Angels and Demons Prologue
Winter. A time where the world settles for a few months. Animals take shelter from harsh winds and freezing snowfalls in their nests, hollowed trees and dens. Mobians huddle together with their families by the fire to keep warm, few daring to leave their sanctuaries to brace the frigid air to buy food and extra blankets.
The wilderness falls back into Mother Nature's grasp, the whitest of snow growing deeper and deeper by the day, touched only by the lightest of footsteps left by creatures more suited to the cold. Towering waterfalls freeze over, leaving deadly icicles as a reminder of their raw beauty and power. Silence stretches across forests and lakes alike.
"Just keep going! Don't look back! You can't stop running!"
Suddenly, the silence is broken by the sound of heavy panting and snow crunching under hurried footsteps. Spindly branches snap and twigs break as an albino dragon with pale pink eyes wearing nothing more than a gold and white kilt-like skirt with solid gold and other expensive jewels adorning his hands, arms, and bare chest makes a desperate attempt to trudge through the heavy layers of snow.
All around him, no matter where he ran, all he could see was fire and smoke, his beloved village burning to the ground as the sounds of battle raged on behind him.
They were fighting because of him, all because he was born different. He knew that he wasn't like everyone else, he'd been told that his entire life. He couldn't play around and wrestle with the other Demon males because he could easily get hurt and they didn't like how he looked different from the rest. He mostly grew up around Demonesses who tended to him and doted on him all his life, the young male slowly adapting to their mannerisms and clothing styles since that was all he knew. But as he grew older and matured, the more beautiful he became, and the more the males now wanted to be around him, but for an entirely different reason.
He was the most sought-after Demon in the country, but it all came with a price. Not only was he an albino, a completely white male, he was a uke - a hermaphroditic male with the ability to conceive children, and a dragon - a species that was becoming more and more scarce as time went on. He was literally his clan's most prized possession.
And now his home was being destroyed because of him. Everyone - his friends, family, and even males that used to give him a hard time during childhood - were all risking their lives to give him a chance to escape.
There was a caravan - a slave caravan - attacking his home, having declared that he be turned over to them so that he could be taken to the palace to be 'better protected'. He was bringing too many enemies to their lands, they'd said. He'd be better off at the palace, they'd said.
And as soon as his clan leader refused to co-operate, all hell ensued. His parents made sure to help him escape before they to had to go fight.
And doing as his parents had said, he ran and didn't look back.
Hopefully, they would reunite soon, but it was wishful thinking and he knew it.
Letting out a cry of surprise, the albino tripped on something hidden beneath the snow and fell face first into the cold. His long tail curling round his thin leg, he hauled himself back on his feet and continued his escape, his hands coming to rub his arms to try and generate some heat.
"I want a team of men scoping out this forest for that brat on the double! Burn it down to the ground if you have to!" A deep, growling voice echoed through forest, causing the boy to shiver in fear and push harder. He knew who that voice belonged to, and he really didn't want to come face to face with the aggravated German Shepherd that owned the slave caravan.
But the more he tried to run, the weaker he became. The young dragon was used to heat, it was his life source - the more intense the heat, the stronger he became. However, this was the opposite. Winter had come, and the very little clothing he wore did nothing to help stave off the cold. His energy was leaving him, making it harder to move with each step.
He knew that he wouldn't last much longer. He knew he was going to get caught.
And that's what scared him the most...
"Hey! There's footsteps over here!" One of the workers exclaimed, causing the male to gasp, his long, pointed ears folding flat against his head in fear as he tried to get out of the forest to open plains where he could spread his wings and fly away as quickly as possible.
Panicking, he ran as fast as he could, the opening of the forest and open plains now within his sight.
"There he is!" someone shouted, making his heart leap in his chest.
Almost there, almost there!
With the clearing only a few steps away, the uke gave a cry of shock when something suddenly wrapped around his thighs and knees, causing him to trip and land in the unforgiving snow.
Quickly turning over, he grabbed at the chained sling tangled around his legs, trying to get it off - only to look up and see the slavers quickly approaching.
Eyes wide he tried to hurry, the pale pink of his eyes slowly started to turn a deep red as his survival instincts kicked in.
The trappers were almost upon him when the leader's eyes widened at the uke glaring back at them with blood red eyes.
"Get down!" He shouted, right as the small male opened his mouth and a blast of white hot fire was shot their way.
Two of the men, a hare and a boar, got caught in the beam causing them to fall to the ground with cries of pain, their blood seeping through their fingers and into the white of the snow, turning it a deep red.
The German Shepherd let out a deep snarl before levelling a glare hot enough to melt steel at the young uke. Getting to his feet, he trudged over to the panting and dazed dragon, grabbing him by one of his wings and hauling him to eye level, a fanged smirk graced his face as the albino struggled weakly in his grasp.
"Get those two some medical aid. We're done here..."
And with the cold weakening him the longer he was in it, and with the German Shepherd's tight grip on his sensitive wings causing pain to ripple through his being, the young dragon knew that his life just took a turn for the worst…
