1. The Beginning:

"One day, a man of noble blood and heart will be corrupted by darkness and restore to me my ancient power and glory."

Qui Mortem – Demonic General.

The first rays of dawn filtered through the window of the tallest tower in the castle. Leonor, son and heir of the Dragonoid clan, was sound asleep. Unfortunately, some maids arrived to wake him up, as his father needed to speak with him urgently. The young boy, still groggy, grumbled against the maids. Nonetheless, he got out of bed.

“Why must I rise at dawn? I am a noble! I am supposed to do as I please “, complained the child as the maids removed his pajamas and led him to his dressing room to clean and dress him.

“Sir, as a noble, you have many responsibilities. One day, you will be the Lord and must lead the people of the city. Being a spoiled child should not be the way you are known,” said a man who had entered after the maids and directed them on what to do. He was an older man, with a trimmed beard and gray hair. His name was Federic, and he was in charge of overseeing all the castle servants. “Besides, your birthday gift will be delivered today.”

“Really?” Said the boy as his eyes lit up with excitement “it's about time; my birthday was two weeks ago.”

“Your father wanted to ensure that your gift would be majestic. After all, ten years is an important age,” said Federic; the boy quickened his pace and dressed. He was so excited about his gift that he forgot his annoyance. Once he finished dressing, he descended quickly from his room to the throne room where his father awaited.

His father, Lord Fender, smiled upon seeing him enter through the main door. In front of him were Sir Draco and a boy he did not know. The young noble ran to his father's side, passing by the Guard.

“Well, well, you finally arrived, boy. I've had Draco waiting for you for an hour,” Lord Fender reproached him with a very cheerful tone as he tousled his son's wet hair.

“It's no problem for me, Lord,” said Draco, trying to disguise his annoyance, although his tone betrayed him.

“Well, I trust Federic has told you about your surprise.”

“Yes, after so much waiting, it must be a gift worthy of a king,” said Leonor, jumping with excitement.

“Indeed, I took my time because I was looking for the perfect gift.” The Lord rose from his throne and stood in front of Leonor, gesturing to a servant who quickly moved to bring the gift “you have just turned ten, and as you know, it is tradition for noble children to be evaluated at that age to decide their future roles and political functions through various tests. Depending on that, it will be determined if you could...”

“What does that matter? You told me that I don't participate in those tests because I am your only heir,” Leonor said impatiently.

“I told you, sir, he is not patient enough for an inspiring speech” Frederic chuckled moderately. At that moment, the servant returned to the throne room with a ceremonial pillow, and what was on it was covered by a blanket.

“I didn't say it for you... the point is, you are a lucky boy. You were born into a noble clan, one of the few who are fortunate enough to live a comfortable life without many worries... at least until I retire from my position,” he walked towards the servant and took the pillow from her hands, which bowed and withdrew to give Lord Fender space “but still, you have many responsibilities, and when I am too old to rule this city, those responsibilities will be even greater. This gift represents that... the enormous burden you will have to bear” he removed the blanket, revealing a golden crown with multiple gems embedded all over its surface, shining in an almost hypnotic manner. With reliefs on the front forming the Dragonoid clan's shield, the noble clan to which they belonged: a dragon with a ruby in its eye.

“It's incredible! Is it really for me?... Thank you!!” Leonor smiled from ear to ear, fascinated by the ostentatious gift.

“Go ahead, try it on” Leonor took the crown and put it on, although it tilted and covered one of his eyes, “it will fit better in a few years, but isn't it great?”

“Yes, it's the best gift of all!” He exclaimed, jumping and twirling to show off his crown.

“And it's not over yet; I have another surprise for you.”

“Really?” Leonor's eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Yes,” said Fender as he approached Draco and the boy “do you remember what sir Draco's role is in the castle?”

“He is the Grand Guard, in charge of protecting you and our family explicitly,” said Leonor, curious.

“It seems you pay attention in Miss Muffin's classes. Yes, sir Draco is in charge of our protection. He leads the noble troops to keep us safe. And you'll know that these troops are trained from childhood. Precisely, the Grand Guard is a special soldier who is the Lord's main protector. These are children chosen to accompany the future lord from childhood; so...” Fender looked directly at the boy accompanying sir Draco. He took a step forward and executed a clumsy bow.

“My name is Lodtrack, I have no last name, and I have been recruited to be a noble guard, specifically a Grand Guard in charge of your protection, Sir Leonor,” Lodtrack was a rather thin boy of the same age as Leonor, with nothing particular about him; he looked like an ordinary peasant, except for his eyes: bright red eyes, like blood, and his peculiar name.