Birth Grounds

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm getting out, I've had enough prisoner time."

"We're not in jail, you know that, right?"

"I don't know why I'm here, but I'm not liking it, so I'm going to move myself out."

"Go ahead, if you can make it past the door, I'll join you."

"Thanks, we'll be making one stop before leaving to the outside."

He looked at me with a concerned look, "Is someone else here that you know?"

"I don't know, but she was taken when I was, so I think so."

"I hope she still is..." Dowse looked in the water, peering through like before.

"Still?" I was completely confused, "Do they just let you go sometimes?"

"I wish, this place holds Hybrids and special magical creatures that Catchers collect and sell off to those who can match the price. If she's gone, she's long gone, far away by now."
Anger stemmed inside me, I was about to break the wall down, with just my rage so it felt. How can they do this, just go snatch a kid or baby from it's parents and sell it? Everything is wrong with that, if anyone wants anyone else, they should find them and befriend them themselves, not be a high bidder.

"I'm going," I said walking towards what seemed like doors, "I'm taking Saura back, and getting her out." I reached the doors, and my anger drove me. I whipped up a gust, I can't explain how I did, and it bore a corner of the door and bent it back. I crawled through, still pitch-black, and found no other life. Dowse came up behind me, and start a glow which drove down a hallway. Going down the one-way corridor, I noticed more doors on the side. I drifted down, it seemed natural, instead of running, commanding the air to lift me. I passed a few doors and saw much more, I couldn't just open them all, time was not on my side.

Bursting down the long stretch, the end slowly growing in sight, I slowed to find a paper stuck to the wall. I snatched it, and tried to read it in the dim lighting. On it was descriptions of those captured, "Let's see, water-no, water-no, purple-no, fire-no," running through half the list, hoping I didn't miss it with my limited comprehension, I'm sure I found her's, it read: Dragon of Desert Sands, Green, Hybrid, Youth, Special/Abnormal: yellow eyes, longer horns -- 243,850,000.

"She green and loves sand, that's her!"

I soared down to her door, going by the list, she had a room to herself. I blew it down like I did the last, and walked in while Dowse spilled light inside. "Saura?" I called out, "Saurada?" No one was here, she was gone. Reality smacked me again, I stepped back and dropped the paper I was clutching. I stepped out, holding the door to keep myself from falling, I looked around outside and still no one else.

"Y-you, your number - it's a lot, and I'm s-sure that's not mine." Dowse spat out with stutters. He brought the paper back to me, I found myself at the bottom: Dragon of Storms, Blue-White, Hybrid, Youth, Special/Abnormal: Strong evidence of Double-Hybrid with Mixed-Rare bird Hybrid - see report, naturally cold. -- 65,000,000,000.

"I don't understand, and right now I don't care," It came out cold but both were true, I just wanted out now. Slowly pushing myself out, the breeze carried me through the hall to the far end again, Dowse's glow right behind me. Another set of doors met me at the end, no light through the cracks had me blow them down again, falling to reveal an empty room. I voiced my mind, "It's like no one cares if I go, no one is around to stop me." I noticed a way up to a window, I attempted to reach it, but the lift only gave me another arm's length of height.

"Need help?" Dowse asked, and before I could answer, he created a stair of ice. I could float up, and Dowse right behind, and we were outside, on the roof and by the front door before we knew it. Commotion stirred on the ground outside, across what looked like a drawbridge.

"Get her! Don't let her get away!" Pures were shouting from the ground, aiming high with nets, what were they aiming at?

"Saura, she's here!" I couldn't contain myself, but I had to, the sight had me jump internally and I might have had Dowse sit on me to hold me down.

Saura was flying as fast as she could away, but the catchers seemed to be gaining fast. "Fire!" At that command, a sea of flying nets entered the sky at Saura, rising then falling, she tried to turn off, but the wave was too big, one had her fall like a rock.

The plummet seemed slow, too slow, I didn't wan't it to happen and a tear was running down my cheek. An uproar of cheer erupted, I looked away as she was dragged back. Everyone filed into the building quickly, and Dowse and I began moving quickly, we went off to the river that ran nearby.

"We need to get there, it goes to the ocean, then we are safe." Dowse explained.

"I'm not leaving Saura, you can go," I retorted. I was getting her out of here, even if I'm stuck here longer.

"Suit yourself, I'm not going to be of much help, so I'll be off. I'd love to hear from you again, I'll be getting my family back together, and I hope they can meet you."

"I'd like that, remember my name, and I'll find you."

"Well, Nul, I wish you the best of luck," with that, Dowse bowed lightly and set of for the river.

"Thanks..." I was going to miss him. I headed back to the window, back to the side it was carved from.

Voices inside grew hectic, everyone knew I was gone, and some wondered why the room below was full of water.

"He melted it, Dowse thought ahead. I'll have to thank him again."

The voices ran calm, almost instantly, "What's the issue now?" This one was a mid-aged man, apparently the leader.

"Sir, the other new captive, the Double-Hybrid that our premier client wanted another of has escaped."

"I see, and of this floor, why does it look like a flood happened?" queried the leader.

"We found it just recently like this, sir."

"Put it together, she escaped through that window! Now find her!"

The window was still cracked open. I can't have this now, I waited above the ledge of the window, hoping the room below would clear out.

"How about the previous escapee?" demanded the leader.

"She's back at her cell."

"Good," said the leader and I said, and I thought to myself, "Now I know where she is."

In less than a minute, the room below sounded empty. I peaked down, no one, and floated in. I raced through the cell hall not lit up, Saura's cell appeared in front of me and I took it down with another gust. I walked in, searched through the darkness, and knew instantly I wasn't alone with one other.

*clap clap*

"Bravo, nice escape attempt, but if I knew anything, you wanted this green beaut and would come back. Am I not wrong? I'll just let you know, she's sold, she's not yours, she won't be, and we won't let you go either, you're sold too. You Hybrids are mixed with those that are inferior, so you are too, they are made as pets, and you're a part of that. Don't want to be? Tough luck, you're born into it, maybe if you're good, you won't be a Hybrid and you'll be a Pure next time, like us."

I already wanted to kick this guy in the throat as soon has he referenced Saura as a 'Beaut', the rest just added fuel to my fire. "I'm above you, cowards like you are lower than a body is buried," I growled, I prepared myself to attack anyone close, but I wanted him to myself, alone.

"You can speak, you're valued even more, certainly more than her," another brought her to him, unconscious, "She's a nice piece, she was born nicely, and she's already begun to develop." He fondled her chest for a moment, I stirred about, knowing I can't hit her but that's uncalled for, I swirled air in my palms, ready as soon as I get the chance. "Any female dragon as ideal as her is valued high, it's not often that even we come across such a catch, and that she wasn't taken -," he moved his hand further down her, "Here. To know that a client had them first makes them worth double. We keep an eye on villages and keep an eye on the young ones, and take them when they are maturing." He fingers where out of sight, but his hand was between her legs.

I was at breaking point, I moved a little to my left, so she was more to the side of him. I was blocked off by a guard, I couldn't get close to him, and I can't get a better angle. Saura started to move a little, and shifted to writhing.

"She'll want this, be it naturally now or in time, she'll be driven with lust, wanting to please and trying to even exhausted until her master dismisses her, even then, she'll want to." Her movements were becoming more forceful, unconsciously, she wanted it, that's what instinct dictated. "Eventually, when her daze calms she'll have children, and clouded enough to take care of them, until they are like she is now. She will be released then, and so will the males, and the cycle repeats once more. Then her grandchildren will be society accepted, and an eighth dragon Hybrid is what nearly every Arch-mage is now. The females have another, shorter cycle and go later with the males for honing their strengths." Saura's body could hardly take anymore, her panting turned to moans, "Catchers have a high responsibility job, we keep the military of our home land at it's strongest. We provide the upper class with their wildest desires. We are the connection, controlling it is controlling the highest power, and it all starts at birth. Starting young is the only way, you are probably just getting a sense of right and wrong, and that's why."

He took his hand up, gleaming, pressed on her and continued. Saura pulled at her horns, it was too much. Her jerking movements stopped, to have her shaking violently, and tried to push away the invading hand. A guard took her arms and held them back, her struggles were futile, and the leader continued with more force, "Don't worry, you just need this for your own good. Just a little more and you're set."

My shot was now, he's not stopping for anything, I magnified the gusts in my hands and aim for his chest. He took the blow, and Saura escaped what could have been, still supported by the guards, struggling against her body.

"You're not getting away, you're next," he snapped his fingers, and gaurds were upon me. I shot gusts and snow at the guards, anything to keep from being tied down. One by one, guards fell, but two more would take every fallen one's place. I kept an eye on the leader during the chaos, he just watched me, as long as he's not at Saura. My distraction lead a rope around me, and another, soon, I was tied down, unable to move.

"Good, I can finish her. Guards, take the blue one back, this one has to be ready by tomorrow night."

"Yes, sir!" The squad's reply echoed the halls, I was carried off, and he was back onto Saura.

Saura, I'll be back, I'll save you.