Tales of the Mystic: The Aeonian Flame Saga

Zodiac Tales - The Dog: The Loyal Dog

In a time long ago, in a far off kingdom, the king in his time of death gathered together his eight children from the farthest parts of the kingdom to choose the monarch. After each child presented themselves before the king, the king choose the second eldest to rule after him. After the coronation of the king the other children departed back to their homes. It was soon after that the youngest daughter of the late king felt a restlessness grow in her spirit. It was a yearning to seek something to fill a void in her heart. It was soon after that she departed the kingdom, leaving her servants to oversee her home.

Like her brothers and sisters, the youngest was peculiar being, able to assume the shape of dog. Taking her form she wandered about the wilderness looking for something to fill her heart. A heaviness grew in her heart, in the place of the void. Upon the roads she came across a man being robbed my bandits, the girl in the form of the dog defended the man attacking the bandits and killing them. The man so grateful thanked the dog, speaking to the man she accepted his thanks. The man was taken aback with great surprise, he presented himself as a rich merchant offered the dog-girl many mysterious and wonderful gifts. Each and every gift the dog-girl refused, she replied saying that she would like to stay in a nice home. The man agreed, letting the dog-girl accompany him. The Dog-girl said to the merchant that since he allowed her to stay with him she would then serve him; the dog-girl said that if he was ever in need of something to whistle twice and if he ever in trouble to whistle four times, but the dog-girl made him swear to keep that she could speak a secret from all. The merchant promised never to speak of it to anyone.

The merchant, took the dog-girl back to his home. The merchant was greeting by his two children a younger girl and an elder boy. Introducing the dog-girl to his children, the boy was instantly taken with the dog, and the dog-girl was taken with him as well; the two became the best of friends, where ever he went she followed as well. Years passed and the man was on his death bed the man leaves behind all that he owns to his two children. The young man seeking his own path takes the dog and leaves the fortune to his sister. The Father then tells him that should he ever be in need whistle twice and if he is ever in trouble whistle four times. With his trusted friend the girl dog he leaves to journey. In a nearby town the young man hears of Princess held in a tower guarded by a dragon.

The young man seeking to become a hero faces the dragon, as it looks as if the dragon will win the young man whistles four times, the dog stepped forth to kill the dragon and protect the young man. After the dragon had been slain, the young man collected teeth and scales from the dragon. Stepping into the tower he freed the princess. He then took her back to the home of his sister, to see his sister and father once more before he died.

The king and queen, however had received word that a young man had slain the dragon and freed their daughter. Entering the tower she was nowhere to be found, they feared she was kidnapped. The King and Queen sent their knights throughout the land to search for the missing princess. Arriving at the home of their home the knights arrested the young man and threw him in jail. While in jail he remembered the words of his father and whistled two times. The dog-girl then appeared before the man. Breaking the bars, the man escaped. As they turned to go the dog-girl stopped and spoke to him. She said to him that if he can forget the princess, then she would take him to a place where he would always be happy, only if she hear his true feelings toward the dog-girl would she leave with him; if he accepts his proposal she would leave with him, if he refused her then she would bless him seven times and disappear from before him. The young man replied "you are a true friend and loyal partner, I will go with you". The dog-girl escort the young man to her home. As they traveled to her home the young man thought of his sister, and asked the dog to take him back to his old home to say goodbye to his sister, accepting the request the dog took him back to his home.

When the young was within view of his home, the dog asked him once more what his true feelings are. The young man responded once more saying "you are a true friend and loyal partner". Walking through the door, there in his home stood the princess. The princess asked him to come back to her kingdom where he would be accepted as king. The dog-girl once more time asked the young man his true feelings. The young man thought about everything they had been through together and responded saying "you are and have always been my true and loyal lifetime companion," at the moment he reply the dog-girl resumed her beautiful form as a woman. The dog-girl asked him once more to come back to her home where he would always be happy, once more the young man had accepted. Hand in hand the two left together to her home they two were then married living in eternal happiness.

Epilogue

Many years had passed the young man had grown, become old and passed, yet his loyal wife stayed near always everyday she sat in front of his grave and reflected on their time together. As she sat in front of his grave one day a mysterious stranger appeared before her. She offered her the chance to shed the mantle of mortality and take upon the cloak of immortality. Dog-woman having grown weary of the world accepted and ascending to the clouds.