Location – Duskrane CountyDate – 25th, Month of Zephyris, XXX
Thud... Thud...
A monster loomed over Edward and Alexander. It had green skin, muscled arms, red beady eyes, and a fat stomach. Its small, pointy ears twitched as its oversized lower canines jutted up to its nose. The creature grumbled, and several of its companions came trotting behind. However, instead of hunger, their expressions were laced with fear.
"Huh!?" Alexander blinked. "A troll? That's the monster?"He smirked. "This is child's play."
"Nevertheless, let me handle it." Edward stepped forward, setting his spear aside. Rolling up his sleeves, he casually approached the trolls.
Wham!
A deafening crash echoed through the forest.
Roar!
A pink dragon descended. Its scales shimmered like polished rose quartz, reflecting soft hues of pink and gold. Its vast, translucent wings glowed with an ethereal luminescence, resembling silken petals caught in the wind. Despite its gentle color, the beast's piercing amethyst eyes held an ancient power, and its curved obsidian claws promised destruction to any who underestimated it.
"Ed!" Amelia shouted.
"Haaah… that was close. My dress nearly got ruined," Edward muttered, holding up the dragon's claw with one hand while adjusting his clothes with the other.
"Alex, my spear." He stretched out his hand.
But before Alex could pass him the weapon—
"Please wait, Uncle!" Vincent shrieked.
All four of them froze and turned toward him curiously. Vincent fidgeted, twiddling his thumbs as a soft mutter escaped his lips.
"That's my pet dragon." He tugged at his shirt nervously.
"What?!" Edward exclaimed, carefully lowering the dragon's claw. The creature seemed just as shocked.
Vincent slowly walked toward the dragon, his purple eyes glowing with barely restrained rage. The corners of his lips curled into a devilish smile. The dragon flinched.
"Pinky 02, how many times have I told you not to leave your nest without my permission?" Vincent's fist clenched as he showed it to the dragon. "Head down. Now."
The dragon immediately snapped into position—head bowed, front limbs clasped stiffly behind its back, and legs locked straight. It was an awkward, uncomfortable stance, but the dragon held it without complaint, knowing better than to resist punishment.
"For twenty hours."
Beads of sweat formed on the ancient dragon's forehead.
"I understand my error, Master," the dragon said, its voice steady but subdued. "I will not repeat it. Your will is absolute."
Amelia and Sophie gasped, while Edward and Alexander stared at Vincent in disbelief.
"That's an ancient dragon," Alexander pointed out, his face contorted in confusion.
"Vincent, where did you even find this dragon?" Sophie asked worriedly. There had never been any records of a pink dragon in history. Dragons themselves were considered remnants of lost eras and divine beings.
"Well,"—Vincent cleared his throat—"when Auntie visited last time, both of you said that I might get a baby brother or sister soon."
He looked up at them, their eyes full of suspicion.
"A few weeks later, I went for a stroll in the Dragon Realm, thinking of a gift for my cousins. That's when I came across her." He casually pointed his thumb at the dragon, still in its punishment stance.
"So?" Amelia prompted.
"I figured that if I ended up getting a sister, she'd love a pink-colored dragon," Vincent replied nonchalantly.
All four of them gasped, hands flying to their mouths. Their faces were filled with shock and disbelief.
Vincent stammered, "Uh, well, I—I first politely asked her, but she refused, so... um…"
"What did you do then?" Edward grinned.
"I just explained my thoughts to her with my hands."
"And she agreed?" Alexander raised an eyebrow.
"With enough explaining, she decided to serve me." Vincent hesitated, glancing at their stunned expressions before shifting his gaze to the ground. "I wasn't too harsh. Don't worry about animal cruelty."
"As if! Do you think we care about animal cruelty?" Amelia yanked Vincent's ear. "Who goes to the Dragon Realm for a walk?!" She let go of his ear and softened, caressing his cheek.
"Cinnamon roll, you don't need to get your siblings a gift," Sophie said gently, kneeling down to hold his hands. "You alone are a gift."
"Yeah, and they're both boys," Alexander added, crossing his arms.
"They can choose between black, blue, red, and green dragons," Vincent answered nonchalantly.
The adults froze. Their breath hitched. Was this really a five-year-old standing in front of them?
"Well,"—Amelia broke the silence—"our family has always been full of insane men…" She rubbed her forehead. "But Vincent, don't do something this dangerous again."
"You're too much like your father and grandfather." Sophie sighed, pinching his cheek.
"What if they don't like dragons?" Edward teased.
"What are you, an old hag? Stop arguing," Amelia bonked his head.
Vincent put a hand on his chin, lost in thought. A flicker of understanding flashed across his face. His fingers curled into a fist, and with a sharp clap, he smacked it into his open palm.
"I've got it!"
"They can still choose from wyverns, phoenixes, thunderbirds, chimeras, and sea leviathans," he announced confidently.
At this point, Edward quietly sat on a rock nearby, Alexander following him.
"I can feel it," Edward muttered, exchanging a knowing look with Alexander.
Meanwhile, Amelia and Sophie whispered among themselves.
"He's becoming more and more like Father and Henry," Amelia said, her expression darkening.
"His power is unprecedented for a mere five-year-old. He might even surpass Henry in a few years," Sophie sighed.
"Hmm…" They exhaled in unison.
Vincent, oblivious to their concerns, was still deep in thought. If they don't like pets… should I find something else? He brushed his chin.
Alexander stood up and adjusted his clothes before pulling a parchment from his pocket.
"Let's wrap up our outing." He signaled the group.
"Yeah… Vincent, come hunting with Uncle next time," Edward winked.
"Really?!" Vincent's eyes gleamed.
"With me too," Alexander added.
"Not happening." Sophie crossed her arms.
"Edward, you're not taking my nephew to those treacherous mountain ranges," Amelia huffed, pulling Vincent toward her.
"We'll see," Edward said with a smirk. Vincent grinned back.
Tear—
Alexander tore the parchment. A magic circle appeared beneath them, mystic runes glowing as the green sigil pulsed with ethereal energy. In a flash, the group vanished into a different landscape.