In the Absence of Light

Chapter Three - Visions of Snowdrops and Petunias

Morning arrived far too quickly for Rastaban.

Dream-walking was his only reprieve from the endless days spent in darkness. With the connection broken, he was back in the same old cave with nothing but rocks to keep him company.

How he longed to have the warmth of the sun on his scales one more time. If only he could smell the sweet perfume of freshly bloomed flowers on a gentle summer breeze, or feel the soft, cool touch of a snowflake again.

He would give anything for it. Anything at all if it meant being rid of the incessant sound of dripping water that coldly echoed against the hard stone walls. It had been so long that he'd even grown tired of his own breathing. The irritating whistle accompanying each breath was just another reminder of his self-inflicted plight.

He should be soaring through the clouds, the elements at his beck and call, but instead he's trapped here. A dragon in the prime of his youth, emaciated and weak. If he could go back in time he'd urge himself to let those men die.

They caught him by chance long ago, when he was but a fool with a heart of gold. His innocence was his downfall. His trust, the very thing that shackled him. He thought they were going to kill him, but his fate was far worse.

Cursed to never leave the cave, he endured those humans leeching off of his powers, leaving him exhausted and freezing day after day. He was trapped in an endless cycle of agony and failed escape attempts that only served to further crush his hopes of ever leaving. It was a numb, lifeless existence that had him wondering if there was still a point to it all.

A screech jolted him from his thoughts. Frantic bleating and the grating sound of hooves on stone followed. He shakily stood up, groaning from the throbbing pain that persisted no matter what he did to try to rest and recover. With heavy steps, he made his way over to the sound.

A ram had wandered too close to a hole in the ceiling and had fallen through. It dangled from the overgrown vines covering the opening, struggling to climb back out. On seeing the huge dragon, it flailed harder against the stone only to wrench itself loose in its panic. In seconds, the ram fell to the ground with a disconcerting crunch.

Today wasn't so bad after all.

He devoured the ram as though it were his last, savoring every bite until he caught a glimpse of the pile of discarded 'food' the humans used to toss down. The mere sight of that rotting flesh made his stomach turn and nearly spoiled his appetite. With a quiet growl, he turned away from the vile hoard, a reminder that he lacked the strength for the most basic of tasks.

Tearing into the tender flesh of the ram's underbelly, he broke its ribs free and picked them clean with a contented sigh. It had been months since his last meal, and he would gladly wait for several more if it meant getting to enjoy something like this. If there was ever anything good to come out of this situation, it was a newly cemented appreciation for trivial things.

On the contrary, humans have no respect for the natural world. They covet and abuse the earth as though it belongs to them. They're despicable, abhorrent, worthless things that do nothing but take everything for granted. They pointlessly defile the sacred threads holding everything together and violate the very fabric of reality for their own benefit. And to think that those hypocrites dare to deny the truth of their exploits.

They disgust him.

Preaching and punishing against magic in the name of an absent deity as if they don't depend on the spell holding another captive for their own gain. As if enslaving a creature with the powers of a god isn't going to have its consequences once he is finally free. And he is definitely going to escape.