A/N:I Wrote this when I started thinking about dragons. what do we really know? they could be real, or may have been at some point. look at the facts. all around the world, people tell of these huge fire-breathing beasts. cultures that could never have communicated spoke about them. about the same things. Dragons.. the very word holds power. it brings to mind massive creatures, mythical beasts. but what if its more than myth? what if the cave drawings and art are not stories, but a retelling of events? they are shown in a red, evil light. dark things that stalk the shadows, taking livestock. but there's a more.. realistic look on them. the legends give a twisted view on the reality. the myth of a sheep stealer, the reality of a mother struggling to feed her young. the myth of a vicious beast, the reality of survival at any cost. the myth of knights that climbed mountains to slay dragons.. the reality: Persecution, and extinction. every dragon myth around the world begs the same question...where they real?
"We have something!"
A man called, using his small brush to clean the fossilized object. His boss rushed over.
"What is it?"
He said, leaning in closer.
"A fossil some sort! And in perfect condition!"
He preened, grinning madly. His boss nodded as he picked it up gently, holding it up to the bright light of the sun, peering at the rock, at the bones imbedded in it. The man turned it, looking at it from all angles.
"Things always have a history...a story...I wonder what the story of this little one was...?"
He whispered to himself, lost in the sight of the remains.
The young female let out a pained yelp as her egg slid out, and she turned to take it into her mouth. Gently, she picked it up, and placed it in the pile of rocks her mate had collected. Arranging the rocks in such a way that the egg was covered, she stepped back, and summoned her hottest flame to keep her new baby warm. Satisfied, she curled up next to it, waiting for her mate to bring food back to her icy cave. She gazed lovingly at the egg, imagining what it would look like once it hatched. After a few moments, the all too familiar sound of wing beats sounded outside her cave, and she lifted her head to watch her mate arrived back, empty-handed once again. With a great sigh, she got up, and walked to the mouth of the cave, while her mate took her place keeping the egg warm.
Using her strong hind legs, she launched herself off the ground, flapping her wings furiously to keep herself airborne. She was starved-hadn't eaten in weeks due to the local farmers having kept they're livestock inside. She snorted in triumph as she swooped down and grabbed a large buck from the hillside, and turned to return to her nest.
When she arrived, her mate was lying outside of the cave. He was not at his post. She snarled loudly as she landed, biting at her mate as he roared and stepped back uneasily. Slowly, the female approached the only dimly lit and barely warm rock pile that held her baby. Something was terribly wrong. She reared back, and produced her hottest flame in an effort to save her unborn hatchling. She shook her head and snorted proudly as she heard her baby shift and move in the egg as it warmed. Turning, she watched as her mate fly off with her recent kill. She looked longingly at the herd of deer not far from where her cave was, but then looked back at her baby, torn. Should she hunt? Or, should she stay and make sure her egg stays warm? She choose the latter, and curled tenderly around the burning rock pile, falling asleep blissfully.
"Boss, this really is a remarkable find! It's so small! Obviously an infant, but no signs damage to the bones... natrual causes possibly?"
The man nodded, staring at the fossil, a million possibilities in his mind.
" most likely?..."
He muttered, glancing away from the fossil of an infant...something, and looking to the worker.
"Dehydration? Starvation? Stillborn? There's a thousand and one possibilities. But.. what is it even I wonder... Four legs, Long neck, talons.. Sharp teeth, carnivorous, obviously. Some type of raptor?
The man shook his head, and pointed to a few strangely placed bones above the infants back.
"What are those?"
He asked, pointing to each individual bone. The worker leaned in closer, and his eyes widened as he recognized them for what they where.
"Wings..."
He whispered in awe.
The female woke late into the night. it had been two years after her mate had flown off, and she had been woken by a loud cracking noise. Getting up quickly, she removed the burning rocks from her egg, and scooped it up gently before setting it down next to her. She watched as a series of web-like cracks appeared on the surface of the shell, and eventually, a sharp talon broke through. Bending her long neck, she bit down on the egg gently, cracking it even more, helping the infant inside break its way through and into the world. She nuzzled the infant when it finally emerged, and turning, gave it a small chunk of her recent kill. It tore slowly at the meat, struggling to swallow it at first, but eventually getting the hang of it, and eating most of it. The female nudged the infant, causing it to roll over, and it squeaked unhappily. Ignoring its protests, the new mother turned her gaze to the privates of her baby, and then fondly met the gaze of her son.
"they have another!"
Shouted a worker, who had rudely barged into the working corners of the boss. The man looked at him, confused.
"Another what?"
The worker paused for a moment, panting, then looking him in the eye.
"Another unidentified creature."
That caught his attention, and he was at he door with his winter coat on in less than a minute, following the worker outside to the newfound body. This, due to having been much better preserved, was obviously of the same race as the other one, but much much larger. A parent perhaps?
"What can you tell me about it?"
He asked, staring at the creature.
"Well, it's female, it's weight can be estimated at around...900 pounds, a wingspan of about... 60 feet, sharp teeth, and burn marks inside the mouth."
The man stared at the worker, dumbstruck. How did he get all that from bones?
"How do you know all that?"
He asked, and the worker turned and pointed to the hip of the massive creature.
" the shape of the pelvis suggests a female, due to that arch there. And the weight can be estimated due to the massive size of the beast, and we measured the wingspan. The burn marks are obvious. See those dark areas on the teeth?"
He said, pointing at it.
"So what killed it?"
The man asked, and as a response, the worker held up a crude spear, tattered and worn.
Not even a week passed since her son was born, that a group of smelly two-legged creatures invaded her home. She lurched to her feet, and roared defiantly at he brandished shiny, sharp things at her and one yelled something in a tongue she did not understand. She snarled viciously, and clawed as one came too close. She struck the smelly two legs in the chest, sending it flying backwards. She snorted in triumph as she heard the resulting 'crack' of bones. The then turned her gaze once again at the others in the group who now looked at her more wearily. She drew herself up, and breathed flame on the two legs, killing him in mere seconds. The last one, or so she thought, was even easier to kill as it stood trembling, not even moving as she bit down on its head. She roared in agony as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach and whirled around to face her attacker, who she killed easily. She tumbled back into her cave, passed her son, and curled around herself, bleeding. She struggled to remain conscious as her strength failed her, and eventually, she slipped into nothingness...
the infant staggered into his mothers chambers, and nudged her cooling body. He let out a terrified whimper, and pawed at her face, trying to get a response from her. She didn't move. He gently curled into the curve of her neck, and waited for her to wake...and thus he stayed for days, until eventually, more two legs came...
"So, lets find out what this thing is."
The man nodded, ready to put the disturbing experience behind him. he looked up to see a worker who was smiling like an idiot. he grunted, annoyed.
"What's got you so happy?"
He asked, annoyed. The worker laughed, but there was an unmistakable twinkle in his eye.
" I know what they are."
He had the mans full attention then.
"Yeah? And what are they?!"
He demanded, pounding his fist on the table. The man laughed.
"Well look at what we know. The big one has marks where fire passed through its mouth, and they are carnivorous, they have four legs, and large wings. They hatch from eggs, as we know from the egg shells found in the cage with them. They where obviously hunted by humans. They have talons, and where massive beasts."
The man shook his head.
"I know that already! What ARE they?!"
He demanded again, frustrated with the worker, who just laughed again.
"Don't you see?"
He said happily.
"Theyre draconem."
the man shook his head, and stared impatiently at the worker.
"and what does THAT MEAN?"
he asked loudly, causing another laugh to erupt from the giddy worker.
" it means draco."
the man stomped over to where the infuriating worker stood, and got in his face.
"I don't speak latin. WHAT ARE THEY?"
"They're dragons."