Chapter Ten: The Welcoming (Part II)

Insert from Beast of No Nation: Studies of Dragonology: Radio Show (segment fifty-two)

[Contrary to popular belief, Dragons do not posses the ability to "hypnotize" their prey. Better known as Stun amongst reptilian lovers and experts, it is a color pattern that varies in degree and hue alluring the prey towards it- most commonly seen in large lizards and certain snakes. Hypnosis can be used as a spell, however, that is discussed more in segment twelve called of Charms and Magic. Dragons are magical creatures that share a certain amount of their power with their partner. Often it is with drains, but it is not a rare sight to see this particular mutualistic relationship exist between a dragon and a human. The human must be compatible with the dragon and the level of intimacy will determine the strength of this bond. It has no formal name in the English language but in the olden days of ancient times, it was once referred to as a 'Heavenly Pact'. This meant that the human or dragon would be sharing their soul almost becoming individually linked. This bond allows them to be seen as equals. It is a rare thing in this day and age for most dragons who have never felt that level of trust and companionship; however, I do believe it is possible. This form of partnership can be platonic or romantic and usually involves being bound together until death. A 'Heavenly Pact' between a rider and a dragon hasn't been recorded in the recent decade, but somewhere out there if you're listening, I think we may just see it once again.]

~ Your host,

R. Draekos

"You will die," His brother snickered as he leaned against the doorframe. Cyan was packing his suitcase as he prepared to depart to The Academy to begin his training. He looked up briefly from his suitcase, unamused. The smirk on Sky's face only grew bigger. Cyan rolled his eyes before focusing his attention back to which sweater he wants to take. His choices are a royal blue cardigan and a crimson overhead.

"Guys like you don't last long in the army." He stands up to his full height which towers over Cyan. Stretching his arms over his head, he begins to step closer to the bed. Cyan watches him gingerly as one does an animal waiting for them to attack. His brother's mood had yet to settle as he got older. The punches thrown lessened as they grew up, but it didn't help that Cyan would be leaving. A part of him felt that since he was the illegitimate child, Sky would be happy to see him go, but there was a part of him that knew his brother. He couldn't stand change and he hated not having control. With Cyan gone, his father would be more likely to focus on Sky, relying on him to take on the responsibilities that had been up onto Cyan for so long. The very responsibilities Sky wanted to escape. This slither of relief often was how Cyan found himself bleeding on the sidewalk in front of their house. Sky would hover over him, gripping him by the hair forcing the boy to look into his eyes. Then his brother would pour warm beer onto his face stinging the open wounds. Squirming under his grasp, Sky laughed wickedly before mumbling something incoherent.

Alcohol made monsters of men.

In these drunken rages and short burst of glee, Cyan found himself on the receiving end of these episodes until the day he lost his hearing. Now, Sky kept his distance, but in the days leading up to his departure, his brother seemed more testy than usual. Cyan didn't say a word to the older man as he stuffed both sweaters into his suitcase before closing it up. Pretending to fiddle with one of the name tags, his eyes followed Sky's movements as he stepped just beyond the other side of the bed. Looking up slowly, the young soldier met his gaze.

"You will die," Sky whispers, "I bet that you won't even make it to war before your dragon kills you. Say hi to your mother for me."

_________

His feet barely touch the ground anymore.

His lungs were screaming for oxygen as he gulps at it like a fish out of water. It hurts to admit that Sky might be right. Death is inevitable, but to die like this, he almost should have expected it. It would seem he's cursed to follow in his mother's footsteps. Maybe he let his curiosity get the better of his resentment. That bitter acrid taste that stung his tongue as he felt for the remote.

He should have seen this coming. When he tumbled over himself, falling into the wall, the dragon didn't hesitate to make its move. Before he could even blink, clawed hands wrapped around his throat hoisting him up into the air like he weighed nothing. The creature swung him a bit like a child holding a doll in its arms before it was shoved him into the cold cement wall. Coughing up blood, he spat out at the creature's face in a furry. The dragon slowly released some pressure and he felt the dragon move his body away from the wall. Suddenly, he was slammed again into the wall. The force of the impact knocked the fight out of him as he struggled to breathe as the claws dug into his flesh. He could no longer see straight as stars danced behind his eyelids.

Spitting up more blood, he ignored the sharp pain he felt in his head. He was losing consciousness fast as he fell in and out of memories. Choking on blood, his body is squirming in panic. It is then the dragon's large fist meets his stomach and the velocity of the impact makes his body jerk violently. Gagging, his blackened vision quickly darkens as his air supply runs outs.

Cyan opens his eyes. The dragon glared back.

Animals were territorial by nature- it was the desire to be the strongest and the fastest that allowed them to survive. Dragons were no different.

Aiden had killed at least three other humans the same way he was going to kill this little soldier. When the latch unlocked and the door of his cage opened with a creak, he counted the slight hiccup in the brunette's breath waiting for the moment to strike. He propelled his serpentine-like body forward, aiming straight for the neck. It was a definite kill shot. He didn't expect the little soldier to be alive after banging his head so hard against the wall. What surprised him was the blood that dripped down the side of his muzzle as his nostrils flared. He squeezed tighter clenching his hands so that his claws dig into the soft flesh. Watching the beads of blood stain his black nails red gave him a thrill. For the first time in a long time, he felt something other than the nauseating heaviness of death. It was then he noticed how small the little soldier was. His stature wasn't even to his shoulders and yet, he held on longer than other men. Narrowing his eyes, he grinned at the thought of how easily he could break the human without another thought. It was this primal urge that made the back of his throat rumble with pride.

Cyan turned his head slightly as icy tendrils of breath burned his skin. It was so cold, it almost felt hot to the touch. Wincing at the snap of pointed teeth snapping behind a scaled mouth, he couldn't ignore the low growl escaping from the dragon. Its bubblegum pink gums were a sight to behold as sharp incisors poked from them. Electric blue eyes grew into slits as he leaned closer into Cyan. His windpipe felt like a cracker easily breakable over a full course meal. Saliva from its jaws dripped onto his collar bone leaving him shivering. The animalistic potency of a dragon is beyond any creature alive; Cyan was fully feeling the effect of such visceral strength as he struggled to get one good breath of air. His eyes widened as his labored breaths became shorter. He felt his heart jumping against his ribcage as his whole body began to go into crisis mode.

Cyan knew that if he didn't do something, his carelessness would get him killed. The lump of blood in the back of his throat made it nearly impossible to swallow. Heaving in panic, fear began to chip away at his mind as images flashed across his line of sight. Something slowly gave way. It had been many years since he felt like this. The emotional toll of his mother's death had left him numb, but now, Cyan didn't want to die. Not like this. Not at the hands of the very creature who killed his mother. His military training began to kick in as he forced himself to stop struggling. Relaxing the muscles in his throat, he began focusing on each area of his body. Though every instinct in him told his body to fight, he held out. Instead, his fingers lightly tapped the Controller and he blindly pressed a button.

Cyan felt all his resentment boil over as he jammed on the button in the center: the Shock.

He watched for a moment as the dragon froze before it completely dropped him. He fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes- heavy and limp. His body heaved as he coughed up blood before spitting it out in large clots. Taking in deep breaths, he watched as the dragon grabbed both sides of the collar trying to tear at it. Screaming in agony, it shifted between human form and dragon as it snapped at the air mortified.

It was a horrifying sight.

Cyan felt his hand violently shake as he watched the dragon struggle. It felt disturbing to watch and even more vexatious to use such a tool. A small part of him couldn't deny it felt comforting to know he had some level of control.

Running a hand over his neck, he recoiled as he looked down to find blood staining his shirt. He couldn't even imagine what he looked like. Letting go of the button, he sat there dazed. The dragon violently twitched as it crumpled to its knees. Its arms fell to its side in anguish as it stared out at night in. Those sharp blue eyes from earlier were now vacant. For a moment, Cyan was frightened that he may have killed it. The young soldier made no effort to move closer to the dragon. This is what he got for choosing a black-tie dragon.

Leaning his head against the cool cement, exhaustion swept over his body causing it to become heavy. Fearful of falling asleep down here, he slowly rose to his feet. The creature shifted slightly and Cyan didn't hesitate to hover his fingers over the Controller. As much as he hates to use it, it was now him vs the dragon. Maybe his mother had been wrong about them. She had always been too trusting. She had always believed in the better of people even when they proved to be otherwise. But dragons weren't humans. Cyan knew better than to try and treat it as if it were anything other than what it was: a beast.

At this moment, he had to prove to this dragon he was not someone to be reckoned with. Often times, if an animal sensed a weak leader, they would challenge the head of the pride or pack to sustain dominance and control. No matter how human dragons looked, they weren't human. They were beasts of no nation. They were prisoners. They were servants. They had every right to hate humans. The creature in front of him was no exception. Cyan didn't even know its name and yet he knew this dragon was determined to win this battle. There was a blood-thirstiness in the way it attacked Cyan as if the man had personally done something to it. It was determined to kill him when it got the chance.

Cyan rolled his shoulders back and puffed out his chest. Walking slowly towards it, he stood in front of the dragon. Looking down at it, the head of the dragon was just under his chin. The creature didn't quite look up at him, but its tail defensively raised itself. The dragon breathed heavily as its chest heaved up and down. Hands resting on its bare knees, its claws dug into the skin nearly tearing it away. Cyan saw blood dripping down its thighs and nearly reached out in concern without realizing that the tail was still actively swaying.

Like a whip, the long appendage snapped through the air. The echo of the sound rattles Aiden's spine as he looked up to find the young soldier had blocked the hit: barely. His right forearm had taken the brunt of the force knocking him off balance and the remote slid across the room towards the stairs. The dragon's eyes darkened and he could feel the soldier's breathe stifle. For a moment, neither of them made a move.

Cyan leaped to his feet ignoring the pain that shot up his arm as he darted towards the stairs trying to get the Controller. With a violent tug, Cyan fell into the cement floor. His chin hit the ground first making his teeth rattle. He didn't even have time to think as the object around his ankle tightened. His body skidded across the floor with a jerk.