All the Rubies in the World

The mountains of Thrane climbed impossibly high above the clouds and spread beyond the horizon on each side. The mountain range, surrounded by dense woods, dominated the landscape and was home to countless tales and traditions. From miles away, travelers and onlookers could see the natural imposing domain. For millennia its majestic snow caps and grand waterfalls were subject to innumerable poems and odes.

Truly, Thane's legendary mountains were by far the most epic and impressive in the land, perhaps the world; and it is for his reason the great, and terrible Dragon, Thraneuos, king of kings, claimed the landscape as his own personal domicile, considering the whole of the world to be his despite not having seen most of it; such was the magnificence of his intellect and intuition.

Like with his other treasures, Thraneuos claimed the mountain range and was ever vigilant in ensuring that none may share his precious prize and treasure. No longer were appreciators of the mountains' sights welcomed. The previous names given to the incredibly natural formation were lost except in the plethora of Thraneuos, the brilliant conqueror of mountains’ vast library which was, by far, the largest, and most comprehensive in the world.

Thraneuos, lord ruler of mountains, delighted in reveling in his ever-growing personal horde of wealth and treasure. The only activity to supersede it was being present at the ceremony of tribute offerings. He preferred receiving tribute as there was always more value in an item given than taken which was a principle he developed.

Thaneous, whose large and powerful form played muse to the most terrifying and flattering poems, could hear the upcoming arrival of tributaries coming through the woods. At this he'd let out a deep, cavern shaking, pleased sigh before slipping out of his great caverns and wrapping himself around the peak of the range's greatest mountain. From here he'd proudly display the majesty of his glittering gold scales and stretch open his massive wings. He'd wait until he could look good at the oncomers a mile away, his eyes far more superior than any other. He'd let out a timed roar that made the whole range shake and tremble. If there had been any snow left from before Thraneuos’ time, it would have caused massive avalanches throughout the range.

The All Powerful Thraneuos reveled in the sudden fear displayed by the oncoming party. Curiously, there was no sign of the traditionally expansive caravan of treasure. Thraneous, whose treasure trove encompassed the most prized valuables from around the world, was accustomed to receiving a caravan of tribute from kingdoms and empires that spanned miles down the trail - all desperate to be spared another year from his wrath. He felt little concern, however. After all, who would dare spurn Thraneuos, he who had melted legions with but a casual breath of blistering flame. Yes, he was aware that across the world wars were fought over treasures to offer him as tributes.

The small and insignificant party knelt and bowed their heads before Thraneuos’ superiority and glory. As custom, they awaited his recognition, before offering their land's most precious goods as tribute. There was a cart and Thaneous, salivating with eagerness, attempted to guess the invaluable treasure about to be offered. Among them, a rare exotic flower, expertly carved jewelry, a craft master work of fabric, or ageless tomes.

Thaneous, whose unparalleled might cowed the fundamental aspects of nature itself, could barely contain his curiosity, acknowledging the party within minutes rather than the hours or even days he forced others to wait.

"I THRANEUOS", he spoke, his deep baritone vibrating the foundations of the mountains "THE UNDISPUTED LORD AND MASTER OF THE WORLD, RECOGNISE YOUR IRRELEVANT EXISTENCE. SPEAK AT ONCE AND OFFER YOUR TRIBUTE THAT I MAY HOLD BACK MY UNYIELDING WRATH."

At once when he finished speaking, keeping her head bowed staring at the ground, the leader of the party replied confidently, "Oh Thraneuos, whose eternal majesty is the envy of Gods, I am but the petty ruler of one of your countless fiefs. For our tribute, I offer what is more precious to me than anything else in this world."

Thaneous, grinned and salivated with anticipation. He could see into her heart and knew she spoke the truth. What she offered she found more valuable than anything else anyone had ever given him. He already knew her offering would be the new centerpiece of his grand collection and his impossibly sharp claws sunk into the mountain.

"Please, Thraneuos, the eternal flame of the world, accept our tribute, and allow our insignificant land to last another year without experiencing the might of your legendary wrath."

"Yes. YES!" He boomed. "I accept your tribute, now away with you. Out of my sight!"

The party quickly left, the leader pausing to look back at the cart with a terrible and pained longing that Thraneuos relished.

He brought his prize into the depths of the mountain, and carefully removed the lid to discover a small creature Thraneuos couldn't name, but inspired an odd familiarity. This didn't confuse him as he had his own extensive zoo filled with donated creatures, some of which no longer existed in the outside world. Living creatures tended to be his favorite gifts, as his subjects usually valued them above most other treasures. This creature in particular was especially valuable to its previous owner. Although Thraneuos, the indescribably wise, felt a hint of uncertainty in how to tend to it as it seemed frail and already in distress. Begrudgingly, he took it to another one of his treasures.

It was Thraneuos' understanding that the princess, Elonia, was the fairest creature in the world, and was placed among his most prized possessions. Yes, she must be valuable indeed for she required the most maintenance out of all his treasures. She also happened to be the only inhabitant of the mountain that could converse with Thraneuous.

"PRINCESS!!!" Thaneous shouted as he blasted through her chamber doors. "BEHOLD MY…"

Without looking up from the book she was reading she interrupted him "Thaneous, dear, what did I say about having to knock before entering my quarters. Surely one with such boundless intellect would not have forgotten so easy."

"OF COURSE NOT! I FORGET NOTHING! I AM ETERNAL! MY MENTAL PROWESS UNMATCHED. It's just…" Thaneous, obviously not forgetting that startling Elona would provoke her stress causing her value to diminish, paused to come up with something that wasn't an obvious excuse for his carelessness.

"BEHOLD THIS NEW TREASURE, WHOSE VALUE MAY PERHAPS FAR EXCEED YOUR OWN. SURELY SUCH NEWS…"

"No, my lord, I'm afraid nothing does. And until you enter properly I am afraid my condition will worsen considerably."

The fearless beast of the skies paused, for nothing brought Thaneous fear and dread more save the deterioration of his treasure. Especially the most valuable of them. He quickly shut her door and knocked.

"Not so loud", he heard her say from her quarters. "My inferior hearing can scarcely bear the sounds of your formidable strikes."

He knocked again, this time considerably restraining himself.

"Oh, surely, the most magnificent being in the world has the meager discipline needed to be gentler than that."

Thaneous, ever careful not to diminish the value of any of his treasures, reminded himself of her value and knocked gentler still.

"Ah lovely. Do come in, oh masterful master of masters." She announced, in what was definitely not the most sarcastic tone that had ever been mustered.

"BEHOLD!" Thaneous shouted, barging through her massive chamber doors. "My greatest treasure yet!" At that moment, with a masterful flourish, he displayed his newly acquired treasure.

"Ok, I'm beholding, but I must say I'm not exactly sure what you mean to show, my intelligence and perception being far inferior to yours, afterall."

"IGNORANT CREATURE! PERHAPS MY NEWEST TREASURE RADIATES MORE GLORY THAN YOUR PUNY MIND CAN FATHOM!" He pointed at the small squirming mass in the ornate chest. "STEAL YOURSELF, YOU SAD THING, FOR I CHALLENGE YOU TO ATTEMPT TO GRASP THE INVALUABLE MAGNIFICENCE OF MY NEW TREASURE!"

The princess looked back at the chest, slightly apprehensive.

"The toddler?" She asked. "The human toddler is your new treasure?”

The toddler, with infinite adorableness, seemed to coo at the acknowledgment.

"YES, YEEEESSSS!!!" Thaneous roared triumphantly. "A NEW RARE SPECIES OF HUMAN. THE ULTIMATE TREASURE OF A KINGDOM'S RULER!"

As Thaneous spoke, he waved his indomitable arms and claws for dramatic emphasis. Not that he, in his unchallenged power, needed it. The toddler was appropriately enthralled by the display as light shimmered and cascaded off Thaneous’ scales.

The princess took another look at the toddler, and was unimpressed. The toddler however, was fascinated by her long bouncy locks and attempted to grab one. The princess casually avoided it.

"It may be due to my limited intellect and grasp on the world," she said in a manner that was in no way embedded with contempt. "But I'd hardly consider toddlers a rare species. As for its value, I don't expect it holds any more than what it represents to its parents".

"CLEARLY I EXPECTED TOO MUCH FROM SUCH AN INFERIOR BEING! THE IMMENSE WORTH OF THIS… TODDLER IS FAR BEYOND YOUR CAPABILITY."

The toddler farted then let out a delighted giggle in agreement.

"I'm sure you're right, oh, exalted one. I just hope you don't expect me to change its diapers or feed it."

"OF COURSE NOT, YOU FOOL, HOW COULD I TRUST YOU TO DO IT? I WILL SETTLE NOTHING SHORT OF THE FINEST MEAL IN THE WORLD TO NOURISH SUCH A PRECIOUS GIFT!"

The princess raised her eyebrows, clearly humbled by the force of will and power exuding from Thraneuos. "Forgive me for having the slightest doubt in your plans, but I hope you can indulge me and ask you exactly how you plan on getting this source of food. Surely you are aware of the special diet required?"

A reptile born of the primordial dark chaos from the infinite abyss of the beyond, eons before the first mammals walked the earth, Thraneuos still boasted a vast and unmatched understanding of mammalian functions and capabilities. Of course he knew.

"FOOLISH MORTAL. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY MAKE YOU THINK YOU KNOW SOMETHING THAT I, THANEOUS, THE ETERNAL FLAME, DO NOT ESPECIALLY SOMETHING SO TRIVIAL AS THE DIET FOR TODDLERS."

"Of course, you do," agreed the princess.

As if on cue, the baby began to wail..

"Ah" this princess continued, stepping away "looks like it's started".

As a true testament to his eternal knowledge and infinite power, Thaneous was entirely nonplussed by the sudden turn of events.

"WHAT A MIGHTY ROAR IT HAS, FOR ONE WHOSE SIZE IS SO SMALL!!! SURELY, MY BABY IS THE MIGHTIEST OF ALL BABIES! A CRY THAT SHALL INSTILL FEAR IN LESSER BEINGS!"

The baby continued to howl.

"PRINCESS. MAKE IT STOP."

The princess sighed. She went to her cabinet and obtained some food. She chewed on it, before spitting it out onto a bowl to feed the toddler.

"WHAT A MIGHTY HUNGER FOR ONE SO SEEMINGLY FRAIL! SURELY SHE WILL LEAD MANY GREAT CONQUESTS IN MY NAME, THE LIKES OF WHICH SHALL BE TOLD ETERNALLY IN LEGENDS. IN RECOGNITION OF HER INEVITABLE SUPERIORITY OVER HER PEERS I SHALL NAME HER AFTER MY MOTHER!"

He proceeded to utter, in an eons-old tongue only spoken by primordial beings, a name so foul and abysmal the light was temporarily drained from the room as if the reminder of the names original holder drove light itself away in fear of its historic enemy.

"Perhaps something a bit simpler." Offered the princess. She quickly added, "Makes it easier for all the inferior beings to tell her story."

"YES! I SHALL NAME HER, UH… RUBY! AS HER EYES BEAR AN UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE TO THE STONE."

"Yes, after her totally not plain brown eyes."

The toddler burped, finished with the bowl. .

"SHE ATE IT ALL ALREADY!"

"Well, apparently she's going to conquer the world, so no wonder she wolfed down so much food."

Ruby stretched and yawned with unparalleled adorableness.

"AMAZING! I MUST BUILD RUBY A THRONE WORTHY OF HER STATION!"

Thaneous, searched amongst his treasure trove and with sharp claws and intense fiery breath, he fashioned Ruby an oversized throne with a ruby centerpiece larger than she was.

"Waaaaoooah" Ruby said, in approval.

"RUBY! YOUR THRONE!"

"Gah" she replied, crawling on it and being absolutely dwarfed.

"YOU WILL GROW INTO IT."

"Graw" she agreed, chewing on a ruby on the throne's arm.

"I SEE, YOU ARE ALREADY EAGER TO OBTAIN YOUR OWN HORDE! HA, HA, HA! YOU MUST WAIT FOR ME TO TEACH YOU FIRST"

"Ewra"

"YES. YES! I HAVE MUCH TO SHOW YOU"

Thaneous carried her to an overlook to his bestiary menagerie and showed her the hundreds of various creatures that inhabited it. It stretched for miles as Thaneous made sure each creature had the optimal space and resources to thrive and retain its greatest value.

"BEHOLD RUBY, FIRST OF HER NAME, MY CREATURE COLLECTION! YOU MAY PICK ONE TO CARE FOR TO START YOUR OWN HORDE."

"Mwa wah wah"

"COME" Thaneous said, carrying her to each stall, and seeing her reaction to each creature. Among his collection were bears, rabbits, stags, unicorns, chimera, and more. Nightmarish creatures also inhabited the zoo such as skin-walkers.

“Dag!, Dag!” she shouted, pointing at a colorful salamander.

"SPECTACULAR, RUBY! REPTILES ARE ALWAYS A SUPERIOR CHOICE. NOW ONTO THE NEXT CHAMBER"

"Wim wim wih"

Thaneous carried her gingerly to his library.

"BEHOLD, RUBY! THE GREATEST LITERARY COLLECTION THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN! AND IT'S ALL MINE! SEE HOW THE LIBRARY EXTENDS IN A RISING SPIRAL, FROM THE VERY FOUNDATION OF THE MOUNTAIN ALL THE WAY TO THE PEAK, BOOKS AND SCROLLS THAT DATE BACK THOUSANDS OF YEARS FROM COUNTLESS CIVILIZATIONS!"

Clearly impressed, Ruby hiccupped and sucked her thumb. Cradling her in one hand, Thaneous climbed the staircase letting her gaze contemplate the books and scrolls. Upon reaching each floor Thaneous explained, in detail, the category of books held within. He stopped at one and said:

"BEHOLD, RUBY! THIS FLOOR EXCLUSIVELY CONTAINS FICTIONAL BOOKS ABOUT VARIOUS ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS. THE PRINCESS FREQUENTS THIS FLOOR MORE THAN ANY OTHER."

Ruby's reply was simply to throw up and giggle.

"YES RUBY, I FEEL THE SAME WAY. ONWARDS!"

Not three floors up, Ruby made her choice by crawling over to a book with particularly colorful imagery and smacking it with her little hand.

"Bah!" She exclaimed, decisively declaring her choice.

"AHA! MAREGOTH THE RIGHTEOUS' BOOK OF APPROPRIATE CURSES: A COMPREHENSIVE ANTHOLOGY." Thaneous laid the 20 lbs book down and started going through the pages with Ruby.

"AS A SUCH A SUPERIOR BEING, I HAVE LITTLE NEED OR USE FOR MAGIC. HOWEVER, SINCE YOU HAVE YET TO GROW YOUR CLAWS AND SCALES, I UNDERSTAND THE APPEAL OF HAVING A TEMPORARY SUBSTITUTE."

"Lah bah" Ruby said, smacking a vibrant and detailed page.

"A CURSE TO INFLICT HEMORRHOIDS UPON DEBT COLLECTORS. TRULY YOURS WILL BE A JUST REIGN! NOW, TO THE GARDEN!"

With Ruby and her new book, Thaneous carried her off to his garden, which was no less extensive than his previous stashes. There, the princess was gathering ingredients.

"BEHOLD, RUBY! THE GARDEN! WHERE FRUITS, FLOWERS, AND VEGETABLES OF EVERY CALIBER THRIVE. PRINCESS, WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE? HARVESTING MORE OF THAT DANK WEED YOU'RE SO FOND OF INHALING?"

"Ew, please don't call it “dank”. I'm here collecting ingredients to make food for Ruby. As much as I’d enjoy spitting food at her, mashing fruits and vegetables seems better."

"EXCELENT. EXCELLENT!"

"Right… Anyway, it smells like your new pet shit itself."

"Goo wah" Ruby affirmed

"AH, SHE SEEKS TO FERTILIZE HER PLANT! WITH SUCH A POIGNANT SMELL, IT WILL ALLOW ANY PLANT TO THRIVE BEYOND ITS NATURAL MEANS."

"Sure". The princess said, going on about her business

Thraneous and Ruby, “took care of” a few of the colorful and exotic plants before continuing on.

"FINALLY, RUBY, I BRING YOU TO MY FAVORITE COLLECTION; BEHOLD, MY HORDE OF PRECIOUS STONE AND CRAFTS."

The chamber opened up to reveal a vast cavern filled with precious metals and gems for miles in each direction.

"Gig gig ga" Ruby said in approval.

"ONE DAY YOU MAY HAVE YOUR OWN STASH RIVAL MY OWN. I LIKE HOW SHINY IT IS."

With Ruby gleefully laughing on his back, Thraneous, slid and surfed across the sea of silver and gold. He stopped to pick up a smooth, platinum cylinder with an interesting fragrance.

"LOOK AT THIS ONE, RUBY! IT'S SO SHINY AND SMOOTH! IT ORIGINALLY BELONGED TO A QUEEN WHO TOLD ME THAT IT GAVE HER GREAT PLEASURE. IT'S EASY TO SEE WHY, WITH IT BEING SO SHINY.``

Ruby was quickly distracted, however, and picked up a rattle and started to play with it.

"OF COURSE! A SCEPTER FOR YOUR RULE! SURELY YOU HAVE A GREAT AND UNIQUE WAY OF PERCEIVING TREASURE. IT IS A VALUABLE QUALITY TO HAVE FOR YOUR FUTURE CONQUESTS."

"Iggy iggy!" Ruby conquered before yawning.

"TIME TO REST. I SHALL CONTINUE TO PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR DESTINY TOMORROW."

Thraneous carried Ruby back to an ornate emperor size bed that had been given to him as tribute and put Ruby to sleep. As he did he couldn’t help, but lay nearby to watch her doze soundly throughout the night. When she finally did begin to wake, he greeted her excitedly.

“GOOD MORNING, RUBY! LET'S CONTINUE WITH LESSONS! PERHAPS WE CAN FIND SOME DEBT COLLECTORS!”

“Iggy!” She agreed.

“Wait!” Said the princess, running into the room. “Let her eat first.”

“YES. YES! SHE MUST CONTINUE TO ABSORB MORE STRENGTH AND POWER!”

“Also, you have a new tribute waiting.”

“WHAT!? BAH, I SHALL DEAL WITH IT IMMEDIATELY.”

He quickly crawled from out under the mountain and met the tribute party with such aggressive impatience the members fell to their knees in tears.

“WHAT?!” He shouted at them, shaking leaves off the trees with the force of his voice.

The party leader found courage to say “Oh lord Thraneous, most powerful and..”

“YES, YES, I ACCEPT! WHATEVER YOU BROUGHT. LEAVE IT THERE. ANOTHER YEAR YOU CAN SCURRY ABOUT.”

“Thank you! Merciful-”

“I SAID SCURRY”

And without need of further prompt, the party rushed off back into the woods. Thraneous, eager to return to Ruby, ignored whatever frivolous trinkets left behind. By the time he returned, Ruby had already finished eating and, with her toy, was playing with the princess.

“EXCELLENT! COME RUBY, ANOTHER DAY OF GLORY AWAITS!” He gingerly grabbed Ruby while she squealed with glee. As he hurried off to the menagerie, the princess called out;

“She liked my cooking by the way.”

Thraneous spent the day helping Ruby going through each chamber again. He showed her how to care for the salamanders, and plants. He explained in depth, and without irony, why debt collectors deserved punishment. Finally, he played with Ruby and her toy, failing to remember a day in his long life that he treasured more. The days continued as such for a week, and so much so was Thraneous’ joy that he failed to notice Ruby’s decreasing appetite and growing cough. After a few more days, the princess confronted him.

“Thraneous.” She said with unusual agency.

“YES.”

“Ruby is sick.”

“NONSENSE! LOOK, SHE JUST DREW THIS PICTURE! HOW CAN SHE MAKE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE MASTERWORK OF ART IF SHE WAS SICK?” Thraneous held up the drawing which he would keep with him at all times.

“Yes it's very adorable, but please listen to me; Ruby is sick and she’s going to get worse.”

“SHE HAS BEEN LESS… ACTIVE.”

“She’s coughing and losing her appetite. Surely you could just whip up a remedy.”

“OF COURSE. I AM THRANEOUS, CHIEF OF CHIEFS, AND WINNER OF WINNERS. I CAN CONJURE A CURE FOR SOME MEAGER ILLNESS.”

Without another word he hurried off to his library. Once there however, he checked the collection of medicine and upon seeing the vastness of its contents, for the first time, Thraneous, felt humbled by his own wealth. How long would it take him to sift through even a small fraction of his collection?

“This is ridiculous”, he thought. He left the library and checked on the sleeping Ruby. he waited and listened, but it did not take a mythical dragon’s hearing to be able to tell her breathing was labored. He quickly made a decision and left the mountain again. He soared across the land and at each city, made the same demand.

“TO THE INSIGNIFICANT DENIZENS THAT DWELL IN THE LAND UNDER MY DOMAIN, I DEMAND OF YOU YOUR LITERATE. FOR EACH PERSON YOU OFFER, I SHALL GRANT ANOTHER YEAR WITHOUT FURTHER TRIBUTE.

Under the impression that they’d never return, hundreds of the elderly volunteered to go. They said their goodbyes to their families and left with Thraneous, back to his mountain. With his new army of literate readers he made his next demand:

“BEHOLD WHAT FEW MORTALS COULD EVER HOPE TO DREAM OF ACHIEVING! EACH OF YOU TAKE A BOOK IN THIS SECTION, READ IT, AND BE PREPARED TO DIAGNOSE A TODDLER. FIND THE ANSWER AND I SHALL GRANT YOUR CITY A HUNDRED YEARS OF PEACE.”

With that, the scores of elderly and Thraneous himself began reading throughout the night. So absorbed was Thraneous, that he almost failed to notice the princess handing out special medicine so that all may stay focused; a longtime ally of medical students, “The Aid of Deral”. Or “adderall” for short. By morning, each book had been read. Thraneous then brought them Ruby. After the expected chorus of “oohs and aws”, many, if not all, had their faces pale in recognition of her ailment.

“SPEAK!” He urged.

“My lord Thraneous.” One of the elders began to say apprehensively. “I’m afraid she

has an incurable disease, common throughout our land. It has claimed many lives.”

“IT WILL NOT CLAIM THIS ONE. TELL ME, ANY OF YOU, WHAT MAY QUALIFY AS TREATMENT?”

Various answers were given involving medicinal remedies that could be used with herbs and animal products. Thraneous wasted no time in returning the elderly back to their homes. At each city he demanded those good with animals and plants to assist him. Each volunteer adding a year without tribute for their city. Upon briefly hearing of the scale and grandeur of Thraneous’ domain from the elderly, thousands volunteered. Most of the elderly too, offered their services again, eager to try and treat the disease that they had witnessed ravage the lives of their young.

Thraneous had collected the most massive host the world had seen. They spent days working together collecting ingredients from plants and animals. Over the course of the week, Thraneous gave freshly created potential remedies to Ruby. None of it seemed to work. She got sicker and weaker by the day. Thraneous lingered by her bed, absolutely morose. There was, but one option left he considered, but wasn’t sure he had the strength to undertake it.

Seeing Thraneous in his state, Ruby declared, in a strong, authoritative voice, that defied her sickness, “Bee-hold”, and she offered Thraneous, the great and mighty owner of the wealth of the world, her toy -her only possession.

Thraneous, for the first time in his existence, was speechless. And again for the first time in his life, Thraneous refused an offering. The act did, however, give him the strength he needed to do what he must. He spoke to her softly:

“No, my fierce toddler warrior. Only when I see you healed, will I accept your gift.”

“Where are you going?” asked the princess, seeing him leave. She had spent the past week organizing the effort to save Ruby; feeding and tasking the volunteers.

“I MUST SEE THE RULER OF THE EAST, MY BROTHER.”

“Your what?” She asked.

It was too late, however. Thraneous, totally still the undisputed lord of all the impressive lands that were so infinitely better and more important than his brother’s, so much so it never inspired previous mention, flew to the border and summoned him. It wasn't long before his brother arrived, more thin and slender, wingless, but massive and imposing all the same.

“你好兄弟” he spoke to Thraneous, constantly weaving through the air as he did. . “每次我们见面，你都会变得更胖、更丑。”

“I’M NOT FAT OR UGLY! THESE ARE MUSCLES TO TEAR YOU APART!”

“肌肉很软，你这个肥胖、愚蠢、丑陋的蜥蜴。”

“YOU’RE THE UGLY ONE! LOOK AT ALL THAT HAIR! WHAT KIND OF REPTILE HAS HAIR?”

“哈哈哈, 我的头发很漂亮。一个华丽的看台，每一种方式我都比你好。”

“WELL SEE HOW GOOD YOU ARE WITHOUT MAGIC! I’D RIP YOU APART!”

“如果你穿衣服，你唯一会撕裂的就是衣服。这就是你的脂肪。”

“THAT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. IT’S STUPID! YOU’RE STUPID!”

“你在这里问我，你超大的鬣蜥。那么小国之主想要什么呢？”

“THERE’S A, UH, SICKNESS IN MY LANDS. I NEED HELP CURING IT. IT EFFECTS TODDLERS.”

“你的人民和你一样软弱和愚蠢，我并不感到惊讶。你没有疫苗吗？”

“NO. THEY HAVE JUST RECENTLY BEEN MADE AWARE OF WHAT VACCINES ARE. I HAD, INADVERTENTLY, KEPT THE KNOWLEDGE FROM THEM.”

“听着，兄弟。很高兴看到你想到除了肥屁股之外的东西，但你已经知道治愈它的方法。”

“YOU SPEAK OF ME OFFERING ONE OF MY SCALES.”

“我总是惊讶于你是多么愚蠢。即便如此，您也应该知道我们的秤所蕴含的力量。”

“VERY WELL. SO LONG BROTHER. I’LL BE CAREFUL NOT TO FLAP MY WINGS SO HARD IT KNOCKS YOUR FRAIL, STUPID BODY OUT OF THE SKY.”

“再见，你这个胖白痴。”

Thraneous raced back. He thought of whether he was prepared to actually give up a part of himself; his power derived from his scales. He thought of Ruby, the picture she drew, and how she had tried giving him her toy. He knew he’d give a dozen of his precious scales if needed.

When he returned, the princess was waiting.

“Thraneous” She said.

“NOT NOW! I MUST SEE RUBY BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!”

“Thraneous!” She shouted, daring to get in his way.

“WHAT?”

“It's already too late.” A single tear rolled down her face, to her quivering lip.

“Too late.” Thraneous said, more to himself. He sank low.

The Princess took a breath to collect herself, “Ruby died an hour ago.”

“No. NO!” Thraneous road. “SHE CANNOT DIE! SHE IS THE MIGHTY RUBY! WHOSE NAME IS TO GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS MY MIGHTY CHAMPION AND SCION! HER REIGN AND KINGDOM IS TO BE THE GREATEST THE WORLD SHALL EVER KNOW!” He rushed past her to Ruby’s bedroom, but it was as she said. Ruby lay still, pale, and silent.

“NO! YOU FOOL! SHE IS MERELY ASLEEP!” Thraneous lied to himself. He shook her, but to know avail.

“NO! NO, NO, NO! I FORBID IT! NO, THIS IS YOUR FAULT, YOU SILLY LITTLE PRINCESS! YOU WASTED ALL THAT TIME READING YOUR RIDICULOUS NOVELS. IF YOU HAD SPENT YOUR TIME MORE PRODUCTIVELY, YOU COULD HAVE WARNED ME SOONER!”

The princess replied sternly, “Do not blame me, oh great and magnificent Thraneous, whose intelligence and power are without limit.” Then more gently she continued, “We did our best, but sometimes that still isn’t enough. Death is inevitable for every other mortal.”

“SHE'S NOT LIKE THE OTHERS, SHE WAS MINE! SHE WAS ALL THAT WAS GOOD IN THE WORLD, MY MOST PRECIOUS AND VALUABLE GEM AND SHE'S GONE! AND NONE OF ALL THE WEALTH AND POWER IN THE WORLD COULD STOP IT. WORTHLESS, ALL WORTHLESS AND I'LL BURN THE WORLD DOWN TO PROVE HOW WORTHLESS IT IS. WITH MY BREATH I SHALL BURN CITIES TO NOTHING BUT ASH. WITH MY WINGS, I WILL SCATTER THE REMAINS ACROSS THE WORLD SO I MAY FOREVER SEED IT WITH MY WRATH AND HATE. THE SMOKE THAT RISES FROM MY WAKE WILL BLOT OUT THE SUN AND SEND THE WORLD BACK INTO THE COLD DARKNESS WHERE IT BELONGS.”

The Princess listened, without flinching. “Done with your tantrum?”

Thraneous stewed, but stayed silent.

“Ruby died today, but in the land you rule, hundreds die everyday. And while none of them are your Ruby, you can keep her memory, her influence alive by helping them. That way, she can live on in the lives saved. You can still help her be great and magnificent.”

Thraneous, stared at the princess with hate for a long time. She held his gaze. Eventually, it was Thraneous who relented. He looked back to Ruby’s still form.

“What’s the point?” He said with a hint of disgust.

The princess spoke again, this time hesitantly. “I lied to you.”

Thraneous turned back to her.

“When I came to you, I said that I was the wisest and most beautiful princess in the world. The truth is, I lived on a farm as a middle child. No one paid much attention to me. Even though I had to take care of my younger and older brothers, it seemed like I could disappear and my parents wouldn’t notice. I felt like they only cared about my brothers. When I heard that the Dragon, Thraneous, with his collection of books, creatures, plants and gems, was looking for a princess, I figured, why not have it be me? I ran away from home, and when I came here, you made me feel valued, for the first time in my life. Granted it was as a possession, but I guess I just really wanted to feel like I’d be so insignificant that the world would completely forget me if I let it.”

Thraneous stared at her for a while before speaking, “I was a fool to place such value on you. Princess Elonia. I should have instead valued you for never lying. You’ve proven to be more than just the most beautiful and intelligent human I’ve ever met. You’ve shown yourself to be the best person, and my best friend. Elonia, Magnificent Princess of Thrane, help me, and together we can use the wealth of this mountain to make the world better, for all the Rubies in the world.”

Elonia smiled, and shed another tear.

The mountains of Thrane were turned into a public attraction; a museum where all may be invited to come, learn and experience wonders and knowledge. Elonia took it upon herself to hire and manage the employees needed for its maintenance. One day, her parents arrived and with all the treasure in the world to see, none measured up to seeing their beloved and neglected daughter.

Thraneous resolved to save the toddlers of the land. By melting a scale, and mixing it with milk, he could cure the dreaded disease that took his beloved Ruby. He flew from kingdom to kingdom, offering his scales in Ruby’s name. The more he gave, the more of his Dragon power left him. After traveling the land, he had run out of scales and had shown back up to his mountain as an old human man. He never felt more powerful. With his last act as “Ruler of the World”, he renamed the mountain range, “The Ruby Mountains.” A thousand years later, the greatest museum and center for learning in the world still stands, its centerpiece, and an old masterpiece of a drawing, a dragon treasuring his precious Ruby.