The Dragon's Gate

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The Dragon's Gate

Deep within the ancient forest, where gnarled trees twisted towards a golden sky, stood the most unlikely of dwellings - a door carved into the very heart of an enormous tree. But it wasn't the ornate wooden entrance that drew fearful gazes, nor the ceremonial banners that fluttered in the warm breeze. It was the massive red dragon perched above, its scales gleaming like burnished copper in the dappled sunlight, who had claimed this sacred space as its own.

Folk whispered that the dragon was once a guardian knight, transformed by ancient magic to better protect the realm's most precious secrets. Others claimed it was a force of nature itself, drawn to the power that pulsed behind that mysterious door. The truth, as with most legends, lay somewhere in between.

The dragon's presence had transformed what was once a simple waypoint into something far more significant. Travelers who dared approach found themselves facing not just any door, but a gateway between worlds. The banners marking the entrance weren't mere decoration - they were warnings, promises, and invitations all at once, their symbols glowing with an inner light when magic stirred in the air.

Yet for all its fearsome appearance - the razor-sharp horns, the membrane-thin wings that could block out the sun, the claws that could shred steel like paper - the dragon was more guardian than monster. It watched over both the gate and those who sought to pass through it, judging their worth not by their strength, but by the purpose in their hearts.

Some said that on certain days, when the light filtered through the leaves just so, one could see other creatures emerging from that door - beings of light and shadow, carrying ancient knowledge and artifacts of power. But only those who approached with respect and genuine need would ever know for sure what lay beyond the dragon's watchful gaze.