A Dragons Scales

A small groan escaped from Lark as she slowly woke from a deep sleep. Then, a small groan escaped from her as her senses slowly developed. Her head felt light and foggy. Her legs felt stiff and felt like they couldn't keep her balance, and her arms were numb still. She could feel small pricks running up and down her arms light little needs being jabbed into her a thousand times.

Slowly, after a few moments, the young girl finally managed to open her eyes. At first, things were a little blurry and a hiss escaped from her lips at the sudden pain in her head. It felt like she was hit with something in the back of her head and she couldn't help but throw her head back as the pain intensified and then slowly lessened.

Then, Lark tried for a second time to open her eyes and things were a bit clearer this time. Her sight was focusing, but what she was seeing confused the hell out of her. "What the?" She mumbled quietly as she saw iron gates in front of her, and on her sides and back seemed to be a stone wall, covered in cobwebs and mildew from the sea air that was coming from the small window to the right of her.

Raising her bright green eyes, Lark realized why her arms were hurt and her legs felt wobbly. She was chained by her wrists to a beam in the ceiling. She was a prisoner, but to what?

A loud squeaking sound caught Lark's attention, it sounded like it was coming from down a hall. A couple of voices could be heard coming once she heard a slam of a door closing. Moving on her toes, Lark tried to get a glance of who was coming, then looked to see if there were others chained like her. A small gasp escaped from her as she saw a few kids from her new school in other cells. Then, as the voices from where she assumed the door was, Lark heard them mention Braclet and the last witch.

Slowly, Lark lifted her gaze and looked at her right wrist where her grandmothers broken bracelet clung to her arm. "Oh shit." She mumbled, wondering if these were thieves who wanted her grandmothers' bracelet.

Kyran had longed for the freedom that he had lost for so long ago. He nearly forgot what it was like to be truly free. He couldn't remember what it felt like to breathe fire or to spread his wings and just fly wherever his heart desired. Sure, he could still fly and breathe fire while confined to that island but it wasn't exactly what he lived for. They were all the same sights that he flew over, all the same humans that he fed from. They were confined to a small island, their group of human blood bags was limited. They couldn't just feed until they were filled, not worrying about their food supply disappearing.

And then it happened.

Kyran had been relaxing in his small home when a breeze crept through his open window. It was odd because it was just a breeze but it felt so much slower than usual. As it washed over him, a wicked grin stretched across his features. The curiosity placed in his veins by the slow moving breeze was nothing like the excitement that he felt moments later.

That excitement spread like wildfire, he could hear his people shouting as they left their homes. Noise filled their small community, as they turned to Kyran for leadership. He would not hold them back tonight, they could do as they pleased. It had been far to long since any of them had had the luxury of being the beasts they were known to be.

---

Almost immediately when Lark was brought into one of the prisons beneath the Earth, one of the lower dragon all but rushed to find Kyran. There was something potentially very important that he needed to know. The bracelet was broken. It was being worn by a girl that was passed out in one of his sells.

Kyran smirked as he started down into the cells, his eyes roaming over each and every cell as he passed them by. "Witch, oh witch," he called in a sing song sort of voice. "Where are you? C'mon. Don't hide... like you made me hide for so long."

@ castle.
A shiver ran down Lark's spine as she heard the voice calling out once more. She had no idea who this guy was, or why he was looking for some witchm but she had a feeling that she was going to be in trouble. Not because she was actually some witch, like the kids at her school thought. Because that's what her grandmother believed she was and told Lark that she needed to step up to her birth right.

Shivering again, Lark did her best to scoot back in her cell. She winced as she bent her legs to the position that she had woken up in. Then, she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. She didn't want to know what this guy was after, if it was her at all. Yet another shiver ran down Larks spine as she cursed herself for wearing her pajama's out in the back yard. It was such a bad idea to get kidnapped in something so cool, not that she planned it or anything.

As the man with the scary voice approached, Lark closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing. She didn't want to face whatever was coming her way. She didn't want to be tortured or whatever this guy could possibly have planned for her. If he wanted her bracelet, then he could just take it from her, she had no plans to fight back. She wasn't emotionally attached to the bracelet, after all, it was just an old family thing that broke because of her stupidity.

Please leave me alone, please leave me alone, please leave me alone. Lark mumbled in her mind as she tried to pretend she was asleep. With her eyes closed, Lark listened to the man's footsteps as they came closer down the aisle that her cell was and prayed he'd just walk right past her.

Kyran couldn't contain his smirk as he continued through the cages, paying no mind to the newer blood slaves who were begging for mercy. They knew the horrors that were bestowed upon them every time that a dragon decided to come downstairs for some fresh blood. He whistled an ominous tune, his attention drawn almost immediately to the broken power within. There was no denying his pull to Lark's cell. He would destroy that bracelet once and for all, so that his kind could never be contained again.

Drumming his fingers on Lark's cell, Kyran raised an eyebrow. "Tell me something, witch," Kyran breathed, tilting his head to the side. "Do you think that I will fall for your tricks? I've been contained on this island for so long that I nearly forgot how foolish your kind are. You think a simple trick will fool a dragon. But it never does, does it?" Kyran let out a dry laugh as he unlocked her cell before shoving the door open.

He took a few slow, calculated steps toward her. Kyran laughed as she revealed that she wasn't asleep - "What a smart girl. Maybe you're smarter than your ancestors, hm? Knowing that you're in my clutches, at least you know that you're never going to get out of here. Perhaps your fate can be kinder than your grandmother's, hm? Your great grandmothers..." he trailed off. Kyran held his hand out to her.

"Now, I'm going to let you in on a little secret, hm?" Kyran spoke, his head tilting. "If I ever have to repeat myself, you won't like it. Understood?" He said. "Give it to me. Now."

@ castle.
The moment Lark heard the man's voice and her cells doop opening, she knew that her fake sleeping wasn't going to work. Still, though, she kept her eyes closed as she listened to him. Trying to make sense of anything he was trying to tell her because none of it sounded logical to her in the least bit.

So, as she slowly opened her bright green eyes and looked at the man. She couldn't help but to gulp. The man in front of her was well over six feet tall and looked like he could be a quarterback in professional football. He was truely a scary sight to see compared to her barely five foot height and light weight.

"My... great grandmothers... fate?" Lark said quietly, confusion written all over her face as she listened to the man. She had no idea what was going on. She had just been sitting in her grandmothers private part of the beach when she was hit in the head with something, then woke up here.

"I-I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about." Lark said quietly, her lips a little chapped from having her head hit the sand. "What do you want from me? I don't have anything to give you, much less know about some old lady who died years ago." Lark said, trying to back away from the man that was in front of her, but couldn't really move as the chain above her was keeping her in place.

Kyran laughed as he tilted his head back, shaking his head. He straightened back up, looking down to Lark as his grin transformed into a frown. he gave a slow shake of his head. "Tsktsk. Did your grandmother teach you nothing? Nothing at all of who you are, Ms. Hamilton?" It seemed like almost a sick joke to him. How could someone leave Lark completely naive, unable to defend herself? It nearly seemed cruel to him; to consider a dragon unaware of their true strengths against the witches? It sent a shudder down his spine that sparked a scowl on his features. "Or did you simply... not believe her? I suppose that's a possibility too, is it not? Our existence has been all but wiped out, you've forgotten we exist because of the war your ancestors waged."

Kyran shook his head. "It's a shame. Your family leaving you so alone, when all they should have done was teach you all that you were capable of..." Kyran trailed off, shrugging his shoulders suddenly. "Oh well. I suppose that makes all of this easier for me, doesn't it? It's like taking candy from a baby."

Reaching out, Kyran didn't say a word as he grabbed her wrist. Yanking it toward him, Kyran pulled the bracelet free. He smirked, holding it up before he dropped her arm and took a step backward.

"Tell me something, witch. Do you regret not believing your grandmother? Do you regret breaking the only thing that could keep you safe?" Kyran laughed as he watched the metal holding the broken gem begin to melt in his hand. His hand started to glow a vibrant orange, his hand tilting as his lips parted.

@ castle.
The look of confusion played on her face the whole time this strange guy talked. Each word that left his lips seemed stranger and stranger to her. What the hell was he getting at? Was this some sort of badly written soap opera or something? "H-how do you know my last name?" was the only thing that Lark managed to coherently think up as the man spoke. Her lips set into a deep frown.

A small squeak escaped from Lark as the stranger grabbed onto her arm, which in turn pulled her forward. She stumbled as she was forced to take a step forward, then pretty much fell back as he tore the bracelet from her wrist.

"H-hey! That's me-" Lark stopped mid-sentence as she watched the bracelet that her grandmother gave her stopped melting. Her lips parting in surprise as her eyes widened. She had never seen anything like that in her whole sixteen years of living. How could someone heat up their hand like that? Was it even humanly possible?

Then, it slowly hit Lark. The guys' words, his weird hand melty thing, and his large build. "I'm so dreaming, aren't ?" She mumbled quietly, disbelief washing over her as she slowly closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming." She mumbled quietly as she shook her head, willing herself to wake up from this strange dream that she seemed to be having.

Kyran's eyes moved to watch Lark as he destroyed the bracelet. He let out a satisfied noise as the broken gem slid to the palm of his hand before the glowing seemed to lessen on his hand. Eventually, his hand was back to a normal color. It was only then that Kyran addressed her frantic mumbling. He couldn't help but chuckle, amused by her willingness that this was just a dream. It would have been a wild one if it was, Kyran didn't often sleep so he couldn't remember the last time that he had dreamed something worth talking about.

"No, darling. I'm sorry but you're not dreaming," Kyran spoke finally, breaking the sort of trance that she had gotten herself into. He grinned as he put the broken gem in his pocket. He settled down in front of her, his eyes trained on her.

"Your reality is about to become the reality that I've suffered for the past half a century. Know what that means?" Kyran all but purred, leaning forward as his lips brushed against the top of her ear. "You're not leaving this island ever again.This is going to be your prison, like it was mine. I couldn't leave for so long that I forgot what it was like... to stretch my wings. To eat without having to worry about when my next meal."

"That's going to become your concern, now. You're going to beg me for anything I give to you because I have been desperate for so long... because of your family, Ms. Hamilton," Kyran's words were quiet, despite the anger held behind them. "Imprisoned me for so long that I forgot who I even was. My people forgot who they were. And that isn't very fair, is it?"

@ castle.
"W-w-wait a minute," Lark said quietly as her eyes widened and focused in on the man that was in front of her. Her head shook as she tried to comprehend everything that was leaving the man's lips. "That's not fair, I-I-I didn't do anything to you, or your people. My ancestors did, I had nothing to do with this sort of thing. You can't blame me for others mistake's. That's not fair." Lark's words flooded out of her mouth that she really had no idea if they made any sort of sense or not. All she knew, was that she needed to get out of here.

So, with wanting to escape in mine, Lark did her best to pull away from the scary man. Shivering as his breath tickled the top of her ear. "I am innocent, I have no connection to whatever trapped you here, I don't even know what you freaking are! I just moved to some little town on the beach a few weeks ago. Hell, I thought my grandmother was dead because she's not been in my life til now." She told the strange man, panting as she let everything out for this man to hear.

"I don't believe in magic, I'm not a freaking witch. I'm just a normal human girl who want's to go back to their life in the city. I want to watch movies with my friends, and do homework. None of this shit has anything to do with me, leave me alone. I don't want anything to do with your little plot for revenge or whatever."

"Tsktsk," Kyran muttered, shaking his head slowly. He stared down at Lark, a frown growing on his features. "You mean to tell me your mother ran, didn't train you? Didn't tell you who you were? What you're capable of?" Kyran asked, tilting his head to the side. It was rather intriguing to him that a Hamilton would leave their kin unprotected and naive. Unwilling to train Lark to be able to defend herself. Even so, he didn't think that Lark would be as powerful as a witch her ancestors were. Especially if she was still so untrained at such an old age.

"That's a shame. Maybe your mother didn't really care about you at all. Do you think that's a possibility?" Kyran asked, ignoring her demands to be released. "Because why else would she leave you being as clueless as you are? You don't even know who I am or what I am capable of, Ms. Hamilton," he said with a sigh. "Seems utterly ridiculous to me, does it to you?"

He sat back on his heels, simply studying Kyran for a few, long moments of silence. "Why don't you look up? I have something to show you..." he trailed off, watching her intently. When she didn't move as quicklyy as he would have preferred, his hand shot out and wrapped through the strands of her hair. He forced her to look toward him.

"Good. Now continue looking at me. I don't want to have to ask again," he growled. Kyran studied her for a moment before he tilted his head back, opening his lips, and he blew slowly. Fire sparked in the air, seeming to come from his mouth as his eyes slipped shut. The feeling was almost euphoric to him. He sat up, looking back to her as he stopped breathing fire. "Now do yyou think it's a dream still? Do I need to show you more?"

@ castle.
"No, no, no," Lark mumbled quietly as she shook her head back and forth ever so slightly. Her eyes welling with tears that threatened to spill as she tried to shut this mans words out of her head. "That's not true, it's not true." She mumbled over and over as she looked down at the ground, trying to hide the tears that threatened to fall. Lark wasn't a crier, not since her mother had left. Not when she had to leave her dad to go live with her grandmother who she didn't even know. So, why now? Why did she have to be weak now?

As the man commanded Lark to look at him, it took everything in her being to keep up her rebellion. She didn't want to listen, she didn't want him to win. This was a dream, she wouldn't let a dream mess with her mind. She was stronger then this, she could get through this.

A cry of pain escaped Lark's lips as she felt him pull her head back and force her to look at him. She let out a soft whimper as she watched him through teary eyes. At first, she thought he was going to make her watch him puke or something gross, but as sparks started to form. The air in her lungs froze and Lark felt her whole body go rigid as she watched. Her eyes wide with fear as the man in front of her started to blow out a fire.

"W-what the hell?" Lark mumbled quietly as she stared at the man in front of her, stunned beyond belief. "What are you. Where am I?" She asked, her words quiet as she still tried to wrap her mind around everything. "I'm not dreaming, am I?" Lark asked after a while, a few tears finally falling from her eyes as things started to sink in. "What the fuck." She mumbled quietly, not sure what to think anymore.

{think we're doing a bit of the ol' slamming posts out gig we used to }

"Dreaming? Oh no, darling. That is the complete opposite of what you're doing," Kyran said with another laugh. He shook his head, tilting it to the side as she started to cry again. He reached forward, grabbing at her chin in an almost painfully tight grip. He smirked as he leaned forward, licking a single tear from her cheek before he leaned back. He stood suddenly, reaching out to drag her up off of the ground.

"Darlin', I am the very thing that your parents should have warned you again. I am the dragon that your your mother and your grandmother should have trained you to fight. Instead, they left you completely naive and defenseless. I was left on this island with nowhere to go because of some stupid fuckin' charmed bracelet..." Kyran trailed off, starting to drag her out of the cell. She was going to come with him, she was going to stay with him. There was no one else who was going to touch her. But him.

"Until you were stupid enough to break the seal that kept us contained!" Kyran almost sounded gleeful. He shoved her toward the stairs, giving a firm nod of his head. "LEt's go. Now!" Kyran spot, flashing his teeth in a deep snarl. "Unless you want me to show you want happens when I touch you... when I do to your skin, what I did to the metal on that bracelet. Hm?"

Kyran smirked as she obeyed, following her close behind. "Turn left, we're heading to the fifth cabin up the trail," eh said, nodding in the direction of where his cabin was.

@ castle.
Dread started to pool in Lark once again as she followed the stranger out of that cell she was chained up in. Her wrists ached as she felt them being released from those cuffs that kept her suspended by that beam in the cell. Her legs wobbled, still a little numb from being on her tippy toes for so long as well as having to go upstairs to get out of the place.

"Woah." Lark breathed out as she looked around the place once they were finally out in the open air. It was like she had traveled back in time, all of the buildings looked like they were made of wood or something. "Wow." She breathed out once more as they walked, Lark doing her best to move slowly so that they didn't rush to where ever it was that he was forcing her to go.

Then, as they got to the cabin that the man said was his. Lark stopped and glanced towards the man. She didn't know if he wanted her to go first, or him. "Um, what is this place?" She asked, her voice quiet as she looked up at the man as she waited for his next command, not wanting to do anything that could possibly get his anger on her again.

Then, something flew over head that caused Lark to jump as she looked up at the sky. An as she did so, her back bumped into the man behind her, which caused her to jump in the other direction. Then, she stumbled a little backwards and fell onto her butt. "W-what was that?" She asked as she looked at the sky for what had just scared her.

(Feels good!!)

Kyran hated that he had been restrained to this island for so long but it was his home and there was no getting around that fact. He and his people had made a home of it, to the best of their abilities. Even their blood slaves tended to enjoy the finer things that, well, their island could offer. Because these humans were raised from the very moment they were born to obey their masters, to give their blood willingly and without so much as a single argument. Mothers didn't argue when their children were requested because so long as they obeyed, no true harm came to them. No death occurred - because without the humans, the dragons could not survive. It was a give and take sort of situation, whether the two groups wanted to admit it or not.

But now? Now the dragons had free reign to do as they pleased. There was nowhere for them that they couldn't go now. No one to stop them from devouring their prey as they were meant to. As dragons were meant to be the beasts that terrorized humans.

As they came up to his cabin, Kyran set his hand on her lower back. He led her toward the stairs, glancing up when Lark jumped at the sight she saw. He rolled his eyes as she fell, huffing as he reached down. He wordlessly grabbed her wrist and started to drag her toward the door to his cabin. It wasn't until he'd shoved her inside and locked the door behind them that Kyran decided to answer her.

"That was Darren. One of my most trusted men... he was flying. He's been here for nearly half a century with me. We haven't had the chance to stretch our wings for long," Kyran told her bluntly. He gave a shrug of his shoulder as he locked the door. It was just a wooden lock but it would slow her down long enough if she tried to make a run for it, if she somehow got a headstart on him. "Do you believe me yet?"

@ castle.
"Ow," Lark mumbled quietly as the man who she still didn't know the same of grabbed her wrist and pulled her up and towards the cabin. Slowly, Lark bit down on her bottom lip as she tried to not focus on the pain that his grip was causing. As it didn't feel like he was breaking it, but she was sure to have a few bruises forming.

As the man shoved her into the cabin, Lark stumbled a few times before she caught herself. Her bright green eyes looked around the cabin. Amazed at the old world style of it. The wood burning fireplace, the furniture that all looked like it was made by hand. The animal pelt like cushions. This whole place screamed old fashioned to her.

Hearing the man speaking, Lark looked back towards him. Confusion once again appearing on her face. "Darren was flying?" She mumbled quietly, making sure that she had heard him correctly. "W-wait, can you fly? How old are you?" Lark blurted out multiple questions, not sure what else she could possibly do at the moment.

"You ask that like I have a choice," Lark replied, a small anxious sigh escaping from her as she felt her head spinning ever so slightly. Raising a hand, Lark rested her hand against her head. "All of this stuff is giving me a headache." She mumbled quietly, her eyes going towards the old style lock that the man was putting on the door.

"You know, you still haven't told me who you are." Her voice was quiet as she slowly lowered her hand. An instead she went for crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the man warily. "Or told me what you're going to do to me." Her eyes glance around the cabin once more before looking back towards the man. "I can already tell you that my cooking skills suck, I can't make toast without burning it."

Kyran had often found himself wondering what a modern cabin would look like. What a modern person's life looked like. He had no clue about electronics or modern ways of travel or... any of it. He'd done a bit of looking around after the gem had been broken but he was almost positive that there was more out there. There had to be. He had been here for nearly sixty years, the idea of advancements was exciting in one regard and in another, he felt completely and utterly robbed of the chance to live. It wasn't fair. Just like what he planned to do to Lark wasn't fair.

"Of course I can. What sort of a leader would I be, if I couldn't fly?" Kyran asked, nearly offended by her question. He scoffed, shaking his head as he moved toward the refrigerator. It was an old fashioned one, that barely still worked but it kept the blood inside cool. That was all that he really needed it for.

He lifted the metallic container, his face scrunching as he took a large swig of the red liquid inside. Kyran turned toward Lark, a small grin settling on his features as he started toward her.

"My name is Kyran, I am the ruler of dragons - the men and women here listen to me as if I am the only one keeping them alive. Because for a long time, I was. For a long time, I was the only one who was able to remind them of who we are. Of what we are fully capable of," Kyran growled the last few words. He slammed the container down on the corner, turning toward her.

"Oh, Ms. Hamilton. I am truly sorry that I haven't told you what I plan to do with you..." Kyran trailed off, raising an eyebrow. "You're going to be my little pet. You're going to learn to rely on me so heavily that you worship me as if I am your God. Because no one else is going to stop me. No one would dare to help a Hamilton... even as defenseless as you are."

@ castle.
It felt like each second Lark was digging herself a deeper and deeper graze. Her lips turned into an even deeper frown. Her head shook from side to side ever so slightly as she listened to the man, Kyran as he spoke. His words held so much anger in them, that she had a feeling that it must have taken a long time to build, and she didn't want to hear about that.

As Kyran slammed some sort of red thing on the counter, Lark couldn't help but jump. Her eyes widened as she looked from the man and then towards the drink. Then she looked back at his face. He looked totally angry, so sickeningly twisted that Lark felt sick to her stomach just thinking about him.

"I-I think that's my cue to leave," Lark mumbled quietly as she gulped and slowly took a step back. She kept her eyes on Kyran for a moment more before she turned her back to him and tried to bolt towards the door. She had watched him do something with the wooden lock and tried to undo it, but the style of lock was so old and out of date that it was confusing even for Lark.

"I am not going to be some beasts little pet," Lark said as she tried to pry open the door, doing anything she could to try and get out of the cabin and away from the crazed thing.

“Leave?” Kyran echoed her words, his eyebrows shooting up as he nearly looked offended. He shook his head, his face scrunching a bit “oh, nonono,” he said, slowly shaking his head. He’d shoved his hands into his pockets, blinking as he studied her. She tried to run and he lingered for a moment, amusement evident in his features.

Kyran started toward her, slamming his hand into the door before she was able to pull it open fully. He chuckled at her words, pressing her into the wood of the door. His hands gripped her hips, nipping at the top of her ear before he spoke.

“Now, Ms. Hamilton, I have waited so very long to have you be my guest here. It would be awfully rude for you to leave. Don’t you think?” Kyran growled, his hands heating slowly. It wouldn’t be enough to cause any real damage but it would certainly be enough to scare the young witch. “Or you can. You can try to run but let me remind you - dragons fly faster than a witch will ever be able to run.”

Kyran stepped back, crossing his arms after he unlocked the door. “Well? Which is it?”

@ castle.
A loud squeak escaped from Lark at how fast Kyran was able to make his way over and practically slam the door. She opened her mouth to protest but instead gasped as she felt his hands on her hips. Then those sharp teeth on her ear. Her breathing quickened as she felt his breath on her and how close her was to her.

"Ah." She breathed out in fear, pressing her forehead against the door as she felt his hands getting hot. Her bare toes curled and she started to wonder if he was going to burn her, try and melt her as he did to her bracelet. Could people even melt? Lark didn't know, but what she did know was that she didn't want to find out.

Small sniffles escaped from Lark as she listened to Kyran. She really hated everything that was leaving his lips. She didn't want to be here, she had nothing to do with her ancestors. As far as Lark knew till today, magic wasn't real. She didn't have these supposed powers that people however long ago had or whatever.

As Kyran stepped away from her, Lark stayed pressed against the door. Her eyes closed as she tried to get a hold of herself. She didn't want to die, but she also didn't want to get tortured by this monster because of who her ancestors were, but. Did she really have a choice? He said he wasn't going to kill her, but would whatever he does to her make her want to wish for the alternative? That, scared Lark more then anything. As she's had those thoughts before and didn't like them. It took her years to get over her Depression and she didn't want to go back to that.

Biting down on her bottom lip, Lark squeezed her eyes shut as she slowly turned around to Face Kyran. Her back pressed against the door, as well as her arms. "What do you want then? To have a tea party?" She asked, her voice quiet and shaking slightly as she opened her eyes and looked at the man. Her lips falling into a deep frown. She didn't want to die, so, she'll have to take her chances with whatever he was going to throw at her.