WARNING: Abuse, technically torture in a way, and forced violence.
My eyes snapped open as loud human voices forced me back into reality. The last thought I had to myself in my dream echoed in my mind. I snorted at it. Glad he's my rider? What a joke, I thought with gallows humour.
Chains clanked as I moved, shifting to see around the corner to the humans. "So what'd Boss want us to do with this monster?"
"Train 'im – teach 'im to fight proper. Get someone to control him too and have him properly. Boss said not to kill him though. Hurt 'im sure, but not kill. He said that we should be careful though. This one might be a bit more dangerous than the others."
"Ah-huh. This one, right?" The first voice said from outside my stall. I raised my head.
"Yes," came the reply. I rolled my shoulders, causing the loud clank, clank of chains to echo around me. My eyes narrowed and I focussed on the two figures a few metres ahead of me.
One had a giant leather thing in their hands while the other held some small chains and stuff. I snorted and stood. My lips curled back in a snarl, my wings moved, causing their chains to move noisily, and I shuffled forward a few steps. The cold chains around my legs forbid me from getting too close to the humans, so I had to make do from a distance.
I snapped at one human as they moved forward. "We've got a fighter by the looks of this," the male said as he took another step forward. As he stepped into the tiny light of my cell, I saw he held a bridle in his hands. I growled loudly and tried to bite him. As I did so, the chains around my neck jerked my head back. My growl was cut of abruptly and I strained against the chain. The pressure slowly built on the scales around my neck and I could feel them starting to buckle beneath the pressure.
Just as I felt like my scales were going to give way, I stopped pulling on the chain. The pair of humans were now standing by my shoulder. The chain around my neck had caused my head to pull up so I could only watch them from my peripheral. The woman swung the leather thing around and threw it onto my back – it was a saddle!
I roared and shook my body, flapping my wings and yanking against the chains. The chains all tightened. However, I managed to rip my head around and snap at the male who drew back just in time. Irritating. The man raised his hand and muttered something. An arc of lightening shot from his hand and I let out a pain-filled roar as it hit my neck. The lightening sent a shock through my body and I found myself frozen.
"Behave or I'll do something worse," the male murmured as I slowly came back to my senses. A growl rumbled in my chest but I did nothing. I knew better now. Patience.
I stood still, allowing the women to place the saddle on my back. Everything started being tightened and I inhaled a large breath as the straps around my stomach were tightened. "Don't," the female warned as she jerked her hand, causing the chain on my neck to move my head. I released the breath in a growl. The moment the saddle had finished moving I felt the male clamber onto the hollow of my back.
I shook my head as if he were a fly; but, the human stationed himself well and grabbed a neck spike. I growled, rolling my head to the side, suddenly yanking on the neck-chain. The female pulled on the chain and muttered something, causing what felt like a weight to drop on my head.
My head sunk to the ground as I fought to get my legs under me to push myself up. However, the female seemed to have predicted this and was ready. She waved her hand and the chains on my front legs were yanked backwards. I let out a grunt as I slammed into the ground. The male – who I had forgotten– was quick to use my position to his advantage. He easily strode down my neck, to my head, and clipped the horn-straps on. He then swung off to land next to my face with a loud thump.
"Not so proud now, are you?" He asked with a laugh as I glared at him from the corner of my eye, incapable of doing anything else. The female had let go of the chains and was now standing by the man.
The pair started clipping the rein-rings around my neck. They were an odd feature that few riders ever bothered to put on dragons. They encircled the neck and had rings that the different reins were threaded through so that if the dragon tried to rip the reins out of the person riding them, said person could easily get them back. Rein-rings were mainly used for younger dragons when they were being trained, during battle so that an opponent didn't grab a rein, and for people who couldn't control their dragons.
I growled my annoyance as the pair started tightening the rein-rings. The male grinned and patted my nose as if I were some pet. "Don't worry," he chirped. "We're almost done." He then grabbed another bunch of leather straps, which was the second part of the bridle and contained the bit.
The woman stuffed something in my mouth – it tasted hideous! I immediately opened my mouth and spat it out. However, it appeared that the man had been waiting for that, and took that moment to shove the bit into my mouth. The noseband was then pulled up over my nose and attached to the browband – which was the leather strap that connected the two horn-straps. The rest of the bridle was quickly tightened and double-checked to see if there was any way I would be able to regain control.
"Everything set?" The woman asked.
"Yep. The trainer will come around soon so we can move onto the next dragon," the man said before the pair walked out without another word.
I snarled under my breath, barely able to open my mouth. I waited, silent and in pain, for whatever would happen next. I wasn't kept waiting long.
A man entered my cell, tall and pale with a scar crossing his face. I curled my lip, bared my teeth, and growled. The man casually strolled around me, appearing at ease. I stopped growling, narrowing my eyes, knowing that this man was dangerous – whoever he was.
I knew that danger did not only mean one's skill in fighting, but also how they held themselves and how they reacted. This man was at ease, comfortable, despite the oppressive atmosphere and the suffering going on around him. He simply did not care. That spoke of danger.
The chains around me fell loose, dropping to the ground in a din of sound. It took me a moment to realise what this meant. Then I was spinning, wings clamped to my side, and fire building in my throat. I saw the man for barely a second, before my flames created a wall between us and I was already trying to move away. A word echoed, and I dropped to the ground, ears ringing and body tingling. I got up slowly, cautiously. The man in front of me waited; calm, still, dangerous, deadly.
I knew my own strength well, but I also knew that this man was not here for a fight. He was here for something else. In the back of my mind, uneasiness prickled.
I stayed stationary. Wary, yes, but knowing that I needed to conserve my strength. I could not fight magic, not in this form, not as I was now. Magic was delicate and while it was easier to control when one could speak the necessary words, it required a calm and focussed mind. In battle, I could be focussed, but here and now, I was the furthest thing from calm.
The man approached – still at ease – striding towards me with purpose. I shifted my weight to my hind legs but did little else. I watched. I calculated. The man – and I doubted he was a rider – was ready for an attack. His hands steady but eyes flickering around; weight resting on the balls of his feet, ready to move. The man stopped a metre away. He seemed to be waiting for something.
A growl wrestled its way out of my mouth. This man was waiting for me to acknowledge that he was dominant here, that I was under his control. I snorted and turned my head away from him. I watched from the corner of my eye as he approached, but didn't do anything. I would save my energy, but I would not – would never again – submit. The man seemed to sense that we had reached a truce and stood by my leg. I grumbled and braced myself as the man climbed into the saddle. I shook my body and took a step forward.
I was not under his control.
The man jerked on one set of reins, and I threw my head into the air to ease the pressure on my mouth as the bit was pulled. The other reins were then jerked, pulling my nose down. The use of the rein-rings was now obvious to me. I dropped my head but still kept pressure on the reins, letting the man know that I wasn't giving in. I hoped that he would let the reins loosen and I would then be able to throw my head in the air again. Wrestle back control. That didn't happen.
On the edge of my hearing, something metal started rumbling. The cage door open and I leapt towards it. I jerked to a standstill before jumping upwards to try and knock the man off my back. It didn't work.
The man pulled on one rein, and my head was forced that way, before he forced my head down, so I was twisted and resting my head on my chest. I breathed heavily through my nose and gritted my teeth. I couldn't do anything to stop him. The man waited for a few minutes and I stayed stiff and twisted. The reins loosened and I straightened out, relaxing and stretching my wings. However, just as I stretched my head out to ease the ache in my neck, the reins were pulled taunt once more. I snarled as my head was forced back to the awkward, twisted position.
I whipped my tail around in anger, and hopped sideways, ramming sideways into the stone. The man barely grunted, but I heard him, and I slammed sideways into the other wall, before bunching my muscles and jumping into the air. The man jerked one set of reins and I threw my head up, crashing it into the ceiling. I growled loudly and spun in place, rearing onto my hind legs before twisting my body and bucking. The man stayed put, and used the reins to try to twist my head around, but this time I wasn't having any of it. I continued fighting until eventually I subsided with a growl, realising it was pointless to try to get the man off. He hadn't moved at all. I relaxed my tense muscles and dropped my head down lightly, easing the pressure on my mouth. I walked forward at his heavy kick, snarling as I did so.
We eventually reached a large circular arena with chains covering the top half – probably to stop dragons from flying out. I slowly walked towards it, noting that there were other ones nearby. I looked for any weaknesses in the structure, but having little hope. After all, he had built it. There would be no mistakes in its structure nor any weaknesses.
A door opened in front of us and I walked through calmly. I knew there was a fight to come and, despite the enclosed fighting space that had my skin crawling, I was ready. I relaxed, eyes surveying the area to check the limits of the place and where I wouldn't want to be caught. The chains would be annoying, but they still allowed for some space to fly, which was better than nothing.
Across from me, another door opened. A dark coloured dragon entered. At a guess, I would put them a few years older than me. They had clearly fought recently, judging by the injuries on their body. They were male, but that meant nothing. One dragon could fight the same as any another, no matter their gender. He, too, had someone on his back, but there was no connection between the two. I focussed on the dragon.
He had his head lowered. He had already given in, given up. That made the fight slightly easier, but the dragon would still fight. He had no choice.
The dragon finally took notice of me and his head lifted. Grey eyes stared at me and the dragon snarled. I tilted my head and revaluated the dragon. Maybe it wouldn't be such an easy fight, especially with the dragon hating me. The dragon flared their wings and arched their back, trying to seem bigger. I was not one to cower though. This posturing meant little to me and it meant little in a fight. Nevertheless, I lifted my wings, half-opening them and raising them above my body. Although often seen as posturing, this was a good defensive position and, in moments, I could lift myself over the other dragon if – when – they charged towards me.
The dragon charged. My muscles tensed. They were almost on me. Then-
Wings out either side of me as I soared above them.
-the dragon roared.
I whirled around, facing them even as they started to turn. I slammed into them, pushing them back as they were off balance. Claws cutting through scabs and scales, even as the other dragon's teeth brushed passed my neck.
I darted back. The dragon roared, and fire blasted towards me. I dodged the fire and leapt upwards and into the air.
I hovered, before dropping down. The dragon jerked his head backwards and I lowered my head and rammed their throat with my horns, before lifting my head to hit them in the jaw. The dragon recoiled with a choking sound. I went to finish off the dragon, prepared to make sure they wouldn't be able to attack me straight away.
I threw my head up with a loud snarl as the reins were pulled. I leapt backward, and fought the man for control. The man said something softly and I cried out as pain lanced through my body, my wings spasmed and I dropped my head as I focussed on keeping my balance.
The reins tightened.
I growled lowly, realising that the man had managed to gain control. I looked at the dragon from the corner of my eye, but he had his head lowered again and was slowly walking out of the arena. I sighed and jerked on the reins, even as I knew that I would eventually do as asked.
I would keep fighting, though. I could hardly do anything else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That fight was annoying to write, like it just wouldn't be written... Although, I got quite a few rambles just to up that word count. It all fitted in, which was great. Thus far, the chapters in this book are longer than those in A Dragon's View (for future reference, ADV).
That's okay, though, as I think the next few chapters will be smaller... However, this book is made to be a bit bigger than the other, or maybe just have more chapters. Either way, I'll probably just go with it.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
SilentSilverSlip/Gabby
Also, dedication to @firestar854 for all the votes and the adding my book(s) to their reading list(s), and even mentioning my book in their book journal! One of the main reasons, I finally managed to get the chapter done.
Edited: 27/01/2021