In A Cage: Chapter 3
The plot thickens, as Nigel reveals his true nature.
Hello everyone, and thank you for taking your time to click on my tale. I hope it will suffice to most tastes, and I am sorry for being well, a horrible author. I will try my best to update on this story as much as I can, but I hope you all enjoy! And so I don't get sued, I compared something with something MTG related in this tale, I simply used it so people could get a better visual represenation of the character, but I apologize. Anyways, enjoy!
My eyes could still not understand what was in front of them. My hands quickly reached up to them to rub them in shock, awe, and...emotions that even to this day I could never describe. My knees felt weak, shaking in both fear and amazement: this simply could not be real. My chest felt tight, as my breaths quickened along with my thoughts. How could anything like this be even possible?
What I saw beyond the cage...I could not comprehend. They were of myth, of fantasy books I read all of my life. Seeing one in those books either meant your death or your luck. I prayed that my option was not the former. My legs shook more as I thought about it; but that was Nigel! My best friend of years of my life, ever since I can remember, and not only was he not human, he was...
"Shivan dragon..." I whispered to myself, my eyes wide as discs as I continued to look at Nigel. My favourite magic card, the one that I have always had an insane liking for even when my friends told me it was bad. It was standing right before me, almost like a complete cut and paste into the real world.
His scales gleamed in the light, reflecting off of the golden hue of them all. His head moved up to look up to me, his muzzle curling into what I could have sworn was a warm smile. His wings pressed against his back as he was lying down in the left side of the cage, softly moving as he got comfortable where he was. His eyes were the thing I can never forget seeing, the deepest green that I think I could ever think of. They looked at me, and it almost felt like he was piercing through my mind, sensing how scared I was, how intrigued I was.
He bowed his head down, softly looking up to me as he gently lifted his paw. It looked even bigger than my torso, maybe even my whole body. I gulped as the dreams I had of shivans actually fighting other creatures in the lore of magic reached my head, a soft whimper escaping my lips. I just prayed that I didn't somehow upset Nigel, I never mean to.
"No need to be afraid little one, please, I won't hurt you." Nigel reassured me, his soft smile speaking of the truth as he gently used his paw to encourage me over. "I know it is much, especially at such a young age, but please, give me a chance my friend."
Still shaking in fear, I somehow managed to move my still shivering legs towards the cage. How could all of this be happening? How could something like this be real? I slowly reached the cage, my eyes not being under my control as I looked all over the dragon in front of me. His body was huge, and yet somehow contained in all of this, maybe the cage was bigger than I really thought. His scales were beautiful, the gold still fascinating me somehow, even when I have looked at the card so many times in my life. The real thing was just so much more beautiful than the card.
When I reached where Nigel was at the cage, my legs gave out before me, collapsing myself in front of him with a slight grunt of pain from me. Rubbing my arm I slowly looked up; somehow I thought he would be gone when I looked up, that all of this was somehow a crazy dream. When I saw his concerned look as I looked up, I still couldn't believe he was here. A dragon in my house, how did this happen?
"Are you alright little one? It is okay to feel confused, and to be curious, and I can understand if you are angered. I am sorry for all this, really I am." Nigel looked down, almost looking ashamed that he was in the cage, as if it was his fault! "But I can't help but ask, when you said Shivan...what did that exactly mean?"
I gasped, my whole body seizing up in thought. Even if I knew what he was, he was still a dragon, and he was asking me a question. I looked around nervously as I sat there and just looked at him. I tried to wrap my head around all the lies I must have been told of years to keep this such a secret from me. How every person that I told when I was very little that dragons were real, that chuckled at me and gave me a pat saying that I have such an active imagination, how they knew very well that I was right...
"Nigel...how is this even possible?" My mind felt almost broken at this point, no matter how hard I might even try to think of something different at that point in time, I couldn't of anything besides: how?
"That will all be explained in due time little one, for now though, I know it is hard, but you will just have to embrace it as it is for now. I am sorry Robert, I really am." He spoke to me in a soft voice, almost like how Dad did when he was sorry for something, or it was something that had a lot more history or information behind it.
"It's...it's okay, I just...I am sorry Nigel, I will try." I coughed and straightened myself up, patting the slight scuffs on my clothes as I looked up at him again. "Just..." I didn't think about it, I didn't tell myself how much of a bad idea it was, I didn't tell myself that I may not be able to do such things ever again, but I couldn't help myself.
I reached my arm through a large gap in the cage, slowly worming my arm through as I gently reached to my long-time best friend, a dragon, as softly reached for his muzzle, petting it gently with my hand. I gasped as I reached his muzzle, my mind finally registering that this may be a bad idea. Though as I my hand did reach it, Nigel leaned his muzzle gently to my hand, as if he wanted me to pet it, as if he enjoyed it. I could never be hide the huge smile and chuckle that left me then, as I began to pet his muzzle and the feel of his scales sunk into my feelings. It was smooth, slick, but definitely had a certain toughness to it that I would never be able to describe. I heard a soft sound come from Nigel, a sound I could only describe as a type of murr as he seemed to enjoy my pets.
Slowly, I reached my arm back from the cage, looking gently to Nigel as I frowned. "I am really sorry Nigel, I hope that was okay. I just, had to...I am so sorry."
He gave his booming chuckle, the chuckle I always loved to hear. "Nonsense little one, I enjoyed such attention, I haven't been touched by anyone in...in way too long." His gaze left mine as he thought about the time he was here I am sure. I would never know how long, but he has been here at least 10 years, ever since I was born. He looked back up after some time. "Though you never did answer my question."
"Oh...well, I play this card game Nigel, and there is a creature in it. My favourite creature actually. It is called Shivan Dragon, and it looks just like you...I couldn't help but connect it there. Sorry."
He gave another chuckle and I couldn't help but smile. "No need to be sorry, it intrigues me. I have never heard of such a term, very interesting. Though I can't say I am a shivan dragon, I can tell you that I am truly real little one, and that if you have any questions, I would be more than happy to answer them, or at least the ones I can truly tell at this point."
My head swam with so many possibilities, but yet it was also all hazy. I tried my best to think of some sort of question for my best friend. My hand scratched my chin as I continued to think. Maybe I should just go with the most obvious, the most difficult.
"How did all this happen?" I spoke, softer than I should have I am sure, for Nigel gave me a gentle look, he could understand how overwhelmed I could be with such information, and I unfortunately could not contain such pressure, showing all over me in my body language. It almost looked like I just needed a hug of some sort, just comfort.
Nigel sighed, his giant paw rubbing against his muzzle as I asked. Was the question that bad? My head tilted down to the floor, a guilt building in my mind. "I knew I shouldn't have asked such a stupid question" I thought to myself.
"Hey, little one, don't feel bad, it is a good question. I just...I don't know how I should answer It." Nigel softly breathed out, pressing his paw against the cage, just like we always greeted each other. My head couldn't help but lift, a small smile pressing into my features as I pressed my hand against the cage where his paw was.
"It is a very complicated story Robert, and, I am not sure you are ready to hear it. Let us just say that I have been here all of your life, and that, well...I will tell you the rest when you are older maybe." He slowly let his paw down and went back into his lying position, looking gently to me as he did. I knew Nigel couldn't lie to me, but of course there was more to it.
"Okay Nigel, I am sorry for the trouble. But, another question I have, why does Dad keep you in this cage?"
Nigel looked down, sighing out a breath and closing his eyes. "Little one, he keeps me in here because he thought if you ever truly saw me that terrible things would happen, not just then but in the future. He kept me here to keep you safe little one. Plus, I would destroy most of your house if I tried to go upstairs." He chuckled, but I could still feel the sadness in his words.
My frown was prominent as I looked back at Nigel, softly looking over to the lock as I did, realizing that the lock was gone. Did Dad take it off when he came down before and Nigel didn't realize? I couldn't help but ask "Nigel, the lock is gone from the cage though, can't you open it?"
His head cocked back up, at a speed that I could not fathom. A smile breaking onto his features, his tail softly shifting back and forth as he looked at me. "Is it really? God, please little one, open it!"
I quickly rose, virtually running to the latch as I worked my fingers over it, trying to get it open. As I did I felt something that I cannot describe, almost as if energy was leaving the cage and somehow flowing through me. It made my skin tingle, my breaths quicken, and want the latch off more and more. Finally after some nervous movements, the latch was opened with a creak of metal as I opened the door. Without even going over the thought in my head, I ran into the cage.
There laid my best friend, the only one I truly ever had, right in front of my eyes, his emerald hues gleaming with moisture as he looked to me, smiling. My own eyes felt watery; I couldn't help myself. This wonderful dragon, who has been here my whole life, was now finally in front of my eyes. Quickly, whimpering as I did, I ran to Nigel,my arms wide in anticipation. I hit against his long neck with a thud, quickly and tightly hugging him, crying as I did. It has been too long. Nigel laid his muzzle against my shoulder, his paw embracing me back as he comforted. "Shh little one, you are okay, everything's okay."
I lost track of how long I was holding onto Nigel, I lost track of everything. I was nowhere else in the world besides hugging my best friend. I just kept hugging and hugging, my tears still flowing as I did. Slowly I let go, falling gently to the floor; I felt weak. Nigel slowly pressed me to his belly with his paw, petting my head with a claw of his as he did. "Rest little one, today has been a lot for you." He reached down, softly licking over my forehead once, curling his neck around me. I felt like I was safe, comforted, that nothing could take this away from me. I quickly closed my eyes as I drifted to sleep in his embrace.
*-*-*-*-*
"Is he ready for this brother? This is much for a human boy."
"We have no choice sis, we never had a choice. He has a destiny, and we need to do what we can to help. He must know the truth."
"I can understand...I just pray he will be ready."
"With age...I am sure he will be."
Thank you for reading my story! Feel free to comment, fave, vote, critique, whatever you wish.
TCF