In the West, dragons are hunted—beasts to be slain, their fire tamed by heroes.But in the East, dragons are the storm's heartbeat, the lifeblood of the earth.And once, long ago, one dragon looked upon the newborn world and felt its silence.
He was the First Dragon—vast as a continent, his breath stirring the tides.When he descended from the clouds, mountains rose in his wake and rivers curved to meet him. Yet all was still. No laughter, no song, no voice to greet the dawn.
So he tore a scale from his body and cast it upon the wind.From it was born Bi Xi, who learned to bear the mountains. Then another scale fell into the sea, and Ba Xia emerged, coiling through the waves. One by one, nine scales fell, and nine sons awoke—each carrying a fragment of their father's essence: flame, wind, stone, judgment, war, silence, and more.
For a time, the world thrived. The sons shaped rivers, guarded temples, watched over mortals. But peace bred hunger.Ya Zi, born of fire and steel, grew restless. "Why should we hide in shadows?" he roared. "We are the heirs of the storm!" The brothers warned him, but he rose into the heavens, tearing through clouds, demanding his father's crown.
The sky darkened. Thunder answered—not with words, but with sorrow.The First Dragon descended, his wings eclipsing the sun. "You are not ready," he said. Ya Zi bared his fangs. "Then make me so!"
Their clash shattered mountains. Lightning carved scars across the earth.When it ended, the son lay silent, his scales scattered like shards of night.
The father wept. His tears became rain that fed the rivers his children had made. "Guard what you have wrought," he told them. "For to create is harder than to rule."Then he vanished into the storm, never seen again.
Even now, the nine sons dwell among men—carved into rooftops, gates, and altars. Few remember their names, but when thunder rolls and rivers rise, the old ones whisper: "The Dragon still watches, and his sons still dream."
And somewhere in the deep, a restless wind stirs—as if one of them still longs to finish the war he began.