First Dragon. 23

Thousands of years ago there lived a glorious golden lizard. He spent must of his days sunning himself on the beach or hunting food for himself. He was a smart animal, proud with very few enemies. He learned all about the natural traps of the lands, where the dangerous mud's that he could sink in were. Why he should stay away from where the smoke came from the ground. What he could eat and where it was safe to sleep. All these things he learned in time as he ruled all he saw.One day he came across a doe in a clearing. She was trapped, her leg under a log. He watched her as she sat and cried, she knew if she didn't get up, she would die there. He thought she was beautiful lying there so sad. He'd never felt this for pray before and he was hungry. Slowly he moved forward until she saw him. Tears rolled from her eyes, she knew why he was there. Suddenly his heart was filled with her sadness.
" Sir." She said. " I know you are hungry, but I have a baby that needs me. He will be killed and eaten without me to protect and guide him."
This didn't mean anything to him really, but for the first time he felt sorrow. Hungry as he was, her fear and sadness touched him. He walked closer to her, it was then he saw the other lizard about to attack her.
"STOP!!" He said. " You will not kill this deer this day!"
" Why not?" The other lizard said as its tongue slipped from its mouth to taste the scent of the deer.
" Because I will fight for its life." The gold one said.
" Then you plan to eat it?"
" No, I will free it, so it can go home."
The Gold Lizard stomped its feet trying to be aggressive.
" That is not our way." And the Dark lizard moved one step forward. " We feed on the weak and the injured. That is our law."
" I don't care." The Gold Lizard jumped over the deer and stood its ground ready to fight the dark bigger lizard.
" Fight me." It said. " But if I lose, promise to free the deer and let it be on its way. Then you can eat me and we all win."
" How do you win?" He asked. " You will be dead. How do you know I will keep my promise?"
"I don't, but I will have done all I can." The Gold lizard stood proud. "I will fight for the weak. To give her one more day. I will win and we will part injured, or I will lose and you will leave fatter and she will be free. I will trust your word. What do you say?"
The dark lizard began to laugh out loud. The Gold lizard thought that meant they were going to fight. He readied himself.
" Theres no need to fight." The deer called. Gold looked back and saw the deer had changed. It had changed into a beautiful light floating in the air before him. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. He had seen the strange lights at night, but never talked to them. He stared it the light, it was so warm and beautiful.
"NO OTHER ANIMAL HAS EVER DONE THIS FOR ANOTHER. TELL ME. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU MEET THE DEER TOMORROW, OR ANOTHER DEER?"
"My days of killing are over." The Gold one said. " I guess that means I grow weak and die, for I cant do this anymore."
"NO YOU WONT DIE." He heard. " FOR THE WORLD WILL NEED YOUR KIND SOON. THERE ARE THOSE WHO WILL NEED YOU PROTECTION. YOU ARE TO BE THE FIRST IN A LONG LINE OF PROTECTORS TO HELP THIS WORLD GROW. I WILL GIVE YOU ALL SOMETHING TO HELP PROTECT ALL MY GOOD CHILDREN. STAND TALL MY GOLDEN DRAGON. RISE AND BE MY FIRST CHAMPION, VALEN."
The Gold lizard pushed its self up as the air around it began to shimmer and the change began. From a large lizard, a great dragon was born. He was given fire to control, and he learned to fly and to make storms. He was taught how to shape the earth and make the water obey his commands. Valen learned many different kinds of magic in the early days. He learned to make spells and to make things happen with a simple gesture. The last gift he received was his far sight. He was taught how to look for things that could be a danger to all he protected in the time ahead, and how to use the knowledge. As time moved on he found others of his kind. Dragons of all types and colors with many different abilities, but none he couldn't master. Valen set the dragons to live in many different areas and take care of all the different races that emerged.

Close to him he kept four dragons. These he called his clan. The first was called Jade. She was an earth dragon. She enjoyed showing others what the Earth could produce with a little patience. She was very lovely in her green gowns but could be deadly where angered, for she could kill with dust. Then the water dragon Maxius. A strong blue dragon. He was very even tempered and fair to all that came to ask for help. He could see into your true soul, all the hostility in ones soul was clear to him. Arik, the lofty happy air dragon in he's powerful Topaz. He loved flying and would always be found in the air. Keeping the weather and the people safe from storms. None but Valen could match him in the air.
Valen was closest to Fiero, his flame breathing brother. Fiero was his second and could always be counted on to make the right decisions. That was good cause he was in control when Valen was away. Valen had taught Fiero the ways of magic, As his second. he never wanted to leave his clan unprepared when he was away. These were the dragons in Valens clan. The Protectors.

First came the elves that lived in and with the trees. The forest were once filled with their laughter and there games. They didn't seem to want to learn anything but play. Then one came that changed there way of life. He had a need. A need to control others. Valen wasn't sure this was a good idea. He thought they all should live their own lives to the fullest as they wished. But as he watched, they began to work together and build wondrous cities high in the trees. This pleased him. They were growing. Then things started to change. Different kinds of elves began to appear. Dark elves, fire elves, all different, and fairies with there beautiful delicate wings and the first to use magic. This worried the dragons. Up until now, they were the only ones with magic. Then the dark races, Trolls, gremlins, Orcs. Valen didn't like the way things were going, but he keep his pact and protected them all, mostly from themselves. Then dwarves came to work the lands and mine for the metals to make tools. He saw this as progress. He knew the world would stagnate without new ideas, so he encouraged them all to move forward. Then man was born. The gods promise him they were to be there biggest worry. Then said watch them, for we have made them smart and given them ambition and arrogance. For years the dragons watch. Then one day, a human used magic. that day the dragons knew the future was no longer so clear to them. Things would become difficult for all of them. Now Valen saw the trouble on its way. He saw darkness coming and prayed to all the gods to guide him. As years passed Valen and his clan saw many battles and enemies pass. He watched the rise of the Vampires and the making of the Werewolves. Valen was the enemy of any kind of slavery. He and his clan fought against the concept until the races saw the true horrors of it. Of course not all races were so enlightened, so the battle moved on. In his way, they were involved in all conflicts. In some they were visible, standing out to fight for the weak. In some, they were invisible, hiding and helping from a distance.
The Dragon Wars. This was a war close to The First Clan. There wasn't a onyx dragon in there clan and Valen didn't know about merging until then. He knew he had to find out for himself more about the passions of these humans. What were they about? How did their emotions rule there live? We're they worth all this struggle? So he found a young gypsy boy and watched him until he was certain he was a good man. Then Valen sat and told him what he wanted. A better understanding of humanity. He told the gypsy he wasn't sure how this would affect him, but that he knew this would help him serve everyone. The gypsy agreed and they became one. Valen learned he would now be sharing his life and powers with the gypsy. And all his thoughts of man became clearer. He understood them now. He saw the importance of man and he knew the future was still unclear. Evil was his real enemy and Valen knew what he had to do. So he gathered his clan and went to work. The Dragon wars were on and Valen would use all his magic to end them. They were the Protector. And they would protect.