Strings of Sin

Chapter 3

Then a black shadow appeared, almost as if it didn't belong, and it held a...

***

"Your mom is what?" the teacher interrupted the dragonet's mind. "If you don't want to talk about it... say no more, I see. And now you're stuck with him."

Stardom looked up at the old teacher of war. "Do I have to fight?"

"Maybe, but maybe not living creatures, yet," Enlightenment turned his back to form a plan.

***

And the days started to blur together as they trained, night after night. Dignity would take his son to the wise elder and abandon him every night. Enlightenment bonded with the father's youth and taught him well.

Stardom grew to be skillful and smart, just like his father wanted him to be. The chief taught him how to thrust and how to parry, he let his student learn how to strategize and think quickly and even taught him how to blast targets with raging firebreath and fuel the fire in another's heart. Stardom disliked violence, but training dummies don't have feelings. His independence made him a fine warrior because he preferred to do things on his own. He was determined and a quick thinker, and he made his teacher proud.

The Carnagebringer distanced himself further from his son and grew more violent. He was fiercer and easier to anger, and Stardom was glad that he never had to stick around his father for very long anymore. But Dignity's influence grew on his son over those nights. And so his strings' pull loosened, and his son's strings tightened.

The busy father walked his son through the graveyard, quickly. On the stone path of rich esteem, they trailed silently and didn't dare to gaze upon each other's eyes. The statues and their respected graves froze time where the two dragons ventured. The fallen souls screamed in hopeless silence as Dignity held his head high and ignored all but one statue. He stopped to admire his best self at the perfect angle, frozen in time before him. And then he took his eager son to the dull manor's door and let himself inside, and Stardom followed behind his father.

"I have things to do with the queen. Find your teacher," Dignity turned and left, just as quick as he came.

And Stardom quickly rushed away from the place where his father previously stood, excited to see his wise, old teacher. Every other dragon was selfish, mean and dumb, but Enlightenment was different from the others. Stardom was usually always right in his own mind, but he was wrong about his teacher upon meeting him; he was glad he was wrong. He rushed through the once intimidating halls of the manor and found the center where all the halls met. The sacred paintings were no longer new, and the weapons, armor and statues no longer scared him. Here within these walls, Stardom felt safe; he felt protected from his father and nasty society.

"Hello, Stardom!" Enlightenment greeted, once he saw his student come in.

"Salutations, Chief!" the student spoke and stopped in front of his teacher.

"You have done well with your training, Stardom! Today we will learn an interesting phrase," the Chief spoke and felt his youth returning to him. "And you will not need any weapons today."

"Okay," the dragonet asked no questions and sat on the carpet floor.

"Victory is achieved before the battle begins," Enlightenment spoke up without warning or context. "Figure out what I'm trying to say."

"That there is no need for battle?" Stardom suggested, confident in his answer, despite his lack of thinking.

"You think I would make the answer that easy? You won't learn if you aren't challenged," the wise, old teacher stated. "Try again."