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| The Story of the Great Dragon |
| It did rain for forty days and forty nights, and in the whole world all life did perish save for that on Noah's ark. And just as the Lord had promised, it finally did stop raining, and at long last the ark finally came to rest on solid ground. The windows were opened and birds flew free, the doors were opened and all the animals two by two were led off of the ark to begin their new lives. Finally, there were no more animals which Noah and his family had brought to the ark, and so they rested that night. But while they slept, a faint noise could be heard from the ark. It was a creaking noise much like that the ark made during it's long voyage, a creaking of wood bending as if by the weight of the sea - or something very large. No one was around to hear it though. Everyone was asleep, and the animals were all too far away to notice, but in the last twilit moments before night truly fell - a strange head peered out from the ark. It was something like a lion's head - for it had a great mane. It was something like a deer's head - for it had a huge set of antlers. It was something like a tiger's head - for it had many many sharp teeth. But the greater part of it was like unto a serpent of some sort - as there were great scales glistening in the glow of twilight, and the great golden eyes were slitted like those of a snake. He looked around and saw no one - he listened and did not hear any of his friends. Although he was quite large, he quietly walked down the ramp (only an occassional squeak of wood) and began to search, for he did not recognize this place and did not know where his friends were. Last he remembered, they had all been playing hide and seek (and he knew they'd never look inside this strange cave!). But this cave had been very warm and comfortable and he had fallen asleep! He looked about, here and there, and saw many different animals (more different animals in fact than he had ever seen before!). But sadly, none of his friends were among them. After a while he became upset at not finding his friends and thought to ask the other animals if they had seen them. He went to the lions and asked if they had seen anyone like him - they said "No, none of us has antlers like you." then he went to the deer and asked them - they said "No, none of us has a huge mane like you". He also went to the tigers, but they only said "Our skin is soft and furry, yours is very different, much like a serpents'...go ask the snakes." So he turned his great body around and started off to find the snakes. Eventually he found them and asked if they had seen anyone like him, they hissed - "Hello cousin, no we have seen none of your friends. In fact, we thought you all lost in the flood!." He replied "The flood? Do you mean everyone else like me is gone?". "Sadly yes we're afraid" - they replied. He cried out with a roar that awoke every man, woman and animal for miles, and then he flew. He flew up into the air, higher and higher until he could see all the land. He flew all night calling out for his friends, he flew all the next day, he flew for weeks and weeks searching for his friends until he realized he was truly alone, the last of his kind - the last of the dragons. Finally after many many days he fell - completely exhausted. With the last of his strength he pulled his great scaled body - dull and dusty from months of continuous searching - up to a rock which overlooked the sea. His friends gone, his strength gone, the last of the dragons was overcome with saddness. He looked out upon the vast expanse of ocean, not really seeing but reflecting back to a time when he was happy. He drew a deep deep breath and let loose a single piercing roar. The sound traveled around the whole world yet with no other dragons to answer it. After a moment, he accepted that he was truly alone. He dropped his massive head down to rest upon the rock, closed his eyes, and died. All was quiet save for the sea winds blowing. And the scales which used to glisten with his motion lay still. A single tear rolled down his massive cheek and fell off the cliff. The tear fell far far to the rocks below where the surf crashed. It hit upon a rock and broke into a thousand tiny tears. Some of them landed in the ocean, and some landed in the sand. No one was around to see it land, and so no one was around to see what happened next - the ocean began to bubble like a vast cauldron, and the sand began to tremble as with a great earthquake! Moments later the first of many dragons broke the surface of the ocean, and the first of many dragons came out from beneath the sands of the beach. They were the first of the dragons of the new world - brought here by the tear of what had once been the last dragon in the world. Many ages have passed now. We tell this story to our children so they remember where we came from. We are many now, so many that none can count us all. We all still play hide and seek (we're quite good at it!) and indeed since the tear broke into so many tiny pieces no one knows where else dragons may be hidden to this day! And every year, we remember the great dragon by telling his story and as the sun goes down we all call out to him in the hopes that he hears us in the next world - and knows that we are still looking for him. So the next time you're out at twilight and hear a strange distant cry - think of this story, for those who listen can sometimes hear us calling to the great dragon. | - an excerpt from the Book of Days by Sareth the Ancient |
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