Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

did.
    “And yet,” continued Myrddin, “Without the slightest idea of what lies underneath these rocks and roots, you chose this place to build a fortress.”
    “Cease playing games with us. What is buried beneath this hill?” asked Vortigern.
    “Do you know of Llud Llaw Eraint?” asked the boy.
    “Of course,” answered Morghan. “He was a king of Britain.”
    “Indeed he was, many centuries ago,” continued Myrddin. “King Llud was a great leader to his people, defeating the Coranians and fighting back a dark wizard, who would steal the food reserved for his subjects. However, his greatest feat was to save his people from the curse of the two dragons.”
    Everyone’s attention was directed at the boy. Not a sound was heard, except for the thunder that was now resonating in the distance, a sure sign of a coming storm.
    “Go on,” said Vortigern.
    “As you wish. During Llud’s reign, the country was plagued by a strange phenomenon that would occur every year, on the eve of May Day. On that night, terrifying shrieks could be heard across the island, from the beaches of the Cantiaci to the hills of the Damninii and from the sea to the east of the Parisii, all the way to the forest of the Demetae. With the help of his best men, Llud found out that the shrieks were made by a dragon, red like the blood of his people. For the entire night, the beast was entangled in a fight with another dragon, this one white as a ghost. Every year, on the same night, they would emerge from the abyss and fight in the sky of Britain, until morning came.
    “Whenever the red dragon was struck by its foe, it would produce a shriek so frightening and so powerful that it would be felt in the heart of every Briton across the land. Upon hearing this scream, men would lose their strength for the night, along with their will to do anything. Pregnant women would miscarry their unborn child, while young men and fair maidens would lose their senses, becoming utterly hysterical until the sun rose again. Under the thunder of this uncanny cry of pain from the red dragon, the water would turn black for the remainder of the night, the trees would shake and lose their fruits and leaves, the earth would open and swallow entire farms and the animals would scream in agony, until the first ray of light finally appeared over the horizon.
    “In the end, after a night of battling each other, the dragons would fall back down in the abyss, where they would remain for an entire year, gathering their strength for the next round.”
    Upon hearing this incredible story, everyone at the table remained silent.
    “What did Llud do?” Vortigern asked finally.
    “King Llud was a wise and patient man. Upon hearing of the cause of this annual nightmare, he set out to discover the exact spot where the dragons emerged to fight each other. He measured the island in every way imaginable and determined the exact center of it. There he found the entrance to the abyss, and the cave from which the dragons would emerge on the eve of May Day.
    “Without wasting any time, he set out to have a trap built, a box so big it could hold the two beasts. The following year, when the red and white dragons emerged once more from the abyss they were in to fight their battle in the sky, Llud set the box under them, completely covering the entrance of the cave. When their fight was finally over, exhausted from battling each other with the ferocity of a thousand armies, the dragons plunged back down to earth, only to find themselves entrapped in Llud’s box.
    “Unable to fight for their freedom, their strength drained from the confrontation, the dragons were carried off to another location, where they would be buried forever. There, they would pursue their eternal struggle, but their shrieks and cries would not be heard again by any man or woman.
    “Llud carried them here, to Dinas Ffaraon. He plunged them into a large pool of water, where they would be forever confined.”
    Vortigern was visibly shaken by this tale. He observed the boy, unsure of what to say next. His advisors did not seem to know much more than him, unsure of what to make of this amazing story.
    Samuel could not believe his ears either. So this was what this whole legend was about. Finally, he knew what was happening. Or at least he thought he did.
    Morghan suddenly broke the silence.
    “This is ridiculous. How do you expect us to believe this story?”
    “I do not expect you to believe anything,”