Wishing Dragons

It was then, when all hope seemed lost, that a dragon appeared. It was small, almost unassuming, but its scales shone with that elusive gold. "I am young, and new to this world," it spoke with a wisdom not befitting what was, for its kind, a child. "Yet I can sense how troubled you are. Tell me now your wish, and perhaps it may be granted you."

— The Wanderer

Summary

While dragons, particularly some of the rarer kinds such as metallics, are still largely shrouded in mystery, there is a common notion that golden-scaled dragons are capable of granting wishes. The origins of this idea is uncertain at best, though the oldest known reference is an ancient book of history that depicted golden dragons as elusive, watching over the world from its farthest corners and hiding away from mortals, lest their powers be misused.

Historical Basis

The oldest records tell the tale of a war between two ancient kingdoms, lost to time, which was supposedly won by a wish on an ancient golden dragon. This dragon threw aside the ideals of her kind, interfering directly out of belief that the kingdom of Vandelar was too evil to let stand. This same, supposedly historical account tells many other fantastical and unlikely tales, providing spektics with serious doubt to this claim of the power golden dragons hold.

Spread

This has, however, not kept it from spreading. Even in modern culture, many a novel or epic poem depict these creatures appearing in times of need to turn the tides. Truth or not, the popular view of golden dragons is that of wish-granting guardians of the world. And, unless their kind ever steps out from the hidden places of the world, it's likely a legend that's here to stay.

In Literature

As dragons are an extremely popular topic of songs, poems, and books alike, this tale has had quite a few appearances. Perhaps most famously as a major plot point in The Wanderer, where a young golden dragon shows up to aid the main character in her time of need.