His body jumped awake, only to fall back on the metal bed he was chained to. The last thing he could remember was charging at the man currently standing at the foot of his bed. Maine, I hope she got out of this hell hole alive. I hope she was exhausted enough for Ian and Patrick to prevent her from going back.
"Ah, you're finally awake, Thirteen." He said, his voice low and raw. "It took you what, two months of recovery? That is pretty pathetic for the crowed prince of the dragons. It seems to me that Theodoro has been slacking in your training."
He glared at him. He never really took it well when other people talked shit about the man who cared for him after the wreckage of his old home. He treated a complete stranger like his own grandson and trained him and nurtured him to be the man and warrior that he is.
"Oh, you are getting angry at the wrong person, young dragon." The man smiled, his thin lips stretching over his yellowing teeth. "If you were sane, boy you'll be mad at Theodoro."
"You know nothing about him." He said, gritting his teeth, the dragon in him rattling its cages, demanding to be let out so he could behead this vile man.
He laughed, the rich tones bouncing off the cobblestone walls. "No, it would seem like you don't know enough about the man." He sat beside him, leaning in to whisper in his ears. "Thirteen, how did your clan die?"
"MOOOOOOM!" he screamed, his voice drowned out by the roar of the fire around him.
"MOOOOOOOOOOOM!" his voice was scratchy from all the smoke he has inhaled.
She was right there, her bright blue eyes standing out from the bright red embers that were engulfing her. She smiled at her son, aware of the bright red feather that protected him from the chaos around him. And she was happy, she was grateful that her son will be spared from all the malevolence that their clan has nursed to this day.
"Mom..." he whispered, collapsing on the ground, helpless.
"Who was there when all that is left are ashes?"
Richard froze, his whole body refused to function while his brain rejected the information that this villain planted inside his head.
"That's right, boy. He killed your family and with my help, you are going to kill his."
He knew it was irrational – the anger and hatred that was fanning the wrath of the dragon inside of him.
The same dragon who lost his family at a very young age, the dragon who was trained by the same man who destroyed his home. And he hungered for revenge. He desperately wanted for that man to feel how he did when he saw his mom died.
He wanted the phoenix to die. And for that to happen, he had to kill her Richard and resurrect Thirteen.
The hooded man unlocked his restraints, the anger in the young man's eyes giving him the confidence that he had won the kid over.
This was the perfect revenge.
The same kid that he trained and loved like his own, fighting to overthrow his master.
He did not need to know that the family he belonged in planned to destroy all the other kingdoms and rule over them. He did not need to know that that was the exact same reason why everybody decided to cut that from the root. He did not need to know that his own mother was in on it, that he was spared because Theodoro wanted the dragon kingdom to live through.
He held out his hand. "So, what is your decision? Would you allow me to help you?"
Not surprisingly, even though his heart knew better, he took the ashen hand offered to him.
"I am Thirteen, Master. Please take me under your wing."
