The Right To Hope

My story is quite simple. The evil wanted to rule the magical kingdom. The good fell on the way. Last survivors were our Hero and a mighty dragon.

Prince Acquereus:

Anger blazed in Acquereus’s eyes as he sat on the high pillars of the Pantheon, looking over his dismantled kingdom. The Evil magicians had raided and trashed the kingdom. They had captured the dragons alive, killed the mortals, and left the dead to their pets. They burnt everything they saw. Living had turned into powders of grey. The kingdom that once stood tall and proud, now lay burnt in ashes, ashes of his people, people who he had to save. Instead he had abandoned them. The high priest had forced him to flee. To leave and return when he was a trained warrior, when he was ready. And now he had returned. Returned to claim his kingdom, claim his right to the throne…to claim his father.

All along, he had waited like a brave soldier alongside his pet dragon, Rider, to reclaim his kingdom. But he also had another duty, a duty to his dragon. Rider was being attacked by few of the frail magicians, when Acquereus had stepped in and rescued Rider. Since then Rider was his only living mate. But that was not the reason he felt the responsibility over the dragon. Rider had shown him the palace where his father was held captive. It was a labyrinth. Not many details could be made out of the vision, but it at least gave him hope. Along with the vision, he had sensed confusion inside the dragon’s mind, a sense of struggle, between hate and trust. Acquereus swore that he would end everything and find an answer to the dragon’s questions… and his

Rider:

The old master had visited him. But he was pale, very pale… Rider could see right through him. His master was just a shadow of his mortal figure, stranded few feet above the ground. Rider knew something wasn’t right. His master had told him to leave the safety of his home and travel. Travel far, where nobody would find him.

“Leave and never turn back, for you have a greater duty to the kingdom. Never be captured, or my death would go in vain. You have to find a new master. You have to help each other in order to find what is lost.”

He had left. He had travelled. He had found a master, or rather… masters. After travelling far, a series of tragedies had continued, everything ending with either betrayal or death. The outer world is more treacherous than you realize Rider. It is not what it seems. His master had told him many times, but Rider had refused to believe.

After several years, he had found Acquereus.  He had never trusted him at first. They both had fought over trust issues. He had complained a lot, babysitting a dragon, he had called. Rider later learnt of Acquereus’ past. His struggles, and his loss… his father. Rider had shown him the palace where the king was held captive. Acquereus had soon reacted. He made plans. He trained harder. Probably that is why his master had saved him. But how can he help Acquereus? He was just a simple dragon. Rider had never understood his master’s riddles. Why was he saved, while all the rest were taken? Why did his old master provide him the sole responsibility of the one being responsible to bring the old kingdom, back to its standing glory? Why was he the one last hope?