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The thick, heavy chains scraped away at the dragon’s scales as Talon shifted his body, searching for something remotely close to comfort. His wings were tied back with lead wires, yet melting the metal was not an option; his captors had dressed him with a muzzle that disabled his flame and acid glands. All he could do was stare at the stone walls of his cell, virtually immobile.

Had Talon been able to move his hand in front of his face, he would not have been able to see it; his father’s prison prevented any of the amber sun’s rays from entering, nor did any sweet brimstone fumes find their way into this dank dungeon. No lizards scurried across the floor, and no water dripped from the ceiling. There was only silence.

You’d think I was a prisoner of war, Talon thought. But no, that war is over, and all thanks to my dear father. Making peace with those festering apes… he might as well have married one of them instead of my mother. Maybe then I’d have been born to a real dragon, and not one who’s willing to share his world with those greedy, barbaric humans…

The pitch blackness was suddenly replaced by a blinding light. Talon’s eyes had seen nothing but darkness for the past week, and could not adjust to the light right away. None the less, the figure that marched into the cell was unmistakable: his proud, upright stance, his smooth, even stride, and his cool, pompous voice. “Hello my son.”

Talon glared at his father, Crimson Wing, as he opened the door to his cell. One day, he thought, I’ll pay you back in full…

“Now don’t give me that look,” Crimson Wing said, trying to sound cheerful. “It’s not like I enjoy locking you up down here, but if you insist on being violent to the humans after the war is over, then you leave me no choice.” With a Royal Guard on either side of him, he began removing the chains that bound his son. When he removed the muzzle he was greeted with a toothy scowl. “Now Talon, what’s the point of sulking like a child?” he said. “It isn’t helping your situation, there’s nobody to impress, and I know that even you won’t bite the hand that feeds you.” To underscore his words, Crimson Wing stroked Talon’s chin in a mocking caress; if his son acted up, it would only give him more time to think things over.

With a sudden jerk, Crimson Wing yanked his son to his feet, and a Royal Guard each took one of his arms so that the dragon was still under some kind of restraint. “Come,” the pompous dragon commanded as he lead his son out of the prison. “I hope what I am about to do will teach you a valuable lesson.”

“What, am I lucky enough to get to spend the day with Bloodstain?” Talon hissed.

“No, your brother has nothing to do with this, and you should be glad not to share his fate. I have something much different in store for you.” They then walked in silence out of the dungeons and into an open field. “Today, Talon, you will be learning a small amount of compassion for humans.”

As Crimson Wing spoke, a man dressed in brown leather entered the field. He wore gloves, boots, and had ragged black hair. All of those features merely disgusted Talon, however; what truly alarmed the dragon was what the man was carrying: a harness.

“This man here,” Crimson Wing motioned to the man with the harness, “is to become Nezgar’s first dragoon, and you, my son, are to be his mount.”

“No, I won’t have it!” Talon howled, struggling against the Guards in a desperate attempt to break free, but it was no use. One guard drove his heel behind Talon’s knee, bringing him down to the ground, while the other clamped a steel collar around the rebellious dragon’s neck. At that Talon froze. Every being on Nezgar dreaded this device; it was known as “Deathgrip,” and with the push of a button, spikes would plunge into the bearer’s neck from all directions. Talon was at his father’s mercy.

He slowly rose and walked over to the human, his eyes smoldering with fervent loathing. So savage was Talon’s look, that the man took a step back, expecting the dragon to attack.

“Do not be alarmed,” Crimson Wing called. “My son is simply a sore loser. But he is no fool; he will swallow his pride so long as his life is on the line. Place the harness on him as I instructed, and then simply tell him how you wish to fly. Oh, and Talon, be grateful that I decided on verbal commands instead of reigns, though trusting an imbecile like you to think for himself is a bit risky.”

“There is no need for insults father,” Talon replied. “Am I not doing as you instructed?” As the man prepared the harness a small crowd of dragons and humans began to gather to witness this great moment. A human riding upon a dragon’s back! This would be the ultimate symbol of their unity. But Talon had suffered many pains. He had tasted both human blade and human flesh; he had seen them quarrel amongst themselves before the dragons came to discipline them; their flagrant disregard for anything but themselves destroyed many valuable quicksilver mines, and wasted a large portion of Nezgar’s resources. Now these pieces of filth were to be declared equals! Talon would not have it, and fortunately, he was now the one writing history.

“Come human!” he shouted. “Climb upon my back, for once we are in the air, who is the true master? Is it the frail body who would splatter against the earth, who is a wingless slave to gravity? Or is it the mighty beast who carries him, who defies with ease the force that his rider has grappled with for centuries, who’s children can strike awe into man with a mere flap of the wings. Know that as we ascend you do not command me. I permit you to ride!” And with that, Talon snapped his wings, launching the two of them into the air in which his words still seemed to hang.

Crimson Wing’s jaw hung open as Talon flew through the air, doing the exact maneuvers he had told the human to command. How could anyone be so bold while in the clutch of Deathgrip, he thought. His son’s words were not only a slap across his face, but across the face of every human , and even those dragons that believed peace could be achieved. Did I make a mistake in choosing Talon to be the first mount? No. Everyone must see that even the deepest hatreds can be tamed, and there are few who loathe humans more than him.

To spite his human companion, Talon made sure he landed nice and hard, jostling the human as much as possible while throwing dust into the air in the process. The man climbed off of him, a bit shaken up from the flight, but he did his best to appear cheerful for the crowd. His took off the harness and then quickly vanished in a sea of curious and excited comrades.

“Well father,” Talon said, making his way over to Crimson Wing. “I have done everything you asked. I have put on a harness, acted like a circus clown for a human, and even managed to see that no harm has come to him. Now, would you be so kind as to remove this collar.”

“Talon…you were completely out of line!” Crimson Wing could not justly punish his son, especially with so many watching, but the arrogant youth deserved no praise for his little speech. “Do you not realize that humans are now to be seen as a dragon’s equal!?”

“I’m sorry father, but you left no speech parameters for me to follow,” Talon retorted. “I have followed all of your rules, so by your own law, Deathgrip must come off.” Talon spoke very loudly, and used the infamous name to draw as much attention to the scene as possible. Talon was not one for politics, but he knew that Crimson Wing had to maintain his public image, and he intended to use that obligation to the fullest.

Crimson Wing sighed and said, “Very well.” He began pressing the proper series of switches to release the collar, but then his blood ran cold as Talon spoke into his ear.

“And father, if you ever humiliate me again, I will kill you.” And with that the collar dropped harmlessly to the ground