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Scales the color of freshly spilled blood glimmered in sunlight. Proud horns, jagged and razor-sharp, adorned the head of the newly crowned Arena Champion. Smoke billowed from his nostrils, and his triumph was cemented into the Arena's history forever.

The Champion immediately went to the Arena's private bath house. He was covered in sweat and grime...and he was hoping no one would be admitted entrance, even for an interview.

Cautiously, the Champion went about a lengthy bathing routine. Any time someone entered, he dove beneath the hotspring's surface. The Champion knew that if news broke about his ancestry, it would overshadow his accomplishment.

After a few hours, the Champion began to relax. Each scale had been scrubbed clean, and his horns were gleaming. His last step was the sauna- just to sweat out anything that may have gotten inside his pores. As much as he loved Arena life, he had always had this mental image of the blood of his fallen foes wriggling into his body, enacting a sort of necromantic revenge.

Just as he settled into his seat in the sauna, the door cracked open, and in stepped...Artha.

"Artha, are you sure you want to be in here? This is the sauna of dragonkin. It will reach temperatures that you cannot withstand." To prove his point, the Champion exhaled a dark smoke from his nose, the smell of ozone chasing away the eucalyptus.

"Just need a few minutes, O Champion." The man said, closing the door behind him. He was dressed in full daily attire.

"Your clothes will be ruined, but if that is what you wish." The Champion tried to sound nonchalant, but in truth he was now flexing the muscles that lined his solar plexus, activating his internal fire and preparing to make the experience truly uncomfortable for the writer.

"I have questions regarding your win today."

"The win speaks for itself. Maloch was a vicious opponent, but he chose the wrong weapons to confront someone like me. His mace is slow, and my hide is strong. Plus, there is only so much an Orc can do against a Dragon. We were born as their rulers, even after a thousand years since the Orcs seceded, they cannot dare to rise up against us."

"Mmm. I'm sure these words will stir up quite a bit of controversy amongst Maloch's fans."

"You have your headline. Now go." From behind his scales, the Champion's heat began to make his very body glow like molten rock.

"I have...a few remaining questions." Why wasn't the human suffering under the extreme heat?

"I may or may not bother to respond."

"How did the Dragon blood join into your family line?"

The Champion scowled. "I do not wish to speak of it."

"It wasn't a curse."

"How would you know?"

"There wasn't a magic potion either, was there?"

"You're trying my patience, Artha."

"Your great grandfather was a bard, wasn't he? Back when the draconic empire had shattered, and the dragons turned to mercenaries to reestablish wealth?"

"It seems," The Champion growled, "that you already have your answers. Why bother asking?"

"I need it from your mouth, Champion."

The Champion's hand curled into a fist. "I will not have my crowning achievement overshadowed by talk of my ancestors and their...misdeeds. Today is *my* day. I have worked too long for this, Artha."

"It's *Arthur,* good Champion...and I don't intend to publish this information just yet."

The Champion arced his eyebrow.

"It's been a very long time, Moigne."

...*'Moigne. Yes, that was my name.'*

"Moigne Pendragon, born from the family line that united a bard and the heir-apparent of the Draconic Empire." Arthur said.

"And Arthur Pendragon, the brother lost at infancy."

"I have the means to prove it." Arthur said, exhaling blackened smoke from his mouth.

"Seems the lion's share of dragon blood went to me, then." Champion Moigne grinned.

"Get bent, brother dear. I could still kick your ass." Arthur laughed, and the two estranged brothers hugged.

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Submitted by NystromWrites on Tue, Oct 11, 2022 to /r/WritingPrompts/

The prompt

“So how did you get Dragon blood in your veins?” “Ah well, long ago my family was cur-“ “Didn’t you say your family was never cursed?” “Oh uh, yeah um… so uh, there was a witch-“ “Im not buying it.” “*sigh*… so my great grandpa was a bard…”