a considerate and selfless dragon do here?

He splashes around in the ocean a bit, then comes back and pokes the silver rod some more. "I'm sorry. I did not realize extended song would probably be tiring. I should have taken a break sooner. Are you in pain?"

"I'm all right," says Amseli. "Thank you very much for speaking to me."

"Good."

Pause.

"I just decided I want two pocket everythings for if I can't put the first one back together after studying it. If that is not hard."

"It's not, though the first's already on its way and the second will need a separate trip."

"Not bad. I want to swim for some time now. Will this be bad?"

"Not at all. Can you tell us when to expect you to want to talk more?"

"Not more than six hours. Most likely one or two."

"It seemed polite to wait for you to ask to speak to me again because this is not my land."

"There are a lot of us. If any of us have conflicting obligations, we can be rotated out. The scarce resource here is your time," says Amseli.

"There are very a lot of you yes. I will be back in one hour."

He starts to move to dive, but pauses.

"This is not my ocean. It's rude to hunt without permission I have already done that once. I apologize and I want to respect having of land. May I hunt again?"

"- what animals is it that you want to hunt?"

"I was foolish to hunt once without knowing enough about the ocean. I brought food and could have eaten it. I was excited. I can show the animal I hunted by thinking?"

"Yes, please. Some of them are scarce, but others it won't matter even if you take a lot."

He calls up the memory and gently shares it. It's some kind of large-bodied scavenger fish.