Tales of Aurarius (A collection of short stories)

The Dragon's Secret Treasure

Many years ago there was a ironmonger's son who slaved away helping his father to work. One day, the boy overheard the knights of this town talking about an old legend:

"For many years, there had been a legend of a mysterious treasure guarded by a dragon. Many men had tried to find the treasure but none ever succeeded. No one even knew what the treasure was. The Dragons secret treasure was always to remain hidden until the chosen one was to find it. Many a man tried to find it, and those who were said to, never returned."

The ironmonger's was determined to find the Dragon's secret treasure so he didn't have to work for this father anymore. The boy imagined piles of gold and silver riches that could feed his family forever. Then the boy told his father of his ambitions and his father immediately told him there was no hope for that sort of thing and it was just a story. However, this just made the ironmonger's son more determined to get the treasure. That night, the ironmonger's son ran away with just some bread and some cheese in his bag. The walked until the sun came up in the morning and fell asleep on a mossy log. Then he woke up, it was midday and he decided he had to carry on walking before his father caught up with him. Later in the day, he came to a thick, dark forest. He saw no way around so he walked in towards the trees. The walked and walked until he came to a large tree with a thick trunk. The tree had small prayer flags tied on a string, all the way around it. He sat down to eat his bread and cheese but was stopped by the sudden light, coming out of the tree. Suddenly, in the white light, a beautiful fairy stood in front of him, her light shining on his face. She told him to go towards the southern mountains, wished him good luck and disappeared. The ironmonger's son was startled to she this beautiful creature speak to him, of all people. He carried on to eat his lunch, and as he did he opened his bag to see a month's supply of food! He ate as much as he could and then went to sleep under the sacred tree. He woke up the next morning and followed the fairy's advice, heading towards the southern mountains. He traveled for eleven days and eleven nights, until he came the southern mountains. The ironmonger's son looked around, wondering where to go; when suddenly the same light appeared and the fairy was in front of him once again. She said to him;

"Follow the trail" and as the fairy disappeared, a trail of red and white mushrooms manifested before him. The boy then did as the fairy said and walked along beside the row of mushrooms. He followed the trail for hours. He eventually came to the entrance to a cave where the mushroom trail came to an end. The ironmonger's son then looked into the dark space and couldn't see anything. However, he was not afraid. The boy walked in to the cave a said aloud:

"Dragon, I have come for your secret treasure!" He then heard the dragon sound a large roar, shaking the whole of the mountain. Then he realized that the dragon was walking towards him. The dragon then spoke to him back.

"Boy, please help me. I have been stuck here for one thousand years and no one will ever let me share my treasure. They're all to scared of me." The ironmonger's son was shocked at the response of the dragon, but felt his pain, all the same. He then walked towards the enormous dragon and patted him on the nose, making him sneeze a dragon sneeze. The boy befriended the dragon and lived with him for ten years. When he returned to his hometown, his father was so happy to see him, he gave him the biggest hug in the world. The ironmonger's son also brought back plenty of treasure, which was beautiful gold and silver riches, as the boy had imagined. The ironmonger was no longer an ironmonger. He became the Duke's father. The dragon lived with the ironmonger's son's (or now the Duke)'s family forever more, and to this day, the dragon lives with the descendants of the Duke.