A Pet for the Dragons

166.

ZORGE

"What's that?" I asked Radrox. I sniffed the air, trying to determine the strange new scent. Whatever the scent was, it seemed to be choking me. I didn't like it. I tried to expel it from my lungs, but it wouldn't leave me.

There was a sound of heavy footsteps approaching our direction. I tried to tune into them and read whoever was heading our way, but I couldn't get anything from them, which made me more anxious.

I was so busy reading the dragon approaching us that it took me a moment to realise how quiet Ivret and Radrox had fallen. I smelled their fear and apprehension. I could even hear their racing heart.

What could be...

"The three of you were throwing quite a ruckus there," A deep, gravelly voice spoke. That strange scent from before was more potent than ever, assaulting my nose, tongue and lungs. I got this strong urge to cough. My wind pipe seemed to be collapsing on its own.

A pair of blazing red eyes blinked at us from the dark. My brother had red eyes too but they weren't as terrifying as those staring us down at the moment.

"If I were you, I'd be as quiet as a dead mouse,"

With that, the dragon stepped forward, showing its ugly scarred face. I gasped. It was another red dragon— one that had survived the krakens of Dacva.

"Nerved," Radrox hissed furiously at the dragon. What surprised me was how terrified my brother seemed of the dragon. I could imagine it had something to do with what happened at or after the Dacva war. Whatever it was, Radrox's fear was also starting to infect me.

I couldn't help but stare at the ugliest red dragon before us. I'd thought that Radrox's scars were worse but I couldn't have been more wrong. Nerved's whole face was maligned. His nose was gone and his eyes were mere slits. He looked... terrifying.

I tried to read him but I couldn't for some reason. I wondered if his skill had something to do with having a shield or if it was the strange scent he was giving off that was suffocating me.

"I could've never imagined I'd see you here again," Nerved spoke to my brother before he scanned Ivret and me. I couldn't help but shudder under his gaze. Something was terrifying about him. If my brother was terrified of him, I decided that I needed to be terrified of him as well.

Ivret seemed to know Nerved as well and he seemed equally terrified if not more.

"And you," Nerved turned to Ivret. "Seems like you're done serving your purpose to the Empress,"

"We've been wrongfully imprisoned. Help us get us out of here, Nerved," Ivret pleaded.

"You're pleading to the wrong dragon," Radrox growled. Nerved bared his teeth and it took me a moment to realise that that was a cynical smile. His face had been so disfigured that that smile looked ugly and even more horrifying.

"I'm glad you're here, Kalaz," Nerved spoke, closing our cell. "I've always wished to have a piece of you," Ivret said nothing to that, but I could feel his fear.

"I'm glad you all are here. It seems you all are bonded. That's even better for me," Nerved spoke. Before I could ask what he'd been ordered to do to us, sharp pain shot through my nerves and I gave out a shriek.

"Nerved," my brother growled while Ivret hissed in pain. The pain intensified and with that, I felt being drained of my energy.

"St...op," I managed to utter but Nerved didn't stop. He continued until it felt like I was on the verge of breaking. It all stopped abruptly and for once, I felt like I could breathe again.

I opened my eyes, breathing hard and stared at Nerved before us. My eyes widened and I was bewildered for a moment.

"You..." Radrox growled but Nerved laughed. This time, his scars looked less ugly and his nose was back.

"We haven't had prisoners in this part of the dungeon for the longest time. I'm glad I have not one but three new energy sources now. The fruits of patience are indeed sweet. I'll see you three soon enough. Rest until then and create more energy for me," Nerved laughed for the last time and went away.

"He's healing himself through us?" Ivret asked.

"He'll never be healed. He's extracting energy from us to maintain his glamour spell," Radrox explained. He sounded tired. I could feel his and Ivret's tiredness. In fact, I couldn't tell the difference between their and my tiredness.

"Who is he?" I had to ask.

"Mavie's Guard of Honour," Ivret answered bitterly.

We were truly fucked.

"What are we going to do now?" I asked. Just speaking seemed like a taxing task with most of our energy gone. I couldn't imagine how we were supposed to escape this place.

"I cannot think of anything," Ivret muttered, his voice weak. He'd already been injured and I could tell that he was fighting to stay awake.

"I don't have enough energy to melt the cuffs," Radrox admitted shamefully. I let out a string of curses, jerking against the cliffs even though they hurt. I wanted to be out of here.

"We need to do something...anything," I breathed, "Who knows what sickly thing they're doing to her. It'd be too late if we don't act..."

Radrox grunted in response but said nothing. Even though he was tired and frustrated, I could tell he was thinking of something. Ivret was still awake but not very responsive.

"Can one of you at least destroy the enchantment on the cuffs?" I asked. "That would be half the won,"

"I'm just a healer..." Ivret whispered, and Radrox remained silent and thinking.

"I'm killing the Empress once I get out of here," I gritted.

"You don't have to worry about that," A voice spoke in the darkness, surprising us all.

"Who's there?" I asked, trying to read the dragon but didn't need to. He neared the enchanted lamp outside our cell to show his face.

"You!" All three of us gasped.

~

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