10 Hope For Renewal

I followed closely behind Max, as he guides me through the stone and marble never-ending hallways. Glancing around I notice multiple types of dark brown stains and cracks through out each corridor. I frown as the metallic smell of blood faintly hits my nose. I shutter slightly earning a unsettling smile from Max who glances behind him to me. After making multiple lefts and rights, and rights and lefts he pulls me through a door into a large kitchen. Multiple scents hit my nose at once, some pleasant and others making me want to gag, but one scent stood out the most, it smelt sweet, almost like a very strong sugar with something I've never smelt. Whatever it was I wanted to find it and try it. I'm pulled from the scent as Max roughly forces me to sit in a chair at a lonesome table that sat off to the side near one of the darkest corners of the kitchen. I frown and glance at him as he holds up a large metal collar. I tense and growl darkly at him as he reaches it towards me. He sighs as I move away. I watch as he looks around cautiously before speaking in a low whisper.

"I'm trying to do what is the best for you here. Would you rather stay in the cells?"

I frown but make no movement to get any closer to him. He stand straight and sets the collar on the table beside me. I watch the collar, it is completely made out of steel but something about it makes Glacier tense and uneasy. Yet she doesn't say anything about it. I don't notice when he sits across from me until his hand gently moves the collar closer to me making me jump and wince from the wound on my side. I notice a frown on his face but amusement hidden in his eyes as I look at him. I glare slightly as his eyes flicker to the collar beside us. Growling lowly as he reaches for it once more. He stops and sighs.

"I guess you'll be staying in the cells then lizard."

He stands and slides out of his chair grabbing the collar quickly before reaching for me. I growl and shift into my small dragon form. I wedge myself against the wall away from him. He glares at me and reaches again only to pull back with a bloody hand. I growl pulling my paw back as I link to him.

'Don't fucking touch me.'

He growls back darkly,making me flinch back but not backing down as he reaches again. I jump from my chair onto the ground away from him making him growl louder and throw the chair out of the way. I take the chance to quickly fly out and to the high ceiling above. I find a large crack between the ceiling and the wall. Forcibly, I squeeze myself into the small gap. Once I feel I am in tight enough I look down towards him but find he's disappeared. My body tenses making my scales roughly rub against the sharp edges of my hiding spot. I sniff poking my head out the smallest amount but find his scent fading, he's left me here. I smile at the thought but make no movement to exit my safe place yet.

'I do not trust this boy despite his kindness.'

I frown slightly as Glacier links to me. 'Neither do I, especially with that collar near by.'

I tense and look at the table noticing the collar now missing. I shutter as I hear Glaciers' growl echo within my head. Suddenly I no longer feel remotely safe in my small space as the lights within the room suddenly goes out. I go silent and try to push myself farther into the crack as shivers shake through my body.

'I don't like this' continuously runs through my head as I notice a bright green glow on the opposite side of the room. Then suddenly, that disappears as a hand reaches towards me. The spot I am prevents me from moving any farther back. Considering I can't flee I snap at the hand sinking my teeth into it only for my mouth to burn. I feel as if my throat is being ripped at and closing as I wheeze. I start licking at the wood below me whining, just trying to get rid of this feeling. I don't even register someone pulling me out aside from someone swearing softly.

Max P.O.V

I had turned the lights out so the lizard wouldn't be able to see me as I try to remove her from that damn hole in the ceiling. I listen to her heart begin to race as Caesar enters in his dragon form. The green flames around him glowing brightly in the darkness showing he's only the size of a Great Dane. I hear him quietly growl before his voice echos within my mind

'Why the hell are the lights off max.'

I shutter slightly as he says my name with venom. Milady must have angered him.

'The lizard wedged herself into the ceiling. Listen'

The green flames disappear as he shifts to his human form, my eyes adjusting easily to the darkness as I watch him walk towards the wall near the girl. I sigh as he quietly digs his nails into the wall

'She'll be pissed if you ruin her walls again Caesar'

He sighs softly through the link as he half shifts to use his wings. After a few seconds I watch him reach the hole and reach his hand in only to curse under his breath pulling the small white blob out. As he yells at me to turn the lights on. I quickly do so and look at him as he sets the girl on the ground, something black stains the side of her jaw. Seeing it makes me panic. She swallowed Caesars' toxic blood. Caesar wipes the bit of her chin quickly as she flinches and wheezes.

'Get Carmine. Now.'

I nod and quickly run off to find milady. Luckily she was just outside the kitchen. Bowing my head I quickly give a small greeting before swallowing harshly

"Milady...the dragon girl..she bite Caesar and..swallowed his blood. We don't know how much but..we need the antidote or we won't be able to finish your plan."

She says nothing to me for a few moments. "Please milady, she will die."

I hesitantly glance up to her only to be smacked to the ground with her growling at me. "Of course you both already fucked up. Go get the antidote"

I nods before slowly getting up and bowing to her. Once she waves her hand I instantly take off to grab the antidote before returning to Caesar, who snatches it from me quickly forcing it down the girls throat. I sit beside Caesar and gently pick the girl up, her heart rate dangerously slow. I frown and check her eyes seeing they're closed. I frown slightly and gently pet her head. I was never allowed to actually enjoy another person before aside from my older brother. It's nice. Caesars' hand gently lays on top of mine. He might be an asshole and tortured her the first time they met, but he has a soft side. He knows what it's like swallowing the black blood. He wasn't born with it, neither of us was. We're experiments that survived such things. I look up at him seeing his eyes focused on the girls breathing. It is slow showing she's fallen asleep. His hand lands on her ribs gently feeling her slow and gentle heartbeat. He frowns slightly and stands motioning for me to follow

"She's too warm."

Standing, I hold the girl close to my chest protectively as I follow Caesar to one of the coolers nearby. He opens it and holds the door gesturing me to walk in. I do so lowing my head slightly as I walk past him. I lay her down on one of the shelves that stand directly below the cooling vent. I watch as her body starts to relax and a quiet hum fills the air as her eyes slowly flutter open showing they have changed from her normal dark blue eyes to a icy blue. The color completely engulfing her eye leaving no white left. I watch her curiously as she curls into a tight ball. Her head turned to me yet her eyes seem to be watching the door. I turn my head and notice Caesar has blocked the exit. I motion to Caesars to come in who hesitantly does so. I turn my attention to the girl who has gotten tense and pushed herself farther into the shelf. I frown slightly and hold out my hand to her causing her to flinch and lowly growl at me. A growl echos back from behind me making the girl glare and lift her wings slightly, in a defensive and threatening pose. She has no idea that it doesn't faze us, but whatever makes her feel safe I will allow, however Caesar seems to think differently as he growls and steps towards her. I gently pat his leg making him cut off his growling and look down at me. I glance at him slightly before linking to him.

'Let her think she's stronger. If she feels threatened she won't trust us. We'll fail our mission..'

I feel his body tense behind my hand before he sits down. I watch as the girl slowly comes back to the edge of shelf looking at us on the floor. From her, she sits just a few feet above us. Tilting her head sideways she seems to debate with herself before slowly gliding to the ground near the back of the small cooler. Her body slightly tucked behind one of the boxes as she looks at us quietly humming. I slowly reach my hand out to her and make a soft clicking sound with my tongue. Her ears perk at the sound as her head tilts. After a few minutes she slowly walks forward and rubs her head against my hand earning and quiet huff from Caesar. I snicker softly,

'Are you jealous she trusts me first?'

I look at him as he rolls his eyes before answering 'No actually I'm agitated that her dragon is in control and not her. If Carmine finds out she's an actual full blooded shifter, she'll break her.'

I frown and look down at the girl.

'We can't let her find out..She's the only person we were ever order to get along with.'

Caesar nods from beside me and slowly reaches towards the girl who flinches back and growls softly. He sighs and pulls his hand back rolling his eyes. She doesn't move closer again as she just watches Caesar tensely. I look her over noticing her body has seemingly rejected the toxins she's consumed even before the antidote. Those before typically die seconds after just touching. She swallowed who knows how much an dis able to live to tell the tale.

"What's your name girl"

I'm interrupted by my thoughts at Caesars' question to the small dragon. She simply stares at him with a head tilt and glare. It is the funniest and cutest thing I've seen before. I couldn't help the small laugh that escapes my lips making her look at me and hum.

' I am Glacier, the dragon of my girl.'

Her voice is slightly rough, much like someone who has fought many wars. However, it was soft like a mothers voice. I frown as it reminds me of a women from long ago who cared from my brother and me. She was a lot younger than us, but she was the only real mother figure we've ever actually had before. Caesar scratches my head softly sensing my thoughts. I lean into his touch frowning. The girl, Glacier sits in front of me watching curiously as her eyes fade from the ice blue to her normal human eyes. Suddenly her eyes become glossed over, signaling that she's speaking with her dragon. I watch as her face changes slightly to different expressions before a frown stays on her face and she slowly approaches me. As her paw sits on my one leg she looks up at me silent as if asking permission to move any farther. Slow I reach forward and pick her up causing her to quietly growl and tense at the touch. I set her down in my lap and gently scratch a secret spot behind her ear. It's one of Caesar's favorite spots to be scratched and it seems she also enjoys it as she purrs like a cat and leans into it. I smile slightly and lift my head off of Caesar's shoulder causing him to look at the girl as well.

'I think we will pass this mission sooner than we believed, little brother. '

i frown slightly but nod my head as I continue to scratch behind the girls ear.

'Akiera. That's my name.'

I smile slightly and nod.

"It's nice to meet you Akiera"

I notice Caesar's frown and snicker. realizing that she has only been linking to me. Suddenly Caesar grabs my free hand and places something cold in it. I frown, I don't need to look at it to know that it's the collar from earlier. I must have dropped it when Caesar told me to find Milady for the antidote. I glance at Caesar who frowns and nods before slowly getting up so not to disturb Akiera who lays against my leg, her back facing the door and collar. I sigh softly causing her to look up at me questionably. I don't look at her as I speak softly and grab her by the back of her neck roughly causing her to tense and struggle.

"I'm sorry"

She looks at me with pleading eyes as I lock the collar tightly against her neck. When I let go she begins clawing at the collar making soft clinking sounds as her nails scrap against it. I watch her slightly but say nothing as she stops and glares at me. Her wings stretch as she goes to take off but suddenly stops and looks dead ahead seeming terrified. Standing, I look away realizing she's noticed the true reason for the collar. I hear a loud growl mixed with a quiet whine as I walk out of the collor leaving her with Caesar.