Post by Rainbow Dragon on Feb 9, 2015 23:34:19 GMT -6
www.youtube.com/watch?v=63fpuamGJ3I
My name is Saxton Hale.
I am a traveler, archaeologist, student of history, and world renowned dragon researcher.
And this, my friend, is your lucky day.
For you hold within your palms my memoir and autobiography.
These journals detail all of my findings and journeys across the world.
Within these hallowed pages is every dragon I have ever come across, both good and bad.
I set out as a lad some four decades ago to learn the truth.
Are dragons evil creatures, hell-bent on ruining our lives?
Or are they much deeper, and more complicated creatures?
The answer I found, and the knowledge I have gained, I leave for the next generation, so that they too might know the truth.
This is my story.
This is my Life.
An average sized, middle aged man creeps through the tall grass of the wide open Central Plains. The man wears a set of green and brown camouflage leggings and a skin tight tunic, and with his worn beige vest, he blends in smoothly with the greens and browns of the grassland, despite his overly large wide-rimmed fedora and Sun-catching bifocals. He stalks his prey with the gait of an experienced hunter, moving with silent grace that belies his apparent age. A small herd of wild gazelle gallop past him through the grass, swerving to avoid the sleeping Fire Dragon only a few yards away. From this range, the old hunter could see the dragon clearly; he was a massive creature, a sprawling hunk of diamond-hard scales and razor-sharp claws. But unlike most Fire Dragons, and very much unlike his appearance would suggest, this particular dragon was known far and wide as a gentle and relatively harmless beast. The locals affectionately referred to him as "El Gigante Dormido", or "The Sleeping Giant".
But what made this dragon different than most? Was he born differently? Or is it because his Life has been spent around humans? After many, many long and difficult years, he was finally closing in on the last piece of the puzzle.
Professor Saxton Hale slowly rose to a standing crouch, and sped up his pace. The dragon was still asleep when he reached him. Even after so many encounters, he was still awed by the majestic creatures, especially up close. Every detail and scar on a dragon's body told a story. They were living books, works of art handcrafted by God Himself, and he just so happened to be one of the few people in the world who could read them and appreciate them. As he's admiring the beauty of the dragon, a giant green eye blinks open and turns to him. The dragon and the man study each other curiously for a few minutes, and then the dragon yawns and stretches, his gaping maw opening like a chasm appearing in the earth. Professor Hale slowly backs away as the dragon rises to his full height, nearly ten meters. The dragon casts a massive shadow over the sunny plains, and all the nearby animals flee from his imminent wrath.
"Sorry about waking ya, mate! I just wanted a chance to chat. You got a moment?"
The dragon slowly blinks again, seemingly in disbelief, before loosing a very loud and very grumpy roar. "Ah, too bad mate. Maybe next time then. How about next Wednesday? I'll even bring the tea. Sound good?"
The dragon roars again, even louder and grumpier than before, but the eccentric professor is long gone; only a wide-rimmed fedora remains, slowly floating to the ground... At least until an arm appears to quickly snatch it back. Rule #11: Never lose the hat.
The earth shakes and trembles as the mighty beast rages after him, and Hale throws a few apologies over his shoulder, to no avail. A wave of bright green flames billows forth from the dragon's mouth, and Hale hurls himself to the ground, narrowly avoiding the flames as they pass over his head, singing the tip of his beloved fedora. The dragon stomps around for a bit, sending more pillars of fire into the sky, but he doesn't actually try to find him in the grass. El Gigante Dormido is only keeping up appearances, is all. Eventually, the dragon heads back to his spot. He circles around the spot for a few seconds, his tail flattening entire swaths of grass, before crashing to the ground with an earthshaking BOOM and returning to slumber.
Don't like tea, eh? Well, your loss then friend. I make excellent tea, if I do say so myself.
"You are one crazy old man, kola."
Hale looks up to see his old friend, guide and travelling buddy, a man known only as Tanto. Tanto reaches down and offers him a hand, helping him up. Hale dusts himself off, grinning like a fool. "Rule number 32, old friend. Crazy gets stuff done."
A brief look of confusion crosses Tanto's face. "I thought that was rule 34?"
Hale gives him a stern glare. "We never talk about rule 34, Tanto. Never."
The two stare silently at each other for a few moments longer, before bursting into peels of laughter, which in Hale's case, quickly turns into a coughing fit. Tanto sobers, looking him over again. "You sure you're still cut out for this, kola? You're almost as old as Mother Bear and Father Wolf now. Maybe it's time to retire, hm?"
Hale scoffs at the idea. What a thought! What an idea! Him retiring! Not bloody likely! "Rule number 1, my old friend. Rule number 1."
Tanto cocks his head in a not-so-subtle attempt to remember. "You can rest when you're dead?"
Hale gives a hearty laugh and playfully slaps the much larger man on the back. "No, that's number five! Knowledge, Tanto! Knowledge! There's always something new to learn! Dragons never retire from being dragons, do they?! Come Tanto! Our next adventure awaits! We're charting a course for the Northern Continent!"
Tanto merely shakes his head. Still, if one looked closely, you might see him smiling.
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Meanwhile, the grumpy dragon can't seem to get back to sleep. He tosses and turns, until he feels something nip his tail. The dragon turns, opening a single eye and lifting his tail, revealing a litter of six baby dragons, cawing hungrily at their mother.
The mother dragon finally gives up on sleep, but not before she lifts her head to the sky and lets loose one final blast of flame. Pesky humans.
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Dragon Life: The Princess Tales
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