Knights of Dragonia

Chapter 10: The Warrior's Past and Better Futures

Andrea and the Warriors, along with Seraphina and Sarah, were sitting in the guest room. After explaining the recent events in Dragonia they all sat down for tea. Andrea was looking at a picture book filled with pictures of James and his siblings. Then she found a picture that really touched her heart. It was of James as a child inside a hammock asleep with his father, Villiaden on a nice cool day.

Villiaden looked like an older version of James. He has long dark hair down past his shoulders with green eyes and a handsome face. He was very muscular and had a bushy mustache. Clearly a swordsman with much experience due to the scars.

“James always wanted to be like his daddy. Villiaden was his role model and he was Villiaden’s buckaroo. If James wasn't with his siblings, fighting, or reading a book, he was with his father or me.”

“It's hard to believe he was this small once, like a little cub.” said Andrea.

“More like a lion. That boy, by the time he was in first grade had a harem. Villiaden thought it was funny.”

“Sounds like him. Back when we were in high school he had a pretty good bit of girls wanting him.” said Aqua.

“What chu talkin about? He still gots girls wanting him and I’m one of them.” said Dusk with more confidence than ever.

This earn a good bit of laughter from everyone in the room. Even Andrea thought it was funny but unfortunately true. He did catch every girl’s eye when he passed by and was certainly nothing to scoff at. This brought back her old fears of losing him to someone else even though she knew that James was with her. It seemed an impossible thing to to get by.

“But I know that he’s happy with you Andrea and I can see why.” said Dusk.

“Huh?”

“He wanted to be just like his dad. So he had to get a woman who looked and acted just like his mom. It just took him awhile to find you.”

Andrea smiled as her fears went away. She got up and ran over to the shy one of the group and sat down in Dusk’s lap where she wrapped her arms around her neck. Dusk had no clue what was going on until Andrea kissed her on the cheek. Dusk froze up unable to process of what just happened so she did what she normally does. She sunk into the shadows and escaped outside to the playset with Skully, her only comfort.

She could never figure out why she was always so shy even around her own siblings. The only one she was ever comfortable around was James and that was because he meant the world to her. And it all started back when they were enslaved as children. Dusk was scared out of her mind, fearing pain and death, or worse. She didn't have nobody yet and she kept to herself. One day her tool broke and the demon watching over them was going to whip her.

Than outta nowhere James had snapped his bindings and dove in between the whip and her using his bare back to block the bladed whip. The guard pummeled him terribly but forgot about her. After James returned from the Pit, a fight or die arena that scarred him for the rest of his days, the other warriors rushed to him including her. She asked him why he protected her and he said something she would never forget. Something that she still remembered to this day.

“I would rather get beaten to a pulp than have to watch a defenseless girl get beaten damn near to death.”

She started to admire him more during their training at the Warrior Temple. She didn't trust or talk to anybody other than James and the group. She was picked on by the other kids there constantly but whenever he could get there he would make good on his promise even if he got battered around. She smiled at the memory of her older brother protecting her from bullies that wanted to harm her. Now maybe she could repay him by protecting his family.