The Realm of Kings

Through fire and water

The king, brandishing his sword towards the heavens, bellows, "In the name of kings, combat on these territorial lands is forbidden!"

Uilliam rises to his feet, countering, "Rituals enacted on territory lands are equally forbidden."

King Silas pulls his sword back, preparing to strike. Uilliam, however, raises his lips, a calm acceptance in his stance as if he's ready to embrace his fate. Suddenly, a dragon, its scales a rich deep purple, swoops in and snatches Uilliam, cradling him safely against its chest. The sight of the dragons, far from inciting fear in Axel, fills him with a sense of wonder, reminding him of the tales his grandfather used to share.

As Uilliam's saviour takes to the skies, the remaining dragons unleash their fury, setting the buildings ablaze. The townsfolk flee in terror, clutching their children and seeking refuge. Amidst the chaos, Axel's gaze is drawn to a dragon of black scales and icy white highlights, its wingspan dwarfing the others. This majestic creature doesn't rain fire on the town, but remains aloft, seemingly on watch.

A strange pull seizes Axel, compelling him to move, but not in a direction his feet can follow. His reverie is abruptly disrupted as a force slams into him, knocking him to the ground. A burning wood slate lands inches from him, a near miss. He looks up to see, a young man about his age, golden eyes peeking through a mop of curly dark hair. The man didn't give Axel much notice, instead he flees after the sounds of the dragons with immense speed.

Regaining his composure, Axel stands aside as the King and his soldiers rush past, one of them jostling against his shoulder. A jolt of surprise shoots through him as his gaze returns to the sky, where the black-scaled dragon is diving straight towards him, talons extended.
Axel swerves, instinctively rolling to avoid the dragons attack. He rises to see the dragon circling above, its eyes glinting with fierce determination as it locks onto him. His survival instincts kick in, propelling him into a desperate sprint as he seeks out places to hide. The sound of beating wings follows him relentlessly, an ominous soundtrack to his flight. It's as though the dragon can smell his scent, or hear his pounding heart.

"Get to the ships!" a voice cries out in panic.

Panting and gasping for breath, Axel joins the panicked mob, sprinting towards the departing ships.

Adrenaline courses through his veins, fueling his speed as he pushes himself to the limit. Suddenly, a deafening roar shakes the ground beneath him. His attempts to maintain balance prove futile as his legs buckle, his hands reaching out to break his fall.

He rolls onto his back, shielding himself from the frenzied stampede around him. A brown dragon rears its head, its jaws parting to reveal rows of deadly teeth, fire bubbling like molten lava in its throat.

Axel watches, wide-eyed, as the black dragon crashes into the brown one. The two colossal creatures tumble to the earth in a tangled mess, landing with a ground-shaking thud.

Shaking off his shock, Axel resumes his desperate dash towards the ships. Half the town is in a similar scramble for survival, but the deafening sound of his own heartbeat drowns out the noise of their pleading town folk.

With a powerful leap, he catches hold of a ship's railing, hauling himself up. A woman desperately claws at the ledge, her legs scraping against the side of the ship as she cries out for help. Without a second thought, Axel reaches down, pulling her onboard. She wraps him in a grateful embrace before rushing off to join her family.

Despite being onboard, safety is far from assured. Dragons encircle them, observing without attacking. As the ship's occupants huddle together in prayer, Axel locks eyes with the black dragon, it's gaze filled with a mix of defiance and frustration. The ship carries not just potential threats, but also children, innocents caught in this terrifying war path. Grinding his teeth, Axel retreats below deck, out of sight but not out of mind of the dragon.