Heir To The Throne

Chapter 1-Crime Basket

It was the midst of the night, the little boy was straddled in his basket covered with a towel
surrounded by basalt, magma, and obsidian. The boy was unaffected by the shrieks and
screams of the people that were consumed by the lava. The lava was like a beast cornering its
prey while the prey seemed to be unaffected and sailed through its doom, after all the highly
kingdom had fallen.
Statues of dragons were tossed, pillars of gold and diamonds were launched, and sculptures of
their ancestry kings were hurled by the strong wind. Every inhabitant of the fallen kingdom was
caught in a swirling vortex of terror and fear while the boy was unmoved. This was by the virtue
of the towel which was made with indescribable force. The basket was blistering red as it was
made of metal. The boy came to the end of the kingdom where it was met by yet another
kingdom, the border of the kingdom was mostly rocks and water as it met the ocean.
The boy unconsciously entered the new territory. The nature of this kingdom seemed very
harmonious and peaceful but that was far from the truth. The boy sailed the subtle sea for a
while with no sign of land or life other than fish until there was a boat in the distance. The
basket sailed the calm sea towards the boat and stopped when it got caught in a fishing net.
“What do we have here,” said a man. He was shocked to see a child instead of a fish. He took
the basket in his hands and looked around for anyone who could’ve left him there but there
was no sign of anyone. He took the boy home with him and fed him. He lived in a small two-
story hut that had a basement where he kept all his belongings that he didn’t use, he also kept
the basket there. “My name is William and I will be calling you Riccardo from now and I hope
you will be a sign of hope and amity for our village”.

Chapter 2-Secrets Discovered

“Are you sure you want to come fishing with me Rick? I’m scared you might get hurt”. “I am
thirteen father, not a small child anymore and I am sure that I’ll catch more fish than you”
replied Riccardo. The two sailed their boat through the gentle breeze until they reached the
middle of the ocean. There was nothing except water as far as they could have sight of.
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“Can you grab the spear for me and then get yourself a fishing rod?” said William “Can I also
use the spear Dad?” asked Riccardo. “Sure, but be careful Rick” replied William. There were
faint waves in the ocean with little to no sound, there was a gentle blow of wind that hit their
faces and a sudden huge splash. “Are you okay son?” asked William. “Yeah Dad look at this
huge fish I caught” replied Riccardo. “You’ve become so good at spearfishing and it’s only been
a month since you started,” said William. “Runs in the family, I guess” stated Riccardo
hesitantly.
“Hey son, there are some things you don’t know of” Said William. “What do you mean? Tell me
please” asked Riccardo eagerly. “Every summer when I send you to the boy's camp, it’s not
because I wanted you to learn sports but it was because every summer our village gets
ransacked by thugs and that’s why we can’t grow our village” answered William. “Why didn’t
you tell me Dad, I thought we were family and could share each other everything” exclaimed
Riccardo.
“I’ve got to tell you something more my child, you’re not exactly my son, I found you in a
basket while I was fishing and looked everywhere for your parents but there was no sign of
them so I decided to adopt you, please don’t be angry and understand what I said.” Riccardo
was speechless at first but then got the courage and said “don’t worry father, you are the
equivalent of my mother and father both”. “I’m glad you understood son, and did you learn
spearfishing at your boy’s camp, it's bothering me how you got so good at it in just a week.”
“No, there, they only taught us archery and sword fighting, I’m so good at it because I have the
best teacher and the best parent in the world, you!” William was over the moon after having
this conversation with his son and was glad to adopt him.

Chapter 3-Journey to Justice

“Hey, Father can you please tell me about the thugs that have caused mayhem in our village
and spread terror among our hearts, the only time you told me anything about them was over 4
years ago,” said Riccardo. William answered, “You are almost an adult now so I should tell you
the truth about this kingdom”.
“Our village not long ago was a small but thriving village, we heard many stories about these
thugs terrorizing neighboring villages and stealing whatever they could, they killed anyone who
came in their way and they called themselves the bloody-hood crew”. “What did the king do to
stop this madness?” asked Riccardo. William replied “He did make a peace treaty with the gang,
but the treaty was extortion itself. He invited their leader who was called gore face by the
gang’s members and offered him a deal. He said he won’t stop his gang but in return, he asked
for thirty percent of what they stole. The people after this lost all hope, many left the kingdom
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but some people who had love for their home stayed in hoping for someone to stand up and
take the lead to protect their homeland.” “Where is the king now, and when will the bloody-
hood crew pay another visit? I’ll make sure that they will be covered in their own blood, I will
make sure that their corpse fills the whole land and I will destroy their entire bloodline” asked
Riccardo. William answered, “The king stays in his palace and never leaves, as for the thugs they
could be coming anytime this week, we have evacuated every woman and child to an island far
away, some men will make sure nobody gets hurt while the other will give everything the thugs
ask for.” “Has anyone tried to attack the thugs?” asked Riccardo
“These thugs live on a huge land far away from here, getting there is a hassle itself, and
attacking it is close to impossible. I have a friend named Lucas he can tell you more about it”
replied William. “You are friends with the mayor's brother James right, can you request him to
gather everyone from the village” requested Riccardo. “Sure thing, be at the mayor's house at
6:00 pm and I will gather everyone but why do you want to gather everyone there?” stated
William. “I will try and finally put an end to this Bloody-hood crew for once and for all” replied
Riccardo. “Don’t do anything stupid and stay safe son” said William.
The clock struck 6:00, and the entire village was waiting for a hero to lead them. “Go on son
don’t disappoint them and good luck!” said William just before Riccardo took the crowd's
attention. He started his speech and said “Dear citizens of the village, I am here to remind you
of your past, how you used to live freely, how you were a thriving village and strived for a
purpose, I am here to inform you that we can bring those lovely days back but it won’t be
possible without your help. I request you all to support this cause for a glimpse of hope that we
can be free. If anyone has a question then please do ask and if anyone does not want to be a
part of this then he is given full permission to leave and be a coward.”
A man in the crowd raised his voice and said “Why are we trusting a seventeen-year-old with
our future”. Riccardo replied, “If you think you can do any better then why are you not doing
it”. The crowd now was in favor of the teenager and was waiting for his instructions. He held a
meeting with the mayor, the mayor’s brother, Lucas, and the head of the police department
named Mark. They decided that they will sink their ships and if that doesn’t work they will fight
them on the border as the terrain there is difficult. The people were truly amazed by the
teenager’s leadership and did exactly as Riccardo said. Now the only thing left was explaining
their plan to the citizens.
“Dear citizens, gather around and listen up, I along with Lucas will lead the ship whereas Mark
and my father will stay here in case this plan fails, and we cannot afford any mistakes as we will
only have one chance to blow their ships before we get spotted, are you with me or do you
want to spend you lives being slaves. Everyone agreed with Riccardo and was ready to fight for
freedom.
It was time, they sailed their ships through the sea in search of the bloody-hood crew. After a
long time of waiting they got one chance to blow the ship with a cannon. They lined it up
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perfectly and it worked they blew the ship up, and the ship sank quickly but there was one
more problem they didn’t expect, there was another ship of the bloody-hood crew which was
led by gore face himself. As soon as they caught sight of the ship they set to go back. Gore face
saw the ship but was confused about what had happened, he stopped and rescued the
survivors and swore to destroy their village.
When Riccardo reached his village, he alerted every person and aligned the archers and
spearmen and was the head of them, alongside him were his father and Lucas. Behind them
were the swordsmen who were led by Mark. They hid behind rocks and in caves to make sure
that they were not seen.
Just after they hid, they could hear the barging of the thugs, Riccardo gave the sign to the
archers to shoot and the bloody-hood crew was caught by surprise. They were shot back at but
there wasn’t any damage done as they hid behind rocks. The thugs weren’t given any choice
but to climb up a hill to have an upper hand but they lost many of their men trying to do so.
They were too shot back at but lost a lot fewer lives.
Soon after, both sides had their arrows finished and Riccardo signed Mark to lead the
swordsmen. The bloody-hood crew put up a good fight but were not able to get the upper
hand. Their leader saw this and told them to retreat, but they were caught by surprise as their
ship was burnt by the spearmen and now were guarding their much smaller ship. Gore face
ordered them to march towards the village’s ship but it wouldn’t be easy as it was guarded by
Riccardo, his father, and the rest of the spearmen. They fought a fierce battle and it seemed
that it would be an easy win but suddenly a man caught William by surprise and killed him.
Riccardo threw his spear and it pierced through the heart of the person who killed William.
Riccardo told William to get the army to protect him while he tried to save William but it was
too late. The bloody-hood crew saw this as an opportunity and stole their ship along with some
of their men.
The quest was overall a success as he had protected his land and also won the trust of the
villagers but now he was left with no hope. Lucas held a funeral for William and asked Riccardo
to give a speech. He came forward and stated, “My father was my hero, he gave me hope and
raised me, he was very down to earth and was the reason we won today, and I swear upon him
that I will avenge him so he may rest in peace.”

Chapter 4-Justice Served

“There is no time to grief, we may have won a battle but there is yet a bigger war to be fought.
We did lose a loved one but those thugs are not sitting around a fool, they will surely come
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back for revenge, and this time far more in number”, said Riccardo. “So what do you want us to
do then Little Rick?” asked James. “Call the leaders of the four neighboring villages, and we will
do what the bloody-hood least expects” Riccardo stated. “You truly are born to be a leader, the
leader will be coming to you in seek of protection”, replied James.
“Save us, my king, return us back to the glory days, we have no one to put our hopes in except
you, you have us, our army, and our citizens ready at your command, they will be following
every signal of yours and will gladly sacrifice their life for you”, said Andrew, the leader of the
village that was located west to this village. Riccardo replied “I truly respect your words but, we
aren’t here to cry upon what is lost, we aren’t here to wait for defeat and wail. We are here for
revenge, we are here to avenge the lost souls, we will avenge every drop of blood of our dead,
that day we will stand proudly where we will finally be satisfied with our victory, is everyone
with me”. “Yes, shouted everyone with passion”. Riccardo said, “Now gather every person of
your village and come here tomorrow at dawn, make sure to be ready for war because we can
get ambushed anytime”.
It was finally time, the sun had set, and the light was dim. There was an uproar of people
praising and applauding their new leader. They begged him to save them from the wrath of the
wicked gang, it was time, and here came their mighty savior. “Dear citizens of the kingdom, I
have gathered you to give you the news of war, I am glad to tell you that with your help we are
ready to avenge our dear loved ones who lost their lives trying to protect their beloved
homeland. The king of the kingdom was also invited but he didn’t dare to show up. We as a clan
can put an end to this injustice and finally bring peace so listen to me carefully. The bloody-
hood gang will come tomorrow to take revenge for their defeat but what we will do is empty
the whole land, there shouldn’t be any goods, weapons, or crops. Before they arrive we will
leave in our boats along with everything we own and go to the Island of the Thugs. There we
take what we can and destroy the rest, so who is with me?” asked Riccardo. “Yes” shouted
everyone and they started to prepare for the battle.
Everyone was now ready for the battle, they were ready to leave as it was almost dusk. It was
still dark but there was a little light, the light of hope. They sailed their boat through the sea
while Lucas lead the way as he only knew what lay ahead. After a long ride, they could see land,
everyone rejoiced and soon they arrived. As they arrived, they were greeted by the remaining
of the bloody-hood crew but they were too little to fight a battle. They were sept away like dust
just like any other thug on the island. There weren’t any women and children to be seen so they
filled their pockets, clothes, shoes, and ships to the brim with everything they could find
valuable and burnt their every house and every other belonging. Riccardo commanded that
everyone should hide behind a hill except the sailors and the archers. They got on three of the
battleships and destroyed the rest.
Soon the bloody-hood crew arrived after a disappointment of an expedition. They were
shocked but didn’t think that they were going to be raided. Just as they got a sight of their
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island they knew what had happened but it was too late as half of their ships were now blown
up from behind by cannons. Their leader now knew that they had lost so he surrendered. He
begged for mercy along with the other men and swore for lifelong slavery in return for them
being forgiven. Riccardo first didn’t think of this offer and was about to kill every one of the
crew but then the king of the kingdom arrived along with his army. Everyone was in shock and
couldn’t believe their eyes but Riccardo was infuriated, he didn’t care who he was and wanted
him to pay for his crimes. After a long silence, the king ordered Riccardo to set everyone free
and give them their land back and in return their villages will not be raided. Riccardo didn’t
even think of this and beheaded Gore face. He then came closer to the king as if he was
ashamed of what he had done but he took his spear and threatened to kill him. He told the
king’s army of they took one step their king would be killed. He ordered the king to step down
as the king but he refused. Riccardo didn’t ask again and pierced his spear down to the king’s
throat, hot blood boiled out of his mouth like a fountain. He told that if anyone else opposed
him, his fate would be the same. No one opposed him or even objected to him and his army
grew stronger than before.

Chapter 5-Problems risen

At last, the kingdom was finally at peace. Now Riccardo wasn’t just a leader of a village but now
he was a king of a whole kingdom. Everyone loved him and would sacrifice their life for him
because that’s what he would do for them. Riccardo was finally pleased with his surroundings,
he was happy with his people, his land, and for his riches but he never was really satisfied with
himself, he was always confused and found himself lost at times. His mentor Lucas also caught
his mind lost at times too so he asked Riccardo what was wrong. Riccardo replied and asked
Lucas “Who are my actual parents and where did I come from, and are there more kingdoms
like ours or are we alone on this continent?”
Lucas replied, “So many questions yet so many complex answers, I am willing to tell you, but be
aware this is a long one”. “Go ahead Lucas,” said Riccardo. “I actually don’t know who you’re
parents are and I’m surprised William didn’t tell you this, and for your question, if there are
more kingdoms, yes there are 4 more kingdoms, all of them were civilized and thriving over
thirty years ago but after the king got his power we aren’t able to connect with them since. He
blocked all trading routes and our connections with them. I do have a hint that you might be
from one of those four kingdoms but I could be wrong, and I am curious what are your
decisions regarding our connections with the kingdoms, my suggestion is to reconnect with
them as it might result in the betterment of our land”. Stated Lucas
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Riccardo replied, “Lucas my good friend, you know way better than me and I respect you so
your suggestion is my command and I’ll be doing as you say.” “Harry!” Shouted Riccardo. “Go
and get me an army and divide them into 4 groups, make sure you take some and leave some
soldiers behind for protection. Lucas my friend, you will stay here with me but for now, you
have to make them a map and guide them to the borders, after that the soldiers will be on their
own.” “Good idea Rick, but who will be commanding the army in the absence of Harry as he is
the chief of the army?” asked Lucas. “Don’t worry, I will handle that myself and Harry, if the
kings of the other kingdoms are satisfied with being my guest, please don’t hesitate to invite
them. “Very well my king,” said Harry.
It had been over a month since the expedition left, Riccardo impatiently waited every day and
night in the hope of their return. He also hoped for success and not failure as it would have
been a complete waste of time. Fortunately, soon later three of the kings returned along with
Riccardo’s army but Harry was nowhere to be seen. He asked Lucas and the rest about him and
was informed that he went to the fourth kingdom which was the last one. “It is located down
the sea so it would have taken him a bit more time,” said Lucas trying to calm Riccardo down.
Riccardo sat the three other kings down and offered them a feast, the kings accept his kind
hospitality and applauded him on his bravery. He offered friendship and to build trading routes
throughout the continent if the fifth king would agree. The other three kings were shocked
when he said that which made Riccardo puzzled so he asked “What’s wrong with the fifth
king?” Just as he was about to get answered Harry entered but not normally, he was covered in
flames, his body was scorched and no part of his body was not blistered. All the kings stood up
as Riccardo yelled and asked Harry what had happened. All he said was “The end, it’s near. The
men in flames are coming, say goodbye. Riccardo shouted and demanded Harry to tell him
more but all he said was “The end is near and repeatedly said the flame men are here” before
fainting.

Chapter 6-Glimpse of Hope

“What are you thinking of doing little Rick and what are you going to tell the villagers, they’re
asking for answers and we can’t stall for much longer,” asked Lucas. “I don’t really know bud,
our chief is seriously injured, and we lost a lot of our men, if I go to search who will take care of
the kingdom and we aren’t even aware of what dangers lay ahead,” replied Riccardo. Lucas
held his head and tilted his head towards him and said “You have never let down anyone, just
trust your gut, calm down for a minute, and think. Then only you can talk about your decision
and now with the help of the other three kings we can figure something out so relax for a
minute and I’ll be back to you in a minute. A smile came from Riccardo’s face as he replied
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“Thank you, buddy. That’s all I needed right now and I have been stressing a lot lately, maybe a
little rest will help. Lucas smiled back and left to check on Harry.
Riccardo laid down for a bit when suddenly an idea clicked on him. He immediately called Lucas
and the three other kings and asked Lucas worriedly about Harry. Lucas tried to calm Riccardo
down and informed him that he is much better but he won’t be fit enough for battle. Riccardo
took a sigh of relief and stated “We still don’t know what power lies in the fifth kingdom so I
have decided that I with most of my army will go and discover the dangers laid ahead, if anyone
of you knows about it then please go ahead.” All of them nodded and said the last time they
heard anything was over thirty years ago when there were kings with pillars of gold and
treasures filled with diamonds. They told Riccardo that the king there was believed not to be
human but nobody actually knows. Riccardo asked if the kings would be satisfied with his
citizens temporarily staying there. They agreed therefore Riccardo tilted his head towards Lucas
and told him to gather all the citizens right now and spread the news to the people far away in
our kingdoms to go to their nearest kingdom in search of trading options. He informed them
that while he goes to the fifth kingdom, the rest of his army will stay here and protect the
kingdom if all goes wrong.
The citizens gathered around in search of answers as Riccardo was starting his speech. He told
them to quiet down as he will be answering his questions. He took a deep breath and stated
“Dear citizens of the kingdom, I know we have been facing many difficulties and hardships lately
and we are still to overcome another difficulty that is never seen before. Our friend Harry is still
unconscious yet much better and I have decided that I will be going to the fifth kingdom to
discover what’s wrong. As for you guys I have decided for you to temporarily pack your things
and go to the other kingdoms in search of jobs and land. Please acknowledge that this
absolutely doesn’t mean that we will be abandoning our homeland, this is only for a short
period and we will be returning to our normal lives shortly after hopefully if all goes right. I
hope you all the best and good luck!” Everyone was shocked but knew it was the right decision
so the next day they evacuated the kingdom and set the remaining soldiers that were not going
to battle at their places.
The day after that Riccardo said his final goodbyes to his friends, Lucas, and the other kings,
looked at Harry for the final time, and wished he would be conscious and fit to go with him. He
started his journey and didn’t stop, it was a long way, he traveled through mountains, and
forests until he reached the ocean. There he asked his men to build multiple boats. This didn’t
take long as they had multiple resources for the task. As they sailed through the sea, they saw a
volcano. They were astonished but Riccardo told them that it was too late to turn back now so
they got out of their boats and entered the territory.
As they entered the land Riccardo and his men were astonished to see hundreds of thousands
of statues. They were dumbfounded by this peculiar event and were too petrified to move.
Riccardo tried to motivate his soldiers to move but a chill ran down his spine causing his neck to
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nape as he saw an odd-looking shadow. This was surely not of a stone or a person. Riccardo
slowly tipped-toed back until he was arms to arms with his soldiers. He told them to be alert
and not take action until commanded. The strange shadow little by little became bigger and a
whistle-like noise started to become louder bit by bit. Riccardo being astonished and frightened
at the same time by what was happening told his army to find out what that is and not leave
each other no matter what.
Slowly but surely they moved forward but stopped as they saw steam coming out of the
statues. The rock began to crack until a skeleton-like structure arose from it. Having never seen
a thing like this, Riccardo told his army to retreat but it was too late. The mysterious figure
didn’t say anything but screamed loudly. So loudly that rocks began to fall, it seemed like it had
summoned the statues which broke down into skeletons. The steam from the skeletons
continued to vaporize the entire area. The whole area was misty and the soldiers were barely
able to see each other. Them not being able to see each other started to panic even more
causing them not to get out. Riccardo yelled and commanded them to stay put and search for
light and when they get out they don’t search for each other. Riccardo started to hear screams
but didn’t know what it was because of the mist. He was horrified but still managed to find the
exit before anyone else. He shouted the location of the exit but all he heard was screaming. He
rushed out and got in his boat, he looked back as the mist started to disappear and sailed
forward towards his kingdom for safety. When he got to land he looked back and was
astonished to see millions of bloodthirsty men of fire just surrounding the coastline waiting to
spill the blood of Riccardo
Riccardo devastated returned to his kingdom but was too ashamed to inform them about his
defeat. He met Lucas and told him about the event and told him that he should give the news
of defeat to the people as he wanted to go rest. Lucas agreed and informed the kingdom who
too were shattered by the news.
Instead of going to his palace, he went to his late father’s house as he thought he didn’t
deserve a place there after the defeat. When he got in, he saw that everything was untouched
since he last saw his house. He got nostalgic as he saw his house and remembered his
childhood when everything was simple. He went to the basement to check his father’s
belonging but he was amazed to see the basket his father told him about in which he came to
him. He was even more shocked upon seeing three cracked eggs. He looked around to check if
there were any chicks but there weren’t any. He searched even more until he moved a towel
but there weren’t any chicks, instead, there were small dragons. At this moment Riccardo saw a
glimpse of hope against the men of fire.

Chapter 7 - Rise of the Dragons

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Riccardo stood there, paralyzed by the sight of his trusted friend, Harry, engulfed in flames. The
three kings, equally shocked, exchanged uneasy glances. The air was thick with tension, and the
ominous words Harry uttered lingered in the room. "The end is near. The flame men are
here."As Harry's consciousness faded, Riccardo frantically ordered his advisors to tend to his
wounds. Meanwhile, the three kings began recounting their encounters with the flame men.
Each described an army of fiery beings that seemed impervious to conventional weapons. The
urgency of the situation weighed heavily on Riccardo's shoulders. His newfound allies were now
facing a threat unlike anything they had ever imagined.

Days passed, and Harry's condition remained critical. Despite the best efforts of the healers, the
mysterious flames resisted all attempts at extinguishing. Desperation settled over the island as
fear and uncertainty gripped the hearts of its people. Riccardo couldn't shake the feeling that
this ordeal was just beginning. Amidst the chaos, a glimmer of hope emerged. Reports came in
that the dragon eggs, carefully hidden away in a secluded part of the island, had hatched. The
villagers marveled at the sight of the tiny dragonlings, their scales shimmering in various hues.
But as joyous as the occasion was, the dragons were still in their infancy and would take years
to grow into formidable beings.

Faced with the impending threat of the flame men, Riccardo sought counsel from Lucas. They
delved into ancient scrolls and texts, hoping to uncover any information about the flame men
and possible defenses against them. It was during one such study session that Lucas stumbled
upon an old legend – a tale of an enchanted iron barrier that could repel the fire beings.
Excitement surged through Riccardo as they explored this newfound knowledge. The legend
spoke of a unique property of iron that rendered it impervious to the touch of the flame men.
The villagers immediately set to work, gathering every available piece of iron to construct a
protective barrier around their village.

The once peaceful island echoed with the clamor of blacksmiths forging iron walls and gates.
The people, fueled by a newfound purpose, toiled day and night to create an impenetrable
fortress. As the walls rose, the villagers found solace in the belief that their island would be
shielded from the impending danger. However, with the barrier in place, another challenge
presented itself. Reports surfaced that some of the islanders were falling ill, showing symptoms
similar to those afflicted by the flame men's fiery touch. The healers struggled to find a cure,
experimenting with various remedies to no avail. The urgency intensified as the sickness
spread, leaving Riccardo grappling with the realization that their current defenses might not be
enough.
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In their pursuit of a cure, a renowned alchemist arrived on the island. With an air of mystery
surrounding him, he claimed to possess knowledge of ancient remedies. Riccardo, desperate for
a solution, welcomed the alchemist into the heart of the village. The alchemist, clad in dark
robes, began concocting potions and elixirs using rare herbs and mystical ingredients. The
villagers watched with bated breath, hoping that this mysterious figure held the key to their
salvation. However, as days passed, the alchemist's potions proved ineffective. The sickness
persisted, leaving the villagers in a state of despair.

In a moment of revelation, Lucas stumbled upon a forgotten folio that spoke of a unique
connection between the flame men and the dragons. According to the ancient texts, only a
person with a strong will or a dragon could strike down a flame man. Ordinary weapons were
ineffective, their blades passing through the fiery entities without causing harm. The revelation
sparked a newfound determination in Riccardo. He realized that the dragons, though young,
held the potential to be their ultimate saviors. Gathering a group of skilled individuals, he
embarked on a mission to train and bond with the dragons. The air resonated with the sounds
of dragon roars and the clashing of swords as the islanders prepared for the battle that loomed
on the horizon.

The dragon training proved challenging, testing the resilience and courage of both humans and
dragons alike. Riccardo, leading by example, formed a deep connection with his own dragon, a
majestic creature with scales that mirrored the colors of the sunset. The bond between them
grew stronger each day, echoing the ancient prophecy that foretold of a union between
humans and dragons to combat the forces of darkness. As the islanders honed their skills
alongside the second dragon, rumors spread that the flame men were closing in. The air carried
an oppressive heat, and ominous shadows danced on the horizon. The time for preparation was
running out, and Riccardo knew that the true test of their mettle was imminent.

Chapter 8-Strong Will Yet Down Hill

Although Riccardo had hoped that the war would’ve been delayed so 2 more dragons could
fight in addition to their 2 fighting currently. The war for the best was now inevitable. Riccardo
was yet still bothered by how the men of fire crossed over, arriving for the elimination of his
kingdom, Riccardo gathered his will and charged fiercely with one of the dragons and the best
of his men. Upon closing in on his enemy, Riccardo felt a charge through his spine and his arms,
his sword became brighter and brighter, eventually turning into light. He thought that this was
in the result of coming near of the blazing men of fire. He charged with all his might and was
delighted to see blood coming out instead of particles of fire. He clashed with all his might
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along his dragon, after a while he got exhausted so he rode on top of his dragon and checked
on what was happening currently.
He was frightened to see that a good part of his army along with one of the 2 dragons were
slayed. Tears dropped down his cheeks racing down. He dropped down knowing that there was
no time to relax. The opposition had twice the number of their army and the king had still not
arrived yet. Riccardo fought fiercely with all his might, there was no part of his body not bruised
or injured. He called out for his men and barely got responses. He got on his dragon knowing
that it would probably be its last ride after seeing his leg cut off. He searched for the king
hoping that killing him would stop the unstoppable march of the fire warriors as there was no
other option. Riccardo with his desperation finally spotted the king. He wasn’t much bigger than
the others or had any different features but he had a crown on his head. He tried to figure out
why he was the king of such a strong army. Riccardo couldn’t figure it out so he ordered his
dragon to land, but it didn’t listen and soon fell down serving his last breath protecting the king.
Riccardo had landed right beside Lucas who was amongst the small amount of survivors but he
was in the worst possible state. Riccardo rushed to help Lucas who was hanging on to his dear
life but when Riccardo reached, Lucas fell into the arms of Riccardo. He checked Lucas pulse but
it had stopped, he attempted to give CPR and kept his hands on Lucas chest. Upon applying
pressure Lucas chest tuned into ashes.
Riccardo was left astounded with a mix of emotions. In the essence of the moment, Riccardo
knew it wasn’t time to grief and he had to protect those who were left. Riccardo called out to
his strongest branch of army but no one responded. Some people came and told Riccardo that
they were the only survivors along with some hiding women and children who were enclosed in
an iron dome where the 2 small dragons were kept. Riccardo couldn’t believe it and shouted in
agony and anger. A light possibly brighter than the sun erupted out of his mouth along the loud
scream. When the light cleared up, everyone including Riccardo were shocked. The army of the
impenetrable men of fire were down on the ground dead. The only survivor left was the king of
the blazing warriors. Riccardo, astounded, stared down the enemy king.