Monday, March 31, 2014

Meet my Dragon, Wang Tae-Yang (왕태양)

Good day Google.  Today I'd like to introduce you to someone very special - Tae-Yang.

I came into possession of Tae-Yang last winter, when I was down in Arizona for a wedding.  While there, I met up with a friend who I hadn't seen in over a year.  He insisted on buying me a Christmas gift, so we started wandering around the store wondering what we could possibly chose that would be special and unique.

Then it came to us: pointless figurines.  

My friend was born in Thailand, so we got him this amazing sliver and bronze elephant that had broken shards of mirror scattered across his back to form a gorgeous, sparkling ornamental drape.

I, on the other hand, am half-Korean.  So when we saw Tae-Yang crouching there, tucked behind a giant figurine of a tiger, we knew he was waiting for me.  It was like he had deserted his post guarding the steps of Gyeongbokgung, the great palace in the center of Seoul, to come offer his life to me.

Tae-Yang is completely silver, but with that antique, ink-like color carefully smeared into the crevices.  His front claws are perched on an oriental ball, which would be made of stone in real life.  There are flames springing from his back legs as well as his tail, which swirls straight upwards.

His mane also reminds you of flames, swirling and spiking all around his head.  Smaller flames rage around his jaw and out of his nostrils.  Even his eyebrows flicker dangerously.

But the true magic is locked in his face.  His eyes are cold and un-distracted.  His mouth is frozen in a roar and you can tell that he is fierce and dangerous, but at the same time, fiercely loyal.  He protects what he watches over.

Originally I brought him in to the office to inspire my writing - but that is clearly not what he was made to do.  Instead, he sits as a guardian over my kingdom, protecting my computer, my phone, my bag, my water bottle, and me.

But as for his final, an most important quality - his spiked, flamey mane doubles as an excellent hand scratcher.

Jealous now?  I bet you are.      

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