The Dragon and the Crocodile
Before time wore deep lines into the mountains and the rivers forgot their songs of magic, there lived in the hidden land of Kayan a noble ruler known as King Mintin. He was renowned throughout all the lands for his wisdom and strength, and under his rule, the kingdom prospered greatly. Merchants came from the four corners of the earth to trade in his markets, and peace reigned over all his dominions.
But King Mintin carried a great sorrow in his heart, for his beloved queen had died, leaving him with two sons but taking with her all the joy from his days. The weight of his grief grew so heavy that at last he resolved to journey to foreign lands, hoping that new sights might heal his wounded spirit.
Before departing, King Mintin summoned his two sons to the throne room. The elder was called Naga, and the younger Buaya. “My sons,” said the king, “I must leave this kingdom for a time to seek solace for my troubled heart. I charge you both to rule justly and wisely in my absence, governing together as brothers should.”
The princes bowed low and promised to honor their father’s command. But alas! No sooner had the king’s caravan disappeared beyond the horizon than the true nature of the brothers revealed itself.
Naga, the elder prince, was proud and cruel of heart. He loved wine more than wisdom, gambling more than governance, and pleasure more than the people’s welfare. His temper was as quick as lightning and twice as destructive. Buaya, the younger brother, was gentle and kind, always ready to help those in need, careful with the kingdom’s treasures, and soft-spoken in his dealings with all people.
As the days passed, Naga’s wickedness grew bolder. He emptied the royal treasury for his revelries, oppressed the common folk with harsh taxes, and flew into terrible rages when anyone dared oppose him. Buaya tried again and again to counsel his brother toward righteousness, but his gentle words fell upon deaf ears.
At last, Buaya could bear his brother’s tyranny no longer. “Brother,” he said, “you shame our father’s name and bring ruin upon our people. I will not stand idle while you destroy all that our father built.”
“You dare defy me?” roared Naga, his eyes blazing with fury. “I am the elder! I am the rightful ruler!”
And so began a terrible civil war within the kingdom of Kayan. The royal guard split into two armies, some following the harsh Naga, others rallying to the gentle Buaya. Brother fought against brother, friend against friend, and the once-peaceful kingdom was torn asunder by strife and bloodshed.
Far away in a distant land, King Mintin woke one night from a dream so terrible that it chilled his very bones. In his vision, he had seen his kingdom burning and his sons locked in mortal combat. Without delay, he gathered his retinue and hastened homeward with all speed.
When King Mintin arrived at his palace, his heart nearly broke at what he beheld. The gardens were trampled, the walls scarred by battle, and the air thick with smoke and sorrow. He summoned both his sons to appear before him immediately.
Naga and Buaya came trembling into the throne room, for they knew well their father’s terrible power. It was said that when King Mintin’s wrath was kindled, his curses would surely come to pass, and no force on earth could turn them aside.
The king’s face was terrible to behold, like that of a lion roused to fury. His voice shook the very stones of the palace as he spoke:
“Wicked sons! Faithless princes! You have broken your sacred trust and brought shame upon our noble house. You have torn asunder what I built in unity, and scattered what I gathered in peace. For this betrayal, you shall bear the burden of your choices for all eternity!”
Thunder rolled across the sky as King Mintin pronounced his dreadful curse:
“Naga, my elder son, since you have chosen to live as a beast, ruled by rage and appetite, a beast you shall become! You shall take the form of a great dragon and dwell alone in mountain caves, far from the company of men, with only your fury for companionship.
“And you, Buaya, though your heart was gentler, you too chose the path of war when you might have found the way of peace. You shall become a mighty crocodile, dwelling in rivers and marshes, forever separated from the human world you failed to unite.”
As the king’s words rang out, lightning split the sky and the earth trembled. In that instant, the two princes were transformed—Naga into a fearsome dragon with scales like polished armor and breath like flame, and Buaya into a great crocodile with hide like leather and jaws like iron.
The dragon spread his mighty wings and flew away to the highest mountains, where he dwells still in lonely caves, guarding treasures that bring him no joy. The crocodile slipped into the dark waters of the deepest rivers, where he remains to this day, swimming in solitude through the shadowy depths.