==== Draconic demon ====

As the pair approach the cage I once again focus on the old man.

-”Wonder if the old man’s ill? That heart doesn't look quite right”

The pair stops in front of my cage and began untying the corner.

-”Whoo daylight and fresh ai..OH DEAR MOTHER OF GOD!”

The sheets are abruptly raised and blinding sunlight that floods the cage as I let out a chilling hiss as I shield my eyes and retract into a ball trying to block out the light.

-”The light, it burns! It burnssssss! Why is it so bright?”

Realising I still had been focusing my individual senses I retract focus from my eyes.

-”Well that was noobish”

“£$”%%£” ££”%^£” [Unknown man]

“$%^$ “£” [Unknown boy]

-”Well they sound just like the rest, talking moronic gibberish”

Waiting for my eyes to stop stinging a stabbing pain smashed into my arm. Ignoring my eyes protests at the light, I spin round and let out a deep growl, ignoring the pain shooting to my throat.

The man and blonde boy are standing there looking very smug with a lance in the boy's hands. The tip of the lance is covered in a small amount of blood. My blood. I feel my eyes constrict as anger pours forth and I repress the urge to throw myself at the bars and tear him to pieces but only because he is out of reach.

“Oh no you didn't”

The boy pales slightly as I release my killing intent but he doesn't lose his smile. With a malicious grin, he pulls back the lance before thrusting it lightening speed at my head.

Instinctively I throw my head to the left and the lance scrapes the side of my head a stinging sensation next to my right eye.

“YOU MOTH…”

Without thinking I shout at the boy only to be hit with an intense pain, much worse than the previous attempts at loud making loud noises and I drop to the floor panting.

A laugh escapes the boy’s mouth and while smiling the smug little prick lowers the sheet before securing it and moving on.

-”I will kill that li….”

Pain bursts forth from the device on my neck but I refuse to let it win. I work out pretty quickly it's because I am imagining killing the boy but I just can't stop. Thoughts and images flash in my mind of the absolutely delightful way I could make his last few hours on earth miserable. No point in killing him quickly, he wouldn't realise what he had done.

I move into the sitting position and close my eyes, the thoughts of revenge are oh so sweet but the pain from the collar is making me nauseous.

The waggon lurches forward and continues towards our destination. I am no longer paying attention. The noises, the smells, the sounds, everything is insignificant compared to my burning desire to flay the skin from the brat which causes wave after wave of pain to pulse around my body.

Eventually, I managed to represent the delightful thoughts of revenge and noticed that the waggon was stationary.

I can hear muffled voices all about and realise that my cage is being unloaded. I start to focus my senses when my world violently tips and I am thrown head first into the side of the cage which has now become its floor.

-”.....”

The rage I had spent so much time suppressing almost breaks free as my cage is righted and the pain from being in contact with the bars recedes.

-”Deep breaths, don't let the anger win. Not when no one is around to suffer.”

As I talk myself down from a meltdown my breath steadies and I relax my muscles. A small line of blood is dripping down my chin from the lip split when hitting the bars.

-”If I was an angry man, I would be vowing unending pain to those that dropped me, luckily I am a patient angry man and will think about it when I no longer have this THING on my neck”

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I wasn't entirely successful and slight waves of pain coursed through my body but it wasn't unbearable.

My cage is dragged into and I sense others just like it on both sides. It seems I can't see inside the cages. I briefly wonder if they are like me before I realising that I actually don't really care.

I spot a red mist seeping into the cage, if it wasn't for my heightened senses I am pretty sure I wouldn't be able to see it. It reminds me of the cave I first woke up in however it's not comforting in the slightest.

Wondering if they are trying to put me to sleep, I let it hit me and as if it was alive flows into my mouth.

-”Can't do anything in this cage anyway, might as well see what’s next. Hopefully, it will be less constricting and let me repay some debts” it heads towards my throat, burning it and giving me a slight headache.

-”Guess it wasn't to put me to sleep”

By body suddenly gets heavy and the feeling like I need to listen and obey creeps into my head before being smashed down by my pent up rage. Like hell, I would obey, even if it's just a thought.

“Prisoners in the cages listen well, the collars around your necks are set to cause unimaginable pain and misery if you disobey me. Get this into your dumb, thick skulls, you are now and forever be, slaves of the Vonai kingdom” [Unknown woman]

-”Well that explains the pain and why I am in a cage, looks like I have another one to add to the list”

-”Leader guy in the cave, blonde brat, old stinking man, slave talking lady”

I scan the area with my eyes but I can't sense her, she must be too far away.

-”Wonder if she is causing this ‘I MUST OBEY’ feeling”

“I have used magic to enable you to speak the common tongue instead of your native languages. You will only speak in common. If you speak in any other language you will feel agonising pain until you pass out”. [Unknown Lady]

-”Yay, I can now speak gibberish! My life is complete. I can now die in peace oh great and benevolent trash talking lady.”

As I once again pushing down the surging rage I look for the positives in the situation.

-“I guess it could be useful, and the information she has provided is pretty interesting. When I am free she can have a quick death, maybe a quick knot before a sudden drop.”

She and a few others keep jabbering and I soon zone out thinking about all the useful bits of information I have learnt.

-”There is magic, there are other slaves that potentially could be the same as me and the thing around my neck is what's causing the pain.”

After thinking about how the collar could work, and coming up blank I decide to experiment. The only thing I have in surplus at the moment is rage so I decide to use that.

-”Pulling the intestines out of the stomach of the screaming boy… extreme pain”

-”Ripping the collar off… pretty bad pain”

-”Crippling one of the men on horses… extreme pain”

-”Killing some random I imagined… no pain”

-”Breaking the cage into pieces… same pain as ripping the collar apart.”

-”Breaking the waggon…. No pain”.

-”I am getting the hang of this. So if I try to escape or hurt someone I know it causes pain but pretty much everything else is OK.”

Feeling a bit dejected, I am brought out of my musing by the link with the other being and the smell of the blonde hair boy right next to its position. I can't feel the pain but I know it's in extreme agony. The rage barely suppressed explodes before turning to nothingness.

KILL

A single thought explodes into my mind as I analyse the situation. I feel nothing but the burning desire to fight. No anger, no compassion, no distracting thoughts.

KILL

The thought continues to resonate with my soul, growing in intensity as the need desire for blood increases.

KILL

Getting up from my sitting position, my muscles tense as I crouch as if I was about to start sprinting. The sensation of pain wracks my legs but I push it away. It's unnecessary.

KILL

My heartbeat feels heavy, my breath slows and everything had turned silent. My vision darkens and I search for my target… my prey.

My prey walks into range and my body subconsciously flows into position. I push back on my legs with my arms causing my muscles to numb with the pent up energy.

KILL

I analysed every movement the boy makes, inside and out.

He walks awkwardly, probably from riding for a long period of time. His leg speed will be slow.

His breathing is shallow and his heart rate is fast. He is nervous, distracted which reduces his reaction times significantly.

The sound as his muscles contract is dull and can be seen greedily absorbing the ripples of energy. He is fatigued probably from the long journey.

KILL

After what seems like an eternity, he becomes even more flustered and starts running towards my cage as if in slow motion. A low almost inaudible hiss to escape my throat.

-"Welcome to my parlour, said the spider to the fly."

The deafening sound of my heart slows almost to a stop, my jaw clicks locking it in place for the pain that is to come. I inhale a last breath before fully focusing on my target.

My instincts are roaring at me to eliminate the sound of alarm, silence him in a single attack, continue the hunt. My eyes focus on the throat of the child not sure on the strength of the armour and bone protecting his heart.

KILL

The thought, turned mantra  emphasises everything that I am. A hunter, A predator… Death.

The sheet slowly reveals the boys red, flushed face and like an arrow released from a bow, my body explodes forward.

KILL