Once upon a time, a long time ago, the dragon was king and it was the lion who had the wings. They were the two that the whole world feared, and when they fought ... well, it was known. The lion and the dragon did not like each other.
But, though he would never admit it out loud, the lion knew that the dragon had the upper hand, for while they were matched with teeth and claws and size and strength, none could compete with the Hell unleashed by the dragon's fire. The lion had managed to escape, barely, enough times, but he knew this could not be the way. The lion did not like this, and he knew that the dragon in time would come to know this too. Sooner or later the dragon's fire would catch him, wings or not.
So the lion asked the elephant, wise as he was, what should be done. The elephant thought for a long while, and then told the lion to offer his wings to the dragon in a trade. What the lion would receive in return was not clear, that part was to be known only to the lion.
So the lion did this, and the dragon gleefully accepted. The one condition though, proposed by the lion, was that the lion would be forever shielded from the dragon's fire by a solid gold coat and a thick mane of gold and smoke, forever reminding all that he alone can walk through Hell. The dragon was so excited about owning the lion's wings that he agreed without hesitation, and the deal was done.
Well, time passed, but didn't take long for the two rivals to come to blows once again. And this time as the dragon lifted high out of the lion's reach, he laughed and shrieked and unleashed Hell upon the lion.
And when the smoke cleared and the flames died down there stood the lion, glimmering, solid gold with solid golden eyes and a black mane. The rising smoke blocked all the light from above, and for the first time the wild saw the golden lion in the night, and for the first time the dragon was afraid.
And the lion roared back at the dragon and told him that he may escape and fly away ... but that the lion would never bow or attempt to flee the dragon again. And it was the last time the two ever fought.
And if you have ever heard or seen a lion in the night ... then you know why the dragon stays home.