Drogadres

"Don't you dare pick up the wand, Corgi!" A voice boomed from overhead, and I looked up to see a colossal dragon unfurling its powerful wings, the gust of wind it created whipping around me. Its immense size and the wave of heat that singed a patch of my fur sent my heart plummeting. It slowly descended until its sharp black talons touched the ground, its massive, muscle-bound body settling. Red-orange scales, as hard as steel, covered it like a suit of living armor. Its jaws were wide enough to swallow me in my Corgi form in a single gulp. Glowing red eyes instilled primal fear in smaller creatures, and my short legs instinctively trembled. Yet, a sudden surge of adrenaline coursed through me.

"Stop right there... Friends of yours are all failed to me." A woman in human form atop the dragon declares, her voice powerful and commanding. She punctuates her words by waving a black wand, intricately carved with floral patterns and studded with gems around the handle. Instantly, Raymond and Carlos, both severely injured, floated into the air, making my breath catch in my throat. The two strongest students of Escuria Academy, defeated... "My name is Keela, and this dragon is called 'Drogadres', from the demolished pet shop." she added, and it clicks. This dragon was that mouthy little fire lizard.

"You fire lizard! It's me! The two-gold corgi! Remember!?"

"Now... No one communicate with this one better than me." Keela says, stroking Drogadres's neck affectionately before ordering her demonic minions to seize me. Of course, not knowing Sola and Milanya's current state, I grab a wand from the ground. This impulsive action became a costly lesson in learning to 'surrender.'

Numerous Stasis Charms slam into me without hesitation. The sensation is like being hit by dozens of stones simultaneously. My body is brutally injured, and the wand falls from my grasp as my weakened form collapse, losing consciousness.

............

A string of curses jolted me awake. My body still throbbed from the relentless barrage of Stasis Charms that had come from every direction. The atmosphere within the mysterious location was disorienting. My four legs are bound by manacles chained to the stone floor. Demonic minions surround me, spewing vulgarities and curses like mad, savage spectators at a gladiatorial arena.

"Finally awake, Corgi? Welcome to my tower, Keela's Keep." A familiar voice came from behind me, and I whipped my head around. The speaker sat on a raised throne, dozens of steps above the ground. Behind them, a vast window revealed a massive red moon, its light casting long black shadows that enveloped both the figure and the throne. Seven other shadowy figures were present, their faces obscured, but the gleam in their eyes told me they were all staring at me.

"Quite the coincidence that my minions stumbled upon you at the Crimson Market. Truly a significant achievement for Keela, one of the Seven Sins."

"You Devil Emperor... No... I should call you Virgo."

"So, she told you about me. Not entirely surprising. I suspected as much," the Demon Emperor said, his voice powerful. "The hope of the wizards has vanished. You are just a harmless little dog, without the wand."

I am speechless. Yes, my new wand has been confiscated, and I can't even use magic barehanded. This is truly the end of Caronia.

"After the Crimson Moon Festival passes, no wizard will be able to stand in my way, not even Headmaster Conner," the Demon Emperor declared grandly. "With the heart of my daughter."

His merciless words ignited my fury. Adrenaline surged, and my four legs lunged forward, only to be abruptly halted by the manacles, sending me sprawling face-first onto the ground. Everyone in the throne room erupted in loud, mocking laughter at my humiliation. ...Damn it, I'm starting to really dislike this dog form...

After that, I was taken to a dungeon cell. While being carried, I saw my confiscated wand in the leather holster of one of the minions. I struggled violently to snatch it back, but ultimately, I was hit with another Stasis Charm, freezing me solid.

I was tossed into the cell like a toy. But then, a mysterious figure intervened, fighting the demonic minions with their bare hands and feet. However, they were overwhelmed, taking brutal blows to the torso with fists, feet, and elbows, before collapsing onto the floor. It was Raymond.

"This brat's got a lot of fight in him," the hulking minion spat, gritting his teeth before spitting on Raymond and leaving, not forgetting to cast a strong locking spell on the door.

"Well done, Raymond," Senior Carlos's voice echoed from the shadows. His current state was a mess of severe wounds, and his torn clothes revealed strikingly defined lean muscles covered in pale skin marred with purple bruises. "Now we finally have something to fight back with."

"That's right, senior," the younger boy said, getting to his feet. His face and body were covered in cuts and bruises, but a smile bloomed like the morning sun. He sat cross-legged and pulled out four wands. "I've been waiting for this opportunity."

"Taking advantage of the chaos, were you?" I grabbed my and Anya's wands, tucking them into my own holster, while Carlos took his. "What do we do now?"

"No one leaves this place, including you, Corgi." A deep voice rumbled from the cell door. Instinctively, we all pointed our wands in the same direction. Standing there was a tall, darkskinned man with long, bright red hair, his chest bare, revealing corded muscles and black, shifting runic tattoos, and black long trousers. His eyes were crimson, with black, slitted pupils like a wild beast.

"Who are you?"

"Drogadres, or as you used to call me, that little lizard," he replied, raising a hand, his entire arm transforming into a dragon's claw, instantly confirming his words.

"Impossible... a human form?" I decided to transform into my human self, but the thick iron manacles suppressed my magic.

"These wrist keys prevent wizards from using their power. Now you're no different from a regular dog. I just saw you help the pet shop owner out of the flames I breathed. Why did you do that?" Drogadres asked in a low voice. Raymond and Carlos, hearing about the suppressed magic, reluctantly lowered their wands. "He imprisoned us, using us as merchandise to enrich himself."

"The old man was kind! Even though he kept animals, he never hurt any of them!" I retorted, glaring fiercely at him. "He cherished every animal like they were his own family."

"Until his master bought me just one copper coin. Look at how little that old man valued me, less than a slave," Drogadres began to seethe before calming down. "She, on the other hand, truly loves and cherishes me. She gives me good food, shelter, safety, and the love she has shown me in the past half-year has never faded."

"And your master turned you into a demon after that," I observed, the evidence glaringly obvious. Carlos and Raymond exchanged glances but remained silent.

"Yes..." he replied, looking down at the tattoos on his body. "It's what changed my life from a weak little dragon, allowing me to evolve and have my own human form. Strange, wouldn't you say?"

"Drogadres, I understand how it feels to be imprisoned. Our two cages were right across from each other, remember?" The young dragon nodded in response, his crimson eyes, still like a wild beast's, showing no change. I pressed on with my improvised plan, while the two wizards behind me watched silently. "Do you remember me telling Anya to buy you instead?"

"I didn't hear that," a subtle shift occurred in his gaze.

"But Anya wanted a dog more than a dragon. And you can't blame each other. Trust me, even if Anya didn't choose you, you were chosen by an owner who cares for you..."

"Cares for me, my ass!" Drogadres roared, his anger flaring like scorching flames, his crimson eyes hardening. "I was constantly forced into brutal training exercises. The demon transformation process was like descending into hell itself. And they forced me to kill people unnecessarily! And you expect me to see my current master as someone who cares for me?!"

"Then why haven't you betrayed them?" I threw the thought-provoking question at him. He paused, a look of confusion crossing his face. His eyes softened visibly, a clear sign that he was considering my words. "Drogadresis a large dragon with powerful magic and strong scales against a few thousand..."

"Ten thousand!" the young dragon snapped back immediately. The five-figure number left me speechless. He frowned, his hand clenching with shame. "The dark arts have tens of thousands of minions, with the potential to increase by millions after tonight."

His large, calloused hand rested on the prison door, his eyes now still. Looking deeper, I began to see a faint glimmer.

"After this, if we meet again... will we be friends or enemies?" I asked, staring intently, anticipating his answer.

Drogadres lowered his gaze before pulling his hand away from the cell door, turning his back to me. I watched his muscle-bound back.

He turned back, his slitted pupils now round and clear. "In times of peace, we can be good allies. But now that we stand on opposite sides, it's only natural that we will fight to the death." He delivered the crushing sentence before walking away until he was out of sight.

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To Be Continue Ep.32