A new hope

A tall figure stepped into the woodland clearing, short cropped black hair, an angular and clean shaven face sporting deep crimson eyes he glanced around. The scent of blood on the wind had brought him here to this scene of brutality, the bodies lay where they had fallen stripped of any valuables, it looked like another merchant caravan had been annihilated.

Zakath sighed "What a bother, these idiots have been causing havoc with the trade route through this forest for over a month now, if this keeps up adventurer groups are bound to get involved then its going to be a real pain in the ass", Zakath grumbled to himself.

Suddenly he sensed something a spark of life coming from a small pile of bodies, he strolled over wondering if there was someone lucky enough to have survived this tragedy. Arriving at the pile he pulled aside the bodies of the fallen until found the body of a young woman the feeling the sign of life came from her he placed his hand on her shoulder but was surprised that she was absolutely dead, "Am I imagining things?", he muttered. Still feeling the weak pulse of life he gently rolled the woman over to see her dead arms still wrapped around a small bundle and poking out of the bundle was the feebly waving arm of a baby.

He carefully prised the young women's arms open and gently picked up the small bundle, holding it in his arms he gazed down at the face of the child, golden eyes gazed back it him curiously. Zakath noted the slightly pointed ear shape denoting that the child had a mixed blood heritage. Without even thinking he raised his finger and tickled the child under its chin the baby giggled and grabbed onto his finger. Zakaths expression softened and a warm feeling spread through his heart, "Don't fret young one this old man will take care of you".

Zakath made a mental note to wipe out the bandits before they caused enough of a ruckus to draw out adventurer parties, the gods only know how much a mess the place would become with those muscle headed idiots running around. First he had to settle in the new addition to the family, so he headed back to the mountain range where his home resided.

Arriving at the house although one could reasonably call it palace given its size. Zakath pushed open the doors and called out, "Mira are you there?".

"Yes I'm here uncle" a woman calls out from a side room, Shortly a statuesque woman gracefully enters into the main Hall, she has piercing green eyes long flowing blonde hair the tumbles down to her waist and a small smile adorns her lips.

"What is that?", Mira points at the bundle held in Zakath's arms

"Why this is my new grandson of course", Zakath grins.

Mira rolls her eyes upwards, "Finally resorted to stealing babies have we uncle?". Zakath hands the child to Mira, "Of course not my darling niece, I found the young one at the sight of a destroyed caravan, he was the only survivor so I decided to take him in I couldn't exactly leave the tyke alone in the woods to die.

Mira looking down at the small bundle in her arms sympathy showing in her eyes, curious golden eyes stared back at her is the small baby waved it hands towards her face and burbled as babies do. Mira almost fell into a daze as she stared into the child's golden eyes, suddenly her eyes glowed and as if she was waking up from a trance she whispered, "Dragon tamer".

Zakath eyes went wide with shock, "That's not possible all the dragon tamers were slain when the Kingdom of Helvitta turned on them in a great act of betrayal, there hasn't been a new dragon tamer seen in over 100 years".

"I know uncle but he absolutely has the blood of a dragon tamer flowing in him, I can feel the pull, and it would explain why a young babe hasn't been bawling his eyes out with two complete strangers holding him, he feels safe with us, just as his blood calls to us ours calls to him", Mira exclaimed with what appeared to be joy glinting in her eye.

Zakath's countenance suddenly took a turn for the worse as a scowl etched itself into his face, "Settle the tyke in Mira, I have a task to take care of involving some idiot bandits who almost killed the only dragon tamer we have seen in over 100 years".

Stepping outside Zakath's silhouette suddenly blurred and enlarged in a matter of seconds the tall elegant man no longer remained and its place with a gigantic dragon golden scales glittering in the sun, 70 meters from nose to tail and a wingspan of close to 80 meters it certainly was an imposing sight. Turning his head to face Mira he rumbled out in the draconic tongue, "This won't take long". He launched himself into the sky and flew towards the forest.

Deep in the forest at a campsite. Lockren felt a sudden sense of unease but he shrugged it off. The last raid gone perfectly with no survivors to speak of, there was nothing to worry about. The pickings had been good, and their contacts in the guild hadn't mentioned any word of adventurers being employed to deal with them just yet.

Suddenly the sky darkened, Looking up Lockren so the massive silhouette of a dragon hovering in the Sky above them "Well shit" was the last thought to pass through Lockren's mind as a sheet of flame hammered down into the encampment from above burning all of the bandits to ash in a matter of seconds. Zakath ensuring that there were no survivors he took note of the area and returned back to the mountains landing outside his home he reverted back to human form in preceded inside.

His seneschal Argos greeted him in the foyer, Zakath apprised him of the elimination of the bandits in the forest that have been plaguing the trade routes and requested that Argos send missives to the leaders of the nearby cities that were impacted by these activities advising them of the bandits have been taken care of and where they could find what was left of the missing shipments.

After business was taken care of Zakath decided to find Mira and his new grandson and make sure that he was settling in well, heading to the nursery he saw Mira standing over a crib that held three babies. Walking over he looked down to see his two granddaughters sleeping peacefully with the new addition to his family.

Have you chosen a name for him yet? Mira queried softly

Zakath nodded, "Yes I'll name him Alexander after my friend and the last leader of the dragon tamers family", Zakath looked up at Mira, "Are you hoping he will bond with them?"

Mira nodded, "Thanks to our long lives there hasn't been much change in our standing in the world, but without dragon tamers to help we will slowly decline in numbers, you know this well uncle it is the main reason the capital of Helvitta and its ruling class was wiped out of existence after their betrayal of the dragon tamers".

Zakaths eyes clouded over for a moment as his memories of that time rose to the surface, indignant with rage he brought a great flight of dragons together, over 100 had descended on the capital of Helvitta on that day nothing escaped their wrath as the city was burned to its very foundations.

He nodded his head as he gazed at Alexander, "He will be the future of the dragon race, through him we may just be able to bring back the dragon tamers, and this time we will ensure their safety", he stated his fists clenched. He looked once more to Mira, "He will be taught everything needs in order to go out into the world, if he is to rebuild the dragon tamers he is going to need more than one or two partners and we can't exactly go kidnapping promising girls for him he will need to have the ability to travel the world and meet people of every level".

Mira nodded, "Such a heavy burden already placed on his shoulders, the least we can do is give him the freedom to choose his mates.