A legend passed down by the desert folk, of a great treasure brighter than the sun, that shines in the darkest night.
As told by Tharkiel Sunaxissor — Cuthon 6th, 1221 CA
The Sun of the Night Sky is the story of a great treasure, from the lands beyond Chardem where the wind sweeps over plains of glass, polished by the sand.
In the times before any of us here were even born, before the kingdom of Akellon had even begun to be formed, there was a great mountain of black and red glass that rose from the ocean of sand, with a core of fire. It was atop this mountain that the great wyrm Alazphraxion made his lair, even before he had reached that great age. Even in his youth, however, noble Alazphraxion was wise beyond his years, and was often sought by the nomads that roamed the desert for his insight and advice.
One day, a young man exiled from his desert tribe came to the mountain, climbing to the peak to speak with the wise dragon. "Alazphraxion," he said, "I am weary. I have traveled for many miles over the sands, carrying a heavy burden of shame. My family, my people, have told me to leave, and to never come back until I had found something of great value to return to them. You are wise, and you know these lands and their treasures like no other. Tell me, where should I search?"
The dragon bowed his head and thought, before replying in his deep voice that reverberated through the lands of glass like a bell. "There is a great treasure," he said, "the greatest of all. One found upon no map, a jewel brighter than the sun, that shines even in the darkest night. Travel east through the desert, and return here when you have found it."
Now, while Alazphraxion was speaking, a little blue wyrmling had been spying on the man. This was the insidious little worm of a thousand lies, who never worked for her treasures, only stealing them from those who happened by. Her name, we have learned, was Ulhararasvim.
Ulhararasvim heard the story of the great treasure, the jewel brighter than the sun that shines in the darkest night. "What a wonderful addition that would be to my hoard!" she thought, rubbing her paws together with a wicked, wicked grin. "I will follow this man over the sands, and when he discovers the treasure, I will take it for myself!"
And so the young man set out to the east, using the sun as his guide. One month later, he found himself under a rocky cliff at night, watching the wind scour over the plains of glass. He sat there for three days, watching, listening to the sound the air made as it moved over the strange shapes of glass. But Ulhararasvim was impatient.
She sneaked into the man's camp in the middle of the night, and stole his waterskin. "There," she thought, with her wicked, wicked grin. "Now he will have to move to find water, and bring me closer to the jewel brighter than the sun!"
When the man awoke, he found his water missing, but he did not despair. He searched the rocks until he found a flower growing in the middle of them… much like this one. (Here, the storyteller took a carved jade flower out of his pocket and laid it on the ground.) Knowing the lore of the desert, he placed the flower on the sands… (The storyteller made a gesture, and the carved flower grew into a glimmering green fountain, bubbling with clear, clean water.) And so he re-provisioned himself.
Now Ulhararasvim grew angry. "So he will not seek water," she growled, and plotted.
"I have it!" she said, smiling her wicked, wicked grin again. "I will conjure the sands to blow stronger over the land, forcing him to seek shelter! Then he will have to move, and he will bring me closer to the to the jewel brighter than the sun!"
So she spoke the ancient words of ruin, and a great windstorm began to blow across the land. The man's tent was no protection. But he did not despair. Instead, he searched the rocks again. With a little shove… he pushed aside a stone and discovered a cavern. He picked up his fountain — (He made another gesture, and the fountain leaped back into his hand, a jade flower again.) — and waited out the storm there, listening to the roar and whistle of the sand and wind over the opening of the cave.
Now Ulhararasvim was really angry. "Is there nothing that will make him move from those rocks?!" she snarled… then smiled her wicked, wicked grin again.
As the storm calmed, she breathed the ancient words of beguilement, and suddenly, she was no longer a greedy little blue wyrmling. She was a greedy, but beautiful young woman, much like one from the man's tribe. She approached the cave, smiling pleasantly, and the man invited her inside.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"I am here to seek a gem brighter than the sun, that shines even in the darkest night," he replied. "The dragon Alazphraxion has told me that I would know where to find it, and here is where I think it is."
"You poor, deluded fool," she said, shaking her head sadly. "Don't you know? Alazphraxion is a great trickster. There is no gem brighter than the sun that shines even in the darkest night, don't you see? He has sent you out to be swallowed by the sands on a fool's errand!"
The man was filled with despair, and Ulhararasvim left… smiling her wicked, wicked grin. "Let him sit there," she cackled. "I will find the treasure myself!"
The man sat in the cavern for three more days… before finally standing, and returning to the mountain of glass. "So you've returned," Alazphraxion said as the man reached the peak, one month later. "Have you found the gem, the Sun of the Night Sky?"
The man nodded… and sat before the dragon, closing his eyes. And he sang. He sang a story of his time in the cave, of the hardships he overcame, and the wicked woman who tried to convince him that the treasure did not exist. He sang for an hour, before finally falling quiet, his tale told.
The wise Alazphraxion nodded. "You have found it, indeed," he said. "Go, return to your people, and tell them."
Now where, do you suppose, did he find the Sun of the Night Sky?
("It sounds like a quest of self-discovery to me," Tathi Eyllisaearsithek replied.)
Exactly. The Sun of the Night Sky is a treasure that everyone holds… if they just look for it first. The man returned to his tribe and lead them to the foot of the mountain, where they live to this day under the watchful eye of Alazphraxion, upon the mountain that bears his name.
As for Ulhararasvim?
Well, the story goes that she got lost trying to find the gem and gave up after a few months, convinced herself that the old foolish wyrm was telling a lie.
As for how I know the story's true? Well, it's impossible to tell, after so many years. But I have spoken with Alazphraxion, and he confirms it… and the story is passed down through the tribe to all its children.
Trivia
- This tale is the first one Tharky learned to tell… it's a version of the history of the village he grew up in. It's quite likely the man in the tale was a distant ancestor of the Sunaxissor family.
- This tale was inspired by a Vocaloid song, "The Sun of the Night Sky" (or "Yaten no Hi").