Roxas knew that getting Vymas earlier would make people believe that he was building more claim to the throne, but that’s the price he’d pay. She was bonded to him. Their feelings were connected, and they understood each other. They have brought through the toughest battles, and he’ll do anything to protect her.

A bond between a human and a dragon couldn’t break. Not even the gods could separate them. The dragons are the whole reason the royal family is in control.

Many thought that only the directed royal descendants could bond to a dragon. But as long as you have a decent amount of royal blood you could bond to a dragon.

It quickly filled the page with scribbles of how he could meet Vymas. Soon is the spring festival where Roxas can get close to the dragons. If he got close, he tried and bond with her again. He ignored the thoughts that Vymas wouldn’t bond with him again.

Vymas was the last female dragon that the Empire had. She was not little but compared to Nurvo, Emress, and Xursayphir she was a small dragon. The only dragon smaller than her was Rakon. Vymas was large and slim with three sets of wings despite being one of the youngest dragons.  Her scales were black as the midnight sky but had flecks of gold and her horns shined just like gold.

The Empire in total has five dragons. There were wild dragons, but no one was brave enough to try and bond with one of them.

“Your grace,” Ren appeared next to him holding out a letter. The snowflake sigil with decoration on snow flowers and pine leaves, made a shiver go down his back, the Solstice emblem. What would Orion’s family want with him?

The Dukedom of Solstice sat in the north, Roxas’ family and The Dukedom of Tatsu sat in the East. On further inspection, Roxas realized the sigil was for Orion’s personal use. Roxas doesn’t remember receiving a personal letter from Orion until many winters in the future. But maybe Roxas forgot? It has been fifteen years since he was twelve so it’s understandable that maybe he just doesn’t remember.

 Slicing the letter open, Roxas read in confusion.

Dear Roxas Tatsu,

It has been many winters since we have seen each other. I do believe it was at the great hunt since we last spoke. I remember clearly your iridescent golden eyes that put the golden crown of Summit to shame. How your long inky black hair looks like silky obsidian. It truly pains me that we haven’t talked in so long. My family are staying in the capital for a while. It would bring me much joy if you could visit me.

Yours truly,

Orion Solstice

Roxas isn’t too much of a violent person but by the gods did Roxas want to stab Orion. Orion was the type of person to talk people to death.  A noble who vomited flowery language hiding his intent.

And ‘it truly pains me’ is a load of crap and they both know that.

“Your grace, you called for me?”

Roxas snapped his head around to see Lady Erin, bowing and smiling. The same smile as-

“Roxas, you need to,” Erin coughed violently as blood poured out of her mouth, “you need to run!” Roxas felt hot tears on his cheek as he tightened his grip on her. He couldn’t abandon her. He got her in this mess, her blood is on his hands.

“Listen, you have done nothing wrong, you are perfect the way you are. No one blames you.” Erin embraced Roxas in a hug with the last of her strength coating her blood on his shirt. “Thank you for being my little brother,” she whispers as her body slack in his arms and her breathing stops.

Roxas’s world stopped as Erin fell to the ground.

She wasn’t moving.

She wasn’t breathing.

Roxas screamed until his throat got hoarse and his eyes ran out of tears.

///

“Roxas?” A warm hand landed on his shoulder as Roxas blinked away tears. Erin's eyes scanned for any ailment and her hands shook slightly.

“Erin,” he felt his voice break as he dug nails into the skin breaking the skin. He hoped these panic attacks wouldn’t become a regular thing. He is going to scream if every time he was reminded of the past, he’d burst into tears.

Erin held Roxas in a tight embrace as she rubbed circles into his back. “You’re okay,” Roxas felt the world come back to him as Erin whispered sweet nothings into his ear.

Regaining his composure, Roxas slowly pushed away from the hug as he wiped his eyes. “Can we go for a ride; I need to clear my head.”

Erin nodded as she got off the ground. She led Roxas to the stables and quickly ordered someone to prepare their horses.

Changing into riding gear, Roxas brushed his hair. His hair grew way too quickly, so he stopped cutting it short, letting it grow beyond shoulder length. Normally one of the maids neatly tied up his hair but he didn’t want to bother them, so he tied up his hair.

Erin returned in her guard uniform and two shire horses. Roxas’ horse, Pandora, is a blue roan shire who was given to him for his seventh birthday, making her five years old.

Erin’s horse is a bay named Meadow.

Swinging himself over, he rode Pandora into a trot.

The Tatsu main house is in full bloom creating trails of flowers around the house. Past Roxas hated the overwhelming smells and colours but now Roxas found it breathtaking. The dynamic layers of smells and patterns created by the flower made the heart warm.

Pandora trotted along the path into the trail in the forest. Erin rode behind him examining the tree line for threats but Roxas could only focus on calming his mind.

It wasn’t too long ago when they first met. Erin was rejected and chased out of the royal knights for simply being a woman. She had great talent and discipline that Roxas couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t hire her. So, he asked his mother for Erin to be his knight and she agreed. His mother always taught him that he shouldn’t look at what a person is but what they can offer.

 Erin was from the south, her skin brown with short black curly hair.

They arrived at an opening in the forest that was filled with wildflowers. Roxas closed his eyes feeling the heat from the sun as he kicked Pandora into a gallop. He felt the wind in his hair that reminded him of flying with Vymas.

When Vymas and him bonded he rarely rode Pandora, but maybe this time around he should ride her more. She was a gentle and brave horse that allowed him to learn how to ride with her. He wasn’t the best a picking up horse riding, but Pandora was patient with him.   

He gently pats her as they go back into walking. His mind was finally quiet and at peace.

“ROXAS!”

Roxas snapped his head around as an arrow went past his head. He felt his heart drop at kick into action. Putting Pandora into a gallop, he raced into a tree moving slightly from side to side. He heard Erin charging at the attackers, as metal clashed against each other.

He heard the hooves of horses behind him as he entered the forest. Leaping over a falling tree, Roxas tried to lose the pursuers behind him.

Eyeing branches above him, an idea formed in his head.

 “If you’re trying to kill me, you are doing a very terrible job. I would rate you a 2/10 assassin,” he loved how they cursed him and yelled about cutting him open. The simple things in life.

He removed his feet from the stirrup, as he watched branches pass above him. Hearing someone pull back a bow, he leaps to the closet branch. The arrow whizzled below him as he swung on the branch kicking a guy off his horse. He landed on his head, knocking him unconscious.

Dropping down to the ground, he unsheathed the man’s sword, ready when the others caught up. Pandora slammed her body onto one of the other horses knocking them over and the rider. The sword was too large for Roxas’ body and left him unbalanced but it will get the job done. He could do this.

Raising the sword, he slashed the girth of a passing rider, making him fall to the ground. Using the heavy-weight sword, he slammed down the sword on his chest. He let out a bellowing scream as Roxas raised, his sword to block a swing.

Swords clashed with a ringing noise, as Roxas felt his arms scream in protest. He no longer had a body of adult self and none of its strength. Even though once he could have easily fought the attackers off, he must play carefully.

“This isn’t personal kid,” the attacker said as he aimed for Roxas’ legs.

“Me too,” Roxas dropped the sword and jumped on the man causing him to be unbalanced. “I don’t want to die.”  The man picked up Roxas and threw him into a rock.

Roxas felt pain flare up as the wind was knocked out of him. Roxas tried to get back up, but the man slammed his foot into his arm. Roxas bit his cheek to muffle the scream of pain.

Blinded by pain he didn’t see how the man's face drained of colour, and he staggered back. How his face morph into terror and how his body shook violently.

When Roxas’ eyes lifted to see him drop his weapon, he thought that Erin found him. But that was quickly shattered as a booming roar echoed in the forest. Roxas felt like a massive shadow blocking the sun. He lifted his head and eyes wandered up to see a large black dragon roar.

“Vymas!”