Power Isn't Always The Answer (ONE SPOT OPEN)

(Not saying it isn't, just stating the irony that you and Dragoncita chose the same color.)

((OOC: Well, as I mentioned, Ved is a Oleum dragon, so darker colors, like brown, black, etc. are usually their colors. Plus, Ved is seemingly always covered in the tar-like substance, always being secreted beneath his scales))

(Haha, it's fine. I suppose we have to wait for @Qxeenscryche and @CharBar to start…)

(HHHH okay, guess we gotta wait for @CharBar to pick)

(That is if they come back. If not, I will open the spot again if it's more than a few days.)

(Alrighty! Now that the pairs are set, we can begin. Responses will be slow from me as I have a lot of work tonight.)
(Mre and Peril)
(Alice and Ved)
(Brom and Emberinth)

Emberinth grumbled to himself, already curled up in his 'home' as Brom called it. It sure felt nothing like home. Where was the freedom to fly? Where was the gentle touch of the grass beneath his claws? The ever changing sky he only had a small glimpse of. The only bright side was that he wasn't imprisoned in a tiny stall that prohibited movement. The crimson dragon despised his position either way. The name his rider called him by wasn't of his top pick either. Teothian. It was strange. At least Brom was kinder than some who even whipped their dragons. On other levels, the warmness of the human was almost suffocating. For crying out loud, all he longed for was to go home. And being with the humans wasn't home.

Emberinth wished sleep would just overtake him at this point. He was bored with nothing useful to be doing either. His wings felt eager to fly, legs almost falling asleep. He let out an irritated huff, closing his eyes. The Sage boy who 'owned' him wasn't due back just yet. And to most, he was simply 'just an animal' so there wasn't much point in needing to socialize with an animal. Plus, Emberinth usually glared at Brom whenever he came close. In the wild, he might have attacked the male, but if he did such action in his current position, he was as good as dead.

Another day stuck in a pen. Emberinth's rest had been fitful, unable to wind down fully. It was darker now compared to the way it had been. No sign of Brom today. Perhaps today he got caught up in whatever he did during the day. Not that he particularly cared. The boy consistently tried to get him to warm up to being in captivity. Stockholm syndrome he thought it was called. As if. The dragon rolled his eyes before turning to peek at the setting sun. The other creatures in the stables either were asleep or making their individual calls for freedom. Some even called for their master. The latter had likely been in this place for years.
I just hope I never become like that. It frustrated him at the fact that humans thought this was right. At least the stiff reigns weren't stuck around his snout because the Sage boy felt like having a joy ride. His back was not meant to be sat on. Despite the sun not being fully behind the rolling hills, the dragon shut his eyes again. Nothing to do but sleep and follow orders. The boy never was able to hear his voice in his head when he tried speaking. Emberinth often wondered if he should try again one more time. Perhaps it would work, perhaps it wouldn't.

It started to grow silent, day waning to night. The echo of scales scraping against each other, heavy claws clicking on the hard floor resonated through the halls as some of the beasts continued to pace in their small stalls. It had been like this for a very long time, yet many dragons finally gave in, letting domestication finally take its place. What point was there to fight, when there was hardly anything left to fight for? Why struggle, when it was pointless? To resist only meant pain and suffering.

One stall was separated from the rest. It seemed to be in a place all its own. It was part of the precautions put into place, for it was here, the last of the Oleum dragons was currently held. Peering through the giant door, there appeared to be a giant massive mound covered in black sludge. There was hardly any movement, only an eerie silence.
Slowly, a pair of red orbs suddenly appeared from the mass. Black pupils narrowed into thin slits that were nearly lost in the vast red. A low rumble sounded, vibrating the floor beneath. A giant head rose upwards from the ground, eyes continuing to glow. 'Drip, drip, drip', the black substance dripped from the beast's form. No matter how much they tried to clean, the black tar always returned. It was just the way it was, many avoiding it. The only time the large dragon was ever needed was for war, the dark substance he secreted being an invaluable tool, catching anything on fire it touched should it be exposed to flames or even a spark. Those were the only times he ever received visitors…to simply collect his 'tar' to be used for war…
Among dragons, well, long ago, he was Ved'Kopraan, or simply called Ved. A beast of ages before, having lived long before men even had the technology they have now which they used against the dragons. Dragons had longer lifespans, and many would outlive their captors, but there was always another to take the place of the first…
His red eyes shifted to the outside world. How long had he been in captivity, he couldn't say. What he would say; Tis been too damn long. The beast seemingly exhaled a cloud of black smog from his nostrils. Oh how he longed for his freedom again, but such a day to come…never.
~Time continues forth, just as our lives do…but to live in such a state as this…we have become nothing more than cattle~ he mused to himself. Not like the humans could hear his thoughts, even if he had wanted to speak outloud, they would simply shut him down.
~Pleas of dragonelles go unheard…barely hatched chicks forced to work before they can even properly stand…oh how we have fallen from greatness~.

(Also, one more thing for those who have not yet responded. Please try and refrain from one-liners! Thank youuu. Also can I say wow, Dragoncita and @CharBar, that was beautifully written)

(I'mma go to bed rn. I normally can't be on between 8am and 4pm bc of school so if i don't respond that's likely the reason. GN)

(Gotcha. I think we might have different time zones because that was between 11 and midnight for me. Don't worry about time wise, as long as this stays alive, it's fine. As for me, I'm usually not on a bunch between 6:30 and 3:00.)

He hated the that sound. The shrieking and cawing of the great beasts, as if they were scaled birds being ripped open from the inside-out. But that was always what welcomed Brom into the dragon stables on the western side of the family compound. Teothian was different. His dragon, a beautiful, well built creature with blood red scales and glistening copper horns, was never the one to shriek or caw. If anything, the dragon let out a bone-chilling snarl when angered, or would growl deeply at the sight of those he displeased of. Which in most cases was Brom himself. Perhaps Teothian just needed time. Time, and air to stretch his wings on. The Sage children were advised against taking their dragons out when night fell for "safety reasons", but he knew that no one would stop him. Brom marched to his dragon's area. With fresh meat and a bucket of water in one hand, and the riding harness in the other, he reached the metal grate that held Teothian.

Said dragon raised his head at the sound of tiny footsteps along with the sloshing of water. At least it was probably water. The creature in the pen to his right cried out at the smell of the fresh food, despite already having had his fill earlier. Annoyed, he growled at the wall to have the sound stop instantly. Brom always insisted on feeding Emberinth himself. The beast eyed the food with interest due to the portion and the fact that it smelled fresh. He crept an inch closer to inspect it. That was until he saw the restrictive reins and saddle. He gave a low warning sound to the Sage boy standing just on the other side of the metal at the sight and returned to his spot closer to the back of the area. He despised being forced in whatever direction the human pleased. They moved from enslavement of their own kind to enslavement of another. Were they that driven by greed? If the boy could only understand that how he was raised was wrong.
Emberinth flapped his wings, a sign he wished for Brom to simply leave him be. Of course, that didn't work, as per usual. The human often took it as defiance due to the newness of captivity. A small puff of smoke came from his nostrils as he let out a huff at the boy.

( @TheElemental_wants_to_stab_something your partner is waiting for your response )

( @Qxeenscryche, your partner is waiting for your response )

(Gotcha! Just making sure everyone is still alive so I don't have to have someone new to refill a spot.)

(sneeze)

(Dragoncita if you can PM me and @Cupcake-Filled-With-Thumbtacks into a group, that would be great. Notebook will not let me due to your username not having an @)

( @Qxeenscryche are you there?)