Fairytale 1: The Knight Aranar

     

     Long ago, when animals still flew in the sky and birds nested underwater, there lived a knight named Aranar in the world. He was tall, handsome, and incredibly brave. Aranar had an emerald sword that, under the sun, shone with every shade of green, capable of blinding an entire army. This knight was famous throughout the kingdom, though he lived as a hermit on a high mountain in the forest.

     At that time, there was a king - cruel and greedy. He was never satisfied and wanted everything for himself. Once, he even took away his brother's share of the kingdom and cast him and his young nephew out onto the streets. The king’s brother went to the mountains and settled in the forest at their foot. When his son grew up and could hold a sword, the king’s brother began teaching him the art of war. And as he lay dying, he gave his son his emerald sword, commanding him never to fight for evil, or else misfortune would befall Aranar.

     Years passed. One day, news spread through the kingdom that a dragon had settled in a cave near the Dark Forest, bringing with it a treasure from distant lands. And they said this treasure wasn’t just any treasure but a magical one that could grant any wish.

     When the king heard about the treasure, he started gathering brave knights to defeat the dragon and bring the riches to him. And everyone with a sword went to kill the dragon. But each warrior who went never returned; only a terrible roar would come from the cave, and rocks would tumble into the ravine below.

     When no warrior remained in the kingdom, the king remembered his nephew, Aranar, and sent a messenger to him.

     “Go,” he said, “and with a bow, request that Aranar stand before me by sunset.”

     The messenger bowed and rode off. He was gone all day, but at sunset, he returned with the noble knight Aranar. As Aranar dismounted, his sword struck the stone path, and lightning shot from the ground to the sky.

     The king joyfully welcomed his only nephew and invited him to the table. He had never fed and entertained anyone as richly as he did Aranar, eager to please him, knowing that against such a strong and brave knight, the dragon wouldn’t stand a chance.

     After refreshing himself from the journey, Aranar asked, “Why have you summoned me, uncle? Has something happened in the kingdom? Or perhaps you wish to return my father’s share, measured by our grandfather?”

     “I didn’t call you to talk about your father’s share,” the king replied calmly, biting into an apple. “It’s that things are bad in the kingdom. A terrible and fierce dragon has settled in the cave by the Dark Forest. It has devoured all my knights and wants to attack the capital. You must slay it, and then I shall perhaps leave you my throne.”

     “You carry a heavy guilt, uncle,” Aranar frowned. “But if my father gave me his sword, then I will protect even you. Only if you lie to me, you shall become my enemy forever.”

     “I swear by all the good I have, I won’t lie. Just defeat the dragon.”

     Aranar thought a little longer and agreed.

     Early the next morning, he mounted the finest steed, took his sword, and rode to the cave. As he approached, he saw bones scattered all around, burned armor, and shattered swords. Smoke and flames poured from the cave.

     Aranar barely avoided being burned as he ventured inside. He gripped the hilt of his sword. He looked at the dragon, who sneezed so hard that sparks shot from its eyes.

     “How can I fight such an uneven opponent?” Aranar thought. “It isn’t right for a knight to strike down one weaker than himself. I need to heal it first.”

     The dragon saw the knight and said, snapping its jaws, “Don’t kill me, human. I mean no harm to anyone; I only guard my master’s treasure. And if you heal me, I’ll give you whatever you wish.”

     So, Aranar gathered various herbs, crushed and mixed them, and gave them to the dragon to eat.

     Within a minute, the dragon was healed from its ailment.

     “I have nothing to ask of you,” said Knight Aranar. “I came on behalf of my uncle, the ruler of these lands. I was supposed to kill you and take your treasure.”

     The dragon laughed and lay down on a pile of gold coins scattered in the cave’s center.

     “Your uncle is greedy,” it said. “But you are kind. I’ll give your king all the gold, and for your kindness, I shall grant you a gift: immense strength, which will make you even stronger. Come closer to me and don’t be afraid.”

     The knight approached the dragon, brave though he was, still with a touch of fear. The dragon opened its jaws and breathed fire on Aranar. The knight turned to dust. Then the dragon tapped the dust with its claws, and there stood Aranar again.

     Picking his sword up from the ground, he asked, “What have you done to me? I feel strange. I can hear hoofbeats and the sound of the king’s horn.”

     “This is my gift to you. It’s called a ‘Dragon Soul.’ Now you are the most powerful knight in the world and cannot be killed by anyone’s hand, desire, or poison until your time comes. You’ll hear and see as far as a dragon does, and in times of need, you’ll be able to fly.”

     “Thank you, Dragon,” Aranar bowed.

     “Now send your uncle this message,” said the dragon.      “Tell him I’ll give him as much gold as he can carry out of the cave in one go.”

     The next day, the king arrived with his servants. They gathered every last coin into sacks and loaded them onto the horses. The dragon merely smiled and tucked a sack under its wing.

     The king loaded the horses so heavily that the bridge near the cave collapsed, and the greedy ruler fell into the ravine along with the gold. The dragon saved the horses and servants, carrying them to the other side of the ravine.

     After the king’s death, and by the law of that kingdom, Aranar ascended the throne, and all in his land lived happily and joyfully ever after. Though he had great power, Aranar never started wars with anyone. But when he had to defend his kingdom, no enemy could withstand him. The kingdom was named Emeril, which in the dragon language means “Emerald Lands.”

Reviews

[Jeyanthi]

Interesting tale... I can tell my kids... :)
thanks for sharing 👍 😊

[Yana Larson]

You are welcome)))) I'm glad you enjoyed