Riddles and Riots

.:Moving Shadows:.

Heavy footsteps splashed into dark rain puddles. A pair of cloaks tread their daily path down the quiet city's empty streets. No light was provided to them beneath the gloomy night sky and heavy rain clouds, with the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance.
"I'm tired of waiting." A light, raspy voice began from the smaller of the two, "I'm ready to accept It as my own, why are you still hesitant? Do you think I'm incapable?"
The smaller figure lurched forward, taking a stand before the other man and forcing them to a halt. Lightning flickered during the break of silence.
          "I mean no disrespect, Master." The shorter one added quickly.
The larger figure remained quiet for many long moments. "...You have grown impatient since I entrusted you with my plans. Do you believe me to lead you astray?" His deep, muffled voice burned a feeling of shame into his pupil, who didn't move as the much taller man continued past him.
"...Forgive me, I spoke out of place." He caught up quickly as the rain seemed to pour even harder.
"Do not be discouraged. You have every right to feel the way you do." The larger figure paused, "You are fearful someone else may take It away from you, are you not?"
"That damn tamer refuses to shut up about it, it's starting to piss me off." His tone climbed nervously as his hand reached to his other arm, fiddling with his sleeve. "I understand your need for new recruits, but I wouldn't put it past him to betray us on a whim. He'll go behind our backs and bond to It without our permission."
Master listened intently as the younger man rambled, finding it best not to respond. He led them to a massive oak door at the front of the main castle, waiting only a second for it to open without his command.
"His destructive magic is what drives his lust for power." The pupil continued. "He will destroy everything we worked so hard for, and now that the dragon is of age, he'll be even more desperate to bond to it-"
"Calm yourself. It has only been a day since the beast has shown signs of maturity. You are getting worked up over nothing but mere thoughts." Master did not remove his hood as they entered the main chambers. They walked briskly down the halls as light flashed through the rattling windows.
"You're always quick to defend him, Master." The young man stopped following, watching his leader tread further down the blackening hall. "Are you...more faithful in that bastard's capabilities than your own successor's?"
Once more, the large cloak came to a halt. The smaller man's hand slipped out, climbed to his neck, and began scratching aggressively. Dead flakes of skin fluttered to the ground as scarlet blood oozed beneath his fingernails. His head leaned back, where beneath a dead man's hand gripping tight to his face, furious red spheres stared back with betrayal.
The lightning flashed yet again, revealing that the massive man had turned around. For a moment, only rain and thunder echoed in the hall.
"You forget, no mere human will ever be able to amount to the power I bestowed upon you. You and that Dragon are the key to our success, Shigaraki." Master slowly stepped toward him. "Only you understand how agonizing these many decades have been for me and my kingdom, but now that the dragon is ready, we can finally fulfill our purpose. I promise you, should all things go according to my plan, within the coming year the King will once again bow to our will." In reach of Shigaraki, Master lay a hand on his shoulder, who looked up to him with admiration.
          "Do not fear, for I never forget my promises. I would allow you to bond now, however a bond can so easily taint a dragon's purity. It must remain so for the collection process. Once I have what I need, this glorious beast will be yours to control." He gripped his shoulder a little tighter, reassuring the boy. "You will get everything you want, and more. Never settle for less, and decay anything that stands in your path."
Shigaraki seemed to relax at this. His grin returned, pursued by a sinister chuckle. Master turned away for the final time, pushing through the giant metal doors at the end of the hall, as Shigaraki disappeared into darkness.

                           .••.••.

It was always dark. It was only ever light if Master made it so. So, why was a small candle lit in front of the prison bars again? And why was this terrifying Dragon Tamer always the one behind it? Just being in his presence made the hybrid tremble.
"Stop sulking." The visitor exhaled with annoyance behind his long, red and gold plated plague mask. The hybrid, now looking like that of a teenage boy, shift closer to the corner of his cage, the chains on his ankles ringing loudly in the quiet basement. "Hey, did you hear me? You should be happy, your freedom is right around the corner. With a new master on your back you'll soon be able to put all your training to use."
Again, no response except for a slight shift in the dark. Dangerous red eyes gleamed at him, but the Tamer was used to this. Blood stains littered the cage, all just from today.
"Look at you. Fighting until near death every day just to get your next meal, and for what? So you can live to do it all over again? You deserve so much better. The Master allowing that zombie to bond to you...it makes my respect for him dwindle." He set the candle down on the large wooden crate he leaned on, taking a few steps forward. The boy, no, the dragon, shut his eyes and hid his face, his strange hybrid tail swishing against the cold floor.
"I'll be honest, kid. You terrify me. I know for sure if I got on your bad side, I'd lose more than just the hand that tried to feed you." With his thick gloves, he suddenly grabbed the bars, rattling the cage. "I've seen what you can do. He's raised you to be an absolute monster, there's no way that runt could ever handle such a masterpiece. Once I convince the Master to give you to me, I'll show the world what true fear really is."
Just as a panicked whine came from the shadow, from behind the tamer a hand slammed down on his shoulder, though it hardly startling him.
"...I've told you before how much I hate being touched by unclean hands- even yours." The tamer shrugged the Master off with a look of disgust.
Master's tone was dark and dangerous, making the boy in the cage shiver. "This hybrid is to bond with Shigaraki once I get what I need. It will not bond to you nor anyone else, Overhaul. It seems we both have difficulty listening to one another's desires."
Overhaul sighed with even greater annoyance. "Shigaraki is not a Tamer. Giving him this much power without kin-blood would result in a self destruct of both him and the dragon. It needs a real, blood-born tamer to be able to bond with it correctly and control its power." He stared the large man down, but seeing as it was useless, plucked a handkerchief from his pocket and rubbed the filthy spot on his shoulder.
The tamer pressed irritably, "Tch, whatever. I feel like I got the short end of the stick, is all. You promised me a dragon if I joined your unsanitary hellhole, and now that I found the one that I want, you're telling me I can't have it."
"We have plenty of others that you may choose from, but this one-" Master pushed himself between the cage and the tamer, "is not for the taking."
Overhaul glared up at him, unfazed. His foot tapped irritatedly until he spun on his heel and shoved his hands in his pockets, sulking away. "You should plan on throwing everything to the dirt if you wish to entrust a deity to a peasant boy like him."
Master watched him until he vanished behind the slamming door. Only when he was sure Overhaul was gone did he turn to the cell. He grabbed the candle on the crate beside him, shining it into the cage. Then he dipped his finger into the blood on the metal floor, meeting the eyes of not a fearsome dragon, but a petrified boy.
          "This will mark the beginning of a new era, little one. And it will all be thanks to you."

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Welcome to Riddles and Riots! I hope you enjoy this new story as much as I do! Comments really help me out, don't be shy to leave one or let me know of any grammar or spelling mistakes!
Written on mobile so sorry if computer readers have trouble :(
-Skyz