The Dragon Legend

A long, long, long time ago, before humans even existed, species were evolving.

Now, I know it might seem like an obvious thing to say; 'species were evolving', but it's true. Not only is it true, it is also a key factor to the creation and existence of the most well-known mythical creatures known of to mankind.

Yep, you guessed it -- The Dragons.

It all started in a small lizard colony located in a thick forest, millions and millions of years ago. Back then, lizards were community animals, living in colonies of several hundred together. Lizards hadn't quite evolved to be the many species of lizards we know of today, so all the lizards looked about the same. Except they were all different colors, had a more snake-like body, and were much bigger than they are today, about three feet each.

In that colony, one of the lizards was... Different from everyone else. His name was Bask.

Bask was a deep red colored lizard, but other than that he was an average lizard, with no unique physical traits. But he was far from average by the way he thought; he was the only lizard who saw everyone, and himself, as an individual being, instead of a whole species.

He believed that he was special, and had plenty of faith in himself that one day, he would become something great. He didn't know how, but he knew it was something that could be achieved if he figured out how to get there. But nobody else thought the way he did. They all saw him as the weird lizard who thought he was special, even though he looked like everyone else.

One day, he was playing around with a few maple leaves while watching the birds soar above in the small patch of sky that could be seen from the forest floor. The birds above gave him an idea; he tied a couple of leaves to his back. Now he had makeshift wings!

He went to show his colony of his new idea. He climbed on a rock where everyone could see him. "Hey look everyone! Wings!" Half of the lizards around turned their heads, but the rest ignored him. They were used to his crazy ideas about becoming 'great' and 'special', and they all thought the same thing about him;

"You're crazy!" Someone shouted to him, then walked along. "You can't fly with leaves!" Someone else shouted.

"I don't intend to fly with these." Bask said. "Someday maybe I'll get my own wings. And when I do, I'll be able to fly through the sky like a bird!"

Those who actually bothered to listen to him this time laughed at him. Bask gave up on showing off his idea and crawled behind the rock.

"Don't listen to them, they just don't see things like you do." Bask heard from his left. He turned around and saw his good and only friend in the whole colony, Lehava. Lehava was the only lizard on the colony, perhaps the world, who was able to understand his perspective. Not only that, she was very pretty too. With her pale blue scaly skin and sweet smile, it was hard not to like her.

Bask smiled at her (well, as much as a lizard can smile...). "Thanks." He said gratefully. "I don't know what I would do without you."

He decided to go home. He took off his leaf wings and headed back to the hole he and his parents lived in.

"Mom! I'm home!"

His mom came out of the kitchen and greeted him with a hug. "Hi sweetie! How was your day?" She asked, then continued, "You weren't going along with any more of your crazy ideas today, were you?"

He thought back on the wing incident. "No, not today." He lied.

"Oh good." She said, relieved, "I mean, such crazy ideas shouldn't even exist! Now son, you know that I love you. But you shouldn't go around thinking you're different. We lizards are all the same, and nothing's going to change that."