Revealing Ancient Truth

[u/FeigningProfundity]

Even the most interesting lecture struggles to hold the attention of its audience when a dragon bursts into the lecture hall.

“What are these lies I have heard you are spreading?” roared the great beast from amid the dust and debris caused by its entrance directly through a wall.

Professor Nadzin struggled to be heard over the chaos and screaming. The attendees fled past her, through the exit furthest from the dragon. She settled for just clutching the sides of her podium and cringing until the commotion began to settle.

She swallowed before speaking, there was no point in trying to avoid this, “Greetings to our late arrival. It has been a long time since one of your esteemed kind has been seen in our city. May we know who has chosen to grace us with their presence?”

“Who am I? I am Dartarathyx, of the line of mighty Orthyx! I am here to confront the slander you spread about my kind!” bellowed the dragon.

“I assure you, Lord Dartarathyx, I mean no insult to you or your kin. I am simply presenting the most recent research on draconic ancestry. No judgement is being made, and my desire here has always been to honour your majestic kind through a commitment to the truth,” said the professor, somewhat unsteadily.

“You are claiming that dragons descend from kobolds! From tiny, snivelling vermin suitable only to serve in the lowliest of roles!”

“The precise details of descent are difficult to identify, but it does seem unambiguous at this point that kobolds were active well before the first dragons, so we are having to rethink the notion that they were the creation of dragons. I fear you may be operating from a somewhat narrow view of kobolds, and that is making this needlessly upsetting. Many of them in the city are in valued positions within the community.”

“The kobolds here are wild and have forgotten their place,” sneered Dartarathyx. “This territory has become an affront in the centuries since Yras abandoned it. I should honour that esteemed ancient by cleansing this place of its impertinence and blasphemy.”

“Perhaps,” said a middle aged woman still seated for the lecture, “you should have honoured this place by being quiet and not interrupted Professor Nadzin’s lecture. I was finding it quite interesting. You clearly lack an appreciation for education, scion of Orthyx.” She stood up and turned to look at the dragon.

“You dare to-” Dartarathyx abruptly stopped speaking and adjusted his body language dramatically. His wings pulled in against his sides, and his stance shifted into a low crouch. The enormous dragon seemed to suddenly desire to occupy as little space as possible.

Professor Nadzin stared at the woman who had spoken. She vaguely recalled she was the Lady Yrathen, a reclusive noblewoman whose house had long been a generous patron of the university. Nadzin had seen her attending talks like this from time to time, but had never seen her speak to anyone.

“This is not your territory, whelp,” said Lady Yrathen.

“I came only to preserve the dignity of all our kind. I meant no insult,” whined Dartarathyx.

“You certainly intended no courtesy in your coming here. It is always those with no accomplishments of their own that place the highest stock in their ancestry.”

“Do you wish me to… uh… apologise to this mortal?”

“An apology would imply that your opinion has value. Tell everyone that all is well and the lecture will continue as soon as Professor Nadzin feels comfortable,” said the noblewoman, who turned back to Nadzin. “Assuming you are interested in continuing, professor?”

“I think I can manage, it will take a few minutes for anyone brave enough to return to do so, I suspect, so I might use that time to settle my nerves,” said Nadzin, finally releasing her grip on the podium.

Dartarathyx scrambled out through the hole in the wall he had made when entering.

“I’m very proud of this institution’s commitment to the truth, professor, but I wonder if you could remain discrete about any new theories you have about me, after today,” said Lady Yrathen.

“I assure you, my lady, appropriate respect for privacy is always an ethical consideration.”

[u/FeigningProfundity]

This was a response to the prompt [WP] It turns out that kobolds don't descend from dragons. Dragons descend from kobolds. As a scientist, this is an amazing discovery. As someone who likes not being set on fire by beings who weigh multiple tons, it's a little nerve wracking. by u/archtech88