Tale of the Tiger and the Dragon
Introduction[edit]
The Ando Order is not without it’s legends. The stone pillars of the monks are spread among the mountain tops, for monks to read, reflect upon and use as encouragement to reach enlightenment. Even so, the records of the pillars are not perfect. Some weather with time, needing to be repaired, while others are added as new tales, or new renditions of tales of old are spread. One such pillar holds a tale, not created from the beginning but still standing the test of time to be reflected on. The tale of the Tiger and the Dragon.
None know how truthful it is, which parts are real, and which parts are flights of fancy. Still, it is a pillar protected due to it’s encouraging values.
Excerpt 1[edit]
“Do you think it will rain today, Paludrex?”
The words filled the swirling winds, feet carrying themselves far from the earth of the mountain peak, up the side of that apple tree. The large tree was stable, far stronger then much of it’s kind as the Tiger Vaien landed upon one of the highest branches, picking one of the red fruit and bringing it to her lips. Bright orange eyes looked up to the large looming shadow ahead, the creature of the heavens making for mountains and hills to rise far towards the bottom of their current perch.
“What is your guess, Sayau?”
It was a voice that echoed without words, a sound that existed without movement of a mouth. The ideas of the questions formed within seconds only within the brain of the woman who strode with the creature of the heavens. It was an idea of tremors, of the unsettling slide of dirt towards the shaking cracks of the world, and yet with the same stability as the dirt walked upon.
“Hm, I don’t know, you’re going to tell me though, right?”
A small giggle erupting as the orange eyes looked up the shadow, unafraid of the face of her companion that others wouldn’t even approach.
“Close your eyes. Smell the scent of the sea, the feeling of the clouds in the sky. When you focus, when you are able to answer that question without my aid, then you will know both of Earth and Heavens.”
The Tale[edit]
Long ago, Sayua Ando knew the Earthen Wyrm, the Dragon of Earth, Paludrex.
The Tiger Vaien woman approached it without fear during a time when people when her people were afraid of such things. The Dragons themselves were immensely powerful, and more often then not, if the Vaien found one that looked to be a great dragon, they would drown soon after, having found Eschen expanding their territory. It was because this one approached without the fear of the others that the Dragon honored her with conversation.
And then another.
And then another.
Sayau was the opposite of the Dragons. Where the dragons were wise creatures that flew above the world in the heavenly sky, shaping it in the image of their wants and desires, Sayau was a creature of Earth, bound to want and desire. She did not always think things through, but it was this lack of fear that had allowed her to approach the dragons, this want to know what she was seeing that overpowered what others might have described as self preservation. Some called this straightforwardness of hers foolishness. But the Earthen Wyrm called it something else: interesting.
And so they talked, solving problems and riddles. When Sayau got stumped, Paludrex would use their wisdom to answer the question. And when Paludrex’s long thoughts consumed them, it would be Sayau’s quick to act nature that would bring quick resolution to problems. It was a pair that made up for what the other may lack.
A Tiger walking beside a Dragon.
A Yang and a Yin.
But it did not last forever.
After the mountains had all risen from the ocean, after the Dragons had fallen into their sleep, did the Convergence come. A time where Sayau’s family hid within the mountains as the calamities of the other planes drew closer and closer. Paludrex no longer heeded her call, and she was alone.
But when alone, when faced with certain death of both herself and her loved ones, she sent her four apprentices and her family inwards, while turning to the forces outside. The wisdom of Paludrex filled her mind, and she reached enlightenment. While Sayau perished, that Tiger who had walked with Dragons,
Became the Tiger that walked the Heavens.
And she would be known as the sage of both the Heavenly skies and earth below.
Excerpt 2[edit]
“Paludrex! They’re coming! What do we do?”
The skies were an inky black as the water below had become waves focused on tearing the base of the mountain apart. The squeals and cries of the men, women, and children only grew louder with each shadow that was cast into the passages, ones that would be felled by Sayua or one of her four apprentices. Even so, each time it felt as if they were losing ground, and losing friends. How much longer could they hide?
By now, they reached the final passage. Six of them, total, almost at the peak of the Aurumtine Mountains. They ran with as much speed as they could, but as they did, one of the apprentices slipped. Just a moment of not running at full speed was all it took for him to cry out as Felfire swallowed the man, ending him. The four apprentices could do nothing as their feet carried them forwards, towards the top.
Sayau, however, stopped.
“Oh. It’s going to rain.”
The sounds of a hurricane had just reached her ears, that salty sea breeze from somewhere far below. She took a deep breath.
“You four, stay up there. Don’t look back. Eyes forwards, think, but don’t be afraid to act. Fight with thought, but don’t let it stop you from what needs to be done. Remember these words,”
“My final lesson.”
With that, the earth of the passage’s top collapsed, preventing the four apprentices from going back to their master. Sayau didn’t turn to look to the collapsed passage, however. Instead,
She faced the Demons that followed the group this far, and she leapt downwards.
“It’s going to rain hard.”
Credit[edit]
Notyel https://forum.verdict.dev/showthread.php?tid=1724
Inspired by
Journey to the West
Tai Chi
Various Wuxia Sources