She gave her horse a comforting pat. "Almost there, Nara, almost there." She got a snort in response. Finaly, the last layer of walls were upon them. The castle walls. The walls that encased the first ring. Only the royal family, some of their staff, and thier knights lived beyond these walls. It had taken two hours to navigate through the first two rings, and she could hear some sounds coming from the dragon. It was almost like a reptiles purr, a dragons breath, she thought. The final gates were opened to them. This was her second time entering the first ring. It had been a long time since she had. She absorbed her surroundings with silent awe. The castles itself was grand in every detail. Chiseled stone bricks and finely layed gardens. Magnificent spires that supported the wavering kingdom flag towered into the sky. She looked with a scowl at the emblem of the flag. It was of a dragon clashing with a king, fire erupting around them. Of course, despite the fact that the dragons jaws were wide and bursting with fire unto the king, the king stood amidst the flame and struck a sword into the dragons gullet. She turned her gaze away from the emblem and focused on the castle arch. It was rather magnificent, laden with delicate and incise carvings of battles and beasts. As she passed under it, she couldn't help but wonder about what the dragon was thinking. ~~~ Era's thoughts were hazy. She saw lots of stone with carvings on it she couldn't quite yet make out. Her legs and wings and tail felt limp although she could feel something restraining them. There was also something else. She felt smaller. Considerably smaller. She hasn't felt this small since she was a dragonet. She disliked the smallness. It made her feel weak and vulnerable. Then again, she had already failed in defending herself. Yet she didn't bother with fear. She knew that hunters wouldn't bother hauling a live dragon to the first ring of Dragonbane Keep if they could help it. No, she would live. And at the moment, she couldn't decide if that would mean good or bad. She shook these thoughts from mind, her brain finaly starting to function. She was inside the keep now. She hated this helplessness. This feeling of being a prisoner. She was a dragon! A beast of legends! She was supposed to be in control, not these, these, apes! Ahead of her, her huntress kneeled before the king. The king had a Saphire blue cloak, and sat on an intricate stone throne adorned with saphires. Above him, a dragons skull hung, it's eyes replaced with yet more saphires. She growled. This vain king would not treat her in this manner. She received a stab in the side from the blunt end of a guards sword. She continued her growl. She would not let a human control her. "My good King, I present to you a dragon of void class. As per thy request." The hunter spoke in a mock male voice, her head hidden beneath an emerald cloak. Era cocked her head as much as she could in her restraints. She could not understand very much of the human tounge, but some parts did come through. Void class? So that was what they called the stronger dragons. Among dragons, there were no real division between dragons as to breed and color and power. She could, however, understand the misconception, as the different scales of dragons tended to uphold thier families power. The Jaran family, of green dragons, did not expect much from thier drakes. For generations they were a rather lazy family, and often seen as easy to slay by the hunters. It was a wonder thier were still dragons of thier scale around Dragonbane keep, home of the Dragon King, slayer of a dragon of each Family. Including hers. Unlike the Jaran Family, the Varyn Family Raised thier drakes strong. She had learned to master her magic by the age of twenty. Jarans didn't untill the age of a hundred. Her family carried the trait of black scales, often tinted with blue or green. She herself had the blue tint. Her uncle, Vast, had been the first of her Family to be slain by men in seven centuries. His head was undoubtably the one above the king. She shook her head of these thoughts again as the King rose and spoke. "Tis but a drake? I requested a fully matured Dragon." He said, his deep voice echoed and bounced off the walls of the Keep. Her head still bowed, she replied. "It is mature, my king. I beg, wait a few minutes." She pleaded. The king seemed confused. Yet he did not have the time to respond. Suddenly, she felt her bones creak, and stretch. The pain was excruciating, and she roared out in great pain. Her muscles grew and lengthened and re strengthened, Her tail regrew back to its dangerous strength. Her teeth returned from the sharpness of an annoying pups to that of a great beast. The leather harness snapped at its seams to the hunters dismay. She was free! And she felt stronger than ever.
Yet unfortunately, she was still under the effect of the sleeping elixer. Though the resize elixir had worn off, her thoughts and actions were still jumpy and not nearly as elite or swift. Due to her momentary hesitance, it gave the surrounding castle guards an advantage. In minutes, they had strong chains over her body and around her muzzle. She was brought down. Again. The king smiled his wolfish smile. "Good job. Hunter. Thy shall receive the forementioned reward. One thousand pounds of gold shall be sent to your dwelling."He said. He stepped down from his throne, unapprehensive. He slowly approached Era, fearless in the sight of her, chained at least. He was soon within a talons length of her snout. Tentatively, he reached out a hand and rested it on her nose. "Marvelous." He said, a tight smile across his face. A rare sight to be sure. Era growled and struggled. She would not be touched by this man! It was dignified to be shot down, but humiliating to be treated in such. The king laughed heartily at her failure to escape her bonds. The Huntress rose and bowed. "Thank you my king. I shall return home now." She replied, turning to return to her home. Era could hear the sound of the womens boots echoing down the great hall. Suddenly, the halted, and sound ceased. "My King, if I may ask, what are thine plans for the dragon?" She dared to ask. The voice tried to sound emotionless, but it was tinged with something else. Guilt, perhaps? The kings smile vanished. "Thy may not ask. Begone, hunter." The Huntress did not ask twice, nor hesitate another second. The footsteps continued out of the castle, a fraction faster than they were before. ~~~ Three days, Era spent out of the daylight. Without food or water. She hadn't hunted in over a week, as a dragon could go a fortnight without meals and be at full strength, but that didn't mean they didn't feel hunger after the first several days. The ceaseless darkness infuriated her. She could not see where she was, and the air was to damp and cold to summon her fire if her snout had not been binded. The damp was sinking into her scales and chilling her bones. If she spent to long like this her wings would rot and she'd lose her ability to fly. But that was not the Kings apparent plan. Era really did not know how long she had spent in this specially crafted dungeon. Her only source of light was a narrow band that came from an unknown source, and that it had flickered on and off three times after long intervals. It certainly felt like three days when the king entered the room. He was followed by several guards and a Mage. A brown dog followed loyaly at his side, looking smug and vicious. Torches lit the dark room, casting horrific shadows from the odd angles the light hit her ridges and scales. The Mage circled her like she was a specimen of sorts. The guards stood prime with swords at the ready if she made a move. The king stood and watched this all. Soon, the Mage left after a few words to the king. The king then approached Era in his farming way, mere inches from her snout. He put his hand on her nose again, then slowly withdrew it after a moment. He barked for a servant to enter the room. The servant entered the dungeon carrying a slain stag. She looked at it in disgust. It smelled like it had been deceased for longer than a week. The prey was flopped in front of her muzzle. It was inches away, but her restricting chains kept her from it. Either way, she refused to eat prey. She would not be fed, she told herself. I am to hunt or starve. The king loosened the bindings around her jaw just a little. It would have been enough for her to nibble on the stag, and eventually get it down her gullet, but she refused to eat. The King, however, was not happy with her rejecting the gift. He frowned. But unlike she expected him to, he did not yell, or draw his sword. He merely kept his scowl, turned, and left the dungeon with a mighty thump of the door behind him. And now she scowled, with nothing to smell or look at except the wasted prey. ~~~
