Piper grumbled a little, a dragon's annoyance at being denied anything."I'll have to ask him."She said before smiling sipping her orange juice."Would you like to hear the story of how the dragons came into being?"She asked and at their nods started."When the goddess made the world she filled it with four different kinds of beings. Monsters, beasts, hangelings, and men. And during the time when the world was new, she told each to gather among themselves and name a lord, or king. Otherwise, there would be wars the goddess warned them. So the monsters went to the east, and the beasts to the south, the men to the west, and changelings to icy north, each gathering among themselves to choose a lord.
And the monsters snarled and snapped at one another, refusnig to give any one lordship over the others, and they fell fighting among themselves. And that is why there are so few monsters in the world, bcause they killed each other at the very beginning, when the world was new.
And the beasts talked and talked, and chose elephant but elephant refused. So the beasts gathered again, and talked and talked then chose lion. So lion is the king of beasts, but will always yield to Elephant, because Elephant was chosen first.
And the men talked and talked, some of them choosing one, and others another. And even more choosing a third. They all drew apart and began making weapons, killing each other over who was lord. and the goddess was sad, and angry at them for their choices.
But the changelings could not choose. For there were very few of them and each of them felt that they had the qualities and ablilites to be king and none would yield. At last they came to the goddess and said,"Mother we cannot choose. "And the goddess was angry at their pride.
Yet the goddess took pity on them, for she saw how few of them there were, and feared in their pride they would kill each other like the monsters and men, and she did not desire that, for she loved them. So she spread her hands and made a wind into the void, and the void was empty except for stars. So great was that wind that a star tore loose from the night, and it tumbled towards the ground.
As it tumbled the goddess caught it. It burned bright and fiery as she cupped it in her hands, blowing on it to cool it. After it cooled she shaped it, gave it wings and a tail, and a great proud head. Talons mighter than any sword, and wings like the night it had been shaped from. She named it dragon, and she said."Go north my daughter, and find your people."
So Dragon flew north and found the changelings and flew to them. And the changelings were filled with wonder and it seemed to each of them that here was one more noble and mighty then any, and worthy of honor. And each changeling bowed to Dragon in turn.
And the goddess was well pleased. She gave Dragon a home in the north, and she said, "You shall live here, in the frozen north where your heart might be free to love and live. And there will always be only a few of you for many of you would be dangerous. You are changelings now, but at times you may forget this form, and remember only that you were once a star."
