Dragons still exist.

They're still out there. They hide from us. They don't really need to, as we live too fast to notice them. But they still hide from us, just to make sure.

You see, they like observing us. We interest them unendingly. They love simply hovering over an open mall, or following someone at a distance for a short while. At night, they return to their clan home and tell the other dragons what they have seen. Gossip, if you will. If you're interesting enough to them you might have a whole family silently watching you.

If a dragon likes you, it will protect you from physical harm- a big jump to the sidewalk from the middle of a busy road might well be dragon-assisted. Ideas, too. What do you think made the apple fall on Newton's head? Dragons, if they know what you are after, might just nudge hints in your direction. Whether you take them or not is up to you.

There are two types of dragon: Occidental (Western) and Oriental (Eastern). The Occidentals have wings and use them for flight where the Orientals simply float and glide. Both come in a variety of colors and personalities, though they are all around the size of an adult human, if a little taller.

Most of the dragons who wanted to materialize and live in co-existence with humans were simply killed by humans. Since then, dragons have learned that we are not to be trusted and have hidden themselves.

There are a branch of humans who dragons do trust, though. They are known as Alchemists. They are not people who try to turn lead into gold, they are a sort of informers to the dragons. It is them who inform the dragons of politics, of changes in mentality, of human affairs and the like. Sometimes dragons even stay with Alchemists, so as to mingle with humans firsthand. Dragons can change their appearance, so they simply "transform" into humans and then go forth under the humans to explore...

Sometimes they don't like what they see. Just as humans who are liked by the dragons, the ones which are in the dragons disfavour can be cursed, whether with bad luck or with actual physical harm (if you're extremely bad).

I have told enough for now. But remember: Be wise in your actions, for who knows, maybe your best friend is a dragon...