In an ancient world, small creatures struggled to survive, hiding in dark caves and running away from anything that moved.
The miserable existence of these creatures persisted until a minor god took pity on them and, contrary to divine will, gave them fire. As punishment for his crime, the lesser god lost what made him divine and was expelled from the heavens.
The creatures, cowed by the way they survived, feared the fire. Until one of them, out of courage or desperation, stepped forward. The fire was wild and furious, but the creature was persistent, and so the fire was tamed.
The creature collected the fire and used it as a symbol to gather his equals. It used it as a shield to protect its own, and it used it as a weapon to confront the terrors of darkness.
The gods watched the development of these creatures with interest, and decided to give them a name, and so the creatures came to be known as Humans, and the man who tamed fire was named the Bearer of Fire.
Centuries passed as the gods watched humanity advance.
After fire, they tamed the earth, drawing sustenance from it and various minerals from its bowels. With fire and earth came iron and steel, and with them, humanity became unstoppable.
The balance of the world was broken, and humanity spread like a plague.
A god, feeling displeased with all the destruction, chose seven creatures and gave each of them a gift.
To a beautiful bird, he gave Pride.
To a great lizard, he gave Greed.
To a powerful wolf, he gave Wrath.
To a strange being, he gave Envy.
To a cruel creature, he gave Lust.
To a cunning serpent, he gave Gluttony.
To a shapeless mass, he gave Sloth.
And for thousands of years, humanity was devoured, enslaved and purged.
That same god, believing that humanity had learned its lesson, gave them the greatest of gifts. From the dark heavens, seven stars fell on the last human kingdom and from them seven dragons were born and chose seven humans and a bond was created. And with that, humans came to know magic.
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Verona, royal capital of Valkir.
"Your grace, none of the nobles have been chosen..." A knight said, as he knelt in front of a grand throne.
Behind him, other knights stood, their hands resting tensely on their weapons. Not even in the safest place in the kingdom did they allow themselves to let their guard down, for between them was a richly decorated ark, and resting gently inside it were several stones of different colors.
The knights and the many nobles waiting in the throne room heard a long sigh, followed by a low, intense growl.
"All nobles are unworthy of such honor... what does that say about my servants?"
An old, tired voice echoed through the vast hall, despite the apparent weakness, the banners fluttered and everyone in the hall knelt down, many leaning their heads on the floor.
"If the high nobles aren't worthy, look among the lesser nobles. If they aren't worthy either, look among the merchants, among the craftsmen... if even they aren't worthy, look among the servants and slaves, among the beggars and prostitutes! My Kingdom needs these dragons, and I don't care who their riders are. This is the King's will, and it must be carried out!"
"As you command, your grace!" The knight said firmly, and stood up. His companions raised the ark and followed him.
~~~
"How do we do it, Captain?"
"With force! Inform Commander Arcturo and ask her to mobilize the entire 6th legion, also inform the generals of each region and ask them to reinforce the capitals. We must not allow any possibility of these eggs being stolen."
~~~
Dragons can't reproduce, so a highly costly ritual is required to summon dragon eggs from the divine realm, and only the original seven dragons are able to perform the ritual, which is a problem since 5 of them ware already dead. So the ritual is performed once every 100 years, and the eggs are divided among the many human kingdoms.
The chicks, still in the egg, choose a human to bond with and only then can they be born. When no human is chosen, the chick lies dormant until a worthy candidate appears, or it decides to return to the divine realm.
Valkir receives 10 eggs every century, and in an attempt to keep power in the hands of a small group, only the high nobility was tested, which meant that many eggs remained dormant or returned to the divine realm.
Seventeen years ago, the imperial palace was attacked, and many eggs were stolen. As a result, the king saw Valkir's power reduced, while an unknown threat was strengthened.
Valen, the city of gold, served as the kingdom's largest port and the heart of Valkir trade. The city exuded wealth and luxury, with exuberant castles and palaces, tall ivory and gold towers, restaurants that prepared food fit for kings and endless markets where you could find anything.
The king's decision sent everyone into a frenzy; wherever the golden procession passed, thousands of people flocked, eagerly awaiting their chance to be tested and hopefully chosen as one of the mythical draconic knights.
Duke Arius gritted his teeth at the first signs of the procession and pulled violently on the reins, controlling his restless mount. Beside him, his son and heir cowered in the saddle, trying to avoid his father's attention.
"Raise your head, Marco! Accept your failure like a man."
The young man shuddered when he heard his father's harsh tone, but did as he was told. He raised his head and straightened his posture in imitation of his father, watching the procession draw ever closer.
The golden procession was made up of a thousand soldiers and 10 draconic knights, flying over the long procession.
Marco watched the beautiful creatures in the sky with envy, watching their smooth movements as they moved through the clouds. He watched in silence as his father welcomed the legionaries and led them through the gate into the crowded streets in a festive procession.
Marco moved away from his father and approached the ark, which was being guarded by a hundred soldiers.
'Why didn't any of you consider me worthy?'
"There's no logical explanation, kid." One of the legionnaires said, as if reading his thoughts. "Dragons choose those who are most like themselves. One soul in two bodies, as they say."
Marco was thinking about what to say when a small sound echoed like a thunderclap amidst the whirlwind of sounds from the procession.
The legionnaires stopped, while the dragons in the sky began to roar.
A dome of light surrounded the ark, while the surrounding crowd fell silent and everyone watched in amazement as tiny cracks spread on one of the eggs.
The procession stopped midway as the legion took up a defensive position around the ark. Duke Arius approached without understanding what was happening.
"I've never heard of an egg hatching without having chosen its knight." One of the knights said confused.
Meanwhile, Marco was going through a whirlwind of emotions. When the egg began to crack, a flame of hope ignited inside him, and he saw himself as a draconic knight, fighting heroic battles and bringing pride to his home...
The minutes passed in complete silence, only the distant waves could be heard above the shattering of the eggshell.
The tense silence was broken by a fragile roar as the little dragon broke through the shell and walked between its sleeping siblings. The eggshells glowed in a red light and were absorbed into the little dragon's body.
The reptilian creature was the size of a puppy, with crimson scales and small dark horns. A set of sharp teeth were revealed as the newborn dragon growled against the protection of the ark.
A legionnaire opened the ark, and the dragon took flight, quickly disappearing into the crowd.
The knights were stunned by the sequence of events, until they launched into a frantic chase as they set off after the little fugitive.
Marco followed behind the group, and they soon found the red speck flying through alleyways and streets, as if in search of something.
Marco always thought he knew the city that would one day be his very well, but even he didn't recognize the streets he passed, seeing the houses and people become poorer and poorer as he chased the dragon.
Marco and the riders stopped when they came to a bloody scene. Four bodies were strewn across the alley, with blood and guts scattered across the cobblestones. The bodies were all young men, with the oldest looking no older than 20.
The little dragon approached one of the bodies, and a red mark appeared on the arm of the youngest of them.