There were loud echoing knocks at the door. Bren mouthed to his mother, ‘Don’t.’

Raymona made to go toward it anyways, night gown bunched in her hands, and a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Ethan raised his hand. Through the sliver of open space between the curtains he could see it was night. It was difficult for him to see anything else beyond that.

He picked up his sword against the wall in his room and rushed to the door. Holding his sword up at the ready, he unlocked the door and swung it open.

A man pushed the side of the blade away with his hand, "Put that toy away, it's time for you to wield a big boy sword." Ethan dropped it to his side as soon as he recognized Garett, a veteran knight.

Out of all of their trainers he was the hardest of them all, not because he pushed them any more than the others (that would most certainly have to be the head of the knights), but because he was just plain mean. Ethan didn't particularly dislike him, but the others said a few choice words behind his back. He thought his attitude was a good lesson for the real world, an enemy wasn't going to be pleasant or care about your feelings. And sometimes neither would an ally. A truth his father instilled in him.

"What's happening?"

"Always with the questions, just listen and shut up. Get in the carriage."

Ethan looked out past him and squinted at the carriage shaped object. He was just about to step out until a hand grabbed his arm.

"I think it's reasonable to explain why you're kidnapping him in the middle of the night," Raymona narrowed her gaze at the man.

She was like a kitten threatening a bear.

Garett tsked and rolled his eyes. "Mothers," he said under his breath. "He's old enough to not need your permission. He's a knight under our command," he gestured a thumb to Ethan to go out of the house. Ethan looked to Raymona, his muscles twitched in both the motion to leave and stay.

"I would hope you would tell your own worrying mother if she may never see you alive again," she stood her ground, lifting an arm to block Ethan's path out. Ethan couldn't move even if he wanted to, but it did provide a good excuse. He couldn't exactly move her by force, not without lacking etiquette.

"We don't have time for this, even though you're obstructing. We have a small case for the little trainees, nothing dangerous."

Raymona pulled back her arm and lightly wrapped her hand around her throat and swallowed. Her gaze directed at Ethan didn't look as though she believed Garett. She looked down at her feet as she took a step back. Without a word she held her shawl tightly around her and retreated back up the stairs to her room. Ethan didn't wait for Garett to command him again and ran to the carriage, he followed leisurally behind. For something that they had a lack of time for, he sure was taking things at his own pace.

Ethan slid into the carriage thinking about that expression on his stepmother's face, it looked almost like…concern. Across from him was another trainee; Timothy lived nearby in a cabin in the woods with his wife, a childhood friend he married at 16 after getting her pregnant. Their parents wanted nothing to do with them.

"I need to provide for them. It's not just my duty it's my privilege," Tim had told him while the two of them were resting from a bout. They were watching another pair of trainees clash swords. Ethan didn't really have friends, not anymore, that was a time that felt ancient now. So, he listened carefully despite the discomfort being told something personal. "Being a knight affords status and a great sum of money. My little girl is turning two soon, I wanna surprise her with something special." Ethan realized not long after he liked listening to Tim talk about his family. There was so much adoration in his words.

It was what he wanted, a wife, children, the final hurdle to becoming a man. His father’s words were always in the back of his mind, "A man’s purpose is to protect women. Marry one who will take you, and make sure she never has a worry."

Something had concerned Ethan though, and he wasn't known for not voicing his thoughts. Cue the school yard brawls. "It can become a dangerous job," he pictured the dragon. "What if you die and they're on their own?"

He laughed sardonically, "I’ve already considered that. They promised me if anything happens, they'd be cared for. Either way, I have them set for a good life."

Garett jumped into the carriage rattling it, and closed the door. He hit the front wall of the carriage and it began to move. He leaned over and stuck his hand under the bench and pulled out two swords. " It's time you lot went from boys to men," he handed one to each of them.

Vergil would probably have something to say about that. He imagined it now, the annoying whine itching the back of his brain. 'Glad to know I'm not a man because I lack interest in swinging long pointy sticks at people. Oh, wait. Perhaps being a man is about having the desire to hurt, maim, or kill people? Lucky~' For all that Vergil was, he was not violent by nature, that Ethan could at least respect. Not that that was the case in his treatment of Ethan or Bren when they pissed each other off. Ethan’s gotten an elbow to the gut once or twice. None of them really went as hard as they could when they fought.

He accepted the sword. He didn't mind Garett's words. This was his path into manhood. He was going to become someone worthy to stand by Princess Amalia's side, worthy of the title of prince. Strong, valiant, and selfless. He closed his eyes and pictured her in her softness. Tiny and fragile, she needed him to protect her and he would.

The imagery behind his eyes turned to Prince Terran. He was whom Ethan got his ideals of a what a true Prince was. He was strong, brave and always had a smile on his face. A flash of the prince downcast face ran across his mind. When the prince woke, it would be him that Ethan was under the command of. By his side, unable to escape his stifling looming presence. He didn’t want to dwell on thoughts of Prince Terran, especially now. Like the what if, what if Ethan had seen clearer who was on that horse that day, would he have thrown himself out faster? Probably not. In Ethan’s eyes, Prince Terran was the most capable person.

"Since I have you both, I should tell you what's happening. In a few towns over there has been word of attacks by man-sized, flying, reptilian beasts."

Ethan turned toward him, hand on the back of the seat. The word dragon flashed in his head. "That isn't what you told my step-"

"That sounds a lot more dangerous than I expected. I told my wife before I left that this was a simple training exercise," Tim interrupted falling forward in his seat, clutching the sword in his hands.

Garett crossed his legs and slouched in his seat, "Do you think real men need to be babysat by little ladies." Those words were like a sucker punch to Ethan's stomach. He wasn't a child anymore nor was he going to let Raymona control him like one. Garett time and time again proved to be the wake up call he needed.

Timothy sat up straight, "It's not about being babysat, it's about preparing my family to what may happen. You don't have a wife so maybe you simply can't comprehend such a thing."

"Let men worry about men things and women worry about women things."

"What?"

"I could let the two of you out right now, if you prefer," he showed no care as he said it, a hand coming to rest behind his head.

Tim pursed his lips and sat back in his seat, the tension still evident in his strained muscles pressing against his brown skin.

Perhaps he was right. Women shouldn't be burdened with concerns of the dangers they faced; they just had to make sure they never will be forced to. Ethan silently promised Timothy and his family that he would make sure he came back home alive.

Ethan never could have imagined the destruction that he was coming into. As the carriage rode closer and closer to the town the ear shattering screeches rumbled in the sky. The horses trotted to a halt somewhere in the forest outside the town. He'd never been anywhere beyond the capital and this was certainly not what he had expected his first outing to be.

Fire spread through the trees as civilians ran past them, small children in their arms. Garett slipped out completely unbothered. Ethan and Tim followed after him. The knight who'd been driving the carriage hopped out, there was a more serious look on his face, stern with a hidden concern amping up the twisting in Ethan’s gut. He unlatched the horses, two of them.

"I'll assist in getting the villagers to safety," he pulled himself over one of the horses and grabbed the reigns of the other. Ethan noticed some other knights carrying injured people as they went past them.

"Alright," Garett nodded. He looked at the two of them, "Listen up, if you make it out of this, you’ll be able graduate. Stick beside me, but not up my backside, use your intuition if you got it. We'll work as a team to get them out of the sky and our swords straight through them.

Tim's whole body shook as he unsheathed the sword and he let out a shaky breath. Ethan looked away from him, unsheathing his own sword with a gulp and a tightened jaw as they followed Garett toward the battle.

The town came into view, covered in flames that licked the open sky. 

"Holy hell," Tim breathed out as they both looked up to fiends circling above them. "How are we supposed to-" he didn't get to finish that sentence as a burst of fire came from one of the dragons straight toward them. They both rolled to the right as Garett rolled to the left.

There were three of them. The other two were being chased by other knights as they continued their mayhem. While the length of their bodies, from foot to snout, measured the height of a tall man, their wingspan spread out double that and their thick tail, which pushed a current of air around them, added even greater length. Unlike the massive dragon that had greeted him at his door, these smaller ones lacked front legs, instead at the crook of their wings were deadly claws.

Knights were shooting their arrows at them, but they were masters of the air, gliding with ease away from the trajectory of the weapons. No time to think about the others as their enemy flew toward them. Its legs hung, claws outstretched. Ethan slid headfirst toward the ground, Tim rolled to the side again. Garett attempted to slash at its side as it came by him, but its flight was faster than his sword swing. However, he managed to nick a scale, a cling echoed against the screams.

It didn't like that. It took in a breath, chest scales opening as it steamed red, and fire shot from its mouth. Garett dodged but the dragon turned its head, the stream of flames never ending. He attempted to outrun the fire scorching the ground, but it was faster and there was nothing left to do. Ethan couldn't look away, even though he begged himself to. The beast landed, teeter tottering on his wings as it walked toward Garett's engulfed body and with one stomp of its foot silenced his torture.

"I at least want to do what I can before I set up my family for life," Tim shouted as he ran toward the dragon. It turned its head toward him and tilted it to the side as it watched him, it almost seemed like a curious dog at that moment. Ethan ran behind him, ready to fight beside him. He did not make it there before Tim lifted his blade and made to jab at its head. It opened its mouth, sharp teeth layered the wet cavern and bit down on the blade. In shock, Tim let go with his left hand. With a quick motion, the dragon whipped its head to the side taking Tim's sword and arm with it.

All that filled Ethan’s ears were his guttural screams, and all he saw was red as he made it to his side in time to be met with a spurt of blood coating his face and chest.

A loud, booming roar carried through the sky along with the sunrise. The three beasts let out their screeching calls, looking toward each other before they flew off in the opposite direction of the roar.

There was only a second to act. Ethan picked up a flaming piece of wood fallen from a toppled clothesline. Tim was on his knees hunched over, clinging to his ragged arm, incoherent yelling coming from his mouth. Ethan whacked his hand away, Tim lost his balance and fell on his back as he watched the flame brought closer to him.

Sweat ran like rivers down his face. "No, no, no!" he reached helplessly toward him, trying to push him away. Ethan shoved his arm against Tim’s mouth. Teeth sunk through it as he finally took the flame to the wound. The feeling of teeth piercing skin coincided with the muffled yells of his friend in his ears. Ethan pulled back, throwing the burning wood and turned Tim over just as he threw up all over himself and the ground. His eyes rolled back into his head and then he passed out.

"The pain and wound might kill him, but the blood loss definitely would have. That was the only choice offered to you," someone said behind him. But he couldn't tell who it was because he was adding to the pile of vomit beside them.

Dana pressed her lips against Ethan's cheek as Tim was carried into their home. Nurses and a doctor, tended to him in his bed. 

Their baby, Mara, was at her hip as she pulled away from Ethan, tears filled her eyes. "Oh, thank you."

"For what? I couldn't protect him."

"You made sure to bring him back."

Ethan stayed with Dana and Mara while the doctor amputated the rest of Tim's arm. She squeezed Ethan's hand until it hurt. He hadn't realized how strong woman could be. He said nothing about it though, clenching down on his teeth. It was the arm that had been bitten into too and he felt the blood run from his face. His shirt was long and dark enough that it was unnoticeable to others, he should get it checked out later that day.

"Dada arm?" Mara patted her mother's chest Dana looked at her and wrapped her arms tightly around her baby, burying her face in her shoulder. "No cry," Mara rubbed her head. "No cry. Pain bye-bye. Shh shhh."

Long after the nurses and doctors left, Ethan stayed watching Mara play with her blocks as Dana caressed her husband's sweat soaked face. Her eyes glittered with love. One day he wanted to be looked at like that, a wife upon her husband.

Again, despite him managing for months not to, he thought of Prince Terran. He'd buried his mind in work and in trying to capture Princess Amalia's attention. It was easy to separate them from each other, and to Ethan, he wasn't really Prince Terran-he was just Terran. Like he was during those few months when they were boys. But now he thought about how no one was looking over the prince the way Dana was with Tim. His stomach tightened. He wanted to check on him, but it wouldn't be right. Ethan had severed their friendship himself.