But you know what? Keep it a secret, but I know a way out of this maggot-infested place. I’m going to escape at the first chance, I will. I don’t know when that’ll be, but I’m ready, whenever it is.

                                                            ~~~

            I stood up, and glared at the prosecutor as he walked into the room. He came every half hour, to test me, to see if I was regaining my strength. His hooded head turned to face me, and I stared at him, right where I thought the eyes would be. It was hard to tell, but I tried. I knew what was coming, I was prepared. I was prepared for the screaming pain in my gut that would spread though my body, would spread until I was immobilized, and then he would send another wave of pain through me, and another, and another, until the pain forced me to my knees, or I gave in and screamed.

            But he stood there for a moment, then raised his hand. The long sleeve fell back to reveal not a human hand, but a scaly paw, much like that of a dragon. I glanced at it fearfully, then looked back up at the head. I knew that this time would be different. It would be more painful. I had never seen its hand, and I thought that the pain then had been hard on me. But no. That was just a fraction of its power.

            It raised the scaly hand and pointed a finger at me, and hissed a series of words under its breath, words I couldn’t understand. It spoke in a harsh, rough language of hisses, yet it spoke the words smoothly, as if gliding over ice on butter.

            As if summoned by the words, which I knew it had been, pain exploded in my stomach. But as I doubled over, pain filled my head too, until it felt as if my skull were cracking open. I felt the creature scanning through my mind, through my knowledge, and I shut it out, but the pain intensified. I fell to my knees. There was no escaping it, it was just too strong. As the pain threatened to take over me, tear me apart from the inside, I must have screamed, for a guard from outside the door rushed in. The pain subsided, and the beast turned to the guard, speaking in human tongue. But so much pain was I enduring, that I couldn’t make out what it said. My sight faded. I could only see the outline of the two figures, I couldn’t see any detail. But the guard must have convinced it to leave, because it turned sharply, its cloak flapping around its ankles, and strode briskly out through the door. I saw the guard turn toward me, a concerned look on his face, then I blacked out, falling to my side, barely aware of hitting the ground, before I went unconscious.

            When I woke, I opened my eyes to the dim, flickering light of the single torch in the cell. I tried to push myself to all fours, to get myself away from the cold ground, but my arms failed me every try. As if on a silent command, the same guard entered. Seeing me struggling to lift even my own weight, he helped me to my knees, and I leaned against his leg as I recovered my breath. What seemed so easy to me normally, now tired me faster than running a mile at top speed. I knew it couldn’t be good. The guard offered a hand to me, and I grasped it, pulling myself to my feet. My sight went blurry, and the room spun around me, but I leaned on his shoulder, and eventually, my sight returned to normal. Gently, he lowered me to the bench, and I sat back against the wall, my breathing hard, and my heart beating faster than ever. When he was sure that I could sit up straight, he left me alone in the cell.

            I closed my eyes, listening to the steady drip of water from above, forming into the puddle at my feet. I was unsure how long I had been unconscious, but I figured that it had only been an hour or two, for the same guard was on shift. But I felt as if I had lain on the floor without food for days. I was dimly aware of the faint light being blocked from the window in the door. I was aware of the absence of extra light, but didn’t look. I heard a horrid hissing that sent my mind into a whirl, and my spine seemed to twist. I glanced up, and saw two dark red eyes glaring at me from under the hood. They were so dark that they were almost black, and I seemed to lose all control of my limbs when I looked at them. I couldn’t look away either, until it turned its head, and started talking again.

            “You defied my orders yesterday. I was told by the master to test her strength.”

            I couldn’t believe it. I had been out for almost a day. I stood, to get closer and hear more, but I became instantly dizzy, and colors flashed in my eyes as the room swirled around me. I sat down and closed my eyes until the dizziness faded. I looked back up, to find that the creature was looking at the guard with a fiery annoyance. The guard was unaffected, and spoke with strength.

            “ I had orders myself from the master. To not let her get too hurt.”
            The creature hissed in anger, then opened the door and came in. It’s hood had covered its eyes again, and I sighed silently in relief. I stood and, despite the colors flashing in my eyes, and the room spinning around me, I glared at the creature. It watched me for a moment, then lifted its scaly hands to grasp the hood. I held my breath as it lowered the cloth that had shaded its face for so long.

            Its head was draconic, and its eyes were big, and it seemed as if they never blinked. The scales that covered its head were a sickly green, and covered in a shiny substance that looked like slime. A large, sharply hooked beak was in the place of its snout, shining a dull black, darker than midnight on a new moon. Once again I felt frozen in place, unable to move, but it averted its gaze slightly, and I felt life seep back into my limbs. I still felt its gaze on me, and it unnerved me, and I still had a chill creep up my spine. Suddenly, there was a ripping sound, and two wings spread from its back. They were at least twenty feet long…each. The creature crouched, and the bottom edge of the cloak rose about 5 inches, and I could see elongated feet with rugged, curved claws tipping the toes. A tail curled around the feet, and both were a green to match the head and hands. I shivered as it crept toward me, and held out a hand. By now, the dizziness had disappeared, and the colors had faded. I could see straight, and knew that it was preparing to cast a spell. It hissed, out loud, and I could hear something that sounded like ‘sleep’ somewhere among the smooth hisses. Suddenly, I felt drowsy, and I sat abruptly on the bench, fighting to stay awake. I knew that once I slept, this beast would hurt me, or take me somewhere else. Maybe he already knew that I knew how to escape. No. I must keep it out of my mind, then he cannot find it. I felt him sifting through my mind, as he had before, but I drowsily shut him out. The creature laughed and broke back into my mind. Yawning, I closed my eyes unwillingly. The beast was controlling me from my mind, I had no choice. I shut it out again, my mind a temporary barrier.

            But I slowly laid down to the bench, and yawning again, I started to doze. I knew I shouldn’t give up, but I was so tired. I wasn’t asleep, but I was in that state where you are slightly asleep, yet aware of your surroundings. I heard the rustling of the creature’s cloak as it stood, and heard the click of its nails as it walked toward me. I felt it pick me up, felt my body leave to bench, and felt nothing but air below me, except for my neck, and the back of my knees, where it supported me. I wondered at how it could carry me so easily, but that was my last thought before I fell into a steady sleep.