The dragon knelt before me.
Even after the explosion of light and the one-sided obliteration of the monsters in the forest, I hadn't expected a being of such ancient power to bow to me. It was surreal. And yet, here it was—massive wings tucked, scales shimmering like liquid sapphire, and eyes wide with fear.
Its voice trembled. "Please, mighty one... tame me."
I stared at it.
Not out of arrogance.
But sheer disbelief.
Was this what it meant to possess every class? Every element? The power of creation and destruction, flowing through my veins like it was second nature?
The dragon looked up slowly, meeting my eyes. Something in its expression changed—hesitation, fear... was that respect?
No. Something else.
"Wait," I said, raising an eyebrow. "How do I tame you? I've never done this before."
The dragon's eyes sparkled faintly. "You simply give me a name, my lord."
I blinked. "That's it?"
The dragon nodded solemnly. "It will bind my soul to yours, and I shall serve you until the end of my life. But..." It hesitated.
"What?" I asked.
"There is something you should know."
The enormous body shimmered. And then, right before my eyes, the dragon was engulfed in radiant light.
Wings folded inward, scales evaporated into shimmering dust, and bones reformed with the grace of a dancer.
When the light faded, standing in front of me was no longer a fearsome beast.
It was a woman.
She looked about my age—twelve—but there was a haunting maturity behind her deep blue eyes. Her long, flowing hair mirrored the color of her dragon scales, cascading like a waterfall of midnight sapphire. Her figure, though young, carried the regality of a queen, and her clothes—elegant robes of magical silk—shifted and reshaped as if they were part of her body.
"I am not a king," she said softly, lowering her gaze. "I am a queen. But I've hidden my true form for centuries, to avoid persecution from those who would not accept a female ruling dragonkind."
I swallowed hard, unsure what to say.
She knelt again. "Please, give me a name, my lord. Bind me to your will. I exist now only to serve and protect you."
I could feel the mana still swirling inside me. This wasn't a dream. I wasn't hallucinating.
I stepped forward and looked into her eyes. There was vulnerability there—but also an unbreakable strength. I knew she would fight to the death for me. No… with me.
"Very well," I said. "From this day forward, your name shall be Arvella."
The name echoed in the wind, and a golden glow encased her body as the pact was sealed.
Arvella smiled, placing a hand on her chest. "Thank you… my lord."
She then turned toward the direction of the village.
"There's a small village nearby. Shall we go?"
I nodded. "Let's fly there."
She raised an eyebrow. "You… you can fly?"
I shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."
I leapt onto her back, and with a few powerful beats of her wings, we soared into the sky. I didn't realize how natural it felt—like flying was something I had always known.
The wind tore through my hair, the clouds parted before us, and soon we descended toward a modest, isolated village nestled between the woods and the plains.
As we landed, the villagers gathered, eyes wide, mouths agape. Most of them had likely never seen a dragon, let alone one in human form.
But what caught their attention even more… was me.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Who is that kid…?"
"He's so handsome…"
"And who is the girl? She's beautiful!"
Then, one of the local adventurers, cocky and loud, approached Arvella with a smirk.
"Hey, lady. Why don't you ditch the brat and come with us—"
Before he could finish, my fist collided with his face.
He flew back with the force of a cannonball, crashing into a nearby house that crumbled like a sandcastle.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
I hadn't meant to punch him that hard… but my anger still burned from what happened with my family.
I stepped forward.
"My name is Lucien Blake. And starting today—I will be the new lord of this village."
The silence hung for a moment.
Then cheers erupted.
"A lord! We finally have a lord!"
"Bless the heavens!"
"No more taxes from the duke!"
Tears streamed from some of the elder's eyes. This village had long been forgotten, overtaxed and ignored.
I looked around. My fist clenched.
"I won't just make this village better," I declared. "I'll turn it into a kingdom. The greatest kingdom this world has ever seen."
(TO BE CONTINUED)