[ TT ] `` Oh , dragons are a myth . '' He glanced at you , and for just a moment you could have sworn his eyes were only slits . `` Hmm . Yes , I suppose . ''

“ And, so, that brings us to the overview of our next segment: There are widespread accounts of the destruction caused during the Golden Age of Dragons, ” Professor Coluber glided in front of the projected image of various dragons: massive, four-legged beasts with leathery wings and smokey nostrils, slender, serpent-like bearded dragons, icy stub-legged monstrosities with spines along their backs and tails, and a myriad of other awe-inspiring figures, “ So many different kinds of dragons are recorded that modern academia has begun to parse them together as different species, much like the ancient dinosaurs and mega-mammals. It is even theorized that the impressive creatures were the next step in the avian evolutionary chain as the dragons all appear to be slightly smaller, specialized versions of the dinosaurs. ” 
 
 “ What about the lizards breathing fire, Professor? ” A young man at the front of the classroom scoffed, “ Did dinosaurs breath fire, too? ” 
 
 Coluber raised his massive, bushy eyebrows at the student, the most wayward of the long hairs quivering over the rim of this thin glasses frame, “ What was your name again, boy? ” 
 
 “ Ancus Antius Aper, ” The young man leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head, “ Son of Lucas Antius Aper. ” 
 
 “ Ah, yes, ” Coluber removed his glasses and began to polish the lenses with his indigo-bordered sash, “ Son of the esteemed Dean. Well, Mister Antius, what would compel you to call the dragons and dinosaurs lizards? ” 
 
 “ Look at them! They ’ re slimy and scaly! ” 
 
 “ Have you ever seen a chicken ’ s legs, Mister Antius? ” Coluber replaced his glasses, his wild eyebrows seeming to reach out as they came near and test their edge. 
 
 “ No, why would I? I ’ m not a farm boy like some of the plebs in here. ” 
 
 “ Clearly. Who here *has* seen a chicken ’ s legs? Or, perhaps, an eagle ’ s? ” Coluber projected his voice to fill the classroom, “ No one? Not one among you has seen a bird ’ s legs up close? ” 
 
 A hand rose with trepidation from the uppermost row of seats by the exit, and it belonged to a demure young man perhaps no older than 20. 
 
 “ You, there, ” Coluber pointed a slender finger at the man, “ You ’ ve seen a bird ’ s legs up close? ” 
 
 The man muttered as he lowered his hand, so quiet even the people next to him leaned closer in hopes of hearing the reply. 
 
 “ Speak up! ” 
 
 “ I grew up with song birds, ” The man ’ s voice cracked, “ My father built an atrium for my mother to keep them in. ” 
 
 “ Song birds, ” Coluber smiled, “ What kind of song birds? ” 
 
 “ Rock Doves, Turtle Doves, Laughing Doves, Pin-tail Sandgrouse, Barbary Partridge, Purple Gallinule, nothing too extraordinary, ” The young man shrunk further into his chair with each word. 
 
 “ Barbary Partridge, ” Coluber smiled, “ Is your family of Punic stock, my boy? ” 
 
 “ Sardinian, sir. ” 
 
 “ Ah, a beautiful island, ” Coluber nodded before pointing at the student, “ Now, what was your name? Please tell Mister Antius and the rest of the class what those legs all had in common. ” 
 
 “ Titus Gala, sir, ” The young man slunk even further in his chair, despite the seeming impossibility of doing so, “ All the birds had scales on their legs. ” 
 
 “ Hmm, ” Coluber ’ s mouth formed a comical frown, “ What would you make of that? Scales on their legs. Would you say a chicken is a lizard, Mister Antius? Or perhaps a gecko is a bird? Maybe that would explain how a raven is like a writing desk, though I ’ m no literature major. ” 
 
 Antius leaned onto his desk and muttered too quietly for the Titus to hear, but the Professor ’ s response was clear to all, “ That will be enough, Mister Antius. I believe your purposeful obtuseness has run its course for the day. I think the rest of your argument may be detailed in a 6-page paper due before next period, which I look forward to reading. ” 
 
 Coluber looked at Titus and grinned, his teeth oddly angled behind what now seemed to be too thin lips, “ Thank you, Titus, for answering with a basic fact. Class! As you have heard, birds today have scales on their legs, many also on their exposed necks, which would lead us to a very simple conclusion, no? Despite the popular portrayal of dragons as fire-breathing monsters with impenetrable scales, digging deeper into the subject reveals a plethora of different types of dragons, many of which resemble large birds or even bipedal avian-like humanoids. Despite the cinematic firestorm of large, bat-winged beasts breathing fire and death unto the peasants of some unfortunate town, it is not without reason that modern scholars in Eclipsazoology, or the study of extinct animals, seek further evidence of the magnificent creatures in hopes of better understanding the conflagration of dragon ’ s existence in all of ancient mankind ’ s cultures. What ’ s more, many studying mankind ’ s encounter with skeletons on Terra deemed ‘ draconic ’ have begun to speculate that similar remains found across new interstellar colonies *also* lend credence to the theory that dragons are actually a highly advanced and withering species of sentient creatures capable of somehow travelling through space. ” 
 
 The class was quiet as Coluber ’ s energetic explanation came to an end, and remained quiet as his excited eyes darted from face to face in hopes of seeing at least one student which shared his enthusiasm. It was almost as though a light had burned up from within him as he spoke on the subject and the fire gleamed out of his amber eyes, but it died down as each of the student ’ s faces reflected nothing but boredom or simply refused to meet the excited gaze. He sighed, a deep rumbling sound, and sat on the shining top of his bronze desk. 
 
 “ Well, young ones, I am practically quivering at your enthusiasm for the upcoming segment in our lesson plan. We ’ ve a few minutes left in this period, but I have decided to graciously gift that time to you. Come prepared for the first assignment, which is noted on your syllabus, and I will expect you, ” Coluber glared at Antius, “ To have that paper alongside the assignment. Dismissed. ” 
 
 The shuffling sound of students gathering their supplies and rushing out of the classroom filled the air, Coluber sat atop his desk with crossed legs and turned his back to stare up at the projected images of mighty dragons as the noise diminished. Once it was quiet he let out a deep rumble that carried on for almost a minute. 
 
 “ I ’ ve heard stories of the bipedal dragons, ” Coluber started at the interruption of his rumble and spun atop his desk to face Titus Gala. 
 
 “ Ah, the boy who grew up with an atrium. Have you heard stories of them? ” 
 
 “ Yes. But, my father said they were a myth. Just like dragons, ” Titus looked up at the images on the wall, then back at Professor Coluber, “ A myth. ” 
 
 “ Oh, dragons are a myth, ” Coluber glanced at Titus and for just a moment Titus could have *sworn* the man ’ s eyes changed to slits, “ Hmm. Yes, I suppose. Only a myth… ” 
 
 “ What do you think, Professor? ” 
 
 Coluber spun back around, placing a hand on either side of himself and tapping the shining bronze with slender fingers and sharp nails, “ So many myths have their roots in truth. It ’ s only a matter of how deep you ’ re willing to dig to find them. ” 

