Mari knew about books but had never actually handled one. Grabbing Maopa by the arm, she dragged her through the open doors and then stopped in front of a large display of picture calendars. "This is amazing." Her eyes moved from one photo topic to another. Reaching out, she gently ran her fingertips across the smooth front-page photo of an artist's rendition of a dragon. Painted in vibrant colors, the creature seemed to be staring at her. "And to think that once they were real." She sighed softly. "There actually be dragons?" Maopa asked. "Yes. A long time ago. Not many, mind you, but enough to have survived if they hadn't been hunted down and destroyed." "I figgered they was just stories, made up for the youngins." "They were magnificent creatures and highly intelligent. Unfortunately, their one weakness was the need to hibernate in the winter. Humans hunted them in their lairs and killed them out of fear and ignorance. Dragons were like all living things. All they wanted was to grow up, find mates, raise their young, and grow old.
