The Story of Dartoth and the Dayfire

"Let me tell you the tale of the Dayfire, and how it came to be.
Once the Dayfire did not burn across the sky each dawn. In fact there was no dawn at all, or dusk or midday. There was only night, and stars ruled the sky, twinkling and shining, but giving only the glintiest of light to those who dwelt in the world. The moon gave light, to be sure, but it was a fickle light, always changing and never staying one thing.
Dragons ruled this all-night, of course, as they were the greatest of all creatures. It was a difficult time though - for things lurk in the dark, nasty things. Sometimes, monsters would sneak up on a dragon, though they could see well enough with their great eyes, they could not see all, and they'd be caught and even killed by the monsters in the shadows of the gloomworld.
But Dartoth was the mightiest of dragons, her scales were crimson like blood (though it was hard to see!). She soared over the black mountains like a thundercloud, and her claws could rip giants in half. She saw the lower creatures sneaking around in the dark and she knew that what was needed was fire. For when her breath set forests and even rocks alight, nothing could hide from her quick, predatory gaze, and so fire was what was needed. Dartoth decided to give the world fire to see by, and when the greatest dragon decided to do something, it got done.
So she set a mountain on fire, digging deep beneath the stones and breathing fire into its heart, so the top of the mountain exploded with flame and molten rock. And the lava - liquid fire - pouring out of the mountain and across the land gave off some light to see by, but it also gave off a lot of smoke, which got in flying dragons' eyes and made it hard to see.
Determined, for when Dartoth made a decision to do something, she never gave up, she next set fire to the sea, flying for days covering the whole surface of the water with flames that could never go out. That made a great light that lit up all the surrounding land for miles and miles away. But it also boiled the water away and created steam, which got in everyone's way again and made it hard to see through. Finally the sea dried up and the fire went out, and the world was dark once again.
Dartoth prowled in her cave, roaring loud enough to split the earth beneath her claws, but she paid it no mind. She had set herself upon a task, and Dartoth always finished what she started. Besides, the things that crept in the dark were still there, and they knew she was trying to destroy them.
Finally, Dartoth had an idea, and she flew out of her cave immediately and up into the air. Higher and higher she flew, higher and higher again, until the whole world was small beneath her because it was so far down. And then she breathed in, a great flame boiling in her mighty chest. She kept inhaling, so that even far below trees were ripped from the ground from the air building inside her, kindling and stoking the biggest fire that there ever was. When Dartoth could stand no more, she breathed in a little more still and then released it - a single, immense, gargantuan ball of flame that she hurled out of her body with a scream of triumph, for she knew she had done it. The ball soared out and lit up the whole world, a bright fire in the sky for all to see by.
The creatures that crept in the dark screamed as well, but in terror, for they knew they were doomed, and those who survived the immediate onslaught of every dragon everywhere hid underground, in the caves and pits where the fire could reach them.
But Dartoth's flame - the Dayfire - had one important catch - in order to ensure that it never stopped and never landed and burned up the whole world, Dartoth had to throw it all the way around the world, so that it would always go around and never down. That meant that it only shone on any one part of the world half the time, and whenever it was gone - swinging around for another pass - the night returned, and the stars shone again, but it wasn't as scary any more (though of course dragons were never scared) - because everyone knew that the night would always end and the day would come with the return of the Dayfire, and the creatures who crept would never dare come out in case the Dayfire saw them and the dragons ate them.
And that is why we call her Dartoth the World Furnace, because she created fire big enough for the whole world."

Related Locations

• Kundar