Dragons and their Slayers 1X1 {Pupper and L2W}

She bit her lip, trying not to cry in alarm at his condition. She swiped at tears that slid down her cheek in empathy for him. "I'm sorry. I'll...I'll try not to heal you so much this time. Maybe...maybe I can just take away some of the pain." She entered his cage, her small frame easily squeezing through the bars. She knelt beside him, raising a hand. There was almost no place to put it, so covered in blood was he.

His head was safe. She slowly lowered her hand to his head and she began the healing process, this time being more purposeful about what she healed and how much.
 
Schorl flinched at the girl's hands on his head, he was not used to having a human touch him other than to hook up him up to various contraptions. His body relaxed as the warmth of her healing flowed into him. "Do you even know what you're doing, child? What it is that is happening here?"
 
"I'm easing the pain of a fellow captive." Pearl replies innocently. She stepped away when she was satisfied that she'd most his pain and healed the dangerous wounds without fully healing him. She sat in front of him, with bright blue, her white hair and body a stark contrast to the dark black of his scales. "You seem like such a nice dragon. Why are they keeping you locked up?"
 
The dragon sighed at the girl's naivety, his head turned to her as she sat down beside him. "I'm being held here in hopes that one day they will learn to tame me like they have to many others before. You see, these scientists want to control my kind for their own purposes. They try to accomplish this goal through normal methods at first, torture mostly and other techniques. If they cannot break the dragon, the use their prowess with technology to... do something, I'm not quite sure what it is yet but what I've gathered is they're trying to resonate something with my mind in order to control me. Why are you being kept prisoner?"
 
Pearl stared at him in horror as he explained what they were doing. She hadn't known her masters were that cruel. Pearl looked down at her scarred ankles, where the chains rubbed against the daily. "I'm a slave. Have been all my life. That's just what happens to magic born." She shrugged. It was the only life she knew.
Pearl put a hand on his head, with a determined expression. "I'm going to find some way to free you. I promise. Just don't give up yet, ok?"
 
Schorl lifted his head to look at Pearl. "You are a very powerful magic born, child. I've never seen another human with mana such as yours at such a young age." He paused, slightly shocked at the girls promise to set him free. "You're going to free me? How are you going to do that... and how do you know I'm not just going to leave you behind?"
 
She blinked at him. "I...I was just going to free you. I didn't expect you to take me with you." She says honestly. She hadn't even be thinking about herself, she just wanted to help free the dragon. "Sometimes my master leaves his keys unattended while he's bathing. I could probably steal them and free you from the cage. Then you just have to break through the wall. Its really thin. Except...there are archers and guards but...but I could probably find a way to distract them after I heal you. Then you could go free...and you wouldn't have to suffer here anymore."
 
Schorl looked at the girl, having a difficult time believing what she was saying. Her aura remained genuine though and it appeared as if she was telling the truth. He struggled to believe it, all of his life he had only known humans hunting him, hating him, and using him. He was not accustomed to this unfamiliar friendliness and for what reason? The girl knew nothing about him and yet she seemed invested in his well being. His eyes hardened as his thought continued, "Why do you want to help me?"
 
"Because...you're suffering." She lay a hand on his hide pulling away suddenly as her hand touched something sticky and wet. Blood. Dragon Blood.
 
Schorl's eyes widened as he saw the girl's hand covered in his blood. No... not again!

The dragon roared as the scientists attempted to push him back into his cage. He was being more difficult than usual and his thrashing was causing blood to be sprayed in every direction. The beast had just undergone a long experimentation process and was enraged due to the many hours of pain he had endured. The yelling was intense and echoing through the halls, booming footsteps of the dragons giant feet landing on the ground sent vibrations through the scientist's bodies and finally, the beast's massive tail swung like a hose let loose with the water turned on completely. "GET OSCAR! HE IS THRASHING TOO MUCH AND WILL BLEED OUT. ONCE WE GET HIM IN HIS CELL HE WILL NEED TO BE HEALED IMMEDIATELY" the voices yelled over top of the dragon's thrashing.

A teenage boy was retrieved and reluctantly pushed toward the angry beast. "Come on kid, do your job or he's going to die!" the scientist yelled at the boy. "But... but he's too dangerous, he's out of control!" the boy replied in fear. Schorl continued to frenzy until several darts were shot at him, the dragon began to slow down and the scientists were able to herd him into his cell. As Schorl was confined, Oscar was pushed toward him. "Come on kid, do your magic, we need this one to live he's the strongest we've had yet!" "B-B-B-UT! I can't!" the boy shrieked in horror. "LOOK KID HE'S BEEN SUBDUED. Do your job or we will kill you instead!" the scientist replied, throwing the kid into the cell. Oscar looked at the giant beast as he seemed to have calmed down, he stepped closer to him slowly as tears streamed down his face. The boy's hands reached out toward Schorl and one lightly touched his hide. It was then that the dragon's eyes widened suddenly and defensively turned quickly to snap at the body in his cage, thinking it was a scientist. As the boy came into view the dragon stopped and stared at the teenager staring at him with fear. Drip. A streak of black and red rolled off the boys forehead, down his cheek until it fell to the ground. Oscar's eyes widened, knowing what had happened; Schorl roared but no scientist came to help the child. Over the next couple of hours, the boy became weaker and Schorl watched as he died, completely helpless.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU DIE AGAIN!" The dragon roared, adrenaline now kicking in and causing the enormous beast to gain rapid strength. He began ramming the cage over and over again despite it's magical shocks to his body until the bars began to crack until they finally gave out as they projected across the room. The guards would be arriving any minute now at the commotion. Schorl burst through the opening, picking up Pearl with his massive wing and placing her in the corridor. "I will get you out of here, child... You will not die like this. I promise." The dragon spread his massive black wings, it had been so long since he had taken flight. He looked down at Pearl, as if she was his responsibility now. "We have to go now, you have to trust me... get on."
 
Die again? Pearl's eyes widened in fright as Shorl pounded against his cage. She backed away, just barely getting a safe distance away as it burst open. He carried her into the corrider and ordered her on his back. They were escaping? Now? Together. She followed his orders and climbed onto his back. Unfortunately, her chains kept her from fully straddling his body. She clung to his neck fearfully and he took off. She nearly fell off several times, her chains causing her feet to slide along his back. She managed to grip onto his hide with her knees and toes, which helped.
Am I going to die? I don't want to die...I haven't even found a boy I like yet. But...at least I get to ride a dragon.
Her hand had begun to burn. She wiped the excess blood off on her torn, ragged dress and re-gripped his neck.

The guards had begun to yell. The Dragon is free! The dragon is free! The Archers and guards rushed to stop him.
 
Schorl ran through the corridors until he heard the sound of the guards sending the warning that he had broken free. He jutted to the side of the corridor, smashing through the brick wall and pummelling through rooms of a very large mansion until his eyes stung from something he had not seen in a long time; sunlight. He squinted but remained at top speed as he ran through the grass fields. His eyes scanned to see the many guards beginning to run in his direction, he was still wearing the collar on his neck which would prevent him from breathing fire and with Pearl on his back he could not go in to fight them close range. Schorl worried about the archers, a normal arrow would not be able to pierce his scales but the Shar scientists were tricky and imbued their arrows with a strange substance that made him tired when they struck him.

Schorl roared as he picked up speed, crashing through small buildings and leaping over live stock. Arrows began to swiftly move past him, Schorl carefully dodging them while trying not to shake Pearl off his hide. His giant wings spread, attempting to pick up the wind. He began to slowly flap them and his feet lifted off the ground; he was beginning to take flight.
 
Pearl gasped, barley managing to hang out as he bounded out of the grounds, and through the fields. Arrows began to fall towards them like rain. She tightened her grip on his neck and closed her eyes tight, praying that the somehow didn't get hit. A ping by her ear startled her and she looked behind herself. Shorl's body had a coating of golden light. She was healing him? No...the arrows were bouncing off the light. She could feel, by the drain on her mana that she'd instinctively discovered a new ability. Somehow she's was keeping a guard over them.

Schorl beat his wings. They were flying! Only a few off the ground but they were flying. Pearl noticed the wounds which she'd barely healed had reopened and had begun to bleed again. No doubt they were exhausting him. Since they were far enough away from the guards now she redirected her mana to healing him, praying she gave him the boost he needed to get them into the air and far away from this place.
 
Schorl felt the strange sensation cover his body, his looked at his body out of the corner of his eye and marveled at the golden light engulfing him. What is this? A strange protective light... but how; the girl? No time to think about this right now, we have to get out of here. "Hang on child, we are going to pick up speed and height very quickly to ensure we are out of harm's way. Shar is a dangerous place, keep your eyes open." Within a second the dragon began to ascend into the clouds, gaining speed as he climbed through the sky. When there was enough distance between the guards he felt Pearl healing his wounds, which were now pouring blood, but the dragon didn't stop. He leveled out at a high enough altitude that the human life below could no longer see him. He flew in a random direction at a steady pace.

"It appears.. as though we are safe for now. We must land soon though."
 
"I can't believe we're actually free, and I'm flying!" Pearl sat up, extending her arms as if they were wings, her knees gripping his side tightly. Her feet were still chained but that was a minor concern at the moment. Maybe Schorl would be able to chomp through it. Pearl's exuberance faded as she remembered what had transpired to actually get them out. "Schorl...what did you mean you wouldn't let me die again?" She asks, resuming her hold on his neck.

She remembered the scientists saying something about dragon blood being toxic to humans, but aside from the momentary burning in her hand and the sick feeling in her stomach she felt fine.
 
Schorl shared the dragon's form of a smile as the girl seemed to be excited that she was flying and not trapped in some dank corridor. He began to slowly descend, realizing that they had been traveling quickly for approximately 20 minutes now and would be a distance away from the facility that held the both of them. Schorl broke free from the clouds that were hugging them as they soared through the open sky, the ground was now visible although still far enough away to appear miniature. He began to scour the land beneath them for a place to safely land and make camp for the evening, his eyes fixated on a cavern in the distance. That is where the would rest for the night and the dragon descended slowly in its direction. "Schorl... what did you mean you wouldn't let me die again?" he heard the child say from behind his head.

"I killed a child, a boy, once. He was my healer before you... and the scient---" Schorl stopped, "There's no excuse. He was in my cage, I thought he was a threat when I felt his hands upon me and my blood fell on his face. The guards didn't come in time and he died."
 
"Oh...." Pearl is silent until they land and she slides off his face, stumbling as the chains restrict her feet. She got on her back and lifted her feet up. "Mind biting through these for me? They're a pain." He does, ever so careful not to bite off her feet as well. It wasn't easy with so little space between her feet. She stretches her legs for the first time properly since the chains had been put on as a child. They still dangled at her ankles but they no longer restricted her her legs.

She sits back up and snuggles close to him for warmth as he lay down. "I feel fine, Schorl. Maybe the blood doesn't affect me." She asks hopefully. It seemed like a better thing to hope for than dying." Indeed, now that Schorl looked at her, she didn't show the signs of one who'd been poisoned by dragon blood. There was no paleness or sweating, or labored breathing. Some of the things that would normally begin to show within the first hour of being poisoned. Was it possible? Could she be one of the children of a dragon turned human and bearing children with a human? It would explain her unusual mana capacity.
 
Schorl helped the girl be free from the shackles bounding her ankles together, though the heavy metal still burdened her there were no more chains to deal with; she could walk freely. The dragon releases a breath from his nostrils, the warm air ruffling the petite girl's hair as she felt freedom for the first time in ages. Schorl gently eased his massive body to the ground as he maneuvered into a comfortable lying position. He flinched at the feeling of the girl nestling herself into his body for warmth, his anxiety calmed in seconds and shifted his wing to embrace the child, sheltering her from the cold air and potential snowfall.

"I feel fine, Schorl. Maybe the blood doesn't affect me." the child exclaimed. The words echoed in the dragon's head, the blood doesn't affect her? He contemplated what that meant but it could only be one thing; she was a dragon born. A dragon born had not walked the earth in what was thought to be thousands of years. The kind only existed in the history passed down from each dragon of time over and over. It was a perplexing phenomenon that many dragon, and human alike, refused to believe it. So that is why they kept you locked up in that manor, the scientists must have known... but I do not have the knowledge to help this girl. Chronos... he would know.

"Child. Where are your parents?"
 
Schorl looked at the child curiously, She doesn't know them, then she very well could be dragon born. I wonder... "My parents? We do not necessarily call our bloodline parents. I am someone's nest egg but I grew into my own dragon and left at a young age so that I could become who I am today."
 
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