Early years:
At a young age Quintus fell in love with
dragons, their majesty, their god-like powers, and their symbols as protectors over all of
Thanasis. The son of a blacksmith Quintus grew up in a better situation then many did. They owned a small home in the outer city but did not lack for food, and even had an extra set of fancy clothes for feasts and holidays. His father was no great blacksmith of ability, but the need of nails and pots never ended so the work was plenty if unglorified. His mother minded the house while working thread often enough to afford her love of bright colors. It was a good life for a child of the outer city, and while nothing like the elite of the inner city he never knew the want for the necessities of life. Just short of dragons though the joy of his young life was his younger brother, a sweet boy with a kind heart Quintus became quite protective of.
His youth was spent in the ever present company of his younger brother, and yet he could no help but feel outshined by him. His younger brother Daniel had a spirit of giving, where Quintus spent his allowance on lathes for them to practice with; his brother gave it back to their mother that she might buy more materials to sew. Slowly it lead to a gradual feeling of being unworthy in comparison and even resentment. Not that he resented his brother, quite the opposite he resented himself for not being good enough.
Early adulthood
Quintus’ father hoped his son would join him one day at the forge and take apprenticeship, but Quintus' heart lay elsewhere. Dragons and stories of military might and the strength to defend his people, to prove his own worth consumed the young man. Like so many others he joined the armies of Thanasis with the secret desire of one day earning the glory of becoming a rider. For who could be more worthy then a ride?
He spent years in the Borderlands manning the wall as a bowman, and patrolling with his unit. Jarlax became his’ life’s bane and his hatred of them was ever growing as more and more of his brothers fell over the year to the
monsters. He enjoyed his time though, enjoyed the feeling of unity and companionship on the wall and in his unit.
It was here that the young man fell in love, married and fathered his first child. This was a time of great happiness for him, his dream of riding dragons pushed to the side for a beautiful reality of raising a family and growing old with his wife. It was not to be though, in a life unmarred by tragedy one was finally inflicted upon him by none other then his greatest enemy, the Jarlax. A single raid held all the sorrow the man could handle as he returned home from a patrol to find his family gone. No prisoners were taken, and no one would ever say it out loud but everyone knew the farmstead was consumed by the vicious creatures, even the young.
Hatred filled his heart then, a deep seated rage he could not sate no matter how hard her fought from then on in. His dream returned to him but now it was one of vengeance, a need to kill as many Jarlax as he could no matter the cost. Likely he would have been consumed by these dreams was it not for his younger brother’s love. Now a young man, and a healer of small renown Daniel turned up without being asked for and moved in the small farmstead with Quintus. His gentle ways and open heart took in the rage of Quintus and even endured verbal abuses as he spoke of healing and moving on without any return. It was years before Quintus was whole again, but thanks to his brother’s guidance he did find peace once more, and after gifting the farmstead to his younger brother he made his way back to Thanasis to train for the rising, and earn his own self worth.
The Rising
Nothing ever goes as planned, and yet if the gods smile upon you that may be the plan indeed. Without fail Quintus had gotten as lost in a cave as one could. He’d felt the heat from inside the cave and thought it a sure fire sign an egg must be in there. Confident he’d actually gotten some luck the man ran ahead unheedingly into a trap, a trap that awoke a great fire in him. A jarlax hunter no doubt let loose for the purpose of testing a would be rider.
While he could honestly claim he had gotten over his uncontrollable rage being near the creatures he could not claim he hated them any less. A quick arrow through the creature’s thigh slowed it down hampering it, and then Quintus got in close until finally he found himself roaring at it as he quite literally was atop the jarlax beating it down into the ground with a rage.
Such was his passion and focus that he had not heard the noise behind him. The scrapping of scale and rock, or the clacking of large talons against the stone floor. He did however hear the great roar of the dragon behind him. Turning quickly he caught sight of it and such was his rage his response was simple, roar back. Such was his passion that the dragon stopped and tilted it’s head, almost curious before roaring back again towards his great maw coming to stop just over the pair.
Almost unconsciously Quintus stood leaving the very bloody but still living jarlax on the ground. Of course, the young dragon was just hungry, a growing dragon likely needed an immense amount of food. Larger then a horse it was no where near the monstrous size it would one day grow into, and it was hungry to continue to grow. With great gulps it bite into the living jarlax enjoying it’s screams of fear as before it quickly died.
It never occurred to Quintus in all of this time that he had quite the insight into the emotional status of this dragon. Nor that it hadn’t swallowed up both of them in it’s great hunger. In fact Quintus considered he would likely be next, and rather then fight such a holy creature he simple knelt and awaited his fate, much to it’s amusement. It was only then that the light began to turn on deep inside his mind. It was impossible, certainly it was his dream, but he was unworthy there was some mistake!
