One
One
Demetrius stood high and tall in the courtyard of his castle in Ravenshaw, his knights gathered around, as they did every morning. The morning sun cast a golden hue on his face, enhancing his chiselled jaw and his other features. Ravenshaw has been dealt with some hard times. His father, the king of Ravenshaw, was dying. Not to mention their food, water, and live animals were going missing.
He needed to get to the bottom of this for his kingdom and his people. For soon, he will be the king of Ravenshaw, his people needed to know they could count on him to handle situations like this. His head guard Philip looked up, awaiting for Demetrius to speak.
"My loyal subjects," Demetrius began, his voice carrying authority. "As we all are aware, our food supply, water, and live animals are going missing. Some locals say of dragons roaming the skies, and we must investigate for the sake of our people and the kingdom, Captian Philip will say the rest."
Philip stepped forward, standing next to Demetrius, placing his hand on his shoulder before speaking, "We will be heading up this mountain peak, as some locals have seen dragons spawning, we must be hasty. I have only selected a few to come with us as we don't know what is to be expected."
Demetrius nodded, a flicker of pride in his eyes at Philip's unwavering loyalty. As the knights bustled to prepare for the journey, Demetrius turned to see his mother standing behind them.
"Mother," Demetrius said, his tone filled with reassurance. "I am leaving with the knights to investigate, the missing livestock, we are heading to the mountain Ridge."
The queen's gaze lingered on her son, a mix of worry and pride in her eyes. She took his hand and pressed a tender kiss upon it, her silent blessing following him as he mounted his horse and rode off with his knights in tow.
As they ascended the winding paths of Ravenshawn, Demetrius and Philip rode side by side, discussing the challenges that lay ahead. The mention of dragons held a weight of uncertainty, for tales of the creatures had long been thought to be mere legend.
Their conversation was abruptly halted by a piercing screech that reverberated through the mountain air. Demetrius raised his binoculars to the sky, scanning the horizon with intense focus.
His breath caught in his throat as he locked eyes on the magnificent sight before them—a dragon with shimmering golden scales gliding effortlessly through the clouds, a figure astride its majestic form.
Wordlessly, Demetrius passed the binoculars to Philip, who let out a gasp of disbelief. "I've never heard of dragon riders before," He murmured, his brow knit in confusion.
Demetrius pondered the implications of this unprecedented sighting. Who was this mysterious rider? What intentions did they harbour atop Ravenshawn's peak? The unknown loomed before them, a challenge begging to be unravelled.
With a resolute click of his tongue, Demetrius spurred his horse onward, his heart pulsing with a mix of anticipation and apprehension. "Let us venture closer," he declared, a glint of determination in his eyes.
Philip and the knights followed suit, their steeds carrying them closer to the enigmatic duo awaiting them on the mountain. As they approached, the air crackled with tension, setting the stage for an encounter that would alter the course of Ravenshaw's destiny.
The mountain of Ravenshawn loomed ahead, its secrets veiled in shadow and uncertainty. Demetrius steeled his resolve, ready to confront the unknown and safeguard his kingdom from the looming threat of dragons and the enigmatic figures who rode them.
As the group of knights and Demetrius continued their arduous climb up the rugged slopes of Ravenshaw Mountain, the air grew thinner and colder, a harbinger of the challenges that awaited them. The sound of a distant dragon's screech filled the valley, making their horses skittish and restless. Demetrius exchanged a quick glance with Philip, both men silently steeling themselves for what may lay ahead.
"It's getting too steep for our horses, it's best we go on by foot," Demetrius spoke, seeing that the horses were struggling up this steep heal, plus they've been riding for at least an hour and a half.
Mounting off his horse, the guards followed before tying up the horses reins, on some near by wooden beams, which Demetrius thought was weird being this high up off the ground as if someone placed it here. Continuing up the mountain, Demetrius's eyes widened as they stumbled upon a village, nested among the craggy rocks, hidden above the clouds. No wonder there were wooden beams outside. People actually live up here.
Demetrius never knew that there was a whole civilisation living up on this mountain. Did his parents know about this? He heard the sound of a horn, not one that he's heard before. He looked at Philip, and he had the same exact look on his face.
"You there, you are trespassing!" The command rang out, causing Demetrius and his knights to halt in their tracks, hands instinctively reaching for their swords.
Before Demetrius could offer an explanation, three figures emerged from the shadows, bows, and arrows at the ready, their demeanors unwelcoming and wary.
Knight Sam stepped forward and attempted to defuse the tension. "Do you not know who this is?" he proclaimed, hoping to convey the importance of their mission. However, the figures remained unmoved, their gaze fixed on the intruders.
A sudden hush fell over the group as a majestic sight unfolded before them. A golden dragon descended from the skies, its iridescent scales glistening in the sunlight. Small umber eyes sit high within the dragons soft, soft skull, which gives the creature a rather docile looking appearance. Several tendrils sit atop her head, just above her large, cat-like ears. Large fan-like skin and bone structures run down the sides of each of her jaw lines.
Her nose is wide and has two wide, oval nostrils, and her scales are golden. A thin neck runs down from her head and into a slim body. The top is covered in radiant skin, and rows of armour plating run down its spine. Her bottom is covered in curved scales and is colored much lighter than the rest of her body. Four mighty limbs carry her body and allow the creature to stand intimidating and tall. Each limb has 6 digits, each of which ends in huge claws seemingly made of onyx.
Enormous wings grow starting from her shoulders, and the end just passes its shoulder blades. The wings are curved, the skin of the wings seems to glow as if made from fire itself, and armor-like scales grow on top of the wing's primary bones. Perched on top of the dragon was a woman of ethereal beauty, her presence commanding attention and respect.
She had long flowing silver hair, with emerald green eyes. She was wearing a dragon scaled armoured shirt and pants, and her eyes flicked between Demetrius and the people surrounding her.
"Princess Evelyn," Meeka said before slightly bowing her head. Meeka was 5 foot 5 inches, she had long wavy brown hair and was wearing a cropped shirt and pants.
Princess Evelyn? Demetrius was even more confused. He could tell his knights were just as confused as him.
"Meeka, who are these people?" Evelyn inquired, her emerald eyes piercing through the tension like daggers.
Though Demetrius was confused, he found himself captivated by her poise and regal aura. He could sense that these people trusted her, and she trusted them. Maybe he could learn someone here. Their body language spoke put the most at how everyone was respected.
Meeka bowed her head in apology, "I'm so sorry, Princess. We aren't sure, Linwood heard something, so a few of us went to check, and we saw them."
"There is no need to apologise, Meeka," Evelyn said as she slowly slid off her dragon with grace. Her dragon nudged her a little as if they were speaking to each other She looked at two of the males, standing either side of Demetrius and his knights, "Peeta and Riley, please bring these men back to my temple, unhurt."
Peeta who looked to be about 5 foot 8 height, he had short brown hair, small dark brown eyes while Riley looked to be about 5 foot 6 in height, he had short silver hair with red eyes. The two of them gestured for Demetrius and his men to follow them. Leading them into the heart of this village.
Walking in the shadow of the majestic dragon, Demetrius couldn't shake the feeling of being drawn into a world beyond his wildest imagination. As they approached the grand temple, adorned with elaborate dragon carvings, he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding and awe.
Evelyn turned to face Demetrius, her gaze unwavering. "Welcome to Cafeld, strangers. I have questions for you," she announced, her voice echoing through the courtyard. Demetrius steeled himself, knowing that the answers he provided could shape not only their fates but the destiny of Ravenshaw itself.
