Chapter 4

One month after

The crackling of the flames echoed throughout the cave only replaced with the resounding echo of a shout from a dragon beside Brann. The dragon's emerald eyes were burning with determination to teach Brann, had it have been given a mouth it would probably be smirking right now. Brann's clothes were darkened from the burns he receive in his practice, while his body is resistant to fire, his clothes is not. The orange ball of flame were on his hand trying to make it bigger when suddenly, it shoots from his hand up to the walls of the cave creating a loud explosion of the lava above them. The dragon went near him, "Learn to control the fire Brann."

The dragon breathes out a flame but instead of letting it all out on the walls, his body circled around the cave flying with the fire trailing before him and after him making a complete circle, "Don't let fire be your master, make fire your slave"

Brann's hand stretched out, his palm facing upwards. A ball of flame, much bigger than the one before, emerged from his hand. He threw it upward while still trying to control it, his hands were both outstretched trying to not make the flames down. In a sudden whip of moment, the flame burst into many embers flying upwards. The dragon bellows, "Very good, Brann. It lasted much longer this time."

He bowed to the dragon and went out of the cave where he practiced. Outside of the cave was a long line of tunnels with more caves to confuse those who want to see a dragon and use them for their own gain. A small community of dragons lives here in peace. Without the tunnels, humans would have discovered them long ago and they would be back in extinction like it have been years ago in the hundred years war. The few dragons that survived were found hiding from the sight of humans for fear of being captured again. In the end, they took a turn to the Southern Isles trying to live in peace in a cave they call Gjemme Seg.

One month has passed since Brann have been found by the dragons. His life took an unexpected turn, not for the worse or for the better but rather, just a turn. His powers that he used to think of as a gift, has now become a weapon. Weapon much stronger than swords or anything ordinary humans could make, a fire is an element much more destructive than those of blades. With each day, his power became stronger and stronger, now, he have learned to control it. Yet, he was still not ready to face the challenges of the outside world.

The chill of the cold winter air on the Southern Isles left a few roses on the garden frozen. The snow fell from the sky only caught by the petals of the many roses. Hans walked on the stone paths of the garden, his right hand was holding a rose while he crushed the petals of it. The crushed petals fell to the stone pathway covered in snow.

Hans' eyes were glassy as he looked down at the crushed petals. His lips were turned into a twisted half smile that a boy of his age should not have done yet; but his eyes, beautiful with the color of the freshly cut emerald as they are, have something missing. His eyes have a lack of life due to the sprite's mirror falling from the sky to Hans' eyes.

"Prince Hans, your father wished to see you." A servant entered the door of the garden interrupting Hans that was about to crush another rose. He looked at the servant annoyed. He let the stem of the rose fell on the snowy ground and picked another one of the roses "Tell him I'm busy."

The servant protested once more, "But sir, you're not doing anything, you're just picking roses." Hans eyed him dangerously, his hand held the stem of the rose tighter, it's thorn burying itself in his palm drawing drops of blood from it. The servant, scared of Hans, ran away delivering the message to his father.

"Hans, what madness are you doing?" The king entered the garden with the servant on his side. Hans turned looking at his father, he smirked "Father" He bowed his head down low with his hands holding the rose behind him. The king looked at the garden and saw the varieties of flowers crushed with its petals adorning the snowy pathway of the garden. He grimaced at the sight before him. He grabbed Hans inside back to the castle and slapped him, "What do you think are you doing?" Hans smirked and looked at his father's brown eyes "I'm doing you a favor by removing the ugly flowers in the garden"

"Do you even know what that garden means?" He slapped him once more but Hans still stood unwavering. "Mother was long gone just let it be." Hans turned his back on his father, taken aback by the harshness he didn't know his last son possessed. His eyes were teary as he remembers his first wife, the mother of his 13 sons, gardening. She was tending all the flowers of the garden while softly humming a song. He also remembered the attack of the dragons in the village and how she died as she tries to hide but yet the fire caught her. From then on, he vowed to bring revenge to the dragons that killed his wife.

He looked outside of the castle and saw the snowflakes covering the garden and the crushed petals. He knew that once the time has come, he will have his revenge on the dragons that killed his first wife and the dragon child that killed his second wife. All he need is to find where those damned dragons live and a much bigger kingdom with greater military than them to be an ally.

AN: I'm sorry that I haven't updated much sooner, but I have been really busy at school. I will try to write a much longer chapter next. Thanks for reading!