A toy maker goes to a cavern where a large nest of dragon eggs are about to hatch. The entire village were giving the dragon congratulations gifts, and this person made effigies of knights holding flowers and fireproof, claw-resistant, stuffies. -- Anon Guest
[AN: Considering the semi-feral nature of infant Dragons, they're better off with chew toys]
Legend tells that the world was made for Dragons. They were very upset when other species turned up and made it less for Dragons than previously. There were millennia of war and battle and xenophobia on all sides, but the Dragons eventually realised that co-operation was a better idea than attempted genocide.
In that, they were far in advance of the other intelligent species on Alfarell.
Untold thousands of years after the intitial conflicts, people largely welcomed Dragons in their neighbourhood. Well. Local area. So when Braikynedd the Gleaming announced that her clutch was hatching, those who could do so made the journey to gift them in celebration.
Aquillian the toymaker arrived with a sketchbook and a polite request to observe the hatchlings. Though an adult Dragon is enormous, their newborns are tiny. A clutch of ten fit the same area as a litter of kittens. The only difference being the length and width of their tails.
Blind, mewling, bumbling and relatively helpless, ten squirming bodies felt their way around their nest.
Others came with blankets. Others came with food. Those who came with armour and weapons swore both to the infants' protection. Some came with gold and gems for the hoard.
Aquillian took notes. Made sketches. Then went away for a month. Ze returned with a large cart and packed boxes. "I understand I'm late for the official welcoming," ze began, "and that may be rude. However, I do pride myself in creating the right kind of toy for the children... and I've never made toys for Dragonlings before. I wanted to be sure I got it right. With a focus on early development. I present these for your inspection and defer to your wisdom on such matters."
This was a new development for Dragonkind. Even though they took to helpfulness out of enlightened self-preservation motives, most folk were less inclined to be certain a Dragon grew up big, strong, and smart.
Their earliest toy was something the could chew, claw, and fight over. The next skill to develop was pouncing, followed by chasing.
Braikynedd was quite enraptured with the Dragon-sized playsets, all the same.
[Photo by Tomáš Petz on Unsplash]
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