Chapter Text
His eyes blinked open as he found himself in an unfamiliar Environment. It was bright, making him pull out his glasses almost immediatly.
The pangolin hybrid was sat against a white wall together with some other people he didn't know. People got dragged into the room one by one as they slowly themselves got concious. It was undeniably quiet in the room.
He checked for any wounds and ended up finding none. Atleast for that. He slowly got up from where he had sat up, pushing his legs up and almost falling from the disuse of his legs. To say he felt embarrased was an understatment, but he was lucky enough that the others were dealing with their own problems.
Pangi couldn't remember anything. From how he got here to what this was about, he remember'd his name, maybe his age. But other than that it felt like a blank. As if his mind got erased or if he was just too black fogged from the passing out. Could have been either honestly, or something much different as in a potion.
Pangi decided to look around at the bunch of people, he felt like he recongnized some but they felt distant. To distant to exactly pinpoint. Maybe it was the outfits? Or just ..him.
It didn't take long for him to be the only one standing and just being quiet, no one has talked yet. If he was honest it felt like one of those bad nightmares where you can't leave. That's when he rememberd having a pocket knife that he took with him in case.
Which meant he got some memorie back from before he got into this room. The white room, with bright light and bunch of unknown people. ..I mean why not?
He checked his pocket and couldn't find it though. He checked in every pocket he owned and just ..nothing. There could have been lots of reasons of why it isn't where it should've been. One of those being it was taken when he got inside this room, he could've lost it. Or maybe he just rememberd it wrong? Or it was just a dream or or or..
There were to many possibiltys and it was messing with his mind, he couldn't have any of that at this moment. The messier his head is the less he will know about this, that's what is worrying him.
After a little while everyone seemed to be standing, no one was left on the floor still passed out and it felt like forever that he has been in here. It felt almost like deja vu. That's when another memory came back flooding through waves.
He didn't come alone, he came with a very good friend of his. He remember'd promising eachother that they will stay together not matter what. He heard the voice but not the face. It was a female person, that's the least he knows.
It was not that crowed suprisingly for the room being full of grown adults of both genders with clothes so ridiculous at some point he wished he dressed them. I mean why is there someone in a priest outfit? What did they get wrong in the dress code. Or that one guy with such beautiful hair that literally is wearing a lab kit.
Not only did it make them stand out it also left him confused with one question in his mind. What the fuck is this? Cause if this was a fashion show he obviously had won, though he did see some really cool outfits.. like that one person with fucking amor. He really liked that one.
Thing is it felt more seriously than just that.
It took quite a while to get used to the silence of no one talking, he tried talking himself but.. no one seemed to have heard him? What kind of potion was he under? Is he on drugs? Like... what?
But after he tried talking to others and instead talked to himself he found a bow that got thrown into the room by unknown identitys. Hopefully friendly. Together with some food which made him pleased, cause he was really hungry.
While he was munching on one of the breads he got he noted how some people seemed to be rather scared. If there is no threat he doesn't need to be scared, he reminded himself. He heard footsteps of the other people walking.
Some looked, most of them seemed human so he deemed them as human. They probably never met many creatures like him, that one guy with the lab kit seemed extremly interested though for some reason.
It honestly was a bit annoying at how he was staring at him as if he was someone insane or something, like bro. 'Don't stare at my tail like that? Have some basic manners, you don't stare people on their butt. It's the same with my tail.'
Gosh he wished he could've told him that into his face, cause he would've. He absolutely would have done that. Cause no one likes being stared at, or now do they? Normally not.
That's when a huge noise interrupted his thoughts and he turned around to the big door opening itself. The people immediatly ran into the hall room, looking around franticly and being absolutely confused. It was yet still quiet.
Yet they definitely knew how to push someone.
He had almost fallen while the people went into that hall, if it wasn't for that one stupid guy with that lab kit. Has he mentioned how stupid he thought he looked?
No? Well now he did.
He found himself sitting on one of the first row chairs as the others also got seats, he got comfortable. This was way better than that floor in that room. White room. Or whatever room that was.
That's when the lady upfront started speaking, it startled him if he was honest. Having not heard anyone talk but him to himself was honestly scary enough and now only being able to hear one person? Nightmare material.
He admired the dragons that were on each of her side, they looked absolutely stunning. He felt another reminder get into his brain as the woman spoke about an 'academy'.
He came here for dragons specifically only for the dragons, as he himself knew that he didn't really care about what happened nor the history. And that together with a female friend that was close with him. Or well still is.
Alright he's getting closer to know why he got here. Yet he doesn't know who that friend is or if it was even willingly.
I mean the dragon creatures were really cool and the moment the woman stopped speaking it spoke itself. It threw him under the bus not having expected that like at all. One of the dragons deemed itself as one of their professors, whatever that implies.
They were told to grab backpacks and wait.. pangi noticed a guy walk somewhere up and some comotion as many stare at him walk onto the stage.
This is gonna be a long journey.
_______
Pangi was about to grab his backpack when he heard a light scream. He snapped his head as he watched the dragon snap the guys head.
Derapchu?
He shook his head, he didn't know this man. Yet it made him devastated as he watched him die right infront of his eyes. That blue hoodie, it was familiar.
He snapped his attention back to the task at hand, trying to forget whatever just happened to that person. He couldn't risk dying too. Too soon.
It would've been too soon for his
Death.
He grabbed a backpack when the professor brought the attention back to itself, that's when he was instructed to go up to a red cross on the top step. He felt his legs give out under him as the death replays in his mind. Not giving him a change of mind.
It seemed that only a few have noticed and had seen the death of the person, having once been part of them.
It definitely didn't help that he could hear the scream through everything that happened. He doesn't know if he was the only one as some others seemed absolutely caught up with the situation. But who knows.. maybe no one else heard him.
He waited on the top step, scrunched together in a pile of people waiting for the rest to tag along with their backpacks. It was really starting to get overwhelming up here together with so many people.
Gosh how he hated being in a little space together with so many strangers. It was still quiet, giving his mind somewhat peace while he still has it.
Finally.
He thought as the rest finally joined the massive pile of people. Pangi feels all of a sudden really weak, a feeling he hasn't felt in a while. His knees were giving up on him and he was thinking if it was the death that made him buckle his legs as they stopped.
Everything seemed to get more quiet, even if he thought that wasn't possible and his vision started to get blurry. He closed his eyes in a hurry.
The moment he closed his eyes.
He heard it.
He heard people for the first time since the voice spoke. He must say it was an overwhelming lot of voices that he started to hear all at once. He opened his eyes and looked around.
There was a beautiful scenery right infront of him. He stepped near the edge to take in the view.
The trees were high, he was able to view some water places. It must be absolutely majestic to walk through this forest. It's gonna be going onto his list, to check it out once he is done with whatever needs to be done.
He lets a smile fall into place on his face. He feels relieved somewhat, having maybe smiled once since he got here. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Out of instinct he took defense and grabbed the hand with a bit of force.
He immediatly let go and apologized. "I am so sorry, it's kind of an instinct." The woman infront of him smiled at that. "Pangi!" She exlaimed. She spoke his name. She has gotta know him.
The realisation didn't hit that long after. "Jumper? Jumper." He spoke twice, unsure if he was mistaking the person infront of him. But she seems to take it lightly as she chuckles and nods. "You seem rather confused."
Jumper takes a step forward, putting a hand onto the stone where he was leaning against. Checking the view and admiring it just as much as pangi previously did. "It's beautiful." She mutters under her breath before swinging her foot to her side. "Team?"
She questions nudging pangi's arm with her own, unsure of pangi's reaction. But he smiled brightly. He liked that. He knew he'd like to do that. "Team." He says, a bit louder so that she was able to hear as the other people seemed to be practically yelling next to them.
"It's funny ain't it?" She whispers as she leans over her head and watching the crowd. "You seem to be familiar with me. But I remember you." Jumper finishes speaking glancing at the male next to her.
"I remember quite a lot about you, i just.. couldn't pinpoint who it was till I saw you." He spoke honestly, not feeling a need to lie about such a thing. That's when they heard the voice of the professor again and stepped back into the crowd. Sticking to eachother.
During the speech from the professor. Jumper leans towards pangi and whispers into his ears. "We're sticking to eachother right? Team?" Pangi looks at her before nodding and whispering back, as he leans down a bit to meet her height. "I won't leave you behind, promise. We're a team."
Satisfied with that answer she went back to listening and pangi does the same.
If pangi was honest, the only thing he understood was. "Do the parkour" and "don't die." And something about being chosen or sum.
Yeah. He really didn't pay attention to anything that had been said.
He stepped forward walking together with the others to their first so called challenge 'parkour'. The first glance of seeing it shouldn't have surprised him, especially not after he had seen someone die infront of him. Yet seeing the lava made him really rethink his choices.
Considering he had none other than survive.
He was Cooked.
But if he was honest with himself, his gut knew he would make it to the otherside of this. He trusted his gut way more than his mind sometimes, even at times where he really shouldn't. It gave him bad aswell as good moments.
This was a do or die situation.
Pangi didn't really have any say or choice in this. He knew that much.
So after the crowed got a bit less, he pulled his strenght together and jumped onto the first pillar. He felt his legs weaken as he stabilised himself. There were chains hung up, he used it to glide himself over to the smaller pillar.
Just in time he caught himself as he almost fell, he looked forward to see some others being way far ahead than many. He could hear the people talk. Or maybe it was his mind playing tricks with him at this point. He didn't know.
He had lost Jumper again, she was way more in the front and as pangi set up to jump again he was pushed. He doesn't know who pushed him, but he knows that he almost feel into the lava and it had not been that many jumps.
It scared him to think others were sabotaging to make sure you couldn't make it till the end. Pangi was quick to get away from the lava though and was hopeful for having seen a ladder at the start.
With a little strenght he needed to gather he climbed the ladder. As he walks closer to the edge and jumps again. Perfection. He thinks as he lands it and continues to the chain, he uses one to hold himself onto the pillar. He was glad he started later cause it hadn't been that crowed anymore.
Ofcourse some people were there, being cautious, slower and holding the rest up a little. But it gave pangi a second to just hold. If he was honest, he really needed that right now. Or more specifically, he wanted to be held. But you don't always get what you want..
He saw someone nearly fall into the lava as he helped a person cross one of the pillars. He let go of the chain and he continued hopping.
That's when he tumbled forwards and fell. That happened atleast four times.
The lava for his luck, never was right where he fell as he reached the same pillar he kept falling at. Another girl that seemed familiar to him was also struggling at the same part of the parkour.
So when he finally made the jump, he immediatly lend a helping hand to assist. The woman gratefully took his hand and let him go forward as he moved forward.
He noticed that many people seemed to help eachother out and assist eachother. He was glad for that cause he definitely would have fallen way more times than what he did. Thank lifsteal that these people are nice.
Atleast nicer than the person who pushed him.
He still doesn't know who it was.
But he has a suspicioun and an idea.
As he swinged another foot to the next pillar, he looked forward to how much left he had. That's when the dragon spoke up and the realisation hit him.
That dragon is the professor.
And thats when another thing hit him. 'IT CAN TALK?! That's so fucking cool!'
He exclaimed in his mind, being a bit embarrased at the fact he hasn't noticed this sooner. Glad no one knew how to read his mind. So no one will know.. heh.
He looked around after having made that recognition. Less and less people were falling and many more made it to the top step. The professor never said anything about a timer. But he knew he shouldn't take his sweet time.
Just so that he wouldn't fall, you know.
Instead of focusing on the others, he focused on himself. Taking a deep breath before swinging towards the pillar infront of him and once again using the chains. I mean if they are already there, why not use them?
Pangi smiled as the feeling of adrenaline rushed through him. It felt like he was being chased, as if he was being challenged. Gosh he loved that feeling so much. The wind was making smaller noise as the lava bubbled and his feet hit another stone and concrete. He had passed another person.
He must say he struggled with second last one. He didn't fall, as the person behind him pulled him back quickly enough for him not having to redo everything. He recalculated the distance that he seemed to not have thought about and jumped onto the other. When his feet landed, he let a sigh of relieve escape him. He decided to lend a helping hand as the person had backed him up at the obsticale before.
So he returned the favor. When the stranger had put a foot onto the concrete he moved onto the next one. It was the last one, just.. don't fuck this up. He thought as he watched the people looking. No. Staring at the ones left.
He was quick to make the jump, having perfected it and getting a helping hand send down as they grab after him. Two guys helped him over the concrete, he bowed lightly to show some kind of thankness as he moved out the way.
Letting them help the rest up aswell. Pangi was sweating. Like absolutely drenched. He was not the first or the only one to do so. The heat that radiated from the lava was getting to everyone. The sweat dripping down each neck, shoulder and face was from the stress of needing to survive.
Everyone had come to realise their situation at this point.
If they didn't.
They are just stupid.
Pangi felt voices return as the final people made it onto the save ground of concrete. It didn't feel like he made it, if he was honest. His gut was telling him to return, yet he cannot do such thing.
The queen at the start had said 'if you came here willing or forced.' There was no choice to begin with. The only choice he really had is to survive or die.
Not the best choices pangi has gotten, he cannot lie.
He saw the scientist guy from earlier. They were quick to find a conversation, making small talk. They had some slight talks about alliances, even if pangi thinks that at this point everyone should be working together. Cause ain't no way they are making this out fully alive.
The professor started speaking, opening a gate like the one before. During the speech of something something dragon something something. Pangi had found a guy dressed like a priest, his name apparently is Ashwag. Very interesting name if you asked him, but he went along with it.
But he couldn't resist asking. "Did you push me during the obsticales?" He asked, his tone was genuine. Unsure but genuine. The guy seemed surprised to be asked such a thing and he was quick to deny the accusations. "Absolutely not man, do you see what I'm wearing? I would never."
Even if he was telling the truth, pangi was skeptical of this man as he seemed to be hiding way more than he lets it be shown. Cause ain't no way a priest is here. For dragons. And then he could be forced–
Why would a priest be forced to become a dragon-rider?
Pangi really wanted the answer to it, even if he knew he wouldn't become an answer he wanted. Or expected. Or if he would even become one, really.
That's when the gate opened. Everyone walked quickly, eager to survive the next challenge thats gonna be facing them. Not knowing what's about to happen to them. Or to well Pangi.
___
Pangi was as eager as the rest of them, following quickly behind as they began to follow the path.
And then everything went black.
Pangi couldn't see anything, he could hear some others nervously talk and there was a freezing tension within where there were. The male held his head slowly as a headache beginning to form.
Familiar darkness
Too familiar.
He couldn't feel his body anymore and he just felt so light. "Hello? Can anyone hear me?" He questions as voices erupted. Panic.
He knew from the voices beforehand that he wasn't alone but he heard around 4.. 5 maybe people? They all sounded so scared and if he was genuinen with himself, he knew he was too.
He felt his body stumble forward, a weight holding him down to the ground. He was glad he could help himself before falling to the ground. The pitch blackness continued for a second longer till reality swapped back to him. A woman stood infront of him asking. "Are you okay?"
He smiled neatly and nodded, before looking around to check his surroundings. Jumper. She was laying on the ground, groaning in pain. He was quick to be by her side and holding her pain, trying to get her to move. "It hurts! Get me out pangi!" She screamed as pain consumed her body.
The woman, ros, apparently. He thinks atleast, seemed pretty panicked. He ofcourse was too, that is his teammate clearly in pain and unable to move. That's when another scream erupted. Hannah. He snapped his neck to where she aswell was trying to hold herself up. Some other people who have probably also been in the darkness were standing by her side.
So he stayed with Jumper. She needed him right now. Pangi took her arm and pulled at her, to try and move anything in her body. Arm, leg, fingertips, anything.
Nothing. No movement whatsoever. She was screaming in pain as something messed with her brain, altered her thoughts. Kept the brain so brutally within her. Pangi could've sobbed if he didn't know any better. "Leave" he heard and the professor dragon came yelling at them to move.
He didn't even try to help any of them. That's when jumper stopped responding when had asked for the fifth time to try and move even just a fingertip. He moved her head to the side to see her face pale.
"We're a team, jumper. Come on.." he tried, ros looked at him sadly as the dragon started breathing fire at them. The burning stung at their skins as they were forced to leave their friends behind. Teammate.
Ros quickly retreated, holding pangi near her as they ran throughout the corridor. "No way.." he whispered, not believing what just happened to jumper. He didn't have much time.
There was some talks that made his head spin and confused. The lab guy from earlier patted his head multiple times and he finally understood his name again. Lukey. He's pretty sure the guy said it earlier and he didn't catch it or he did and forgot. A lot happened within the last minutes.
Forgive him jeez.
It all happened so fast that he barely could catch up. He just knew he was following some people, up some builded stairs as literal Lava was rising underneath them. He was still processing what the fuck had happened. He knew it'll take a bit to genuinely understand. So he gave himself a minute once he catched his breath at the top.
Some others spread around an arena, dragons in the sky and they were gorgeous. Holy shit. This is making his head spinn, "what is going on?" He asked not getting a response before they got instructed to get into a red little circle. He decided to do that rather quickly, so he could have a minute for himself.
Deep breath.
Realise.
Deeper breath.
Once he opened his eyes, the others were also positioned next to him, on the other side or to his right. All seemed a bit nervous about what's to come as the professor claimed it as judgment.
He didn't do anything that bad,
Right? Atleast as far as he can remember.
He was going to survive.
Then the judgement started, a dragon came down each after each and picked a rider. A scream was heard from the otherside when someone got burned by one. Burned alive.
Pangi breathed deeply as a dragon.
A beautiful, golden-yellowish dragon came towards him. "Hello gorgeous." He started, waiting from a movement of the creature to not come across as dangerous. When it didn't move, he stayed still.
The dragon's mouth opened and the next thing he knew was that he felt fire on his body. Burning and tugging at his skin as it reaches within. He didn't scream.
He couldn't. He learned to forget that years ago. It only caused trouble anyways.
The only thing he remembers was that it all off a sudden was so hot, the next was pitch black and he hit the ground with a thud. A scream could be heard in the distance. Someone yelled at the professor and some others were in utter panic.
But pangi, for once in his whole life.
Felt at peace.
And maybe that's what he needed all along. A place to relax, to stay, to be quiet.
....
But it's not always that easy cause he felt his body being dragged. His eyelids heavy as he saw books, heavy. Bandanges around his arms and he felt so light.
This wasn't death. This was his body being made into a monster.
Before he could process anything, his eyes once again feel shut and he was only able to question one thing,
How was he still alive?