Two baby dragons had grown old enough to leave the nest, so they frolicked through the forest. Rambunctious, the friends laughed without a care in the world.

"Ha! You missed me!" Fia jeered. She leapt into the air and beat her wings to send herself careening to the side.

The fireball which Arenis had spat from his jaws went sailing past her. The tiny inferno smacked against a far-off tree.

The bark was charred black beneath the flame, but luckily, it did not erupt into a wildfire. The smoldering mark in the tree was left unattended. The two fire dragons might just burn down the whole forest in the name of good fun.

Once he had given up slinging fireballs, Arenis used his more muscular stature to catch up to Fia. Neck extended in full, Arenis flapped his wings to empower his sprint. The baby dragons were too young to fly, but their play brought them good exercise which would prepare them to take to the skies one day.

Fia broke through the treeline and arrived at the coast. Her talons immediately sunk into the sand and slowed her down. "Oh no!" It had just dawned on her that the elders forbade them from straying this far from the village. If we don't hurry back, me and Arenis are going to be in big trouble! she thought.

The other dragon scrambled up the side of a tree and launched himself over the brush. His wings snapped open to catch the air and glide a few feet. Then, he folded them into a dive and pounced on Fia. His dive bomb was a success, and he pinned her to the ground.

"Gotcha!" he roared. "Did you see that? Of course, you didn't! I came from above—out of nowhere. When I grow up, I'm gonna be a flying ace!"

Although Arenis was bigger and stronger than Fia, their physiques were not so far apart to render her efforts ineffectual. She kicked up her back legs with all her might. Fia's wings were braced across the ground to steady herself and offer more power. At the same time, she flipped over and slammed Arenis onto his back.

"A perfect dive means nothing if you can't finish 'em off!" Maw spread wide, Fia lowered her jaws around Arenis's neck. She clamped down hard enough that he could not risk squirming around, lest he wanted her teeth to inadvertently sink into his neck before he could become a flying ace. Fia had won this match.

Smugly, she clambered off Arenis and said, "I really gotcha good this time."

His mood was more subdued in the wake of defeat. On both sides of his body, his head and tail were slumped low. "My takedown was cooler…" he muttered.

"The one who wins is the coolest!" Fia said, sticking her nose up in pride.

The days of the dragon's childhood were idyllic, just like this. It was all cut short when a chain was thrust against Fia's neck and drawn taught like a garrote.

"Ack!" she gagged and found herself lifted off her feet. Even her hind legs dangled in the air. Only her tail could touch the ground, but the appendage was not strong enough to support her weight. As a result, her tail swished desperately from side to side as she was choking.

A deep, diabolical laugh erupted from behind her. Fia tried to twist herself every which way, but a tall, fleshy creature had her effectively restrained in the air.

"Fia!" Arenis howled. His magic power gathered between his fangs into the biggest fireball that he could muster. The attack soared straight for Fia, and she ducked to let the fireball strike the assailant behind her.

A painful holler erupted in response. The chain slackened around Fia's throat and fell across the ground like a lifeless snake.

She dropped back onto her clawed feet and scrambled away. Before she could reach Arenis, her tail was yanked back. "Eek! Arenis!"

Between their frivolous game earlier and his massive fireball just now, all his mana reserves were used up. Arenis danced on his anxious claws, uncertain how he should join the fray to best help Fia.

A harsh, foreign language was uttered near her horns. Fia contorted her long, serpentine neck and let out a simple but effective flame breath. The burst was brief—the simplest spell that a fire dragon could conjure—but it was plenty to scorch the enemy's face.

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The man staggered back, howling and batting at the burn with the hand that previously gripped her tail. In his recoil, he floundered a mace wildly with his other arm.

The weapon bludgeoned against Fia's hip as she tried to escape. At seven years old, she was about the size of a dog but sturdier with her scales. The heavy blow forced her to collapse onto the sand. Luckily, no bones were broken. Before she could get up, Fia was dragged back by the tail once more. The sand was running through her talons as she tried to gain purchase.

Fear blazed through Fia. When she turned to look back hastily, she realized just how many men had joined the assault. It looked like a dozen at a quick glance. No! Why are there so many? she thought.

Between their meager magic power and novice fighting ability, the humans would soon overwhelm the baby dragons.

Fia cast her judgment and yelled, "Arenis! Run!"

"No! I can't leave you here…!"

A loud snap caused a metallic bolt to launch from one of the men's weapons. The projectile drove into the sand at the tips of Arenis's claws and made him jump on all fours. The crossbow packed enough force to likely penetrate the scales of the baby dragons.

"Get help!" Fia screeched. "I'll hold them off." A waver threatened to enter her voice in that last display of bravado. Fia doubted that she could hold her own for long.

However, Arenis was thoroughly spooked by the advanced weaponry and followed her order. He ran and ran till his breath came out in puffs of smoke. "Sea bandits!" Arenis screeched. "A bunch of bandits came from the sea and captured Fia!"

On that unfortunate day, his best friend was left in a fight for her life on the beach. It was a losing fight. Fia danced backwards on the beach, trying to make it to the trees. Her claws flitted between attacking and fleeing.

In an eloquent duck, she dodged a swing from a curved sword and leaped onto the man's hip. Her momentum carried her around onto his back. Her claws punctured through his clothes and into flesh at the lower portion of his back—the kidneys. The man immediately dropped like a rock.

Fia bounded off him and ran for the trees again. Her bloodied talons sinking into the sand slowed her down more in comparison to the boots of the grown men. The group caught back up to strike.

This time, she jumped in a sideways circle. Her hind claws lashed out and split open the man's shins. When Fia landed on her feet once more, she kept running for the trees.

The men spat at her in anger. Once she had nearly made it to the tree line, the crossbow was fired again. Fia gasped and halted as she watched the wood splinter into the air from the tree directly ahead. That could've been my head….

The momentary pause was all the men needed to catch up. One of them clubbed the back of her head. Dazed from the hit, she staggered to the side, fell down, and could not find the strength to get back up.

Her bleary eyes opened and closed. Fia observed how near she had been to the tree line, where she could have hidden in the canopy.

Is this where I die? Before I can even become a flying ace with Arenis? Fia had yet to figure out what she even wanted to do in life for herself, young as she was.

A muzzle was secured around her snout and prevented her from performing any more magic tricks; she only knew how to cast magic from her maw. A metal collar was clasped around her throat. Lastly, the chain which had nearly choked her was fastened to the rung near her chest.

The humans celebrated and danced around her. The leader took up the chain and yanked her towards the rowboats. His lackeys had spears which were leveled at her from behind.

Fia dragged her sluggish, miserable claws through the sand as slow as she could. Arenis should've made it back to the village by now. The elders will be here soon to save me! She tried to stall to win them more time. Nevertheless, she was forced onto the boat.

Her trembling talons tapped against the wood in rapid succession. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Water lapped at the sides of the rowboat. Splish splash. Splish splash. Splish splash. The dragoness could not cease her shaking; she was so scared. Tap. Tap. Tap. Creak!

Subtly, Fia tried to lean her weight to the side. If she could capsize the boat, perhaps she could use the commotion as her chance to slip away. At minimum, the incident would buy her more time. However, the boat hardly seemed to move. Maybe if I dive into the water, I can swim back to shore….

One of the men pointed a knife towards her throat. He said some unintelligible words with a smug grin on his face.

The humans were cruel, cunning, and attentive to their captive. Fia saw no chance to escape. Their rowboat arrived near the base of a massive ship, cast in its shadow. Fia tilted her head all the way back in horrified amazement.

Large, wooden structures loomed over the edge of the ship and cast sharp shadows. A harpoon tip rested in place. Those were the anti-dragon ballistae, a terrible contraption that her parents spoke about in hoarse whispers. Her father once thought to tell her a bedtime story which had induced nightmares. However, he had left her with an important message:

You are growing up in a dangerous time, Fia. The skies are becoming more perilous for dragons. Stay away from human ships and cities!

Once she was on that boat, she doubted that her clan could save one little, disobedient dragoness. Only her mother and father might fly desperately over the sea, searching for the ship which had already been lost on the horizon.

That was how Fia came to be whisked away as a prisoner across the sea.