Dominic Hunter

Dominic Hunter is a fire-user, a Stormholt scout of Fydorian origin, and one of the main characters in The Crown & The Flame series along with Kenna Rys. He is first seen in Book 1, Chapter 1.

Appearance
Dom has short, brown hair, light skin and blue eyes, and has the brand of fire on his chest. He dons a gray and black, long-sleeved, collared leather tunic with a deep neckline that partially reveals his brand, black gloves, black pants, and brown knee-high boots. He is toned and physically fit; according to many, Dom is very handsome.

In his dragon form, he has light blue scales with white spikes adorning his body, two horns facing backwards, massive light blue wings with a gray underside, and shiny dark blue eyes.

Personality
Dom is good-natured, witty, and kind. He remains generally cheerful despite Gabriel reminding him of his humble beginnings and Sei constantly jabbing insults at him. Despite being friendly and at times goofy, Dom reveals a sterner, more ferocious side when his friends, especially Kenna, are in trouble.

Trystan mentions that Dom is a flirt; he has charmed several girls into his bedroom, and this includes Rose. On that note, Dom is also vain, as he is aware of his attractiveness and often comments about it. One who likes to joke in any situation, his positivity and joviality are enough to soften stoic characters like Sei, or surprise cunning scientists like Hex, respectively. This remained even when he transformed into a dragon, and even when he is already a king and father.

In addition, Dom is rather impulsive: he attacked Vassilios haphazardly and thus burnt Kenna, swung at illusory enemies despite being told to calm down by Anu, attacked Helene when she arrived as an ally, and rushed out of Hex's airship only to find himself hundreds of feet above ground. However, he does not want to get others in trouble for it, seen when he motioned for Rose to stay hidden when Helene and Bartel caught him.

Dom is vengeful against those who dare harm his friends or stand against his ideals; he confronted a cowering Trystan for his treachery after Kenna's victory over Marco, furiously smite Bartel for killing his hawk and Margaret, and attempted to burn a reformed Hex on the spot after her surrender. Conversely he is aware of the effects of his powers and feels guilt and remorse whenever he involuntarily hurts someone: he bitterly regretted burning Kenna in Thorngate, and tried desperately to resist destroying Aurelia and burning innocent civilians, having a hard time apologizing to Annelyse for it.

Background
In Book 3, Chapter 6, his background is revealed:

At thirty-two years of age, Lord Arden, a Fydorian noble, married Idara, an inhabitant of the Blackspine Mountains who possessed pyrokinesis and whom he claims he met in a hunting trip around the area. He became unpopular with his people after his younger brother Horas, supposedly vying for the throne, began spreading rumors that Arden's wife was a fire witch.

Shortly after their first child was born, Arden died, and Horas placed the blame on his brother's wife, claiming witchcraft. He arranged for her arrest, but Idara, refusing trial for a crime she did not commit, fled with her son in the dead of night. Assassins disguised as soldiers caught her in the plains to the north of Stormholt, where she perished fighting them off.

The infant son, Dom, was later salvaged on Stormholt Castle's doorsteps, covered heavily in burns presumably from his mother's ordeal; Idara had already etched the brand onto his chest. Dom was raised by a castle servant and grew up with Rose and Trystan Blake as one of the castle workers, as well as serving as a scout. Sometime later, he would meet Kenna at the Beltane Festival.

Book 1

 * Chapter 1: The Broken Alliance
 * Chapter 2: The Ruins of Rajkur
 * Chapter 3: The Ambush
 * Chapter 4: The Mercenaries
 * Chapter 5: The Challenge
 * Chapter 6: The Duel
 * Chapter 7: The Gilded City
 * Chapter 8: The Gilded Cage
 * Chapter 9: The Escape
 * Chapter 10: The Battle for Aurelia
 * Chapter 11: The Technocrats
 * Chapter 12: The Labyrinth
 * Chapter 13: The Mechataur
 * Chapter 14: The Foundry
 * Chapter 15: The Return to Stormholt
 * Chapter 16: The Cannon
 * Chapter 17: The Return of the Queen
 * Chapter 18: The Queen of Stormholt

Book 2

 * Chapter 1: The Battle of Thorngate
 * Chapter 2: The Burning of Thorngate
 * Chapter 3: The Shipbuilders
 * Chapter 4: The Docks
 * Chapter 5: The Uprising
 * Chapter 6: The Foundry Destroyed
 * Chapter 7: The Thieves of Lykos
 * Chapter 8: The Masquerade Ball
 * Chapter 9: The Shadow
 * Chapter 10: The Pit Fight
 * Chapter 12: The Storming of Lykos
 * Chapter 13: The Wolf's Mouth
 * Chapter 14: The Battle of the Bay
 * Chapter 15: The Dragon
 * Chapter 16: The Aftermath

Book 3

 * Chapter 1: The Iron Empire (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 3: The Sacrifice (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 4: The Trapped Dragon
 * Chapter 5: The Uneasy Alliance (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 6: The Secrets of Fydoria (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 8: The Bitter Reunion
 * Chapter 9: The Last Chance
 * Chapter 12: The Gathering Storm
 * Chapter 13: The Sound of Thunder
 * Chapter 14: The Calm
 * Chapter 15: The Lightning Strikes
 * Chapter 16: The Great Protector
 * Chapter 17: The Fond Farewell

Book 1

 * Chapter 19: Truth and Lies (Mentioned)

Fire Magic
As the son of a Blackspine woman, Dom has access to pyrokinesis. While initially unaware of this ability until Luther's invasion of Stormholt, Dom has the power to conjure blue flames from his hands, fueled initially and solely by rage. He is able to create small red wisps of fire involuntarily whenever he is angry, and after focusing his energy, can blast massive fireballs. After training with Sei (but before meeting Anu), his pyrokinesis improved to being able to split and shape fire into tendrils, and control heat remotely and absorbing it.

Dragon Transformation
After "completing" his training, Dom has the ability to transform into a massive dragon and back to human voluntarily. This form provides him flight, superhuman strength and durability, sharp talons, and the ability to exhale bluish-white fire. His power was amplified to the point where he could annihilate several airships with his breath.

The only drawback of this ability is that it has a time limit, draining Dom or any other user of energy if used extensively. His inexperience with reverting back to human led to Dom's capture by Hex.

Limited Heat Immunity
Dom, like other fire magic users, cannot feel nor be hurt by heat below a certain temperature, and this immunity is dependent upon their endurance and strengthened through training: the higher the temperature, the harder it is to resist. For instance, Dom cannot feel the bonfire he set up for his makeshift replica of the Beltane Festival. He is able to withstand at least temperatures as hot as lava. Dom is depicted as being vulnerable to attacks by other fire-wielders. In Book 2, Chapter 4, his forearm burns when hit with one of Anton's flaming whips.

Weapons Training
Being raised as a hunter and scout for Stormholt, Dom has had extensive training in wielding weapons, his skill to the extent that Kenna has not bested him "in over six summers".

Kenna Rys
Kenna is Dom's first childhood friend, and he displays great loyalty towards her. He views her as a very close and dear friend, constantly worrying about her during her exile and becoming horrified and ashamed of himself after he accidentally burned her with his own fire. He is also one of her love interests. It's up to the player if Kenna and Dom become more than friends. In Chapter 17 of Book 3, if he is not chosen by Kenna as her betrothed, he does not start any relationship with any of his potential love interests despite it.

When he is with her, he is portrayed as having a very casual and even childish behavior toward the queen, which she reciprocates. Even after having married Kenna (via player's choice), he still retains his close and playful attitude towards her, seen near the ending. He admits, as part of his wedding vows, that he was in love with her since he was six.

Rose Blake
Dom and Rose are good friends, and she helps him on his mission against the Nevrakis. In Book 1, Chapter 6, it's revealed they first met as children by the stables when Dom saved his hawk. They grew closer when he visited the kitchen daily for scraps so the hawk could become strong enough to hunt. She has a crush on him, and he will accept Rose's feelings if the player chooses to. Rose does not appear in Book 2, and no matter the player's choices, in Book 3, Shadow Rose reveals that Dom and Rose are not a couple.

Sei Rhuka
Despite her initially cold demeanor towards him, Dom warms up to Sei in the dungeons. The player can choose to flirt with Sei but she will seem unresponsive to his advances. After Dom burns Kenna, Sei takes him to the Blackspine Mountains to train with her people, continuing his training herself on the journey there. She is shown to care for him in her own way, as shown after Anu failed him during training and after he was captured in the Battle of the Bay.

Will Jackson
The player can choose to pursue a sexual relationship with Will Jackson after he expresses his feelings for Dom in Book 3, Chapter 14. He listens eagerly to Will's recollection of his memories with his son or his wife.

Margaret Blake
Margaret rescues Dom from the Nevrakis soldiers by introducing him as her son. He takes her as his mother and grieves deeply upon her death.

Trystan Blake
"You say you'd never do anything to hurt Rose, but what you did to me hurt her. We needed you, and you broke us apart."

- Dom confronting Trystan (Book 1, Chapter 18)

Dom regards Trystan as his brother and a good friend. After Margaret's death, Trystan is scared that Dom will put Rose in a dangerous situation, so he turns on Dom and gives him up to the Nevrakis soldiers, after the Battle for Stormholt, Dom has the chance to confront Trystan about his betrayal, the two will then become friends again or stay away from each other.

Anu Rhuka
Anu is Dom's mentor. Based on the player's choice, Anu can be an ally in Book 2. If the player does not recruit Anu, Anu is said to be disappointed in Dom.

Raydan Lykel
Raydan found a book in the library of Fydoria about Dom's parents. He can leave it or keep it (diamond). If he keeps it, he will give it to Dom, showing concern over Dom's need of solace about his background.

Whitlock
Dom seems to be good friends with Whitlock, he comforts him multiple times during the Battle of Thorngate.

Bartel Gremley
Bartel is responsible for killing Dom's pet hawk when Dom tried to deliver a warning to Kenna. As he was also after Kenna, Bartel was one of Dom's major enemies in Book 1. Upon witnessing him kill the hawk, Dom attempted to burn him alive, and again after he threatened to kill Rose. Bartel was later burned to death when he confronted Dom.

On the other hand, Bartel saw Dom as nothing more than a castle servant, and was very condescending towards him while unaware of the latter's fire magic.

Hex
Hex earned Dom's wrath after using Sei, a woman who also wields fire magic, to attack Kenna's soldiers. His hatred then grew deeper when the woman captured him, Sei, and other Blackspine Mountains inhabitants as her pets. Even though he escaped, Dom found himself captured yet again by the scientist and being used against Kenna and her army. Upon his eventual freedom from her clutches, Dom was furious enough to try and burn Hex upon sight.

Hex conversely was very sarcastic towards Dom, patronizing him as her 'pet' and seeing him no more than a tool. She treats him badly, letting him free only to rampage under her command, and making him live on powdered bones and algae. She would not hesitate to electrocute him should he attempt to think of fire without her consent.

She does not appreciate his humor. Even after her capture and defection to Kenna, Hex still had a difficult time seeing Dom as an ally.

Prince Marco Nevrakis
Dom despises Marco for chasing after Kenna's head during her exile. Apart from hating him behind closed doors, Dom did not have a chance to confront the Prince.

King Luther Nevrakis
Likewise, Dom hates Luther as he is the principal cause for the deaths and suffering of his loved ones, and he took it upon himself to figure out what his plans for Kenna are.

Empress Azura
Dom does not like Azura at all, but his hatred for her is not as intense as that for his other enemies. He is nonetheless supportive of Kenna's cause and offered to kill Azura on his own during their parlay.

Lord Arden Alcantar
Lord Arden is implied to be Dom's father and is the eldest son of a wealthy and influential Fydorian noble. When he died shortly after Dom's birth, his brother accused his wife of casting a spell that killed him (which is implied to be a plot to obtain Arden's inheritance and titles rather than be passed on to his son). While there is no definite illustration of him in the story, Raydan comments that "he looks exactly like Dom".

Idara
Idara is an inhabitant of the Blackspine Mountains and the mother of Dominic Hunter. Like Sei, Anu, and Anton, she possesses the power of fire which she passed on to her son, and, according to Sei's explanation, she is the one who etched Dom's brand onto his chest. It is unclear where she left Dom and how he ended up under the care of Margaret Blake.

Trivia

 * Dom is shown on the covers of The Crown & The Flame, Book 1 as a human, and on The Crown & The Flame, Book 2, and The Crown & The Flame, Book 3 as a dragon.
 * If Kenna marries Dom, his name in the character box changes from Dominic Hunter to King Dom in Book 3, Chapter 17.
 * He and Kenna are mentioned multiple times throughout The Freshman series. Dom makes a cameo appearance in The Freshman, Book 3. This incarnation, however, is simply a Hollywood actor playing Dom, as The Crown and the Flame is a popular TV and book series in other Choices stories. Although as friendly as the real Dom, the actor is a stereotypical SoCal personality, showing a liking for fad diets and ridiculous superfoods.
 * He bears a resemblance to actor Bradley James.
 * It is revealed by Kenna that as a child, Dom was once bullied by a guard's son named Caleb, who abruptly stopped after Kenna threatened to have him executed.
 * If you ask King Liam, "Just how fantastical are we talking?" in reference to the past of Cordonia in The Royal Romance, Book 3, Chapter 2, Liam tells you of a rumor that one of the earliest coats of armor had a blue dragon on it, a reference to Dom in his dragon form. This, in addition to Kenna's portrait in the royal dining room, is yet further evidence that Cordonia is tied to Stormholt's history.
 * In Book 2 Chapter 8, in the Spirit World alternate reality where Kenna is not a princess, she and Dom own a tavern called "The Staggering Stag", and apparently he was the one who came up with the name.
 * In The Sophomore: Hartfeld Horror Story, Tyler dresses up as Dom for Halloween.
 * He is referenced in The Royal Heir, Book 1, Chapter 19, together with Kenna. Drake finds a book and states it's a fantasy story about "the queen and the dragon". Liam tells him that the fantasy is based on Cordonian history.
 * In The Royal Masquerade, both King/Queen-Regent and Fabian Rhys wear similar looking clothes at least once: the King-Regent's Beltane outfit is almost identical to Dominic's outfit and Fabian's initial outfit is a recolored version of the Regent's outfit.