Laxidos and the Ruby Tribe

Laxidos had been moving from cave to cave for the past few centuries, as was her way, but she always liked this this particular cave, a cave with walls scattered with glittering rubies. Despite having not set foot in the cave for the last two hundred years she considered it her home and property, and upon arriving and seeing a small community of humans living there she was outraged at their arrogance to dwell in her home, and swore to destroy them. However even among dragons Laxidos was particularly vain and arrogant, and while preparing to burn them away she was also giving herself a grandiose introduction, proclaiming herself as the mightiest beast in the lands and that she would not abide pests in her home, when suddenly she was interrupted by one of the humans asking why a mighty dragon such as herself would want to dwell in these caves, hiding away from the world.   Shocked at the interruption Laxidos responded saying that she was not hiding, rather she stayed in these caves because she liked the glittering gems along the walls, for they reminded her of her own glorious visage. At that the human asked if she had seen a cavern further in the cave, where there was a ruby far greater than any in this cavern. Laxidos admitted she had not, for as a mighty dragon she could only fit so far into the cave, and the human admitted that the cavern in question could only be reached by creatures as small and puny as themselves, and proclaimed it was a shame that the mighty Laxidos could not visit the beautiful cavern.   Again Laxidos grew angry, demanding to know why the human was taunting her with tales of such beauty, to which the human replied that they where not taunting her, but proposing something instead. They said that while mighty Laxidos could not enter the deeper caverns, perhaps this puny human could bring the cavern to her. If Laxidos would let them live they could take the rubies and bring them to her. Laxidos agreed, and told the human to go bring her some rubies, but that the rest of their tribe should stay here, and if the human did not return Laxidos would devour their tribe.   With this the human set off into the cave, and for two long agonising hours the humans waited under the watchful gaze of Laxidos, who grew ever more impatient as the time ticked by. However, just as Laxidos was becoming fed up with the wait, the human emerged, carrying a ruby twice the size of their fist. It was the most beautiful ruby Laxidos had ever seen, and so enraptured she was by it that she immediately attempted to pick it up, only for the human to snatch it away.   Again enraged Laxidos demanded the human drop the ruby, but the human responded saying that a dragon as great as Laxidos could accidentally crush the ruby in her claws, after all she was a mighty dragon, she could not hold something so small, not matter how beautiful it was. However the human had another idea, they told Laxidos of the ropes they used to climb the walls, but that they could also be used to carry things, by tying the ruby to ropes, the human could create a way for Laxidos to carry the gem with her at all times. Laxidos agreed, and allowed the human to make a rope harness around her neck, so the ruby would always be with her.   With this done Laxidos, pleased by all that had transpired, told the human that they were free to go, but the human spoke up again. They told Laxidos that while this was the most beautiful ruby they had found, there where many more rubies buried in the cave, in caverns too small for mighty Laxidos, but just big enough for puny humans like themselves. They told Laxidos, that if she allowed them to live in the cave, if she could protect them from the other lesser dragons, they could find more and more rubies for her, and cover Laxidos in their beautiful glimmer.   Laxidos thought about this for a while, it would mean she would stay in one place and have to tolerate pathetic humans in her domain, but on the other hand it meant she would have a near infinite supply of beautiful rubies to make her the envy of all other dragons. And so Laxidos agreed, and told the humans they could stay, bring her more treasures and she would ensure that they would never be threatened by any beast ever again.   From then on Laxidos and the Ruby Tribe would live together, Laxidos would fly about displaying her glittering treasure to all other dragons, her most precious of all being the massive ruby first given to her, which she would name the Eye of Laxidos, her coat being adorned in ever more and more rubies, much to their envy. She would boast to them all of the pathetic humans who mined these for her, and adorner her with treasures while she slept. And she would keep her word, protecting the humans under her protection from many other beasts attempting to hunt them. Eventually Laxidos would be slain by three other dragons, who would then turn on each other over her ruby treasures, but once two were slain, the last of the three would fly to the Ruby tribe, the Eye of Laxidos in claw. Upon arrival it would proclaim to the humans that Laxidos was dead, and they would now mine rubies for it, and so the Ruby tribe would survive and grow for the next five hundred years, until the rubies ran out and their master burned them for the lack of tribute.   But the concept remained, and other dragons would imitate Laxidos, and new Treasure Holds would soon spring up across the world, humanity was at last able to settle down and develop, the Dawn of Man had at last arrived.