Golden Egg

I began my march to the Golden Hill, which I simply called the dragon's lair. This is usually a wild journey for even the most skilled adventurists. I was no ordinary traveler though.

First up, the Winding Staircase Of Hell which I made my way through quite easily I may add. Next was the tunnel of light, which included bioluminescent worms which stuck to the cave and illuminated my way. I followed the blue worms until I reached a chasm, deep in the cave.

In the middle of this chasm was a large mound made of solid gold, atop this mound and in the center laid one, exceptionally large dragon egg.

The egg of the dragon lay undisturbed as I approached it, still glittering with gold as the rays of light reflected off its coarse shell. I wondered, how is it that such a delicate thing becomes such a powerful force.

This made me think of Maisie, my sister. For as a child she was so fragile and pure, the thought of the beast she would no doubt become still did not sit well with me. For Maisie was stunning and radiant, her beauty entrapped travelers and locals alike. Yet her beauty was the least of her, for her mind was so wise it felt as if she had already lived a million lifetimes. I enjoyed every minute I spent with her as young children. Her pleasent aura and forgiving demeanor brought a sense of peace and comfortibility, a being of light that even God himself could delight in. Yet as time went on and I had to leave for war, everything changed.

Maisie had grown into a woman encapsulated by her bloodlust. As I was away and Father had died, Mother grew ill. Maisie was the only one around to care for Mother until she passed as well. Leaving Maisie with nothing but a small shack and a measly amount of coin. Unfortunetly so, she had no way to support herself except with her job at the local brothel. The brothel where loners, criminals and cowards kept warm. My once radiant sister fell into a dark depression and her face molded from healthy perfection to weakly sinister expressions which drowned her face of joy and sucked out the light in her. By the time I had returned home from war and figured out where she was. She was no longer my sister. While I still love her soul and still often think of her peacfulness, she had disowned me as her brother. For I had left her with nothing and soon no one, I had let her down and I had let this happen. My sister saw me and spit on me, claiming I was just as wrong as the lechers she served. She said nothing would ever restore out family bond and nothing would restore her beauty and light. Nothing except the Golden Egg. Which legends say can bring eternal beauty and youth. My sister fell to her knees and sobbed on my legs, gripping my tunic so feverishly it began to tear at the seams. She cried, "Please, my soul is empty and my heart cries out. I will be dead soon if not for divine power, help me find it."

I pulled Maisie up to her feet and said, "No woman of your caliber should ever beg for something, especially not for divine power. For you held the divine in a chokehold before I left you. Now you are but a shell of your former self. In the name of our family I will find that egg and restore your beauty." Maisie smiled and proclaimed to everyone in town that her brother had returned and with it the light of her youth. Her radiant smile began to light up the town yet again. Days before I ventured off a man came up to me and said, "I'd never seen Maisie so happy. Does yer storge truly run that deep?" The man asked as he cleaned his teeth with a pick. "Deeper than the wells of St. Fanti and stronger than the chains of Cerberus." With that I chugged my last ale and left the saloon, making my way to the Golden Hill.

The golden egg of the dragon began to shake ever so slightly as I inched towards it. It stopped moving and I gently placed my hand on the egg. As I did I felt the moving of an infant dragon, almost ready to hatch. This ancient and holy creature would be killed for my sister's joy. A life for a feeling did not seem like a fair trade off. Instead, I left the egg and the dungeon therein and never returned to my sister. For her light truly comes from herself and her thoughts.

Not some holy golden egg.