• INDENTIONSeveral thousand years before our tale began, the Dragon tribe was not yet just a myth. The dragons saw themselves as superior to all beings, the rightful heirs to this world, and so they set forth to take it. Land after land, tribe after tribe fell before their flames (figurative and literal), until all that remained were the Tiger and Wolf tribes.

    INDENTIONAt first, the dragons saw no threat, for while both the tigers held a massive army, each man, woman, and child a fully trained soldier, and the wolves held knowledge of magic unlike any other nation, each man, woman, and child a mighty sorcerer, the dragons had faced down both of these before. Besides, the tigers and wolves had never been anything but foes.

    INDENTIONWhat a surprise it was, then, when the dragon army flew towards the two kingdoms, and found both tribes standing together to defend. For the first time in history, the Tiger and Wolf empires fought side by side. And for the first time in history, the Dragon Empire was forced to call retreat.

    INDENTIONThe tigers and wolves knew that they would either be forced to defend their homes until the end of time… or they could attempt the impossible, and take the world back from the great lizards. As each city was retaken, the dragons dwindled in numbers, yet, aided by the conquered people they had freed, the tigers and wolves seemed to have a larger army with each battle. Soon, it seemed that the entire world was set to take the dragons’ mountainous capital.

    INDENTIONBy now, there was simply no dragon army. But even so, the other tribes looked at the dragons and saw them all for their former conquerors. If they did not exterminate this tribe, then it would simply rise again…

    INDENTIONThe details of the ‘battle’ (for both sides require soldiers for it to truly be a battle) are almost pointless to tell. Anything even remotely resembling a home was burned, and the dragons were given deaths one would feel too kind to give to livestock. When at last every dragon was deemed dead, anything that could prove they had so much as existed was destroyed. The mountains from whence they came were deemed forbidden to any…

    INDENTIONWhich is why it was odd that a young man and woman (from… in truth, what tribe they originated from was unknown…) would so casually stroll up the great peak.

    INDENTIONThe woman could be described as beautiful, but such a word would not suffice… or perhaps it was the only one that came close. She wore a kimono with an intricate design of red thorns on a black background, it succeeded in covering her right shoulder, but her left was less lucky. On her face a carefree smile, she seemed more concerned with keeping herself out of the sun (which she accomplished with a magnificent umbrella from the far east…) than with the forbidden mountain she delicately walked on…

    INDENTIONAs for the man… his appearance would be a mystery, as his entire head and neck were covered in bandages, as if he were a mummified Egyptian king. What little of his face was visible seemed to have been burned. He dressed in a black robe, and wore two rather plain katanas at his side. He seemed… arrogant, but somehow, one could tell that he could back up his ego.

    INDENTIONEventually, the two reached the forgotten city, and there they at last saw what they’d been seeking…

    INDENTIONA young man was carving letters that would now be unreadable into one of several stones. He was the cliché of a ratty little homeless boy, underfed, ratty black hair, and just general filthiness. There was a distinct difference, however, in the leathery wings protruding from his back…

    INDENTIONThe dragon boy glanced at the two and snarled. To this, the bandaged man smirked and held up a hand as if to say, ‘don’t worry, we’re not your enemies.’ In fact… he did say that… the young dragon was surprised that there was anyone still alive who spoke his language.

    INDENTION“I’d hoped one of you would be alive…” the man chuckled some, “After my last encounter with a dragon, I knew I’d need to meet at least one more… I’m quite amazed that you’re even alive…”

    INDENTIONThe boy narrowed his eyes and bared his fangs, “… just leave this place. Haven’t your kind done enough?”

    INDENTIONThe two seemed ready to have a good old fashioned stare down, but the woman couldn’t resist any longer. She may as well have simply materialized next to the boy, cuddling him, “Well, aren’t you just the cutest thing ever!” she turned to the man, still holding the child, “Of course he’s alive, Amrit!” she actually went so far as to pinch the young dragon’s cheek, “Who could hurt a cutey like you?”

    INDENTIONWhat happened next was almost too fast to see. First, the dragon attempted to burn the woman who would dare call him cute, only for her to smack him aside with her umbrella, “Cute, but dangerous, I see,” she pointed the umbrella down to him as if it were a sword (And hey, maybe it was…) “I suggest you don’t attempt something like that again, I’d hate to have wipe you off my…” she was interrupted by spit connecting with her face… “Why, you little…”

    INDENTIONIt was only when ‘Amrit’ held her back that the young woman backed away from the boy. He kneeled in front of the young dragon, “Please, try not to mind Nami-kun. I may have not told her of your kind’s instinctual pride…”

    INDENTIONThe boy said nothing, so Amrit continued, “Those writings of yours… they’re tombstones, correct?”

    INDENTION“Of course.”

    INDENTIONThe burned man stood and looked to the rows of graves, part of him wondering how the boy had managed so many (for there seemed to be thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands) in so short a time… “It was truly tragic, your people’s fate…”

    INDENTION“No s**t.”

    INDENTIONAmrit chuckled, “Well said… the tigers and the wolves… have you found inner peace with them? Or perhaps you’ve…”

    INDENTIONThe dragon kept his glaring going strong, “If I could kill them all myself, I would. That’s what you’re asking, right?”

    INDENTION“Yes…” the man knelt beside the boy again, “… it would take thousands of years… even you don’t have that long,” the boy was about to speak, but then, “But I do.”

    INDENTIONThe glaring was now replaced by shock, “Wh-what?”

    INDENTION“Nami and myself were fortunate enough to discover the secrets to eternal life,” he chuckled again, “It was only a few months before we discovered we could still be hurt…” he unzipped his robe slightly, revealing more bandage covered burns underneath, “A kinsman of yours introduced me to that fact…”

    INDENTION“What’s your point?”

    INDENTION“I could teach you the secret… help you exact your revenge… you’d even reclaim your kingdom…”

    INDENTION“What’s the catch?”

    INDENTION“You would not be your kingdom’s only ruler… you would share the title with whatever members of EMPIRE exist at the time…”

    INDENTION“I don’t care about that… vengeance is enough…”

    INDENTIONAs Amrit looked into the boy’s eyes, all he could see was malice… vengeance wouldn’t be enough. Amrit was certain that the secrets to eternal life had a flaw, and he’d have long discovered it before the boy needed to be put down.

    INDENTIONBut for now, he just smiled, and tossed a small robe to the boy, “Then welcome to EMPIRE.”

    INDENTIONAfter the boy donned the robe, he followed Amrit and Nami from the mountain. As they left, there was one more question, this one from Nami, “So, little boy, do you come with a name?”

    INDENTION“… it’s...”