Drogon Saves the Day
Dragons in general hold a special fascination for many people and in testament to this are the many illustrations, movies and books about them. After all Dragons with their strength and mystical prowess, represent might and majesty.
Games of Thrones is no exception, Dragons here were believed to be intrinsically tied to magic and the seasons of the world. And that is why; as the power of magic dwindled, the winters grew colder, necessitating the existence of the Ice wall to fend off the attacks of the White-walkers, Wildlings and other races that live beyond the Wall.
Different from the Eastern Dragons, more like European ones, these Dragons are scaled, reptilian creatures, with two legs and two wings. They use their wings as forelegs like those that bats do.
The dragon’s scales are somewhat, but not entirely, impervious to flame. Nevertheless they do protect the vulnerable flesh and musculature underneath. As a Dragon ages it scales harden and thicken affording them more protection from the hottest fire and flames.
Naturally they have sharp teeth and claws, leathery wings and long necks and tails, with spiny crests running down their backs.
Great heat emanates from Dragon’s bodies and their breath can emerge as a hot flame which they use to cook their meat before eating.
Dragons would grow throughout their lives, but their age or how long they live is a matter for conjecture. As hatch-lings they are the size of a cat but continued to grow to gigantic size.
Legend had it that the oldest and largest Targaryen Dragon, known as Balerion, lived about 200 years and was believed capable to swallow a mammoth whole. Now accordingly the dragons in this story had existed only on the continents of Westros and Essos but had been extinct for over one hundred and fifty years. Until that is, Daenerys Targaryen received their eggs as wedding gift and later still managed to hatch three of tiny dragons.
This brings me to the method of reproduction: Dragons according to Maester Aemon are “but now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”, meaning their sex was supposed to be interchangeable depending on the circumstance. Being reptilian-like creature they have no external sex organs, therefore it’s difficult to determine their gender. It’s reasonable to believe, however, that the female dragons would be the ones that laid the eggs. The last Targaryen dragon that died during the reign of King Aegon III, was referred to as female, presumably because it left behind several eggs.
To put it succinctly; in ages past it was believed that the dragons had once populated most of the known world. Then something happened and most was gone. Some five thousand years ago Dragons were discovered by the Valyrians in the Fourteen Flames, the ring of volcanoes on the Valyrian peninsula. The Valyrians mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire. After the Doom of Valyria, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on Dragonstone. The dragons that belonged Targaryens, brought from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of the dragons brought from Valyria eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only Balerion. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these Vhagar and Meraxes were hatched.
Since Dragons are capable of forming strong attachments to the humans who raise them and have a reasonably high level of animal intelligence, they can be trained to serve as battle mounts and receive vocal commands.
Dragons are said to be capricious in nature.
Dragons bend easier to their rider's will after they have been fed and their stomach is full.
Targaryens had to train their dragons to keep them from laying waste to everything around them. They used Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes to conquer and forge the Seven Kingdoms. The rest, as they say, is history.
In Game of Thrones Emilia Clarke is cast as Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons. From the three eggs, given to her as a wedding present, the audience has, with eager anticipation, followed the three Dragon’s journey from hatch-ling to the current season.
In Season five, Episode 9, we cheered loudly when Drogon barbecues the Sons of the Harpy and saves Daenerys from a fate worse than death. Of course it helped that these former slave owners, now carrying out a terrorist campaign to reclaim the right to buy and sell human beings, are so profoundly disdained.
Below is that magnificent moment of rescue and flight:
Enjoy these pictures also from this scene:
The End.
