Magnificent. Majestic. Magnetic. Such were words that often escaped the mouths of people who had seen Nilo Pendragon. He seemed like a hybrid, this mix of a man who often resembled a beast when provoked. A deadly predator, who bore no inhibitions and only knew the carnal desire of victory. But every move he made was laced with elegance, with a beauty that turned heads when he walked, a grace that made everyone want to stand up and talk to him. But Pendragon was just a man. A passionate, soulful man who poured his heart into everything he did.

To many, Pendragon was a mere legend, another fairy tale created to tell to children. Nobody could believe that there was a human who was a part of a dragon clan. Many humans lived in fear of dragons, as there were enough savage ones to have them believe that all were aggressive and destructive. Many thought it unfeasible that such a person could exist, that no one could live in harmony and even convince many dragons to give up their ways of violence. It was an idea that most had ever considered possible, as humans were a much lesser race than the mighty dragons.

But for those who had seen the man with unmistakable red hair and an appetite for justice in action, the proof was undeniable. He had saved countless villages from dragon attacks, saved struggling refugees when their homes had been plundered, and solved countless other problems. Nilo was not just a myth. He was walking proof of good in the world, with a heart big enough for everyone to fit inside. He had given his life to improving the lives of others and saving everyone he could. It was his dream to create a land without war. All he wanted was peace.

Although, he was by no means perfect and was a man who struggled with his own demons. There were nights where he drank until he couldn’t stand, collapsing in a drunken heap wherever he had stood. Sometimes his nights were filled with nightmares and others phantom pains from a leg that was no longer there. He struggles to open up and form meaningful, long lasting relationships, and he struggles even more to keep them. He hates silence because he does not want to be alone in his own head. Not even Desmevo, the dragon whose been his mentor and closest friend for a decade knows much about the man beyond the surface.

Caim. It was the sanctuary Nilo and the dragons had built from the ground up. It was the man’s passion project, his legacy. It was his pride and joy and by far the thing he was most proud of in life. He loved it with all of his heart and most of his days were spent working to improve what he had built. Nilo Pendragon was a friend to all, with his only enemies being those who disturbed the peace. Caim was the home he had created with his clan and now it was open to all races and species. It was the home the man had always dreamed of, and now, he was able to share it with others.

“Hey, watch it!”

“Oh, excuse me, sir. I apologize."

Unfortunately, Nilo was not in Caim today.

He was in Khonvoum, an old kingdom that was ruled by the Khonvoum family. He had met their eldest daughter long ago, a girl whose hair looked just like his, and whose face was spotted with freckles. He had met her at a Winter Solstice festival, long ago, when they were both still teenagers who had been jaded by adulthood. She had met him when he was a bright-eyed prince, with the world at his fingertips and a glowing future ahead of him. She had met him before his life had brutally changed forever.

Since then, he had visited the Khonvoum again on a couple occasions to take part in the Winter Solstice festivals, since they reminded him of the ones he had back in Lavarre. He had never gotten a chance to speak to the princess again, and part of him had been too scared to. There she sat, the epitome of a prized heir with her perfect beauty and flawless decorum, while he had become a man who was deeply damaged both outside and in, with a reliance on alcohol just to sleep for a few hours each night. No matter how much good Nilo did in the world, he never felt like it would be enough to make him a man worth wanting.

“Aye, Nilo,” The words were hissed from his satchel, “How much longer until we get there?”

It was Desmevo’s voice. It was deep and rough, like two stones scraping against each other. His eyes were green, but they were dull with almost grayish tones, like emeralds that had not aged well with time. The dragon was a deep black, with an underbelly of slate gray. To Nilo, he was a best friend and mentor, almost a father-like figure to the man. Usually, Desmevo towered over the young man, but now? Now he was the size of a small lizard due to an amulet he wore, and to fit perfectly in his satchel. They had figured that people would not take kindly to a large black dragon traipsing through their town square.

“We are almost there, Des.” He murmured back as the palace gates came into sight, “Be careful when you take that thing off. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“I will do it in the air. I am not an idiot!” Desmevo growled, though it was exceptionally unthreatening, given the dragon’s size.

Before long, Nilo had arrived at the gates, and he was stared down by two guards who were all too happy to threaten them with their snarls and spears. The royal guard was always keen on being unnecessarily rude to people because they could get away with it. “Good afternoon gentlemen,” He bowed with a flourish, “My name is Nilo Pendragon, and I would like to speak to your king and queen. I have some very pressing information I believe they would like to hear.”

The guards doubled over in laughter. “Nilo Pendragon?!” The one guard wheezed, curling an arm around his abdomen, “That is a damn good joke! A damn good one!” He elbowed his friend as he wiped tears from his eyes. “This vagabond… trying to get into the castle by saying he’s the Nilo Pendragon. As if! I bet the guy doesn’t even exist. That’s the best excuse I’ve heard all month, John.”

Truth be told, nobody ever really believed Nilo upon first glace. Still, Nilo shook his head and persisted. “I assure you, I do not jest. I have word that your kingdom is in danger, and it is imperative that I-”

Nilo was cut off by a spear at his nose, the sharp end nicking his skin. “Leave now.” The harshly spoken words caused him to step back, and he raised his hands in the air. “Your little joke was funny and all, but you are not getting any closer to these gates, understand?”

Nilo didn’t speak another word. Instead, he reached for his satchel, and opened the flap. Out from it flew the small, dark form of Desmevo. He twisted up into the sky with nimble movements, and within the blink of an eye, a dragon of night appeared with a mighty roar. His massive, black wings seemed to cover the sun, and his teeth seemed to glitter in contrast with his pitch colored body. His cry echoed through the city, and the beats of his seemed to create a gust of wind around the small group of men. Nilo tilted his chin up with a smile as the men seemed to cower in the wake of the sizable beast.

“Gentlemen, do you believe me now?”

The land of Khonvoum was at the beginning of a cold winter. Snow had fallen and the evergreens were dusted with white powder creating a sparkling winter wonderland under the bright sunlight reflecting off the white. Far away from the cities and towns, the snow remained white with tracks and trails from animals and individual humans traveling the land. The roads were gray and sludgy with snow becoming dirty and trampled underfoot.

The princess, Aodh, was tramping through the sludge. She was one of the many people using the roads in the city. She was extremely loyal to her family, and she felt the shame strongly when one of her family members behaved badly and it reflected upon the family. She wanted her family to have the best reputation and name so that the ruling family the Khonvoum would have the most respect. Nobody would dare stand against them. She had been impatient and did not like being slowed down by etiquette as a child.

Her parents forced her to sit through meetings and be quiet. Gradually, her protests died down as she watched her parents in action. She watched them navigating the political waters with grace and confidence that would not have been capable if there were no standards in place beforehand. She wanted to interact with people like that. She knew that she had to be able to manipulate and charm people if she wanted the best for her kingdom, so she threw herself into learning what she had originally seen as having no practical application. She could still make inappropriate jokes or a prank that a sibling would not appreciate, but amongst the politicians and nobles, she was known to be charming, witty, and graceful.

While she wanted to be fierce and independent, she also appreciated when someone needed to rely upon her, especially a family member whom she respected and loved. Her mother had entrusted her with the task of going and dealing with the lantern delivery. There was a certain amount that was needed in different areas around the city. It was expected that she would hire the right person to deal with it, but she had chosen to accompany her team herself.

There were docks connected to the Heulfryn River where it was popular to send off floating water lanterns. It normally did not freeze until later in the year, and then the citizens could ice skate. She also needed to make sure there were some near the main fields. They tried to keep floating sky lanterns far away from the city as they did not want to burn it down. The younger males considered it all part of the fun and risk of the celebration once they were inebriated.

She felt the crunch of snow under her boot as she made her way to a sled that was piled high with different types of floating lanterns. She had to raise her dress to keep the hem from becoming stained and soaked, but not too far that it would seem improper. She wore a thick green woolen dress and many layers underneath. Her cloak was blue with gold embroidery and her green dress had floral embroidery.

She was overseeing that Khonvo had enough floating lanterns for any citizen to use for the upcoming Winter Solstice celebration bringing in the New Year. She had been working alongside an accountant at court, and she was excited that her parents had entrusted something different to her this year. She had been working on this since the Winter Solstice of last year. She counted along as accountants counted the lanterns. She had used this as an excuse to get outside and enjoy the beautiful albeit freezing weather. In the middle of counting around five hundred, she heard a ruckus break out behind her. She encouraged the accountants to keep accounting while she headed back to the castle walls to see who was causing the disturbance. Her eyes widened and she froze unsure of what to do next.

A black dragon was blotting out the sky.

The dragon was making incredibly loud screeching noises, and she was confused about how he had managed to get there in broad daylight without anyone having any warning. What was she supposed to do? She looked around for any of the guards who were supposed to be accompanying her. She glanced behind and was relieved that they were following her. She indicated that the squad leader should come talk to her. After a quick conference, she decided that she was not going to figure out what was going on standing there, and the squad needed to get into a defensive formation. She continued trying to make her way back to the gate hoping that he was not here with hostile intentions, praying that she would not die or live to regret her decisions, and really wanting to meet a dragon.

When she saw the man at the gate, her mouth was open between surprise and out of breath. “Pendragon,” she breathed her eyes widening. “He’s real.” He was not dressed normally. Even from this distance, she could tell that he had lived a hard life. A dragon + a rough-looking man equaled Pendragon. He had mystical power and many did not believe his existence. How could men and dragons live in a tribe together? Why would he have been accepted? She noted that the guards at the gate were cowering. Defenseless Aodh was dismayed at the guards’ reaction. However, she did not feel safe either, so she could not blame them. Even though her parents were wary of dragons, they still hadn’t managed to prepare the kingdom for what to do if they encountered one.

She beckoned for the squad leader a second time. She asked him if he was willing to stay with her because she wanted someone who would try to look brave and unafraid as she tried to deal with these people at the gate. She did not want to be left behind defenseless. She was relieved when he agreed surprising her although he had been required to swear additional oaths of loyalty when he joined the royal guard. She stepped forward trying to maintain a look of confidence and poise. “Who are you?” she loudly questioned the man standing at the gate. “What is your business here?”

She nodded to the squad leader to question his coworkers and report back to her. She needed to quickly assess what was going on here. “Your Highness, he claims to be Pendragon,” the squad leader whispered in her ear. “These men didn’t originally believe him until he managed to produce that great big dragon from nowhere. We made it before they were about to break away to hide, but I’m not sure how much longer their courage will hold out.”

“Try to get them to do what they trained to do. Find defensive positions and defend the crown and each other. Send messengers to alert more guards. My family must remain safe, and we need to figure out if there are others. If they are too afraid to fight, have them make sure that there is no one nearby who could get hurt. Have them help people escape, but they should know that desertion is not without consequences, but I don’t have time to think about them right now.” She hissed at the squad leader hoping he could sense that it was not impatience but fear and trying to keep her voice down. “Why do you have a dragon with you?” She wanted to ask more questions about the dragon, but she needed to focus on what was important.

Oh, how he took pleasure in watching the men who were humbled before Desmevo tremble with fear. It was the same, everywhere they went. No one ever believed him, and oftentimes they would begin to grow aggressive as these men had. Then, as soon as Desmevo’s dark form filled the sky, and his roar filled the air, they would beg for mercy. Nilo was not known for his violent and angry tendencies, though. He was a bringer of peace and light, a man who dedicated his entire life to helping those who needed it. He just enjoyed a little bit of payback, especially when they cut his nose.

He turned his head up to the dragon, who had taken to circling, and occasionally swooping low enough to startle the crowd. “Des,” He called up to the dragon, “Come down. We are here to help them, not terrify them!” Nilo shook his head. His breath came out as a puff of smoke, and he felt a shiver shake his body. He had not dressed warm enough, clearly. “And make it quick! It is damn cold!”

“But Nilo,” A gruff voice shouted back, “this is the fun part!”

Nilo rolled his eyes. “Fun for you! These guards have all but soiled their breeches!”

Slowly, but surely, the dragon landed beside his companion. Nilo leaned up against him for a moment, thankful for the warm that radiated off of his smooth scales. That was until he was shoved away by a heavy wing.

Nilo was a cuddler, his best friend on the other hand, was not. With a huff, Nilo brushed himself off and turned towards the female voice that beckoned him. For a moment he halted, as he was faced with a woman with flaming red hair like his, and a face spotted with freckles. The princess. The pause stretched between them, and he shook his head as she spoke to her soldiers, no doubt preparing her defenses against him. “Your highness, we mean no harm.” He wiped the blood from the nick on his nose, “I had to get your attention somehow. This tends to be the only way.” He gestured towards Desmevo with a chuckle, and the dragon blew a hefty puff of air from his nose. “I can assure you he has never tasted a human in his many years of living.”

“Well, actually…” The dark creature trailed, licking his lips in faux anticipation.

Nilo smacked his scaled neck. “Knock it off, dammit.” Then, he turned back towards the princess. “Excuse him, he may be lacking in human manners. You know, because he’s a dragon.” He offered her an awkward smile.

He cleared his throat before his eyes grew wide. “Heavens, I apologize! I forgot to introduce myself. Not that you don’t already know who I am.” He offered her a bow and a lopsided smile. He was quite nervous, but he couldn’t bring himself to show it. He just hoped she did not recognize him, not yet. He had hidden his identity from the world for ten long years. Not even Desmevo knew who he truly was, and he had rescued him from the ashes of his home long ago. He had changed much since then, and he was not the wiry, well-kept boy he was a decade ago.

“I am Nilo Pendragon. This is my mentor and closest confidant, Desmevo,” He ran a hand through his windswept hair, as if his fingertips could right the unruly strands again, “and we have some very pressing news for your kingdom.” Nilo looked around at the crowd that had gathered, and he realized that he could not divulge such sensitive information with common folk present. Perhaps they wouldn’t believe him, but if they did, it would cause a frenzy and he did not wish to stir unrest in a kingdom that was not his. He had come here to help solve problems, not create them.

He paused for a moment and scratched at his stubble. It was something he always did when he was thinking. “Please, I would like a private moment to speak to you, or anyone in your household who will listen. We are not here to hurt you.” Gloved fingers fisted the cloth that covered his chest as he implored the princess to listen to him. “If you have heard of me and my exploits, you must now know that I am no legend. My exploits are not a tall tale to be told, highness. There is not a lie to be spoken.” He knew that the dragon must be terrifying, but he hoped that his reputation would support him enough. “You know I help people. It is my life’s work, so all I ask is for just a sliver of your precious time, because it is short.”