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Bolt and Keeper Special Mini-Chapter: The Cage
Bolt was in a cage, on a big stage, live in front of a packed theater full of dragons.
Crimson, decked out in a dragon version of a tuxedo, carrying a big cane like he was straight out of a Terran 19th-century circus, paraded around next to him, taking in the crowd’s cheers as he prepared to begin his revue.
“Check this out, fems and males, dragons of all ages!” He struck his cane against the cage bars, startling Bolt. He looked down and noticed that he was clad in a Pyrrhian outfit of brown cotton. He couldn’t quite place it, but he felt a bit smaller than he normally was, less muscle packed onto his body.
Am I a kid again?
Judging by the pitch of his fearful panting, he felt like he must be in his mid-pubescent years, maybe fourteen or fifteen.
“This is our prize for tonight, a living, breathing relic of a bygone era! Legend has it they once ruled over us, but come on, look at it, can you really believe that?”
The audience erupted into laughter. Crimson continued. “One of you lucky dragons is going to get to take this little scavvie home with you!” The laughter transitioned back into cheers.
“This is a prime specimen, right here! It put up one heck of a fight, too! But we all know that deep down this poor little creature just wants to be loved!”
The mocking tone of voice Crimson ended on made Bolt cringe. What is this? Why is this happening? Where… Where’s my friends, my family?
“And who couldn’t love something like this? It’s soft, squishy, and oh-so-huggable!”
Bolt couldn't take it anymore. “Don’t advertise me like I’m some plush animal!” Bolt shouted over the cheers in Dragon, “I’m a sentient being!”
Even more laughter, insane levels of derision lancing through Bolt from the crowd of dragons.
Bolt paled. They won't listen... They just see me as their plaything... How am I going to achieve peace if they still see me as an animal!?
“Now, where are this poor thing’s parents, you might ask? We all know how fiercely scavengers protect their young! Don’t you all worry though, we took care of them!” The audience laughed again.
Bolt’s heart shattered. No… Mom! Dad!! Tears began streaming down from his eyes.
“One of you lucky dragons has a ticket beneath your seat! Everyone, one and all, check under your chairs!”
As one, the audience craned their necks underneath their seats. Dread filled Bolt. I’m so dead…
A high-pitched screech echoed from the back rows of the stands. A small MudWing dragonet, a female presumably, jumped up and fluttered into the air, flapping her wings, and flapping a small slip of paper with a human’s head printed on it.
Bolt began to hyperventilate. This can’t be happening… My family’s gone… And now I’m being given away… As a pet!?
The dragonet soared down to the stage, her landing causing the floorboards to shake.
She’s so energetic… How long will I last under her carelessness!?
The dragonet handed her ticket to Crimson, giggling to herself and giving Bolt excited looks that made the human’s blood curdle.
“Alright, little princess! It’s all yours!” The crowd’s cheers became deafening to Bolt’s sensitive ears.
Within moments he was being carried inside his cage through the air towards his new “home.” The dragonet was already forgetting her responsibility, jostling the cage around and causing Bolt to be thrown around inside like a doll. Bruises formed on his arms, legs, and face. He had already tried begging the MudWing’s Bigwings to tell his sister to be more gentle, but the dragon wouldn’t even acknowledge his pleas.
Eventually, finally, they landed outside their home, and Bolt’s cage was soon set down in what he presumed to be the dragonet’s bedroom. Bolt sat in the corner of his prison, rubbing his wounds and hoping to himself that the worst had passed.
Bolt’s stomach grumbled. He saw the dragonet playing with a human-shaped doll nearby.
“Ma’am, please… I need food!”
The dragonet, at least, noticed his voice. Unfortunately, she still didn’t seem to understand him. “Oh, little scavvie, you wanna play?”
“No, that’s not what I said, please--”
The cage door was thrown open, and Bolt was violently grabbed out of the cage.
The dragonet gasped. “Ooh, you are really squishy!”
Oh no.
With a vice grip, the dragonet pressed harder on Bolt’s chest. Bolt cried out as loud as his lungs would let him, hoping that the young MudWing would understand that she was hurting him.
“Aww, I squeaking love you too!”
I squeaking hate you, Bolt thought with poisonous malice.
The Bigwings walked in. “Enjoying your new pet?”
“Mmm-hmm! It’s the cutest thing ever!”
“Why don’t you feed it? There’s some berries in the pantry.”
To Bolt’s monumental relief, the dragonet put him down in his cage and shut the door, and followed her brother into the living room. Bolt gasped in his attempt at a sigh, realizing that his entire chest cavity ached badly; it had come close to caving in.
This is it.. I give myself a couple days, tops. That irresponsible dragon kid is going to kill me!
In moments the dragonet returned with a bunch of grapes in her talon, more than enough to feed him with, and a bowl of fresh water. Thank goodness, at least she got that right…
“Here, scavvie!” She opened the cage and taloned in the grapes and water.
“You should probably give it a name,” the Bigwings advised.
Bolt’s face turned red. “My name is Bolt!!” He shouted straight into the dragon’s face, in the most obviously Dragon voice he could muster.
“Sheesh, it’s ungrateful even though we just gave it more than enough food and water,” The bigwings scoffed before turning and leaving the room.
Bolt could already tell that his sister was at work coming up with a name for her new “pet.”
How many more ways are these monsters going to rob me of my dignity? He lamented. He suddenly thought of one way she could make it worse. If that bitch tries to play dress-up with me I’m going to bite her.
Bolt decided to make the most of the one thing that had gone right today, and grabbed a huge grape as big as both his fists put together, brought it up to his mouth, and bit into it.
A gasp came from outside the cage. “Aww, you’re so cute when you’re eating!”
Bolt swallowed his pride along with his chewed-up mouthful of grape and continued eating.
When Bolt had his fill, he pulled the bowl of water up to his face and began drinking. When his thirst was sated, he looked around the cage. It was completely barren, with not a scrap of cloth for bedding.
These idiots really know nothing about humans…
He nevertheless began to feel tired, and he curled up in a fetal ball in the corner of the cage, sighing and trying to go to sleep.
He was violently snatched out of the cage, causing him to scream. Agh, now we’re back to this!
“Did you like those grapes, Peachy?” The dragonet cooed.
Well I suppose that’s the name she chose. Should have guessed she’d go after my unique skin tone.
Bolt didn’t even bother responding, knowing that even if he spoke in the best, most fluent Dragon ever she still wouldn’t understand him.
A claw pulled up his shirt, exposing his lower torso.
“Let’s see how full you are!”
The talon squeezed on his stomach. Hard. As a part of his body with no bone structure to protect it, this hurt even more than before.
In a panic he began to flail around, attempting to even land a punch on the talon that was assaulting him, knowing that it’d be futile.
The talon squeezed his abdomen harder trying to keep ahold of him, and before he knew it, his stomach gave out and he retched violently, spewing barely-digested berry mush onto the dragonet’s talon.
He felt terrible, but he also felt kind of happy. I just threw up on her! That monster totally deserved that!
The dragonet looked with horror at her gooey talon, dropping Bolt to the ground. “Ewwww!” She went.
Bolt was out of the cage, and no longer trapped in a dragon’s grip. Now’s my chance! Bolt scrambled to his feet and booked it as fast as his legs would carry him for the exit. It didn’t take long for the dragonet to notice his escape attempt though.
“Hey, where’re you going?” She asked, sounding almost like she genuinely wondered why Bolt didn’t want to stay with her.
“Like I’m going to stay and be your squish toy!” Bolt barked back at her. Predictably, she showed no signs of comprehending his speech.
The dragonet got on her feet, and dashed after Bolt. He knew now that escape was pointless, she was much faster on the ground than he was, with twice as many legs pushing her forward.
“Oh! You want to play tag!”
Believe me, if we were playing tag on equal footing I would destroy you.
“Tag!”
With a heavy THUD , Bolt lost his connection to the ground and found that he was tumbling through the air. He landed on his already-distressed stomach, causing him to lock into another retching spell.
“Oh, you little thing! Give me a hug!”
The talon wrapped around him again, and he soon found himself being pressed against her neck. As usual, she was being way too forceful, and he could feel his ribs groaning.
She pushed harder, causing his ribs to scream for mercy.
“S-stop it… Please…” Bolt wheezed, this time in Human, forgetting how to beg for his life in the proper language for who he was begging to.
Crack.
The dragon gasped, this time in horror, and she quickly removed Bolt from her “hug,” examining him, her eyes wide and tearful.
Bolt could feel his life draining away. He looked up at his killer, his murderer, relishing how terrified she looked about what she had done.
Oh, now she gets it. I hope you’re happy with yourself, kid. You couldn’t even keep me for a day.
As the dragonet cried out in despair, Bolt slipped away for the last time.
...Until he woke up and found himself in bed, safe inside his tower in Union.
Bolt looked over himself. He checked under his covers and found his normal Terran pajamas.
That was the weirdest nightmare I’ve had in a long time. Almost as weird as the one where I challenged Crimson II to a dance-off… Shouldn’t I have won though? I mean, humans are far more nimble at dancing than a dragon would be.
Bolt suddenly felt depressed. Do dragons really see me like that dragonet did? He dreaded the possibility that deep down every dragon he knew… Couldn’t look past his fur and “cute” appearance. Maybe… I should talk to Keeper about this dream.
He stood out of bed and went downstairs. He found Keeper reading through his journals at his desk. He turned his head and saw Bolt approaching.
“You’re awake a little early. Did you sleep well?” Bolt’s nervous facial expression clued him in on his mood. “Did you have another nightmare?”
“Keeper…” Bolt looked Keeper in the eye, “How do you see me? Be honest, am I just a ‘cute plush animal’ to you?”
Keeper’s eyes widened, obviously startled by that question. “Bolt, you’re a sentient person. Ever since I first heard your telepathic translator in my head I knew that. Many dragons have told me you’re ‘cute,’ but here in Union, every dragon respects you as a person. Now why don’t you sit down and tell me about your nightmare?”
Bolt obliged, and sat in a chair on his table. He explained his nightmare to him, shuddering visibly at some parts of it. Being given away as a carnival prize, by Crimson, no less. Being treated as a toy by the young MudWing. Quickly being “killed” as a result of the dream dragon’s incompetence. Keeper also began to look somewhat uncomfortable hearing how badly the unreal MudWing dragonet treated his friend.
When Bolt was finished, Keeper stood up, and beckoned Bolt to follow him. He was led to the Central Hub, up to a big plaque.
“What is this, Bolt?” Keeper asked him.
Bolt obviously knew what this was. It was the dedication plaque for the town, crafted with dragons and humans playing around the edges.
CITY OF UNION
DEDICATED 5016 POST CATASTROPHE
FOUNDERS:
BOLT (H) KEEPER (SAND)
FEN (MUD) TWIG (H)
THIS TOWN IS DEDICATED TO THE EQUALITY OF HUMANITY AND DRAGONKIND UNDER THE WATCH OF THE THREE MOONS.
“They respected you enough that they put your name on that plaque, Bolt,” Keeper stated, “You’re not just a ‘cute teddy bear’ to them.”
“Hey, Bolt!” Fen came out of an office nearby. He ruffled his hair with his talon, causing Bolt to scramble backwards away from him. “Wow, your fur’s really soft today!”
Bolt had flashbacks of the nightmare and he felt a little sick. Keeper glared at him. “Not right now, Fen.”
The MudWing looked at Bolt’s offended expression and looked like he realized something was wrong. "What's up, Bolt? You know you can count on me to listen."
Bolt turned away, his face sullen. Keeper instead spoke up. "He had a nightmare where he was abused as a dragon's pet, and it dug up past trauma, and now he's convinced that dragons don't take him seriously due to his mammalian nature."
“So he's having self-esteem issues? Twig gets like that sometimes too. You wanna know what I do to make him feel better?”
Keeper gave Bolt a look, leaving the answer up to him.
“Sure, I guess,” Bolt answered.
“I always tell him, ‘Twig, you’re not just a little furry monkey, you’re an amazing, extremely smart furry monkey who’s my best friend in the whole world.”
“You have many friends here, Bolt,” Keeper said, “And none of them see you as their plaything.”
Bolt sighed, remembering all the dragons here in Union that saw him as their equal. “Yeah… I guess you’re right. And it was just a stupid nightmare anyway. I always knew you guys respected me. Let’s go get some breakfast.”
“Ooh!” Fen exclaimed, “I call Rockvale! Their pancakes are the best! ”
Bolt, Keeper, and Fen left the Hub for the restaurant, and Bolt left the cage and the mistreating MudWing dragonet where they belonged, in his nightmares. However, he felt like he wouldn’t be forgetting his nighttime experience as a doomed pet anytime soon.