They take and take and some of them decide to simply ignore the dragon when he tries to warn them away. They don't respect the land and the water, they don't respect him. They see nothing more than the young man that he presents himself as standing before them and they decide that taking him seriously is purely optional. He explain what will happen if they continue, that there will be no fish left for them to catch and no flora left for them to gather and that's enough to convince some. Yet others still continue. He warns again and again. He's patient, but his willingness to watch humans slowly destroy all that he holds dear is very finite. Every step of the way, some more finally understand the errors of their ways. It's usually accompanied by some half muttered reply to the effect of 'I have enough right now anyway' as opposed to any admission of wrongdoing, but Nam accepts that.

The ones who continue to ignore and disrespect the dragon? Those who push him to the end of his willingness to watch them take from him indiscriminately? Nam drowns them. Simple. He doesn't necessarily enjoy taking their lives, but sometimes it feels as though it becomes necessary.

This particular human, though, at least shows a modicum of respect. He doesn't push back against or challenge Nam. He simply accepts that he's in the wrong and quickly corrects it. If only other humans could do such things.

Nam glances down toward the large basket then back to the human, head tipping very slightly to one side. "You're the one who's been leaving offerings on the river bank without a word." Not a question. A statement. Nam's been aware of his comings and goings, after all, even if he'd actually paid the human little mind most of the time. A fact that he wants to make sure the human knows.