The Epic of the Fíriosoa and Aqulías
Story of the Kareguist faith
This story takes place not long after the humans were banished to the Earth.
One day, Kirima, Goddess of the Climate, discovered that, during the recent war on the Heavens, humans had stolen her favourite gold ring, and decided to impose her revenge on the humans by creating a dragon that would spread a rain of fire on human villages. Condemned to a life of hunter-gathering, humans would be devastated if their homes were burnt to the ground.
The dragon's name was Fíriosoa, a hard-scaled, Western-style dragon, being able to fly. He brought terror into the villages, as his Goddess ordered. However, he had a defect: he was sentimental. The Goddess did not take notice of this, and, as he traveled the lands, he saw the misery of humanity, and took compassion for them. He determined to stop raining fire and instead chose to steal some of Kirima's rainwater, giving the people plentiful quantities of the liquid to grow a successful harvest, and for their thirsts to be quenched, as the heat of his fire evaporated reservoirs.
The people thanked the dragon, but Kirima took notice. Infuriated, she recalled Fíriosoa, ordering him to institute her reign of terror. He refused, and fled instead, living among the people, but not before Kirima injured him enough to strip him of his wings.
Two years passed, and Kirima decides to make another dragon: Aqulías. He has a serpentine, Eastern-style, sleek body, being able to swim and fly. Kirima has decided to use Fíriosoa's rain against him by creating floods. Aqulías is not as sentimental as Fíriosoa, and is more loyal to Kirima, but has a strong sense of justice. Feeling his duty to protect the people from Kirima's wrath, Fíriosoa travels to the mountain Aqulías bases himself on.
It is very difficult to climb, but Fíriosoa's hard scales protects him from the rocky terrain. At the foot of the mountain, however, an old, frail man appears. He berates him on his defiance to Kirima, but he is undaunted, giving a speech. Here is a fragment:
"O, old man, it is not fair. I have been forged by Kirima, and I am supposed to serve Kirima. But thy reasoning is close-minded, for it is fair to punish humanity for its grave sins, but what is not fair is the abuse, the tyranny of Kirima, who has exceeded her realm and the just punishment given to humanity. By creating me, she has imposed a most unwanted cruelty over her subjects, the faithful she is supposed to serve and she is served. By creating Aqulías, she has imposed yet another unwanted cruelty over her subjects. Her work is tyrannical, her punishment has transcended her authority. Thus is why I must fight for the rightful justice for humanity"
The old man turns out to be Darein, God of War, in disguise. Amazed by Fíriosoa's speech, he refuses to fight Kirima's creation, but gives him two items to help him in his quest: a stone sword, and a magical icy necklace, which would activate when Fíriosoa ordered.
As he climbs, Fíriosoa encounters a tiger. Unlike other tigers, this feline is not instantly hostile, can speak, and is light blue. The tiger talks to him, questioning why he must defeat Aquílas. The dragon tells him why, but the tiger asks again. The tiger has no sense of duty, and he only kills to live, so it cannot comprehend why would anyone kill besides survival. The dragon says that he must fight for the community that has adopted him, despite his transgression against them.
The dragon finally reaches the summit. Here, he faces off against Aquílas. Aquílas flies, but his wings are aquatic. Fíriosoa summons the necklace, and freezes the wings, forcing Aquílas to fight on foot like his opponent. Aquílas lets out a torrent of water, so potent, it can be catalouged like a flood. Yet again, Fíriosoa freezes the water.
Aquílas, now angered, presented his sharp claws, so sharp like an iron sword, and charged. This turned to be his undoing. Fíriosoa, knowing that the dragon's body is weak, dodges the attack and stabs him with the stone sword, almost killing his enemy.
Aquílas begs for mercy, and Fíriosoa grants it. Aquílas asks why he would spare the forsaken humans. Fíriosoa responds:
"O, great Aquílas, you might not understand through thy sense of rightful compassion, but you might see it by thy sense of rightful justice. Kirima, the Goddess of Climate and the one who forged me, Fíriosoa, and you, Aquílas, has violated the terms of her agreement on the punishment of humanity. She serves no one, no matter the humans' desperate praises for her. She has called upon you and I, dragons of fire and water, to exact her revenge. She has overstepped her authority as a Goddess, and thy sense of divine lawfulness shall see it"
Aquílas agrees, and, after recovering from his wounds for two years, these dragons, compassionate and righteous, protect humanity from Kirima's worst attacks, although they fail from time to time.
ShowHideSymbolisms
Scholars believe that this myth originated from the faithful's experience with a drought long ago, and, some time later, excessive rain also ruined the harvest.
Fíriosoa: he represents drought. His compassion and robbery of Kirima's rainwater, however, can be seen as the end of a drought, and the subsequent rain. His hard body represents that heat will always be a part of life, and can never change.
Aquílas: he represents the floods created by excessive rain. His slender and weak body symbolizes the flowing and constant changing of the rivers. The fact that he almost dies by being stabbed with a sword made of stone symbolizes the dams, made of stone in those days, and that they can fail to stop all of the water.
Darein: in the climbing, Darein represents the beginning of a war or a fight, where it is justified and widely approved initially, and the people grant their willingness to fight some threat.
The Blue Tiger: it symbolizes the time war has passed, where the fight now has less approval, and justifications can falter. Despite this, the fight carries on. It also represents being closer to a battle, and the doubts of engaging in conflict, as the tiger is light blue. The fight with Aquílas is ever closer, yet we are evermore more afraid or indecisive to continue on the journey towards the brawl we must deal with.
The Summit: it symbolizes that the war is at a close, and also, it represents that a battle has started. Fíriosoa and Aquílas now must fight to decide the destiny of mankind.
Fíriosoa's and Aquílas's redemptions: despite being beasts that terrorized humanity, these dragons are now beloved for their role against Kirima. This shows that everyone, even your adversaries, can be forgiven and accepted again.
Humans stealing gold from Kirima: it symbolizes that stealing has consequences, deadly even. By angering a Monarch, you incur its wrath, but they might get out of hand with their punishment. And by subverting the Gods, you will surely anger them.
The rebellion of the dragons: when authority is too oppressive, it is alright to revolt, only if the authority has overstepped its grounds and has begun to harm the people it serves.[/spoilers]