A week had passed. Kovinth only knew it had been a week, for he'd taken to etching a line into the ice for each passing hour. He only knew when each hour passed because of the harsh rings sounding through the human complex. Perhaps it was to remind the humans of their patrols, or when they were allowed to eat and sleep. Kovinth had heard such sounds before, but this one seemed more annoying. It had been generated by his captors, which was why it grated on his ears. Everything the humans did was designed to break him down, to force him into submission. No matter what they did, he wouldn't be broken.
At least, that's what he had to remind himself of with each ticking second. It was hard to remember to be strong in the presence of such power. It was easy to cower and give in, but he wasn't that kind of dragon. Never had been, and never would be. He had stayed alive this long by being stronger and better than those around him. The steely-eyed human and his lackeys wouldn't break a lava dragon with such simplicity.
Kovinth dreamed of the outside world, a place where he wasn't surrounded by such frigid temperatures at all times. He would never admit it, but he almost missed the fighting pit... almost. At least there, he had been doing something, even if it was battling for his life. Action fueled him, made him feel alive. Sitting so stagnantly was wearing on him. But he could never show that to the humans. They would pounce on him just like his draconic enemies had in the pit.
Kovinth rested his head on his paws, trying to draw warmth from his talons. He felt as though the ground was sucking the heat from him. He could barely generate breath, and he could see the expelled air materialize in front of him as he sighed. In a few days, he knew his scales would threaten to shiver right off his body. As he rested there, he heard something click and then hiss. Red eyes glanced at the door to see two suited humans enter the room. A low growl rumbled in his throat, talons digging into the ice. He heaved himself to his feet, careful not to slip. The humans were carrying all sorts of chains and cables, and one section had a steel muzzle designed to fit over even his sharpest scales. Keeping his grip on the slippery ground, Kovinth lunged, snapping at the muzzle. However, in his fierce display of power, his talons betrayed him. A slippery crack sounded from underneath him as the massive dragon hit the ground, limbs scrambling to right himself. The humans took the only opportunity they had, sliding the muzzle over his jaws and clamping his mouth shut. Kovinth thrashed his head from side to side, growling deep in his throat and snorting faint curls of smoke. However, he felt metal click and slide around his maw, sealing it shut. The humans tugged and Kovinth's head jerked forward with them. He tried to stab his claws into the ice, but he only succeeded in sliding forward.
This was no way to fight a proper fight. The humans held all the power in his icy cage. But he wasn't going to back down. Dying was preferable to betraying his own kind.
However, he couldn't do anything from the inside. To escape, he would have to be outside. Judging from their harsh yanks, they wanted him to go somewhere. He hadn't been out of his cage ever since he'd been there, and they had been careful to keep it clean and free of anything unsavory. Now, however, they wanted him to leave, which was a new development. Curiosity - certainly not submission - won him over, and he still feigned strong pulls on the rope. The back of his metal prison hissed, cracking open slowly. Sunlight splashed onto the ice, reflecting off the surface and momentarily blinding him. But he could feel the warmth, the strength returning to him in waves of glorious light. Once he was able to see, Kovinth growled at the sights, for they were like nothing he'd ever seen. In this particular case, his prison opened up into a wide arena, which he was at least familiar with. However, the arena had a domed roof and there were several other prisons like his, but only a few were open. Whatever dragons were inside hadn't emerged yet, and he took the time to tug on his restraints to test the humans. They had a hearty grip on the cables, but with his strength coming back, they wouldn't be able to keep him down for long. They had to know the risks of letting him out, which explained the domed ceiling.
Even as he thought about trying to burst through the glass, a machine whirred, and a large metal sheet slid over the dome, locking shut to prevent escape. Kovinth shook his head, feeling the sunlight fade. He had absorbed some power, but it wasn't enough. It was never going to be enough.
A familiar, though disgusting, presence made itself known in the form of Colonel Ironside as the man walked out of a small door in between the prisons. "Well, well, dragon. We meet again," he said, and while his tone was friendly, the smile curling across his face was anything but. Kovinth jerked his head as he looked down, glaring at the man. He said nothing. This man didn't need to hear his voice. "I'd hoped to know your name, beast, but it seems you aren't so forthcoming with that information. No matter. I'll know soon enough."
Kovinth watched as another door slid open from the wall, but the shadows obscured whatever was on the inside. "Since you've refused to break, I thought I would bring in a little help. The ice dragon Qualen is one of our finest specimens and the best at breaking feisty little dragons like yourself." Kovinth snorted at the notion, but at the same time, he felt a creeping sense of dread crawl along his scales. Ice and lava didn't mix well. If Qualen was stronger than him, it was entirely possible he would be overtaken by the other dragon.
Thinking like that would bring him down faster than any icy talons, and he wasn't at his weakest. They'd made the mistake of allowing even just the hints of sunlight filter into the arena. It was a mistake they wouldn't make again, he was sure, but for now, it was enough.
It had to be.
-
"Syrena!" The blond woman turned to see a group running up to her. "Our hit on Wing Division still remains a success. They haven't sent more than the preliminary troops after us, and the two dragons we got away with haven't shown any signs of turning back."
"Good," she said, but her mind was on all the people they'd lost. The Invisibles had suffered terrible blows from the Wing Division soldiers, and she wasn't even sure they were spared. What she did know was that they'd come back with less than they'd started. The only benefit of their strike was the two dragons they'd returned with. They were small things, probably only a few decades old. They were both females, Nesenth and Orsuna, which was something their draconic ally would be pleased with. "Go check on the two little ones for me. I need to speak to Revak about things." With a nod, the leader of the group dashed off, taking his sea of recruits with him. The Invisibles had a large camp, but their numbers were dwindling. Only the human faction could successfully infiltrate the military headquarters; taking the dragons with them was too risky. But the leaders weren't getting more willing humans to join them, and as one of the strategists for the rebel group, Syrena was running out of options.