Last updated on October 27, 2019
Portland is one of four cities in America with an extinct volcano within its city limits. Mount Tabor sits right in the middle of East Portland, and hasn’t erupted in 300,000 years! Oh, but the last eruption was highly significant. For with that eruption, a sleeping dragon was buried
300,000 years ago, according to natural history, the earliest humans were living in what is now Morocco. Something stirred in all of nature. This species built tools and knew how to manipulate fire. This species wore clothes. It was obvious this species, be it for better or for worse, would rule the planet.
Another species that knew how to manipulate fire, though in a very different way, did exist on Earth at that time. Dragons roamed the Earth before humans came along, Our knowledge of dragons is limited, but we do know a few things. For one, they were huge, flying lizards. For another, dragons shot fire from their mouths. Most importantly – dragons were not from this world – or even this dimension. Dragons, came through a rift in the space time continuum.
These rifts could theoretically happen anywhere, but usually the rifts happened in volcanos for reasons we don’t understand (we don’t even understand the space time continuum after all!). We also don’t know why the dragons chose to visit our own dimensional reality. Perhaps a lack of resources in their own, or perhaps the dragons just wanted to explore. But when humans demonstrated their abilities, dragons knew their time on Earth was done. A species like humans could not coexist with fire breathing lizards. Besides – the dragons were visitors, and knew they had overstayed their welcome.
So the dragons retreated to their own dimensional reality once more. Most left immediately though some dragons stayed behind for whatever reason. One of those dragons, T’schara, was great and mighty – perhaps one of the mightiest dragons on Earth. Now, T’schara knew some of the younger dragons might not want to leave – despite the general consensus of dragon kind. So T’schara told the dragon elders that he should stay until the stray youth all fled. The elders agreed, for T’schara was honorable and we’ll respected amongst the other dragons.
T’schara’s task took probably a century. Throughout it, he chased 45 younger, not to mention smaller dragons into the rifts home. Most of the younger dragons did not want to fight as they knew they would surely lose to the mightier dragon. Of course, a few of the dragons presented a challenge to T’schara – but they were still no match. With one swipe of his paw, T’schara showed the rouge youth what the outcome of a battle would be.
The very last definat dragon, however, put up quite a fight. T’bour lived near what is now Troutdale, Oregon. T’bour loved his life on Earth, and felt he would rather die than to return to his own dimensional reality.
When T’schara found T’bour, he roared his commands so loudly, they could be heard all the way to what would be Salem! “T’Bour! By order of the dragon council, we are to leave this dimensional reality!”
“Why should I? I love this place! I won’t leave! Never!”
“Do you challenge me? I am greater and mightier than you!”
“I would rather die than leave! You will not force me! We are peaceful, so I do not wish to fight – but fight I will if that means staying here!”
“This is not our world! We must leave to make way for those who this world belongs!”
“Never!” T’bour screeched, as he shot fire from his mouth into the sky, to warn T’schara.
T’schara, got closer to T’bour and bellowed,”Do not test me T’bour.”
T’bour knew he would have to fight, and so he lunged at T’shara with all his might! T’schara responded by swiping T’bour with his paw, but unlike other dragons, T’bour kept fighting. T’schara and T’bour fought for hours upon hours. Finally, T’bour collapsed from exhaustion. T’schara was close to exhaustion himself, but he had a job to finish.
T’shara grabbed the collapsed T’bour by the neck, and dragged him to the closest active volcano, hoping a rift would be present. Alas, no riff was open. T’schara threw T’bour into a pit of molten fire and lava with no way home.
T’schara himself finally succumbed to his own exhaustion. He slept for weeks, maybe months. When T’schara finally awoke once more, T’bour was also awoke.
“T’Schara,”cried T’bour, “There has to be a way. I won’t go back home.”
T’schara took pitty on T’bour, but he couldn’t let T’bour rome about the Earth. But T’schara also knew T’bour wanted to stay more than any other dragon. After all, no other dragon had put up such a fight as T’bour. Maybe a compromise could be made.
The two dragons discussed ways T’bour could stay – but with every new solution came new problems. A compromise could not be reached! Feeling frustrated, T’bour started to get vicious once more. With a new fervor, T’bour threw his right claw at T’schara.
Quickly, T’schara shouted “Tougouth! Ni’ Foulnt!.”
It was an ancient cry, one not permitted to be used by dragonkind. Dragons were wise, and they knew words had power. Some words, especially those that threatened could harm or even kill. Dragons usually prefered pacifism to violence. These words shouted by T’Schara, roughly translated to English meant something along the lines of “Silence or Death!”
T’bour instantly fell to the ground, fast asleep – and very, very silent. T’shcara checked to see see if T’bour was still alive. Thankfully, he was – just asleep. No – more than asleep. Unconscious.
T’schara thought out loud, “perhaps there is a way to keep you here.” T’schara dragged T’bour once more to the active volcano, and buried the sleeping dragon in a cave. Before doing so, however, T’shcara screamed another ancient chant. “Ch’lal Asjs flomant qze!” This roughly translates to “Sleep until you’re safe once more.”
With this chant, T’schara knew T’bour would sleep and not harm any humans that ventured his way. Those humans that eventually came near T’bour would be safe, and not feel the need to harm the dragon. There’s no guarantee on how long T’bour would sleep, but it would be for a very long time. The mountain itself also fell asleep, as T’shara’s words had enough power to cool the very molten below the ground.
Both T’bour and mount Tabor themselves have been asleep for 300,000 years now – and maybe they’ll never wake up. However – if you ever see steam rising from Mount Tabor, stand clear, but watch for a dragon! The chant of T’shcara linked T’bour and Mount Tabor eternally. If one of them awakens, so will the other.
As far as the similar names of the dragon and the mountain, again I say the two are eternally linked. Sure, Plympton Kelly, son of Clinton Kelly, thought he was naming Mount Tabor for the mountain in lower Galilee, but he really named the mountain who slumbers within the mountain. He just didn’t know it.
