A Dragon Tale

Chapter 1 - Awaken

"Sleep, a simple concept we all do yet never take the time to fully understand. It is the only time that we are willingly enveloped by the darkness along with being able to escape that void whenever we choose or at least sometimes the void is the only thing we are permitted to see."

The gushing sounds of the outside world penetrated the steel walls of the melancholy cage I found myself in although I was wrapped protected by my mothers as my head was breezing softly against her fur, I still felt the fear of what lurked behind that door. My eyes slowly opened as a single slit of light pierced right back at me. The enviroment all looked the same and I could see my kind still sleeping aside from my mother who felt my disturbance and knelt towards my head as she licked it softly.

I looked back up to see her green emerald eyes in the darkness, a sense of intimidation at first but there was a sense of trust, love and truth behind them. A mother seems to always have that instinct, "come now, Ace it's all ok your family is here" I could tell that my family was just as scared as I was which didn't help as I was the smallest and youngest of the Pack Back. "will we be home soon?" I asked looking up to her, she smiled and confirmed with a simple nod. "the open fields will be waiting for you soon enough little moonshine, just be patient" turning back to the slit in the door I simply stared at it thinking to myself "the fields"

Footsteps could be heard growling louder outside as heavy boots collided with whatever flooring was outside of our cage, the beam of light became blocked by a tall shadowy figure followed by the sound of keys rattling both me and my mother looked at each other with her teeth bare ready to pounce violently at whoever was about to disturb our time. The steel caged door croaked open as a muscular figure with a massive hairy hand pushed it to the side. "alright you freaks, it's time for your show" my mother growled as the man stepped closer as the sound of his black boots clanged with the steel cage floor and with one hand he grasped the brim of my neck as I yelped and howled in pain and desperation. My mother rose to strike but the man quickly stepped out of the cage as a large collar chain clasping my mothers throat extended and pulled her backwards to the wall. I squirmed and wriggled trying to break the brute's grasp even trying to bite him to loosen his grip on me but as I did he only tighted it causing me to yelp.

He looked down onto me with such a vile glare "keep trying mutt, the only reason I'm keeping you alive is cos I ain't the one buying ya otherwise the boss will have my head, but trust me I would if I could" around me I could see various creatures in captivity some were sitting in the corner in fear, whimpers could be heard all around me some not even my own kind but those that I know don't belong here. We reached the end of a dark hallway as the brute threw me down onto the concrete floor and took a steel collar and leash off the wall, his large hand on my shoulder as he forced it onto me and attached the leash on a hook, he wrapped both his hands around the leash and tugged it as I unwillingly followed.

The outside world grew louder as we came to a hatch, sounded no more than 100 to 200 peole maybe even more. The doors flung open and the grey skys enveloped a small patch of the musky corridor in a gloomy light. We made our way outside where a group of people were watching as we made our way onto a wooden stage. A tall lanky figure stood in the center of the stage as he witnessed me approach him. He smirked as he took my leash from the brute and brought me alongside him. His grip wasn't as tight as the brutes but even I could feel the toxicity coursing through the chains.

He spoke with an booming announcer voice to the crowd like it was opening night at a theater, "alright next creature up is a Pack Back cub, what prices do we hear?" "next?" I thought to myself it wasn't until I noticed over to the left of the stage were smaller cages with various mythical creatures inside with indescribable tags hanging on the bars. I looked around at the crowd to see them flailing and holding what looked to be small circular pieces of silver clamouring different values.