Mini Edit: Happy New Years! :3

Mini Edit 2: Sorry for the slightly lower resolution. Weasyl has a 10MB upload limit. Higher resolutions can be found on my other sites on DeviantArt, Furry Netwrok etc.

Wow I'm late on posting this. Been meaning to, though the holidays were quite busy, and I got sick with the flu again this week. :c
I also was having a lot of trouble feeling as though the drawing was ever complete. I wanted to add more to it fora long time, but either was distracted by other things, procrastinated, or couldnt commit to making a change further. The story here was also revised to be shorter and feel a bit better. I still like the original, as did my friends, but it really was too wordy to put here. I may find a way to post the original as well later, but for now, here it is!

The story~

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The Snow Dragon

If one lets themselves wander the tundra, or brave the harshest blizzards of winter, hey might find themselves stumble upon a truly magnificent dragon such as this.

These snow dragons differ from their better known ice counterparts that are often jagged and scaled in appearance, in that these dragons sport a kind of coat that's something between feathers and fur. Their coats are said to be the softest and warmest of any other creature. As one might guess, their fluffy figure is to ensure their survival in such harsh colds, offering a shield from the wind and snow, and even hail. Their thick fur is said to be able to even protect them from attacks with the undercoat layers being so thick and dense that few have ever truly seen, much less ever felt their skin. This heavy plumage however does not impede movement on the dragon, and the benefits of its protection outweigh any potential downsides of such a hide. When in the light, it is said to shimmer faintly all the colors of light, giving an ethereal appearance to the dragon. Some say its prescence is blinding on a bright sunny day, but hat one could not turn their eyes away from such peaceful beauty. Under its fur is a quite thin body structure, which is why these dragons must rely on their coats to keep them warm, even in the warmer seasons. They will often only shed the very top layer of their fur annually, the undercoat remaining as a necessity to keep as much heat as possible. It is not unheard of for these dragons to dive under icy cold waters that would be otherwise fatal to most other creatures, simply to cool down. This is why they actually prefer to live in areas with a much colder climate, as many will quickly overheat in even temperate climates. There are few who do live in cooler, but more temperate places, but often reside in the shade of caves or by waterfalls and cold flowing water from the mountains.

While their soft fur may be the primary highlight of the beast, its other features should be noted as well. These dragons survive on much smaller appetites than most others, often scavenging for food or hunting a small meal to last weeks. Alternatively, plantlife and shrubbery are also a complement to its light diet. That being said, these dragons are well equipped to fend for themselves and hunt. Their large paws better help them grasp prey or larger meals, and also make it easier to traverse the snow, slightly dispersing its body weight. Its long, thick tail, while not appearing to serve a useful purpose at first glance, actually helps retain body heat. As it is covered in some of the larger feathers and fur of its body, when it curls up, its tail will wrap around to its head, keeping its whole body a bit warmer when sleeping. Its eyes are truly what set it apart. If one looks closely, the pupil and iris almost seem to have merged into a single entity. This actually provides an advantage to sight in the winter, where light reflecting off the snow can harm vision in most animals. It has developed a very unique ability to manipulate light reflected into its eyes, allowing for greater eyesight in the winter tundra nights and days, especially in snowstorms where visibility is hindered. With the way these processes work and function together, its speculated that these dragons have potentially the greatest vision of all creatures known, and the limits of the colors they are able to see is thought to even incorporate extensions of the color spectrum that are not visible. When coupled with dragons innate prowess with magic, one can only wonder what its able to see. Some legends say its even able to see the souls of others and sense their aura.

Their elemental breath appears to be fitting with the snowy, fluffy theme these dragons sport. It is a chilly breath of ice, a flurry of a blizzard capable of freezing water solid near instantly, and capable of encasing creatures in ice. Some legends passed around speak of these Snow Dragons once fighting with a Red Dragon, and their elemental breaths of fire and ice being an equal match. Alternatively, some have said theyve made the greatest snow forts wih the assistance of these dragons, and such accounts have been shown to be true!

These dragons may appear as cuddly and harmless, however appearances are sometimes decieving. As stated before, these dragons have a very light diet comparatively but will eat near anything when hungry. With limited resources in such environments as well, its best to always be wary. These dragons will see you long before you spot them in a snowstorm, and with such unique eyes, hiding is not much better of an option as running. And in bright white snow, neither tends works out well. However with all that said, these dragons are generally very peaceful beings, far more likely to save a lost traveller in a snowstorm than have them for dinner. Their gentle nature is accompanied with hospitality as well, gladly offering their fur to others who ask, and being known to even go out of their way to ensure the survival of another being before themselves. There is a tale of one snow dragon escorting a weary traveller through the tundra and back home to and across the lands, all the way back to his village, collapsing as they arrived from hunger and the heat of the new land. The traveller acknowledged the dragon's graciousness and did all he could to nurse it back to health and help it adapt to the warmed climate. After losing much of its fur in order to regulate its body temperature, the two thanked eachother, and the dragon left back on a journey to its home once healthy again, promising to return should the traveller ever be in need of an escort.

Comments from the artist:

Its quite cold! Finding a beast like this took a lot of searching, getting lost in a blizzard, being sick in bed for a week, and finally painting this picture of it. However I can now say for certain that the stories of its kindness are true!
I had searched for days, and after nearly freezing solid in these harsh lands, I was about to give up. And if you'd believe it, I turned right around and there it was! I wondered if it had been following me for sometime, but more relieved it had been found (and also didnt see me as its next meal).
As a snowstorm is the last place one would want to paint a picture, I hurried back to my shelter and the dragon followed. We talked for a bit over a nice meal as I painted, and it was greatly helpful in choosing colors for this piece! I can only wonder the many incredible ways it must have been able to interpret painting though with those eyes. I asked how much control of light they had, and in response it replied with a small chuckle. I'm not sure if it was amused by my question, or also unsure of its power itself.
Once the picture was complete, I carefully packaged a copy for the dragon to keep, and gave it some food to take back to wherever its home was. It thanked me and we said our farewells. I'm sure we'll see eachother again sometime soon, though right now I'm ready to go home and just bury myself in blankets!

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Character, Art, and Story © 2016 Xeirla

Hope you have a good holiday season!