FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Sorry about the late post. I fell asleep. Anyways, here is the next chapter.

Chapter 3

Things just got worse and worse for poor Cinder. Now she was chained in the dank basement, cold and alone. The only thing she had was an old draconic spell book that was just out of her reach, opened to a page about human transformations. She couldn't change the page, but she could at least read the incantations. Baroness Sabrina told her that she couldn't leave the basement until she learned to transform into a human. Cinder hated having the cold metal chains around her neck and ankles, as they slowly cut into her scales from being too tight. She had been locked in here for three years now, and hadn't been given more than raw left-over meat and a water bowl. She was only unchained long enough to stretch her legs briefly, and to use the restroom. (The only reason why was because the baroness didn't want to worry about cleaning up dragon dung.) She was being treated like a dog, though she was the size of a large horse. She had developed almost to adulthood, but still hadn't learned her fire-breath abilities. It was hard to practice when you were chained in a basement.

"Cinder, darling! Have you learned that spell yet?" Mary yelled down the basement steps, giggling happily.

"N-no! I am trrying very haRrd!" she said, trying to fake politeness. She really wanted to run up those stairs and tear that brat limb from limb. However, she was chained up and vulnerable. Last time she snapped at Mary, she got beaten with an old shoe until begged for forgiveness.

"Hurry up, already. Mom needs to know what size clothes you wear in your human body. After all, we don't want a naked girl running around our house! It's bad enough that you don't cover that scaled hide of yours already!" Mary yelled.

"I will learrn as ssoon as I can!" Cinder cried, looking at the book. She knew that, to learn the rest of the spell, she needed to see the next page, but nobody would turn it for her. She wondered how such a kind man like Johnson ended up with such a rotten woman, and how those brats could be so obnoxious. As she read over the incantation, she felt a little excited. She wanted to see what her new human body would look like. Maybe she'd have long red hair... or maybe short blond hair. She wasn't sure how that would be determined.

"Mom! The king's men are at the door!" Tarin yelled from somewhere upstairs.

"Alright! I'll be right there!" The baroness yelled, running madly through the house. Cinder sat, sadly listening as what sounded like three men talked to the baroness. Why was she forced to suffer like this? She never committed any crimes, and, before she was locked in the basement, she had never even eaten animal products before. She wished, just once, that she could just open the door and have a conversation with somebody. A simple interaction that didn't involve her being mocked and slandered. Just once, to talk to somebody as a person, and not a slave kept in bonds.

"Cinder?" Tarin yelled, walking down the stairs.

"What iss it?" Cinder asked, looking at him sadly.

"You look sad. Whats wrong?" He asked sympathetically.

"Oh, Tarrin, Ssparre the act. What do you want?" Cinder asked, rolling her eyes.

"I learned that the king is throwing a three-day wedding festival to try and find a bride for his son, Prince Elias." Tarin said, smirking. "In other words, you have the house to yourself tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday."

"You mean the basement to myself?" Cinder asked, annoyed.

"Actually, we are staying at an inn the next three days. Mom said that I was in charge of cleaning up the basement when we get back. She said she'll leave enough food here for three days." He said, sighing.

"So you want me to crrap less or something? Sorry about your luck..." she began to say, before he interrupted her.

"I will unlock your bonds before we leave on one condition. You will have to claim that I cleaned up your mess, and you have to make it look like you were in the basement the whole time. If mom finds out your loose, I'll get it." He said, patting her on the head.

"Sso yourr doing thiss to get out of clean-up duty?" Cinder asked curiously.

"I found father's journal. You know, he thought really highly of you." Tarin said, smiling. "I know he would have wanted you to live with us like an equal, but mom wouldn't want that. Please don't tell her, and I'll try my best to help you out."

"Wait, you'rre going to be nicser to me?" Cinder asked, feeling her heart jump with joy.

"I know I've treated you badly before, but reading dad's journal really got me thinking." He said, gently patting her on the nose. "He referred to you like you were his daughter, and talked about how nice of a girl you were. Meanwhile, mom always told us you were just a pet that could talk."

"Sso... why doess sshe always treat me like this?" Cinder asked.

"Mom and dad always fought over stuff. He would bring home animals, and she would find a way to make money off of them while he wasn't around. Since you could talk, mom couldn't do anything without him finding out. Eventually, she found a use for you, and plans to keep you so that she can sell your flames." Tarin said, loosening the cuff on her neck.

"Thank you. That cuff has been killing me!" Cinder said, smiling.

"Tarin! Get your butt up here and clean your room!" The baroness yelled from upstairs.

"Sorry! I got to go." Tarin said, backing away quickly. "Bye!"

"Thank you." Cinder said, bowing her head as Tarin ran off. She was actually going to be free for three days! She would be able to lie on a bed, soak in a nice, warm bath, and actually eat real food for a dragon! Dragons weren't meant to eat raw meat. Her heart sung with new hope.

"Cinder, darling!" The baroness yelled down the steps, carrying a bowl of old, spoiled meat. "We're going out for three days, and I figured I'd bring you this. It's enough for three days, plus tonight's supper. You can just relieve yourself on the floor. Tarin will clean it up." She said, sitting the bowl in front of her. "I would tell you more, but I don't really feel like it." She laughed, walking away. Cinder just lied down, and continued reading over her the human transformation incantation. She was happy that she would soon be able to do whatever she wanted.

The next morning, Tarin ran down the steps in his pajamas, and unlocked Cinder's locks. "Sorry, Cinder. I got to hurry. Mom is about to leave, and I can't let her know that I'm down here!" he said, patting her on the nose. Just as he reached the top of the stairs, Mary opened the door and stopped him.

"So... what are you doing down here, dear brother?" She asked, walking down the steps.

"Uh... I was adjusting Cinder's cuffs slightly. She grew a bit over the week." He said, rushing over and locking one cuff. "You better get back up stairs.

"Oh Tarin, you're too kind." Mary said, shoving him out of the way. "You need to lock them tight, to show her that we control her!" She laughed, locking all the cuffs so tightly that Cinder almost broke into tears from the pain. "Now listen, you stupid lizard!" she yelled, slapping Cinder across the nose. "I don't know why mom even bothers keeping you, but you better be good while we're gone." She then broke into an evil cackle. "Now come on, brother! Let's go!" She laughed, grabbing Tarin's hand, and pulling him away. He glanced back at her with an apologetic face. All of her hopes for the three days were gone.

Cinder, watching the door close, cried, "Why me?" She was now in worse pain then before from her tightened locks, and was going to have to eat spoiled raw meat for three days, and probably sleep in her own waste. Her life was such a living hell. She had to be the most unlucky dragon in the world. Even the dragons that had heroes and adventurers hunting them got to be free. She was just locked in an old dank basement. She couldn't really learn the magic spell to transform until somebody turned the page on her spell book. Unfortunately, the baroness refused to turn it, so she was basically stuck. She had hoped that she could turn it while she was free, but that didn't seem to be happening. Basically, her miserable life would just continue until she was lucky enough to catch pneumonia and die, or died from food poison. If only she could just escape.