The Dragon of Southwind

"It is one thing to read about dragons. . . and another to meet them."-Unknown

Long ago, in the time of daring knights and damsels in distress, there was a small land known as Southwind. And in this land, many dragons roamed and lived in the mountains. Now, the dragons of Southwind were known to be boasting, proud beasts who stole the treasures of many men and were evil as well as cunning. They spoke their own language amongst each other, the ancient Dragon Tongue; though most developed the ability over time to speak the Common Tongue, spoken by the people of the land. This small land was ruled by a king named Harold the Armless---far into the story, you will soon find out why he was so named. Right now, the beginning is quite important. Now, in those days, when summer nights felt long, and the winter days longer, King Harold the Armless mostly stayed in his great kingdom, sending his men to the Forest in which many of the dragons lived, making their homes in the mountains there.

There was, of course, a particular reason why: the King wanted back his treasure, which was hidden away in a dragon's lair upon the highest mountain, Mt.Hearcry, as known to the people. They called it so because even far away into the Kingdom or village, they could hear the cries---or roars---of the great dragon that lived there. And great indeed this dragon was. For, of course, he wasn't just a dragon. He was the king of all dragons; "the Worm King of All, the Mountains, and the Land of Southwind", as he claimed himself to be(by "All" the dragon is referring to his kind). And indeed, one would believe, with a decided nod of his head, that this dragon was the Worm King of All, the Mountains, and the Land of Southwind. This Dragon King was known as "Death Drake" by the people, but in his own kind's tongue, was called Norok, which meant "fierce". And fierce he was.

Death Drake---or Norok, to use his own name---was a massive dragon. He was defiantly far more larger than his own father, who had long ago given up his place as king when defeated in battle by Norok, and left to make his Eastward journey to find peace and isolation for the rest of his last, living days. He was a very old worm---many say he lived up to 80,000, which is quite impossible and ridiculous, but he had lived a very, very long life, and has been there even in the beginning when Southwind was only starting to grow.

But, remember this story does not focus on the Dragon King before Norok and others before his time. This story focuses on himself, and one particular girl. Not just any girl, but a princess: Princess Viola, the daughter of King Harold. Now Princess Viola was just like her father in a way that she was quite ignorant and adventurous. Though the King was proud of this, he never let his daughter leave the castle and wander into the Forest. As a father, King Harold the Armless wasn't very ignorant, or careless. However, Princess Viola grew to be a girl that her father was like when he was her age. Well, one warm, summer night, when the bright moon cast its silver light upon the land, the princess snuck out of her high bedroom's window by using her bedsheet as a rope. As the fair-haired girl climbed out of her window and finally down on the soft grass below, she thought of the adventurous feeling that pumped in heart at that moment. There was no point in trying to speak with her father---she was itching for a bit of an adventure. And Viola knew that the Forest beyond the kingdom and village was a dangerous place where many of the reptilian beasts roamed, but she was not afraid. And she felt that she was quite intelligent and just as cunning as them.

Princess Viola ran toward the Forest wih an air of adventure, a great smile on her face. As she entered the dark, wooded area, she slowed down and leisurely walked down an isolated path, the earth strewn with dead leaves. It gave the Forest an eery feeling, but Princess Viola found it quite interesting. She eventually found a large clearing, where the grass was tall. The moon illuminated the tall, dull stalks, and the smell of fire was in the air. Viola knew now that she was near the mountains---where the dragons made their homes. Confidence and bravery showing in her expression and heart, the princess continued to make her way through the clearing. She then stopped when she had realized she had walked so far, that she was now looking up at the highest mountain: Mt.Hearcry. Princess Viola stared up at it an awe, and an idea came to her: "If I can climb this mountain and come back to the castle alive, then surely I have proven myself strong, and father shall take me on an adventure with him!" she had said to herself, but not very loudly. And so, not knowing of the dangers that may lay ahead, Viola began to climb. And she never gave up, no matter how many times she almost fell, or how much she felt tired. Indeed, she was just like her father.