CURSE OF THE BLUE DRAGON

Chapter 2 - Sacrifice Turns Everything Upside Down

Feeling genuinely hungry and confused, the commander nodded and followed Myonghorang to the set table. Myonghorang continued, "I know what's troubling you. It's hard to help those who have wronged us. When we were still humans, living on Earth, we were a respected dynasty. Do you know where that respect came from? Was it merely from helping those in need or sharing what we already had in abundance? Anyone with a heart would do that. Even if we had a population that wouldn't benefit a great dynasty, why were we recognized and respected? I don't blame you for not knowing this. When we came here, you were too young to experience life. But now it's time to grow. We shared what we had with the hungry, even when our own land was insufficient. We shared our space with those without homes, even when our own home wasn't enough. It seems the true Creator who made us wants to see what we will do at this point. Will we wait for death here, or will we return to the world of humans and fight, even if they have done us wrong? It's easy to do good to those who do good to us. It's hard to do good to those who do us wrong. And we won't do this just for them. We need to fight for ourselves as well. In short, the salvation of humanity and the world lies in your hands. There's no guarantee of success. But even if death awaits at the end of this path, it's more honorable and befitting for us to walk this path."

"Very well," Noble Wolf said. He had momentarily silenced the voices in his mind to listen to Myonghorang, yet he hadn't convinced himself enough to resolve the dilemmas. The sage had already noticed his plight. Undertaking such a heavy responsibility wasn't easy. External enemies could be defeated with sharp swords, but the internal enemies could only be subdued by wielding the weapons of mercy, forgiveness, and magnanimity.

"After you've finished your meal, you can stay here. I've heard you've been experiencing disturbing dreams lately. I have some insights about that," Myonghorang said.

Noble Wolf focused his gaze, listening more attentively to the sage. Myonghorang continued, "It seems the disease that turned us into werewolves won't stay confined to our bodies. The transformation that began in our bodies will eventually affect our souls and minds. This torment will likely continue until we completely transform into wild beasts on all fours. We will lose all human traits - speech, thought, imagination, self-control. For now, this disease, which has taken control of your mind even in your sleep and nightmares, will leave nothing of you when it fully consumes your brain. We will turn into wild wolves living in the mountains. Even death won't come easy for us. I hope this helps you make your decision."

Noble Wolf continued eating silently without uttering a word. "I don't want to stay here. With your permission, I'd like to set out to rest in my own tent," he finally said. Myonghorang nodded in approval. After finishing his meal, the commander thanked them and set out without saying anything. As he descended down the path, he saw a blue fireball descending from the sky. Despite trying to flee from the object, he couldn't predict where the fireball would land. He started running. As it approached, he realized it was a cursed metin stone, but he couldn't escape far enough. With a loud crash, the meteorite struck the ground. Before he could comprehend what had happened, he collapsed to the ground, knocked unconscious by the intensity of the impact.

When the wolf pack gathered for the morning hunt and noticed their commander's absence, they went to his tent. He wasn't there. Knowing that he had met with Myonghorang, they set off towards the sage's abode. Just a short distance away, Noble Wolf lay sprawled beside a cursed stone emitting blue smoke. Despite their attempts to rouse him, they couldn't succeed. He was breathing but unconscious. After a while, they too began to feel unwell, their consciousness fading. It didn't take long for them to realize that the amorphous meteorite was the cause. They collectively managed to shatter the stone with claw and spear blows. Once the rock fragmented, they noticed a change in themselves. They tried again to awaken their commander. This time, Noble Wolf managed to open his eyes, albeit weakly. They informed Myonghorang of the situation. When they brought their commander to Myonghorang's side, he assessed the situation and thought that Sage Waheela might be able to help.