This is a little story that I told in an email based RPG that I joined ten years ago.
A woman, laying in a bed. At a distance, she appears to be sleeping peacefully. Her hands placed upon her torso, as if she were nothing but a statue. Moving closer to the woman, it appears that there are two entities upon her body. One resting upon her belly, and the other, climbing upon her hands. The entity upon her belly, appears to be a bird of some kind, sleeping soundly, the second looks like a small dragon, resting upon her hands. The small dragon yawns and soon falls asleep upon the woman's body.
As the trio sleeps, they begin to dream. First of nothing of consequence, then the once white clouds begin to turn grey, then black.
The woman wakes up within this darkened dream, in the same bed...but alone, and surrounded by charred wood and ashes. She looks around, the smell of death hanging upon the air, as she moved off the bed. She walks to a wooden door, and opens it, to see a land consumed by fire.
Suddenly a loud frightening roar is heard in the distance, followed by a loud frightening screech. The woman steps back into the charred building, slowly closing the door, the sound of large beating wings soaring over head. Then an earth shaking 'thud'.
"We are of no threat to you." A frightening, masculine voice spoke from outside the charred building.
The sound of large beating wings soaring over head followed.
'There's two of them.' The woman thought to herself.
"This is a dream, and yet, this really occurred many lifetimes ago." A compassionate feminine spoke.
Finally, the woman stepped outside, her long white hair blowing in the charred, smokey breeze, and her blue eyes reflecting the flames surrounding her. She looked to her left, seeing a large dragon, resting upon the ground, flames kissing its scales.
"What is this place?" The woman asked.
"This," the feminine voice began, as a large fiery bird flew over head; "was a land long forgotten."
"This," the frightening masculine voice continued; "was justice....justice administered by the Dragon and the Phoenix."
"Long ago, man was given a blessing from the Gods. And for a time, man appreciated this blessing." The female voice spoke, as the large bird circled the area, then landed in a clearing.
"Then, man began to think of himself as Gods, abusing the blessings that had been bestowed upon them." The male voice spoke, the dragon began to growl lowly.
"The Gods then demanded justice, thus, we were born upon the lands. To live as they, to experience as they experience, then, to judge them for their crimes." The female voice spoke, as the bird stretched its massive wings.
"The Dragon..." The male voice spoke.
"And the Phoenix..." The female voice spoke.
"We have seen this land for what it was, and thus, for its crimes.." The Dragon spoke.
"It was burned." The Phoenix continued. "However," The Phoenix pointed to the hills below, and from the flames a single horse sped away, carrying a pregnant woman upon its back. "Even from all this destruction, life still continues."
"And from this, a once prominent civilization, only one carries its destructive fate." The Dragon spoke.
"Am I to assume that, within that woman's belly, is my ancestor?" The white haired woman asked.
"Is that what you think?" The Phoenix asked in retort.
The woman looked at the Phoenix. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't." She replied.
"You are the last in your line. And right now, as you lay sleeping, you are dying." The Dragon spoke, with a low growl.
"You protected so many, and healed even a stranger." The Phoenix spoke. "You've spent your energy."
"But, there's still so much I must do." The woman protested.
"Even in the face of certain death, you did these things." The Dragon continued.
"We've seen the benevolence within your heart, and have decided to bless you upon your death bed, with some of our own power." The Phoenix added.
"With this power, you'll be pulled from the brink of death." The Dragon explained.
"But surely this comes at a cost." The woman spoke.
"Indeed it does." The Phoenix retorted.
"We only ask that you do not squander this blessing." The Dragon spoke, as he stretched out his neck towards the woman. "Like your ancestors have."
"Protect those you care about, and continue on the path set before you." The Phoenix added, as she stretched out her wings. "Guide the Dragon and Phoenix to their resting place, and assist in their transformation."
Suddenly, everything around the woman began to glow brightly, so bright that she had to shield her eyes from the light.
"And from this blessing, a change will begin within you." The woman heard the Dragon's voice...then silence.