To Remember A Dragon
Once in a hushed town, named Eeria, nestled amidst the veil of misty valleys and towering mountains, existed, a tale more enduring than the town itself. The story swirling in the whispers of elders, spinning threads of enchantment among the young, was about Baloran, the Dragon of Eeria.
Baloran was no ordinary dragon; he was born from the molten heart of the mountain that overshadowed Eeria and possessed wisdom of eons. He was a monumental figure, with an iridescent hide that shimmered in hues of gold, green, and scarlet. Despite his fearsome appearance, Baloran was a gentle soul. No tales of burnt villages or stolen maidens were associated with his name; instead, he was the guardian, the counselor, the historian of Eeria.
As centuries passed, people began revering Baloran as a deity. The yearly Feast of Fire was initiated, where all the villagers would gather around the sacred mount's base, carousing and feasting, gazing as Baloran soared above them, his reflections illuminating the night sky. Life thrived, stories propagated, and Eeria existed in harmony with its Protector.
However, as it goes with time, change is inescapable.
The younger generation questioned Baloran's existence. The elders could only mumble feeble affirmations- none in living memory had witnessed the dragon. As technologies invaded, skyscrapers began to obscure the sacred mountain, and factories belched smoke, blotting out the starlit canvas where Baloran would paint his presence.
People stopped looking up, the Feast of Fire - an ancient tradition, was disregarded as an old myth, a relic of a primitive era tethering progress. Eeria was changing, and not for the better. The City Council decided to detonate the mountain to extract valuable minerals. The forgotten guardian was now on the brink of obliteration from collective memory.
One night, amidst the chaos of skepticism and preparation for demolition, a young boy named Eldin ventured alone to the sacred mountain's peak. He had grown up listening to the dragon tales and nurturing a sense of wonderment. Equipped with innate curiosity and courage, Eldin braved the desolate paths, climbed up to the peak in sheer darkness, screaming for a miracle. He cried out to the wind, 'Baloran, The Protector of Eeria! If you reside, show yourself!'
As the last echo of Eldin's plea faded into the chilly wind, the mountain shuddered violently. The ground opened up before Eldin, revealing a chasm of bright, molten gold. Rising from this incandescent core, cloaked in ethereal glow, was Baloran. In all his ancient magnificence, the dragon towered above Eldin and gazed at him with eyes retaining galaxies of wisdom.
Baloran didn't speak words but communicated via thoughts, transmitting to Eldin the essence of existence. 'They have forgotten me, but their forgetfulness is not the reality of my non-existence. For you believe, I am.'
Eldin and Baloran watched the night consume the horizon, exchanging untold wisdom and unvoiced stories till dawn. As Eldin descended and Baloran retreated into the molten heart, the mountain rumbled again, gently, reverently.
As the villagers prepared to detonate the mountain, they found Eldin standing in front of the machinery, refusing to budge. Laughter echoed around him as he narrated the occurrence of the previous night. However, the mass stopped laughing when they noticed a peculiar transformation. Eldin’s eyes, previously a vivid blue, were now a mystifying kaleidoscope of colors reflecting the iridescence of a certain dragon's hide.
Witnessing the impossibility, the villagers, young and old, recalled the tales of Baloran, their forgotten protector. The detonation was canceled, respect was rekindled, and the Feast of Fire was celebrated with newfound devotion. Eldin, with Baloran's iridescence in his eyes, was always there, reminding everyone of the existence of the Protector, nuzzled in the heart of the mountain, coexisting in collective memory.
Eeria, once again a harmonious town, echoed the tale of her ever-vigilant guardian. A tale of gods and dragons – alive not because they were seen but because they were believed in.