The Deadly Beast and the Princess

In the Age of Dragons, when the Cosmic Tapestry whispered secrets, the tapestry of the universe unfolded in hues of wonder over a place of mystery—the Sayahafat Hills. Nestled beneath a sky painted in the softest shades of twilight, this tale echoes through the ages—a tale of a warrior princess, a dragon, and the transcendent union that would bind them forever.

This tale begins in the heart of the Sayahafat Hills where the undulating hills and golden desert grass harbored secrets of a bygone era. The wind, a gentle bard, whispered along golden currents, carrying with it an air of anticipation. At the heart of this sacred land, under the hills, lay an intricate cave system, a gateway to the unknown.

A time came when a name resonated like a haunting melody across the annals of time and valor. The name it sang was Princess Elysia. Cloaked in robes of sapphire and gold, her silhouette emerged on the horizon in search of the dragon who was terrorizing the surrounding area. Her eyes, the color of desert storms, swept over the Sayahafat Hills as she led her men across them with purposeful strides that echoed through the unseen threads of fate.

In a place where the Cosmic Tapestry reached out its loving embrace, the entrance to the dragon's lair awaited Princess Elysia and her men. The entrance, sculpted by the hands of time, an open sentinel to an ancient cathedral. Inside was lit dimly by golden veins winding through the walls like the arteries of a celestial being, and the air pulsed with an ancient magick—an unspoken promise that held the weight of centuries.

Princess Elysia led her men deep inside, where tunnels twisted upon themselves as if they were a maze through time. Deeper they went into the heart of cave system, into a cavern's embrace where—among a cascade of crystalline stalactites—lay the dragon known as the Sayahafat Beast. Its scales, a luminescent tapestry of gold and azure, gleamed in the ambient light. Around it lay riches beyond measure surrounding a clutch of gold and azure eggs. The Sayahafat Beast eyes, orbs of liquid wisdom, met Princess Elysia's gaze. An understanding passed between them that surpassed mortal comprehension. The dragon's wings, folded with dignity, bore witness to epochs of solitude and contemplation.

Princess Elysia sensed she stood on the precipice of destiny even as the radiant gleam of the dragon's riches beckoned and her need to stop the dragon stayed strong in her heart. Yet, upon seeing the eggs, a quandary stirred the Princess's heart. Duty and desire clashed like titans, and her men, eager for riches, remained oblivious to the silent parley between the warrior and the dragon.

The harmony of the moment shattered as an arrow, dipped in venom, pierced the dragon's heart. The dragon convulsed in agony. Princess Elysia, witnessing this tragedy, cried at the silent nobility of the creature before her.

In the throes of impending death, the Sayahafat Beast summoned its final breath, an enchantment that defied the boundaries of the mortal realm. As the dragon's essence wove through Princess Elysia's being, their fates intertwined in a luminous burst of magick. The princess was reborn, her form now a symphony of scales and wings, a guardian forged from the ashes of tragedy.

Princess Elysia, now the Sayahafat Beast herself, rose from the cavern floor. Her wings, unfurled like the petals of a celestial bloom, cast shadows that danced with ancient tales. Her eyes, reflecting the starlit of the Cosmic Tapestry, held both the weight of loss and the grace of newfound purpose, wiped her mens memories and returned them to her father. The warrior princess became a guardian, a luminary bound to the ancient sanctum.

The transformed princess still stands sentinel over the dragon's eggs to this day. The dragon's essence, now interwoven with hers, resonates through the cavern like an eternal melody—a melody you can hear to this day.


I'm surprised that others who've read this haven't left any kind of commentary. I honestly expected more from this legend. It starts off very descriptive but once we get to the meat of the legend, it all falls flat. How did the dragon terrorize the area? We were shown one arrow, a poisoned one at that. The dragon didn't put up a fight and neither did the Princess. This is a legend. It's supposed to be epic and it wasn't. At least not to me. I feel like a disappointed 2-year-old ready to stick his tongue out and spit. What does it say about me that I want more from this story? What does it say about the culture that there isn't more?



Cover image: by Lady Wynter