The apes who lead me down the hall seemed exceptionally scared today, and I'm sad to say that I couldn't take joy in their fear. Even though I loved to watch my tormentors squirm and cower, their fear set something off inside of me that I had not felt in a long time. A growing sense of anxiety was slowly building up inside of me, making my chest feel tight. My heart was pounding away in my chest and I couldn't for the life of me calm it.

The walk seemed like an eternity, the never ending conformity of the hallways did little to set my mind at ease, as I was about to come face to face with Cynder. Ten years, I had been stuck in the darkness for ten long years, chained to a wall and given the bare minimum of food to survive on. In that time I had heard Cynder's name countless times, but never once had I seen her. The apes spoke of her with malice and disdain, but I could hear the fear in their words as well, and I had learned early on, that Cynder did not care for the loyalty of the apes. She did not need to do anything to make them stay, but rather they stayed of their own volition, because they were afraid of what she would do to them.

Cynder was like me in some regards. I used fear to keep myself entertained and wreak some revenge on the apes, and hopefully escape, but Cynder used fear for an entirely different purpose. Fear was her tool to keep the apes in line, it was her way of ensure they did what they were told.

Looking to my left I caught the flash of lightning which blinded me momentarily causing me to stop and shake my head to clear it. The apes not wanting to delay Cynder quickly kicked me in my stomach, making me whirl around. My eyes flashed red as I searched to lock gazes with one of them, just one, but they had wised up long ago, turning their heads slightly they refused to make direct eye contact. I received another foot to my stomach which sent me to the ground in a fit of coughing. My body was weak from malnourishment and I would not stand up against another kick.

"On your feet you bloody dragon." One of the apes growled at me as he yanked on my chain.

"General Cynder don't like to be kept waiting, so get up." Another yelled. I caught the quick movement of his eyes as he scanned the hallway as if he was afraid Cynder would walk out of the shadows.

Standing up, I laughed despite my growing fear as well. "S-sounds like you're afraid of her." I managed to get out before I was struck in the back of the head. Grunting as I fell back onto the ground I turned to the ape who had struck me, but he had his eyes covered. "I'll make you pay for that." I snarled, putting as much malice as my muzzle would allow.

"Shut your gob and move, damn you." The ape responded before he lifted his hand for another blow. "Less you wanna nother one." Growling I turned away from him and continued to walk down the hallway.

The rest of the walk was done in silence. The five apes who currently escorted me to Cynder would keep their eyes straight ahead. The two in front who held the chains holding my front legs would walk a little ways ahead of me, their chains stretched just enough that if I tried to turn and run I wouldn't get very far. The three behind me likewise held a chain for each of my legs and my tail. The one holding the chain to my tail, held the chain tightly, never letting my tail move with any sort of freedom. Attacking them would be difficult, not only was I weak from improper feedings, but the chains also weighed heavy on my limbs. Even if I managed to get the apes to drop them, I'd just lead them right to me. I cursed silently to myself as I took stock of the situation. I had to admit, the apes were dumb brutal creatures, but they were smart enough to take the proper precautions to ensure I wouldn't get free.

I was shaken out of my musings when I felt tugging at my back legs. Stopping I realized we had come face to face to a pair of large double doors. The black metal that they were made of seemed to suck what little light the hallway had. Having been distracted with thoughts of escape, my fear of who I was about to meet, had diminished to the point that it was nonexistent, now however, as I stood in front of those doors, my fear began to come back in waves. What was worse was that I could taste the fear of the five apes around me, their fear only served to increase my own.

We seemed to stand in that hallway for an eternity, just staring at the large doors. For only the barest of seconds, everything seemed to calm. The sound of breathing seemed to cease, and even the deafening storm outside seemed to stop, then just as soon as it had come, the silence was washed away by a roar of thunder. The apes seemed to gain their composer, their grips on my chains, which had loosened just a bit, now tightened as they held themselves up higher. The chains that bound me were no longer taunt, and I found that moving forward was harder than before.

The two apes up front quickly moved forward and began to push the doors open. I closed my eyes as I took a steadying breath. A hard shove to my backside and I was forced to move into the room. It looked like a throne room, albit it appeared as if it belonged to some undead prince of darkness. Crystals surrounded the room, sticking from the walls and floor, purple electricity dancing between them in time with the lightning strikes outside. The "throne" looked to be made from some kind of black volcanic stone. It wasn't until my eyes landed on the dragon who sat on the throne that I nearly broke into tears.

"Mom?" I whispered the fear inside of me dissipating quickly. She was a slim black dragoness with dark red chest plates. She had three horns on each side of her head that curved backwards, and I could see from where I stood that her tail blade looked like a metallic scythe.

She hadn't been looking at me when we had entered, but my whisper had caught her attention. It was then that I was faced with the truth. My mother had caring blue eyes, but this dragoness, whoever she was, she had hate filled green eyes. Shaking my head to clear it of the image of my mother I tried to stand taller, the sense of fear having returned making me shake slightly. Cynder had not been the only one to hear my whisper. The ape closest to me quickly struck the back of my head. I was to distracted to see it coming and ended on the floor yet again, though this time I had landed face first. As I laid on the ground I could feel something wet and warm covering my face.

"Enough captain." Came a female voice, which could only belong to Cynder. Her tone showed signs of amusement but there was a clear warning in her voice.

"Yes General Cynder, forgive me!" The ape who had struck me apologized.

Forcing myself to my feet I looked down at the ground and saw blood where my face had landed, lifting a paw to my face I winced as my nose stung. Pulling my paw away I saw it covered in my blood, which meant I had a bloody nose, and based on the amount of blood I was seeing, it wasn't minor, but it wasn't life threatening either.

"Keep it up you filthy monkey's, I'm keeping track of all of it." I mumbled to myself. I took some pride as I felt the fear surrounding me dissipate only to be replaced with anger, but none moved to strike me again.

Turning to face Cynder I tried to mask my fear by looking angry. She seemed amused by my attempts, if her laughing was not a clear indication. "What spirit this one has, I can see why Gaul had such a hard time corrupting you." She said causing me to growl at the name, this only caused her to laugh more, it was a deep laugh that sent shivers down my spine. "So much spirit, I'll have fun breaking it." She said her tone turning harsh.

"Why am I here?" I asked trying to sound impatient, I was hoping to find something that I could use to manipulate her. Anger, fear, her clear sense of superiority. Anything that would allow me to slightly influence her decisions and judgements.

"You're here because you attacked one of my apes." She said her tone harsh. I could feel the apes around me flinch as she said 'her apes'. "As useless as they are, I still need an army so when our prisoner attacks one of them, I have to make an example of you." She replied as she slowly moved towards me. Her eyes were filled with malice.

Suddenly my eyes widen in fear. I was paralyzed. The apes around me had dropped the chains holding me, but I still couldn't move. Cynder laughed, her voice reaching the roof and echoing throughout the room shaking me to my bones and causing my heart to pound in my chest, beginning for release. Suddenly she was in front of me, looming over me. Just as suddenly as she had appeared she vanished, or rather I had moved. The world was spinning as my head pounded. I found myself staring at a cracked floor, bits of stone and dust falling over me as pain coursed through my head and back.

"This is your punishment for being an insolent little brat." Cynder spat as she moved towards me. Suddenly coarse and dirty paws held me down as the chains attached to my body were pulled tight. More apes had appeared, and now worked together to restrain me, while forcing me onto the ground on my stomach.

I couldn't speak, couldn't scream, couldn't even find it in myself to try and fight. I just watched in a daze of fear as Cynder approached me yet again. A sinister grin on her face. Shooing the apes holding me down, she put one paw on my back, forcing me down, and causing me to gasp in pain as the air in my lungs was forced out. Then I watched in horror as she lowered her head. I felt something clamp onto my wings. A sudden jerk from Cynder and I was finally allowed to scream.

I was on the ground curled in a ball now. The apes had let go of my chains, Cynder still sat on her throne. Looking around the room in confusion I tried to stand, but my legs were weak, and I stumbled several times before finally getting it right. Turning to look at my back I saw my wings were still there and I gave them a cautious flap. I was relieved to see that they still worked.

Turning once more to face Cynder, I began to understand why the apes feared her so much, and I now knew the difference between the two of us. I controlled fear, used it as a toy to have my fun, even used it as a tool when I wanted to try and escape, Cynder was different though. She didn't use fear, Cynder was fear, she could get inside your head, make you feel physical pain when only attacking your mind, could change your perception of reality so drastically that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. She had a level of skill so far advanced from my own that we weren't even in the same league.

"W-who t-t-the hell are you?" I stuttered out. She grinned and I unconsciously had to take a step back, the chains however held me in place.

"Poor Deimos, you honestly don't remember?" She teased causing me to flinch again. How'd she know my name. "I look like your mother don't I? I heard you, but don't I look like someone else? Perhaps someone who was chained against a wall with you? Someone who's spirit didn't hold up?"

I shook my head, to afraid to answer, as I avoided eye contact. This seemed to amuse her even further as she began cackling madly. Even at this the apes began to step back in fear allowing me to do the same. "You wound me big brother, how could you forget your dear defenseless little sister?"

My eyes widened in surprise which caused her to cackle again. "Take him back to his cell." she laughed waving a paw in dismissal. The apes did so without pause, they to wanted to get away from Cynder as much as I did. The walk back to my cell was quick, and all the while it was done in silence. I didn't even fight when they chained me back to the wall. Didn't threaten or try to even scare the apes. The moment they apes had exited my cell though I finally fainted.

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The next day

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, General Cynder needed to know as soon as possible. I had pushed my Dread wing to fly as fast as it could. Sadly it ended up dying no sooner had we landed, it was a waste of a good mount but we had plenty and my report was much more important than the Dread wing.

Running to the doors that led to her chambers. I knocked frantically before standing back and trying to look presentable. I could hear growling from the other side of the door. I didn't have to wait long until I saw a crack in the door, and a glowing yellow eye slipped into view, avoiding her gaze I lowered my head hoping to calm her ire.

"I thought I told you apes that I was not to be disturbed?!" She whispered her voice deathly quiet. I had to take a deep breath to calm my nerves and even then it did little to help my situation.

"General I've just arrived from the Forbidden Swamp. I-I have important news." I replied trying to keep my voice even, glancing up briefly I saw her glare intensified. I could feel myself shaking as a sense of dread washed over me, but I hadn't died yet. Gulping I pushed my luck just a little further. "Yesterday my men and I were scouring the Forbidden Swamp for the fire Guardian like you ordered. All was going fine until we were attacked by….by a dragon." I said lowering my head again and waiting for the death blow I was sure was to come.

"Was it the guardian?" She asked. I had to look up in surprise. General Cynder was known to have a wide range of emotions. Rage, anger, fury, disdain, so on so forth, but in my entire time serving her, not once had I ever heard her sound so….happy. I don't know which was more scary, when she was angry or when she was happy like this.

"N-no i-it wasn't." I said gulping. In an instant I could feel her joy fade replaced with fury.

"Then why have you disturbed me! I don't care about some half wit dragon rebellion, I want Ignitus chained to a wall and drained of his power!" She screamed flinging the door to her room open. I cowered as Black flames licked the inside of her mouth, both eyes glowing a sickening yellow. Fearing my end was soon to come I tossed my arms over my head as I fell to the ground cowering.

"He was a purple dragon!" I screamed in fear hoping to appease her somehow.

"Get Deimos from his cell!" Cynder yelled. Lifting my head I saw she was no longer looking at me, but behind me. Turning my head I saw another ape retreating down the hallway, he was running as if his life depended on it.

Turning back around to look up at Cynder, I froze in fear as I gazed into her eyes mere inches from my face. Gulping I tried to move away, tried to run but I couldn't move. Staring into her eyes I didn't see her lifting one of her paws.

00000

I was running for my life. My breath coming in short gasps as my lungs burned and my heart threatened to give out. I could hear her pounding footsteps behind me, could see the cracks along the walls spread further with each of her steps. Turning down a corridor, I hoped to lose her in a maze of random twists and turns, however all I accomplished in doing was cutting off my escape route.

In front of me, a large wall had materialized out of nowhere causing me to skid to a stop. Looking left and right I tried to find another way out, but there was none. Turning back the way I had come I froze as another wall, this one made of shadows, had materialised. Gulping I stepped back until my legs had hit the wall. In the shadows I could see a pair of sickening yellow eyes glaring out at me.

"Don't let her get my brother!" A voice suddenly said beside me. Turning my head I was shocked to see what looked like a smaller, younger version of Cynder standing next to me. She was a bit pudgy and it didn't look like she would be strong enough to fight.

Backing away from the young Cynder beside me, I turned my gaze back to the shadow. It moved in such an erratic way that reminded me of laughter, before it stopped and rushed forward. Fearing I would be killed I jumped to the side, only to hear Cynder screaming in fear.

"Brother help me!" She screamed, but I couldn't. I could only watch in horrid fascination as the shadows forced their way into her body through her mouth and nose.

As quickly as it had all started, it had stopped. I saw nothing before me. The younger version of Cynder now gone, as was the hallway. All that was left now was an empty blackness. I didn't move, for fear that something would jump out of the darkness and attack me. Then, as if sensing my fear, the shadows laughed. It was a deep and sinister laugh that held no humor, only malice. I closed my eyes tight as I covered my head with my paws, hoping to drown the sound of laughter out, hoping it would just end. I hadn't felt fear like this since the first day I had woken up in the cell they placed me in. I trembled as tears began to rain down my face in a torrent of fear and quiet whimpering.

The laughter died, and the oppressive air that had begun to surround me was now beginning to fade. Feeling the danger pass, I opened my eyes to find that I now stood in an open field. Standing I watched as the breeze blew leaves around. Sighing in relief I turned to walk away only to come face to face with yellow glowing orbs and white fangs.

00000

"AHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as my body jerked up off of the floor. The chains that bound me to the wall giving off their awful screech as they clanked together.

My breathing was labored as I quickly backed myself into a corner, my eyes scanning the darkness of my cell, trying to find those yellow eyes, all the while, one of my paws moved to my throat. I was sure I was going to find the warm sticky liquid that was my blood, but I felt nothing, though instead I smelled the distinct stench of fresh piss

Once I had calmed down enough. I took stock of myself. My body trembled, both from the cold and from what I had just witnessed. My increased breathing, only served to heightened my sense of dread as my chest hurt from the pounding of my heart. I could hear my blood moving through my skull. Suddenly in my mind's eye, I saw the flash of yellow which caused me to scream again and bang my head against the wall, desperately hoping to smash the memory away.

I didn't know how long I sat there, didn't know the damage I had done to myself. It wasn't until I was forcibly dragged away from the wall that I began to come to my senses. I first saw the dark splotch on the wall and thought it a shadow, but a flash from outside illuminated my cell just long enough that I could see what it really was. Next I felt the throbbing pulse in my skull, felt the warm sticky blood moving down my snout. Licking what I could, I tasted copper, and could smell it all. I stared at the wall in horror and shock.

What was happening? I was losing my mind and it all started because of Cynder. Never before could I remember having felt this level of fear, of terror. Before the darkness never made me jump, but now as I stared at the blood covered wall and took into account just how little light there really was, I now began to feel a sense of dread that made me tremble in such a way, that all I wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry.

I didn't curl into a ball and cry though, The apes that had come into my cell began to laugh at me and point. Normally my anger would boil over and I would threaten them, but after my episode I didn't feel so tough anymore. "S'not nice is it?" Asked one of the apes as he laughed at me, "having a taste of your own medicine."

"That fear you're feeling, it's the same thing we've felt every time you've gone and given us that evil glare of yours." Another said.

"Enough. Stop playing with the fool and drag his scaly ass out of there, Cynder ordered us to get him, and she looked mighty furious" A third ape spoke from the back. His voice cowered as the air filled with the common scent of fear that I had come to live with on a daily basis.

"Cynder wanted to see me again? Why would she want to see me? I won't go back! I'll fight them! I'll kill them all just so long as I don't have to go back!" I mentally shouted to myself.

The apes grabbed my chains before I knew what they were doing, and they quickly dragged me out of my cell. My claws scraped against the ground leaving white lines behind in their wake as the sound of peeling stone could be heard. It was no use though. Slowly they dragged me out of my cell, I struggled as much as I could, tried to thrash and knock them down, but nothing I did even seemed to phase them.

"Get him under control!" An ape shouted before pain exploded in my head. I fell to the ground wailing in terror and pain as I tried to stand back up, but again I was hit. The world became fuzzy as my eyes grew heavy and my head throbbed as if a thousand bees had stung me in a single spot. I wasn't able to get up after that, the pain was too much and the urge to throw up was strong, only an empty stomach kept me from staining the floors in vomit, though it wouldn't have made much difference.

I felt the apes dragging me away from my cell. I could do nothing. Closing my eyes for a moment to try and clear my thoughts, I opened them again only to find myself lying before a set of black paws. Turning my head to look up, I saw the furious glare of Cynder.

"Idiots!" She screeched furiously. "I wanted him conscious, not beaten half to death!"

"He was fighting, we had no choice but to beat him" One ape said….I think. I couldn't really tell anymore. Their words had become jumbled and hard to understand, sounds faded in and out, or maybe I slowly drifting into unconsciousness.

I felt something snap around around my neck, as a new weight settled over me, and then I blacked out