The Dragon King

Phantom's POV - Trapped in a Gilded Cage

The picture above is Ceylon

Enjoy the chapter!

Whekim

Lashing out, I threw three spears of shadow at the training dummies. Ceylon, the Captain of the Guard was putting me through a training test. Leaping to the side at the boulder thrown at me, I lengthened the shadows and curled up in the corner, making the room so dark no one, not even an animal with night vision, could see. I sent a wave of sharp, jagged shadows to the machine the training dummies were coming out of. It fizzed and went silent. I wrapped my tail around my body. Where was Liam? I remember when we were close before he got obsessed with ultimate power and the Dragon King:

A baby black dragon is scampering around on the grass, evidently playing a bizarre form of hide and seek. A handsome boy is chasing after him, before pretending to walk away into the building. The dragon shot forwards, leaping onto the shoulders of the boy, releasing a small hiccup of black shadow, which looked like floating oil in the sunlight. The boy stared in shock and touched the shadows. They wrapped around his hand and with a blow of air from the dragon, disappeared. "Phantom!" The boy exclaimed laughing as they walked to the library, the dragon curled around Liam's shoulders.

As they entered the library, Liam purposefully walked to the aisle titled magic and, bending down to peer beneath the bookshelf, pulled out a book. Flicking to a particular chapter, he began to read aloud to the dragon. The dragon closed his eyes and, unnoticed by his rider, went to sleep. Liam began to write notes, with one page mysteriously titled "The Dragon King". The boy soon became bored of this impromptu research and began to sketch a girl. She had green eyes and brown hair, with a likeness to Liam.

The flashback moved on

The teacher flicked a button on the machine. Liam, Phantom you have one aim. Defeat all the training dummies!" The boy mounted the now grown black dragon and raised his hands. Shadows twirled around his fingers, whilst the dragon raised his head and stood in a defensive stance. He shot out a strike of shadow, killing the dummy instantly. The boy dealt with the other one and methodically, as a team, dragon and rider destroyed all the training dummies. To finish, the dragon stepped forwards and released a jet of black fire into the room. Boy and dragon were one. They were whole. They were complete.

Ceylon stepped forwards. "That was very impressive Phantom. You will be useful.  Although we control the Soulstealers, who in turn control the wraiths, we do not control the meddling plasma dragon and her motley band of followers,".

I decided to refrain from mentioning that the meddling plasma dragon was my sister. Instead, I bowed my head respectfully. "Thank you, Master".

Ceylon nodded. "Now go, go and do your duties with the lightning dragons,".

As I hurried down the passages, passed by cowed lightning dragons, with their heads hung low and numerous raw wounds on their bodies, I decided that I needed to do something. To help these poor dragons. Sure Liam had controlled me, not allowing me to have my own say, at least I never looked cowed. Or at least I didn't realise I did.

It's not the same thing.

Is it?

I slipped into the servants quarters. As I had had an audience with the King, I was granted with a weird form of respect, not that I wanted it and was put in a room with one other dragon, called Heffres, who wasted no time in telling me that I had taken the place of his best friend and potential mate, who had been killed by the King the day I had arrived here.

I passed the whipping post, where a helpless lightning dragon, her scales already covered in blood, gore and crusty scabs was tethered, the whips making a wet thwunk sound on her scales. As I hurried by a dragon muttered: "She should be lucky she got away with her life, accidentally clicking her talons against the floor in front of Ceylon". If it wasn't for the whipping, I would have liked to linger in their area - it was the only way we could be in the open air because servants were not allowed outside

I passed the hatchling area, where fire dragons had their own individual 5 meter by 5 metre pen whereas there were 12 lightning dragon hatchlings in a 3 metre by 3 metre pen, before reaching our room. I stepped in and glanced at Heffres, who had lash scars all across his back.

Heffres looked up sadly. "You're already walking like a servant,". He stated. "It won't be long before you talk like us too.".

I stared at him. "That will never happen!". I declared confidently.

Heffres laughed. "And why is that?".

Unaware of the five or so lightning dragons behind me, I responded confidently: "Because I am going to escape before then!".