Scaly

The chains were incredibly sturdy. The iron clashed against the knife, sparks flying with every impact. My hands trembled with effort as I tried to cut through the resilient metal. The dragon watched me, its glowing eyes full of impatience and a hint of distrust.

"This isn't going to work," Tobias hissed behind me, his ears tense, straining to catch the voices of the approaching guards. "You're taking forever, and they're almost here!"

"Got a better idea?" I hissed back, swinging the knife again. It was dull, old, and clearly not made for this job. "I'd breathe fire if I could, but unfortunately, you're the one who talks instead of acts!"

"Very funny," Tobias muttered, glancing around nervously. "I'll keep watch. Just hurry up!"

The dragon snorted again, louder this time, and its long tail lashed against the ground in irritation. I paused, looking up, and noticed its sharp claws repeatedly scraping over the remnants of the chains binding its wings.

"Wait... Tobias, maybe it can do it itself."

"Oh, brilliant!" Tobias rolled his eyes, his sarcasm almost tangible. "What a genius plan. Let the huge, potentially angry creature free itself. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Shut up," I murmured, slowly withdrawing my hands and stepping closer to the dragon. Its eyes glimmered in the darkness, and I carefully raised my hands to show I wasn't a threat.

"You're strong," I said softly to it, my voice barely more than a whisper. "You don't deserve these chains. They're holding you down, but you can break them. You just have to want it."

The dragon fixed its gaze on me as though weighing every word. For a moment, I wondered if it had understood me—and how foolish I would've been to believe so. But then it lowered its head and opened its mouth.

"Oh no," Tobias muttered. "This is it. We're dead."

But the dragon didn't bite. Instead, it closed its massive jaws around one of the chains on its wings. With a growl that sent shivers down my spine, it flexed its powerful muscles and pulled. The metal screamed in protest, but then—with an earsplitting crack—the first chain shattered.

"I knew it!" I cried triumphantly, nearly clapping my hands before Tobias shot me a furious glare.

"Shhh! Why don't we just send the guards a formal invitation while we're at it?"

I grinned sheepishly and watched as the dragon, now invigorated, tore through the remaining chains. Its wings stretched out slightly, as much as the stubs of its clipped tips allowed. It looked at me, and I felt a wave of gratitude emanating from it.

"Well done," I whispered, stepping back.

"That was impressive and all," Tobias said nervously, "but the guards are really close now. We should go."

No sooner had he spoken than I heard a voice nearby.

"Over there! Movement by the wagons!"

My heart skipped a beat. The guards had spotted us.

"Time for Plan B!" I shouted to Tobias.

"Plan B? We didn't have a Plan B!"

"I'm improvising!" I leapt onto the back of the wagon where a few crates were still stacked and shouted to the dragon, "Help us! Chaos, remember?"

The dragon roared, a thunderous sound that echoed through the night. Its tail slammed into the wagon, and the entire structure wobbled precariously. The draft animals, terrified by the noise, began whinnying, bellowing, and bolting in all directions.

Pfffffffff, the sound rang out. My ears twitched at the noise.

Suddenly, an arrow shot out from the darkness. "WATCH OUT!" I yelled, dodging just in time. The arrow flew past me and struck a tree, splintering on impact, scattering its contents across the forest floor.

A hiss and a strange smell filled the air as a peculiar substance oozed from the shattered arrow. It steamed slightly, forming a dangerous-looking greenish mist that quickly spread over the forest floor.

"Poison!" Tobias hissed, his fur bristling as he hastily stepped back. "They're shooting poison arrows! They're not messing around!"

"Really?!" I shot back, leaping forward to get out of the mist's reach. My eyes darted through the darkness, searching for the shooter. But the forest was as black as pitch, the only light coming from distant flickering torches and the dim embers of a burnt-out wagon.

"We need to get out of here, now!" Tobias's voice shook slightly, though he was already moving, nearly dragging me along with him.

"No! We can't leave the dragon here!" I turned back to see the dragon lifting its head, its nostrils flaring as it caught the scent of the poison. It glanced between me and the direction the arrow had come from, its glowing eyes blazing. Then it let out another thunderous roar.

"That's it, big guy! Make some noise!" I shouted, tugging Tobias along, who was clearly not thrilled with my plan.

"Noise?! Noise will bring even more of them!"

"Exactly! The more they focus on him, the less they focus on us!" I grinned, even though my heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest. The dragon seemed to understand the assignment: with a mighty swing of its tail, it toppled two wagons, sending them crashing to the ground. The draft animals screamed, and the noise became deafening as the guards scrambled to regain control.

Another arrow whizzed by, burying itself into the ground barely a meter from me. I instinctively ducked, pulling Tobias down behind an overturned crate. "Okay, maybe this is a little too much chaos!" I panted.

"Oh, you think?!" Tobias gasped, peeking out cautiously from behind our cover. "There—three of them! And one of them has... oh no, is that a bolt launcher?!"

I risked a quick glance and saw it too: a large, clunky crossbow mounted on a wooden frame, already loaded with a massive bolt. The guards were aiming it straight at the dragon.

"That thing will kill him!" Tobias said, panicking.

"Not if we're faster!" Before my brain could catch up with my body, I was already running.

"What are you doing?!" Tobias's shout faded behind me as I sprinted straight toward the guards busy with the launcher. My heart pounded in my chest, but I knew there was no time to think.

The first guard saw me coming and drew his sword, but I was quicker. I lunged at him, my claws flashing in the dim light. I wasn't a fighter, but adrenaline fueled me enough to throw him off balance. He toppled to the ground, and I snatched the bolt from his hands before he could load it into the weapon.

"Not so fast!" I hissed, hurling the bolt as far away as I could.

"Big mistake!" another guard yelled, already advancing toward me with his weapon drawn. My pulse raced, and I stepped back just as the dragon joined the fray.

With an earth-shaking growl, the dragon tore free from the last remnants of its chains and charged. Its claws thundered against the ground, and its breath hissed through the night. The guards screamed, scrambling for cover as the dragon shredded the bolt launcher like it was a toy.

"I told you he'd help!" I called triumphantly to Tobias, who cautiously crept out from behind the crate.

"That was pure luck!" he shouted back, already running. "Now let's get out of here before we get roasted!"

The dragon snorted down at me, a spark of understanding flickering in its glowing eyes. Then, unexpectedly, those fierce eyes softened, and it smiled—actually smiled.

"Tobias," I whispered, turning to him. "He's smiling."

And then, what I never expected happened. The dragon spoke—to me. To us.

"Thank you," the dragon said with a nod, spreading its wings wide.

"Wait a second," Tobias interrupted. "Weren't your wings clipped just a minute ago?"

I looked again, and he was right. The scars were gone, completely healed.

"That… that doesn't make sense!" I stammered, blinking up at the dragon, now standing majestically and unscathed. Its wings stretched wide, casting a massive shadow over the ground. They were perfect, flawless even—no sign of the stumps they had been.

"Scars heal quickly when one is finally free," the dragon said, its deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. Its golden eyes locked onto Tobias and me with a warmth I never would've expected from a creature of its size and power.

"You... you can talk?" Tobias stammered, finally grasping the situation. "Why the heck didn't you say anything earlier?!"

The dragon snorted, a deep, almost amused sound. "Because words often hold less power than actions." It raised its head a little higher and added, "And because I needed to see if you were worth saving."

"Worth it? Why would we—wait, hold on, we saved you!" Tobias protested, throwing his arms up. "We nearly died back there! You could've maybe given us a heads-up or something!"

The dragon let out a soft chuckle, its tail swishing contentedly along the ground. "So, what brings you here?" it asked. I glanced at Tobias, then back at the dragon.

"Well, we're looking for my friend. She was taken by humans," I said, pausing for a moment. "Oh, by the way, I'm a wolf," I added proudly, puffing out my chest.

"I'm Sly, and this is my friend Tobias, who we, uh, eventually let into our pack." I gestured to Tobias. "And you? What's your name?"

"I…" The dragon hesitated, bringing a claw to its chin in thought. "I never had one. I was raised in captivity. When my mother died, I stopped speaking altogether. It's been almost twenty years since I said a word." It sighed sadly. "But the humans called me… Scaly."

I heard Tobias stifle a laugh behind me. It didn't work.

"You definitely need a new name," I said quickly. "But what?"

Fyro? No.

Killerclaw? Too aggressive.

Ember? Too fiery.

"Oh, I've got it!" I exclaimed, turning back to the dragon, who had now settled comfortably on the ground amidst the fallen guards. It looked content, purring softly—if dragons could purr—and fluttering its wings excitedly.

"Come on, tell me!" the dragon rumbled eagerly. "I want to shed the name Scaly. Please, give me a new one. I'll do anything for you. Please!" It scrunched its face, looking less like a fearsome dragon and more like a pleading puppy.

"Alright!" I finally said, glancing at Tobias, who stood beside me, hands on his hips, eyeing the dragon.

"We'll call you…

Phoenix!"