"Dracarus"
Tryon's morning had started like this. Every burst of fire from Tryon's dragon gave him even more motivation. Each flame made him happier, more alive, and even more hopeful for the future of his kingdom.
In just one day, the dragon had grown from the size of a baby calf to that of a teenage horse.
"It's time I choose a name for you," Tryon said excitedly.
"Dravakos — the dragon of fury and destruction," Elenora replied with a gentle smile.
Tryon smiled at Elenora, locked eyes with his dragon, and said, "Dravakos."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, the leaders of Sylmira had decided not to attack just yet. Drakholme didn't have a strong enough army. If they wanted to go to war, they'd need a much more powerful force. So instead, they came up with a deal — in exchange for the dragon, they would offer Tryon their strongest army.
Dravakos was growing larger every second, and he was quickly becoming a real threat to the rest of the kingdoms.
Syroc, the king of Sylmira, slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "You bastard of an advisor! When are you finally gonna send that damn letter to that idiot Tryon?! Don't you get it? I want that dragon!!!"
Syroc had only recently become king of Sylmira. He was a harsh and cold man — about 176 cm tall, with golden hair and blue eyes. He was extremely jealous by nature and always wanted to be better than everyone else. But that same attitude usually made him fall behind. He wasn't good with a sword, but he was a decent archer. He didn't listen to logic and only respected power, which is why most of the people didn't like him.
"But what if he refuses?" one of Syroc's advisors asked nervously.
"He's surrounded by armies. If he says no, we'll just kill them," Syroc said confidently, without a second thought.
The kingdom of Sylmira was one of the biggest and most glorious in the land. The cities were surrounded by magnificent architecture, and they were ahead economically too. But despite all that, people didn't like the royal family. Still, their army was strong, and they had a decent-sized population.
Back in Drakholme, things were running smoothly. There was no chaos in the kingdom. Food and supplies were coming in from other nations.
Other kingdoms had started connecting with Drakholme, realizing it was on its way to becoming a serious power. One country brought food, another brought oil, and another brought advanced weapons.
The king of Velmoria was shocked by what was happening. He had his own plans, but now he was starting to lose hope.
Tryon brought a piece of meat to his dragon and said, "Dracarus."
Dravakos spread his wings, flew upward a little, and set the meat on fire — cooking it in the air.
"This dragon's grilling meat now… in a few weeks, he'll be roasting Sylmira's people," Elenora said with a laugh.
Tryon and Elenora were growing closer every day. The bond between them was getting stronger, little by little.
"Do you have any plans for the future, Tryon? There's something I need to tell you," Elenora said seriously.
"What? What is it?" Tryon asked, a bit surprised.
"My father told me to forgive him… What do you think he meant by that?" she asked, a bit nervous.
"I don't know… it probably doesn't mean much. Don't worry about it," Tryon replied with a smile.
The next morning…
Tryon and Elenora were having breakfast in the castle courtyard. Dravakos was flying above them.
The people were thrilled by the dragon's presence. They were amazed by how majestic and powerful it looked.
Besides running the kingdom, Tryon was also thinking about how to get more dragons. The thought wouldn't leave his mind.
"I wish that angel would give me another dragon egg," Tryon thought to himself as he imagined the glorious future of his kingdom.
He knew that serious threats were coming — especially from Sylmira. That's why he was determined to expand his army no matter the cost. But they didn't have enough gold, and even with support from other countries, it wouldn't be enough to build the military force he had in mind. He also needed more warships.
While Tryon was lost in thought, messengers rushed into the palace.
"What's going on?" Tryon asked, sitting on his throne, surprised by the sudden entrance.
"A letter has arrived for you, my king," the messenger said.
"From who?"
"From the kingdom of Sylmira."
"So this recent peace wasn't for nothing… What do they want now?" Tryon said, clearly annoyed.
The messenger handed the letter to Tryon.
The castle fell into total silence. A soft spring wind blew through the cherry blossoms in the palace garden.
Tryon opened the letter. It was written in the old Sylmiran language.
"Does anyone here know how to read Sylmiran?" Tryon asked.
One of the messengers stepped forward and said, "I do."
He walked over to the king, took the letter, and began reading it aloud in a calm, clear voice.
"Tryon — greetings. I am Syroc, king of Sylmira. I have a proposal that might interest you. In exchange for your little, useless dragon, I will give you three-fourths of my army. For further discussion, I invite you to my kingdom, old friend."
The king's advisor turned to him and asked, "Tryon, my king — what do you think?"
"No," Tryon answered plainly.
"But I think we can pull a little prank on that worthless bastard," he added with a sly grin.
Tryon looked at Dravakos, tossed the letter toward him, and yelled, "Dracarus!"
In a flash, Dravakos burned the letter to ashes.
Meanwhile in Sylmira, Syroc was absolutely sure Tryon would accept the offer. He ordered his army to start preparing.
The soldiers of Sylmira were extremely loyal. As a show of loyalty, they were required to cut off their own genitals to prevent any distractions or relationships. That way, they would never start families and would only focus on war.
Winter was coming, and none of the kingdoms were ready for it. Most of them had only one plan — raiding others. That's why Tryon knew he had to expand his army fast.
The king of Velmoria had heard that Syroc wanted to trade three-fourths of his army for Tryon's dragon, and it made him furious.
The people of Sylmira believed Syroc was a bastard — literally. His mother had gotten pregnant while the previous king was away on a mission, and nobody really knew who Syroc's real father was.
The king of Velmoria wrote a letter to Syroc, saying:
"Syroc, this is a stupid move. Tryon's easy to trick. I think you should do what I tell you. I can't explain in this letter because of spies. It's better if you come to my kingdom and we'll talk."
When Syroc read the letter, he said, "I don't have time for that old fool. He's always sticking his nose in my plans. Like he's my damn dad or something. Idiot."
Tryon still hadn't made a decision, but he was sure he wanted to play them all. And for that plan, he needed to learn the Sylmiran language — fast.
Luckily, it was a simple language, and two of the best teachers were brought to the castle to teach him.
Tryon was a fast learner and had a great memory for anything he studied.
"My king, greetings. I'll teach you Sylmiran today as much as we can fit into your schedule," said Blanitas.
Blanitas was one of the most respected scholars in Drakholme. He was a skilled teacher and had taught the Sylmiran language for years. Not only that, he used to be the royal translator for past kings, and now he was serving as Tryon's teacher and interpreter.
Night fell. Tryon had already gotten a decent grip on the language and was going over everything again and again.
Elenora came in with a tray of food — two glasses of wine, a platter full of fruits like blueberries, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, green apples, and a juicy steak. For Dravakos, she brought a big piece of raw mutton and tossed it to him.
Tryon said, "Dracarus."
Dravakos spread his wings again and roasted the meat mid-air with a burst of flame.
Dravakos had now grown to the size of a full-grown bull, and it was getting harder to keep him inside the castle. He was growing at a shocking speed.
Dragons lived about two hundred years, but Tryon was worried. What if this one died before laying any eggs? What if it got killed in war and that was the end of all dragons forever?
Night came, and Tryon and Elenora headed to their room. Tryon took off his clothes, and Elenora slipped into her nightgown.
"You leaving tomorrow, Tryon?" Elenora asked.
"For a bit of mischief, yeah," Tryon replied with a grin and then fell asleep.
The next morning arrived. It was springtime, a beautiful day. Tryon got up and headed to his throne.
"Two soldiers and Blanitas — get ready. We're heading to Sylmira together," he said.
The servants prepared the horses. Tryon, Dravakos, the two guards, and Blanitas all set out toward Sylmira…