The Silver Dragon (Unpublished, unedited version)

Chapter 12: Collars and Chains

The world began to regain reality slowly. First were the noises. Unearthly screams echoing in a yet unknown place. The dull murmur of voices in a softened background. Then there were the smells. Dragon blood spilled on a wet concrete floor. Overworked machines and animal manure. Burning wood. An overwhelming human stench, not the clean type.

Then as the world began to make light Silver began to realise other things. There were heavy weights on her shoulders, legs, tail and wings. Something was snapped over he muzzle, tightly, only allowing her to breathe through her nose. A grey wall stood straight upwards in front of her with a small metal door standing straight against it. The concrete floor was slippery and wet and smelled of something unhealthy. Dim white lights shone from what she assumed was the roof of the enclosure but as she tried to look upwards she realised her neck was also chained.

A scream sounded behind her wall causing her to meep in surprise. She instantly went to cover her head with her wings, trying to block out the sound, but her wings were trapped. The sound suddenly stopped, much to her relief. But it was small relief. As he mind began to reach working order once again she began to feel fear. What was this place? It couldn't be the A.O.D.H because her mind wasn't being controlled. At least she didn't think it was. It didn't seem any different then before. She couldn't check for the device, but why would they have her changed up if they already controlled her.

She shivered as a distasted thought entered her mind. They could be doing it while she was awake, putting that thing into her. It had happened to her father, and he said it had been the most painful thing he had ever experienced. The pain had nearly broken him. And her father was the strongest dragon she knew.

'Think Silver,' she told herself, trying to control the fear that was threatening to arise in her, 'You can get out of this. Just ignore your feelings. For now.'

She closed her eyes again, feeling out the bonds that trapped her wings, tail and legs. As far as she knew, they were either iron or steel. Easy enough to cut through. She focused on the edges of her wings, and the metal around them began to shimmer and ripple like water. The blunt limb began to reform, becoming sharper and sharper until it was an edge that could cut diamond. It was a trick her father had taught her. When she was born her wings had been naturally sharp but soon enough she had learned to dull the edges. Wrestling another dragon with limbs that could kill with a single swipe didn't bode well, so it had been the first part of her powers she had learnt to control. Now it was effortless.

With a small grin she began to move her wings as much as she could, slowly sawing away at the metal bonds. If she could put more force behind her movements it would be quicker but her lack of movement made it a little difficult. As long as they didn't check up on her before then... or had a camera inside the cage.

A sudden creak startled her and she instantly stopped cutting away the metallic bonds. Her wing rippled and became normal again and she looked over at the intrusion. A man walked inside the enclosure with a notepad in his hand. An expensive blue suit covered him with a gun holder at one side and what looked like a TV remote at the other. He had a set of glasses neatly set on his face, enlarging dark brown eyes. He looked up from his notepad and frowned, glancing at the bound dragon. The bounds around her muzzle suddenly loosened, allowing her to open her mouth slightly.

"Name?" he said in a monotone voice.

Silver didn't answer, too startled by the question to do so. What was this? An interrogation or something.

"Name," the man insisted.

An angry growl erupted from her throat, "Why should I tell..."

She didn't make it half way through her sentence before pain erupted across her body. It was so sudden. So unexpected. It felt as if every nerve, bone, artery and blood vessel was being ripped apart by stinging needles. She screamed, not being able to help herself. There was no way to stop it. No way to defend from it. Her metallic screech echoed throughout the room and into the enclosures around her. It was so loud even the man covered his ears with a grimace.