Long ago, when humans and beasts roamed as one, there was a great kingdom above the clouds, far from other nations. Here lived a lonely ruler, a dragon, a prince. This dragon was mighty, elegant, and lived above all other creatures that dwelt beneath. But this dragon was prideful and arrogant; though he had a beautiful kingdom in the sky all to himself, he desired more. One day, he rose above the clouds, trying to ascend past the heavens, but the further he went, the higher the heavens extended.
Understanding that what he desired was out of his reach, the dragon mourned. He fell back to earth, but his desire never left him. One day, he heard something from below his kingdom. As he looked down, he saw strange creatures that walked on two legs. He was fascinated, and for a long time, he watched them. Suddenly, the earth, a place where he once saw nothing, now seemed beautiful.
The dragon descended from the sky, and he appeared before the people who worshiped him in fear and awe, but this praise rekindled the dragon’s dormant hubris. It became clear to him that if he could not rule the heavens, then he would surely have the earth below. Yet like before, his pride would lead to his downfall. The dragon, wise and many in years, but even he underestimated the cunning nature of man.
Though the people worshiped the dragon, they did not desire to be ruled over, so they plotted to betray the dragon. One day, they called the dragon from the sky for a celebration. The dragon did not fear man, for he was more powerful than the combined force of mankind, and he basked in their praises. As the celebration neared its end, they sought to perform a ritual in honor of the dragon, and the dragon did not perceive the trap laid before him.
The people presented the dragon with ornate jewelry of gold and jade. The dragon joyfully accepted, not knowing that the inscriptions upon the ornaments would bind him to an eternal servitude. For though the people crowned him the ruler of the sky and the sea, he had no power over the people of the land. The dragon was enraged, but could do nothing against his jailers.
As legend has it, the dragon still resides in his lonely kingdom above the clouds, shackled by chains, awaiting his freedom so he may rain destruction upon the entire land. Many say raging storms and violent waters are the result of the dragon’s wrath.