Dragon Tamer: Chapter 1: The Proud Men That Bond With Beasts
(I know that a lot of people won't see this one, but I won't let that stop me from making it)
It had always been hard to look at, a Tamer's first bonding with a Dragon. Well, I guess that the other Tamers had to be thinking about that now, because today it was my turn.
Hi, I'm Dante. I guess I should explain my situation right now… geez, where should I start?
I live in the Kingdom of Salaria, a place where the people elect their own King. I know it's kind of different, but at least it keeps us from having a tyrant as a ruler.
I myself am a member of the Royal Army, and the division I'm in is a rather special one. You see, we do sword fighting and all of the usual stuff, but unlike a lot of people, every member of our division is able to form a special bond with a Dragon. You know, those two-ton fire-breathing winged lizards. Oh yeah, our division is called the Dragon Tamer Division.
You see, I'm pretty nervous about today, because today is the day my training end and I become a full-fledged Tamer. The thing about that is, when we do become full-fledged Tamers, we have to Bond with a Dragon. I'd have no problem with that if Dragons weren't so terrifying. Also, the fact that Dragons' loyalty is won in battle is pretty unsettling.
However, though I quake in my boots at the very thought of it, it's my sworn duty to make sure I Bond with this Dragon, and though I may die attempting to fulfill it, I will complete my duty as a soldier of Salaria.
I guess you guys do need to know what I look like, don't you? I stand about five feet and six inches tall, and wear a set of half-mail-half-plate armor, with a rather open helmet that has no visor. Above my armor I wear a white Tabard with green trimming that has a dragon head emblazoned upon the chest and back, solid evidence that I was a Tamer. Under my helmet I have dark blue hair, a couple strands escaping from the helmet and hanging a little down my forehead, and hazel eyes, with a clean-shaven, still slightly youthful face. Well, that is a given, seeing how I'm sixteen. At my waist and on my back I carry my sword and shield, the shield being made from steel and decorated with a Dragon's head, and the sword a simple blade.
Well, that took longer to explain than I thought…
Anyways, back to the present, I was standing in an arena alone with several Dragons sitting in front of me and the Proctor facing me.
"Dante, the time has come for you to choose which Dragon you will attempt to Bond with. Choose wisely, for once you have chosen a Dragon, if it bonds with you, it shall be a life partner."
"I understand, sir."
The Proctor stepped to the side, allowing me to get full view of the Dragons that I had to choose from. The great beasts were all extremely large, slightly bigger than my house, in fact. There were five of them in total, and none of them looked like they wanted to be here. From right to left, there was a Common Fire Dragon, which was red and orange in coloration with several spikes running down its back, a Common Electric Dragon, which was sleek black, with a thin snout for a mouth and malicious-looking yellow eyes, an Ice Dragon, one of the less common varieties, this one was white and blue in color, however the look in its eye was perpetually displeased. Next was a Wind Dragon, serpentine in shape with a total of six wings along its upper body, this one was green and yellow in color and had a twin crest on its head that pointed away from the direction it was facing. However the last one in line was the one that had really caught my eye. This one was a rare Spirit Dragon, but despite the name it wasn't a ghost. It was light and dark grey in color, and its back spines were shaped like wisps of smoke, no two being the same shape. His snout was thin and like all the others, left several teeth visible. The ornament on the end of his tail was a forked spike, colored dark grey.
"I have come to my decision, Proctor."
"Very well, name the one you have decided to Bond with."
"I would like to attempt a Bond with the Spirit Dragon."
"Very well. After we clear the Arena of the other Dragons, the Bonding Ceremony will commence."
After the other Dragons left, I had unsheathed my sword and equipped my shield and turned to face my potential partner for the rest of my life.
It's now or never Dante, don't screw this up…
As the Spirit Dragon stood to its full and considerable height, it spoke.
"Another human attempts to Tame me. Your body quivers in fear, however your eyes remain resolute. This shall prove interesting…"
"Before we begin, might I ask your name? I am Dante."
The dragon glared at me for a moment, then replied.
"The name I am most commonly known by is Karthas."
We looked each other in the eye for a moment, and then the Dragon lunged its head at me, attempting to bite me. I swung my shield at him before the bite connected and managed to send his head off course, causing the bite to miss. I then took the opportunity to slash at him with my sword. Karthas easily moved his head away from my attack and begun to flap his enormous wings, causing winds to form, making me raise my shield to prevent the wind from getting in my face and making me close my eyes. However, this was Karthas's plan all along, to keep me from being able to see. The mighty beast lashed at me with his tail, hitting my shield and sending me flying back into the arena wall.
Laying down and resting his head on his forelegs, Karthas said in a bored tone, "You're a lot like some of the other humans who attempted to Tame me. You're weak and you fall for the simplest of tricks. And I am supposed to believe that you are the defenders of this Kingdom? I suppose you weaklings would do well against others of your own species, however against someone like me, you're nothing special."
I had already gotten up at this point.
"Overconfidence usually leads to defeat. I'm not out yet!"
Karthas raised his head.
"Very well then, how about you and I make a little wager?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"If you can survive three of my attacks when I'm giving my all, I will respect you enough to become your partner. How does that sound?"
"Sounds like a deal. Alright then Karthas, bring it on!"
Karthas opened his mouth and let loose with a blue flame that engulfed the entire arena that was in front of him. Thinking quickly, I ducked, hiding behind my shield. The initial blast missed me, but when the flames reverberated off of the wall, they touched my armor and quickly spread.
"Ah! It's…it's…freezing!"
"Of course it is, boy. It's a Spirit Flame. It's a frozen flame that will spread the chill down to even your bones."
My left arm hurt like hell, but eventually I managed to shake the Spirit Flame off.
"Alright, that's one. Two more and we're officially Bonded."
Karthas raised his head and looked down at me.
"Simply luck. I assure you that you will get hit by the full brunt of this next attack."
(Will Dante survive Karthas's next two attacks? Will he become a full fledged Tamer? Find out next time on Dragon Tamer Z! Wait a second…that Z isn't supposed to be there…)