The Dragon and the Lord
Dragons, of course, are not mythical. The dragon that features in this story, however, almost certainly is.
Summary
Lord Zhihao was the ruler of a canton adjacent to the Crisp-Air Mountains. He was struggling to keep his people safe from monsters in the mountains, and consequently his lands were at risk of famine. Of his two sons, one was unreliable and uninterested in affairs of state and the younger was cruel and ambitious and equally unsuitable to be his heir. In his time of crisis, Lord Zhihao would sit on the balcony of his castle that faced the mountains and weep.
One day, a travelling sage arrived at the castle. The stranger was well-read and courteous, and he made a good impression on Lord Zhihao. After he had been staying in the castle for a week, he revealed to Zhihao that his arrival was no coincidence. He had, until recently, been living alone in the mountains and had accidentally seen the lord weeping. He had felt moved by it, and had set out to learn why. When he discovered that Zhihao was weeping for his canton and its people, he resolved to help in any way he could.
Lord Zhihao was initially a little suspicious of the sage, but permitted him to become one of his advisors. This proved to be a good decision, as the sage was full of ideas to help the canton. A deal was struck with neighbouring cantons where they would send farmers to help till Lord Zhihao's lands, in exchange for an equal split of the food. This prevented famine and solved the problem of there being too few farmers for the land available. As a side effect, the neighbouring cantons sent guard to protect their farmers, taking the strain of Zhihao's depleted forces. Next the sage suggested that the lord adopt a bright young captain, one strong in arm and spirit and committed to the good of the canton. Not only would elevating a commoner this way endear the lord to his people, but the adopted son was an excellent candidate for an heir.
The canton prospered for many years. The sage stayed at the castle and continued to dispense good advice, preventing many crises before they happened.
The tragedy that struck came not from monsters or famine, but from an unexpected source. The younger son, the cruel one, was angry that he no longer had any prospect of being named heir. He struck a deal with a strong canton to betray his father and lord. The hostile canton would subsume the land of Lord Zhihao, but permit the son to rule over it. The son arranged for soldiers to infiltrate the castle and led them into his father's chambers in the dead of night.
There he discovered Lord Zhihao and the sage in the act of love-making - apparently they had also been in a romantic relationship. The son already believed the sage to be the source of all his woe, and this 'betrayal' drove him into a rage. He tried to run the sage through but Lord Zhihao threw himself in the way and was slain instantly.
The sage boiled over with cold fury. In a moment, he transformed into a dragon. His wings battered down the walls and his tail broke open the window. He snatched the son into his jaws and tore him apart with a single shake. The enemy soldiers were raked by his claws until nothing was left but blood. He took flight over the canton, and sought out the rest of the enemy army waiting to occupy it. His dragon's breath left none of them alive.
The dragon returned to the balcony and picked up the body of his dead lover, very carefully. With Lord Zhihao safely in his claws, the dragon flew into the mountains and neither of them was seen again.
Historical Basis
The idea that a dragon, a monster itself, would involve itself in the well-being of humanoids is not believable. No dragons have ever been recorded that far north, in any case, as they seem to prefer the warmer climate at the south of the continent. This tale should be considered a piece of whimsy, with the moral that putting personal ambition above the good of the canton only ever leads to ruin.
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I didn't expected the twist at the bedchamber at all, but it made sense. However, i wonder, what was the aftermath of this? Was the kingdom still at odds after decades because of this? Did the general took place by people's preference. Did the other son grew a spine and took the reign after it with good/bad outcomes. The focus is not on that, but it would make an interesting closure of events that occured. Happy Summercamp !