Things are the way they were supposed to be, right? 

In one week, his life would be changed. He would begin to follow the path that had been prepared for him, a path set since he had hatched from his egg. Until then, life continued on as it always had for the young dragon prince. 

Syn was enduring yet another review of formal etiquette that his tutor had grown to favor recently. His current lectures focused on manners and social duties, but he had also learned personal combat, authority, religion, and martial history. Syn had been taught these things for what seemed over half his life, but he understood that the time was coming when he would need to put these skills to use regularly. 

At this point, he was confident in his education. He no longer needed to be reminded of the importance of dignified formal 'upright' walking as opposed to 'feral' movement which was faster, more comfortable, and much more casual. 

Accompanying him as usual was his dependable bodyguard and companion, Zeritha Snowpierce. She was a hawk owl-snow leopard griffin of great talent, and despite her common birth was also well versed in etiquette as a necessity of her proximity to royalty. 

For all the resources and effort invested into the prince, he sparsely saw his father the king. He was busy shrewdly running the country and scheming against his rival abroad. But this was normal to Syn, normal for Draconia. 

When the review had concluded, Zeritha turned her head to Syn, "My lord, seems you'll have no issue adjusting to your new responsibilities in society." 

"The issue is how society will adjust to me" he snorted, winking. There were several things Syn wanted to change about Draconia. Things he knew he didn't fully understand yet, but recognized should be different. 

They both exited the room and stepped out onto the stone balcony and into a cool breeze. Here they had a clear view of the capital city. 

City Draconia, for which the kingdom was also named after, was a massive architectural dome. The city sprawl underneath was home to many centaurs and skarsh, it spread even far outside the protective walls. The royal central spire connected the ground with the top and also provided structural support with giant archways that ran all the way to the edge of the dome. Dragons and griffins mostly lived on the dome underhang. Enormous window openings allowed plenty of light onto the city. One could even see the beautiful sunset or sunrise and the wonderful colors they made across the sky. 

Syn stood there for a moment, thinking. The sunlight glittered off his golden scales and cast a smooth sheen off his dark underside. His eyes were a glowing gold, with a pointy cross pupil. The straight horns on his head and numerous spikey spines which were under his chin and going down his neck and back give his silhouette a fearsome appearance. 

His long tail whipped up producing a snap as he remembered. "Oh, and Zee, about that issue with your family. The package I arranged should be arriving today and should cover it until you can solve it the way you wanted to." 

She bobbed her head and chirped, "Thank you sir, thank you! I'm so glad you agreed to help, it's a huge relief. I'll be sure to repay you." Her long poofy tail wagged and her wings flapped silently. 

"Don't feel pressured, I think you'll have plenty of time and chances to do so" Syn smiled down at her. Both standing on their hind legs, she only came up to about shoulder height. His long neck bent to address her closer to her level. "But for now lets meet up with the others, I told them I'd see them as soon as my lessons were over." 

Zeritha nodded and they both took flight, headed upward and across toward Syn's best friend's house. One of the fanciest hanging mansions in all of Draconia. House Corana, impressive, even for a building that was constructed essentially upside down. A nearby dome opening bathed the huge circular building in light. The building split midway down into three curling wings around the central body. The lowest hanging level had a ring platform which crowned the glass window head like a halo. 

It was a sight Syn was accustomed to seeing however, and he was welcomed inside as if he was one of the family. When they had entered the head foyer they were greeted by many friends that shouted all at once, "SURPRISE!". 

Syn was shocked at so many boisterous familiar faces, mostly dragon and griffin. He stood on all fours near the entrance, jaws open as confetti rained upon him. 

Zeritha kept her cool and stayed alert, swiveling her head to keep an eye on things. 

The smooth and stout silver dragon Cyrus Corana strutted towards Syn wearing an eager grin on his muzzle. "Well well well, one week where waiting will wash away whining with winning while we work wildly without wonder!" 

"Ehh, say again Cyrus?" Syn stammered stiffly. His abstruse friend's humor often threw him. 

"I was just trying to be witty, I guess it doesn't suit me," Cyrus admitted with a toothy smile. He reiterated upon his earlier nonsense, "One week until your ceremony, enjoy it while it lasts. What do you think of the surprise we thought up?" 

"I appreciate it, I really wasn't expecting this," Syn slightly purred and revealed a soft expression despite his spikey appearance. He sat and swept some fallen confetti with his tail. "Though I'm not really dressed up for it." He gestured to his bare scales. 

"Don't give him all the credit!" Cawed out the voice of a phoenix-tiger griffin as he made his way towards the guest of honor. "No way this bird brain actually thought of this beforehand, he is footing the bill though," Felix added ironically, patting Cyrus on the back. 

"Ah, so the true brain behind this doesn't belong to a bird then, Felix? Then what does that make you?" Syn joked, arched a spikey brow, and tilted his long head. 

"A cat, obviously," Felix deadpanned. 

They all shared a laugh. 

"I see you brought your own trusty bird with you," Cyrus eyed and nodded towards Zeritha. 

Zeritha perked up, realizing they were talking about her. She had been monitoring the room, which had broken into various chattering conversations amongst the party goers. She didn't speak up to say anything. 

"Well, you know we sort of stick together like glue." Syn stated, wings tucked close. 

"Must be pleasant," Felix flicked his striped tail. 

"Yes, it's good to know somebody has always got your back," Syn glanced and shared a smile with Zeritha. 

*** 

The party lasted for hours and by the time Syn started to head back home, it was twilight and he was slightly inebriated. He could still fly mostly fine, he just needed a little guidance from Zeritha, who had stayed completely sober. Back in the royal spire, she walked him back into his dimly lit room and then went to her room just down the polished stone hallway. 

Syn stumbled to his ice chest at the foot of his round bed and pulled out a special brew of four-leaf clover that he had stashed there. He rarely drank, and even more rarely got drunk, but he had learned from the first time. This expensive medicine would remove nearly all the toxins from his system, which was useful for the occasions where he would drink alcohol unwittingly. He opened and drank its contents, then collapsed onto his fancy curtained bed with nothing but the taste of clovers on his mind. 

But... he could hear rummaging and movement from the hallway outside, so he uncurled and went to check on it. When he looked outside, he saw Zeritha fully kitted out, as if she was prepared for battle: armor, crossbow strapped to her talons, dagger under her side, and more. When she saw him she stopped her prowl, her body stiff. 

"What's going on, Zee?" He groaned and rubbed his sleepy eyes with a slippery tongue, rather than lift a leg from the floor. 

"My lord, I was hoping you'd have fallen asleep," she hooted, apprehensive since she could no longer go in secret. "I just read a message from one of my sisters. The loan sharks came and took my littlest sister."  

"Wha- but didn't your family receive my package?" Syn hummed, bewildered. His neck curved to one side and his tail curled into an 'O' behind his head. 

"They did, but the loan sharks said they had come to collect for the full debt, and my family could only offer..." Zeritha's tail drooped to the floor. 

"So you're going to save her." Syn stated. Zeritha nodded. He continued, "I'm coming with you." 

*** 

It was dark now, but Zeritha knew where she needed to go. The skarsh would take her sister to a compound near the port just outside the dome, of course they would be more comfortable next to the water. They circled above, surveying the area and locating potential buildings to search. An armored Syn followed her lead for once, trusting in her superior sight that exceeded even draconic nightvision. 

Only a few lights shown and they gave up the positions of their users. There were a couple of half-asleep skarsh on watch below in front of a cobbled low building. Taking advantage of the dark night, Syn passed above them and breathed a fog over the unsuspecting pair. Before they could realize, the two fell into a deep slumber. Both Syn and Zeritha landed and snuck their way in through the metal door they were guarding. 

Inside anyone could easily tell that this was some kind of prison. There were dark cells with sleeping forms chained up, but Zeritha didn't see her sister as they skulked down the cold stone hallway. 

Cries could be heard from the end of the hallway, cries that Zeritha recognized as her little sister's. They quietly rushed down the hallway as the cries subsided. They stacked up by the open metal bar door and peered inside. 

They could see four bodies in the tight, long room. Two skarsh, one standing to watch as the other sat and stenciled tattoos on the body of a small griffin which lay on a wooden table. Holding her head was another griffin, a vulture-panther, which was staring into the little griffin's eyes with a sort of hypnotic effect. 

The watching skarsh, a muscled hammerhead, spoke while he scratched a gill on his neck. "Shit, thas some creepy ass ability ya got, quieted that lil bitch right down though." 

"Heh, well it wouldn't work as well on someone like you, your eyes are too fucken far apart, flathead" the vulture griffin sneered. 

Both Zeritha and Syn took action near simultaneously. Zeritha pulled her crossbow and Syn was behind hammerhead with an extended arm sword-claw gauntlet to his throat. The humanoid shark was a head taller than Zeritha, but still near the bottom third of Syn's long neck. 

"STOP, what're you are doing to her?!" Zeritha screeched, her face angrier looking than usual. 

The tattooing skarsh and hypnotic vulture both looked up and froze in shock. 

The tattooer, who was also covered in tattoos, answered her. "Ah- um, applying the ritual tattoos to this new slave." 

Zeritha watched them both closely, she had the ability to see into the immediate future. With her foresight, she saw Tattoos reach for something while vulture stared at her, tattoos then turned around quickly. 

She did not give him the chance. Before he had even reached she shot a bolt through his head with a click of her crossbow. Vulture began to stare at her using his hypnotic eyes and she found she couldn't look away. 

Syn slit the throat of Hammerhead and pushed him down. He spat flames into the face of the hypnotist. Vulture flailed and screeched with his eyes and face set ablaze. It only took Syn an extra moment to run him through with his sword. 

Hammerhead had crawled across the floor toward tattoos, gurgling and spilling blood prodigiously as he went. When he got to Tattoos, whose body had slumped over onto the table, he took a desperately large bite out of his lifeless tattooed arm.  

Zeritha snapped to and stepped towards Hammerhead. She smashed down as hard as she could, nailing his nose/head which she'd heard was an extra sensitive location for a skarsh, and he went down. 

The scent of blood and burnt flesh pervaded throughout room, a grim taste spread in their mouths. 

This sort of evil practiced here was one of the things he had planned on ending once he got into power. It was unacceptable for people to treat each other in such a way. But seeing it with his own eyes made it so much worse. Syn was angry, and with righteous fury he decided right then that he was going to do something right now. 

He turned to Zeritha, commanding her, "Get your sister, grab the keys, and free the rest of those who are here. I'll make sure our exit is clear." 

Zeritha obeyed, she saw no reason not to free the rest. They thanked her as she loosed them from their restraints. Centaurs, skarsh, a few griffins, many of them had extensive tattoos covering their bodies, and some apparently had bites taken out of them. When she had finished and stepped outside the way they entered, she noticed the two skarsh that were put to sleep had been decapitated. She was glad that her sister, whom she was carrying, was still unconscious. 

She also noticed that the two-story boxy dormitories for the slavemasters were engulfed in flames. Syn landed nearby and out of breath, sitting with his front legs spread and armored chest heaving. 

"Sir, you did this?" Zeritha's beak was agape as she witnessed and felt the fiery blaze. 

Syn just nodded, his neck swaying up and down while he caught his breath. The smell of burning wood was in the air and the flames were so bright that one didn't need nightvision to see. Their armors gleamed in the firelight. 

Suddenly, they were both pinned under chain link nets with heavy weighted balls. They weren't going anywhere weighed down by these capture devices. 

City guard centaurs surrounded them. They must've been responding to the fire and spotted the main culprit. 

"Good throws, deputies, we got 'em red handed." A veteran bull guard trotted up to them. "You are under arrest for arson, murder, and-" he spied Zeritha's little sister, "-and kidnapping." 

Syn stood up as straight as he could under the weight of the chains until he was just a head taller than the  surrounding centaurs and announced, "My name is Syn Sevis, Prince of Draconia, son of Pyram Sevis, King of Draconia." 

He then pointed towards the inferno with his bloody blade gauntlet, his voice an angry hiss, 

"And these criminals deserve to burn."