This is my entry for TWG's contest;
The symbols mean (in order) Dream, friend, direction
This guy (or girl) is a half bred demon. At birth he was an Akita mix, dropped on the doorstep of a monastery somewhere deep in Japan. The monks took the young pup in, not expecting him to survive. But to their surprise, he pushed through, weaning off the goat milk they gave him very quickly and moving straight to hunting the small animals that lived around the monastery. As he grew he took on the role of guarding his monk masters, warning them of any approachers so they could prepare in case of danger. However, one day, the monastery was attacked as it held an ancient jewel rumored to have belonged to a dragon. The attackers broke into the temple in the middle of the night only to find a white Akita dog guarding the jewel, growling ferociously. The monks were all hidden under the floor boards, but they could see what was happening and all of them were shocked as the pup they hand raised had never shown any sign of aggression, even towards strangers he was only wary for a short time, he always warmed up quickly. But here he looked deadly.
Before the assailants could move, the Akita let out a loud howl that reverberated through the building. No dog could have made a noise such as this, it was a sound only wolf offspring could have summoned. The assailants hesitated. They knew the dog was here and had come prepared but they never expected such a ferocious creature as this, let alone a wolf half breed. However their leader, a ruthless killer urged them to attack, it was simply an animal- no match for the ten warriors that had come to this sacred place.
And so they fought, the Akita fighting until he could fight no more. He fell to the ground, his breathing faint. He had taken more than half of the men with him to the grave but he could no longer protect the monks that had raised him. He had failed.
The leader of the group stepped up to the dog, staring him in the eye as he died. The dog, while one eye had been damaged in the fight, stared back defiantly. With his last strength, he lifted his head and took a snap at the man, ripping his eye. The man wailed and brought his sword down on the dog, killing him. From there, they stole the jewel and dumped the dog's body in the river as a sign of disrespect. Due to his thick fur, the Akita sunk to the bottom of the river and settled there. The leader spat in the river and left.
However that was not the end of the Akita. The dragon who owned the stolen jewel saw this happening and took pity on the dog, thankful for his efforts to protect the monks and the dragons treasure. The dragon brought back the dog's spirit in a dream, granting him life if only in the dreams of all creatures. In this new life, the dog was no longer just a dog, he had grown dragon horns and fur, and his damaged eye had become that of a dragon's- all seeing and able to pierce a soul. The dragon gave him celestial weapons, a rosary made of obsidian dragon claws, enhanced with dragon fire. He also gave the dog armor for his shoulder and dragon scales on his paw where he had been most damaged. Finally the dragon gave the dog a ribbon and tied it around his tail, it had the words "Dream, friend, and direction' on it. These symbolized the dog's new life and how it's purpose was to live in dreams, leaping from mind to mind and helping friends through nightmares, being a guide for the souls to the good dream worlds. And to cause nightmares and guilt for the un-pure souls- such as the man who stole the jewel.
The symbols mean (in order) Dream, friend, direction
This guy (or girl) is a half bred demon. At birth he was an Akita mix, dropped on the doorstep of a monastery somewhere deep in Japan. The monks took the young pup in, not expecting him to survive. But to their surprise, he pushed through, weaning off the goat milk they gave him very quickly and moving straight to hunting the small animals that lived around the monastery. As he grew he took on the role of guarding his monk masters, warning them of any approachers so they could prepare in case of danger. However, one day, the monastery was attacked as it held an ancient jewel rumored to have belonged to a dragon. The attackers broke into the temple in the middle of the night only to find a white Akita dog guarding the jewel, growling ferociously. The monks were all hidden under the floor boards, but they could see what was happening and all of them were shocked as the pup they hand raised had never shown any sign of aggression, even towards strangers he was only wary for a short time, he always warmed up quickly. But here he looked deadly.
Before the assailants could move, the Akita let out a loud howl that reverberated through the building. No dog could have made a noise such as this, it was a sound only wolf offspring could have summoned. The assailants hesitated. They knew the dog was here and had come prepared but they never expected such a ferocious creature as this, let alone a wolf half breed. However their leader, a ruthless killer urged them to attack, it was simply an animal- no match for the ten warriors that had come to this sacred place.
And so they fought, the Akita fighting until he could fight no more. He fell to the ground, his breathing faint. He had taken more than half of the men with him to the grave but he could no longer protect the monks that had raised him. He had failed.
The leader of the group stepped up to the dog, staring him in the eye as he died. The dog, while one eye had been damaged in the fight, stared back defiantly. With his last strength, he lifted his head and took a snap at the man, ripping his eye. The man wailed and brought his sword down on the dog, killing him. From there, they stole the jewel and dumped the dog's body in the river as a sign of disrespect. Due to his thick fur, the Akita sunk to the bottom of the river and settled there. The leader spat in the river and left.
However that was not the end of the Akita. The dragon who owned the stolen jewel saw this happening and took pity on the dog, thankful for his efforts to protect the monks and the dragons treasure. The dragon brought back the dog's spirit in a dream, granting him life if only in the dreams of all creatures. In this new life, the dog was no longer just a dog, he had grown dragon horns and fur, and his damaged eye had become that of a dragon's- all seeing and able to pierce a soul. The dragon gave him celestial weapons, a rosary made of obsidian dragon claws, enhanced with dragon fire. He also gave the dog armor for his shoulder and dragon scales on his paw where he had been most damaged. Finally the dragon gave the dog a ribbon and tied it around his tail, it had the words "Dream, friend, and direction' on it. These symbolized the dog's new life and how it's purpose was to live in dreams, leaping from mind to mind and helping friends through nightmares, being a guide for the souls to the good dream worlds. And to cause nightmares and guilt for the un-pure souls- such as the man who stole the jewel.
