A drop of water in the Ocean

°The fall of the powerful ones°

Kohold's past - part 1

I never had so much difficulty to breathe in my entire life. A short life but a life anyway.
The only people who could help me were lying down in front of me. As cold as the floor where they were standing without life.

Even the dragons. The big ones. The strong ones. They were laying deads, their pure white scales covered in dark blood. Fresh blood, finding its way to the glacial floor where it was freezing.

The murderer wasn't far away, that was as sure as I could recite the alphabet. If his target was really the High Family Korodol, he would want to finish his job and eliminate the last one of the family members.

I finally took my breath, my legs were shivering by fear, and I thought I was gonna fall inconscious before I could reach a safe place. Far, far away from this horrible scene. I knew I needed to do something else before that, and I was afraid to stay a little more in this palace of ghosts. I still had both eyes, so my dragon's egg wasn't destroyed yet.

I should've known that was a fucking trap, but I was young and adrenaline was blinding my reason. Rare were the warriors capable of killing people as powerful as the High Family Korodol, and I was dumb to thought that I could escape them.

My parents were Adjetis. A special kind of dragons' riders, the strongest ones to be honest, even more when they hit the metamorphosis stage. So much power drew jealousy and bitter, that's why people came to eliminate the future threat to their own power.

As soon as I entered the room where were guarded the eggs, I knew something was wrong. The guards were deads too, pinned to the walls with horrific weapons bigger than my height. And then I saw them. My mother and my father were cut in half, their blind gazes locked on the only intact egg in the nursery.

I resisted the urge to throw back what I had eaten this morning and kneelt near from my loved' ones bodies. I bit my own tongue to defend me from crying and draw unexpected attention. Anyway, that wasn't going to change anything.

I heard footsteps behind me, and I knew it was over for me. My hand reached my mother's one and I pressed my finger with hers, her cold skin against mine. I closed my eyes, thinking that was the last time I was shutting them. Maybe they won't discover me if I don't look at them, was what I was hoping.

- Is he one of them too ? shouted a voice that I didn't recognize.

- Look at his hair, obviously it's one of them. There's only Korodol who have this kind of white hair. answered another voice.

- Stop talking and kill him. I just want to come back home as soon as possible. grunted somebody else.

- I would like to come back home too... I muttered.

The silence answered my sentence, like they thought I was mute and my voice shocked them. Some footsteps came closer to me, and I knew there wasn't any way to flee now. I felt the cool of a breath on my face and I grinned in disgust.

- Open your eyes, you little dude. said softly the person in front of me.

- I don't want to. I don't want to see the Death taking me with her.

- If you don't do it, I'll open your eyes myself, and you'll suffer. Do you want that ?

- No, I don't.

- So you know what you have to do to avoid that terrible future, lit' dude.

The cold of the steel on my neck made me shiver. The path of my own warm blood made me realize I didn't want to die. Not now. Not like that. So I opened my eyes. The smile of the murderer was hid by the beautiful necklace of my mother. I locked my gaze into my opposant's one.

- It's gonna freeze you until you lost the limbs that bear it, you know that, don't you ?

- Yeah. The magic of your High Family is freaking cool ahah. Nevermind, ice is not the most convenient power. See, I'm not a mere dragons' rider.

He took off his glove, to show me the rune on his hand. I let off my gaze of his bloody one to notice the letter. A. Like Adjeti. He had more than five cycles, that guy seemed really strong, but he wasn't alone to defeat my family.

- What can you do ? Which magic could defeat the ice of Korodol?

- I could return the question to... Ah !

He had to let off his fingers from my mother's jewel, his fingertips were freezing and he put them in his mouth to heat them. I took the opportunity to catch the necklace, and bound it around my neck.

- Doesn't it hurt you ? asked he with curiosity.

- Why should it ? I'm gonna become a great dragons' rider, ice doesn't scare me.

A smile much bigger brightened his face.

- You know, a dragons' rider need a gigantic goal to achieve his quest for the fame. If I let you alive, what would be your goal, lit' dude ?

- My goal ? Isn't it obvious ? I want to kill you, and all the other ones who helped you to ruin my youth.

- Well. That's a glorious quest, little dude. If you want my death, you'll need training. What do you think of me as teacher ?

- Are you kidding me ?

- Not at all. I achieved my life goal, I would be honored to help someone to complete his one. Is it a deal ?

- So... you're going to let me... murder you ?

- Not as easy. I'm not seeking death, I just hope you'll change your mind in the future.

- Why don't you eliminate me now so ? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you someday ?

The man sighed.

- Death is not always the correct solution, little dude. What's your answer ?

I felt the gaze of his colleagues on me, and I knew inside of me that I should give something quick.

- It's a deal.

- Great. Call me Aarush.

- Call me Kohold. Kohold Korodol.