"Pick up the pace! We don't have much time."

The man named Andour commands Fafnir. The young child had become more than capable in ways that a normal ten-year-old could ever manage in his youth.

Andour exits their abode, not showing any signs of slowing down; or waiting for Fafnir.

-I can't forget this most of all.

He packs his only memento. The only object that still makes him cling to the past. A crest with a design of a dragon makes it unique. Made from unusual gemstones and ores. Though he himself does not know of its origins, he still treats it with utmost importance.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

He pants after catching up with his father figure. To him, their destination is unknown, but all he knows is that every trial that Andour gives is a chance to become strong like him. Youth, making his eyes gleam with potential, yet he can't find a way to show it.

His adoptive father stares intently at the only landmark that could be seen in the horizon. It spews smoke, bearing down on the earth as a timed rage by nature. Through the years it was said that it was dormant, but now became active in these few years that passed by.

Andour faces his adopted son. His face showed clear intimidation. There was really no telling when he was serious or when he was mellow. His body what that of a god, pristine, chiseled an well-built. He wore strong looking armor said to be built using 'Ebony' a rare metal coveted by many.

"This trial will test everything I've taught you up until this point. Fail, and you will lose your life. Succeed, and the reward will be bountiful."

Fafnir looked at him with wonder, but with terror. He was somewhat used to Andour's domineering voice and presence, but today seems rather different, no, otherworldly in a sense. He thinks deeply about this, not replying to him.

Fafnir's tension rises like never before. His body stiffens while he walks. His head darts from left to right, trying to find something to occupy his mind before he panics.

The lush green trees growing by the side of the trail, the clouds up above, but he can't quite calm down.

He instead strengthens his resolve, though brittle, it made him sane.

-I have to become strong like you. If I'm afraid even before I face this, then I don't deserve to be like you at all.

Fafnir speaks from inside his mind. The clutter that floods his imagination disappears, and the only thought remaining is how he can succeed in this trial. This is something far from what he has ever done before. Something doesn't feel right, yet Fafnir can't quite tell what bothers him.

Is it the calm demeanor that Andour has? No, it can't be. he's always had this kind of personality. Though he doesn't really show any other emotion rather than anger, but just what is the answer to his doubts he wonders.

His will becomes slightly stronger to his belief as he touches his sword hanging by his waist.

-What it takes to be a strong as him? Sacrifice? undying resolve? I wonder what awaits me there.

After thinking for a long while, he conceded his fate to whatever Andour might have to offer. He kept quite the whole way to their destination.

Soon they've reached the foot of the volcano. Fafnir looks at it from below in awe. Just the sheer size of it can make you lose heart if you ever decide to scale this.

The stretch of land around them is distant. It seems that the heat the volcano emits must have burned away all greenery around it. There is nothing to obscure the grand sight of it.

Yet Andour seems unfazed, rather, it feels like he's at home. He walks forward without hesitation, even though hesitation and the name Andour had never been close to each other.

The smoke gave away a strong and musky smell, making it difficult to scale it without breathing in properly. Fafnir forces this ordeal by covering his mouth, following Andour quietly as he also climbs the volcano with ease.

A chamber exists from within the very confines of the volcano. No sign of lava, just the heat and a wide, empty cavern where their voices echo off, bouncing from wall to wall.

"Remember what I told you. Everything rests on this one trial. It'll mean the death of both of us if you mess up, understand?"

Andour questions Fafnir. though he knows that it indirectly meant 'assist me, but don't get in my way or we'll die.' Or that's how he interpreted it.

Andour draws his sword from behind him after breaking a small flask that he held earlier. It seemed to release a thin, red cloud of smoke that disappeared after mingling with the air.

The ground begins to tremble; the earth cracks open along with it. Flames seemed to seep up from it, searing the ground, scorching it.

A gigantic, dark haired hound with razor sharp teeth emerges from the fissure. It's not just a hound. It possesses wings of a dark color, beating strongly, enough to blow Fafnir away from his feet.

It snarls, grinding it teeth as it exhales a pure velvet red flame from its mouth. Its tail swings around from behind him. The beast positions itself for an attack, but not before surprising his guests.

"Insolence can best be mistaken for ignorance. Speak! What have you come here for?"

The hound's loud voice shakes the chamber where they reside. Fafnir covers both ears, trying to reject the loud voice trying to burst its way in. It nearly makes him deaf, but the voice come to a halt after asking a question.

The battle begins right away, the hound nor Andour not giving any ground. Their duel might be depicted as an epic, yet something that is said to only happen in stories and fables.

The battles happens in a quick pace. Those who spectate Fafnir's memories remains silent as they intently watch every detail of his life.

Their minds were filled with disbelief, thinking that 'This can't be true.' 'Those kinds of being truly existed then?'

Even Gram, who spectates it feels like he is in Fafnir's place, reacting to everything happening around him as every event goes by.

"Who knew that he had to go through this in a young age, and survived."

Gram, unable to comprehend what is happening anymore, but still focuses willingly. His body trembles at the thought of going through something similar. Would he be able to imitate something like this?

-No answer.

Now the hound lies defeated on the ground after a series of exchanges. Fafnir managed to strike the beast named Marchosias, giving Andour the edge to finally defeat his enemy.

Andour enters the massive hound's body, cutting him open with his large sword. He emerges after a while, holding up a red bead surrounded by a red veil of mist.

Fafnir on the other hand lies nearly unconscious, facing flat on his back on the ground. He hears Andour's voice while he still struggles to keep his eyes open, but ultimately succumbing to fatigue.

"This power will keep you safe until the very day when we will meet again... I look forward to what you will become in the end."

Those were the last words Fafnir would hear from his adoptive father before he would fall asleep.

He would then wake up to a note beside his bed, and a voice unfamiliar to him, talking inside his head.

Fafnir reads the note with a perplexed face, thinking about the true meaning behind Andour's letter. Its contents rattle inside his mind. Questions being raised such as 'why did he leave so suddely', 'what does he mean about heaven?' and many others that made no sense to him.

But one thing remains true to him. A conclusion that he understood was clear. "Become stronger, only then will you be able to understand the true meaning behind this letter" is what Fafnir etched into his mind, thus igniting his passion for seeking strength, enough to equal Andour someday.

And so he began his journey just for that simple goal. Though it was easy to understand, being strong meant many different things. There was never one answer that would be correct, but a plethora of possible answers exist. Just not here although, but out there.

Equipped with various techniques and skills that his father taught him, Fafnir set out to become stronger, fighting, discovering, experiencing the many things that might lead him to a clear path. Befriending a daemon from inside him became unavoidable, thus their friendship grew.

First was his arrival to Rydia, a small provincial town that was infested with bandits. Their leader named Gordon led a powerful force of bandits, ravaging the land. His objective was to subjugate the neighboring kingdoms for personal revenge. Then, Fafnir confronted him. They clashed.

But before that, he met Rhiannon. A girl who showed fancy to Fafnir after being rescued by him, and taken in by Deliah, the muscular inn woman. She encouraged Fafnir to fight the bandits, free the people he oppressed, including her sister.

Fafnir, using his newfound power blessed by Marchosias gave him an ace, making him nearly unbeatable to the likes of bandits. But even with that, Gordon was formidable. Unleashing his pent up rage and desire for revenge made him somewhat immortal.

Fafnir then defeated him, but at the cost of his own life. Armed with newfound power, yes, but with no true knowledge on how to use it. He would succumb to his wounds, happily laying down his life because he felt that warm feeling of saving someone, being useful to them, and protecting them.

But Marchosias, the daemon inside him had other plans. Giving his own life for Fafnir, wanting to see how strong he would become in the future. The first time that a daemon has shown compassion towards a mortal, and the last probably.

Thus continued his adventure. Believing that his daemon was still alive, but resting. Fafnir once again set on his way to become stronger. Then came a new ally to guide Fafnir.

"My name is Samael, it is nice to make your acquaintance."

One with secrets filled to the brim. Mysterious and deadly, armed with his skill to instantly captivate anyone at will. You could see him as someone who could deceive you knowing that you would be deceived. The two of them journeyed to their next destination. Atlas-Azure.

(Samael! I knew it... Damn you. So you really came back.) Luke curses after seeing Samael from Fafnir's memory. His face is vague, not showing anysigns of other information, but he seems restless now that Samael has made his appearance.

There, Fafnir and Samael competed in a trial set by its king. Lazarus Arcadia, the new ascendant of the throne of Kal-Ardonia. Successful one the first, but interrupted before he could accomplish the rest. The city was attacked by an army of Vasatria.

Fafnir at the time was meeting Juliette at the square of the plaza. Under the darkness of the night, they were attacked. The enemy successfully kills all of Juliette's royal guards, leaving Fafnir alone to defend her.

(I still remember this time... He never forgot it.) She felt warmth as she continued to watch her own rendezvous with Fafnir, feeling lonely knowing that he was not really here with her.

He did, but at the price of his sanity. after Juliette was grazed by an arrow, he became crazed, deranged. Going on a rampage, he massacred only the Vasantrian army men, helping the people of Atlas-Azure minimize their casualties.

The spectators of the memory had to watch the entirety of the massacre happen. The blood gushed back and forth. The flames burned and scorched people alive. A horrendous sight not for the faint of heart.

(This was... That time.) Lazarus becomes baffled as he finally sees who that thing was. The one who had been burning enemies to a crisp with the guidance of his yellow eyes that gleam under the night sky. Still unable to believe that it was truly Fafnir, and that he truly did save Juliette with all he can.

Then came Samael's rescue to return Fafnir to normal, or that was the plan. They instead clashed like titans, destroying the city while a battle outside takes place. It includes Samael conjuring the eerie gate that made everyone under it cower in fear when a demon emerged from it, blowing a hole in the earth.

Then Fafnir calmed down. Both of them, Samael and Fafnir, left the city. They journey to the next place. There they met a man named Sion. He possessed a tragic past, and nursed his daughter who was close to death's door.

The two aided them in taking down a deranged doctor turned necromancer that destroyed their very way of life. It became a harder task for them when the necromancer summoned the lifeless bodies of the villagers including Sion's late wife, rotten and decayed, but in the end they were successful.

Misfortune struck when Sion's daughter, Sofia, passed, leaving him all alone. But with his encounters with the two, Sion, found the resolve to keep moving. To help others rather than sulking and living a useless existence.

They parted with him to continue to the next place. But they had to pass through a vast forest before anything else.

Here they met Gathar. A descendant of the ancient Kaali race, a tribe of demi humans exiled by the gods before the great war in the heavens. The Kaali joined the Daemons in the battle against heavens not the far past, but they were thrown in exile to the earth once a stalemate was reached.

Fafnir ended the threat to the Kaali race by accepting the incandescent, a sword that their great ancestors used to battle a sun god named Soliferrun. His mission was to defeat Ladon, the massive serpent beast that the gods threw unto the earth to eradicate the Kaali race once and for all.

There, Fafnir further enhanced his powers, defeating Ladon unconsciously with it. With the threat averted, and the tribesmen saved, Fafnir and Samael continue forth their journey to Zarakiol, the Vasantrian capital.

"You ready Fafnir?"

"As I'll ever be..."

"What's wrong? You seem blue all of a sudden."

"It's been a fun journey so far. You think it'll last Samael?"

"We'll have to find out then shall we?"

They arrive first to a country side village where the bounty for slaying a giant lion was to be given. Unfortunately for Samael, he was beaten to it first by a woman named Camille. The two have heated arguments resulting in both disliking each other.

Samael disregards all that, telling us that there is nothing else to do here, and we should move on.

Their journey leads them to Zarakiol. the capital of Vasantria. it was supposed to be a place of grandeur, but under the reign of a new monarch, they capital declined. People everywhere are poverty struck, only those who are cunning and deceiving can hope to survive. but at times even those who are cunning and deceitful are weeded out.

The monarch's thirst for power fueled a rebellion. The people wanted him to step down peacefully before he instigated the attack at Atlas-Azure where his army was massacred, but now people want his head on a pike for what he did to those men.

Fafnir and Samael were seized by the gate guards accusing them of bringing weapons in for the rebellion, thus they were sent to the dungeons where prisoners of different ages fill the cold dark cells, crying and hoping for freedom under this injustice.

There, Fafnir met Nerian, whom he thought was a normal man. But in truth he was the one supposed to succeed his father's throne, but his uncle intervened, locking him in prison to rot forever.

(Fafnir... I still remember that time when I first met you... How vivid those memories are.) Nerian thinks to himself. These memories were precious to him. Fafnir, being the hero of Zarakiol for freeing them, he was an inspiration for many. Some agreed that he was strong enough already.

But the reminiscence is cut short by the continuation of the story.

Next came the execution. All prisoners were to be purged under the command of King Orbus, Nerian's uncle, the monarch. There, Fafnir unleashed his current potential, letting his power rampage through the execution plaza.

Then came Camille, the same person they met at the backwater village near the forest. She was the leader of the rebellion. With Fafnir's help they attacked the palace together, intent on bringing the end of this terrible reign.

Here came Fiol lumiere. One of the said heroes of the ancient war. Equal in terms of strength with Luke Galehearth of Ardrasthrur. The only thing that led to Fiol's defeat was the underestimation of Fafnir's strength, thinking that he could not have enough power to defeat him.

(... I'm still amazed even now. He's strong, i'll admit that much, but there's something lacking. Not that I don't acknowledge him though.) Fiol sighs as he remembers those moments. The very battle that the two made became a spectacular fight, but a formidable one nonetheless.

A battle for the ages took place between Fafnir and Orbus. When the odds were stacked against the monarch, he unveiled his power. A man who controlled the dark arts. His power nearly killed Fafnir, wounding him severely with countless conjured blades running through him.

The same power once again used in the forest of wonders showed itself, possessing Fafnir, giving him even more strength than he could ever had hoped to have. In an instant, he burned Orbus into ash as he clutched his face with his hands. Thus, it marked the ends of Orbus's reign of terror.

Upon waking up, Fafnir had met Charlotte, Nerian's little sister. With a strong stroke of luck, Fafnir ended up waking to an accidental kiss that would ignite her passion for him, though weak at the moment, it would blossom in the future.

(Y-you remembered that? I'm embarrassed. I can't get that image out of my mind now.) Charlotte fusses as she watches it happen. Her face glows red, her body becomes hot, and her mind is clouded with thoughts of him... But she shakes it off. (i have to find out what is bothering him. I want to help.)

Learning that the rightful king of Ardrasthrur has returned, and that they will be attacking Zarakiol in a few days, Fafnir forces himself to fight back with the current strength he possesses.

Thus came the fated day were the two great powers would clash once more in the field of prowess.

"I have to protect this place for her... I know how t feels to lose someone, so I won't let you feel that kind of sadness."

Fafnir whispers into the air as the battle takes a turn for the worst. The Ardrasthrurian army had broken through the barricades and are now inside the palace.

Fafnir's power strengthens once more to an even higher level once he sees Charlotte covered in blood, lying unconscious in Nerian's arms.

"Leave this to me, Nerian. I will finish this war for you, so that no one else needs to suffer. I'll take the blame for everything."

And he walks away a changed person within a split second. He fights and defeats all soldiers around the palace, ensuring the safety of Nerian and everyone else within the palace. He believes that Charlotte died that time, and that he wanted to avenge her by ending the war once and for all no matter what.

He intervenes in the battle between Fiol lumiere and Luke Galehearth. He pleads with the king to listen, and if worst comes to worst, he will fight them all if he has to.

Fortunately for him, King Lazarus listened to his plea. He knew Fafnir even for only a short while, but he had trust in him that cannot be dismissed.

Then he finally left after resolving the war with words. He would travel far away, avoiding Vasantria and Ardrasthrur for as long as he can, thinking that the strength to protect others was not here. He couldn't protect the people he cared for, so he cursed himself to find it without fail.

After what seems to be a long time. They finally come to the part when Fafnir left Zarakiol on horseback. No one knew where he went, but all they heard was that he was somewhere on the kingdom of Rhodovierre.

Here they will find the very details that they need. The one that will tell the truth about the future, and what it may hold for the people of the present.

(Finally, we will soon know his reason for attacking us. Just what might those reasons be although? It can't be simple by just holding a grudge. No, there has to be something else to it.) Nerian sinks into deep thought. he thinks about the many possibilities that about Fafnir and the future, every second that his memories close in makes him nervous.

(I'm starting to get real curious too. I wonder if this'll be like the ancient's war all over again?) Fiol speaks to himself. After seeing everything so far, he has developed a great amount of respect for Fafnir for living his life the way he has. Though he concludes that things will fall into the worst case scenario.

(Shut up Fiol. No one needs to know about the ancient's war. Keep it in the past. Focus on the present, cause I feel something bad as well.) Luke warns Fiol, his gut tells him a bad omen that is just waiting to be found out. What is in store for them keeps Luke at the edge of his seat.

Their eyes focus more than ever on the scene being played inside Gram's plane of existence. His adventure, his legend. Where does it lead to?

~To be continued.