In the days of chivalry, a knight was known for his conquests in the name of his king and, more often than not, the woman he loved. Many times these two elements forced him into battle with one of the most misunderstood creatures of the time -- the dragon.
Because of their fierce appearance and ability to create fire, these creatures were widely feared, and quite possibly misunderstood. They were thought to terrorize villages, kidnap any variety of maidens and princesses, and horde unbelievablely large treasures. Many a brave soul sought the dragon out to prove his courage, whether to "rescue" some helpless maiden or perhaps sneak some riches for himself. More often than not the fool was sent back to his kingdom a little too well-done. Really, though, who's to say the dragon wasn't merely doing what many of us might have done if presented with the same situation? After all, if someone were out to acquire all we held dear for himself, who wouldn't feel the need to defend what was theirs?
Like all creatures, dragons did have their share of bad seeds, some of whom no doubt deserved whatever punishment was eventually dealt to them. Unfortunately, it was because of these few that the dragon's reputation became forever tarnished, and mass efforts were made to extinguish them, usually in the form of some "noble" knight. If only those folk of long ago had taken the time to learn more about this creature, perhaps they wouldn't have been so quick to strike it down.
Alas, the last dragon was slain long ago. All that are left are the tales of old where foolish individuals sought to build their fame on the life of a dragon. However, maybe we can learn something from this creature's demise -- it is never wise to judge on appearance alone; a piece of advice which is as appropriate now as it was then.
More Dragon pages: The Summoning of Dragons
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The Court of Unicorns The Griffin's Den The Pegasus' Roost
The Hall of Fairies The Realm of Magic
The Angel's Wing The Earth Realm The Goblin's Keep
The Enchanted Forest (adoptions) The Journey Onward (links and webrings)
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