Jupiter/Stories
Quotes
Dragon Story Episodes
Dane the Dreamer
Long ago, in a corner of south
Grastaea, there lived a prince
named Dane.
His land was small, but his people
wanted for nothing. He knew no
greater pleasure than seeing his
family and subjects happy.
One day, the Lightwyrm appeared
before Dane. The simplicity of life in
Dane's kingdom puzzled the dragon.
"The royalty of distant lands enjoy a
much more lavish lifestyle," said the
dragon. "Surely you must have unmet
desires?" When Dane replied that he
did not, the dragon was impressed.
Praising Dane for his great humility,
the Lightwyrm offered to show him
something. He then bore the prince
upon his back and carried him high
into the heavens.
Perched on the dragon's back,
Dane's breath caught in his throat.
In the distance, lotus flowers
bloomed on clouds, creating
brilliant threads of light.
Its splendor was like nothing he had
ever seen upon the ground. Morning
passed into afternoon passed into
night, yet the radiance never faded.
Dane was utterly enchanted.
As they descended, Dane felt as if
he were waking from a dream.
"You have to take me there again,
Lightwyrm," he begged. "Please!"
"I will not," laughed the Lightwyrm.
"If you wish to return so badly,
you must find your own path.
For there is much in this world of
which you do not know."
"Go forth and conquer this land, its
peoples, and all the secrets it has to
offer. Then perhaps you will find your
own means of ascending into the
heavens."
Dane bowed his head. He knew now
how small his world was, and wished
to claim all Grastaea's wonders for
himself.
The dragon had stirred within Dane a
resplendent dream. Such brilliance,
however, casts a dark shadow.
Several months passed after Dane's
encounter with the Lightwyrm. For the
first time in his life, the prince had a
dream that consumed his every
waking hour.
He was utterly different from the kind
man he'd been before. He killed his
father, seized the throne, made his
people take up arms, and set out to
conquer unknown lands.
Cities fell to him by the hundreds.
He took hundreds of wives, killed
thousands of people, and claimed
more treasures than stars in the sky.
It was not long before Dane became
emperor. Just as it seemed he would
conquer Grastaea in its entirety,
however, he was struck down.
Upon hearing of Dane's demise,
the Lightwyrm chuckled. "I only
wish to know one thing: Did he
seem happy?"
Future generations would chide Dane
for letting the light of heaven blind
him to the earth beneath his feet.
But on his deathbed, the emperor
uttered these final words:
"I would rather want for what I do
not have than be satisfied with
what I do not know. That was
my choice. I do not regret it."
Dane's vast empire shattered into
pieces after his death, though their
continued intermingling gave rise to
various cultures.
People lose themselves to greed and
cause unspeakable tragedies, but
humans have always shown a talent
for rising up out of the ashes.