Call of Freedom (Private Rp with Leafygreenss)

[brooke0518]

Leafygreenss


Flicker was jolted from her sleep by the loud roars of other dragons- likely that were being forced to fight in the ring for the people's pleasure. She let out a long, shaky sigh- just another day in my life. She was trapped in a large, metal cage that refused to conduct electricity, a tightly-bound leather muzzle kept her from using her bolts to try to free herself or make a move against the humans. Wounds from a fight a few days ago ached with a firy pain, specifically a deep gash across her chest and a large burn on her left foreleg that were both definitely infected. She'd been forced to fight against a fire dragon that was much larger than her, it could have beaten her easily by simply pinning her down, but the humans that watched from above were out for blood, a simple pin wouldn't have satisfied them. Flicker's stomach grumbled, and she tried her best to ignore it, the angry human's voice echoed in her mind- "Losers don't eat you useless lizard! He had growled "If you want to eat, you'll have to win!" Flicker flinched just at the thought of the man, every time she lost, he would go out of his way to make her life miserable with punishments. Her mouth was dry and her stomach was empty, and nobody in the place cared at all. As if her thoughts had summoned the angry human, he stalked into the room filled to the brim with rows of cages. The man stomped up to her cage, swinging the barred door open with a loud clang. Flicker flinched, stepping back, trying to get as far away from the mad man as possible. With an angry growl, the man followed her into the cage, a long whip and a leather lead in his hands. With some grumbling, the man reached up and grabbed her muzzle, yanking her head down to his level with a jerk. Ow! She thought about shocking the man, but she was much too scared to resist the sharp movement, her punishment from her last loss fresh in her mind. He clipped the lead onto the muzzle and shoved her head away from him, giving her a single lash to the neck for the fun of it. He turned around, and jerked the lead sharply, practically dragging her towards the fighting ring. She wanted to stop, and she could barely resist the impulse to dig her paws into the ground as fear racked through her. I'm going to have to fight again. If I lose, I might never eat again! She let out a small whimper as she followed the man.


Brooke0518

Solstice's eyes peeled open, when a very loud banging, could be heard throughout the large concrete room, where cages were sandwiched together. Grumbling to herself, she rises a bit to her feet, hissing in annoyance, when she remembered the large, leather muzzle around her mouth. It was bound so tightly, to keep her from opening her mouth, that the scales around her muzzle, were rubbed raw. Of course, she received the bare minimum care. She was a competitor, and she did fairly well in the ring. Of course, she had her weaknesses. If she was put against a fire dragon, those were the times where her punishments for loss, were severe. It was against most other types of dragons, that she generally was able to show that she was the top dog. Her hard scales were fairly repellent and could be quite durable. But she had her weaknesses. She couldn't be immune to everything, much to the disdain and annoyance of her handler. Handler. She thinks to herself. He really was anything but. Sure, she could win for him, but he berated her, regardless. He was cold and cruel, two traits that seemed to latch onto her. If she lost, he was terrible. If she won, she would get some reward, but some chastising, telling her that she could have fought better, moved faster. As she looks around her cage, she could see a much smaller dragon, with dark purplish black scales, and thick whisps of purple feathering. The way she was moving, and the look in her eyes, told Solstice that she was afraid. As she walks past, Solstice snorts. If she keeps looking and acting like that, of course she'll never win. I don't envy her; she looks like she hasn't eaten in a few days. She thinks to herself, before lowering her head, and resting it on her front feet again, letting her eyes close.


Leafygreenss

As Flicker limped after the man, she kept her head low, not wanting to aggravate the temper of the human by looking around the large cage room. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a terrifying ice dragon. The icicles on the dragoness's thick scales gave her armored appearance. She saw the dragon snort- at her of course, and Flicker just barely resisted rolling her eyes, forgetting that she was supposed to be walking after the man at a fast pace. That dragon is definitely really confident in herself... Probably too confident. But with a shiver, she reluctantly admitted that she was glad she wasn't fighting against that fearsome dragoness. The man jerked at the lead, and the all-too-familiar hiss of the whip whirring through the air became clear. She flinched, the lash leaving a bloody streak across her soft-scaled neck, trembling once again from both fear of the man and her overall weakness, she quickly limped after the human- I don't want any more wounds before I have to fight... she thought to herself, trying to ignore the stinging pain from the two lashes she had already received that morning. They finally reached the fighting ring, and she followed the human through a steel gates that led to a tunnel. The man pulled her to another door, shoving her roughly into a dark entry cage- where they'd release both the fighting dragons from tunnels on opposite sides. The man yanked at the leather muzzle, unclasping it and then stomping out of the entry cage, slamming the door behind him, leaving her in the absolute dark. She gave a small whimper, trying to get comfortable- dragons could spend anywhere from seconds to hours in these cages. She could see the other door faintly, the one that was the entry to the other tunnel. The tunnel that led to the arena. Only a few minutes later, the door she had come in swung open again, and so did the door leading to the arena. A few different humans came in through the original door, prodding her in the side with dull spears, forcing her towards the arena tunnel- "Go!" the humans yelled, "Go!" Flicker had no choice but to obey, as the original door had shut directly after the humans had entered. She limped down the tunnel, sudden light flooding her vision as she entered the arena, the loud cheering of the human spectators echoed throughout the ring. Flicker's heart fluttered with hope as she saw her opponent, a average sized water dragon. Maybe I'll actually be able to eat today. Or even drink some water. She barred her teeth and raised her wings, sinking into a fighting stance while ignoring the pain shooting up her foreleg as she waited for the whistle to sound.


Brooke0518


Hearing the loud cheers and shouts growing in intensity, Solstice opens her eyes again, turning her head in the direction, that that very slim dragon had walked down. Clearly her reasons for walking past, had to do with another fight. She was scheduled to fight again tonight, since she was often a high value dragon. Many placed bets on her, because her win to loss ratio was generally very good. She rarely lost, and that was because the poor excuse for a human, who subjected her to so much torment, actually had a brain. He made sure to place her against opponents, that they knew that she could beat. The loud cheers and curses, caused her to raise her head, looking intently in that direction. Would that little dragon come out on top? She was definitely one of the smaller ones, and she didn't look nearly as ferocious, as many of the others that she faced. The two of them had yet to officially meet, in addition to fighting. It was likely because the owner of that dragon, knew that the little dragon's chances of beating her, were slim. She looked much smaller, and a little younger, though not by much. Shaking her head a little bit, she listens as the fight unfolds, rather curious in the outcome. She had smelled chlorine, which told her, that the dragon most likely to face the little dragon, was a water dragon. Generally, those were considered the weaklings, because they were vulnerable to a lot, minus fire. That fight had to be specifically tailored to those dragons, since they more often than not, fought underwater. Growling a bit to herself, she began to get restless. As much as she detested humans, as much as she hated them, she did love the exhilaration of the fight, the knowledge that she was at the top of the food chain, or at least, fairly close.

Leafygreenss


The whistle blew and Flicker let out the most fearsome roar she could muster, electricity crackling along her wispy purple feathers, then without hesitation, she leaped at the light blue dragon with her claws extended. The water dragon let out a satisfying grunt as Flicker rammed into him, ignoring the sharp pain it sent up her foreleg and knocking him to the stone floor, giving him a nasty shock before darting away again, dodging a slow swipe that the water dragon had tried to take at her snout. Despite Flicker's small size, this dragon was clearly weaker than her from lack of food and the heat of fever that radiated from him. Flicker quickly backed away, staying on the ground, unwilling to test her strength by flying. The other dragon had recovered, growling and stalking closer to her, like a hunter cornering his prey. Flicker took a step back anytime he took a step forwards, but her space quickly ran out, and she was backed against a wall, a horribly angry water dragon in front of her, and now that he was getting closer... he was much larger than she had initially thought. The dragon suddenly charged at her, aiming to snap at her neck, but he missed by several inches, clumsy being out of his element. The miss allowed Flicker to leap up, clinging onto the larger dragon's neck and chest while using her hind claws to scrape at the softer under scales of the unarmored water dragon's belly. The dragon shrieked as she raked at his belly, and he desperately used his forepaws to try to dislodge her, leaving a few bloody gashes along her neck and snout, adrenaline rushing through her as blood began to drip from her wounds, she shocked him, trying to get him to stop clawing at her snout, he then let out a pained roar, and the water dragon forced her off him, sending her flying into the wall as he tried to stumble after her, delayed from the shock she had given him. Flicker gathered herself quickly, picking herself up from the floor by the wall, the impact had shaken her, but no permanent damage. She let out a long hiss as she sunk into the attacking position again, angry now that she had sustained wounds to some degree. She raised her long tail, sizzling electricity dancing around the supposedly soft-feathered tip. I'm not letting this water dragon beat me. I'm eating tonight. The light blue dragon didn't take the hint of her threat, and he leapt at her, claws ready to slash at her soft scales, but instead of taking the blow, she met it, leaping just slightly to the side of him, allowing her to get a solid grip on his neck, and she twisted, landing swiftly on his back. With an angry hiss, she stabbed at the water dragon with her tail, the fuzzy feathers barely parting before the deadly sharp tip of her tail punctured the dragon's back scales, sending the electric current throughout his entire body. The dragon below her collapsed, admitting defeat but very much alive, she had been careful not to stab anywhere absolutely vital. And although Flicker was now trembling from the exertion, she had won, and she gave the crowd a decent roar, smooshing the water dragon's face to the stone, a pang of pity rushing through her for the defeated dragon. I hope he isn't punished too bad.. but hopefully some of the humans will be stupid enough to bet on me in the future...


Brooke0518

Solstice listened the entire timem as the duel pushed on and on, cheers alternating between happy, to extremely angry. This was like how it was......every single day. It was annoying for many dragons, but there was nothing that they could do about it. Despite being fearsome creatures, that towered over humans, with a vast array of powers, humans still seemed to have the edge over them. Apaprently all they needed to get the dragons to do what they wanted, was to crack a whip at the ground or at them, or threaten them, with muzzles and no food. Starvation........that was a nasty way to punish a dragon. Theye were tough.....sure, but the fact that they were holding such a bare minimum necessity over their heads, to perform, was not only cruel, but counterproductive. How could they be expected to fight at their best, when they were deprived of one of the most important things. They got sleep, and plenty of water, but it seemed that using food as a reward, was the best that they could get. Eventually, the loud shouts begin to die down, though when she sees some of the humans pass by, they looked incredibly angry. Some were cursing, some were shoving each other aside, and others simply had red faces. She knew that it would be about half an hour before the next fight went on, and this one would be her. Whoever her opponent was, was bound to be in for trouble. Not only was she one of the most dangerous dragons out there, but she was very hard to beat. Many made good money on her, but that also increased the pressure. A dragon who could perform, was very highly expected to win. Failure was not an option, not for her.


Leafygreenss

The man walked into the arena shortly after Flicker's roar, holding the leather muzzle in his tight grip while he mumbled under his breath about how she could have done better. A few guards followed him, spears in their hands- just in case she decided to do something irrational. "Head. Down." The man ordered gruffly, she reluctantly listened to him, and he tugged the horrid thing over her fresh wounds, then the man tightened the straps and she flinched, the muzzle worsening the stinging as the blood seeped into the leather. The man jerked the muzzle roughly and Flicker winced as the sharp movement aggravated her wounds even more. The human snapped a lead to the muzzle, then turned, yanking on the lead. Flicker followed him, passing the water dragon's human as they exited the arena. It was hard to ignore the loud cracking of a whip that echoed from the arena behind her. The adrenaline began to wear off as they walked down the hallway, her scratches stung and the burn on her foreleg forced her to limp after the man, as quickly as she could manage; even so, she held her head high as she was led into the concrete cage room. She shot a pointed glare at the ice dragon who she was sure had been labeling her as weak earlier, and she tried her best to limp less as she passed, her new wounds still left a scarlet trail of droplets behind her that she tried to ignore. See? I can fight too. She thought with a smirk, and Flicker's feathers began to buzz with electricity that went all the way to her tail-tip, she was wary, being careful to not brush against the man. He would not take kindly to a shock, even if she won the fights. They reached her cage, and the man raised his whip from his belt, pointing for her to go inside the metal cage- she did so, the thought of enduring a long whipping sending a shudder through her. The man removed the lead then slammed the door shut, making her flinch at the quick movement. Shortly after the angry man left, he returned, still grumbling to her about how she needed to give the audience a better show, but now hauling a large bucket of water and a dead carp. He cracked the cage door open, setting both of the precious things down and slamming the door yet again; this time Flicker didn't flinch, instead she practically leapt at the bucket, her muzzle just barely loose enough to allow her to eat and drink. She drained half the bucket in a matter of seconds, then she slowly turned to the large fish, a spark of happiness running through her, lightening her whole mood. She ignored her still-bleeding wounds, and began to tear apart the carp, not wasting a bit. When she had run out of the fish meat, she resorted to gnawing on the bones, the ability to do so a great privilege that she wouldn't take for granted. After she had satisfied herself, she surveyed her wounds. The water dragon had left a nasty scrape on her snout, and another two on her chest in addition to the one she'd had before, all of which, were now bleeding. A small pang of worry ran through her, but she pushed it away. They'd stop bleeding soon probably. Flicker lowered herself to the ground, pressing her chest wounds against the cool stone- maybe the pressure will help the bleeding stop. After a few minutes of pressing herself against the cool stone, the blood flow had stopped, and she moved, curling up in the corner of her cage.

Brooke0518

Solstice kept her eyes on the dark tunnel, where a small spot of light, pointing in the direction of the vast arena. Watching for a moment, to see the winner, since they were generally escorted back to their cage first. Tilting her head, she noticed that it was that smaller, slender, purplish black dragon. She looked incredibly beat up, with trails of crimson, sliding off of her scales. Narrowing her eyes a bit, she noticed, what appeared, to be sparks leaping and dancing off of the thick, purple feathering. So she had won her match? That was impressive. From what she had heard from the humans, she was a massive underdog. For all her power, she was smaller, and while size didn't always matter, it was an important aspect. She shakes her head, as she watches the human order the dragon into her cage, before slamming it repeatedly.....after feeding her of course. "You shouldn't eat that fast, you know. Who knows when the next time you'll get fed is. And you shouldn't drink that fast too. It'll upset your stomach." She says. There was a gruffness in her voice, and while she normally chatised other dragons, this one had won her match, which was more than she could say for others. She hadn't fought this one, but that was probably because her handler felt, that it would be an insult to through this small fry against her.


Leafygreenss

Flicker looked up at the other dragon's voice, "Easy for you to say..." She said back, trying to keep the cutting undertone from her voice, "You probably get fed after every fight. And you get fresh water everyday. I definitely don't." She said with a small sarcastic laugh, "I'm lucky if I get fed once a week..." I know she's right. But I hate admitting i'm not. Even so, Flicker scooted a little closer to the water bucket, this time taking a slow, controlled gulp of water, somehow feeling a small urge to listen to the dragoness; at least she spoke sense. There was still a fair amount in the bottom, so she tentitively dipped a paw inside, bringing her tail nearer to her and dripping a small bit of the liquid on her blood encrested feathers. She began to groom the small whispy things with her rough tongue, the tang of iron from the water dragon's blood made her want to vomit, but she resisted, just another day in this hellhole, right? In the nursery some of the other hatchlings had called her cat- just because she would keep herself clean. She parted the now-clean feathers, revealing the blood covered spike, she dipped her paw in the water again, putting a few more droplets on her tailspike before she rubbed the blood from it with her paw, she lifted her tail, showing off her sharp weapon. She turned her attention back to the ice dragon- after all, she hadn't been rude to her. And I wasn't the nicest. Flicker tried to lighten her tone, "Do you have a fight tonight?" She asked, moving her eyes from her tailspike to the dragoness.

Brooke0518

Solstice snorts rather loudly, at the smaller dragoness' attitude. "Why do you think I'm telling you this? When one is on the losing end so much, the minute they get their reward for a victory, they wolf down their food and water, leaving no way to strengthen themselves for the next fight. You have to ration, since you have no idea where your next meal is going to come from, or when you're going to get fresh, clean water." She says. It might not look like it but she wasn't a natural at fighting. Her ability had come from the drive to do better after each loss. She knew what it was like to lose, and she never wanted to be there again. The cracking of the whip, the use of fire to scare her, depriving her of food and good water. She never wanted any of that. She hated humans more than anything. if she had her way, she would tear them apart, so taht she could escape. Instead, she was being used as their toy and means of entertainment. Entertainment. It seemed like some sort of joke, for large, majestic animals to be used like common dogs, to fight for people who didn't even care about them. Shaking her head a little bit, she nods. "I do, very soon actually." She says. She never looked liek she had any scars, because most couldn;t get their teeth past her scales. But she had been burned many times, as fire was her huge weakness.

Leafygreenss

Flicker shifted her wings uncomfortably looking down at the stone floor, "I tried to save food when I first won." she mumbled, "If I waited to eat, the stupid human would just take it back. He called it a waste. He actually gave me quite a long whipping for that one." She growled towards the end, her eyes narrowing, remembering how empty her stomach had been at the time. How empty her stomach was almost all the time. "I eat right away now..." she muttered under her breath. With a huff, she decided to change the subject yet again, "I take it you win a lot. If you're one of the later fights. You hardly have a scratch on you." She said, looking down at her own fresh wounds, "I'd love to borrow those scales sometime. The soft ones I have rip like paper in the dumb fights." she admitted, If I had tougher scales that water dragon wouldn't have ever been able to hurt me. Maybe I'd have even stood a chance against that stupid fire dragon.

Brooke0518

Solstice shakes her head a bit. "Well, how about this. If your mouth is big enough, place the fish in your mouth, but don't swallow. That way you can ration your food, and hide it, when your human comes by." She suggests. There had been times, where she tucked her food under her tongue, and because she wore the muzzle, she could get away with it. Of course, she needed to exercise restraint, to resist the urge to swallow her food whole, but it eventually paid off, and she was able to savor her food, and her stomach rewarded her for it. Looking over at the tiny dragon, she shrugs. "I suppose you could say that. These scales have gotten me through many fights. But I'm not invincible. I do well enough, that my handler organizes my fights, so that I don't fight against the dragons, that would be able to defeat me." She says. Because of her performance and winning streak, her fights were carefully organized, and manipulated a bunch, to ensure her victory. She threw the word handler, with a spit of disdain. She hated her handler. She hated all humans in general. She wanted nothing more than to swallow her handler whole, and escape.



Leafygreens


Flicker thought about the dragoness's idea for a second, tilting her head to the side, "I'll try that next time." She said, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face as she thought about it. I suppose I could eat bit by bit. Half the first day to make it small enough for my mouth, then a little bit from then on. Her expression quickly turned to confusion at the ice dragon's next words, "Your... uh- 'handler' can do that?" She questioned, nodding as she began to understand, "My human doesn't have much to work with I suppose..." She said, "I guess I have my sparks and my spike, but i'm like- the smallest dragon here." She said with a snort, "I'm sure you'll do good in your next fight though. If your huma- handler- whatever you call your human, does his job, you'll be able to win. Probably without even a scratch." It's easy to see her winning her next fight. She's got thick scales, ice, and basically every odd in her favor, if I can win, she can dominate. Flicker scratched a small itch near her wing with a hindleg, trying to move to a more comfortable position, but the stone didn't make it very easy.


Brooke0518

Solstice nods, "Yes. The more you win against your opponents, the more privileges you get. Because of my winning streak, I get tailored matches, fresh water every day, and my meals vary. It's something that requires a lot of hard work." She says. She knew that she could be a force to be reckoned with, as long as she wasn't fighting someone, who could use fire. Fire was her biggest weakness, given that it could melt ice. Sure she wouldn't melt, but she would always get some very nasty burns, burns that took a long time to heal. She had faced many of them in her first few duels, and she had lost every one of them. Soon, when she started going against dragons of other types, she showed that she was able to fight for herself, which earned her the privilege, of avoiding the dragons that could guarantee her defeat. There were some who were frustrated with that, since there were some who wanted her to lose, but she proved to be quite a challenge, and could scare other dragons, with her icy glare. Her blue eyes looked like shards of ice, which stood out against her blue scales.



Leafygreenss


Flicker nodded, "I'll just have to win more then." She replied, sounding not-so-sure of herself. That was a lot easier said than done. She'd have to start rationing like the dragoness had said before, saving the water and the precious small meals. She'd have to stop whimpering and whining to the human, but even the thought of the man sent a shiver down her tail. I'll just have to stop being so cowardly. Yes, i'll win. Then i'll have water and food and i'll be able to get out of this horrible place. If there is anywhere but here... Flicker shook that thought from her head, there surely would be something beyond this wretched place. There has to be. "Do you think I even could keep winning though?" She said softly, so quietly she hoped the other dragon couldn't hear what she had said. I'm definitely not built for this place... A few more loud roars echoed through the room, and she glanced down the hall to see if she could get a glimpse of the racket, the noise was clearly from dragons who were currently fighting. It sounded like a tough match. Flicker tried to ignore it, turning her head back to the ice dragon, "Aren't you fighting soon?" She asked, the last few fights of the day were approaching.

[brooke0518]

Brooke0518

Solstice looks over at the small dragoness, surveying her up and down, to gauge her opinion. "Honestly, I think that you could keep winning. It's true that you're small, and that is often seen as weakness. But it's only a weakness, if you let it hold you back. Small dragons can win. Use your size to your advantage. You're probably a lot quicker, and much nimbler than a larger dragon. Think about it. We have to actively turn ourselves around, if we fought against you. You could slip under a larger dragon, and the time it takes to turn around, could give you the time that you need, to shock them. Don't think of your size as a weakness. You can win with it. And don't be so nervous, or you'll fall into their head games, and let them intimidate you." She says. Pausing for a moment, to get a small drink, she looks back at the small dragon, and nods her head. "Yes. Probably in two matches from now, it'll be my turn." She says. She generally fought near the end of the day, because she was often seen as some big spectacle. She was a known winner, and many felt that she could lift the mood, after several terrible battles. Still......she wanted nothing more than to snatch a few of those humans, and gulp them down whole, to give them something to really be frightened of.



Leafygreenss

Flicker looked shocked that the larger, stronger dragoness thought she could keep winning. Everything the ice dragon had said was true. She had to get past the thought of her being small as a bad thing. She was able to beat the much larger water dragon.. and who's to say I can't win again in the future? "I am quite a bit more manuverable." she said thoughtfully, watching as the ice dragon took a small sip of water from the bucket that seemed to be always available to the fearsome dragoness. "Two matches isn't far." She replied, her tail dancing with dozens of small sparks circling it. "I don't understand how you aren't worried at all." She said, observing the dragoness, the silent power that radiated from the ice dragon was undeniable, as if she could never lose with her thick scales and ice powers. I sometimes wish I could watch others fight. It would be gruesome, but I may be able to pick up some moves, and i'd learn more about my opponents speed, manuverablity, powers, practically everything. "Oh, and I never asked, do you have a name that I should call you? Mine's Flicker." She knew many of the dragons in the horrid place didn't have names. Many of them hadn't been along with other dragons long enough to gain one, she had been lucky to have been raised in that nursery...



Brooke0518

"I'm sure that you are. Just use your brain. Most, if not all dragons are smart. They just choose not to use their brains, because they're afraid of losing. You have to be confident, and enter the arena with a clear head. Of course, nothing like that comes naturally. It's something that is learned through experience. If you don't think that you'll win, it's a lot harder to do so." She says, as she turns around, and stands a bit higher. She couldn't get to her full height, but she could at least stretch her neck out a bit. "It isn't, but it's fine. I have enough time to mentally prepare. I used to be like you, afraid of losing. Of course, I got bigger and bigger, and I learned the right strategies to win. That, and I didn't want to be beaten again. I swore to myself, that I would never lose again, and I have stayed true to that promise. Being worried just increases the chances of failure. As long as I don't fight a fire dragon, I will always win." She says. Looking over at the dragoness.....who called herself Flicker, she lashes her tail lightly from side to side. "Solstice. I was born on the shortest day and longest, coldest night of the year." She says.



Leafygreenss


Flicker nodded, "Clear head. Positive attitude. Better results." She affirmed. "I hate when the human pulls out the whip. Did being unafraid help against humans too?" She asked giving the dragoness a sympathetic look, but shuddering at the thought of the man's cruel punishments. Flicker scuffled her paws, sharpening a few of her duller claws on the stone with a rough scraping noise."That's a cool name. That night must have been cold as ice." She replied, a glimmer of ammusement showing in her eyes at her horrible joke. "I actually was named by some of the older hatchlings in the nursery I was hatched at. They quite were confused at how the sparks of electricity always looked like a flickering candleflame when I sent static to my tail. They started calling me Flicker, and I guess the name just stuck until I got yanked here." She admitted, "Unfortunately, my human calls me Lizard most of the time." She said with a snort, "I'm pretty sure he says that as an insult, but I think lizards are pretty cool. They have pretty scales. I saw once a few weeks ago I think." Flicker yawned, a sudden wave of sleepiness grabbing at her, like she'd hit a wall, but she forced her eyes to stay open, I'll rest once the dragoness- Solstice is done with her fight.



Brooke0518


Solstice nods, as she hears footsteps coming down the hallway......her handler, most likely. She scores her claws against the floor of her cage, as she gets herself into the mindset to fight. That was the way she had to survive, to avoid getting mistreated by that terrible human. She hated him more than anything in the world. The only reason why she kept fighting, fighting to get him money, was because it ensured that she would get food. "You seem more like a Sparky, rather than Flicker. But it's your name, and I'll call you what you would prefer." She says, not taking her eyes off of the cage door. Eventually, her handler comes in, a large whip in hand, as well as a lead. Even though she was a winner, the whip was brought as a reminder that even she could lose, and if she did, that would be what she faced. She lowers her head, so that her handler could clip the lead on. She had to suck up to him, as much as she hated it, simply because the desire to survive here in this dump, was the best that she had. She follows her handler out of the cage. Despite the fact that she was bigger and stronger than him, he had her completely under his control......like a whipped dog.



Leafygreenss


Flicker laughed slightly at Solstice's comment, not noticing the footsteps and the dragoness's distraction at first, I do make sparks, not flames ironically. She suddenly heard the thudding footsteps of a human. Instinctively, she wanted to crawl to the back of her cage, as far from the person as possible. If I want to win I have to be strong. I can't from the footsteps of a human. Flicker forced herself to remain still, watching warily as a man walked- well, practically stomped up to Solstice's cage. The man clipped the lead onto her as the dragoness bent her head for him voluntarily, and she couldn't do anything but watch as the ice dragon followed the man down the hall. "Good luck..." she whispered after her, laying her head next to her paws. Her wounds dully ached now, but the oldest wounds seemed to be getting slightly better. Hopefully they'll heal quick. And I won't be so lonely anymore I suppose. Now that I can talk to Solstice. I hope she fights well. She definitely earns her meals.



Brooke0518


The fight that Solstice was brought to, as usual, seemed like a very easy one. The dragon that she was facing, appeared to be a slender, poison dragon. Of course, she was wary and cautious at the same time. She knew that her scales were tough enough to withstand an attempted bite, but that didn't mean that she would get cocky. She lowers herself a bit more to the ground, to protect her more vulnerable parts. As the dragon comes at her, she could see the slender fangs, with little beads of yellow liquid around them......the venom. She definitely needed to avoid that. With her large tail, which was spiked by spines that looked to be the size and shape of icicles, she swings it around, knocking the other dragon clean off of its feet. She could hear the shouts and cheers, since she was favored to win. She peels her lips back in a snarl, exposing a row of glistening white teeth. Opening her mouth a bit, she releases a burst of ice cold water. She knew that the minute that water made contact, it would freeze immediately. Deciding to use a bit of strategy, she shoots her breath of ice cold water straight at the ground, freezing the concrete surface. That would complicate things for the other dragon, since he wasn't designed to handle walking on solid ice.


Leafygreenss


Flicker shuffled her wings as the loud roaring had begun. She had seen Solstice's opponent walk past her cage after the ice dragoness had left. It was a male poison dragon, his long fangs that protruded from his mouth were dripping with a gross-looking venom, the fangs too large to fit between his jaws. I would be dead against a poison dragon. Solstice probably will win, with her thick protective scales. With my soft scales and small size- Stop! Remember what she told you. My size can be a weapon. If they can't catch me, they can't bite or poison me. The cheering and yells from the crowd suddenly became louder, the sound echoing through the cage room, as if a dragon had placed a strong blow. Probably Solstice. She is definitely the dragon being favored for this fight. After all, why else would her human match her to that poison dragon?



Brooke0518


Solstice watched in amusement, as the poison dragon struggled to get his footing on the ice. He kept slipping around and falling. because of the nature of these fights, they were all prohibited from flying. That, and some of them were so large, that flying wasn't even an option. She uses her tail mainly as her weapon, since the dragon was struggling just to stay on its feet. She could hear a combination of happy and angry sounds. Those that were happy, were the people who had bet on her. Those who were angry, had bet on the poison dragon. She was generally always favored to win, but there were always the scant few, who were hoping that eventually, she would taste defeat. But her Achilles heel, was fire, and as long as she was kept away from the fire dragons, she would win every time.



Leafygreenss


Flicker flinched as the sound from the crowd had become deafening, only a few disappointed shouts were heard in the whole racket. Something that doesn't happen often just happened...with all that sound, it's like something completely changed the field. But that can't be possible, of course, the battlefield has never changed, and i've been fighting for months. Flicker bent her head back to groom the feathering along her spine, trying to ignore the loud cheers as she brushed through the purple feathers, detangling and cleaning them of the dried blood still left from the water dragon. I hope he's doing okay... he was likely punished pretty bad. She made her way down, grooming until she reached the base of her tail, wincing slightly when a sharp twinge from her chest wounds shot through her. She looked down at the gashes- they aren't particularly deep, they'll heal quickly- just pain for now. And the other wounds are healing. If I can manage to keep winning, I'll have the water and food to help me gain my strength back.



Brooke0518


The cheers around Solstice continued to grow louder, as she slammer her tail into the poison dragon. She could see the spikes, that had the shine of hardened ice, pierce the dragon's scales, coloring the ice a shade of crimson. The upside for her, was that she was a very durable dragon. Regardless, she was keeping herself low to the ground, to protect her more vulnerable parts, from the poison dragon's deadly venom. After a few more slams, and a burst of ice, the cheers around her continued to grow, indicating that she had won. She hadn't even been touched by the poison dragon. She couldn't bear to look at the poison dragon, as he got his punishment, as she was being led away. She wanted nothing more than to kill that handler for mistreatment of that dragon. Her eyes narrowed in fury, and her muscles tensed up. She thought about growling, but she would do that later. She hated humans, more than anything in this world. How could they be so cruel.......those cold, heartless creatures. All they cared about was their money and reputation, without any regard for the lives of those who won for them.



Leafygreenss


The cheers of the humans only grew from there. A sudden loud burst of cheering indicated a harsh blow. These bursts of happy cheering happened a few more times before the collective cheering for the lone winner began- the winner had been determined. Flicker let out a long sigh, I don't want to see the dragon on the wrong side of that fight, it sounded very one-sided... I wonder if Solstice won... Who am I kidding? Of course she won. The heavy clicking of claws on the stone floor became clear as the winner was being led towards the room, but Flicker couldn't see which dragon it was yet. She could also hear the horrible sounds of a dragon being punished coming from the arena. Flicker tried to block those noises out, focusing on figuring out who won the fight.



Brooke0518


Solstice kept her head down, boiling in fury. She hated humans, and if she had her way, she would've protected that poison dragon after he had lost. Of course, she knew that part of the reason why she had blasted ice cold water, which froze across the ground, was to make things a bit more challenging for the humans. They all thought that she did it for the fight. But in reality, she did it to get back at the humans. Many times, humans that slipped and fell on the ice, were so badly injured, that they never came back. When that happened, the dragon in question, was released out into the wild. The poison dragon, though he would likely be punished, he would be released, and never have to worry about fighting again, simply because he no longer had a handler.


Leafygreenss


It was taking longer than she had anticipated for the winner to be brought into the concrete room, and she laid her head down on her paws, her eyelids drooping with exhaustion from the fight and lack of food. I should have saved some of my food, like Solstice told me about after I ate, I really wish she'd told me before. As if summoned by the thought, Solstice was just being led into the room, her head low- she looked very angry. She doesn't even have a scratch on her. Flicker noted, no visible wounds showing on her thick scales from the poison dragon. I wonder how badly he was punished. she thought reluctantly, not wanting to recall the memories of all the times she had lost and been punished in numerous ways, the man's favorite being withholding water- an odd punishment for an electric dragon, but very very effective. Dehydration causes desperation.



Brooke0518

Once she was back in her cage, Solstice looks back at her handler, and glares at him. She was one of the few dragons, who would openly glare at her handler. He knew that she didn't like him, but because she won consistently, earning him lots of money, he put up with her glares. She knew that the poison dragon would be released out into the wild. Those dragons that got the worst punishments, were the ones where she actively went out of her way to badly injure the humans. Because they thought that it was part of her fighting style, they let it go, completely unaware that she was using it against them. When her door closes, she lies down again, tucking her tail around her feet, and bringing her wings close to her sides. She was furious, since she hated what she had to do, just to keep from being on the receiving end of all those lashings.



Leafygreenss


Flicker watched as Solstice was put back in her cage, and the ice dragon glared at the human, even the brief gesture made her nervous- if i'd done that i'd get no water for a whole week! After the human walked away from Solstice's cage, she watched as the dragoness curled her tail around her, tucking her wings. Flicker took another small, controlled drink from her water bucket, savoring the fresh water. After a solid period of silence, Flicker's gaze flicked back to Solstice. "Are you okay?" She asked tentatively, as if worried the angry dragoness might lash out and roar obscenities at her.



Brooke0518


For a moment, Solstice doesn't respond to Flicker, trying her best to contain her rage. She hated humans and wanted nothing more than to tear them apart. But right now, she couldn't do that, not while she was still stuck here. Even if she killed every last human in here, she wouldn't know how to get out. She bends her head down, to get a drink of water. She always felt extremely thirsty after using her ice breath. Turning the water to such a cold temperature, that it froze on contact, was something that took a lot out of her, and made her easily dehydrated, something that her handler had learned the hard way. "I will be....eventually." She says.



Leafygreenss


"Okay." She replied quietly, "Good job." Flicker took another small drink of water, lapping up the precious liquid without any hesitation. Then she laid her head down on top of her paws, curling up into the most comfortable position she had found on the cold stone. She let out a long sigh, closing her eyes and hoping that sleep would come to her swiftly, but of course, it never would in the compound. The snarling of dragons and the bellows from angry humans always echoed the place, even in the night. She brought her tail up near her, covering her eyes with the feathering, hopeful it would help obscure the lights that always were on.



Brooke0518


Solstice looks over at Flicker, after shaking the excess water droplets off of her scales. "Thanks, I guess. He'll be better off now. Every dragon that loses to me, most of the time, gets released into the wild. So he'll have a better-quality life now." She says, as she lies down. When the sounds of footsteps come close to her cage again, she raises her head, as a large cow was thrown into her cage, via a large machine. Of course, she would prefer something without fur, but she knew that in this case, it was best to not be too choosy. She needed to eat, regardless of the type of meat that she was provided. With her foot, she drags the cow closer to her, and begins to pluck the fur off of the carcass.

[brooke0518]

Leafygreenss

Flicker acknowledged Solstice's words, giving a sleepy nod as the ice dragoness began to pick the pelt off the large piece of prey she had been given- a cow. Just the smell of the prey made her mouth water, but she forced herself to ignore it, closing her eyes again. The forced the sounds of the loud, bustling place into the background, covering her ears with her forepaws as she began to drift off. Flicker's nightmares were filled with dragons that night. Fearsome, large dragons of every shape, size, and type. She fought over and over again, losing the majority of the time, but after each battle she was forced to fight again without any rest. The first dragon she faced was a grass dragon, one of the few she managed to defeat. But after her came an ice dragon, then a set of poison dragons, and many more, blurring together as time passed. Finally, she was forced to fight a flame dragon. The same large male she had fought before. The dragon threw her to the floor with ease, clawing at her soft scales and seemingly ripping her flesh apart. Flames engulfed her as he struck a final blow, and Flicker awoke panting, her breathing coming short and fast. She looked down at her trembling paws and her chest, where the awful dream-wounds had been. She whined quietly, it was late at night, and the calmest it had been in the room in ages. Almost no dragon was awake, and it seemed nobody could see how terrified she was.



Brooke0518


Looking over at Flicker, Solstice could tell that she was scared. Since the two of them had already successfully completed their battles, their handlers wouldn't be coming back any time soon, except to get water. They didn't fight every day, because even the humans knew that fighting too much, too often, would result in many more losses, due to exhaustion. Looking down at her food, she begins to rip chunks away from her cow, and tossing them over to Flicker. "Go ahead and eat those. Tuck them in the very back of your cage, lie on them if you have to. Save that meat, it'll help keep you from weakening. I think you find, that if you eat and drink more, you'll have more energy, and when you have energy, you use your brain more, and you'll use your strengths, to win more battles." She says. There was still a grating annoyance in her voice, but it wasn't directed at Flicker. Sh was beyond furious, and if she could, she would completely bust out of here, and kill every human in sight. She hated nothing more than humans. She didn't even hate the dragons that she was expected to fight. They were here against their will, and forced to fight.



Leafygreenss


Flicker warily looked at Solstice, an expression of pure shock plastered on her face as the dragoness tossed chunks of the cow over to her, she quickly gathered them, and sat down, curling her trembling leatherlike-scaled tail around the precious food, hiding it from the view of any humans that may pass. Despite her nightmares, she had only seemed to have drifted for only a moment; even though her dreams thought it had been ages. Flicker had likely been overstimulated in her panic, and that must have led to lack of observation and short, panicked dreams. "Thank you..." Flicker said, still in disbelief that anydragon here would have enough food to be able to give some away. She brought the meat chunks close to her, it was as if her very survival was at her clawtips. "Thank you so much..." She said, thanking the dragoness again. I won't forget that Solstice. Thank you.



Brooke0518


Solstice nods in Flicker's direction, acknowledging that she had heard her. it was true that she didn't have to share her food, technically. But with her win record, food was pretty easy to come by, and she rarely ever felt hungry again. Her handler, now that she was a consistent winner, knew that feeding his dragon, meant that her wins would keep happening, and the money would keep flowing in. "You're welcome. Remember what I told you about food. Don't scarf it down too fast. not only will it upset your stomach, you won't digest it properly. Which means that not only will you not gain any nutrients from it, but you won't get any energy from it either. Savor it, and it'll help you gain strength, enough to help you win. The same with your water, don't drink so much, and too fast. Ration it out, and soon, you won't have to worry about hunger." She says.



Leafygreenss


Flicker nodded sleepily, "Got it." She replied sounding happy, the food had definitely changed her night for the better. "I'll ration it the best I can." After the brief conversation, she curled up, carefully concealing the meat as she closed her eyes, giving into the darkness that had been trying to swallow her for hours. Flicker slept peacefully now, no longer plauged by the nightmares that she commonly recieved. She woke up to the loud clanging, cheering of crowds, screaming of humans, and the roars of dragons in pain- just normal noises in the wretched place. Today is likely going to be a dry day since I fought yesterday. she thought, looking down at the six precious meat chunks. Her stomach growled and she bent her head and selected the smallest piece, savoring the taste of the meat as she ate it slowly, she was careful to watch out for the human while she ate as well. She took a small sip of water to wash it down, saving the rest for when she would get thirsty later in the day. Flicker looked over at Solstice, wondering if she was awake too.



Brooke0518


Solstice had rested her head on the ground, feeling the cold concrete against the softer scales of her neck, and the spot just under her lower jaw. She had eaten her fill, since she didn't have to worry about scarfing down her food. Once the prey was put into her cage, it was left there. She knew that some handlers would take away any uneaten food, but her handler didn't do that. She earned him so much money, and a good reputation, that he never even bothered with that. He probably knew, that id he started taking away things from her, she would still win for him, but she would make things far more difficult. She was one of the larger female dragons here, and had the best win record for females. Her tail swished lightly from side to side, as she started to doze off. She wasn't going to sleep, but she did need to rest her eyes, and recharge her energy. Her next fight would be in a couple of days, assuming everything went as planned. But she was weary, she wanted to get out of here, tearing through any humans that got in her way.



Leafygreenss


Flicker wasn't able to tell if the dragoness was asleep- but she definitely didn't want to wake her. Rest was hard to come upon in the horrible place, and Flicker herself would have definitely clawed anydragon that woke her from her slumber on purpose. Slowly, she stood up, her muscles still sore from her fight the day before, and the gashes across her chest stung, along with the one on her snout. She promptly ignored the pain, and she nudged her meat supply towards the back left corner of her cage, the furthest she could get it from the door. After she was satisfied with the placement of her meager food deposit, she sat down infront of it, the meat hidden from the view of any passing human- she didn't want to take the risk of the angry man punishing her again. Flicker gave her tail feathering a few brisk licks, cleaning the scent of the meat from it since she had hidden the cow bits underneath it last night. I hope the man doesn't have anything in store for me today. The roars of fighting dragons echoed through the place, and she repressed a shudder. That could be seen as a sign of weakness. I have to act less repulsed when I hear roars or see a human.



Brooke0518


Solstice managed to sleep through the excessive growls of pain and anger...something that took a lot of getting used to, when one wasn't used to it. She remembered in her first set of matches, it was really hard to sleep, because the calls of all the dragons, particularly the ones who lost, not only filled her heart with grief, but it also filled her heart with anger. She still was trying to find a way out of here. She was trying her best to ensure that those who lost to her, were released into the wild, so that they wouldn't have to deal with this anymore. The downside to that plan, was that it kept her locked away, as she was deemed valuable, a lot like the other dragons, who had yet to taste defeat. So far, the only reason why Flicker was still here, despite her less than stellar battle record, the two of them had yet to fight, which meant that she would be trapped too, unless the small, feathery dragon managed to find a way to escape. But she had done all that she could, to help give the little dragon some much needed advice, to be able to fight against her opponents, and survive.



Leafygreenss


Flicker's head shot up at the sound of heavy footsteps, and she backed up a few pawsteps- not because of fear, but to hide what little she had. The meat could keep her alive in the horrible place far longer than anything else. She wasn't surprised when the man rounded the corner, but what really shocked her was that he was walking directly towards her. Right up to the bars of her cage, the muzzle and whip in his arms. But- I just fought yesterday... he usually lets me heal a bit. The cruel man swung the door open with a twisted expression, and her memory flashed back to Solstice. If I can get him to trust me, I may eat more. I might even lower his guard. I could try to make a run for it. Instead of slinking back like she'd done in the past, she lowered her head, the scratches on her muzzle screaming protest as she allowed the man to muzzle her. He gave a noise of brief satisfaction, then clipped the leather lead on her and began to lead her from the cage. She just barely had time to shoot a nervous glance at Solstice before she was yanked down the hall. She kept up with the man, careful to match his pace as she didn't want to anger him and receive any of those horrible lashes. The stinging from the leather cords was enough to keep her from trying to protest. Her chest and neck wounds ached, but they were manageable. She kept her wings neatly folded, but her tail high and ready to strike, unwilling to let her guard down that much. She felt stronger than she had before, her legs no longer trembling, not taking effort to stay on her paws, the dull hunger that had sat in her belly so long had even been subdued. With a little more food and water, maybe she really could be a contender.



Brooke0518


Solstice opens up one eye, and raises her head up, when she hears the sounds of footsteps echoing down the long, dark hallway. She cranes her neck a bit, when she sees, that it was Flicker's handler, who had arrived. Of course, she knew that something like this would happen. Often times, when a dragon started winning, it wasn't uncommon for them to be taken to the arena for, as she referred to them, as conditioning matches. When a dragon started showing signs of a dominating win, they were taken to a different arena for conditioning, to make sure that they could stay in top form. Generally, in those arenas, it wasn't dragons that they were facing, she knew that, because she had been in those matches. Those matches were often a time where it was a meal free for all for dragons. They were made to fight wild animals. Most of the time, they were very large, like tigers, bears, alligators. Other times, they were large herbivores, like bison, rhinos, and other things. They wanted matches that they could use, to make sure that their dragon, would never show signs of weakness. JUst winning a match didn't guarantee conditioning matches, only strong, definitive wins guaranteed it. Flicker would get to fight different animals, and eat them, which would undoubtedly bring up her strength. Every time she had lost a match, losing out on a meal, would be made up this time. She would probably get the traditional four animals that she would be expected to fight, and she would get to eat them at the very end. When she sees Flicker look at her, she nods, assuring her, that it would be okay.



Leafygreenss


Flicker followed the man without question, but the little reassuring nod from Solstice confused her. Aren't I going to fight? The man led her back to the little tunnel, and she entered without question, letting the cruel human roughly pull the muzzle off. The door slammed behind her, and she was momentarily left in the darkness- only a short moment later, the men with the spears came in, and she quickly went through the second door they opened, her head and tail held high- I don't want to be prodded with those stupid spears again she thought- a bit annoyed, but still scared. What dragon must I fight today? She went through the short tunnel, emerging from the darkness into the well-lit arena. There's significantly less people watching today. Flicker raised her tail a bit higher, looking across the ring, waiting for her opponent. Suddenly, a creature emerged, and shock and happiness flooded her for a brief second, It's not a dragon! It's a tiger! Without pausing to even question it, she lept at the large striped cat. The thing nimbly moved to the side, and she didn't hesitate in chasing after it. I'm not the prey anymore. She chased the thing into a corner, and it turned back on her, trying to take a swipe at her muzzle. Flicker flinched back, dodging the meager attack attempt, countering with her tail spike. She ended it's life quickly with a jab through the throat. The sound of another animal emerging from the tunnel reached her, and she turned around swiftly, her gaze landing on bison. She quickly leaped at the creature, it tried to charge but she was already on top of it, she ended it's life with a strong jolt. Another animal emerged, a large grizzly bear. The grizzly bared it's teeth and charged, Flicker instantly raised her tail up, and as the bear got closer, she went for the kill- her heart sunk as she missed, and the bear gave her a fresh scratch on her left side, trying to overpower her. She kicked out with her hind legs, shoving the bear off her and shocking it slightly, stunning it. She got up quickly, and clamped her jaws around the animal's neck. Snap. Dead. Another animal entered the ring, and she quickly sunk into an attack crouch, a wave of fear passing through her. It's an elephant. A large bull elephant was at the other side of the ring, and she cautiously crept closer to it, keeping herself low to the ground. Suddenly, the elephant charged, it's long, deadly tusks aimed to kill. Flicker yelped, as if she was going to run like the elephant thought she would, then she tucked her wings as tight as she could, diving right underneath the hulking creature and clinging onto it's underside. She delivered an initial shock, and the bull elephant reared, frantically trying to shake her off. She continued to shock him, finally gaining enough of a hold to stab at it with her tail. She drove her tailspike deep into the elephant, sending all her electricity through him- she let go at last, scrambling out from under the animal before it collapsed to the ground- Dead. Flicker was panting now, but no more animals emerged, and the whistle that always signified a winner was blown. She looked at the dead prey with longing, but she left it. The man walked into the arena, sitting on the side with a couple guards. "Just eat you stupid lizard." The man mumbled, and Flicker didn't need a second invitation, she dug right into the elephant, careful not to eat too fast.



Brooke0518


Solstice, every so often, would open her eyes, or rather, just one, to check and see when Flicker would come back. She knew that Flicker would enjoy the conditioning matches, as she would be permitted to eat the animals that she killed. That was something vital, and would ensure that she would have the strength necessary, for the matches that really mattered. She would get more iron and protein, so her muscles would be getting the replenishing energy that they needed. Not only that, but it was designed to give fighting dragons, the opportunity to practice their fighting skills, against targets that couldn't kill them. Sure it wasn't as challenging as the real thing, since there was only so much that those animals could do, with limited weaponry. But she knew that something like this, was absolutely crucial, since it would help her figure out tactics, as well as keep her strong and fit. Closing her eyes again, Solstice returns to sleep. She figured that Flicker would be back any time now, with a full stomach, and an increase in confidence. Battles like that, were really good for a dragon's self-esteem and feelings of confidence, since they weren't getting thrashed around by their targets anymore. She could hear animal noises, though most of them were dragons. It was a much further walk to the arenas, where the conditioning matches were held, so if she was finished, she wouldn't be back for at least a few more minutes. Those hallways could get crowded, and Flicker was moving with a full stomach, most likely, with whatever she killed. Any animals tha tshe didn't eat, would be brought to her cage, to eat on her own time.



Leafygreenss


Flicker kept eating and eating. By the time she was done with the elephant- which had been slightly singed because of the shock she'd sent through it- she was absolutely stuffed. She gave the other three bits of prey longing looks as she reluctantly stood, padding towards the man and lowering her head, allowing him to shove the muzzle onto her snout. She listened to him giving the guards orders, telling them to transport the prey to her cage. I get to keep the prey?!? The man began to half-lead and half-pull her down the hallway. As they passed the main fighting ring, the roars of fury and pain were hard to ignore, but she kept her head low, looking at the ground like the man wanted her too. She even managed to ignore the desperate cries from the losing dragon, it sounded like a dragoness, begging her opponent to stop. The begging cut off suddenly, and Flicker could guess her fate because of the even louder cheers from the crowd. Flicker let out a long sigh- Hopefully she's alive. They quickly arrived in the concrete cage room, dodging the other humans that were leading different dragons. The man brought her to her cage, and she went in without a fight, settling in the back. The man yanked the muzzle off her and held the door open. Flicker looked at him confusedly. Only a few seconds after the guard people followed, hauling the prey she'd killed. They dumped it in the front of her pen, leaving a fresh bucket of water too.  The door slammed shut, and Flicker was utterly shocked. She looked at Solstice, confused, "They left the prey with me?"



Brooke0518


Solstice opens her eyes, hearing Flicker's quiet voice, which was a bit harder to pick up right now, since there was a cruel fight going on. Early in her fighting career, it had been incredibly hard, to listen to all the sounds of losing dragons. Most of the time, the stronger dragon was not permitted to kill their opponent, since it was important for them to get stronger. The fate of the losing dragon, was entirely up to their handler. Over time, she had learned to get used to the roars and cheers and cries. It was still incredibly frustrating, and made her blood completely boil. When she looks over at Flicker, she nods. "Yes, you were just put into conditioning matches. You won with relative ease, and as such, you get to keep your kills. It's a way to ensure that you keep winning. Only dragons who prove that they have what it takes to win, are allowed to do those. It's more of a privilege than anything else. Your handler has seen that you can win, and he wants to ensure, that you have the strength to continue winning. He knows what he gets out of it. A dragon who always loses, will never get that chance, since more often than not, their handler is not at all confident in their ability to succeed. But you've shown that you can win, and given how you killed the animals who were sent against you, this increases your chances of winning your next match, with ease. Do not be surprised, if the next time you fight, it'll be much easier than last time." She says, as she rests her head back on her front feet again, eyes closing. Flicker was doing well for herself, which never hurt. A dragon of her size could win, if she used her skills to her advantage. She did have them, she just needed a confidence boost.



Leafygreenss


"Conditioning Matches." Flicker echoed, looking at her prey with pure awe showing clearly in her expression. "The Man thinks I proved that I can win." She said quietly, as if confirming it, "And I get to keep my kills." This is the best few days I've had here- ever. I just wish I could leave though. She quickly shrugged the thought off though, it wasn't worth dreaming about something that wasn't possible. She noticed that Solstice had set her head back on her paws, so she decided that she'd give herself a good clean after a nice drink. I deserve it- she thought proudly. 'Cause I can win. With that thought, she took a controlled gulp of water from the new bucket, then she looked towards the few remaining meat chunks in the back. I'll have those tomorrow first-thing. I'm in no danger of starving now. Then she plopped down and began to clean the animal blood from her scales. After she finished with that, she moved to her claws, lapping at them with her rough, cat-like tongue to clean the rusty-colored substance from her. Finally, she moved to her feathering. The only part of her that would always need attention after a fight was her tail. She began to clean the bloody feathers, soon moving on to removing the red stains from her tailspike. The poor elephant hadn't known what hit 'em. I did do pretty good, didn't I. I think I actually stand a fighting chance tomorrow.



Brooke0518


Solstice nods, as she looks over at Flicker. "Things are looking up for you, young one. You have a chance to be a good fighter. But be minful, and don't get cocky. With each victory you have, the harder things will get. It won't be easy to maintain those wins. You need to be resourceful, adaptable. You need to be able to think quickly on your feet." She says, as she issues the gentle warning. She wasn't trying to scare her, since it was very important for her to be proud of her accomplishment. But she had seen many dragons fall to the one thing, that most couldn't beat......pride. When they became winners quickly, and weren't humble, they were prone to arrogance. Those types of things increased the chances of one slipping up, not taking a match seriously, and a few other things. Learning to stay humble, was very important, and a level head and quick reflexes, increased the chances of victory.



Leafygreenss


Flicker nodded, looking at the ice dragon when she'd heard Solstice's voice. She almost snorted when she heard the spiky blue-scaled dragoness call her 'young one.' I don't think she's that much older than me she thought indignantly, but she still listened carefully, knowing that when it came to learning things in the harsh place, Solstice probably knew much better than herself. "I won't be that overconfident." She said, yawning widely, tired after the short conditioning match with the animals. "Trust me, I know what losing feels like... I just don't want to have to go through that again. If I don't think about it, i'll probably do better than if I were still just cowering and trembling- waiting for some dragon to melt my scales off again." She said, repressing a shudder as she reminded herself of the fight with the flame dragon that had been a week-or-so ago. "Next time I'm in the ring. I'm not going to lose." She said softly, "I just can't let it happen again." She said, unsheathing and resheathing her long talons restlessly. Even if it's that stupid flame dragon. She thought, slightly angered yet terrified of the prospect of fighting him again. Small sparks began to run through her feathers, the currents running from the feathery whisps on her back, all the way to her tail. She forced them to stop the best she could.



Brooke0518


Solstice nods, looking over at Flicker. "I know that you won't. You've been on the losing side before, more times than you would like. I can see that fire in your eyes. You don't want to be there again. You're smart, you listened to my advice. I think that you'll do just fine. Just get plenty of rest, savor your meals, drink, not guzzle your water, and take advantage of every conditioning match that you're put in. Use your size to your advantage. Small doesn't mean weak, it just means that you have to fight differently. Just because one is big and a brute, doesn't mean that they're unbeatable." She says. She was offering Flicker every peace of advice that she had, so that Flicker would be able to learn everything that she needed, to come out on top of the fights that she was in. Of course, Solstice would love more to escape, after tearing every human in here, apart, but she couldn't do that. Instead, she was just doing what she could to survive, like any living thing. It was survival of the fittest, kill or be killed. Or, in her case, fight and cripple the handlers enough that they would let their dragons go.



Leafygreenss


Flicker nodded while taking in all the new advice and recalling Solstice's earlier words. "I'm just glad I have tonight to rest..." She admitted, trying to settle in a more comfortable position than she was in currently, she turned around, curling up in a tight ball, her tail close to her and her wings folded neatly as she sat there, observing her surroundings. "I think i'll probably have a fight tomorrow. They usually make me go every other day, and I don't think they really count conditioning-" She said, watching as a white-scaled dragon, whose scales shone like ivory, was led past her cage. It was riddled with deep gashes and scars, but it held it's head in a way only a winner would. It was hard to admit, but she admired any dragon who could survive in the awful place. "So-" She said, speaking again and tearing her gaze from the ivory-scaled dragon and turning her head towards Solstice, "-Do you think there's any chance we'll ever get out of here?" She asked tentatively. "I've heard that if a dragon is fatally injured or if it's handler is killed, then the dragon is usually abandoned into the wild, but I guess it's too much to wish for my handler to die." She said, only half-joking as she looked back towards the rest of the cages, her eyes flicking from the sick and wounded to the triumphant but scarred winners. None of the dragons deserved to be in the wretched place.



Brooke0518

Solstice nods, as she looks up at the hard, cold, concrete ceiling. She had seen the pure white dragon, one that likely was very similar to her. But it was a male, and he used his ice powers for something much different than she did. She had yet to face him, but she didn't really want to. She wasn't really a fan of the idea, of facing one, that was really close to her own kind, it hit a bit too close to home. Looking over at Flicker, she hears the question....one that she had been asking herself for a while. "I don't know. I have wanted, so badly to be able to get out of here. I hate it here, in case that isn't too obvious. I hate humans. What right do they have to keep us here? I've fought against them too many times, trying to get out. They're strong, for stubborn little buggers, and I know that one day, I will try my best to get out, and I'll die trying." She says. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. Having to fight for everything, fight for some dumb human's reputation, fighting for money that was completely worthless to her. She wanted to be able to hunt her own food, without feeling like it was on a leash. The conditioning matches came with strings attached...at least...they did for her. "I have always made sure to severely injure the handlers of my opponents, as a means of forcing them to release those dragons. Those are the ones who are able to taste freedom. As long as I win, I may never get out." She says.

[brooke0518]

Leafygreenss

Flicker nodded, acknowledging Solstice's words, but staying silent. Despite the food and water she'd finally been provided with, she still was weak, and soon- if she didn't rest- the exhaustion would surely get to her. "I know you'll get out one day. Just, please, please try to bring me with you when you go- I don't want to be here forever." She said finally. I have no doubt that she'll escape. Eventually. "I'm going to rest." She murmured at last to the blue ice dragoness, "I just hope I don't have to fight tomorrow- but it's no use to continue talking if I fall asleep mid-fight." She said, cutting herself off. If I'm going to win, either way, I have to be awake. I need energy. "I'm going to sleep." She echoed again, setting her head down, curling her tail around her small body, and tucking her wings close to her sides. It was a defensive sleeping position, and any dragon, or person- for that matter- that came nearby her while she slept, would certainly have to face either her tailspike, or her shock. She closed her eyes, trying hard to ignore the loud choir of noises. The symphony of slamming doors, the yells of angry people, and the yelps of injured dragons, blended in together. The most unsettling was the squeaks of pain- the cries of a hatchling in agony.  The dragon's voices would certainly haunt her dreams. Finally, the black tide enveloped her, and she drifted off gratefully into nothingness.



Brooke0518


Solstice looks over at Flicker, hearing her request. "If by some miracle, we're able to get out of here, I won't leave without you. We'll leave together. Hopefully, if it ever got to that point, all of the dragons could leave. I don't think I would feel comfortable just leaving other dragons here....at the mercy of these humans." She says. Of course, as strong as she was, and as good of a fighter as she was, she had doubts that she would be able to get out, that any of them would be able to get out. The only reason why others were getting out, was because she often, indirectly, but purposefully, maimed their handlers, and with no one able to work with those dragons, they simply released them. But with her streak, there seemed to be no way that she would be able to get out. The more she won, the more she accepted the fact, that she would stay here in captivity, fighting for human enjoyment, until she got old, or too weak to keep up her streak. Sure she was strong now, but there would be a time where she would age, and a younger, fitter, and obviously stronger dragon would take her place. No one was immune. "I don't know if you'll have to fight tomorrow, though I do know, that I will have to fight tomorrow. It's supposed to be a very important match as well. Something about a lava dragon or something. Or maybe it was a stone dragon. I really can't remember." She says.



Leafygreenss


Flicker slept decently- at least decently for sleeping on a stone floor, in a loud, concrete room, in a metal cage. She'd caught Solstice's last few words before she'd drifted off- I wonder what dragon she'll face- she said either stone or lava. She'll definitely be fighting near the end of the night. That's when all the best dragons fight. Judging from the amount of light in the room, and the many, many awake dragons, she'd slept in. She could be thrown into a fight at any moment. She took a moment to examine her wounds that she'd received from the water dragon, but they were healing well, so she left them alone. Flicker turned to the prey, her mouthwatering. I still can't believe they let me have all this. She chose the tiger that she'd killed yesterday, dragging it over to a side of the cage and beginning to eat, savoring every single bite. She left half the tiger- I'll finish it when I get back. I'll be hungry. Her mouth was drying though, so she took a few controlled sips of water from the bucket. Her head shot up when footsteps echoed through the room- she wasn't surprised to see the man, but just the sight of him made her heart sink. No. Stop it. Straighten up. Act strong.



Brooke0518


Hearing the sound of footsteps, Solstice opens her eyes, looking over at Flicker's cage, when she sees a human stop and begin to open the cage door, the muzzle in hand. It seemed, that word of Flicker's most recent success, had garnered her another challenge. She would get the chance to further strengthen her fighting skills, and cement her as a real contender. Many times, she had learned, was that a dragon who had been on an awful losing streak, started winning, they pitted them against more dragons, to see if the dragon's abilities were real, or if that one victory had been a fluke. She knew that Flicker had what it took to be a strong fighter, she was small, but that didn't mean that the humans should count her out. She looks over at Flicker, seeing that she was holding herself a bit higher right now, likely trying to show her handler, that that one time, wasn't a one and done deal, that she had the mental power to step back into the arena, without fear or hesitation. It was expected for a new winner to be a bit nervous, since they had to prove that that one victory, wouldn't be their only victory, that they weren't a one hit wonder.


Leafygreenss


Flicker held her head high. She refused to flinch as the man flung the door open, and she lowered her head to his level immediately. She didn't want him to think she was weak. I can win this. And he better believe it. The man shoved the leather muzzle onto her snout roughly, clipping the lead to it and pulling at it. She didn't hesitate to follow. Her claws made a loud clicking noise that echoed throughout the entire room. She shot a final, hopeful glance at Solstice before she was led from the cage room. She kept her head level. Her wings tucked. Her tail at the ready. The man took her to the little entry cage, down the tunnel. The man shoved her inside. He unclipped the lead, then jerked the muzzle harshly so her head was below his. "Do. Not. Lose." The man practically hissed. Flicker glared in return. I will not give him the satisfaction of my fear. The man unbuckled the muzzle, pulling it off, then slamming the gate behind him, leaving her in the gloom. Her tiny crackles of energy were one of the only light sources. She could hear the crowd getting louder up above, their voices full of anticipation. I will win. The gate opened again, a guard with a spear prodding her forwards. She didn't need to be told twice. She took a long deep breath, then she held her head high. She went down the tunnel, heading towards the light near the end. As she emerged into the arena, she strode in like she owned the place. She heard a few people laughing above, making jokes about her small stature and feathery appearance. Tiny sparks crackled through her feathers as she waited. Her opponent still hadn't emerged. Then she saw it. The flames flickering inside of the entry tunnel. Then, with a sneer on his face, the same flame dragon she had lost to only a few weeks ago stomped out, letting out a fearsome roar. The crowd only grew louder at the sight of the orange-scaled beast. She refused to be cowed, at least visibly. If this is an attempt to try to make me scared, I won't let them be satisfied. I won't show it. "Hello little Ghost." The dragon growled with a smirk, and she hissed low in reply to him, lowing herself into an attack crouch and waiting for the whistle. The name that he'd used for her after he'd won their last fight angered her even more. She'd nearly become a ghost anyways, with the injuries she'd been left with. I will win this. I will not let him have the satisfaction of winning against me. Never again. Then the crowd fell silent.


The sharp sound of the whistle broke the quiet air, and with a hiss she rushed at the flame dragon, her wings raised, and her tail poised to strike. She could tell he was surprised that she was attacking first, but he recovered quickly, his chest glowing a soft amber color as he readied his flames. She didn't stop. She leapt straight at his soft chest and stomach. She let out a growl on impact, her paws stinging while she tried to ignore how his scales were absolutely, completely burning hot. She tore at the soft scales, trying to stab at him with her tailspike, but she was unable to aim with him trying to dislodge her. The dragon let out a furious roar, finally rearing up and flinging her into a well with his strong forelegs. Brief pain blossomed along her back as she hit the wall, but she quickly regained her footing, growling loudly at her opponent. Okay. New strategy. She let her growl break off into a high-pitched whine, acting as though she'd injured her tail when she'd slammed into the hard arena wall, tucking her most valuable weapon downward. Satisfaction flashed in the flame dragon's eyes, and he slowly began to stalk closer to her. Perfect. She hid her tail even more, trying to look as desperate as possible. The orange dragon towered over her as he got even closer. He's close enough now. Just as he raised his claws to deliver a harsh blow, she dropped her act. She hissed loudly, the sparks crackling through her feathers as she struck at his chest with her tail. The dragon shrieked in pain, dropping his claws, momentarily frozen from the shock. Before he could react, she'd darted underneath him, taking the opportunity to claw at his soft underbelly. He shrieked once again, struggling to back away from her, in his desperate scramble, his claws grazed her chest, leaving three more scarlet divets. That only made Flicker angrier. She was just about to rush at him again when it registered that the soft glowing had grown immensely. She only had a moment to try to flee, and even that was a meager attempt. The orange dragon spewed his flames at her, and pain flared throughout her side. Ow! Only her determination to win kept her from crying out because of the pain. She tried her best to ignore the smell of raw flesh and singed feathers. Even with her injury, she only needed one more solid wound on him. Then hopefully she would be able to take him out. Without hesitation, she let her spark free. The buzzing sound was instant, and electricity sizzled on the tip of her tail. The flame dragon tried to use his fire again, but she managed to roll away, flinching from how badly it hurt the burn on her side, but bit by bit, she got closer. The dragon's flame was beginning to run out. And then she was right in his face. "Boo." She hissed, burying her tailspike in his foreleg. The effect was instant. He let out a roar of pain, collapsing to the ground as the shock coursed through him.



Brooke0518


Even though she was resting in the back of her cage, Solstice was keeping an ear open for Flicker, wondering just how the smaller dragon would be doing in her next big test. She had won her first match, and it was up to her to be able to use that one victory, as leverage to continue winning. She had had the taste of victory, and knowing what happened when one lost, meant that she would have an even greater drive to keep that record going. No dragon wanted to be considered a fluke. She knew that Flicker had what it took to win, she could see the eagerness in her eyes, and she appeared to be rather alert and focused, whenever she was listening to her words of advice on how to win. She knew that her match would be a bit later on in the day, and she wasn't going to underestimate her opponent. She had just learned, that her opponent would be a large stone dragon, one that could be a serious foe, but she knew that it would be okay. Stone never really did all that well against ice, since extreme cold, often caused even sturdy stones to crack. Water of any kind could wear away at rock, though she would need to be careful. A stone dragon's headbutts or tail swipes could very easily fracture bones, and she didn't want to end up in that position again. She could hear cheers, screams, and roars, and she could definitely hear Flicker. She sounded very confident, a characteristic, that would likely earn her the favor from her handler. She wouldn't be surprised, if she was rewarded very well for her victory. She had no idea who shew as fighting, but given by the pained growls, whoever she was fighting, was definitely getting beaten. Electricity could definitely be dangerous, and incredibly painful.



Leafygreenss


Flicker could barely keep a grin off her face, and she kept her composure, giving a fearsome roar to the crowd before her handler entered the ring. The ending whistle had been lost in the cheering- something that had never happened in any fight of her's- win or lose. She stepped away from the Flame dragon, who lay, panting heavily on the ground. Perhaps he'd be freed. Hadn't Solstice said something like that about injured dragons before? The man stalked up to her, his expression in a twisted smile, he slid the muzzle over her snout less rough, even pausing before clipping the lead to murmer a single word of praise to her. "Good." Then he led her back, out of the arena and into the corridor, her claws clicking against the hard floor. She kept her wings close- the adrenaline of the fight was beginning to wear off, and the burn on her side hurt horribly. She tried to ignore her other wounds as well, but by the time they entered the cageroom, her tail was drooping. She'd won, but ow. She managed to shoot a small, exhausted smile at Solstice as the Man brought her back to the cage, removing the halter then stomping away. She had plenty of food and water. He wouldn't be returning. She let her strong act go, and she eased herself to the ground wincing. "I. Hate. Fire."



Brooke0518


Opening one eye, and looking over at Flicker, after hearing her return, Solstice raises her head up a bit, just as Flicker was lying down. "Those dragons definitely have a fierce bite to them, and they're some of the most aggressive dragons out there. They actually aren't the hardest to defeat, since they are very predictable, but they are persistent. Good job." She says, looking over at her cage door. She knew that it was only a matter of time, before it was her turn, and by now, she still didn't know who her opponent was. That would come with time. Right now, she was busy conserving her energy, sot hat when it was time for her to enter the ring, she could do what she needed to. At this point, she was beginning to get fed up with all of this forced fighting. She wanted to do something.....to get them all out of here, if it was the last thing that she did. She wasn't sure how much of this she could stand. Seeing the burn on Flicker's side, was just another twist of the knife of anger that was burning inside of her. "I hate humans. I can't stand what they make us do. We're bigger and stronger than them, and yet they have us on a leash." She snarls.



Leafygreenss


Flicker nodded, "Yeah." She growled, grimacing as she glanced down at her wound, "That flame dragon seemed to feed off any show of weakness." She said, half-laughing, "I managed to trick him into thinking I was injured. He let his guard down." She said quietly, arranging herself so she was laying down on her uninjured side. She lapped her tailspike clean, then she dunked the feathery mop that surrounded the spike into her water bucket. She dribbled water onto the wound on her side, wincing because initally, it made the pain worse. Eventually, it started to help as she began to clean the wound. When she looked up at Solstice for a brief second, the dragoness seemed very, very angered. And she has every right to be. We have to fight for scaleless rat creatures that aren't even half our size. "I agree." She added, with a slight hiss, "It's not fair. But it's the way it is." For some reason.



Brooke0518


"You're doing well for yourself, Flicker. Keep that up, and remembering to be humble, means that you'll likely never taste defeat again. It's really a process. None of us really ever start off being the best. We have to work our way to the top, understanding the weaknesses of our opponents. I know that it's tough, but it's the only way that we can survive in this death trap. I do plan to get out of here. I am not going to die in a place like this." Solstice growls. She knew how strongly she felt about this, and seeing Flicker's recent success, was just another motive to get out of here. She didn't want to be here, nor did she deserve to be here. And Flicker absolutely didn't deserve to be here, she needed to be free. Thoughts start to flood her mind, thinking of the best way, to secure a good opening, to ensure that they could all get out. Not just her and Flicker, but all of them.



Leafygreenss


Flicker gave a weak smile, dipping her head to the other dragon so she'd know that she understood. "You won't die here." She said, sounding sure, "I might. I'm still weak- but you... you're amazing. I saw you come back from your last fight. You barely had a scratch on your scales." She turned her gaze back to her burn, sighing out loud. "I can barely survive a fight with another dragon. I'd be completely worthless against our stupid scaleless captors." Flicker growled, slathering more water on the burn, in the process accidentally brushing her tail against the wound harder than she'd intended- she recoiled with a hiss. The sound of claws on the ground caught her attention- she looked up just in time to see a night-black dragon being led from the pen. She couldn't guess what that dragon could do- and she didn't want to know. She let her mind drift back to Solstice's idea. Maybe they really could escape. She could almost imagine the cool night breeze as she'd fly. Almost.



Brooke0518


Looking over at Flicker, Solstice lets some warmth come to her eyes. "I had to learn somehow. I wasn't perfect during my first match....no dragon is. I've been in your spot before. It's all about learning and adapting to be able to survive. If I get out of here, I'm not going to leave you behind. We will all get out of this prison together." She says, turning her head just a little bit, when she hears the sounds of heavy footsteps coming down the dark, concrete hallway. Eventually, the footsteps get louder and louder.....until they stop in front of her cage. Looking up at the cage door, she could see her handler ready with the muzzle, waiting for her. Of course.....it was her time to fight now. This was going to be her last fight. She was done with all of this. She couldn't stand being pushed around, used as a form of entertainment. Growling rather deeply, she holds still, as her head was yanked over just a bit, as the muzzle was slipped on, and strapped on rather tightly.



Leafygreenss


Flicker nodded, "I hope we will." She said, her voice rather small. "One day... But for now, i'll just keep adapting. No flame dragon will be able to set a claw on me, not ever again." She swore, her head bobbing as she did so. The sound of footsteps made her scrabble to stand, to look presentable in the least. The human wasn't coming for her though. This was Solstice's handler. And he was taking her. And making her fight another dragon. A growl built up in her throat, and as the human slipped the muzzle on the other dragoness, she couldn't help but hiss. Little sparks hopped within her feathering, and she itched to shock something, someone to release her anger. Her side pained her horrible, but she ignored it, glaring at the tiny human. She realized it was quite enjoyable to imagine herself tearing him to shreds. Not that she'd ever actually be able to. "Good luck." Flicker said quietly, trying to keep herself from growling as she spoke.

[brooke0518]

Growling rather heavily, Solstice rises to her feet, before following her handler out of the cage. This was going to be the last time that she was in that cage. She couldn't stand being here any longer. Walking down the dark, dank hallway, she could feel the cement, which was cold and wet, which made her think of all the dragons that had come in and out of here. She was going to get out of here......she had to. And of course, she was going to get Flicker out as well. She would do everything that she could, to get every dragon out. No one was going to be left behind here.....alone.....forced to fight against their own kind. When she arrives at the arena, she glares at her handler, with a gaze that would have crushed him, if it were possible. He throws some curse words at her, before snapping his whip against her leg, forcing her into the arena. Looking ahead, she could see her opponent, though her gaze shifted to the ceiling, moonlight pouring in from the glass above. All she had to do, was create enough chaos, break a hole in the ceiling, and find a way to get the others out. That couldn't be too difficult.......could it?

[leafygreenss]

Flicker couldn't do much but blink sympathetically as Solstice followed her human- handler- whatever. The thick-scaled dragoness was clearly not happy at all to be going anywhere with him. She shifted- it had only been perhaps twenty minutes since her return, and her adrenaline truly began to wear away. The pain she had felt before was child's play compared to this. Burning agony flashed in her eyes as she swallowed her whine. Have I even looked at it yet? She couldn't remember. Her head felt fuzzy, confused, and tired. It was odd. The burn on her foreleg hadn't even felt as awful as this. I suppose I need to check my wounds. She looked at her foreleg first, the burn healing nicely, even though it still ached to walk on or touch. Then her chest, the fire dragon's original scrape from- four? five days ago? It was healing well, it hadn't reopened, only a thin line of scabbed scaled remained. It hadn't been deep. The water dragon's gashes had been mediocre. Not shallow, but not deep enough to do awful damage. One of them had opened up, but the others remained scabbed. The three fresh slash marks from the flame dragon had been more long than deep, thankfully. Now for the burn. She forced herself to slowly look at her side. She was instantly nauseated by the sight, swallowing once, twice as she blinked. The entire left side of her center was burned in some way, it had mainly struck just above her foreleg, the scales there gone and the flesh charred. The rest of her side was raw-looking and blistered. Her wingtip was blistering slightly. The wounds gleamed a bit, in a strange way. I should clean it more. She couldn't remember if she had when she'd returned. Hopefully Solstice would do much, much better than her.

[brooke0518]

Even though she was focusing more on trying to get out, Solstice wasn't letting her attention be so distracted, that she wouldn't get seriously hurt. Her opponent was her biggest challenge. Fire dragons....she was getting more and more used to fighting. But this dragon took it to a whole other level. She had never seen a lava dragon before......and he was definitely an imposing figure. The air around him was completely sweltering, and it was really angering her. She could still handle her own against him, but this was not going to be a match, where she came back unscathed. She knew that she would get burned here, but she wasn't planning to go back to her cage. She had other plans in mind. Every so often, he would send a ball of hardened lava at him, and though the pain was searing, she used her tail to smack them up towards the ceiling, completely shattering the glass. As small shards fell around them, smoke, which had been collecting int he arena, was now completely flooding out of the arena. Every so often, she would hit balls of lava, that were being shot at her, towards the audience, which was now filling with fear and panic, as everyone was trying to get away. A lava dragon was their biggest mistake, since everything around them, became filled with boiling heat, and pools of lava, that even her ice was struggling to cool.

[leafygreenss]

Flicker let out a low moan as she dribbled water over her side using her tail, her vision going black for a few seconds as the pain grew momentarily. Cheering had started to come from the arena. She could hear it just barely, her side was commanding the majority of her attention. She lowered herself to the ground slowly, slowly, slowly- still she winced as she laid on the ground. The cheering grew. She heard a roar- the stone dragon? I think that's what Solstice said she would be fighting. She didn't dare close her eyes. Her wound hurt so bad that all she wanted to do was sleep, to let go. Perhaps if she rested she wouldn't return. Perhaps death would be better than this dreadful cage. She shook her head. The pain is messing with my mind. A faint smell of smoke touched her nostrils, she tilted her head to the side confusedly. Wasn't she fighting a stone dragon? The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the compound, Flicker practically jumping to her claws at the noise, whining as her vision spotted briefly, her hearing screaming. Or is that humans screaming? She couldn't tell. The smell of smoke of burning grew and grew, the cries of desperate humans growing louder. And the air around Flicker began to just barely feel warm. That is no stone dragon. flame? No. Even fire cannot break glass. Cannot make the air heat, so very far away. She tried to pull at her memory, the image of the black dragon flashing back at her. She grew still, freezing in her utter certainty. Lava dragon.

[brooke0518]

Growling, furiously, as things were coming down around them, Solstice looks over at the lava dragon, who seemed to be incredibly confused by what was happening. He clearly hadn't expected her to not fight back, instead, using his own attacks to break the arena around them. Her body was covered in burns, because of the fact that she had used her body to reflect his attacks, which had been searing hot. "Go. You can get out of here now," She growls. Watching him for a moment, she feels a weight lifted from her shoulders, watching him spread his wings, and leave through the large hole, that she had created. Now it was time to get the other dragons out, including Flicker. No dragon was going to be left behind......not here. They were all going to get out of this place. Lowering her head, to avoid the smoke, she lumbers back down the tunnel, so that she could help get the other dragons out of their cages. She could see humans running around, frantically. most had just abandoned their dragons, in favor of their own lives. A reminder of just how selfish humans could be, that they weren't even bothering to free the lives of the dragons, who had earned them all their reputations and money. Now that their commodities were deemed....no longer useful, they were just thrown away. As she walks through the smoke-filled tunnel, Solstice uses her tail, to knock cage doors open. She uses her tail, to point towards the exit of escape, encouraging them to leave, and get out, before the structure crushed them, or the heat killed them.

[leafygreenss]

Flicker did not move. She did not move when the heat intensified. She did not move when the smoke thickened, and it stung to breathe. She only knew that her world was practically ending. Her human would not care if she died, he'd just find a new hatchling to train and torture. Her death would only be a minor setback. Humans were screaming and shrieking, darting around like mice without any clue of what they were doing. She heard a loud clang. Then another. Than another. She tilted her head, her mind fuzzy, thoughts confused- between her charred side and the smoke she was thoroughly disoriented. She caught a glimpse of shining, white scales darting between the cages. I swear, that is Solstice. But it can't be. She's fighting while we burn out of existence. The smoke kept getting worse. Every breath was an effort. She did not notice as her legs buckled under her, as her tail hit the wall. Everything was burning. Her lungs. Her scales. Her eyes. My world is ending. I'm going to die. 

[brooke0518]

When she finally reaches Flicker's cage, all of the other dragons had been freed, and had escaped. Now it was time for her to get her friend out. Noticing the way that she was lying on the floor of her cage, Solstice stiffened in alarm, before using her tail to force the door of her cage open. Leaning in, she scoops her friend up, since she was quite a bit smaller. Bending her neck around, she places her friend on her back, before turning to leave. She had to duck her head, since the smoke was billowing inside. She could see that some of the humans wouldn't be getting out. The intense heat and thick smoke meant that some of the humans would be unable to escape. That was why she had put in so much effort to free the other dragons. After what they all went through, she didn't want any of the dragons to die. Once she was in the main arena again, she stretches her wings out as wide as they could go, before taking off, and flying through the hole in the ceiling.

[leafygreenss]

Flicker had not realized that she'd closed her eyes until she was suddenly uprooted from her position on the floor, if she had the energy to fight it, perhaps she would have, but she only let out a short yelp of pain. It took a few seconds of blinking before she realized she was on Solstice's back, the dragonesses' scales reflecting the orange and reds of a building fire. Fire? When had there been a fire? Why was Solstice not fighting? She barely had time to think, as her new friend was darting back to the tunnels, to the main fighting area. There were large, gaping holes in the glass. Solstice's wings snapped out on either side of her, and Flicker shifted ever so slightly to balance her weight, hopefully to take strain off Solstice. When the ice dragon took off into the sky, Flicker only let out a single hoarse cough, trying to ignore the smoke funneling up towards the sky.

[brooke0518]

When she had emerged from the large, billowing cloud of smoke, Solstice branches off a bit, to observe the damage that was caused. The arena was now completely up in flames, smoke and embers swallowing everything. She had to fly up a bit higher, to keep the flames from reaching up, and lapping at her feet. The other dragons had all flown away, going in completely different directions. They were all free now, so they could go wherever they wanted to go. Now that everything was clear, and her vision no longer impeded by burning smoke, Solstice turns her body, making sure that Flicker was able to stay on her back, before flying in a random direction. It felt weird.....being able to fly. This was the furthest that her wings had ever been spread, and they were burning from the workout, but it felt nice to be able to breathe clean, fresh air. Spotting a nice sized lake, she flies in that direction, before lowering herself down, beside the water.

[leafygreenss]

Flicker didn't remember much of the flight, only truly shaking herself awake as Solstice landed. She slithered off her friend's back, landing on the ground with a groan. She stumbled over to the water's edge and allowed her legs to crumple beneath her. She made an involuntary yelp as pain burst through her. Her side hurt. So. Badly. "Solstice?" She rasped, her voice dry. She coughed once. Twice. The air here was clear, but her lungs stung with every breath. Smoke inhalation did not fare well for an injured dragoness. She looked up at her companion for the first time, nearly starting at the sight of burns on her new friend's scales. She couldn't speak for a moment, her throat burning. "What happened? How did you get burned? How are we free?" She finally wheezed.

[brooke0518]

Looking down at Flicker, Solstice nods, lowering her head, to drink from the lake. Taking a few rather large gulps, she leans back, looking down at her friend. Now that they were out of that place, she could really see just how much smaller Flicker was, compared to her. "Yes, Flicker. We're free now. My opponent was changed last minute. I fought against that lave dragon, though I didn't do that much fighting. I was using his own attacks to destroy the arena. I wasn't going to fight another battle; I wasn't going to give the humans another victory. I had to get us all out of there. I only got burned, because a lave dragon is my biggest foe. I'm not immune to the heat, and it was searing. But it's over now. For both of us, these burns will heal, and we'll be able to go wherever we want and do whatever we want. We no longer have to fight against those humans. But we'll need to be careful. Some of them perished, while some are still alive. They'll likely try and find either new dragons, or reclaim those that they lost. We can't let out guard down. But yes, we are free," She says.