FSE

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Infinity's eyes opened the next morning as she let out a soft groan. She felt weariness still in all her limbs, as it hardly felt like she had rested for even a moment. It felt like she had tossed and turned all night. She frowned slightly as she blinked away the grogginess from her eyes. She tried to remember the dreams that had plagued her thoughts last night, but they were all a swirled blur of screams, glistening teeth, and crimson red goo.

She glanced around her enclosure to find that everything from the previous night was still there. She drooped her head as she spied the burned remains of the basket that Axton had brought her last night. Serves it right though...I do not deserve anything he brought me... She sighed, glancing over slightly to spy the gold coin she had thrown to the other side of the enclosure. She lets out a sigh, as she puts her head into her paws. She lets out a snort as she hears the morning pitter patter of goblin feet coming into feed her the morning meal. However her ears perk as she realizes they are moving at a quicker. She can smell the heavy poignant smell of fear on them as they quickly plop her morning meat down onto the grass.

Infinity just glares at the goblins as they stand their for a moment, like frozen statues they stared at her. She gave a quick snort from her nostrils as she resettled her wings, and could not even find enjoyment in the fact that they let out shrieks and bolted towards the door. That's right run from the big monstrous black dragon....who is only good at killing things. She pulled herself up onto all fours and padded her way over to the horrid smelling meat that was sitting there. She wrinkles her snout as there was clearly less then she usually got. Another form of punishment no doubt...Was the constant shocks not bad enough? She opened her maw and gobbled down the meat. It tasted just as bad as it smelled, so she swallowed it down quickly enough. With a small burp she fought the urge to toss the meal back up, afraid she would have to taste it again.

Her ears perked up with the sudden loud clanking noise. She instantly recognized them as the sound of the gears that were bringing over her "free time" enclosure. She rolled her eyes as she made her way over to where the doors were going to appear, and when the stone parted she strolled inside to the area. Her wings drooped, and she lowered her head as she realized the area was twice as small as it usually was, she hardly fit twice her wings. The water it looked like would hardly come up to her underbelly. She let out a great sigh as she slowly made her way to the water's edge and gazed down upon it's shallow body. The water is still high enough that I could still use it to drown myself. She shook her head, snarling at the water. Stupid, stupid, don't think like that never think like that.

She curled up into the grass, twitching her claws as she did so. She gazed down at them, bringing them close to her viridian eyes. It felt like something was missing from them, like an itch she could not scratch. What it was alluded her thoughts as she tried to reach out to them.

"Something wrong Infinity?" came the soft voice of the wizard from the top of the enclosure. She looked up to see that he was leaning on the railing, glaring at her with a smile.

How did he get there? He had made no noise...or I was sure there was no noise......Could he have just appeared out of thin air? She sighed quietly through her nose, averting her gaze and trying her best to ignore him as she put her snout on her paws.

"I would certainly not feel too bad, my little pet, it is a pleasant morning after all." He strutted away, a great big evil smile plastered across his face.

She sits there curled on herself for most of the day, head down resting her eyes. Occasionally she would sprawl out, knead her claws, twitched her tail, or resettle her wings. However the day passed her by without the wizard coming to collect her, no pained shocks, no slicing off her appendages, nothing of note. She raised her head as she spotted the small black hair of Axton peeking over her enclosure at her. What are you doing here little human? And you are certainly much earlier than you have ever been before.

The human padded quickly over to her enclosure. He ties a rope quickly around the railing at the top, and hastily makes his way down into the place with her. He had a brown leather pack slung around his back, and a smile on his face. He pulled off the pack, and sat it on the grass. He unbuckles the leather belt on it, stuck his hand inside and began to rifle through it.

Infinity stayed where she was, unmoving as she just watched him expectantly, her tail twitching slightly on the ground.

"Night Rising!" he exclaims, holding up a rather thin looking red glass vial in his hands.

Infinity eyed the potion with suspicion. What will that do Axton? Will it finally put me out of my misery? Did you master give that to you to hurt me? She watched him take several tentative steps towards her, his limbs shaking as he did so. With her next breath she could smell his fear on him. She rose to all fours and backed away from him. Something is not right, you're here to hurt me too, aren't you? I deserve it though.

"Night Rising? Is everything okay? I am not here to hurt you." he says, stopping dead in his tracks.

Lies, you're here to hurt me... you're going to be just like him....and keep me here forever. She bared her teeth at him, causing Axton to let out a startled cry, stumbling backwards, and managing to hold onto the glass vial.

"Please, Night Rising, I only came to help you!" Axton cries, his voice cracking.

Infinity took another step backwards away from him. Her spines all flaring on her body, her heart quickening. She felt like a cornered animal.

"Please... Just talk to me." Axton set the vial on the ground softly, and took a step away from her.

Infinity ignored the itch in her claws, as she realized what they wanted to do. She fought the urge to cut off her own neck, knowing what would happen if she did so. She spies his eyes trace the scars on her scales, than dart back to the vial he had placed on the ground. She just stood there glaring at him, digging her claws softly into the dirt.

"D-did you like the gold coin I left you?" He asks, then tilts to head to the side and whispered "What did he do to you?"

Infinity ignored him, as her eyes just stayed locked onto the vial, her body growing more itchy by the second.

"I brought you the potion to help you. To heal your wounds." Axton gestures to her scars. "Since I doubt they ever got you a proper healer..." His voice trails off.

She looked up at him,the distrust for the wizard still in her mind. How can you be sure Axton? What if it's part of his plan to do something else to me?

"Night Rising, I don't know what he did to you... But it must have been horrible to have you not trust me right now..." His voice trailed off as he lowered his head slightly, "But you have to believe me!"

Infinity stood their still in silence, she rose a claw to scratch around her neck. With a little pressure she dug one of her talons right into her flesh, drawing a thin red line along there. She felt the growing anxiety start to subside slightly.

"W-What can I do? Please let me know!"

"Away." She rasped, glaring right at him.

"E-excuse me?"

"I said away!" she snarled, flashing her teeth at him. She watched him scramble for his rope, and frantically climb up if to the top of the enclosure. Good. She gave a snort and turned back towards the water. She ignored the pained, hurt eyes she saw him flashing at her from his vantage point. She fell into a huddle at the water's edge, staring at it, continuing her scratching on her neck. She could still feel the anxiety in her body, but with every little scratch she could feel it slowly fading away. Her ears perked up as she heard the soft sound of a human crying. Not just any human... Axton.

She stopped scratching and curled up in a ball next to the water. She unfurled her wings and stared into them, trying to remember what the night sky looked like. She tried to ignore the continued, ever loudening sobs of the human from above. She felt the urge to go to him, snatch him up in her paws and rock him until he would grow quiet. She stood up onto all fours, shook her head and began to pace across the ground. Dragons should not be held captive like this, ever. Infinity snuffled around the outer walls of her cage. She did this right below where he was, doing it louder to get his attention. She waited for a moment, and when he continued to sob she sniffed again yet louder.

"What do you want." He says weakly.

"Out."

"I don't want to leave... Staying here with you is better than being alone in my room."

"I want out."

"So do I." Axton sighs.

"Hmmpf." Infinity snorted as she started to pace below the human's resting place.

"N-Night Rising?" His voice was low, and barely anything louder than a whisper.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever tried to shapeshift? I heard most dragons can do that."

"No." Infinity snarled, "I like my body just the way it is, thank you very much."

"That's not what I meant." Axton turns over and looks down on her from his spot. He wipes his eyes with the brown sleeve of his robes. "Perhaps you could leave the enclosure... if just for a little while. If you have never done it, perhaps there is no safeguard against it."

"No, I need a way to get way forever.The punishment.." Her voice trailed off as she remembered the experiment the other day, the screams, the blood, and the image of herself ripping Axton apart.

"If I found a way I'd help you... On one condition."

"What is that?" She tilted her head to the side, curiosity growing in her mind.

"Take me with you."

Interesting. She considered his proposal for a moment. It would be nice to have someone to travel with...Pay her compliments...Be a voice to listen to...To hear me when I speak.. She nodded slowly. "You'll have to be careful. We'd be hunted and I might have to fight."

"Deal then, I will try to find you a way out of here. It might take awhile, I am not the best magician around. But I promise to be by your side the entire time, deal?"

She let out a pleased rumble that sounded like stones in her throat as she laid down. She had a small grin come to her face. Yet again the human brings a small glimmer of hope to me. How could one so small, so soft, inspire that in me? "Deal."

"So, what happened? I-It's okay if it's bad... but maybe talking to someone will help instead of it staying trapped within your mind."

"I don't want to right now." Especially not the last part where I lost control and killed a goblin disguised as you. "I can handle it until we are gone for good."

"Well if it gets too much... Tell me about it, I will do my best, but you may have to be patient."

"Okay."

"Now will you try the potion I brought for you in there?"

She glanced back at the red liquid within the glass vial. "No thanks."

"Oh, I thought you might like your scars healed."

Infinity tipped her snout down, glancing at every scar on her black scales. "My scars are fine."

"Well... they should not have done that to you."

"Well, scars build character." She grinned at him wickedly.

"Well fine." Axton crossed his arms, sitting up. "Are you hungry? I can swipe us some food from the kitchens."

"No, I'm fine."

"Well, you can't stay on that island of yours." he smiled, thrusting a finger towards her.

She rolled over in the grass, stretching out all her limbs and wings. Are you trying to save me from this metaphorical island of yours?

"I thought you might like something good, considering the slop they feed you."

"'Least they feed me." She snorted, swishing her tail from side to side.

"Well, it's not very fitting of a dragon is it not?" The young boy put his arms on his side, casting her a coy smile.

Why you... She fought the urge to cast a smile at him. So she snorted and rolled her eyes at him instead. "Well I don't know what really is befitting a dragon, so I don't mind." There Axton, how will you respond to that?

"I think you're just being stubborn." He laughs, "I'll be back with some supplies." He gives her a small wave and soon darts away with the sounds of his boots hitting the floor at a quickened pace. He is not gone for long, however, and is soon back carrying a rather large wicker picnic basket.

She tried at first to hide the rising curiosity in her mind as the human stood atop the enclosure. However she could not resist and raised her head to look directly at him. She thumped her tail on the ground softly. What could you possibly have gotten?

"Hah, they never even knew I was there." Axton laughs with a great big smile, the pride ever present in his voice.

Why, are you not the skilled little human? She snorted in amusement, as she thought about how adorable he looked at taking pride in himself. Almost like a dragon this one is.

"Mind if I come down?" He gestures to the rope still secured to the railing.

"Sure." She says with a quick nod. Besides, I want to know what's in the basket this time. He thoughts went to the basket she had burned last night as she drooped her wings slightly. I am sorry I burned the other one. You probably had put in just the same amount of effort.

Axton shimmies down the rope with a smile, the basket still held firmly within his grasp. Once his boots touch the soft earth, he quickly turned and strolled over to her. He stops a few yard away before placing the basket down, and opening it with a soft creak.

She stands up slowly. "Graaaaahhhh." She exclaims as the stretches like a cat and gives a long tongue curling yawn. She blinks her eyes and makes her way over, peering into the open container. Axton had apparently gotten cheeses, little wrapped meats, bright round like things, and other various things she imagined was food. She tilted her head to the side as she breathed in the mix of alluring scents coming from the basket. Truthfully, they smelled wonderful compared to what she was usually eating, and she felt her mouth begin to water.

"It's probably better than the stuff they ever feed you."

"What is this thing?" She pokes one of the blocks of cheese with one of her talons, its surface yielding to her with hardly any effort.

"It's called cheese. It's made from the milk of a cow. Or any other milk giving animal." He wrinkles his face for a moment. "Although I think this one is from a cow."

She picks up the thing called cheese and brings it close to her snout, and gives a deep and drawn out sniff.

"I swear it's food, honest!" He laughs, his attention on her.

She took a single tiny bite of the cheese. The flavor was hard to describe, but it was sharp and tasted like nothing she had ever had before. She took another bite of it, than another, and soon the entire thing was gone. "That was REALLY good!" She smiled, tail swishing back and forth behind her.

Axton laughed, and took a bite out of a piece of bread he had procured from the basket.

She moved onto the meat next, practically inhaling all of it. She found each one more appetizing then the last. They continue eating like this, and even with her being a dragon Axton seemed to have brought enough food for the both of them. When she was finishing off some sweet tasting thing called an apple Axton pulled out a small white box wrapped in string.

The boy opens the box to show off two little tanish round pieces of food. They appeared to have thin little crusts with a white material around the edges that looked fluffy. The top of the thin crust seemed to be slathered in some sort of brownish sauce. "Wait till you try these! They are called pastries. This particular one is called a creme puff." Axton smiles, "They are fantastic!" He grabs one of the pastries and hands it to her.

Infinity carefully took the small pastry called a creme puff and held it softly in her paws. She brought it once again to her snout and gave a tentative sniff. It smelled really sweet, and sort of like fruit.

"It's good I swear." He held up his right hand. "Cross my heart."

She shrugged and popped the entire thing into her mouth. Her eyes widened as the sweet taste spread through her maw, and felt like fireworks of happiness were going off in it. "WHAT, IS THIS?"

"It had chocolate on it!" he says, accidentally spraying some food onto the ground.

"I LOVE chocolate!" She threw her head back and proclaimed loudly.

"Hah! I do too! This is the kind of food usually nobles were only able to get where I was from." He thumbs his chest."Night Rising, thanks for eating with me."

She just grinned at him, and then gave him an amused look.

"What? Don't give me that look. Do you think any of the goblins here are interesting to talk to?"

"No of course not." She smiled, "They are scared half to death of me though, so that can be amusing at times."

"So don't be surprised if I enjoy talking to you. You're the only one who gives me any time of the day. Everyone else avoids me because of the whole apprentice thing."

"Huh?" She raised an eyebrow. Not a single soul?

"You're the only one who has said like two words to me." Axton lowers his head for a moment. "I am not even allowed to leave the tower." He gestures to the edge of his enclosure, but Infinity knew he was gesturing to the building.

"That isn't surprising. I am not allowed to leave either."

"He claims it is too dangerous out there for young wizards. I just have a bigger cage."

"It very well may be...although I wouldn't know."

"Are you sure you don't want to try and shape change? I could sneak you away from this place for a few hours."

"He'd find out." She snorted, her eyes narrowing. He always knows somehow.

"Right. You know I would, though, right?"

She nodded, "I know, but you should not have to face what he calls punishment." She shook her head, not trying to think about what he could do to the sweet boy in front of her. She turned over, rolling until she was belly up towards the ceiling. Her body had suddenly started to feel all tingly, and her head felt fuzzy. She could not help letting out a deep pleasured purr.

"Well you certainly look happy." He laughed.

"A nice roll never hurt anyone." She mutters, than feels the human bump against her apparently having rolled in the grass with her.

"Like that?"

"I don't think mortals can do it." She smirked, twitching her tail slightly.

"Nonsense. Of course I can roll around in the grass!"

"Rolling for dragons is different I think." She continued to smirk as she wiggled in the grass.

"How so?"

"I'm not sure... just a feeling I'm getting is all." She continued to rub her head all around in the grass, loving the feeling of it on her scales.

"I don't think I have seen you this happy in all the time I have known you." He laughed. "It's like you have been given catnip."

Catnip? "Maybe it's something you fed me?"

"Maybe chocolate does this to dragons?"

"Maybe." She laughs deep in her throat, wiggling even more in the grass. "It feels like my entire body is so full of energy right now. Like I could just fly around for hours."

"Well perhaps you have what is called a sugar high... Perhaps we should play a game to burn off all this extra energy you have." he laughed, crossing his arms and cupping his chin. "Have you ever tried hide and seek?"

She rolled until she was up on her paws. "Can you just hide in grass and water?" She rolled her eyes.

"Can you?" He raised an eyebrow. "Cause I bet I can!" He jabbed his thumb against his chest.

Really now? Her curiosity spiked once again as she put her head into her paws. She resettled her wings against her back and swished her tail back and forth playfully. "I don't think I can, however."

"Nonsense! You can cover yourself with your wings!"

How will that help? She laughed internally. "Clearly you-"

"Watch, just do it."

She gave an amused snort as she did what she was told, spreading her wings over her body until she was thoroughly covered.

"Oh no... where did Night Rising go?" came Axton's monotone voice.

She gave a small giggle, smirking on her snout. He's playing with me... pretending to not see me. She lifted a wing slightly so that she could peek in on what the silly human was doing.

Axton was walking around the enclosure, looking over grass with his hands around his eyes, clearly dedicated to the little joke he was having. She can see him clearly keep her in his eyesight as he pretends to inspect the ground. "You know it would be very rude to jump out and surprise me."

She had to stifle a laugh with her paws. How could she not be amused? He was being so adorable right now. Thank you Axton. This is what I needed, you clever little human...

"Thoroughly rude." He stands up, placing his hands on his hips and turns the other way. After a moment or two he drops his hands to his sides. "Ok Night Rising I give up!"

Really now? She wiggled the tip of her tail.

"You are clearly the best hider in the..." Axton turned around, and looked at the wiggling tail with a smile. "Wait a minute...."

"Clearly." She moved her wings with a laugh, and gave him a grinning smile.

"OH MY GOSH!" He laughs, taking a fake step backwards while holding his chest. "You scared me!"

"Oh I bet you nearly died of fright, little Axton." She curled her neck towards him. "Thank you for this." She opened her maw and gave him an affectionate lick on his cheek. The human did not even try to fight it.

"Eww.." He laughs wiping away her slobber. "Is that how dragon's show affection?"

"Why, do you have a better way?" She laughed, tilting her head to the side, and giving her tail another playful swish.

"Ok fine fine. Well now it's your turn to look for me!"

"Okay." She chuckled, closing her eyes. She wondered what he was going to be up to. THere was literally nowhere for him to hide. She laughed at the thought of him just standing there in the open staying perfectly still.

"Okay I am ready!"

She opened her eyes with a chuckle, however when she looked around Axton was nowhere to be found. OOOOOH. Her eyes widened as her curiosity peaked again. What did you do? She stands up on all fours, and does a brief once around the enclosure. She traced certain areas with her claws, but finding nothing there but air. He actually can hide in nothing. Her ears perked up as she suddenly heard a chuckle from her right. She turned her head to see that nothing there. However with a quick sniff she finds she can smell the little human. He should be right against the wall in front of her, but for some reason she could not see him. You used magic didn't you? She rose one of her paws with a playful growl, and poked the area he should have been in lightly with one of her talons.

Axton suddenly emerges as her talon had apparently touched his chest. "Okay, you found me!" He laughs while holding up his arms. "Guess I could not fool you!"

You did better than I certainly thought you were going to do. She snickered, giving him another amused smile as she placed her tail on the ground and curled it around her.

"So you're an expert hider and hunter!" Axton looks briefly around as his eyes dart from side to side. "How about tag?" He moves in quickly, touches her black scales with a soft tap and darts away from her. "Tag, you're it!"

Oh is this how you play? You pretend to be prey for me? She gives a playful growl in her throat as she bounds after him, easily catching up to the human with her powerful strides. She goes to reach out to him with a paw, but he easily dodges out of the way with a bout of laughter.

"You have to be quicker than that!'

Is that a challenge? She lashed out again, but this time only faster than before. Her paw connects with him and he is send tumbling to the enclosure. He lands with a soft thud, and a moan. Oh my gosh! "Are you okay?" She blurts out, rushing over to him and bumping him with her snout. She gives him a once over with a series of sniffs.

He turns over, pushing himself up off the ground until he is sitting up. With a quick brush off of himself he looks back to her with a smile. "Well, no harm done!"

"Perhaps playing prey for a dragon was not such a good idea?" She smiled a tooth filled grin as she nuzzled him softly with her snout.

"Well you were not bad." He laughs. "Besides you're really good at it."

"But I might hurt you!"

"So? What if I don't care?" He crossed his arms, sticking his tongue out at her. "Besides, I trust you."

Really? You seemed scared a bit ago... She sat down onto her haunches and curled her tail around them. "Well then, that is concerning."

He waves at her dismissively before sitting in silence for a minute. "Have you ever flown in here?" He asks.

"Not enough room to do so."

"Do you want to?" he asks softly.

"Yes." She snaps back. "But as I said it is too small, so it's no sense in wishing for something I cannot do." She curls her neck down as she feels him place a hand on her, and he says "Reduce" in draconic. "Hey, what are you--?" She cries out, as she feels her body suddenly start to get smaller than it was. "Why would you do such a thing?" She gasps out as her body stops shrinking until her head is level with Axton's own. "WHY?" She growls, baring her teeth and pressing him forward. "I liked my body!"

"Look around!" He backs away and gesturing to the enclosure. "You have enough room now!"

She shut her snout suddenly, and scanned the enclosure. Sure enough it certainly looked big enough for her wings to get at least some air time. "I feel short." She pouted, tilting her head to the side, and twitching her tail.

"Well, you're as tall as me now... but you can fly!"

She spread her wings wide for a moment, taking a deep breath. I am going to fly! She gave them a test flap once for good measure, then with a wiggle of her tail she leaped into the air with a mighty flap of her wings. She is soon a bit over his head, with a large smile on her face. How could she be missing this her entire life? She lets out a little pleased croon as she passes over Axton with the next flap of her wings.

"How is it?" He calls up to her, with a large smile on his face.

"Amazing!" She replies back, flying a tad higher so she could turn and do a slight dive.

"Do you think you can catch stuff?"

Catch stuff? Like how I caught you? She grins, twisting in the air until she was heading right for Axton. "I think so!"

"Not me!" Axton laughs, starting to run from her, ducking as she glides right over him, her forepaws almost grazing his head. "I meant like a basket!"

"Well you should have been more specific!" She laughs, turning around again for another pass. "I think I'd rather catch you though!" She playfully growls.

"AHHHH!" He lets out a fake scream as he sprints for the basket, grabbing it and tossing it into the air right at her. "Take that, vile dragon!"

She could have easily avoided the basket but she decided to have a bit more fun with the joyful human. She let the little basket hit her scales, and she pretended to crash into the ground. "Oh human you have bested me!" She cried out, sprawling herself onto the ground with her wings wide.

"Oh my gosh are you alright?" He runs over, voice full of concern.

Can't you tell I am having a laugh with you? "No." She moaned out, thumping her tail. "You uncovered dragon's only weakness... wicker baskets thrown at them. I am dying now." She placed a paw onto her chest, and giving him a playful smirk.

"Oh." He laughs, sitting down next to her.

Infinity felt a tingle over her body, like she was being dipped into ice. She let out a small gasp of surprise as Axton started to shrink before her eyes. However a quick glance revealed it was she who was growing instead.

"Yeah, the spell does not last forever." He says, "I am glad you had your fun."

How could I not? You gave me the ability to fly, Axton. She snaked snout towards him again, and giving him a myriad of licks on his face. He tried to defend himself with his arms but it only resulted in them getting covered in dragon drool.

"Oh hey!" He laughs out, offering a token resistance. "I thought we were done with dragon licks!"

"Well, you let me fly." She backed her head away with a bout of laughter. "You should have expected something along those lines." She held up a talon and wagged it front of his laughing face. "It is really your own fault."

"Well." Axton let out a large yawn. "I think I will be getting to bed. It has been a long day." He patted her scales three times.

Was it that late already? She curled on herself, closing her eyes softly.

"Pleasant dreams, Night Rising." she heard him say softly from the edge of her enclosure.

"Night." She mumbled back with a small snort, and thump of her tail. She heard him scamper up the rope and head outside the enclosure, his footsteps echoing down the hall. She thought to the little human that had brightened her day. Thank you Axton, it meant a lot.