Concerning Areth’yncain

By Dana Mentir

Introduction

            We are not alone.

 Do not misinterpret this; aliens are little more than the fantasies of the dangerously schizophrenic or the maliciously untruthful.  Aliens belong in the same textbooks as cold fusion, presidential conspiracies, and the idea of phigolsten being the element pertaining to heat.  Fallacies spread by the misguided or the confused.

            But dragons are another story entirely.  They have existed for almost as long as the Homo sapiens, yet the majority of those who read this are ignorant of them.  Do not be surprised; these dragons have evolved, or been endowed by their Creator with, a very unique hunting mechanism: they are a species that can change shape at will.

Species classification

            The word species may, in fact, not be correct.  To begin, a person must come to a concrete definition of the word “species.”  Most would assume that a species is a group of organisms that look and behave in much the same way.  What defines the species of the honeybee?  The yellow stripes?

            There is a type of fly that has stripes that look almost identical to that of a honeybee.  It even behaves in much the same way as a bee.  

            So what then?  A species is a group of animals or plants that can reproduce with one another, many would say.  A far more specific arrangement. 

            According to both of the above definitions, these dragons can only be classified as members of the human species.  In their human form they are next to undistinguishable from any “normal” human.  And what is more, they can mate with humans, while holding a human form

            As such, dragons and humans could not be called different species any more than a black man and a white one.  Instead, they are more of a “race.” 

Races

            An Asian man and a black woman may have children.  They also will behave in much the same way, at least from a physiological prospective. Yet one has tan skin and the other is dark, are they of different species?

            Certainly not, the mere idea is preposterous.  And what of the man who is born with six fingers?  Is he a different species?  The dwarf?  The albino woman?  Is she human?

            In the same way an areth’yncain is human. 

Genetics

            Albinism is a genetic defect.  Some where on the billions of strands of DNA in the chromosomes, something went wrong.  This defect transfers into the making of protein, and an amino acid is left out or forgotten, the entire protein is ruined, having apparent physical effects: the lack of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes.

            Now imagine that there were more of these defects.  So many, in fact, that the entire gene can be considered different than normal.  What if seventeen of these defected genes were to be present?  The resulting organism would be very different than a “normal” human.   These genes are rare, however, and highly recessive. 

Mitochondria

            The power plants of the cells.  It is inside this little bean shaped organ that cellular respiration occurs, giving cells the energy they need to function.  Each mitochondrion has a unique set of DNA, independent from that of the cell it is in. 

            This in it self is surprising, but the truly astounding thing is that this DNA is identical in every single human alive on this planet.  Except for a small few.   These rare individuals have a slightly different set of mitochondrial DNA, making the little reactors slightly more powerful, more efficient.  Mitochondrial DNA is passed down through the mother.

Effects

            The effects of these two traits can be quite astounding.  The genetic defects allow for the areth’yncain to maintain a human shape and a draconian shape, while the mitochondiral distinction allow the dragon to assert either shapes gentic code, changing shape.

Heredity

            The areth’yncain are a race of humanity.  As such they have the ability to mate with other humans, at least in their human shape.  The logistical problems of a human and a dragon in his draconian shape need not be explained.  However, the child will be human in the vast majority of cases. Here is a list of many possible combinations:

.           All 17 genes, mitochondria       = areth’yncain (full-dragon)

            All 17 genes, no mitochondria  = hyrex’yncain (half-dragon)

            Some genes, mitochondria        =human

            Some genes, no mitochondria   =human

            No genes, mitochondria            = human

            No genes, no mitochondria       = human

            The vast majority of the humans on the planet fall under the last category. 

Origins

            Unknown.  The Europeans first produced accurate drawings/sketches of the areth’yncain, so it is not too farfetched to assume that the dragons find their origins there.

Conclusion

            It should be noted that this guide is grossly incomplete.  More information shall be presented as it is learned.