The Dragonborn

Legends and Promises.

The sound of murmurs and chatter filled a small town: merchants in their small shops, customers browsing the products, children running around, and guards patrolling the streets. It wasn't a large metropolis, but quite a few people lived there. A wall about ten meters high surrounded and protected it.

The city is called Argen, and it's quite inhabited: guards with samurai armor and katanas sheathed and worn at their waists; children in kimonos, some with wooden katanas they used for play, and small food stalls, like ramen and others.

The sound of wood striking was heard in a small clearing, where a small group of three young boys and one older boy were playing with their wooden katanas. Two were sparring with each other, while the older one and another boy watched attentively. Among those fighting, a 16-year-old boy had the most distinctive appearance: long pure white hair tied in a ponytail, emerald green eyes, and fair skin. He had the advantage in the fight against the other boy, with energetic and enthusiastic movements, managing to strike the other boy in several parts of the body.

"Alright... enough!" the oldest in the group spoke. His hair was long and pure black, tied in a typical samurai ponytail, his eyes were black, and he had tanned skin. He wore black samurai armor. "Kinori, you hit several vital points, you win."

"Take that!" shouted the white-haired boy, Kinori. "Thanks, brother, you're the best supervisor." He tossed his wooden katana to the other young boy standing next to his brother.

The boy caught it and went into the battlefield, while the other boy remained on the ground. "Get up! You won't be chosen as a warrior in our next battles like this," the older boy said.

"But, Zares! I'm tired," the boy's stomach growled, still lying exhausted on the ground. "Let's go eat, come on!"

The other two boys had more or less the same appearance, with short black hair and black eyes. The three young boys wore white kimonos with small wooden protections they used for this type of fight. Zares looked at the young boy with a frown but quickly calmed down:

"You know what? I'm hungry too. How about you?" He turned his gaze to Kinori and the other boy, who nodded in agreement. "It's on me, you did great. Let's go eat ramen, the kind you like."

The boys' eyes lit up: a good ramen after an exhausting training session was undoubtedly a great plan. Moreover, they were going to fill their bellies with one of the best ramen: one with spicy chicken broth, pieces of cooked chicken, onions, bamboo shoots, boiled egg, corn, nori seaweed, and special spices. Certainly, one that makes their stomachs growl just by hearing about it.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" the boy, who was tired on the ground, jumped up. Kinori and the other young boy laughed, Zares smiled slightly, knowing the bond of friendship his brother had with them. "Why are you laughing? I'm not the only one who's hungry."

"Because you eat the most, Ryota," the other boy said, "you'll probably end up eating ours in the end because we'll get full before you."

Ryota was a boy who loved to eat; if it weren't for the daily training he did, he would probably be much bigger. "Very funny, Henshi, but remember the challenge we promised each other last time. Whoever eats the most gets a free bowl of ramen from the loser at every lunch." He headed straight for the small ramen shop, with Zares following to get in front, and Kinori behind them.

"When did I say that?" asked Henshi, joining the group on their way to the shop. "I must have been very tired at that moment."

"You're not getting out of this one, Henshi, I heard it too," said Kinori, looking at him with a mocking smile.

"Oh yeah!? Well, I'm going to beat you, I don't care if you have the biggest belly," Henshi added before moving ahead of the group.

"We'll see about that," Ryota said, laughing at the end.