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Long ago, in a faraway land, there lived an Elder Dragon. From his den he flew down to the river for a drink.
In the corner of his eye, he noticed something he didn’t expect; a basket with a loin cloth floating into the riverbank. Inside it was a mere baby boy. But his parents were nowhere to be found.
So the Dragon took the boy under his wings, and flew him back to his den to raise him. Under his watchful eye, the child grew up to be a free spirit; curious, playful, and eager to explore.
When he came to the age of ten, the Elder Dragon showed him a path to the nearest town. He was hoping that his pupil would be welcome among his own kin.
There, the boy traveled alone, eager to meet his own. He was unashamed that he was an orphan, and happy to have been parented by a Dragon.
But the townspeople were fearful of Dragons, as their legend told tales of fire and brimstone. Thus they grew to fear the child; fearful he might bring about strife and ruin.
So one by one, they began to gossip, the gossip turned into lies, the lies turned into hatred, and the hatred turned into violence.
They began to scorn, mock, shun, and stone the child in spite of his cries for help and pleas for mercy. But the townspeople would not listen, they could not think; they were too afraid.
A great darkness festered within the child. One day, he picked up a stone, and threw it at a bystander, so hard it cracked their skull.
The townspeople banished the child forever.
The child wandered the countryside, devastated, disheartened, despairing, and grew a deep hatred for humans, for they never saw him as one.
The Elder Dragon found him, weeping endlessly. He pitied the child, knowing what the townspeople had done. He vowed to help the child overcome the darkness within him.
In seclusion of the den, the Dragon taught his pupil everything he knew; from the wisdom of the ancients, to the art of self defense, training his mind, body, and spirit.
In time, the boy outgrew his shadow; from a child of darkness into a man of virtue.
The Elder Dragon fulfilled his promise, but not before his timely death. When his body began to fail him, the Elder Dragon spoke how proud he was of his pupil.
He bestowed upon him three gifts; a cloak dubbed, “Peace”, to protect himself, a sword dubbed “War”, to defend himself, and lastly, a name by which to call himself.
Thus the Elder Dragon passed away, and the boy thanked him.
He gathered his belongings and stepped out of the den, ready to journey into the world before him to conquer his greatest fear;
Humanity.
that was really fun to read. i hope it was fun to write, too.
i'd be interested in hearing more about what happens to the nameless child as they try to interact with humanity. i think i'm still writing my equivalent tale of social anxiety.