Chapter 1: A dark start
Chapter 1: A dark start
[Chapter 2: Saving the broken](%5C)
[Chapter 3: Looking at the pieces](%5C)
Cold gripped the dank dungeon, its walls made of eerily black onyx smoothed to perfection. Two figures lay among its inky depths, one standing tall his paws behind his back, his black and white striped fur of a Siberian tiger, gleaming in the moon light shining from the lone window ahead of him. The dark robe he wore hide the most of his body, with only his chest showing in the moonlight. His green eyes showed no emotion as he looked down at the small creature in front of him. A wolf child born with dragon wings, an abomination and therefore unwanted, until he showed up on his door step. He had the child chained up and bound his wings wrapped with the hardest cords his wings twitching in pain from the tight bonds. The wings an unnatural blue compared to the dark fur that covered his quivering form.
Draven had taken in the child who had wandered the streets ensnaring him into his trap. The child had asked for food, starving off the streets, Draven had obliged not telling the child the price that would be paid in return, an eternity of servitude. The child had become his slave, doing his every whim, and being punished any time he disobeyed. Now the child was bound and chained to the floor and had been over the course of weeks as Draven worked to destroy any will the child had left. The child had disobeyed a direct order and therefore was to be punished. He leaned down to face the obstinate child his eyes staring down at the floor as they should. He gripped the child's muzzle in his paw forcing him to look at him. Expecting the complaisant eyes of regret and sadness, instead he was greeted with a gaze of hate and disgust. Draven let a low growl escape his jaws as he saw the stare. He slapped the child across his face for his insubordination, he was never to stare at him like that.
"Who is your Master?" He growled, his jaws opened to show reveal his teeth in warning. The child simply looked back at him with the same disobedient glare the hard blue eyes showing new energy, and hate. Draven snarl growing as his slave remained silent, only staring back with a scowl. Draven slapped the child again with the back of his paw, the sound of the smack echoing in the dungeon chamber. "Who is your Master, Louvel?" The child's head snapped back to look at Draven again a snarl growing on his own muzzle. The childs lip trembling as Draven swore the child was about to cry.
Draven's ears perched as he heard faint words come from his slaves mouth. A slight grin appearing on his face, the idea of his slave submitting even while remaining stubborn about it was cute. It was nothing he couldn't fix with a few more beatings he thought as he leaned close to Louvel's ear to rub in the defeat. "I'm sorry I didn't quiet hear you." he chimed smugly, a grin wide upon his muzzle. Though his smile disappeared just as quick as it came as as he yelped in pain as he felt a sharp pain in his ear. Falling back by pure reflex he looked at his slave as he held his ear, blood dripping from Louvels jaws, as he spat out a piece of Draven's ear with a snarl.
"I said I have no Master!" Shouted Louvel as he struggled against the bonds that held him to the floor, Draven gave a disappointed scowl as his slave tried to get free. He stumbled to his feat his missing ear causing a small problem with balance. His slave needed to be reminded of his place. He reached into his robes pulling out a whip as Louvel struggled all the more. As Draven let out the length of the whip upon the floor, the black cord blending with the onyx floors.
"I am your master you whelp, and I will not allow for your disobidenacne to continue!" Draven brought his paws above his head bringing the whip down with a sickening crack down upon Louvel. His scowl turning into a look of disbelief as Louvel turned his head to grab at the whip. His jaws bleeding from where the whip made contact, but his determination knowing no such pain as he snapped close upon the bound cords. Draven didn't allow for the continued disobedience to disturb him long. He twisted his arm the motion following along the whip wrapping around Louvels muzzle as he closed the distance. He would not allow for his slave to take another bite of him. He placed his paws upon Louvel's neck and the white scruff found thereforcing him to the ground.
"You never should have struggled Louvel, you only made your punishment all the worse." He said in a harsh tone as he sank his claw down and into Louvels fur the points piecing the skin drawing blood. Louvel's eyes closed in pain as Draven reveled in the torture as he struggled. He drew back his claws wanting to see the fear and regret in Louvel's eyes as he understood his fate. He was displeased to see the same stubborn glare, with even a hint of mischief as he smiled. "What have you to be so happy about your piece of trash." Draven reached for Louvel's wings hoping to break a few of the bones in the boy's precious limbs.
His paws found air as he looked to see blood coating Louvels back. His eyes grew wide as he saw what the boy had planned. Draven had not bound the wings so tight for nothing, in truth he had done so to prevent such as this. Louvels' wings could meld back into his body somewhat like the claws upon his paws. The bounds where to make sure he couldn't, not without tearing apart the sensitive skin. Draven had no time to react as Louvel unfolded his wings the limbs seeming to melt out of his skin no longer bound escaping out between the straps. Draven was hit with the fast moving appendages sending him flying across the dungeon. His head hitting the stone walls he watched as the world went dark around him, as his slave struggled out of the rest of his bonds
"The name is not Louvel, It's Silveratus and I'm my own master." These where the last words Draven heard from his slave, before he feel to the darkness of unconciousness. He woke uneasily hours latter light spilling through the window. His body stiff from sleeping on the cold stone floor, Draven reached for his head feeling the newly torn ear and caked blood. A small pool of blood surrounded his head in a halo, but it was nothing to the pool that surrounded the area where his former slave once was. Draven staggered to his feet looking at the trail of blood that lead out from the chamber, the droplets getting smaller as it left the room. Draven leaned on the wall following the trail as it lead from his home.
The door frame was edged with scorched fur as the runes that Draven had placed upon Louvel's did there job. The burning sensation caused by the runes when he left was to discourage him leaving. It seemed to only act as a hindrance to his slaves movement when he left. Draven looked out at the snow covered ground tracks leading from his home out into the drift. The gate that separated Draven's manor from the rest of the town ajar. Draven clenched his fist as he looked at the blood stained trail, his slave was now gone, and with no reasonable way to retrieved him. It wasn't particularly legal to have a hold of the boy, and so he could not hunt him down without wandering eyes. No one would get in his way no one would stop him. He had a reputation for his ruthlessness, and his use of public humiliation, and he wasn't even part of the council. No he had to bide his time this go around, he would get a new slave eventually there would always be another dumb kid, and this time he would ensure his grip. For now his old slave would run and die in the cold.
12 years later
Silveratus woke with a start as he sat upright in his bed, sweat covering his body as he placed a paw on his head trying to steady himself. He tried to calm himself as his nightmare replayed before his eyes as he recounted the events. Always the same nightmares plagued him those same horrible months within Draven's manor. The pain, and humiliation always opening anew as he remembered his time there, he had sold his life for a small meal, just a small act had caused him such pain. He shook his head as he thought to the day he finally escaped. He had had enough his pain, his fear, all of it piled up until he reached the breaking point, though he when he had reached the point he choose the other path, the one his so called master had not thought of, rebellion.
Draven had expected him to break to lose the will to fight, but instead he only pushed him to get out. He had planed for that fateful night when he finally made his escape, tearing apart his wings in the process. He remembered the feeling as his wings where torn to shreds. Dravens whip acting as a bite as he bit through the pain. Silveratus reaching for his back as the phantom pain reappeared. He had not opened his wings since that day. If Draven had succeeded at any point of his torture it was to have Silveratus never open his wings again.
Silveratus turned to get out of bed throwing the covers off him to be revealed to the world. Silveratus moved to his dresser pulling out a pair of pants he covered himself. Tugging at the cords to seal up the bottom of the pants at his second joint Silveratus then went to pulling on a pair of shoes meant for his digitigrade legs. Silveratus stood upright testing the feel of his cloths moving his limbs to see if anything needed to be loosened or tightened. A quick tug at the back to make his tail more comfortable and he was good. Pulling a cloak around him Silveratus was ready to brace the cold outside. Opening the door to the outside, Silveratus walked out into the crisp winter air. The cold bringing to mind more of the night he escaped, as he ran out through the snow.
The cold had chilled him to the bone as he trekked through the snow covered streets, clothed in nothing but a small loin to hide his shame. His body stripped naked to humiliate him by forcing him to endure the cold stone floors. He only made it to the outskirts when he finally collapsed. He thought he was dead for sure, if Draven didn't find him then the cold would take him, but when Silveratus woke up he was safe in front of a roaring fire his body covered by a blanket and his wounds treated. Silveratus woke slowly looking to see an old fox sitting in a chair reading. Silveratus was apprehensive about the old man especially after his run in with Draven, and shied away from the old man remaining quiet the whole time.
This went on for a week as the old man never said a word and neither did Silveratus, the old man left each day leaving behind a meal for him each day as he woke, and making one for him in the afternoon. Silveratus had planned to leave, but something held him back as he came close to walking out the door while the man was gone but never doing so. Finally Silveratus had had enough and during one of the dinners he finally spoke up and spoke up he did.
"Okay old man whats the game, huh, do you expect me to stay here every day and start acting as your slave, or are you hoping that Draven will offer a price for his precious slave and your just waiting him to do so? What do you want from me?" Silveratus shouted his paws pounding on the table sending the soup they where having on the floor. Silveratus's face was contorted into a scowl as he looked at the old man his chest heaving and jaw quivering. The old man didn't twitch a muscle as he waited for Silveratus to calm down. Sipping his tea with patient sips as he did.
Silveratus broke first and he knew it, he curled up in his seat whimpering, as he felt confusion run amok in his head. The old man had taken to his feet and stood by his side placing a paw comfortingly on his shoulder. Silveratus looked up at the old man his mind so confused at the time as he tried to understand the mans reasoning. He never understood what the old man was doing back then, because no one had acted like this around him before.
What the old man did next surprised Silveratus to such a degree that he still felt tears every time he thought back to it. The old man brought Silveratus into a comforting embrace as he cried. The old fox finally speaking up as he hugged him. "It's alright, You have nothing to worry about any more, you don't have to be any one's slave ever again, I'm here to protect you." For once in his life Silveratus felt the feelings of compassion, for once in his life he felt safe. The old fox becoming one of his greatest friends in life, as he raised Silveratus as one of his own. The two remained good friends to that day, as Silveratus moved out to live on his own.
Silveratus gave a sigh as a single tear feel from his eye, wiping it quickly from his cheek. It was not the time to feel sad for himself, he had better things to do. Silveratus's feet carried him into the heart of the city as he saw others running about trying to collect supplies or get to their jobs, the morning hustles in full swing as Silveratus walked through. His eyes glaring as he saw the occasional collar. He gave a silent growl to himself for what they represented Draven may have lost him, but it didn't mean he would give up, in twelve short years he had risen higher in social standing before becoming a council member. He had pushed laws through that legalized the use of personal slaves. It had been a ploy on ridding the streets of homeless and the unwanted, by forcing them into slavery.
Now they where slowly becoming common, although some still opposed it like him others where slowly being coxed into accepting it. The rich now took to having slaves for themselves whether for labor, or 'other' services, and the poor pushed their children into it hoping for a noble to take their child not just for more then labor. It sickened him to think that people would willingly allow themselves to become slaves. Silveratus walked by the street quickly not wanting to stay around the area for much longer pushing by to get to his job. There was no reason to stay out on the streets for long if he was to only see this tragedy. His steps quickening in pace as he put his head to his chest moving forward. It was not long before he finally got past all of the hell there.
Silveratus paused as he stood in front of the door to his work, the sign Fergus Scribe's written in a scratchy scrawl above the door. He gave a grin at the old sign reaching up to tap it once before he walked in the door. He should be happy to see that sign after all he made it for the old man back in the day. The second he walked through the front he was greeted by a chorus of hello's as everyone saw him enter the door. He gave them all a friendly wave walking to the back of the building to his shared office. He walked stepped into the door to hear a gruff voice great him. "Your late." Silveratus gave a smile as he saw the familiar shape staring up at him from the large cloth backed chair.
"Love you to pops." he chimed walking straight to the kettle on the nearby stove pouring him a fresh blend before taking a seat, staring back at his old friend. Silveratus's face took a more grim note as he broached the topic that needed to be discussed. "There where more of them today, the slaves, if this doesn't stop soon then their will be no one else to stop it." His old friend turned giving a curt nod before looking back out on the production floor. Their scribes scratching their pens as they copied volumes of work to be bound and distributed. The job of a scribe was becoming something archaic with the new invention of something called a press. If they couldn't adapt soon then a lot of the jobs they offered would be lost. Silveratus expected for Fergus to continue on the subject he had raised, but instead his friend surprised him by his insight.
"So how long have the nightmares gone on this time." Silveratus's mouth laid agape for a moment , but he closed it knowing better than to question his friends knowledge. Fergus had known him for twelve years now and he'd be damned if his adoptive father didn't know him well enough to guess what was on his mind. Silveratus gave a sigh as he placed the cup down on the table walking over to the window, looking out at his friends and coworkers. The dim lights of the office only glowed with the light of the fireplace recessed into the wall, making him appear as only shadow to his friends.
"About a week now, though there was a really bad one last night." He sighed remembering the nightmare vividly. He cringed as he let the thoughts past through his mind. "I don't know why but they always get worst around this time of year. Maybe it's because this is when I finally got away. Maybe I need to find closer or something." Silveratus felt the familiar paw of his friend as he placed it on his shoulder.
"It will pass with time Silveratus, theirs no reason to be rash about this. What he did to you was horrible, and we can never undo what he did to you, the best we can do is try and stop what he is doing now, correctly. I don't want to find out that you went out in the middle of the night and did something to upset the peace." Silveratus turned his gaze to look at his friend a stern gaze pointed straight at him. He hadn't seen such an intense gaze since his childhood, when he actively protested against Draven's anointment to council member. He gave a sigh patting his friend on the back, as he looked back out onto the floor.
"I won't do anything rash Fergus' you have my word." Silveratus felt a pit of guilt as he said the words, for they where empty as the air. He didn't want to lie to his old friend, but he couldn't have him getting hurt if he got caught. Silveratus needed closer and he needed it bad. He would finally have it, before the sun rose tomorrow he would have his closer.
Silveratus bid farewell to his old friend as the day came to a close, their business closed up tight for the night both going their separate ways as they headed home. Though Silveratus didn't have plans to go straight home, his paw pads trenching through the snow as he followed the cobbled streets. His heart dropping as he worried about his destination, his steps finally slowing down as he reached his destination. He gave a glare at the iron rod gate that separated him from the Draven's manor. His tongue stuck in his throat as he looked at the large manor. Last time he was here it was running for his life.
Clenching his fist Silveratus pushed open the iron gate moving towards the front entrance. Before he could open the door a tingling sensation reminded him of the trap Draven had on the door for when he was incarcerated there. Taking a step back Silveratus looked for another way in, but all of the windows where bared, and any other doors most likely held the same trap waiting for him. He circled the manor finally coming to the corner he noticed a small indent in the ground near the wall. He walked closer to see what he had hopped never to see again the window to the inky black deepths of his old prison.
Silveratus looked at the window the dungeon had no bars blocking his way or enchantments blocking him. He gave a slight chuckle as he noticed Draven's mistake. He had tried so hard to keep him from leaving that he had not thought to block someone entering. The dungeon would not need any metal bars because the window was to high and he was always chained down when he was there. Taking in a bit of confidence, Silveratus grabbed a vine from one of the wall gardens and tied it down dropping the length into the depths below.
Taking the vine in paw he descended the smooth onyx covered wall that seemed to consume him, as he dropped to the floor. Now that he was down in the dark depths of the dungeon, Silveratus eyes began to focus as he noticed something he couldn't have before. Lying in the corner chained up blending into the onyx black floor laying motionless was a small grey furred child.