The Scars We Bare

Chapter 5

It had been ten minutes since Rain left Ralph and Jack locked in his office. Ralph was becoming impatient. He hated waiting for anything and now his brain began to think they were locked inside for their safety. He shook his head slightly, trying to ignore the small voices in his head begging for attention. Going out into a dangerous situation would bring the attention to him but at what cost? The anger and disappointment from his older brother? Part of him did not care for the reaction. He craved the danger. He glanced over to his brother, who had found a comfortable spot to rest his tired eyes. Ralph smirked to himself, all he had to do was make it outside somehow and stumble into trouble. He could worry about everyone else later. Ralph made his way around the office as silently as he could; searching for a way out. Maybe an unlocked side door or maybe a cracked window. Which is exactly what he found.

The back door unlocked and Mimi was escorted inside by Ako as she explained that Chimur was helping out some neighbors and would return later. Jack woke up from the loud talking amd stretched in his seat. How long had he been out? "Jack? Ralph? You two okay?" Ako called out in a motherly tone. "In here Ako." Jack replied groggily and ruffled his hair. Ako walked into the main office room and relaxed slightly to see Jack sitting comfortably in a chair. "Sleep well?" He just gave a nod. "Where's Ralph?" Mimi questioned as she did not see the younger brother. "Probably in the bathroom." Jack stood and made his way to the door, knocking on it "Hey bro, you in there?" Silence replied and Jack shifted on his feet. His brain kicking into gear "Ralph?" He knocked a little harder and the door swung open to reveal an empty bathroom and an open window.
"Oh no."

Ralph wandered around the forest. So far the scariest thing he has come across would be moss and mushrooms. "This was definitely worth it." He commented sarcastically to himself as he kicked a stone down the path he was walking. He stuffed his hands into his pockets before he froze slightly at the deer in from of him. "Oh wow!" He crouched down and made his way behind a tree to get a better look at the deer. The ground shook violently and a giant claw landed directly in front of the deer and then behind. Ralph's eyes widened as he looked up to see a dragon! This one was a light blue color and stood only slightly taller than the trees. "That's a-a dragon-!" Ralph spoke a bit too loud for his own good and the dragon glanced down at his hiding spot, "What was that pipsqueak sound?" Ralph slapped a hand over his mouth and pressed up against the tree trying to completely camouflage. The dragon head lowered to the ground and the bright pink eye began scanning the forest floor for whatever spoke. Ralph was beginning to breathe heavily as panic set into his body. This was a real live dragon! What if it ate him!? His eyes followed the dragon head as it slowly moved around. He caught sight of the other half of the face that was scarred and one eye was fogged over. He guessed that it had lost that eye in a fight. The scales were dull. The dragon took a deep breath, "Come out, come out, wherever you are! No use in hiding when I can smell you!" The sing song voice only made Ralph's knees shake. There was no way he could run now. He shifted farther back against the tree, hoping it covered him from sight. "Don't worry little human. I'm not going to kill you, you'd be a wonderful gift for my alpha." Dragons had alphas? What did that mean? They lived like a pack of wolves?? Ralph had always assumed dragons were lone creatures and only got together when mating. Actually it wouldn't matter what he normally thought because dragons aren't supposed to be real!! Yet, here was one standing in front of him, searching for him like a cat to a mouse. He took a shallow breath as the dragon head stooped and slowly turned in his direction. Pink eye met hazel and terrified was an understatement of how Ralph felt. It felt like his heart had completely dropped through his stomach. He was dead. He was dead! The dragon grinned and carefully plucked Ralph from his hiding tree, "You'll make a wonderful gift."

"Where in the hell did Ralph go!?" Mimi shouted at Jack, "Weren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on your brother!" Jack glared at her, snapping in return, "I'm tired okay! So I accidentally took a little nap..." He was very upset with himself. He didn't need this disappointment from Mimi. He had forgotten that Ralph had a mental health issue and feel asleep. "You know he has problems!" Mimi shoved him back slightly. She had always cared for Ralph like he was her little brother. Jack let out a breath of air and shoved her back "You don't think I know that!?" He was getting angrier.
Ako walked over and shoved them apart, "Children, please, it was merely an accident. We will find Ralph. Don't worry." Jack glared passed Ako at Mimi before he turned sharply away "Where do we start looking?" "You two won't be looking for him. You will return to the farm." Ako stated and Jack turned on his heel to face her. "Why can't we help?" "It's far too dangerous for you." Ako replied like a concerned mother as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Mimi forgot her anger pretty quick as she was reminded of the event she had just gone through. "Jack-! I forgot to tell you! Dragons are real!" Her eyes widened as she looked at him. "What?" He asked in disbelief, wondering why she would bring up such a stupid story; especially now. "I was just attacked by the pond after going into a cave to get some gold coins." To prove her point, she pulled a small handful of coins out of her pockets. Jack stared at the coins. She had physically proof that went along with her story. "And that's why you two have to go back to the farm. The dragons are very dangerous and you will only get yourselves hurt or worse." Ako spoke up. Jack didn't know how to respond to the information given to him.

Ralph stumbled and fell to his knees after the dragon had landed and dropped him down in front of another dragon. This much larger dragon was grey with red piercing eyes. He had claws marks going around on side of his face that led slightly down his neck. "I brought you a new gift, Alpha." The female dragon that had dropped Ralph,  bowed her head low to the ground as she wanted for him to speak. The Alpha walked over and poked Ralph with a claw, looking him over before nodding, "Excellent. Put him with my collection." "Yes sir." She replied giddily and picked up Ralph again. She carried him over to a cave where there were so many humans. Humans in cages or in chains. All in filthy rags and looked worse for wear.
Ralph gasped out as he was shoved into a cage with a young redhead woman. She merely kept her head low as the she dragon closed the cage door and left without a single word. "What's happening? Where am I? Why are you all trapped here?" He asked the redhead, his voice shaking from his fear. "Welcome to the Slave Trade." She spoke in hushed whispers. "Slave Trade!?" He squeaked out and she nodded, "You must have grown up in Oidoas' Forest." "Oidoas' Forest?" He repeated. He knew that name. That was the name of Chimur's friend, who owned the farm where he had been staying with his brother and best friend. "You don't even know the story, do you?" She asked him, figuring they had no need to tell the younger generation any more. "What story?" Ralph questioned. The redhead sighed, "Well back long ago, centuries even, dragons and humans got along wonderfully. They were living together quite peacefully until one day a dragon by the name of Velvet grew angry at the power the Empress held. She vowed that it should be her in power because her father was such a strong Alpha. But she could never bring the fight close enough to the Empress to even make a dent. One night Velvet brainwashed several humans to go into the castle where the Empress lived and to kill her in her sleep. Dragons had long ago learned to turn into humans as to not accidentally crush any of their human friends when hanging out; anyways the group of people made their way inside but somehow got mixed up in which room actually belonged to the Empress and the Empress to hate humans. She felt betrayed. And in that moment she banished all humans from her kingdom, if any were found after the new law was in place they became slaves to dragons. Her general, Oidoas, had done some secret work behind her back and found that it was not the humans that did such a horrible thing but it was actually Velvet's fault and the Great War begun.
The struggle for the power was great, but in the end Velvet was stripped of all her power and placed into the body of a white dragon, cursed for all eternity to live her life in the shadows and to crawl along the ground like a snake. After the war, Oidoas explained that the people were merely used as pawns to start the war but the Empress no longer cared. She told him that if he wanted to deal with the rotten flesh he could. That sparked a smaller war between the dragons. Those who wanted to set the humans free and those who wanted to keep their pet slaves. Oidoas had fought the Alpha outside for many years over freeing humans but one slip up and he completely stopped helping. He vowed to never help another human again." Ralph looked at her with wide eyes. He had no idea they stumbled into such a war driven time. "Why did Oidoas stop helping?" The red head sat down and sighed softly, "His mate Ako was pregnant with their second child. She took their son out shopping one day to meet the freed humans. A dragon disguised as a human attacked her. Killing their son and their unborn child. He wounded her so that she would never have another baby and Oidoas vowed to never help the humans again. He left his forest for those escaping the Slave Trade but he told every single one that if they ever attempted a rescue and brought a fight to his place, that he would murder them all. People live freely in that Forest but none ever return. My grandfather Clint Woods escaped not too long ago and had promised me he would come back after talking with the Great Dragon. I didn't bother getting my hopes up, Oidoas would never change his mind. The Empress had been right, helping us only led to death within his family."
Ralph stared at his hands in shock. Oidoas and Ako actually went through that terrible mess and still tried to help them get back home? Was it because they were from a different time and didn't actually know anything about these wars?