"Hey guys! Look at Azlar, he can't even light a twig." Nazgib yelled to the rest of the dragonlings that were in the courtyard.

"Shut up dude, you know I'm just a late bloomer. I'm gonna be so much better than you when we're older, just you wait!" Azlar yelled back, water forming in his eyes, something that he wasn't even biologically supposed to do.

Azlar was much further behind than the rest of his nest mates in his ability to summon his fire. Nazgib was the furthest of them all, able to create a small campfire with his fire. The rest could light about a medium log.

Azlar hated being with the other dragonlings, they always made him feel terrible about himself. At least at home, his mother would try to help him cope with his disability. She would steal heat up his dinner and keep him warm at night, like he was a hatchling or something.

His father, like all dragon fathers, left his mother once she laid his egg. He would only come back when Azlar was fully grown and out of the nest. That way, he would be able to breed again.

Azlar liked the situation, he was afraid that if his father stayed around, he would only pick on him like everyone else did.

As soon as he could get away from Nazgib and the other dragonlings, Azlar flew back to his nest and hid himself from the world under the comfort of his mother’s wing.

—— —— ——

The dragon swooped down towards the burning human town, rage fueling his wings. With a mighty breath, water poured out of his mouth, calming the gaping wounds the fire had burned.

Azlar couldn’t believe that Nazgib was attacking humans. It broke every code the dragon tribes stood for, including the biggest one of all: to never reveal your presence to the small creatures that called themselves humans.

To attack the defenseless creatures was too much, the four tribes appointed Azlar to become the protector of humans. He was to hunt Nazgib to the ends of the four realms, for as long as it took, restoring peace wherever the former dragon broke it.