The Truth About Dragons - Part 1
Introduction to Dragons
As sunlight transformed the basic elements in the earth’s oceans into primordial life, so did the heat beneath the earth’s solid crust transform the basic minerals swirling within the super-heated magma.
Larger life forms eventually emerged from the seas, as other larger life forms emerged from the earth’s land surface. The life created of these earth elements became living beings of earthen minerals, distant cousins to the first true dragons. As the eons passed those beings evolved into four elemental dragon species.
Earth dragons (draco terra), the most basic and closest to their original ancestors, grew into creatures of the land, dwelling on the land and in the near skies.
Water dragons (draco aqua) also grew of the land, but as the land from which they originated was beneath the vast oceans, when they came into the water, rather than air, they took on the characteristics of ocean creatures, breathed water, and remained therein.
Fire dragons (draco ignis) remained within the fiery magma core of the earth. Rare it is for a fire dragon to move into the domain of another elemental dragon; instead, they rule the shifting and shaping of the earth’s tectonic plates and the movements of the earth.
Air dragons (draco air) rose high above the clouds, beyond the outermost atmosphere of earth, where they are held by the earth’s gravity. Almost always invisible to human senses, they are instrumental in many atmospheric weather systems, often preventing more severe damage than such systems would cause on their own.
As dinosaurs destroyed their habitat, eating more than the earth could replenish and killing each other to extinction, the dragons observed and learned of the value of the earth’s natural resources, and as their intelligence grew, so did their compassion and they vowed to honor and protect all life: plant, animal, and mineral.
When humans came into being, dragons, especially earth dragons, watched with interest. As humans’ capacity for intelligent thought evolved, the dragons saw the possibility for friendship and cooperation for common goals.
Very gradually, the earth dragons unveiled themselves and allowed a few humans to see and interact with them – a slow process, as the human species had already taught themselves fear and distrust of all things not human.
From their beginning, humans were prone to alter the earth for their needs and convenience; although, some few did learn to adapt to and with the land. In compassionate understanding that the human species was still young, dragons did not interfere, letting humans learn as they would. That decision was a lethal error for dragonkind. Too late they recognized the need to teach humans values they did not seem to grasp. But that part of the story is for dragons to tell.
[to be continued]
