Sariel Fallon's Story

Ugh. Such a drab place it was, the Sun seemed to slowly setting over the Soon to be Somewhat Menacing Dark Wood, the place Generally filled with unknown Horrors and Fiends. A Place generally avoided by those who had even half a Brain, however this Banished Celestian found a 'Thrill' in all of this, something you wouldn't see in the Heavenly Realm that's for sure, it practically made her spine crawl with delight. "This is going to be fucking fun! Oh perhaps I'll run into some Monster? Like in that stupid movie they where airing on the tube...all covered in branches and human bones! Ha and then it will go up in fire~" The Woman laughed, now pushing herself between a set of tree's which seemed rather close to one another, thankfully she didn't get wedged- however it seemed more fun to take a path that wasn't the most wise to take, the initial path itself seemed too linear so an alternate route would work nicely! Now all she had to do is not lose that Rock of the Sun which currently remained wrapped around her neck by a thick piece of old tire swing rope and nothing should go wrong! Hopefully.

What? The Banished Celestian would come to a sudden halt or merely nearly become wedged between a lining of Tree's as it seemed some odd figure appeared before her? The form of the creature seeming somewhat lithe, meek even- legs long somewhat like a Spiders? Sleek leather like wings, and those eyes...well they where damn cool! Its not like this Celestian's mind could fully understand the torment that is hell, had never seen it. However the Celestian was left with a raised brow. "What...? OH OH This must be the spooky part! Like the..persons face will melt or be like one of those predator things. And then I light it on fire!" The Woman seemed enthusiastic like a child going on his first Freight Farm, or her first Freight Farm! The odds of eye contact being made wasn't too great, she was far too busy expecting another spooky to pop on up out of nowhere?

Blinked. The Celestian's brow raising once more, it was clear she didn't. "What? Um...are you some Famous Celebrity I'm supposed to know about or something? Cause I have no idea who the fawk you are." Yes. The Celestian didn't, so she felt like she had no reason to speak what she thought. This wasn't very scary though she did free herself from the Tree Line she was lodged in briefly, a twig was poking her side damn it! Not comfortable. Was...he trying to act... the Woman's face scrunched up as she nearly burst into a fit of laughter. "M-My time? What..what the oh god bwaha!" Sadly she did burst out into a fit of laughter. "Y-You look like some freaking...Frog or something! From that..cartoon oh God...priceless! Now..what the heck are you going on about? My Time? You want to know my time...? What?"

Was he being serious? This made the Woman laugh even harder then she was previously, her sides even started to hurt now. "Hell's Hunters? Is that some sort of band? Because it sounds like a Metal Band...so am I getting a check? Oh god this is priceless..." The Woman would seem to sigh, holding her sides as she tried to catch her breath, God she was being a little to loud. "Who am I? Oh just some random passerby looking for a thrill? A Random Passerby who so happens to be a bad ass?" She wasn't likely be willing to tell the Man, oh she was the Carrier of the Suns Warmth? Not like anyone knew of her, fell before the Verse came to be after all! Probably replaced by someone else in that job..class...or something? However as the Sun Set the atmosphere slowly seemed to change, which made...things more interesting, however as the Sun no longer seemed present and the Moon taking its place a crimson glow would seem to admit from the Woman's form, one mimicking the glow the sun had given off itself not the bright blinding glow but the reddish orange flow of heat and energy?

It seemed Chi had his moment of meditation ruined as a result of the talking or conversation between the Celestian and..'Hell Hunter', or perhaps it was her stupid fit of laughter. Regardless it seemed to have gotten his attention, drawn him toward the source even? Well one shall see how this went, thankfully it wasn't Fae playing some horrid trick on this time around and merely the real deal for once. That being a Lithe Figure speaking to a somewhat normal looking Woman aside from the coloration of her hair and eyes, not forgetting that almost Sun like Aura which appeared when the Sun had set. However it would seem from her perspective a wall had simply appeared behind her, the Woman turning back as she notice its shadow loom forward as a result of the moons light being blocked. "Oh COOL! Looks like the buggers trying to actually scare me now- OI PAWS OFF!" The Woman barely had noticed the Mans grasp, the lithe arm reaching out swiftly to grab her wrist. Though the heat admitting from that aura was somewhat unbearable to the extent of most mortals being unable to approach it let alone grasp, like the heat of the Suns Rays radiated from her form, however she would play along if it meant lighting him on fire, she saw no reason to fear many.

However. Once Chi had located the creators of such a voice, was it possible for him to notice a seemingly glowing woman being assaulted by some Evil, Lithe Figure? It would be good on her part, she would appear to be some helpless victim!

Why wasn't the Spear working on the Beast whom seemed to reach out for her neck? Okay the Heat wasn't hurting him? This wasn't good, not good at all! Why wasn't he being set ablaze by her Aura like those whom normally touched him, this wasn't seeming to be in her favor. Well now what was she going to do now? The Light from the Spear which stunned evil didn't seem to work on this creature which felt inclined on reaching for her neck now! Wait wasn't that mentioned previously?

However. The Blinding light did seem to grasp the Celestian's attention, it wasn't well it was freaking bright! "No manner of trickery! Some..help please! Like..now...please?" Yes. Help now would be nice, he needed to stab the thing! It was clearly reaching for her throat while she remained backed into a 'corner' or..wall. "Oi! I said hands off you crazy son of a bitch!" Why wasn't the Aura Working? It wasn't like the Flames of Hell ones meant to cause suffering to those who have sinned gravely but like the heat of the Sun! Something considered Holy and Symbolic?

It would seem the Light Worked? Well seeing so far the creature had just upped and vanished as if it wasn't there in the first place. Perhaps it was the Mans booming voice and demand behind it? The Celestian would admit she felt the urge to suddenly cease pleading for help and merely crumple on the ground herself! The Chi or energy behind the Mans words seemed somewhat inhuman, or even clearly inhuman! "Damn! I...I think you did it! I...think its gone? I mean..damn, that was so freaking cool! Like..I swear it was like from a movie I seen, YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" The Glowing Woman found a thrill from all this, the Light was still..oh god it was blinding her! Too bright was too bright, maybe she needed to stop looking at it now or blindness was certain to follow. "Er..do you mind...turning that off? I think I'm going blind..." And then the Wind? It practically tossed her into the now bending tree she had squeezed pass, seeing the wall might be gone now...?

Oh Thank Goodness. She was about to go blind when it seemed when he tapped his Spear on the ground causing the light to cease? "Oh its fine! Really, thank you for turning...it off..?" Though now she was attempting to rub her eyes, though the..Wind? Well it seemed that was gone and the tree's where somewhat returning back to their original..somewhat..spot? Or positions! Though as she went to rub her eyes he raised a brow at her? "Eh? Oh! Er... well its a rather long story actually...but to make things simple, I got thrown out?" Yes that was about it, she would shake her head now- blinking as her eyes readjusted. Though it seemed he pulled his hood back, causing the Celestian to flutter her eyes at him again. "Dayum! Oh..I knew that! Wait..I think....why is it so dangerous? Its not like they bother me normally! I mean this would be a first? I'M NOT MEEK! I'm..a..bad ass? I punched Gabriel in the face!" Yes. She punched Gabriel in the face, just because she could...such a found memory.

Was Hyper. Yes very much so, that unending flow of energy made Sariel who she was! "Hey! Its not Wise I get that much but he had it coming? Psh I don't see how he's the Left Hand." The Woman would fold her arms seeming to huff now. Though it seemed he cracked his neck, mumbling something which caused her brow to raise? She didn't have ungodly hearing, no she wasn't some type of animal now! "How is it not an insult? Wait...er..how..is." The Celestian would seem to blink, she didn't know what the term meant so...she assumed it was an insulted? However she seemed bewildered now.

"Humble...Kind Hearted? HA I KNEW I WASN'T A BITCH! And I'm not weak! I am...Strong! I mean I punched God's Left Seat in the face! Was about to kick Lucifer's ass too! Stupid Cloud Parting ass hat...hmph.." She wanted to punch the Old Devil in the face well before he was the Old Devil, on he was going to Part the Clouds, well she carried the Suns Warmth! "Hm I feel insulted because there's not many strongest then me! I..think....-" And then the Horse appeared. Well when he whistled it seemed a Horse had trotted over to him, a old grey horse to be exact? Wait...Pastries? "Hungry? YES! I'm hungry..er...I tend to forget that I lose allot of my power during the Night Time...."

Sweet Roll! The Celestian would nab it, nearly stuffing it into her mouth now, oh God(s) she loved sweets? "Good! Cause I'm not? HEY But..But there isn't! I'm...Epic? Wait..I did..? When did I..?" Talking with her mouthful was honestly a bad idea, her words where somewhat muffled now? "My head hurts....hm.." Well it wasn't initially her fault she was this way, just like Lucifer her role resulted in her being a bit...over arrogant? "I do..? How do I seem over confident?- I won't get eaten by..Older Demons! No such thing as too much confidence? I'd just work my charm?" The Woman would seem to beam now, charm is something she didn't have- she couldn't flirt to save herself or..her own immortal life? "Eh? Ancient Dark's? I thought Demons or..Evils didn't exist until the bugger fell?" The Celestian wasn't told of such, they where all oblivious to this, she wasn't of a High Seat or Rank so much was with held? "You..gave me..bad..visual image....Hm, its fine! I..think....its not like I'll encounter them? I ain't going to Hell or..anything? And Demons generally avoid me anyway! Cause...I..Carry the Heat of the Sun?" She would flutter her eyes, brow furrowing. "Er enough of that! How..about..you and thanks for the Sweet Roll!" She would seem to sway, oh how she loved sweet rolls...or..junk food?

Blinked. Well it seemed the Man was going to talk about..his life? Or past, it be nice if Sariel could remember most of her past before being kicked out. "Born during...the first Era of Human life? As in..the Cave Men...or? Wait..Nomads....wah how much did I miss out on?!" Being she was cast out before the world came to be, or when the Verse was merely a Primordial Ooze? Now fun drifting in nothing for..well she lost count. "Seventy...Seventy...thousand..years ago? How..do..you count that high! Wait..." The Woman would blink again, sadly she was having trouble saying the number, nor could she honestly count that high? However she would listen now, she wasn't very bright so..she would need to listen....intently? "Wait...it..dwindled down to...four? Meaning..they died? That's..." The Woman's head was hurting from thinking too much now, thinking far too much- which was giving her a headache?

"For...weeks...with...no food?! How..do..you humans...wait..how..head..spinning..." She would seem to furrow her brow, so long without water or food? With just him and his three other brothers? "Wait a Cave? Er well that's good you found water- WAIT...emerged ten years younger? You mean like..the..Fountain of Youth?" The Celestian seemed taken back again, the Man seemed to pause allot- though he took a bite of the sweet roll he had? "Er...I think I heard that..before...? Wait died....? You mean go insane and then die...? Wait...they..." The Woman's face would scrunch up again. "Wah! I'm sorry....well it looks like you..survived..or where the lucky one? My..head..hurts..too much thinking...though that sounds like you've had..a very...well hard..life? Complicated....too...I don't really remember much! Ehehe..."

Blinked. Brow being raised again now. "Fate brought me...too...you...eh?" The Celestian seemed quite confused now, as if she wasn't getting it. "Wait..Educate me? Ew learning! NO I think I'll pass, learning makes..my head hurt- I CAN READ! Just...math is..evil?" The Woman would seem to blink again. She couldn't count past five...or was it six after all! "Hm...or..you could simplify it for an idiot like me?" The Woman would seem to beam at the Man now, yes she would seem to beam at him? "HA! I've heard that before! Its one of my quarks? Ignorance is a bliss?" She didn't take it negatively, she was rather ignorant to say the least or to be polite about it? Though it seemed the Man...she just realized it was a spear? "Oh you are? Um...well good! I mean I'm rather certain if mortals found it...things might get...worse then what they are? SO...yes..they aren't ready? Normally if I was any other Celestian whom hadn't been kicked out they'd want to destroy it..the whole its a Sin...garbage, the same thing all those brainwashed idiots believe..." Yes. Brainwashed idiots? Anyway!

The Hidden Glen was peaceful and quiet. It was near the midnight hour and the moon was full, its bright white haze illuminating the otherwise dark forest. The moon seemed massive as it hung in the night sky, its large round form being mirrored and reflected off the surface of completely calm, still black waters. Being farther out away from the nearest cities, away from all the dust and light pollution, here the stars twinkled and shined ever so brightly like tiny little blue shimmering diamonds in the sky. There were no clouds to be seen, and peering up from the large clearing in the trees, this was the perfect time and place to go stargazing. Although it was very late, the moonlight made it somewhat more possible to see in the dark by casting a dark blue silhouette over the forest, making the treeline more visible for anyone who might not have a lamp to see. Of course, many nocturnal critters happened to be active in the forest at this time, and occasionally their eyes would reflect the moonlight also which caused their eyes to glow in the dark. Raccoons, foxes, possums, deer and other creatures roamed around quietly at night as green lightning bugs hovered around and flickered magically in the dark with the serene and natural sounds of croaking frogs and toads, and chirping crickets.

The Hidden Glen seemed like the perfect place to go camping as a single shooting star fell over the night sky, adding a more surreal view to the already peaceful and dreamy setting. But the dark forest, despite its appearance and stillness, was a place that never truly slept, as many animals were just now starting to hunt. From tiny black ants to hungry fish, winged bats and grub eating hogs, the forest may have seemed quiet, but it was actually teaming with life. If someone was quiet and still for long enough, they might even be able to hear cracking sticks and swaying branches moving in the dark forest from the many stealthy animals that passed through the area on a regular basis. There were snakes slithering about in search of nesting birds, which had settled in for the night. A wood turtle was drifting afloat in the middle of a large pond, as water beetles waded along the surface, causing little V-shaped ripples in the water. A spider was busy spinning its web between two trees, and the dew which had collected on its silky strings began to shine in the moonlight. A wolf's long-winded howl could be heard in the far distance, followed by what sounded like a great horned owl as it called out to other owls using a series of hoots.

Despite its tranquility and peacefulness, The Hidden Glen was a very dangerous place for the unwary and unprepared. Bears and panthers or wildcats lived in the forest, along with coyotes, large alligators and other predators. While most of these animals were very skittish and usually afraid of humans, incidents have been known to happen, and it wasn't uncommon for tragic deaths to occur in the woods, especially at night during a full-sized moon like tonight. Everything was on guard in the dark forest. That is, everything except for a single large egg which suddenly fell from the sky, as if it had been dropped from the air by a large night bird, slipping from its talons in mid-flight or perhaps dropped on purpose due to its weight. The large egg fell through the trees, bouncing and rolling over several branches as it tumbled to the ground. The egg rolled along the grassy leafbed before hitting the trunk of a huge willow tree and coming to a dead stop, nestled within its thick winding roots among the foliage. Miraculously, the egg didn't even crack or break, and apart from three parallel scratches along its surface caused by the talons of whatever had dropped it, the egg appeared to be unscathed.

As the moonlight hit the egg's surface, it quickly became apparent that this was no ordinary egg. The most noticeable thing about it was its size. The egg, although having a typical oblong round shape like most common birds and reptiles, was about the same size as a 60 gallon wine barrel and weighed nearly 600 pounds. It had a very thick, dark grey plated surface covered in diamond-shaped rocky scales which overlapped similar to fishes scales and helped it to blend in with the rocks and foliage. An egg which had scales, now that wasn't something associated with most reptiles and birds, especially among the species which lived in the surrounding forest. This could only mean one thing. The egg must have come from somewhere else. But from where? And how did it get here? Was it still alive? And if so, what kind of embryo was it carrying inside? Was it a bird, a snake, or maybe a large crocodile? Could it even be a fish of some kind? Or perhaps the creature that dropped it did so after realizing that it wasn't an egg at all, but just a very large rock. Only, if that were the case, then it certainly did look like an egg of some kind. Rocks don't usually look egg-shaped or have thick scaley armor around them. Nope. This was almost certainly a dragon egg. But where did it come from? And what kind of dragon laid it? With nobody around to hear it fall, see it land, or stumble upon its well hidden roost in the dark forest, the perfectly quiet little egg kept its secrets. At least for the time being as it sat completely motionless between the tree roots, resembling a fallen seed pod or dark fossilized fern on the leafbed...

One year later...

If one could fast-forward the clock, they could watch the seasons change over and over again. Nighttime turned into twilight, which turned into dawn, which turned into midday, which turned into dusk before turning into night again. The luscious green summer forest soon turned over to the dead brown leaves of autumn which whitened during the winter, blossoming with fruits and flowers during the springtime, only to return again back to summer. A full cycle, a flashing glimpse of one whole year focused on the same spot throughout each and every image, showing what was to become of the large black egg, still nestled cozily against the base of the aging willow tree, protected and hidden by its tangling roots in the soft rotting foliage.

Although it was large enough to see plain as day, it resembled a rock or ancient plant fossil, and blended in beautifully with its surroundings, at least during the summertime. The four changing seasons had effected the egg somewhat. It had rolled slightly from its original position during a small flash flood caused by a mildly terrible lightning storm. The egg had been subjected to a small forest fire as the willow tree it was hidden under was struck by lightning. Even though the egg sat dormant on top of a natural nest of red hot burning coals covered in flames, it did not cook the fetus inside. The egg appeared to be fire resistant, or perhaps even fire activated as the fetus began to twitch and show signs of life like a flapping shrimp. At that point in time, the as yet unhatched baby dragon was actually the same size as a shrimp, swimming inside a large eggy fishbowl of nutrients, proteins and vitamins. It didn't even know where it was, and experienced no effect from the waking storms.

As winter came, it had snowed for two days straight during a nasty blizzard which killed most of the trees and covered the ground with a blanket of heavy snow. The egg was camouflaged naturally by the sheet of snow which had collected on top of the egg shell, but the fetus inside the egg did not freeze. Instead, the colder temperatures triggered another genetic process in the creature's body. It started to change genders, just like some reptile fetuses had a tendency to do. As spring came, many rodents, snakes, frogs, insects, squirrels and raccoons would find the large egg and use it as a stepping stone, jumping on top of it in order to run up the willow tree, which was already growing back strong. But even the pressure from the weight of a mountain lion still wasn't enough to crush the lifeform inside.

After a whole year of these exciting changes and events had passed, the egg never moved or changed size. But the little baby dragon inside the egg kept growing bigger and bigger. Now it wasn't a tiny little shrimp anymore. The leech-like embryo had developed into a large wyrm or serpent, which continued to grow with each passing moon until finally it grew two eyes and four legs and started to resemble a soft-bodied salamander. Our unhatched infant was now over 3 feet long from head to tail, roughly the same size as a small monitor lizard. Slowly but surely, its skin began to toughen and soon the baby dragon inside the egg started to develop its first boney scales, taking on more of a reptillian appearance that wasn't so soft or slimey.

It grew its first tiny little baby teeth that were as sharp as a needle, and tiny little claws the size of hawk talons and as sharp as cat claws. Soon, fleshy flabs would appear under the armpits of each forelimb, connecting the animal's elbows to its body like a small pair of sails or fins. They were far too small to enable the baby dragon to do anything but swim around faster, but these small flappy membranes were actually the first makings of tiny little bat-like wings. Right now, however, they just looked like lizard gills, and were not nearly developed enough to enable the dog-sized dragon to glide through the air, let alone fly.

They did help with one thing though besides swimming. These gills acted like little bags or kites for catching wind and providing enough lift that, if the hatchling was to run at full speed, it could potentially achieve a sense of temporary bipedalism before landing on all fours. This would help the defenseless little tetrapod to run even faster for small distances on its two hindlegs, giving it a darting edge over much larger predators. It was a useful evolutionary advantage, and a necessary one, for it was possibly the only defense the poor little creature had. The dragon's internal oil sacks helped it to navigate underwater to such a point that even inside its dark gooey shell, the tiny little larval dragon was already smart enough to determine up from down as it swam around in circles, slowly feeding on its own yoke while continuing to grow bigger over time.

Finally the summer had returned, along with the heat and rain. The rising temperatures caused the unhatched baby dragon to mutate and change genders once again in direct sunlight, only this would be the last time it did this, as the dragon slowly evolved to another stage of development which no longer enabled the gender changing process. Finally, the dragon's sex had been determined. It was to become a male dragon, and this would determine the rest of the animal's life as it continued to mature. The egg was getting soft now and ready to hatch as the outer shell began to change colors like a fruit that's been ripened.

The dragon's small, fragile body was now strong enough to meet the new world. It would finally stand a fighting chance, albeit a very small chance of survival in the wilderness, but a small chance nonetheless. However, it did not hatch. Although it had been a year since the egg was incubated, and it was now time to hatch, it had received no care. It had been neglected to the forces of nature, and while the baby dragon inside was very much alive and healthy, it was becoming a late bloomer. The temperature of the egg had not been carefully regulated like it should have been, and the four-legged beast inside was still underweight. So it continued to hibernate under the weeping willow, lest it become a dwarf dragon and too small to fulfill its intended purpose. Rather than hatching which would risk stunting its own growth, the baby dragon instead lay dormant inside its egg and did nothing, allowing the time to pass.

As the time passed and days began to change, so too did the unhatched infant dragon. It had slowly evolved and developed nicely into something which looked very similar to a gliding lizard, only much larger. It's oil bladders started to mutate and become gas bladders, while it's gills became gliding membranes. It's lungs grew bigger while it's toes and claws grew longer. Finally, the tiny dracodylidae was ready to hatch. It wiggled around and twitched quietly, pushing its slightly curved elongated snout against the egg shell from inside its pink, gooey veined center.

At first there was a crack, and soon the egg shell began to break away as the tiny forelimb of a dog-sized reptiloid reached out from between the cracks, curling its talons and hooking on to the edge of the busted shell. Then another hooked claw appeared, gripping the egg's outer shell as the scaley dragon lifted itself up. The egg's lid rested on the creature's head as it poked its face out, it's large round golden snake-like eyes simply menacing and frightening to behold with their diamond-shaped black pupils and slanted, scaley brow ridges. If ever a slimey salamander could look evil or dangerous, it was now, as it tested the air by tasting it with its forked snake-like tongue. It was obvious just from its appearance that this animal was a carnivore.

But even predators have to partake in the race for survival at some point. The infant dragon's natural borne instincts took over, and within moments, it managed to break free from its heavily armored egg shell. It didn't seem like much, but the struggle to get free had left the little baby dragon exhausted and tired. It crawled out into the world for the first time since its conception, and proceeded to rest between the protruding roots of the old willow tree. Although its scales were harder now, its flesh was still soft and slimey, covered in a protective layer of mucus which gave off a pheromone that would temporarily ward off predators. However, the baby dragon was still brittle and weak with soft skin and cartlidge-like hollow bones. Breaking free and hatching from the egg was tiring and the baby dragon had no choice but to rest afterwards. It would bask in the sun and dry out, allowing its body to absorb the sunlight and warm up, giving its heart and lungs the boost needed in order to get its blood pumping. The dragon's skin was sandy in color and semi-transparent like a newborn gecko. Although it had claws, its talons were still soft and very small, more useful for climbing and digging than for hunting or fighting off hungry wildcats.

After a few minutes, the newborn's claws and skin had dried out and hardened wonderfully. The large lizard reared its head up for the first time, and like a frog or gecko, would almost comically lick its large round golden croc-like eyes with its blackish purple, forked snake-like tongue. It was tasting the air, and becoming more familiar with its surroundings. The baby dragon could already smell other animals from over a mile away. It could hear their footsteps with its false ear lobes, located behind its eyes where it still had gills. It had a rounded snout and looked almost cute, if only for its small size and disproportionately big eyes, tiny cat-like claws and itty bitty webbed toes. It croaked its throat, or tried to, but no sound was presented by the creature's tiny call to its mother. It couldn't even chirp, for its body was still developing and the baby dragon had not yet learned to use its vocal abilities. It tried again as it's neck bulged, but again to no avail. Soon, it began to crawl or slither on all fours, taking its very first baby steps. It started to crawl along the forest floor, leaving the natural nest it had been in between the roots of the still burnt but partially green, old thriving willow tree for the first time in its entire life.

The baby dragon dwelled peacefully and quietly in the Hidden Glen for quite some time, undisturbed and undiscovered. Although there were many natural predators in the forest, the baby dragon was already adept at surviving on its own. It had inherited cleverness and cunning, and its smaller size enabled the dragon to serpentine and run very fast on its belly like a large monitor lizard. When it couldn't outrun its enemies on land, the baby dragon ran into the lake and hid in the water. It sometimes crawled into tree hollows and rock crevices to escape from much larger predators in the forest. There was no shortage of places for our young fledgling to run and hide, and yet it very seldom found any danger that could threaten its growth or progress in such a remote environment.

As time went on, the Hidden Glen became even less dangerous, for the baby dragon had started to grow. At the size of a large dog, there were many predators that had tried to hunt it down from time to time. But as it grew to the size of a large horse, those same predators that used to hunt the baby dragon were now its prey. The scaley beast had developed sharp boney horns and long raptor-like claws. Its eyesight improved along with its taste, hearing and sense of smell. Its brain developed and it grew in intellect, acquiring rationalization and keen instincts. But that's not all. As the beast's muscles, body and bones continued to grow, it developed the ability to use its gas bladders to mimic the different sounds and noises it could hear in the forest. Soon, the baby dragon had become the ultimate hunter and top predator in the Hidden Glen, and all the other animals in the area fell silent and went into hiding whenever the horse-sized reptilavian monster came strolling through the trees.

Five more years went by, and not a whole lot had changed. The baby dragon hadn't grown much bigger in all that time, and it still couldn't fly yet, but its two bat-like wings had developed wonderfully, long colorful fleshy semi-transparent membranes attached to its forelimbs enabling it to climb or glide from branch to branch. The dragon had all the right parts and pieces now, carefully crafted into its genetic design by way of natural selection and millions of years of evolution, a nearly sentient species that had survived numerous mass extinction events and was now the perfect predator. The horse-sized reptilavian monster was large enough and powerful enough to become the king of the lake, as it now hunted lions and tigers, bears and even small crocodiles, anything in the Hidden Glen that used to pose a threat to the dragon's survival was now the dragon's food.

But the dragon wasn't ready to venture out into the world or leave the natural sanctuary of the forest just yet. Life in the Hidden Glen was perfect for the baby monster. There were no humans or other sentient creatures around to pester the growing majestic beast or threaten its security. The Hidden Glen provided plenty of food, shelter and water for the dragon to sustain itself and live on. It was the perfect habitat to raise a dragon in, and the monster felt very safe for the time being, progressing slowly as it continued to feed and grow. After a while, the dragon grew to be twice the size of the egg shell it had once hatched from. By now that egg shell had all but disappeared from weather and decay, so that the seasons of change over the years had erased any evidence that the dragon had been born in the forest at all. The new creature had achieved a huge bit of secrecy as it remained hidden and undiscovered in all that time, continuing to develop and grow very slowly both in size and intelligence.