A DRAGON'S JEWEL: the Ancient Mage and the dark arts

Chapter 15: Enemy in their midst

As Alythia slowly pushed her eyes open she heard a gentle voice humming a tune.

She felt herself lying on something soft – like a bed of feathers.

However, as soon as she sat up she noticed that what she had been lying on were not feathers but scales.

She looked at the white Dragon encircling her and thought it quite odd that his scales had been so comfortable and warm.

"You're awake child" it said, still humming its familiar tune.

"Izana... what happened?" Alythia asked, lightly rubbing her eyes.

"Dark magic was used on you, but fear not sweet girl, I have already cleansed your body and removed its impurities from you"

The Dragon looked a little different this time – not as small as last time yet not as big as the time before. It was about her size, though perhaps a tad bit bigger.

As it spoke it was as if Alythia was reminded anew of its immense beauty.

She reached out and gently stroked the scales on the side of the Dragon's neck.

"Izana, you're so beautiful" she murmured "I can't imagine how anyone cannot love you"

He looked at her with tenderness.

"Child, you should not love only that which is beautiful. Just because something is beautiful does not mean that it is good"

Alythia eyed him suspiciously "Can something beautiful ever really be bad?" she asked in disbelief.

The Dragon stared at her for a time before answering "Beauty is not the root of goodness, but merely one of its many fruits. However, sometimes the root of a tree may rot and though the rotting will spread to its fruit it will not do so instantly. It is the same with people. It might take days, weeks, even years for the wickedness of one's heart to spread and so affect their outward beauty – distorting it enough that those around them are finally able to see it"

"Therefore" he continued "focus not on what appears to be beautiful but rather on what is actually good – regardless of its appearance. Just as wickedness takes time to show, so does goodness. One might mistake the bad for the good just as easily as one might mistake the good for the bad".

Alythia thought over his words for awhile, before asking "But Izana, you are actually good aren't you?"

He gently placed his head under her neck so she could rest her chin on him.

"Yes Child, I am good but it is precisely because I am good that some do not want me".

Alythia turned her head to the side so that her cheek was now pressing against the soft scales on the Dragon's forehead. "I don't understand" she mumbled after desperately trying, but failing, to comprehend what he had meant.

"Dear girl" the white beast ventured to explain "because I am good I want to give you what is best but so very often you do not want to receive it since you desire what is easy instead. I want to cleanse you thoroughly but you do not wish for the discomfort that goes along with it. You only want mild-goodness child, but mild-goodness be not goodness at all".