Cuiraécen fights the ancient dragon Illuyankas

Myth » Cuiraécen fights the ancient dragon Illuyankas

The ancient dragon Illuyankas had fought alongside Azrai at Deismaar. The wyrm escaped destruction then and kept himself hidden for an age. And so it was for hundreds of years, until the young god, Cuiraécen, sought out the dragon to prove himself as the god of battle. After a years searching Cuiraécen rested in a valley in the Rain Serpent Mountains, sleeping on the soft turf. There Illuyankas spied him and breathed a fog down into the valley that its approach might be concealed.

In the moment before the beast struck, Cuiraécen awakened and sensed the dragon. Unable to see for the fog, the Stormlord filled the skies with dark clouds blocking out sight of Avanalae`s palace to blind the beast also, and smote the dragon with his spear to drive it back. Seeing that its ambush had been ineffective, Illuyankas sought to hide, but the Stormlord sent bolts of lightning to strike into the hidden places in the valley looking for Illuyankas. Fearing the lightning of Cuiraécen the dragon flew ferociously at the young god and knocked him into the sea. The sea embraced Cuiraécen and he was unharmed, but when he returned to the mountains, the dragon had fled. However, the young deity saw how the people of mountainsides all grew grapes and delivered wines to a temple in offering to the dragon.

Cuiraécen went to Laerme, who produced for him a ton of intoxicating ambrosia, the divine liquor. After spending some time with the lovely Lady Love, Cuiraécen returned to the hidden valley with the tun of ambrosia. He left it in the dragon`s temple, where the local people made their offering. He took his gear off his great chestnut charger, Arviragus, and told beast to graze nearby and keep watch for the dragon. Then the Stormlord went back his celestial feasthall. Laerme appeared briefly to wish Cuiraécen strength and victory, and gave him a kiss. When Arvirgaus called to him, the Stormlord was back in a clap of thunder. Illuyankas, however, did not notice the god's arrival for the wyrm was drunk from the tun of ambrosia.

Now it was Cuiraécen`s turn to sneak up on the sleeping wyrm. After the first blow of his great spear, Naekea, the ancient dragon awoke and summoned up a great breath of flame, but it harmed the Stormlord not, for the kiss of Lady Love saved him from the pain of any fire. The serpent cast spells, and the Stormlord threw lightning. The serpent bit and clawed at the young god, and he replied with his mighty spear. In the skies, a rolling thunder was heard continuously and the rains fell hard. And so Cuiraécen killed the old ally of Azrai, and was thereafter known as the God of Battle.