Chapter Text
High up in the tallest mountains, deep within the forest that sprawls across their surfaces, a single, ancient castle stands amongst the towering trees and creeping vines. It is of towering height, built out of the finest, smoothest stone that has not crumbled despite its centuries of existence. Etchings of one long, twisting dragon and small, cowering humans line the castle’s surfaces, telling a story of a benevolent yet terrifying creature that deals very little with humankind. Whenever this dragon does, however, it rarely ends in the favor of the humans.
In the courtyard that leads to the tall, wooden doors of the castle’s entrance is a large statue of that very same dragon, its lengthy body curling around itself as it snarls at the opening of the courtyard. The blues and grays that color its surface have long faded, leaving only the slight impression of the once vibrant shades. The head connecting to the twisty body is held up high and proud, its lips drawn back into a threatening snarl as it glares down any who dares to enter its territory.
The ground of the courtyard has become cracked and overgrown, the small plants reaching from the dirt beneath reaching towards the sky high above. There are no seats or benches lining the area, because this place isn’t meant for humans to enter.
The old story of this old castle is that it was built and then gifted to a mighty dragon of ancient origins. The king of the once standing kingdom grew fearful of the dragon despite its benevolence, and sought to gain its favor by building a large, grand castle for it to stash its ever growing hoard. The Benevolent Dragon of Ice and Snow, had accepted the gift, bringing its treasures and gold up to the isolated castle. It is said now that this dragon is still within the walls, curled beneath its treasures as it sleeps and slumbers.
The Ice Castle, as it is fondly called in stories, is often covered in ice and snow, hence its name. It is the perfect castle for a dragon that brings upon the aspects of winter, oftentimes shining the light off of the black ice that covers its surfaces.
No one ever visits the castle, since it’s so far out of the way. The intention of its location was to be isolated, since the Benevolent Dragon of Ice and Snow prefers to be away from the annoying table of mortals, human or otherwise. Due to this, it has not been visited in centuries. It’s not known if the dragon still lives and slumbers there, or if it had all been a tale woven by the ancient kingdom to keep their most precious of treasures hidden away.
Dragons are, after all, a rare species, and they are quite elusive despite their giant sizes. Dragons are rarely ever seen by mortals unless they wish to be seen, and are most often found in their lairs, sleeping amongst the hoards of treasures they accumulate through their long lives. It’s rumored that all dragons are immortal, since no bones or corpses have ever been found to prove that they die like the lowly immortals they tower over.
Many dragons prefer to stay out of the affairs of mortals until treasure is involved. By nature, dragons are incredibly greedy and drawn to pretty things of all sorts. They will collect books with jewels on their covers, or rocks that shine just the right way in the light, or even a prince that was wearing a bit too pretty of armor one day. They are not exclusive with what they collect, but they are highly picky.
One such thing they are picky over are their satyrs.
Unicorn satyrs, the rarest and most beautiful of the satyr species, are highly sought after by dragons. Their pretty, almost jewel-like fur draws the dragon’s eye, while their shining hooves and glowing horns seal the deal of want on the dragon's part. The fact that the unicorn satyrs live infinitely helps with their decision to add them to their hoards, as well. Dragons adore the unicorns, and will always seek one out to add as their “crowning jewel” in their hoard. They will spoil their unicorn, lavishing them with the finest of silks and the prettiest of jewels and the sweetest of treats. They enjoy a unicorn’s presence, as well, due to the unicorn’s purity and dainty touch. The magic a unicorn possesses is an added bonus, and the final consideration for a dragon; in fact, most dragons don’t ever use a unicorn’s magic because they don’t need to. They contain their own magic, not needing the help of a unicorn.
Due to these facts, unicorn satyrs adore dragons in return. They adore them so much that they will often seek out a dragon, knowing that once they’ve been picked by a draconic guardian, they are set for life. Dragons greedily protect whatever they consider part of their hoard, so a unicorn knows that they too wouldn’t have to worry about anything ever again but pleasing their dragon. It’s not hard to please a dragon, either. They just have to look pretty and accept any gifts their dragon offers them. It’s a simple, easy life, and they crave it.
All other species of satyrs but goats are jealous of the unicorns. They have easy lives, and are adored like gods and goddesses.
Any dragon would kill for a unicorn, which is why it is odd that in none of the stories about the Dragon of Ice and Snow is it ever mentioned that it had a unicorn of its own. It is assumed that he did, but no records ever speak of seeing it with one.
Perhaps that is why it went into its supposed hibernation; it is sulking over the fact it does not have one.
None of this is known, however, due to the fact no one has visited its castle in centuries.
But that is about to change.
Xin Yawen pants heavily as she climbs up yet another icy outcrop, her hands and legs sore after hiking for days on end. Her bag of supplies weighs heavily from her shoulders, bumping up against her back everytime she moves. She lets out a breath of relief as she finally sees her destination in the distance, nestled up against another towering wall of the mountain: Ice Castle.
“Finally,” she murmurs to herself, stretching her arms over her head. She pauses to get a drink from her freezing water out of her waterskin, wiping off a few droplets that slide down the sides of her chin. She whips her long, dark hair back from her face and continues, her feet crunching in the deep, powdery snow. Maybe it hadn’t been the best idea to climb up the tallest, coldest mountain during the coldest part of the year, but at this point, she’s desperate.
After all, she’s entering the home of a supposed dragon. If that doesn’t show how desperate she is, she doesn’t know what would.
The courtyard is empty as she steps into it, the stone ground free of snow but covered in ice instead. She hums as she stares down at it, and brushes the bottoms of her shoes off to knock any snow from them before she slowly and carefully steps onto the ice, her legs shaking a little bit to keep her balance. She pauses to admire the dragon statue, taking in the handiwork of the carved stone. She’s always wanted to be a sculptor herself, but she’s never had the time nor materials to do so. She could nly ever study.
Finally, she makes it to the grand doors. It takes a moment to push them open, but as she does, the old hinges creak loudly, echoing eerily throughout the huge, open halls of the castle. It would appear the interior is mostly wide and empty, which would allow room for a massive dragon to slither through if one chose to live here.
There are a few small doors lining the walls of the giant hallway, and she pauses to look through them. They’re all fully furnished, with beautifully crafted shelves, dressers, tables and chairs. The beds are made of beautiful metals, indicating that no expense was spared in making this castle a wonderful place to live.
She runs a hand over one of the dusty beds, feeling that the blankets are made of a fine, lovely silk. Her eyes widen as she holds one of the blanket’s edges, tugging it between both hands. Geez, even just one of these blankets could pay for three years of her rent! She’s tempted to take some, but they’d stuff her bag full to the brim, and she’s wanting to save space for bigger, more expensive items.
Besides, she can sleep in one of these beds a little later when night falls. No way is she sleeping outside again when there are these open, luxuirois beds open for the taking.
Opening each drawer and the doors to the wardrobes in each room, she finds that they’re all empty. She frowns, rolling her neck as she walks back through the main hall of the giant castle. Her lone footsteps echo on the stone ground, and she walks at a slow pace. She only speeds up when she sees another set of grand doors further down; do these lead to the throne room?
She hurries forward, using all of her strength to push one of them open. It’s so heavy she barely manages to; she has to lean forward all of her weight against it to get it to even budge. She lets out a breath of relief when a crack just large enough for her to slip inside is created, and slip inside she does.
She nearly passes out at what she sees inside:
Mountains of gold, jewels and other rare treasures. They’re such tall piles that they almost touch the high cailing of the castle, seeming to glow in the light that pours in from a skylight above them. Her heart races in her chest, her mouth dropping open as she takes it all in. She never thought she’d ever see this much treasure in her entire life! It’s amazing, it’s astounding, its’s-!
Terrifying… Because if there’s this much, then there has to be a dragon. Only the hoard of a dragon could have this much treasure anywhere in the world. She feels her mouth grow dry as her eyes dart around the mountains of gold, instantly searching out th form of a dragon amongst it.
However, she sees none.
Is there truly no dragon here? She hesitantly steps further inside, glancing around. She doesn’t see a head of a dragon, nor a foot, nor even the tip of a tail.
Maybe the owner of this hoard isn’t here. Maybe its out and about, stretching is legs or searching for more treasure. If that’s the case, then Xin Yawen needs to move quickly. She has no idea when the dragon could be back, and she needs to gather as much treasure as she can to get some kind of money for herself.
She rushes forward, unzipping the part of her bag she’d left empty to stuff full of any treasure she may find on this journey. She begins to pour handfuls of gold coins inside of it, hearing the way they clink together before hitting the bottom of the bag. Her heart races as she does her best to fill it to the brim, her eyes darting this way and that to make sure the owner of this hoard doesn’t appear out of thin air.
But as she looks, her eyes drift up higher in the hoard. Her gaze lands on something near the very top, and she gasps.
A carved jade dragon statue. Her heart skips a beat, and she knows she has to have it. The jade dragon statues are incredibly rare, and incredibly sought after by carvers or royalty. It is said that an ancient dragon itself had carved these statues, making them from the flames of its own breath and the tips of its own claws. Anyone would kill to get their hands on one; including her.
Without another thought, Xin Yawen abandons her half stuffed bag, pushing herself up onto the side of the gold coin mountain. She has to catch her balance for a moment, her feet sinking rather deep into it, before she places her hands down, crawling up the side of it as fast as she can.
As an aspiring sculptor, to own one of the jade dragons would be a life’s dream come true. She’d always be able to take inspiration from it, to study it and see the perfect ways to cut an angle or to add a rivet for an eye. She would get that statue, and then leave with it and the gold she’s already gathered. She’d be set for life, and would never have to worry about keeping her sisters fed ever again.
She’s nearly to the statue when one of her feet hits something rather large and solid buried beneath the treasure. She grins and uses it to her advantage, pushing up as hard as she can with that foot.When she lands beside the jade statue, she grabs onto it, hugging it to her chest, tears stinging at her eyes. She’s gotten it- it’s hers! She’ll be able to study it and covet it and-
The gold and treasures begins to shift all at once, moving like a wave in the ocean as a loud, booming grumble fills the air. It causes her ears to pop, and she lets out a yelp as she begins to tumble down the opposite end of the pile from the doors. She holds the jade dragon to her chest with one hand, using the other to grab at the gold and jewels, desperately trying to stop herself from hitting the ground.
What is happening? Why is everything moving? What is that sound?
She looks downwards, eyes widening when she sees she’s nearly on the ground. She lets out a scream, closing her eyes as she plummets, curling in around herself and the statue. Well, she’s going to die. She’s going to die in the Ice Castle and her family will think she abandoned them to die too.
A moment later, she does hit something. She lets out an oof, the air getting hit from her lungs, her bones jostling under her skin, but she doesn’t die. In fact, she’s not even really hurt from the impact. The air begins to rush down and around her, and when she opens her eyes to see what happens, she finds herself in the palm of a giant, scaly hand. A blue, giant and scaly hand. Her heart stops.
Uh oh.
Slowly, terrified, she lifts her head, tilting it back to look upwards. Right in front of her, slowly emerging from the piles of treasure like a dolphin breaching water, a large, scaly chest is moving. It goes from a long chest to a long stomach before it finally stops, the scales a light blue that almost looks like the sky on a gray, rainy day. She tilts her head back further, tracing the middle line between each of the scales of its front, until she has to lean back on one hand, supporting herself so she doesn’t fall on her back and lose her jade dragon.
She finally finds the large, opposing head at the top of its massive body. The top of its skull is rounded, with its giant muzzle sticking out like a scaly rectangle filled with sharp teeth as it hangs open. A large, blue tongue twitches between the rows and rows of fangs, twisting at the tip right before it can hang out of its scaly lips. Large humps line the top of its muzzle, giving it the appearance of a permanent snarl before it smooths out to the curve of its skull. On either side of its face, looking outwards, is one, hazelish eye, the pupil a sharp, thin line in its center. The scales on its face are a dark blue, with the grayish blue scales of its stomach stopping at the tip of its bottom jaw.
On either side of its terrifying muzzle are long, thin whisker-like appendages that move of their own accord, twisting and swaying in the air like blades of grass. They are the same shade of blue as its upper scales. Just beyond its whispers, on either side of its ginormous head, appear to be large, angular feathers, which spread to the top of its head like a mane. Among these blue and gray feathers is a pair of long, jutting antlers. They almost appear to be made of wood, with the same texture and color of a pine tree. Along the sides of these antlers are small needle-leaf-like growths, further giving them the appearance of thin evergreen trees resting on top of its skull.
This dragon doesn’t appear to have wings, but its body resembles that of a giant snake’s with two pairs of legs, with one holding her in the palm of its hand-like foot. The talons on its fingers are thick and sharp, and could easily tear into flesh without applying much pressure at all. It would be a simple after thought for this massive dragon to slice her into tiny bits.
Looking down, she can see more of its body disappear into the mounds of treasure, and she hysterically wonders just how long this dragon really it is. At the edge of one pile, pat of its tail winds out, stretching out into the frame of the giant doors, thick enough to push both open fully. At the tip of its tail are more of those feathers, brushing across the dusty ground. Small spikes curl up from the top of its tail, disappearing within the gold, but she has a feeling they travel up the entirety of its spine. Not that she can tell, however, because she can’t see the other side of the dragon’s body from her perspective.
She swallows heavily, her mouth dry as she looks back up towards its head. It seems to be stretch its long neck as much as it can, bending its head to keep from hitting the high ceiling. It rumbles, the sound so loud that it momentarily causes Xin Yawen’s ears to ring. The sound of it travels from the vocal cords connecting to its lower jaw, down its throat, and into its massive chest.
Staying incredibly still and quiet, Xin Yawen hopes it had miraculously not noticed her in its palm. That hope is crushed quickly, however, when it turns its gigantic head, one of its hazel eyes locking on her tiny form.
Crap.
“M- Mighty dragon!” she says quickly, recalling the traditional and respectful title for any mortal to call a dragon. She’s unable to read the entirety of its large expression, nor the emotion in its cold gaze. She hugs the jade statue closer to her chest, and then realizes how bad that would look to a dragon; they’re greedy, possessive creatures, so to see another holding their treasures would set any of them off. She quickly chuckles and pushes the statue aside. “I uh- I had no idea-”
“That a dragon lives within these walls?” The dragon finishes the lie for her, bending its long neck far enough so its face is directly in front of hers. Her breath catches as its cold breath washes over her, causing her to shiver; it’s colder than the mountain air just outside of the castle. “Do not take me for a fool.”
“No, no, of course not!” she says, waving her hands in front of herself desperately. This dragon could swallow her in just one bite, and she’d disappear into the depths of those long coils never to be seen again.
“So you did know a dragon lives within these walls,” the dragon murmurs, its scaly lips remaining still even as it speaks. She’s grateful for that, at least. She doesn’t have to constantly see its massive teeth. “And yet you chose to steal from me anyhow.”
“I- well-” she cuts herself off, feeling her face drain of blood. What does she say to that? She can’t deny that fact. She had come here to take any treasures she could back home with her.
She needs to grovel. Maybe that way she could leave with her life.
“Mighty dragon,” she begins, dropping to her hands and knees, letting her head fall downwards. She feels herself shaking, and hopes that that will add to her groveling effect. “I am a poor citizen of the nearby Linkon City who needed a helping hand. Some gold to start fresh and new. I was only going to take just enough gold to support me and my family…”
“Do they have no jobs in this… ‘Linkin City’?” the dragon asks. It has slept for so long, it did not know of the new kingdom had risen, nor the city that was built south of its mountain. It moves, its second hand raising. She yelps and ducks backwards, afraid its going to stab her with one of its talons. But instead, it carefully situates its fingers beside her, tapping the jade statue. Her breath catches as it looks at the statue, but it does not mention it, simply waiting for her response.
“They do not,” she replies truthfully, feeling her heart break when the dragon plucks the statue away, holding it between two of its giant fingertips. The statue disappears between them, squished in its scales. “Not enough, anyhow. Especially not for women such as myself. There are too many of us, clogging up the workforce. Neither me or my sisters can find a suitable job to support us.”
“So you climbed up the side of my dangerous mountain,” it says, claiming the entire mountain range to belong to it. Xin Yawen doesn’t challenge that claim; she doesn’t think anyone would. “Just to reach a castle you knew belongs to a dragon.”
When the dragon says it like that, it hits Xin Yawen all over again just how desperate she is. She closes her eyes tight. “I- yes,” she says, drawing in a sharp breath to steady herself. “We can’t afford to go anywhere else, nor can we find work. We’re starving and I just… I wanted to get enough to support us. To keep us alive.”
The dragon hums, its baritone voice rumbling through the air like an avalanche. She instinctively covers her ears to protect them. Then the air shifts around her, and her stomach flips as the dragon begins to lower the hand with her in it. She clings onto one of its massive fingers, and then blinks with surprise when she finds that its placed the back of its scaly hand on the ground. She hesitates, glancing up as high as she can at the dragon’s face, and then back at the ground. And then, she slowly releases its finger, placing both feet on solid ground. The air rushes as it lifts its hand once more, nearly knocking her over.
“Take what you need, then,” the dragon rumbles, making her mouth drop open with utter shock. A dragon? Letting a mortal take some of its treasure? She feels faint at the mercy of this massive dragon; no one will ever believe her if she told tales of this encounter. “And then leave. I wish to return to my slumber.”
Xin Yawen knows she should simply take what he has offered and leave, but she bites down on her tongue. She wants to somehow repay the dragon, despite having nothing to give but information. “Mighty dragon,” she calls up, her voice feeble compared to its own. It is already lowering itself back into its piles of treasures, tail curling inwards. It doesn’t pause when she continues to speak, “The only way I can repay you is to tell you this: there is a unicorn satyr in Linkon.”
That gains its attention. It freezes, becoming as still as its statue replica outside. It then moves, turning its massive head to look at her once more. “Is there?” it asks her, curiosity coating its words. She nods as she grabs her stuffed bag, struggling for a moment to pull it back up on her shoulders.
“Yes,” she replies with a nod. “I’ve seen her myself.”
“Why would a unicorn be among mortals like you?” it asks, lowering its head towards the ground once more. Its massive body shifts, coins and jewels clattering against the ground as it emerges from the piles it was buried in with no thought towards its belongings. Xin Yawen’s breath catches when she sees its entire, giant size; it twists and curls throughout the entirety of the throne room, its height hardly short enough to fit beneath its ceiling. “Unicorns fear mortals.”
“I had the same thought when I saw her perform,” Xin Yawen replies, taking a few steps back. She watches as the dragon begins to suddenly shrink in size. “Huh?”
It takes only a few moments for the giant dragon to have shrunk down into the body of a mortal. He appears rather youthful for being an ancient dragon, with long, black hair that falls around his shoulders and back. His skin is pale, with occasional patches of blue or gray scales adorning it. There’s an especially large patch where a mortal’s… private bits would be hanging, as if covering up something as prudish as that. He’s currently naked, and his hazel green eyes turn on Xin Yawen.
She’s seeing a dragon in its mortal form. That is even more rare than simply seeing a dragon, due to the fact dragons never shift forms. They find the appearance of a mortal to be beneath them, preferring to remain in their large, beautiful forms covered in scales and feathers.
“Prform?” the dragon repeats the word, almost as if it were a curse. “They are forcing her to perform?”
“I’m not sure if they’re forcing her,” she replies quickly, taking notice of the way his brows have tightened, his lips almost pulling back into a snarl. She can see that some of his teeth are still extraordinarily sharp, setting her on edge. “She seemed to be doing of her own choice.”
“No,” the dragon says instantly. “Unicorns would never perform for mortals. They’re too good for that.” He suddenly steps to be standing in front of her, still towering over her despite their similar forms. “You will take me to her in exchange for my gold. Do you understand?”
“Of course, mighty dragon!” Xin Yawen agrees in a heartbeat. It’s not as if she could say no, anyhow. Not only is he giving her gold, he’s also a giant dragon that could crush her like a bug. She turns towards the doors, motioning him to follow. “Right this way, please.”
The dragon pauses for a moment, head tilted to the side. He grabs a set of blue robes from a nearby pile of treasure, fixing it over himself. “Do not call me dragon in the city,” he orders her. “That will cause a panic.”
Yet again, this dragon is surprising her. Why would he care about scaring mortals? He shouldn’t- he’s a dragon, after all. Mortals are beneath him. But she wets her chapped lips anyhow, “Then what shall I call you?”
“Li Shen,” the dragon responds as they step out of the throne room. Even in his mortal form, his presence is demanding. She can hardly tear her eyes away from him. “I am Li Shen.”
And so, that is how Xin Yawen ends up heading back down the mountain: with a dragon in tow.