Finding Strength

Smoke Rises

Ritter unsuccessfully stifled a yawn, riding on his horse on the way home because his dragon, Zeke, was still too small to carry him. He coughed a little, as the air had turned sour for some reason and grown increasingly smokey. His father sent a scout to investigate the source, but had yet to return with any news. So, for now, they continued at a slower pace on horseback while capable guards kept an eye out from the skies. It had been about four days since they left Asmeiria, all because he voiced his displeasure at an arranged marriage. Anytime his parents caught him giving a soured look from thinking about it, they would go off on him about duty and the importance of maintaining friendships.

"Still sulking about your bride to be, really?"

His mother grumbled, looking at him with a look of disgust.

"I never knew I raised such a selfish son."

That got under his skin, causing his fragile hold on his temper to snap once again.

"How the hell is it selfish of me to want to find someone I want to marry for love, rather than force a woman to marry me?! Jessica should be allowed the choice to marry, too! It's not like she doesn't have a lot of options, she's a f*****g princess!"

"Watch your mouth!"

His mother snapped back before taking a leveling breath before continuing.

"The fact that you think that way, proves you haven't been paying attention to your instructor. I'm sure Matthias has told you about how the other kingdoms work, about their varying cultures??"

"I- I mean he might have..."

He scratched the back of his neck nervously, because his mother had to be bringing this up for a good reason. Considering it involved his best friend, he didn't like where this was going.

"Gods, why couldn't I have a son that behaved better? Alright, listen closely. This is the reason we agreed to this arrangement. As you know, the Asmeirians have access to raw power. Many of them aren't overwhelmingly powerful, at most, they might be able to light an arrow on fire. The royals and nobility are their strongest. Great shame is brought to a noble family, if their child is born and shows no promise in their element. Ascending, for many Asmeirian children, is a time of extreme stress as it basically decides their worth within the kingdom."

Ritter thought on that as he tried to think of any moment in their time together, that Jessica showed any signs of what her element might be, but came up short.

"I haven't seen Jessica show any sign of what her element might be.."

He voiced aloud, gaining a solemn nod from his mother.

"Neither has anyone else. Its been concluded that she has no magic."

She stated in a grave tone, letting the reality sink in for a moment before continuing.

"If not for her title, she would have no chance at a decent husband at all. But, as it stands, the only Asmeirians that would be willing to wed her, would be the unsavory sort that couldn't earn the respect and hand of stronger noblewomen. Your best friend would likely end up in the hands of someone that would do her great harm, and you would only be able to watch."

Ritter's jaw clenched as he squeezed his hands into fists. That was why she couldn't say she didn't want the arrangement, because he was her only decent hope at a future that she could be even mildly happy in!

"That's such bullshit..."

"Keep swearing, and I'll wash your mouth out with soap!"

"Yes mother... can we turn back? I want to apologize in person! I didn't realize what pressure she was under!"

He asked, desperate to fix the damage he caused. All he could see was the heart break in her eyes, and knowing that it was because he wasn't going to willingly save her from a bleak future like she had hoped.

His mother sighed and looked like she was about to speak, when she was interrupted.

"IT'S ASMEIRIA!! THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE!! ASMEIRIA BURNS!!"

The scout shouted as he landed, smoke billowing from the wind caused by his dragoon. The King immediately turned to face the scout with his face set in a concerned look.

"Report, soldier, what do you mean Asmeiria burns? Do you mean someone lost control, or are they being attacked?!"

He demanded, hoping against hope that some foolish civilian just lost control of their fire and that it wasn't a major issue.

"It's bad, your majesty, it's like Drauca opened up the gates of the underworld and unleashed their worst on the city! It's been devastated beyond hope! The battle still rages, but the city is lost! They can only fight to let others escape, my lord!"

The king gripped the reigns of his dragon, whose coloring was like that of a burning sunset.

"Beauford! Take my wife and son back to Donagon! The rest of you! On me! We will assist our ally in helping her people escape!"

There was a roaring cheer before they all mounted their dragons and took to the skies. Those whose dragons were too small, pushed their horses to follow as quickly as they could to offer their medical skills.

During this, Ritter was frozen in horror. All that kept playing in his mind were his last words to Jessica and the heartbreak in her eyes.

"A wise man once said... be careful of what you wish for... for it might come to pass."

His mother stated coldly as she and Beauford forced him onto the guard's dragon while Zeke whimpered and looked in the Direction of Asmeiria.

"No.. I- I didn't mean it..!"

He stated desperately as the dragon began to take to the skies.

"She doesn't know that... I hope for your sake she lives, or this guilt will eat you from the inside."

He felt into a silent shock as he watched the smoke from Asmeiria blacken the sky. It smelt like flesh and burnt hair, making his stomach churn. His mother tied his handkerchief to his face to keep him from inhaling smoke, before doing the same for herself.

***

They came out of nowhere, undetected, and assassinated the king. Now the entire city was in chaos as everyone scrambled to throw together a leadership from the remaining generals, but the infiltration cut most of the strongest in Asmeiria down before the real battle even began. Had someone betrayed them? It didn't really matter at this point, because with most of their strongest dead, this battle became one of survival... not victory. Every single soldier was fighting to give their loved ones a chase to slip out before they were annihilated.

Most people might give up and run, abandoning everything for their own survival, but the Asmeirians have been fighting alongside Donagon for centuries. The soldiers were taught to stand their ground in the face of overwhelming odds, and so they would. Abandoning their humanity, they fought. The ground trembled and heaved from those using the earth for attack and defense, the air became hot and humid from those using fire and water in their attacks, massive bursts of wind sheer from those who had been gifted the element of air threatened the balance of even a seasoned warrior. Envar Lovell was used to this, though. Between his dragon and serving the Asmeirian king after he moved from Donagon, his experience with keeping himself from being overwhelmed helped him use the chaos to his advantage. He could feel when to move, because such elements created certain sensations, like how his little hairs stood up on the back of his neck just before a bolt of lightning struck the enemies around him. He had the brains to pull his blades away from them, so he didn't get fried as well. Of course, the bolt created a loud, deafening clap of thunder, but the giant demon was downed. He couldn't get annoyed with that. What annoyed him, was that he couldn't seem to find his family, or the prince and princess in this chaos. Every time he tried to take a few steps in any direction, he was immediately surrounded once again and his dragon was preoccupied with fighting the large demonic beasts the Draucans brought. Burning flesh, cries of agony and fear, the clash of metal as people fought for their lives and the lives of others filled the air. Women were being dragged into dark places, where screams erupted and cut short soon after. He wished he could get to them, but he was but one man and it was already all he could do to fight back the constant barrage of enemies that had so suddenly swooped down upon them.

"I don't have time for this, I have to find them!"

Envar growled and took a deep breath before roaring as fire ejected from his mouth, threatening to burn him had then green scales not formed on his face along his upper and lower jaw to protect him. He heated using the breath of fire technique, he always felt unbearably thirsty for water and water isn't something that's readily available on the battlefield. It did, however, melt whatever demon-or person- that got caught in the affected area twelve feet ahead of him. Though, had he seen a civilian, he wouldn't have done it. No matter how rushed or desperate he was, he never lost his head like that. With his throat feeling like he tried to swallow glass, he charged through the opening he made. He had to make sure his family got out alive, as well as the Cloudsinger kids.

Something pierced his armor, in the back of the knee where his armor is weak. He grunted as he was force to kneel and reached back, only to have his fingers brush against the rough shaft of a Draucan arrow. Pain shot through him as he gripped the arrow and yanked it out with a painted grunt. He already knew the tip was poisoned, that's how these cowardly demons operated. He already felt dizzy from it, but with blood pouring from his wound, he had other things to worry about. He took a deep breath and breathed fire onto the arrow, though not with the intensity of earlier, so it didn't hurt his throat as bad. With something to cauterize the wound, he touched the white-hot metal to the back of his knee and yelled in agony as he burnt it shut. Angrily, he threw the arrow once he was finished sealing his wound and got up with a heavy limp.

He staggered, dizzy from the poison, as he rose his blade and let out a fearsome battle cry while the behemoths fought behind him against his dragon. He charged into battle once more, determined to get to his loved ones.

***

Noisy.... it was so noisy in the palace today. Jessica had been hiding in her room as her mother instructed, but it was only getting more and more chaotic out there. Within her wardrobe closet, she sat in darkness while holding a stuffed dragon. It was a birthday gift from Ritter a few years back, and now it was her only sense of comfort in such a scary situation.

Even though he hates her now.

She hugged the toy tighter as thunderous banging could be heard just beyond her bedroom door. She could hear them, the guards that were standing outside her door to protect her, dying one by one at the sound of some monster with a terrifying screech. She just had to hide here and stay quiet, then it'll all be over.

She lurched and screamed at the sound of a large boulder plunging through her room and into the hall just outside her door. The wardrobe was grazed enough to be toppled over and caused her to fall out and see the c*****e for herself. Her guards, as well as the monster, were nothing but red jelly along the floor and walls. Her stomach churned at the smell and she vomited and cried where she sat. Saying she was horrified was an understatement. She picked her way over to the large, gaping hole that used to be a wall and window and beheld the scene before her. Smoke stung her eyes and nose and made her try to breathe through her mouth, which made it worse. She was choking on this toxic air, as flakes of ash fluttered around her like snow. The stench, the heat... the sound of a kingdom's descent to the underworld, it overwhelmed her senses.

EEeeeeEEERrrrrrr!

She froze as she heard demons screeching, laughing, and roaring as they filtered into her room. They pulled her by the hair and tossed her to the floor in the center-most part of the room, before surrounding her. Her eyes widened in horror. Her was scream unable to pass the lump in her throat. Her tears streaked her dirtied face. She felt something warm and wet leak from between her legs, though the smell soon confirmed what she already knew. She had peed herself in fear. They closed in as she hugged the toy tight and squeezed her eyes shut.

"....I hate you! I hope you drop dead!..."

"R-Ritty... I-I'm sorry... p-please take it back..."