Chapter 13: The Flaming Red Dragon and Arthrada

After we've arrive at Atarnas, the only thing that we do is the study of magic and also regular things that's usually taught at primary school, with math become the subjects that is required to be learned, especially being the school for nobles, it was an essential if they wanted their nation to prosperous even after countless generation.

As for us, just because one of us already passed college and the other is a freak that's formerly in charge of education throughout the world, thus personally we didn't really focus all of our attention to the studies that we've gone through just because we're always get a perfect score of it.

No, what I'm going to write here was a story, a folklore perhaps. I suppose my writer's brain dies hard as I couldn't stay, not to write for three months into the making. Thus, I'll tell you about a story, a legend that has been sung by bards, told by mercenaries and hum by mothers as lullabies to help their children sleeps. It was called and titled in this present age as...

'A Red Dragon and a Prince'

Once upon a time, there was a prince dressed in yellow and black. Lorencz was his name. Inside the castle, he was called by his father to head to the chamber where he resides. By a command from the majesty, an order was given. "My prince, the world is vast. For you to replace me one day, explore this world from shore to shore, from edge to edge. Learn as much as you can from your travel and remember it throughout your life"

Before he chose to go with his father's order, a princess that he loved decided to come to him one more time, with a gift on her hands. "My prince, please to ensure your safety. With all honor take my gift. Only use this if troubles came." The princess noted before saying her goodbye, waving at the prince as he goes. 

Nodded to the princess' request, he store her gift inside his back, before receiving another gift from the queen, her mother that was waiting in front of the kingdom's gate. "My child, please take this shield. This will protect you if troubles came to your way." The prince, place the shield before his back after finally step outside of the gate, beginning his journey.

With the first village he visited, he was greeted by the village chief, waiting with one more gift for him before he sets onto his journey. "My majesty, please take our farewell gift by you've blessed us with your grace." the village chief then present the prince with the finest sword. Noting to his give, the prince sheathed the sword inside scabbard.

Thus, he continue travelling, from mountains to lakes, he has seen. Countless cities and towns has he visited. Thousands of songs and story has he heard. From the lowest of valleys and the highest of mountain, all has his foot step onto it.

With only his bag, he found himself in the middle of a forest. Scarlet in its color, the beauty of it could blew the red leaves away. Sought to search for it secrets, the prince walk deeper and deeper into the forest to found, a red dragon, wounded by it wings.

Couldn't help by just gazing at the magnificent beast who lay waste in the forest. The prince then walk slowly towards the dragon, trying not to wake up the dragon from it momentary rest.

Soon enough, a twig snapped and the dragon woke up from it rest, immediately roared towards the prince. "Who shall came into this forest shall perish" she shouted, before a groan from her wounded wings.

Remembering about the princess' gift, he unwraps it to find a healing potion that could heal even a dragon. Slowly he walks to the dragon, not trying to gift her a fright.

Anxious and a little frightened by what the prince would possibly do to her, she respond by breathing fire into the prince to keep him away from her wounded self.

Trying to avoid the fire, the prince equips the shield that were given by her mother. The shield reflects the flames thus successfully makes it way to the dragon side where he finally throw the potions at her wings, subsequently yet bit by bit healing her.

Time come to pass as the prince keeps guard of the dragon who keeps breathing fire at him, thinking that the prince has just poisoned her until her flames finally dry out and lay to rest by the potion's affects. 

With the night come to pass, where the dragon was now asleep, tired from her own attacks, the prince keeps guarding her. 

Monster, seeking this opportunity came to where the dragon lay rest. With his heroic might and the techniques and skills that he learnt over the years of travels, he unsheathed the sword that was given by the village chief and just for that night, uses it to slay the monster that dare to even get close to the dragon.

Nights goes by as the dragon finally has woken up from her rest. Her wings and her wounds are completely healed. Spanning her wings high, she asked the traveler curiously. "I've heard a prince that has acquired three gifts from the people that he loves the most. Why did you use all those gifts and spend all your effort to me while you could just left me alone in this scarlet forest?"

"I couldn't just leave someone who's in need of help alone, besides someone's good action can't only be kept by one individual. It must be given to others" He explained. The dragon then a little disappointed from his answer, leaves without saying anything else, leaving only one of her sparkling scales behind as a gift and appreciation for the prince's kindness.

Over the centuries, the prince raise it's own region called Arthrada. For the foreseeable future, the region was in good hands with his people living peacefully and his area thriving, until from the west, came a threat in a form of a hungry power nation. 

Ignarion was it name as it brought destruction after destruction where it came. A powerful empire that conquer all of the western territories and the western seas. 

Drove to defend itself, the region Arthrada, with all her might, tried to push away Ignarion but defeat after defeat as every victory was snatched away in the last second by the Hero King of Ignarion, there was nothing that the people could do to stop the expansion of Ignarion.

Until, a shadow from the sky then land on one of the most powerful ruler in the region. "May I asked, what does the beast of the sky and flames wanted from this dying nation?" The ruler asked, unnerved by the might that the dragon posed.

"Don't be frightened human. I only wanted to repay the gratitude to an old friend has grace upon my once wounded daughter." The dragon proclaimed. "This is a region that he has built with all his sweats and blood. I couldn't just let it die by another nation that's only seek for destruction." 

With the final battle between the Arthrada region and the Ignarion empire, the dragon soar to the sky, burning every troops and battalion that Ignarion held under Arthrada, and guarantee a full protection in all region that Arthrada troops march upon. 

Hence, the prince's action has been repaid by the dragon's father. Following this, Arthrada slowly expanding into nearby region, finally uniting under two kings, establishing the Arthrada Dynasty, with the Dragon that's known by many titles, the King of Flames, the Creator of Fire and the God of Bravery settled by once every decade.

Therefore when the Red Dragon comes for it annual trip onto Arthrada, a festival was held and every Arthradans cheering upon their victory against Ignarion whilst the nation bordering them, even the mighty Phontolux empire, need to rethink twice before even argue or assert their power against Arthrada in this time period.

...

Every people in Arthrada has their own morals and message to say about this folklore. Some says this are about how every small action, especially the good ones are going to receives more good ones. The seed that you sow is the seed that you reaped. Reaped what you sow.

Others are more focused by the first three or four paragraphs of the story, where every good action needs to be transferred to other people once you received it. As the prince said, good actions are useless to be only kept by only one person.

Of course, as folklore goes, this version is only the newest from several other older versions that's already lost to the library of time.

But if you asked me what the moral of the story, I shall give you this reply. "I'm only impressed how does the world that I've only built to revolve around my main character could evolve into such beauty with diverse cultural background." 

With that story become the basis of the nation's symbol, now explains all of the question that the people are asking about it. The nation's symbol is a glass of potion in the middle, with a shield behind it and two swords opposing each other on the back of the shield, followed by a dragon's wing and head, jolted out behind all of it.

'Everywhere does dragons fly, there were civilizations following it.'