From the deep, dark mysteries of the Ocean, onto the dry land they came, the Alive, expanding and diversifying like the sidereal womb from whence all came.
Among the Alive, the adventurous Animals set out to tread paths none had ever trodden. One of their clans conceived of the strategy that would enable all subsequent Animals to remain their whole lives upon the dry land, if they so chose, and which bound them to always return to it, if they did not.
So came to be the Egg, as humans know it best. Armored to resist dessication, thereby ensuing the survival of its precious cargo, a womb independent and self-contained. From it sprang the beings, also armored, powerful and ancient, and yet breathtakingly new, who would come to rule the Earth and all its habitats.
They were Dragons. Some of them returned to the waters, refining their limbs into fins well-remembered, and others took to the skies, stretching their skins to craft bold wings. Some ventured deep into the underground, and others high unto the canopy of forests untamed. Some grew gigantic in size, and others minute. Some walked on powerful legs, even erect, as humans later would. And then there were those, who chose to not walk.
They were Snakes. They lost their legs and extended their necks and tails, and redistributed their muscular mass throughout their novel stylized frames. Like all Animals they specialized to follow and overtake the nourishment they required. Therefore some distilled proteins which would slow, or completely halt, the movement of their prey, or of their unwitting adversary in battle. Others mastered the art of swiftly constricting their quarry amid their muscled coils. Still others simply attained the speed of lightning, and the precision of well-aimed arrows, that they need not be concerned about immobilizing their target.
Then the Time for Change came, and the Dragons knew they must adapt to new environments. Some chose to retain their scaly armor, and others to exchange it for feathers or fur. Some chose to embrace their Eggs within their selves, and others to continue casting them out of their bodies. Still there were those who walked into the Dreamtime, ensconcing themselves in the Mystery, yet remaining ever connected to the here-now.