A Dragon's Tale #Watty's2015

The Ring

When I woke, I wasn't sure if I'd dreamed it or not. My entire body ached as if I hadn't moved in days. My eyes were stinging and I could hear what sounded like chatter all around me. When I finally managed to get my eyes open, I found I was in a cage.

 It was made of a thick wire with sharp barbs placed about three or four inches apart from each other. The wire was way to thick to bite through and even if I could bite through it I'd get one of those barbs lodged in my mouth for sure.

Upon inspecting myself, I found I had crude stitches on my chest and a sliver band around my neck that was flashing with a red light. Adelind and the cubs sported similar bands and stitching. I found my self shaking slightly with the fear of what I didn't know. Where I was, what had happened and what may be in store for my family.

 I looked around the area. There were hundred, maybe even thousands of dragons here, caged. The cages were piled on top of each other and from what I could see, and smell, the cages were made so the waste from the dragon above you dripped down onto your neck, back and head. There were huge dragons, some even my size, trying to brake their cages, but going no where. Some of the dragons had the wire tangled all over their muzzles, which were bloody. Humans with sticks walked all around the cages, as if to make sure no one escaped.

 “You got lucky”,A weak voice came from above me, the tone and pitch told me it was a male,“they kidnapped me and killed my family.”

 The light wasn't all that good, but my eyes were. I looked above me to find a small, brown Mountain Dragon cub. He was only about a foot tall and maybe four feet long. He had soft blue eyes that glowed in the dark like stars and he had the armor and horns like Ace. He was young, younger than Helix by maybe two months. The tone in his voice sounded like he'd given up years ago.

 “I'm Tyro”,I said.

 “Tyson”,the little cub said.

 “You sound like you've given up Tyson”,I said,“why?”

 “I lost my last fight”,Tyson sniffled, “I'm just waiting for them to give me the knife.”

 I shivered, “what knife?”

“When you lose a fight”, Tyson began, “they cut off your wings and tail and brake your legs before they toss you down a hole to die.”

 I felt my heart split. Tyson was so little, but he'd obviously seen beloved friends, perhaps even his parents, go to their deaths at the hands of these humans.

 “What's with the collars?”, I asked, “I noticed your not wearing one?”

 “It's because my front paw in broken”, Tyson replied, “they decided they were going to kill me anyway, so they took it off.”

 “What about the stitches?”

 “Bombs”, Tyson said, “if you try to run, the humans blow your heart out.”

 I swallowed, “there's...bombs...inside my cubs?”

 “And your mate and you”, Tyson replied.

 “Why?”, I asked, “why would anyone do this to us?”

 “I could ask the same”, Tyson said, “but they took you because they want to fight you. As long as you keep wining, your mate and cubs are safe...”

 “Fights?”,I asked.

 “Yeah”, Tyson said, “everyday they pick three dragons to fight an Arena Boss, that's the nickname for the dragon's owned by he people who run this place, right now I know of three bosses, Razorback, Titan and Steel....I wish they would hurry up and kill me.”