Dante stood in the courtyard, holding a wooden sword and facing a straw dummy. He swung the sword around, attacking the dummy in quick succession.
"Ha! Is the failure practicing with those useless swords again?"
Turning around, Dante was met by a teen with red hair and a toothy grin. Following this teen was a red dragon.
"Greetings, Reynard."
Reynard is, technically, Dante's younger brother. They were born on the same day, but Dante was born just a minute earlier.
"Don't speak to me, failure."
"Apologies."
"What did I just say?"
The red dragon coiling around Reynard growled at Dante, fire spouting from between its lips.
"You know what happens when a peasant speaks to me, right?"
"I'm not a 'peasant', Reynard."
The redhead bursts into laughter, barely catching his breath before speaking.
"Hah! Pft- Hah! Right, you don't know it yet! They haven't told you!"
Dante steps back, frightened by the sudden laughter. Reynard grabs his tunic by the collar and pulls him closer.
"Father is going to throw you out tonight. You're too much of a fucking failure to keep here."
Reynard releases his grasp, and turns around.
"I don't feel like playing with you today, just knowing you'll be gone is enough for me."
The teen saunters off, leaving Dante in shock at the new information.
Was he really going to be kicked out? He knew this family was cruel, but to abandon him, just like that? He couldn't believe it, but...
He didn't want to think any longer. He tightened his grip on his wooden sword, and began striking the dummy.
He struck the dummy, again and again.
Until night came.
"Dante!"
A deepe voice rang out through the courtyard, coming the mansion doors. It was the family head, Severus Creatra.
His father.
"You were given orders to return to your oom by nine. It's already eleven!"
"Apologies, fath-"
"No! That is it! Drop your sword and come with me."
"But-"
Skeletons sprung up throughout the courtyard, the family head's eyes glowing an eerie purple.
"Now."
With no choice, Dante dropped his sword, and follows his father. His father led him through the mansion, past the many portaits of their ancestors, and to the estate's front gates where the family's elite soldiers, the Flightless Dragons, waited. They wore hoods lined with dragon scales and held weapons forged with dragon teeth.
"Dante. Your execution will begin now."
"Wh-What?"
"You will be given ten minutes to run. After those ten minutes, the Flightless Dragons will hunt you down. If the catch you, you will be slain. Be thankful that I haven't slain you myself. Your time starts now. Don't come back."
Dante stepped forward, but hesitated. He turned around, and was once again met by Severus' glare.
"Go, or I will kill you myself."
Dante turned, and ran.