Your ready to plant your strelitzias
In pots of gold and ash and soot
But mistrust this wild flame,
And you’ll be burned
You need to grow a yellow rose.
Jewel honestly hadn’t expected it.
Like sure, they randomly had a creature fall in that was perfect for the next torment, but it crashing straight through the dome netting? That wasn't something that just… happened. Not to mention that the netting was made of metal- grogon steel, so that was going to be a mega ouch when they woke up. But, more so, she was annoyed. It was her off day- one she had planned to spend napping in the coolness of the shallow water pool in her room, her plasma making it majorly cooler than the air around her.
So of course, just when she was nice and relaxed, someone had to come and drag her out to the arena. So. She was annoyed. Very. annoyed. Jewel stared at the limp form of the dragon before her. The other fighters had taken to circle it, curious. Arms folded, bored (and slightly irritated) at the sudden call upon for nothing but another poor soul to which had fallen, Jewel studied the Being in front of her.
Royal red scales with the classic firewood brown patches on the arms and legs, orange chasing down its long swan like neck. Small stubby spikes the way down its neck, back and all the way across its long whip-like tail. Large three spined wings fell limp behind it, the inside patterned with flames and the out with pitch blackness. Wood like horns sat upon its head, curving and twisting, and one was snapped. Its right front leg was also missing, and Jewel admired the handy work with the metal replacement.
She was drawn back into the conversation she had been not listening to by her boss speaking, muttering that it was a good buy or use for the arena. “I want it,” Jewel butted in, lifting her head to stare into the eyes of her boss, whom even after 18 years, still didn't know the name of. No one did. Next to her, the Mixcher snickered. “You really want that thing?” He nodded to the dragon and then made a lewd gesture. Jewel blinked at him, rolled her shoulders and flicked her hand back, back handing the Mixcher over the gills, whom gasped and choked, bending over at the hit.
“Correction,” Jewel said, primly not at all bothered by the wheezing Being beside her. “I want to take it-” Jewel's eyes flickered, hunting, but then paused, realised that looking may be a terrible idea, and then corrected herself slowly, “Them…. With me.” Her boss glared at her. “Where? And how? I'm your boss- I'm in charge.” he remained stubborn. Jewel hummed at that, nodding as sarcastically as she could, smug at the way it made the Harpy beside her Lunic boss twitch and tremble in fury.
She didn’t know why she loved annoying the shit out of the half bird, it was just so satisfying to watch them squirm.
“Good question,” hummed Jewel, holding her chin in one hand like she was pondering it. “Welp! Then I call upon the Star’s arms and my leave then,” Now, Jewel had fought for massive crowds before, but never in her life had a group of Beings stared so intensely at her before. She really wanted to shuffle away from the eyes staring in mixtures of curiosity and surprise, but she held firm, keeping her eyes locked on the Lunic.
See, ‘leave’ was a set time that a Being working in Tartarus could take, almost like a holiday, but it’s main purpose was so the Being could try to escape Tartarus. If you don't return to work once your time’s up, you are marked as dead, or free.
And Star's arms was a witty promise that if you win five fights in a row, you can free one prisoner. It was usually used for pairings of beings that were taken prisoner, ya know ‘their in love and one tries to free the other in the name of said love,’ that nonsense. But it never said that workers couldnt use that promise…. and well, Jewel hadn’t lost a fight since she was 12 and well, that was roughly 6 and half years ago.
Jewel was pretty sure her boss was trying to set her on fire with his glare alone. She simply smiled back. “Problem?” she asked curtly, and the Harpy made a high pitched strangled sound that made Jewel want to cackle. Or film it. Or both! The truth was, clearly none of the workers or her boss knew, this wasn’t some old dragon. This was a Drakonic- just like Jewel, capable of shifting and thinking and feeling, capable of speech, and definitely not a Beast- a Being. A Being that could get her out of this hell.
She wasn’t going to let them keep this opportunity from her. She smiled falsely, waiting for a reply. Her boss finally gave up under her fake grin, and made a low pleasant snarl that cracked in his throat. Jewel had always imagined that sound to be similar to what thunder may sound like, which caused her mind to wonder what rain was like. “FINE!” snapped the Lunic, like the word had simmered under pressure and burst like a pressurised can. He turned and stormed off and Jewel almost felt bad for everyone that she had put him in one of his moods. Almost.
But she paid him no mind, merrily letting herself relax a little and restudy the Drakonic once more. This would be perfect. She waited for her boss to properly turn the corner and his footsteps to fall silent before she dipped forward, ignoring the confused mutters around her and the Harpy, still twitching and locked in place, humming as she gently hooked her arms around the Drakonics snout, pulling it into her lap. Their scales were smooth to touch, like polished stones, except for where their skin was marred with dips of dusty, dirty gold. Curious. She ran a finger gently over one along the Beings long neck, and the Drakonic, even unconscious, twitched, making a breathless whine.
Jewel immediately arched an eyebrow at that, alarmed slightly at the pained sound. Not a marking…. No, they felt like… scars. Jewels alarm ten folded. There were so many, how long had this Being been down here for?? And also- why were their scars gold?????? Questions later, Jewel, focus. Jewel huffed, running fingers under the Beings jaw and pressed, and with a whooph! the the dragon burst into a frenzy of ash, smoke and embers, and for a split second Jewel worried if the Drakonic would have clothes on shit, what if they didn't-
But what was done was done, and the drakonic took on their mundane form, and holy fucking spirits they are TALL- The forced shift stirred them, as Jewel freaked out, hands failing about and eyes flickering. A female- from visual looks, Jewel would figure gender out later, she was a bit freaking busy, they were wearing…. something, at least, but it certainly couldn't be clothes anymore with how torned and singed it was.
Her skin was warm as her scales, tanned in a colour that actually alarmed Jewel further. She hadn't seen tanned Beings before, she literally grew up in a cave. Her hair was a frazzled mess, knotted waves of brown tied half heartedly into a ponytail, and embers fizzled and spat angrily in the waves. How is her head not on fire??? Jewel wondered in mid panic, and she froze as the Drakonic drunkenly lifted their head, blinking large almond shaped eyes, a brilliant blue that Jewel didn't even know existed, and her cat shaped pupils were ringed with a bright yellow.
Jewel held her breath as the Drakonic wobbled, squinting curious at Jewel. “Huh,” they said, voice low and rich- rather rasped and dry as well, probably from lack of water, and they lifted their metal taloned hand, not in the right position for human body, and attempted to poke Jewel, and absolutely failed with her hand bent the wrong way. “A female,” Mused the Drakonic, and Jewel didn't know whether to laugh from nerves or to snark sarcastically at the other, but they promptly tottled forward and passed out again before Jewel made up her mind.
Jewel caught them on instinct, and stared at the girl for a long time. I really hope that… whatever that was, was just the concussion talking. Jewel hoped, a little lost at the inter interaction, given Jewel had expected the Drakonic to lunge for her throat the second she could. Look, they weren’t Beasts, but ya know, do or die.
The other fighters had gone from curious to all fucked levels of fearful, alarmed to find it wasnt a dragon, but a fucking tall Drakonic. Jewel hummed, and then promptly scooped up the drakonic into a bridal carry, their wings unravelling and falling limp, and walked off before the other workers could figure out to say, ignoring the loud screech of rapid words from the Harpy that filled the arena as she picked up her speed back to her room. She nudged the door open and swiftly kicked it shut behind her, carrying the Drakonic gently over to her bathroom. She laid the girl in the bath, slumped and unmoving, and stared. Okay. Now what genius?
She sighed, rubbing her forehead to wade off the approaching headache. Well. patching up the other may be a good start?
Jewel shifted, padding around her room to grab anything she deemed that would be useful. Water, a pillow, medical kit, clothes. Jewel flushed at the last part, wondering how that was going to work. She shook her head and continued on, also throwing a quick pile of essentials together to be bagged and organised for later on. Returning to the bathroom Jewel turned on the tap, snatching up the cloth and poured soap on it, and started to gently rub the grit off the other. Jewel left the others … ‘clothes’ on, as she was certain she could just leave them on and put something over them. There wasn't much left of them anyway, and it was hot in Tartarus so they shouldn’t get a fever or cold or whatever.
The Drakonic twitched at the touch, making another whimper, and Jewel paused before softly cooing, hoping to help but honestly lost. “You're okay, I’m just washing you, okay?” She whispered, although the other was still unconscious. The Drakonic whined softly, but over time they slowly relaxed into the warm water and soft cloth. Jewel washed out their hair, a tad nervous about those embers, but instead of spluttering out they brightened, which Jewel found amusing, brushing out the others hair and untangling anything in it. She washed over any newer injuries, finding a couple scrapes and a slash from some beast, maybe a hellhound? But it is mostly healed now.
Still, Jewel pulled the plug and gently dried them off, along their skin to their scales of their wings, mindful to not stare at anything for too long because that's a creepy thing to do, ya know? It was then she noticed a soft pulse of glowing ruby on their higher part of their spine, and nearly dropped the towel into the bathtub. That's their Life-Force. Jewel realised, frozen in shock. She swallowed, eyes flickering to the sleeping Drakonics face and then back to the pulsing red. It had been hard to spot against the ruby red of their scales and mud and dirt, but now it was so obvious. She could easily make out the shape of the muscle through the others skin, and something sickening and dark filled Jewel as she realised that she could press on that spot and the Drakonic would die, and they wouldn't be able to stop Jewel.
Anything could kill this Drakonic.
And Jewel would NOT let that happen.
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