The Gold Serpent blinked his ruby eyes. In their gemstone-like reflection, Mr. Teiho trembled slightly as he held out his wooden talisman.

"Others have offered me gifts crafted from the rarest jewels," the giant serpent mused, circling around the poor man. "Beautiful pieces of carved metal and jade, made with quality craftsmanship. How could yours possibly compare?"

In the sunlight, the gold coins covering the serpent's body sparkled as he moved. Legends said that a single coin brought a lifetime of good luck and fortune to its owner. But the serpent himself had always remained elusive. More and more men, spurred by the greed in their hearts have ventured into the forest, seeking to hunt the Gold Serpent and claim his wealth as their own.

Thus, as a commoner who still held respect for the supreme beings of the world, Mr. Teiho had come to the forest with a gift of protection. He had spent days and nights carefully carving the planets, stars and the likeness of the Gold Serpent onto the peach-shaped talisman.

The fact that the Gold Serpent chose to appear in front of Mr. Teiho must be a sign, he thought. Now he bowed low.

"My family has touched this talisman with our prayers for your longevity. Please, consider this as gratitude for the good fortune you've blessed our kingdom."

It was well known that snakes adored jewels, trinkets, and anything of the kind. Not in vanity, mind you, but because they were the connoisseurs of seeing the true value of objects. Gold was the currency of men, but the Gold Serpent knew how to measure an object's worth in other, more meaningful ways.

His expertise allowed him to see past the object itself, and into the heart of its maker. He saw the simple life that Mr. Teiho lived, working to make ends meet while paying his respects to the Gold Serpent. He saw the love Mr. Teiho put into each of his creations, even if they only sold for a few coins on the market. But nothing was worth more than a genuine heart. And because of that, there was nothing more valuable, nothing more powerful than a talisman crafted with love and care.

"Mortal, I see that your talisman will protect me for years to come. In return, I shall provide your family with good health, fortune and longevity. For as long as I live, you and your descendants will prosper. I thank you for your gift," the Gold Serpent said graciously.

With the Gold Serpent's blessing, the Teiho family became known as the most respected talisman crafters in all of Shikun. Each talisman gave the bearer good health, fortune and longevity, and kings vyed for these talismans to ensure a prosperous reign. But no matter what a Teiho craftsman was offered, even if it was all the material wealth in the world, a Teiho could only craft a talisman equal in value to the goodness of their customer's heart.

"Shikunese Legends" is a fantastical spin-off series based on a world-building project that has now been abandoned. Occasionally I come back to this world to drabble a short tale.