Dragonborn - chapter 07.

The ritual

She wasn't sure what happened. Minnie remembered as she just headed inside the inn with a bucket of water, then there was a great rumble and something hit her on the head. Till then everything was blurry and confusing. Sometimes she felt fierce wind blowing around her, she was light like a feather. Moreover, she thought she sees something above her. A dark figure with huge wings. But most of the times her mind was blank.

After a couple of time Minnie finally awakened. She let out a weak, painful groan and rubbed her hear. Winced when she sensed the bump under the hair. She needed a few second until her vision cleared and she could take a look around. The room was illuminated with a lot of torch, reflecting on the dark walls. The place was similar to a huge, ruined throne room.

"Where am I?" Whispered to herself the girl.

Minnie just now recognized she's sitting in a large birdcage. In startle she crawled behind, her hand accidentally touched something. She picked it up and took a glance at the object. It was a human bone. Minnie let out a scared scream and threw the bone away, moving as far from the remains, as the cage let her. The bone knocked on the floor, echoing in the room.

Minnie pulled up her knees and hugged them, trembling in the whole body. She was confused of what's happening around her and this made her cry. She just wanted to go home... her home! Is her mother okay? She turned worried and hoped she didn't hurt in that explosion. Suddenly a loud thud snapped her out of her thoughts. She sensed something, or someone is watching her. Then the thud repeated again and again. Minnie turned around.

"W-who's there?" Stammered the girl, her heart began to race. The answer was a deep growl as the figure slowly entered the chamber. Behind the great columns a dark shape appeared, an evil aura chilled Minnie's blood. Then the figure shrunk and from the darkness a person stepped out.

It was a tall, male mouse, around Minnie's age. He wore dark leather clothes and boots, bandage on his clawed hands. Instead of a regular thread tail his one was long and scaly. He even had two tiny horns behind the round ears. But principally his eyes caught Minnie's attention. His ivy irises were familiar to her, but in her memories the eyes were warm and full with curiosity. These pupils reflected nothing, but hatred and rage.

"D-Drake? Is that you?" Muttered Minnie, slowly moved closer to the bars, grabbing them with her hands "It's really you, Drake?"

"Don't dare you use my name." Hissed the male ominously, making the mouse twitch. She didn't know why, but her body shivered by his presence. There was something... something that scared the girl.

"W-what happened with you?" her voice trembled too "You weren't like this..."

"As you see I'm not a foolish child anymore." spat Drake, slowly approaching the cage.

"B-but you never were..."

"Never was what? Strong? A real dragon?"

"...bloodthirsty and wicked..." she swallowed. The male was too close, Minnie instinctively crawled to the other side of her prison. Drake touched the bars with his claws.

"I'm not wicked, this is my true personality! Maleficent taught me how to be a real dragon." told her Drake. He grinned, showing his fangs "I'm much stronger than I used to be. And soon... I will be an adult too!"

"A-adult? But you only a year older than me. You're still a teen." Minnie blinked at him startled, whereof the male chuckled maliciously.

"We dragons have an adulthood ritual. With this I will obtain my full grown horns and form."

"W-what kind of ritual?" Minnie swallowed. She didn't like as the boy stared at her. As an answer Drake licked his lips.

"Every dragon have to steal a young, virgin girl and... hehe eat it." the girl's face turned pale as the blood froze in her veins. Drake, her childhood friend, he wants to eat him for a damned ceremony.

"You can't do this! Drake!" she went closer and touched the other's hand "Maybe you forget we are friends? It means nothing for you?" Drake snatched his paw away with a furious hiss.

"Don't dare you touch me! Feel honored you will give me the power I need." he wasn't himself anymore, Minnie just now recognized. The fact broke her heart. All the time she hoped she will see him again and they will be best friends, but now she disappointed.

"You're... not that Drake I remember..."

"Finally you noticed it!" barked the dragon "My past isn't even exist!"

"Your father will be sad..." sighed Minnie sadly, but in the next moment her cage was shaken wildly.

"I DON'T HAVE A FATHER!" roared Drake in fury, merging his claws into the bar "I never had any! My mother was killed by a slayer when I was in the egg and he raised me as a pet."

"It's not true! Your father cared about you. He's your family..."

"My family is Maleficent! My own kind!" shouted back Drake, loosing control of his temper "She taught me everything to be a dragon. She told me every mortal is a is evil and wants to kill us!" For the first Minnie staid quiet, lowering her head.

"M-maybe you're right. Humans can be evil... but your father is different... You didn't see, but he suffered so much in the past years as he searched for you."

"I know, he wanted to kill me." Snorted Drake.

"You're wrong! He wanted to save you!"

"Don't make me laugh!"

"I'm telling the truth..." told him Minnie, but in the next moment her arm was grabbed and harshly pulled to the bars.

"Every mortal lying..." hissed Drake ominously into her face "Now stay quiet or I kill you before the ritual." Minnie's lips trembled in fear. She tried to pull her hand away, but the male hold her firmly.

"Let me go..." whimpered the girl "It hurt..." for a moment Drake's mouth twitched, then released her wrist. Minnie immediately crawled further from him, shivering scared. The dragon stared at her, then huffed angry.

"What a wimp... but never mind... after Maleficent finishes with the preparation, we will start the ritual..."

"I don't think so, lad." suddenly another voice sounded in the room. They both turned to the entrance and noticed a new person entering, aiming a sword at the dragon.

"Sir Oswald!" squeaked Minnie relieved. Drake spit out and shot a deadly glare at the hare. Oswald endured the stare straight.

"Release her, Drake. It's only about you and I." stated Oswald.

"Never! I need her to become an adult." bared his fangs the mouse. Oswald let out an annoyed sigh.

"It seems I have no other choice." said and threw away his coat to not disturb his fight "Then I have to teach you a lesson, son."

To be continued...