Rain poured down from the heavens as a lone young person walked down a muddied path, his eyes solely trained upon the ground. Not once did he dare to look up, for even as he walked, he could feel the narrowed stares and glares that he was receiving from every villager that he came to pass on his way home.

Fear was gripping him within with every step that he took, a fear that they might once again pick up on him. Thus, he subconsciously quickened his pace, feeling utterly small and fragile amongst those who were supposed to be his home.

And yet, despite all of his efforts, he was suddenly stopped in his way once a tall person stood in his way, not moving away in the slightest. Being forced to glance upwards, the young person slowly and shakily raised his head to look up at the towering person in front of him. And he was met with nothing more than a hateful glare.

"Well, are we on our way home right now?", shivering in obvious fright, the young one didn't dare to utter a word in response, but it merely served to anger the man in front of him even more.

"Did you lose your voice or what? Pah, what should I expect from someone like you. You are just like your pathetic father. What did he call himself, a rider? Will you come to our village one day as well with a monster in tow? Don´t you people give a damn about our village!?", with a forceful push, the young man gasped as he fell to the ground, the tall man towering above him.

The other villagers around them had now long picked up on the scene, and albeit they were not gathering around them, they were still noticeably slowing down in their walk to stare.

And none of them even tried to help, not even those few who sympathised with the young one on the ground.

"Our people are doing everything to protect our village from monsters and have done so for generations! You´re a disgrace to us all by consorting with those beasts… forging a bond with a monster, give me a break…", just as the young one was shakily getting up on his own, he gasped once more with a pained cough the moment he was suddenly punched into his stomach. Tumbling backwards, he tried to cover his stomach with his arms, coughing violently.

"Get out of my sight before I lose myself, Redan.", tears were dwelling up at the corner of his eyes, and as he looked around, he found the same thing over and over again on every single face of the villagers around him. Thus, he suddenly turned and ran away from it all, his tears now freely rolling down his face. He could only hear a few further insults being thrown his way as he ran, and he no longer cared where he went, for he simply wanted to get away.

For what felt like an eternity to him, he ran away from the place he had once called home, until his stomach hurt him so strongly that he could move no further. Sobs were mixing with his coughs of pain, and only more tears rolled down his cheeks as he cried. He no longer had a home… he would never return to this dreadful place…!

He was hurt, a pain dwelling in his stomach that grew unbearable to him, he didn't know where he was… he didn't have anything left anymore… what was his life worth at this point…?

As these things coursed through his mind, Redan sank to his knees, only more sobs ripping through his body before he buried his face in his arms. And for a long time, he simply dwelled at this spot, lost in a giant forest that was most likely filled to the brim with monsters.

Until suddenly, a noise, a soft and subtle sound tore him out of his weeping. Glancing up with fear in his eyes for a potential attacker, he looked around himself with tear stained eyes, his sobs instinctively ceasing slightly.

Again, that small tap upon grass was heard, and before long, he noticed that something was moving through a pair of bushes a small distance away from him. His fears grew with each second, a lost and vulnerable person was doomed to be found by a predator sooner or later. Thus, he covered and curled slightly together, all until the bushes finally began to part-

-only to reveal that a tiny monster almost stumbled out of its cover, tripping slightly over a small, wooden stick. Falling upon its stomach, it mewled slightly in complaint before it clumsily raised itself off the ground again, shaking some leaves off its scales in the process.

And it was then that its eyes met the ones of the young human in front of it.

Tilting its head slightly with a curious growl, it lowered its form slightly to stare at the shivering human a little more closely with innocent naivety. Regardless, Redan was merely covering his eyes with his arms, only more tears staining his ragged clothing as he weeped. Witnessing this, the small monster hesitantly took a small step forward. And upon realizing that the human didn´t move in the slightest, the sounds of small taps upon the grass slowly began to approach Redan.

All until a small but curious tap touched upon his arm. Slowly but surely, Redan glanced up from his tear stained arms, only to witness that the small monster had actually walked up towards him, staring at him with big and innocent eyes. It had touched its small nose against him, and upon having successfully gained his attention, it purred slightly but happily.

Its entire hide was covered with small but blackened spikes, only its vulnerable, lower abdomen and stomach was covered by a thin layer of orange scales. Two, relatively large horns were adorning both sides of its small head, and even with its mouth closed, one could see the sharp and strong teeth that were partly visible.

It was a young Nergigante.

Unbeknownst to him, she didn't cease to stare at him with large eyes, tilting her head once again. Dismissing it with sorrow overcoming him once more, Redan merely buried his face in his arms once again for a long time. During this time, the young Nergigante pulled her head back slightly with a frown, a sad growl escaping her. The sound of grass was evident for a small moment, but then a long silence stretched in the air.

It was only after what must have been hours that Redan was growing utterly tired, his stomach long growling due to not having eaten anything for two days.

But the moment he raised his head once more, his eyes widened with nothing but shock and bewilderment.

There, not even a single meter away from him, the young Nergigante had settled and curled itself together upon the ground, an almost silent snore escaping from its nostrils as it peacefully slumbered next to him. And to his utter confusion…

… there was a batch of berries lying directly in front of his feet, entirely untouched by the small monster.

Even long after the night sky had replaced the sun and Redan got up from the ground to try and find a better place to at least sleep somewhere that would protect him from the cold, the young monster stirred from her slumber and groggily looked at him.

However, once she realized that he was leaving, she quickly got up from the ground. And upon hearing the small but gentle taps upon grass behind him, Redan turned to see that the young Nergigante was following him step by step, stopping alongside him each time he would turn to look back at her. And she would merely tilt her head at him each time he did so, glancing at him with an innocent stare.

And it was from this moment on that a bond was forged between them.

From this point on, years had passed. And during this time, there was never a time where the little Nergigante had left his side anymore, thus, they became rider and monstie, finding solace and happiness within each other when all of the world seemed to have turned its back on them.

And yet, along the years, it also became apparent just how powerful the little one truly was. For in truth, there was only one way how the Elder Dragon could be described.

Destruction Incarnate.

Terrified cries of people sounded all around while trails of thick smoke littered high in the air. Where once an entire village had stood, now, most buildings were nothing but debris anymore, torn apart and destroyed by brute force. Broken torches and fireplaces soon caused to spread out fire towards some of the destroyed huts, consuming some of the homes entirely while the people fled with nothing but terror in their eyes. For there was nothing that was safe from the fury of the Nergigante.

Except for one single person. And this was not just any village.

Redan was utterly frozen in place, the destruction that unfolded in front of his very eyes paralyzing him entirely. This was not right… this could not be right…!

Wreaking havoc upon the village that had once abused and terrified her beloved rider, the Nergigante was ignorant to the horrified feelings that Redan was emitting in this very moment as he saw what she did.

For in her eyes, there was nothing but rage and a twisted pleasure upon rampaging through these people´s homes, destroying everything in her wake with ease. With just a single strike of her spikes, those puny huts were falling apart. Thus, the villagers became first hand witnesses of the raw and unrestrained power of an Elder Dragon.

´Leave and be spared, or perish!´

She roared as she jumped upon the mere remains of a destroyed hut, scattering a small group of villagers that had tried to gather as much of their belongings as they could before they all but fled in terror. And an evil smirk grew upon her maw.

´Not that any of you will be able to leave in the first place...´

Roaming her gaze around, there was a single, tall man who still tried to save whatever valuables he had left from the ruins of his home.

´You…!´

Redan had never spoken of his former home with her, he never wanted to share anything of his horrible past with her. No, he simply cared for her as best as he could, doing everything in his power to make sure that she was happy. But he could not hide anything from her within their bond of kinship.

Thus, one day, she set out to attack the village on her own, intent to obliterate it entirely.

And she could feel it… she could feel who this person was.

Her eyes narrowed as her claws gripped tightly upon the wood beneath her, causing it to crack from the brute pressure of her arms.

With a savage roar that reached from the village and beyond, it ripped through the air and caused the man to cover his ears before he turned towards the source of it-

-and his eyes widened in utter horror once she jumped off the ruined hut, raising her right claw in an attempt to crush him with a single, brutal strike.

"Stop it!", for a fracture of a second, her eyes glanced away from her prey, this voice being the only thing that reached through to her even in her rage. And once the meaning of her rider´s words registered in her mind, as well as his horrified feelings that she could feel through their bond, it only served to confuse her. However, she instinctively heeded Redan´s words and before she knew it, her claws impacted upon the already ruined hut behind the man, missing him by mere inches.

Grasping this opportunity, he quickly fled with his life.

She growled with frustration as she freed her claw from the debris, but soon, she could feel that her beloved rider was closeby. Thus, she turned her head towards him just as he approached her, and he immediately froze.

Redan didn't need to utter a single word, for now that he had somewhat tore her out of her violent rampage, she could feel that he did not want any of this. Yet, as her eyes gazed deeply into his own, she probed him if that was truly the case. If there was truly not even a single ounce within him that secretly revelled in the destruction that she had caused for him.

And once she witnessed the slightest bit of hesitation within his eyes, she smiled at him.

Before she continued without further restraint.

Witnessing how she struck whatever hut that was still standing, almost half of the village already engulfed in flames, Redan was engulfed in a vicious cycle of self loathing and guilt, his mind torn apart. Despite everything the villagers had done to him, deep within, he never wanted for any of them to come to serious harm… he didn't want to destroy anyone's life, he did not want any of this…

A single, lone tear rolled down his cheek.

"Please… s-stop…"

Before long, his dear monstie almost immediately stopped in all of her tracks once she suddenly felt the wave of pain and agony from her beloved rider, and her eyes filled with horror. Swirling around, she witnessed how he fainted, his vision blackening until he almost succumbed to the ground-

-before she caught him within her claws, holding him in the gentlest of ways.

Shaking him softly while nothing but dread coursed through her body, the last thing that she had witnessed from him were his desperate pleas for her to stop, but now, he was unconscious within her arms…

… and she realized that it was her fault.

Slowly but surely, Redan blinked his eyes open as he felt a comfortable warmth all around him, a relatively soft but firm pillow beneath his head-

-until he suddenly jerked awake, all of the previous events and memories crashing down upon him once more. And the ´pillow´ beneath him turned out to be nothing else but his monster´s left arm, for she had carefully placed his head against the soft underside of her forearm where her spikes could not harm him.

They were in a forest… and a single glance around was enough to reveal that it was the very same place where they had met so many years ago on that fateful night…

… and just like back then, she was at his side, protecting him from whatever threat or monster that would have otherwise dared to come close. As he regained his senses, she merely regarded him deeply, a soft purr rumbling through her throat. Back then, she was alone in this world, with no one to look after her from the very day that she had hatched. A young Elder Dragon, whilst still weak and vulnerable, was a first priority target for any predator that might have crossed her path.

That was… until she met him.

He was there for her, caring for her while he himself had nothing as well. Thus, once she grew older and far more powerful, she swore that she would forever be there for him, no matter what. All that she wanted was to avenge him, to destroy those who had once wronged him...

… but now, knowing that it was her fault that he had suffered like this…

Her form trembled before she hesitantly pushed her head against his chest, a regretful croon that was filled with sorrow and guilt escaping her. By seeking vengeance, all she had achieved was to cause him pain…

Slowly but surely, she could feel as his hands gently touched against her jaw, before he embraced her trembling form with care. And still, after all she had done, he cared…

From this day on, she had learned that never again would she seek vengeance. That bitterness and hatred would only lead to pain and regret, and that this was not what her beloved rider wanted. That her own actions had only served to hurt the one that she loved more than anything else…

… and thus, she would never again try to wreak havoc upon anybody if it meant to be with him.

To simply enjoy… and to be happy.

I definitely like the idea of a one shot series, thanks for the suggestion! Each chapter will contain a unique and individual story from now on, revolving around different monsters and riders each time. Though, which ones I want to feature, I´ll just keep it to myself for now.

I hope you enjoyed!