The Dragon and the Fox

“What is that?”

“I think it’s a fox.”

“It has wings.”

“Did you see that it was glowing?”

“What a weird creature.”

“I wonder how it will fight.”

“It looks so young.”

Kira moaned softly and flittered her eyes open. She was greeted by semi-darkness, with very dim lighting in the very corner of her eye. She tried to turn her head, but everything ached. Her back felt like it had been hit by a boulder. Her legs were as stiff as tree branches, and her tail fell limply to one side. Even worse was her wings, which were stinging and complaining like mad.

But Kira really needed to know where she was, so she ignored the pain and sat up. What she saw made her inhale sharply.

She was in a cell. It was very, very small, barely roomy enough for her to take two steps in each direction. It was all made of rock, except for a row of metal bars in front of her and a tiny window near the ceiling, also barred.

Creatures like us can make this stuff? Kira thought. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the material that those bars are made of.

Definitely not breakable, though, Kira added with a twinge of despair, folding her wings tight to her body.

As she did, Kira realized that there was something cold on her wings. Two metal wires held each wing fast. Kira could only unfold her wings very slightly, and it was very painful. Hot anger coursed through her veins at the sight of this. She had only possessed her wings for a little bit, but they were part of her. They were part of what she had left of Deya, and treating them bad was like dishonoring the Light Dragon princess.

“I think it’s awake.”

“It looks mad.”

“It’s so adorable.”

Kira whipped her head around, and saw a few faces peering at her from through the bars. There was another cell directly across from hers, and there were multiple occupants in it. They were all staring intently at her, whispering and pointing.

There was a lioness, a weasel, and an antelope in the cell. They were all full grown, and the cell was only slightly bigger than Kira’s. It made her feel almost sorry for them to see them squished like that.

Another thing that alarmed Kira was the fact that they were all covered in scars. Had they gotten them just from fighting with each other? Kira saw claw and teeth marks, as well as what looked like burn scars and a few missing limbs.

Where am I? Kira thought, slightly panicking. What is this place?

The last thing she remembered was flying through the trees, and then crash-landing on the ground.

“Excuse me?” Kira tried, looking at the other animals in the cell. “Can you tell me where I am?”

They were silent, all staring at her with sad expressions on their faces.

“Ha!” another voice barked. “You’re in your grave, little one.”

Kira glanced around, then ran to the bars and looked from side to side.

There were cells all down the dark stone hallway she was in. It looked like Kira’s prison was somewhere in the middle of them all. In a cell bordering the cramped one, a fiery red tigress with a missing eye was grinning at her maliciously.

“Aren’t you one of the Black Dragon’s animals?” Kira inquired.

The tigress laughed. “I was. I failed my mission, and he put me in here. There are many more like me here. There is no escape.”

“Don’t torture the poor thing, Anala,” a softer, male voice said. “It’s only her first day. Let her have hope while she still can.”

“I’m telling her the truth,” Anala snapped. “Better to know what’s what than to have false daydreams.”

“So where are we?” Kira asked urgently.

“The Lelluys Arena,” the other voice answered. “A giant arena full of different traitors who are forced to fight one another for other’s entertainment.”

“We—they’re—I’m going to have to fight?” Kira cried.

Anala snorted. “Not for long, with your size. At least you’ll have a quick death.”

“Says the tiger with one eye!” Kira snapped. “Is your aim as bad as your eyesight or is that just the way you were born? If you ask me, I think it was your mother who tossed you in here for being so ugly.”

Anala roared in outrage. “HOW DARE YOU!” She slammed into the bars and shook then vigorously, baring her teeth at Kira. Her jagged claws reached through the cage, groping the air.

She stood her ground, looking defiant.

Laughs and giggled echoed down the hallway. “Oh, she got you there, Anala!” a jackal called, then burst into hysterical laughter.

“You’ll pay for that,” Anala growled.

“In what? Flowers?” Kira jeered.

“Careful,” the male voice warned as Anala burst into another howling fit. “You don’t want Anala as your enemy. Most of the prisoners love her.”

“Do they actually love her, or are they cowering behind the kitty cat?” Kira responded, smirking.

Anala’s screams grew in volume and her remarks turned much more violent. But before she could break the bars with the force of her rage, a loud bang echoed down the corridor. Immediately, every single animal fell silent.

“QUIET!” a commanding voice trumpeted. “The next creature to make a single noisegets thrown to the piranhas!”

All was silent. Footsteps clacked down the corridor. Kira hurriedly lay down and pretended like she just woke up.

A large, formidable stallion stepped into view. Spiky, bloodstained armor covered his flank and chest, and a helmet rested on his head. His teeth looked like they had been filed until they were razor sharp, and the same for his hooves. His dark brown eyes were narrowed with fury. Old battle scars decorated his body, but they seemed to outline his muscles and make his figure even more terrifying.

“What is all this racket, Anala?” he demanded, glaring at the panting tigress, who was crouched against the back of the cell and looked feral.

“Nothing,” Anala said stiffly. “I was merely proclaiming my status among this new puny prisoner, and she would not listen.” She pointed one paw in Kira’s direction.

The stallion rotated until he was facing Kira. He was silent for a full minute, as was the rest of the prison. He eyed her up and down, tracing every feather with his piercing gaze.

“Ah, yes, the new one.” He stepped even closer, until his head was almost through the bars.

Kira’s hackles raised, and her tail lashed.

“Such an odd specimen,” the horse muttered, tracing a hoof across the bars absentmindedly. “You would do yourself good to behave, little fox. The arena is not kind to those who think they are better than everyone else.”

Kira said nothing, but her eyes narrowed.

“Although…” He smiled, his sharpened teeth glinting in the dim light from the window. “We could use a little more…entertainment…”

His eyes met hers, and she glared at him with all the rage she could muster.

He chuckled. “Sleep well, fox. We’ll see how good you are soon. Oh yes…I simply can’t wait.”

And he left down the corridor, leaving Kira alone and petrified in her cell.