Weeper

I sighed at the hot sun beating down on me. It's been a month or so since then, and I should be glad, but...the master is having a friend visit. This means...this arena...they're planning on having beasts of their choosing fight it out. I was told, the moment I stepped out, that I was to make the dragon as presentable as I could. For that, in all honesty, I feel like her mind needs to be there. I entered the cage and scrubbed her down quickly, trying not to remain for too long. I'll be whipped if I do. But when I went to leave, she made a groaning sound, her eyes on me. Today she looks...sad. Hearing people approaching, I left and ducked around the cage, aware they didn't want the slaves to be seen--it didn't look pretty. "So, which one?"

"I heard you have a new one."

"Indeed I do. It's over here."

"Uch, it looks horrible."

"I know...I only got it recently and this is the state it was in."

"Nevermind then. I'll have your harpi fight."

"It shall be done." I heard hands clapping, then the cage started to roll. Ah, I forgot they have wheels. If there was a fight, then every slave was forced to attend. This made sure all the important staff could watch without worrying over escapees. I waited for them to leave, then took a good look at the dragoness. I'm just glad they didn't take her for it. I offered her a light smile, then made my way to the arena, trying to prevent getting dragged or hit. Taking quiet steps, I hid behind the bars at the base of the arena, where the slaves were supposed to gather to act as bait to instigate a fight. Within the next five or so minutes, the entire barred section was packed with slaves that stood as far from the bars as they were allowed.

As everything began to settle, a man amplified his voice with magic and said, "Welcome to another amazing battle! Today, we have a harpi coming from home base, and a cawl from our esteemed visitor!" A cawl?! I unconsciously leaned back, aware of their extreme love of human flesh. One of the many guards placed behind us clicked his boot heel in response to my movement and I immediately went back in place. The men on the sides grunted as they cranked the chains to lift the gates before backing away for safety. The harpi screamed as it charged out, aiming for the bars and ignoring the other beast as it flew from its cage. They collided while rushing forward, interrupting their hunger. While watching, it was easy to see the moment they decided they were enemies. Without hesitation, they struck at one another, screaming and screeching as they rolled around the arena floor in a jumble of feathers. The scene made me shudder and want to hide--be anywhere but there. After both parties were wounded, they split apart to hiss and flare their wings threateningly. It turned into a silent stand-off, neither wanting to move. When the crowd started to grow bored, I caught sight of a guard shoving a slave through the bars onto the arena floor.

He was a middle-aged man that I hadn't seen before, but that didn't matter for long. Seeing their prey coming closer, the rage practically doubled and they struggled against each other in a race to see who could reach the quivering man first. Within the next few seconds, blood was sprayed across the dirt, the spectators cheered, and a victor was decided. I shut my eyes, wishing I could've done something to save that man. The harpi had gone to bite him, but the cawl raked its claws into its heart and ate the man before it could. The pure ferocity of that beast was terrifying. Having finished with its prey, it completely disregarded the dead harpi and began to stalk the slaves behind the bars. As if the soldiers coming towards it in the arena didn't exist, it lunged my direction. A chill seared my spine when its beak bent the bars enough for it to bite me, leaving a gouge across my stomach, going from one side to the other in a slightly angled straight line. Before it could go any further, it was jerked back and tied up, then dragged to its cage. Having fallen over from the impact and fear, I could only stare when it glared back at me. Why did that entire situation make me look like a target? It was almost like it only wanted me and didn't care for any of the many others. The crowd practically exploded, but were quietened down quickly and shuffled out to deter slaves from trying to find ways out by going with the guests.

One of the guards grabbed my arm and jerked me to my feet roughly, creating new scrapes on my feet and a bruise where he'd touched. The same way as it always went, after the guests left, the slaves were hauled off back to work whether injured or not. I put a hand over my wound, trying not to let it be jarred too much more than it already had been. They herded us either to the cells or to a place that needed cared for. I kept a blank face even when the cut started to throb and burn. A guard pulled me away from the group and towed me along behind him harshly before he stopped, placed his hand on my shoulder blades, and shoved me. The force made me stumble forward and fall, only by twisting did I save my wound at the last second. "You have orders to prepare the beast through the night." He gestured at the largest cage and dread ran through my entire body. No...please not that one… "The honourable guest wishes to have his winner fight a creature he's never seen it against. Get to it." With the thud of the door announcing his departure, I placed my head on the ground and fought back the tears trying to destroy me from the inside out.

Because of the battle, the cages had been moved and were now stored in a darker area than earlier, so I hadn't noticed until I'd looked at what creature he meant. Forcing myself to stand up, still shaking, I walked up to the cage and leaned into the bars, gazing at the lost white dragoness. She had given me warmth that I hadn't felt in so long...if I let her fight while her mind still isn't there, she'll lose. Climbing inside, careful not to move too much, I crawled over the metal flooring to sit next to her head like last time. Her nostrils flared and a quiver went through her. When that settled, she opened her clouded eyes to look at me. I was wide-eyed at this, shocked that there'd been a real reaction to my presence. When lifting my hand to touch her snout, she tilted her head towards me just a tiny bit, but it was very noticeable. A smile flashed over my face momentarily before going back to normal. I need to hurry. The mana I shared with her was more aggressive this time, but still remained akin to a rushing stream. Cautious about applying too much pressure all at once, I worried at the worse clogs slowly. As my mana broke through multiple new areas, I could feel her occasionally jolting. I could only hope that I wasn't hurting her while doing this.

Eventually, I came across the block that couldn't be removed unless I merged with her mana. Remembering what happened previously, I combined them gently as far as it would allow, then attempted to press forward. After several minutes, the smallest gap allowed me to get on the other side, but as I did, the mana linked near perfect only to spark dangerously. While trying to pull it away, my consciousness was drawn inward, taking my mind out of my own body. When I opened my eyes, it was to see absolutely nothing. There was only the darkness of night around me and the sensation of water at my feet. Then, the sound of crying filtered into my ears, making me turn until I saw a girl sitting there hugging her knees, rocking back and forth with her face buried and her long black hair drooped over her. She wore a simple white dress that seemed to blend with her pale skin, a sort of light being emitted from her. As I started to approach, I found that the pain I'd felt wasn't there right now. Instead, in its place, there was a strange void-like feeling. Saving the thoughts on this for later, I reached for her. The moment my fingers brushed her shoulder, she stopped crying and went stiff, then raised her head to stare at me. Her black eyes gazed through mine and right at my soul without any form of interference.

For a brief second I was very afraid of her, unsure what was even happening. Now, lifting one of her hands towards me, she grabbed my leg, then my arm, pulling me closer. Panic was the only thing I could see in her expression and actions. Opening her mouth, she whispered, "Is this real…?" Her grip tightened and I instinctively yanked my arm out of her hands, backing away from her desperate grasp. "No...no...no…! Don't leave me! Save me! Where am I?! I'm all alone!" As she screamed, beginning to freak out, I seemed to not exist anymore. Now it looked like she was yelling to herself in frustration and fear. "Help me…" Falling to her knees, she clapped her hands over her face and wept, the light dimming by a fraction. Guilt clouding my mind, I tried to come closer, but the moment I took a step, she heard it and screeched, "NO…!" Slamming her fist down as she spoke, a powerful shockwave ripped into my skin and shoved me out of the dark space. I gasped as I returned to myself, taking my hand off the dragon immediately when she reared her head and dug her talons into the metal, creating a horrible scratching sound. I pressed my back against a wall quickly, hoping to avoid injury.

It didn't take long before she exhaled with the same noise as if she'd just stopped choking. That part wasn't surprising, as a huge amount of mana had poured out of her and returned all at once. What got me was when she used her paws to gently move me closer to curl around me. The eyes were still dull, but her actions were much more alive. That girl I saw...she looked so lost and hurt. Hold on...it was the same voice that I'd heard before! The dragoness grumbled when I wiggled away from her grasp, moving for her head. Tapping her, I asked, "Who are you?" Her warm gaze was an unusual thing for me to see and bordered on making me panic. Sitting there with her, wanting to remain near, her eyes suddenly started to cloud back to where they were earlier and the warmth vanished. Well, not entirely, but it was hidden, as if one had covered it. I brushed my hand over her snout with a sigh. More than ever, I wanted to know what had caused this and why it happened to one who felt so kind. What did I see? That girl gave the same presence as the dragoness...how are they connected?

Giving in to the pain emanating from my stomach, I started a cut using one of her talons and tore off a strip from the bottom of my long tunic and wrapped it, trying to find a way to make it stop. My hands and feet were covered in scars and scabs, as well as open cuts, but this one was the worst by far. If I had been even a little bit closer, my guts wouldn't have stayed inside me. Pressing my cheek on the top of her snout, I closed my eyes to listen to her breathing. The slight heat coming off her scales soothed the various wounds all over my skin, bringing comfort along with it. As I lay there, I felt safer than I had in many years.