The Final Storm (Part 3)

Dragon in a Cage

Countless miles away, the real Ralem was having a rude awakening. He was kissing Arianna-then BAM he was jolted awake to the reality that he was kissing someone’s hand- a man’s hand. “Yuck!” he flopped backwards- tumbled really, he was still tied up- and fell into the hard stone floor.

            Jaydon laughed hoarsely, “You’ve been kissing my hand for the past minute, Rider. Having good dreams?”

            Ralem felt sick. He started wiping his lips with his arm, “Seriously? Why didn’t you wake me?”

            Jaydon made his annoying smirking smile, “You looked like you were having a good dream.”

            “Jaydon I can’t believe you-” suddenly his face cleared, “In fact I was!” Ralem smiled at the thought, “Well there were all these creatures and Arianna was in trouble. And I… I saved her. I was pretty awesome, really, smashing them and stuff. And then she told me she loved me and she kissed me,” his eyes got far off and he made a dreamy smile, “It was an amazing dream. But kind of weird too, like I was not real or something. I was like a ghost. Wait- where are we?” He looked around. They were in some sort of hallway, with one end open to the bustling crowd and blinding sun. Two soldiers in full armor stood sentry in front of them, pikes in hand. They were facing the opposite direction.

            Jaydon looked down miserably, “They’re lowering the cages.” I tried cutting the ropes but my claws aren’t coming out, he added. I’m…I’m not scared, but kind of nervous- in a manly sort of way, you know? Dragons weren’t meant to be in cages. I can’t be in a cage. I just can’t! His eyes smoldered. And they took Tess’ doll she gave me.

            Ralem folded his legs to his chest, his eyes wide and searching. “Cage? You don’t mean the cages?” Then he remembered what the Queen had accused him of. There was a lot worse in store for them than cages.

            Jaydon’s silence said it all.

            The cages Ralem was thinking of were six feet tall and just wide enough for a regular sized man to go cross-legged. Ten of them hung outside of the castle with plaques reading the inhabitant’s wrongdoing. They hung at eye level so that citizens could spit in their faces and throw rotten vegetables and rocks at them. Ralem had seen men waste to literally bones and rags in them, watch the vultures and crows peck their eyes out.

He blocked out Jaydon to have a quick meltdown. I don’t want to die like that! Slow starvation and being made a fool out of! In a cage, like an animal! No! he clenched his legs until his knuckles turned white. He turned to Jaydon, “Do you have any magic dragon stuff up your sleeves? Anything?”

            Jaydon slumped even more, utter despair reading on his face. “Nothing. I’m powerless.” There was a brief silence, then he said in a broken voice, “I’m sorry, Rider. I was supposed to protect you. And just look at where I got us.” He tugged at his ropes hopelessly.

            “No, this was all my freaking fault. I’m the one who told you to fly away from Baroke as fast as you could. But… it’s no use talking about that now. We can and will escape. There’s more planned for our lives. I know it. You’re the great Magnus Ventus Rex, and I’m your Rider. Together we can do anything, right?”

            Jaydon sighed heavily, “Except that I’m not much of anything right now,” he looked down at his bound hands, “I’m just… Jaydon.”

            “What’s wrong with that? You may not look like the Magnus Ventus Rex on the outside, but in here,” Ralem nodded towards Jaydon’s bare chest, “You are the greatest dragon alive. Trust me, friend. The healer told me that the iris mengae will wear off…”