Hunger of a dragon
Once there was a dragon. A dragon unlike any other before it. When it was an infant it was tamed by bandits. Bandits that fed the dragon for it's protection and the home of the bandits became a village. A village blessed with great bounties of food and a feeling of tranquility amongst the people that lived in the village and the dragon was civil and timid to the village. As time passed and when plagues and wars would destroy other villages the dragon's village would remain safe under the dragon's ever vigilant watch. The dragon protected the village from all threats of man and beast and plague. And the dragon ate well.
As generations passed the people of the village took the dragon for granted, but the dragon lives by the code of the old bandits. One of the rules was that any trouble brought back from those away must be dealt with before returning. As the dragon protected them only when anonymity failed. This birthed an order of caretakers for the dragon and the dragon was pleased for a time by this. Then more generations of the village passed.
The dragon always watched the village from a high perch that overlooked the village. The village was designed by default to be overlooked by this perch and even if new improvements were made this trait never was taken from the dragon as the dragon had good eyes and good ears. One day from the perch the dragon saw another dragon coming. The village dragon engaged this dragon and forced the other away after a lengthy battle and more. It came to pass another generation passed the dragon by as wombs were healed and things to come set in motion.
The dragon was always watching and always listening from it's perch even if it knew it could do little more than that till all was healed. One of the things the dragon liked to do was watch a young fair be born and raised and eventually have little ones of her own. A blessing the dragon knew should pass for all able to do it. This time the dragon chose to watch a youth on the left side of the village from the perch. None notice the dragon gone during the winter months as the village knew the dragon did not watch in the cold but always listened.
In the spring and new crops were being planted the dragon came down from the perch to the village. Always once a year the dragon receives a large tribute from the village. The dragon knows how much each can spare and how much each house hoards. The dragon was wise and fair to all of the village. Yet this year the dragons gut grumbled. There was no food.
The dragon knew the ones of the village was fair many times. The dragon knew the village does what they think right even if the dragon did not understand. This year the dragon expected three bushels of plant from the right, a stand of fish from the river pass, four dozen loaves of fresh bread from the bakery, two containers of wine from the tavern and two fat swine from the left of the village main hall. It had been a fair year and all that could be spared. This year the dragon was hungry and confused. The village was making a strange noise as there was the dragons favorite bound to a pole in white coverings soiled in piglet blood. A piglet that would have better served being grown fat.
The dragon was confused but knew the village often called for judgment of those that break the code of the village. The dragon remembered much of the young blossoming female. The dragon often listened closer about the youth than some of the others. The dragon knew the fair had committed no crime and freed her before letting her go back to where she belonged.
Out of everything that has been forgotten by the village for the dragon three things remained true. It subtle sign for a tribute was it laid it's head on the ground. If the dragon deems one innocent or guilty of a crime the dragons judgment is absolute. Then there is you do not anger the dragon. For the first time in many generations the dragon anger had been poked. After freeing the fair she was confused of the dragon. Puzzled even. The dragon laid it's head down gently in hopes of a proper treatment but the priests that are suppose to be the wisest ones of the village grabbed the youth and hurt her.
The dragon roared in anger when what happened did. The dragon knew the fair was either suppose to go to another house to bear young for the head heir of the house or take over the lineage of the left. Without her the village would suffer greatly. For the first moments the dragon was nervous then when the fair was stirring the dragon made noises out of it's throat out of joy. After that the dragon made sure the fair was unimpeded to her proper place in the village. By carrying the fair there personally.
The dragon saw a not too joyed reunion between the fair and her parent but knew the decision was right. None question the dragon it knew. The fair was happy being called innocent and gave the dragon it's proper tribute but the dragon only took one swine offered as the piglet was considered the other. The dragon gut grumbled as the meal was carried back into the cave where the swine was ate.
The next day the dragon stirred early still tempered by the incident from the day before. Always the dragon demanded a tribute only once a year from a house at most and only from those that can spare it. No matter how large or small the tribute the dragon takes it happy if it is fair. It was odd that the dragon got only a small bowl of broth stew from the temple of those that are suppose to be wise. The dragon waited for more knowing the priests have much more than any other.
The dragon waited and the dragon's gut grumbled in hunger. The dragon laid looking at the small bowl insulted. All of the village watched the dragon as it laid waiting for a fair tribute. The village believed the dragon good for the village and knew it true. One of the oldest of the village, one that the dragon knew was decedent of an original, went into his home and brought out several loaves of bread and some salted meats. The man was about to lay it in front of the dragon when one of the priests yelled.
The dragon knew the code of the village better than any other. None question the dragon. When the dragon asks for a tribute a fair one is given. You do not harm another unjustly. The dragon always watches and listens. It knew of the intent of the priest before ever visible. Such a weapon was easily beaten by the dragon and the dragon deemed the priest guilty of breaking village code and soon found many of the other ones just as guilty as they tried to harm the dragon.
Those of the village saw what the dragon did and the stores of the priests were made to bear for the dragon. From rich treasure to bountiful food stores. The dragon looked at the bundles and took what it knew fair before going back to it's cave. The dragon knew the village did not want the dragon any more but they did not understand it was the dragon that kept the village whole.
There were no more great tributes for the dragon so the dragon was forced to hunt. It tried to stay close but many times it was forced to be away much further than what it desired to be. One day while the dragon was away the village was attacked by those after the village good fortunes. Luck was with them as the dragon found it's catch close by.
The dragon landed and many of those that just arrived at it's cave were mostly the very young or very old. The rest were left behind to defend the village. To buy them time. The dragon looked over those there and knew there were enough youth and experience between them to save the village so the dragon set the stag it caught on a wagon and motioned it's head into the cave for all of them. The last to enter was the fair nursing young and watching over two more. She stopped and looked at the dragon as the dragon's gut grumbled hungry. That was the last time she heard the dragon's gut.
As the dragon went into battle the village was surprised to find life in the dragons cave. Inside the cave were three pup dragons about to leave the world they knew for one of mystery and adventure. One ventured out after the battle to protect a great kingdom for a thousand years. A second one ventured out and befriended great protectors of the world. Those that serve justice and righteousness. The third, the third is said to take over it's mother's perch. Blessing the village of it's birth for many generations to pass. To never know hunger.
Once there was a dragon. A dragon unlike any other before it. When it was an infant it was tamed by bandits. Bandits that fed the dragon for it's protection and the home of the bandits became a village. A village blessed with great bounties of food and a feeling of tranquility amongst the people that lived in the village and the dragon was civil and timid to the village. As time passed and when plagues and wars would destroy other villages the dragon's village would remain safe under the dragon's ever vigilant watch. The dragon protected the village from all threats of man and beast and plague. And the dragon ate well.
As generations passed the people of the village took the dragon for granted, but the dragon lives by the code of the old bandits. One of the rules was that any trouble brought back from those away must be dealt with before returning. As the dragon protected them only when anonymity failed. This birthed an order of caretakers for the dragon and the dragon was pleased for a time by this. Then more generations of the village passed.
The dragon always watched the village from a high perch that overlooked the village. The village was designed by default to be overlooked by this perch and even if new improvements were made this trait never was taken from the dragon as the dragon had good eyes and good ears. One day from the perch the dragon saw another dragon coming. The village dragon engaged this dragon and forced the other away after a lengthy battle and more. It came to pass another generation passed the dragon by as wombs were healed and things to come set in motion.
The dragon was always watching and always listening from it's perch even if it knew it could do little more than that till all was healed. One of the things the dragon liked to do was watch a young fair be born and raised and eventually have little ones of her own. A blessing the dragon knew should pass for all able to do it. This time the dragon chose to watch a youth on the left side of the village from the perch. None notice the dragon gone during the winter months as the village knew the dragon did not watch in the cold but always listened.
In the spring and new crops were being planted the dragon came down from the perch to the village. Always once a year the dragon receives a large tribute from the village. The dragon knows how much each can spare and how much each house hoards. The dragon was wise and fair to all of the village. Yet this year the dragons gut grumbled. There was no food.
The dragon knew the ones of the village was fair many times. The dragon knew the village does what they think right even if the dragon did not understand. This year the dragon expected three bushels of plant from the right, a stand of fish from the river pass, four dozen loaves of fresh bread from the bakery, two containers of wine from the tavern and two fat swine from the left of the village main hall. It had been a fair year and all that could be spared. This year the dragon was hungry and confused. The village was making a strange noise as there was the dragons favorite bound to a pole in white coverings soiled in piglet blood. A piglet that would have better served being grown fat.
The dragon was confused but knew the village often called for judgment of those that break the code of the village. The dragon remembered much of the young blossoming female. The dragon often listened closer about the youth than some of the others. The dragon knew the fair had committed no crime and freed her before letting her go back to where she belonged.
Out of everything that has been forgotten by the village for the dragon three things remained true. It subtle sign for a tribute was it laid it's head on the ground. If the dragon deems one innocent or guilty of a crime the dragons judgment is absolute. Then there is you do not anger the dragon. For the first time in many generations the dragon anger had been poked. After freeing the fair she was confused of the dragon. Puzzled even. The dragon laid it's head down gently in hopes of a proper treatment but the priests that are suppose to be the wisest ones of the village grabbed the youth and hurt her.
The dragon roared in anger when what happened did. The dragon knew the fair was either suppose to go to another house to bear young for the head heir of the house or take over the lineage of the left. Without her the village would suffer greatly. For the first moments the dragon was nervous then when the fair was stirring the dragon made noises out of it's throat out of joy. After that the dragon made sure the fair was unimpeded to her proper place in the village. By carrying the fair there personally.
The dragon saw a not too joyed reunion between the fair and her parent but knew the decision was right. None question the dragon it knew. The fair was happy being called innocent and gave the dragon it's proper tribute but the dragon only took one swine offered as the piglet was considered the other. The dragon gut grumbled as the meal was carried back into the cave where the swine was ate.
The next day the dragon stirred early still tempered by the incident from the day before. Always the dragon demanded a tribute only once a year from a house at most and only from those that can spare it. No matter how large or small the tribute the dragon takes it happy if it is fair. It was odd that the dragon got only a small bowl of broth stew from the temple of those that are suppose to be wise. The dragon waited for more knowing the priests have much more than any other.
The dragon waited and the dragon's gut grumbled in hunger. The dragon laid looking at the small bowl insulted. All of the village watched the dragon as it laid waiting for a fair tribute. The village believed the dragon good for the village and knew it true. One of the oldest of the village, one that the dragon knew was decedent of an original, went into his home and brought out several loaves of bread and some salted meats. The man was about to lay it in front of the dragon when one of the priests yelled.
The dragon knew the code of the village better than any other. None question the dragon. When the dragon asks for a tribute a fair one is given. You do not harm another unjustly. The dragon always watches and listens. It knew of the intent of the priest before ever visible. Such a weapon was easily beaten by the dragon and the dragon deemed the priest guilty of breaking village code and soon found many of the other ones just as guilty as they tried to harm the dragon.
Those of the village saw what the dragon did and the stores of the priests were made to bear for the dragon. From rich treasure to bountiful food stores. The dragon looked at the bundles and took what it knew fair before going back to it's cave. The dragon knew the village did not want the dragon any more but they did not understand it was the dragon that kept the village whole.
There were no more great tributes for the dragon so the dragon was forced to hunt. It tried to stay close but many times it was forced to be away much further than what it desired to be. One day while the dragon was away the village was attacked by those after the village good fortunes. Luck was with them as the dragon found it's catch close by.
The dragon landed and many of those that just arrived at it's cave were mostly the very young or very old. The rest were left behind to defend the village. To buy them time. The dragon looked over those there and knew there were enough youth and experience between them to save the village so the dragon set the stag it caught on a wagon and motioned it's head into the cave for all of them. The last to enter was the fair nursing young and watching over two more. She stopped and looked at the dragon as the dragon's gut grumbled hungry. That was the last time she heard the dragon's gut.
As the dragon went into battle the village was surprised to find life in the dragons cave. Inside the cave were three pup dragons about to leave the world they knew for one of mystery and adventure. One ventured out after the battle to protect a great kingdom for a thousand years. A second one ventured out and befriended great protectors of the world. Those that serve justice and righteousness. The third, the third is said to take over it's mother's perch. Blessing the village of it's birth for many generations to pass. To never know hunger.