Akane Kiyota

In a world where dragons have vanished from sight, a strange tale weaves its way into the whispers of the wind. Some call it prophecy, while others dismiss it as a bedtime story spun for eager young minds, designed to ignite their imaginations with the wonders of myth. The truth behind the tale remains as elusive as its origin. The story tells of a small creature that resembles the mighty dragons, but lacks their magical abilities. It is said to rise through the touch of its kindred spirit, born of the most distinguished lineage in the land. Infused with the essence of the ancient dragons, this being possesses powers beyond mortal comprehension. A wielder of forgotten magic, ready to shake the foundations of the known world. With the combined forces of their ally, nothing can stop them.

The current queen, still young and unexpectedly shouldering the responsibility of her lineage due to the early deaths of the previous leaders, once came across a fossilized egg. Researchers deduced that it might be from the descendants of ancient dragons, known as miniature dragons because of their significantly smaller size compared to the majestic dragons of old. They believed that the egg came from an early stage of these dragon-like creatures, making it very valuable. The queen added this unique egg to her family's collection of curiosities that had been collected over the centuries. As the decades passed since the egg's acquisition, the queen's younger brother, Prince Anakin, developed a strange connection to their family's ancient treasures. Curious about this feeling, he decided to explore the accumulated goods, eventually coming to a halt in front of the mysterious egg. Meanwhile, the queen, who had heard of the local legend, spared no effort to unlock the egg's secrets. The queen suspects that it may contain the most dangerous creature that could ever exist, and craves its power. In the weave of fate, her brother's accidentally touched the egg's shell. For a brief moment, all stood still, until a soft glow flickered through a crack in the shell. The prince felt a subtle stir beneath his touch, fleeting yet profound. When the silence remained unchanged, he gave in to a sudden impulse and smashed the egg to the ground. At that moment, the queen stormed into the chamber, her voice thundering with anger, demanding to know the reason for such madness. At first, neither noticed the newborn creature emerging from the shattered shell - a palm-sized dragon, its cry shaking the earth. Thus began a new age, as the dragon - Akanthraiyota - initiated the return of her kind, carrying the essence of the ancient dragons long thought lost. Bound by destiny, Prince Anakin and Akanthraiyota were destined to challenge the world's order and turn it upside down with their mere presence.

It soon became clear that Akanthraiyota was not what the prophecy had suggested. The little dragon-child was of slender stature and barely grew in the months and years that followed. She reached the size of a common house cat, revealing that her wings were deformed, rendering her incapable of flight. She also showed little cooperation with the queen, to the point that the queen soon turned away from her. However, the new member of the family was tolerated. Not only did the dragon child and Prince Anakin become inseparable, but news of the birth of a dragon quickly spread throughout the land, sparking rapid growth in the region. Motivated by the potential rebirth of the sacred dragons mentioned in the legends, the population seemed transformed, and their enthusiasm brought great wealth. In the meantime, Akanthraiyota and Prince Anakin, who affectionately called her Akane, or sometimes Tiny Flame, had grown together and spent every moment with each other. Their connection felt natural and indispensable, they needed each other to breathe, to live at all. Anakin often wondered how he had ever been happy without this creature, or if he had ever been truly happy before Akane's birth. It soon became clear that Akane, despite her limited growth, was otherwise perfectly healthy and possessed a keen intelligence. She learned quickly, including the common language of the people, the social norms and the history of the world, as well as the behavior of the enemies of the realm. As Prince Anakin undertook several military campaigns for the queen and spread her words throughout the realm, she traveled with him everywhere and matured into a true warrior. Her scales seemed almost immune to all kinds of weapons once they came in contact with them. She also developed a unique fire breath reminiscent of ancient dragon tales, though she could control the temperature of the flame. It soon became apparent that she had mastered the magic of fire in general and could manipulate it at will. Prince Anakin, due to his lineage, also possessed magic that manifested in the form of mind control - telekinesis. It didn't take long for Akane to acquire this ability as well. For Anakin, his soulmate had become his Slowly, the queen realized this as well. She started to pay more attention to the little dragon, especially when Akane underwent physical changes. Through many battles and the high energy consumption of her magic, she seemed to experience a growth spurt. Her wings grew, even though they were still mostly useless and could not carry the dragon. This changed after a fateful battle against one of the queen's fiercest enemies. In this battle, Prince Anakin was badly wounded and at a disadvantage. Akane fought her way through the ranks to save him, but her opponent pushed her off the cliff of the roaring waterfall where the critical battle had taken place. The earth trembled again, as it had at her birth, as the dragon plunged into the infinite depths of the chasm, her weak body unable to break free of the planet's gravity and fly as her kind once did. This time, however, it was the young dragon's desperation that caused the earth to tremble. When Akane fell into the icy water, she had already succumbed to grief for her soulmate and had no strength left to free herself from the water. She lost consciousness. A short time later, which felt like an eternity to her, an overwhelming, raging anger seized her with immense force and pulled her out of her temporary state. An ancient, inexplicable force, brought on by her partner's critical condition, took control of her body and carried out her actions. Akane shot out of the water as fast as an arrow and followed the flow of falling water in the opposite direction, reaching the edge of the chasm in a few moments. There, she fought a fierce battle, saved Prince Anakin's life and gained the ability to fly. This moment marked a turning point in the lives of the two soulmates. The carefree youth of the young dragon was over.

Work in progress.

!Work in progress.

Work in progress.