At the Twilight of Harmony

by Rammy

His Tortured Screams

A scarred yellow and white dragon, with blood slowly dripping down his scales, edged further into the nest. Two smashed eggs, one orange and blue speckled, the other, robin’s egg blue, were lying behind him, with a final egg before him, a bright red one. He was about to smash it when a growl echoed through the forge. He head snapped up in surprise and shock. He was about to turn around when he was slammed face first into the far wall, and away from the final egg.

The downed dragon grunted and tried to get up. He couldn't even get to his knees before he collapsed. A growl of frustration came from him as he tried a second time.

“I waited long for this moment.” A gravely voice snarled in the darkness. The sounds of claws scraping the floor could be heard, as whomever attacked approached in the darkness.

“Well, hello!” Another voice spoke happily, and a half pinkish and half black dragon came into view.

“Alicorn Keeper?” The white and yellow dragon questioned in surprise. “But… you…they said that you...”

“Died? Almost, but it’s good that you can still recognize me, even with my injuries, courtesy of your hero.” Sentinel spat the last word. He had had enough of that dragon, and of this dragon’s hero worship. “Will make this process… less irritating… for one of us, Tortured Screams.”

Sentinel eyed the now-struggling dragon. He had placed a strong gravity well over the dragon, and he knew that, between taking out both the shield and a dragoness Tartarus-bent on protecting her eggs at all costs, Tortured Screams would have most likely expended a decent amount of energy. Being caught off guard didn’t help either.

Sentinel sighed. He was on his way to the battlefield when he could feel that not only had the clan wards been breached, but the wards that covered his hatchmate’s hoard… his hoard… had been breached. He knew that there could only be one that would try and attack Hourglass whilst the clan was away fighting the Nameless One. While Sentinel knew his clan needed his help to take on the Nameless One, his hatchmate’s eggs were likewise defenseless, especially if he was right and he was the one that breached the ward. Hopefully, he made make the right decision, even though he was too late for She of Hourglass and two of the eggs. Why couldn't Tortured Screams wait to attack Hourglass until after the battle? It would leave him more time for what was to come.

“Maybe I should have killed you…” Tortured Screams growled. “But then again, I like you…”

Sentinel angrily roared as he smacked the white and yellow dragon across the forge again. “You and I have unfinished business.”

“I see that you are angry.” Tortured Screams grinned. Sentinel snarled at this and rushed at him, slamming a paw down hard enough on the dragon’s chest that he lost his breath.

“AngRY DoeSn’t Even BegiN to dEScribE WhAt I feEl AbouT YOu.” Both Sentinel and Vorac roared as one. “YOU KILLED FOUR THAT BELONG TO MY HOARD!!!”

Tortured Screams only smirked in response. Sentinel didn’t respond to this, as he knew that soon, he would have his revenge. Sentinel shifted to his alicorn form. He needed to restrain the dragon, and the method he found required him to use his alicorn magic, or risk getting drained, and he was still recovering from nearly dying. The trip to Hourglass took longer then he wanted, as he tired out easily.

“Still using your prey form, I see.” Tortured Screams sneered.

“It has it uses… for example.” Sentinel floated several bands of etched metal over and slammed them on Tortured Screams’ arms, legs, tail, and chest.

“Like them?” Sentinel gestured to the bands that now held Tortured Screams down completely, leaving only his head able to move. “I made these especially for you, just in case you ever showed up, or I discovered where you have your hoard. They are based on magic suppressors for unicorn prisoners, but for dragon magic. With them, you are at my mercy. AnD FOr YOu, I haVE NoNe.”

If this was affecting Tortured Screams, he didn’t show it. Sentinel was fine with this. He knew that soon enough, he would get emotions coming from the dragon, and he knew it was going to be pain, fear, terror, and more pain. Now to begin that process.

“Enough talking about me, let’s talk about you…” Sentinel casually changed gears, before his expression turned sinister, and he began to circle around Tortured Screams, like a predator circling prey.

“You know, I wondered for some time how you survived the Razorback Expanse the way you did. Then, I thought back to that moment when you cut yourself open. There was no pain, was there?” Sentinel thrusted himself closer to Tortured Screams, who was showing signs of confusion, before stepping back and returning to circling. “Only pleasure. Your brain doesn’t register pain as pain, but as pleasure. It explains your name, doesn’t it, Tortured Screams?”

Tortured Screams’ eyes widened in shock. Sentinel thought for a second that he saw the glint of fear. If this was true, then his suspicions were correct, and all he needed to do was cast the spell he developed for this. His dragon form appeared as light, once again overlaid on his alicorn form, allowing him access to both magics. Sentinel saw that his prisoner’s demeanor was changing from shock and confusion to belligerent again, but he ignored it. He needed to concentrate to get the spell to work in the manner he wanted, and to override the dragon’s natural resistance to the alicorn spell he was preparing to cast. The brightness coming from his glowing horn increased to the point of drowning out everything.

Sentinel then touched his horn to Tortured Screams’ forehead. He could feel Tortured Screams trying to move away, but, between the mana suppressors and the massive amount of mana pressure from the spell, it prevented him from moving. After a few moments, Sentinel lifted off, and the spell, along with the brightness, faded away.

 “A light show?” Tortured Screams snarked. “I’m soooo impressed…”

Sentinel switched to his dragon form and casually took a single claw, scratching Tortured Screams just enough to make him bleed.

“WHAT DID YOU DO!?” Tortured Screams screamed out in pain, tears already beginning to form.

“Oh, you can dish it out, but can’t take it?” Sentinel put a paw to his chest in mock concern. “Good. That makes my vow all the easier, and SwEEter.”

A look of bewilderment again crossed Tortured Screams’ face for a moment, before the pain from the scratch overrode it.

“You didn’t hear it? Pity…” Sentinel drooped a bit before his demeanor suddenly lightened. He looked around conspiratorially, like he was about to say something he shouldn’t, then leaned in to whisper into Tortured Screams’ ears. “Tell you what, I’ll repeat it just for you. ‘Ja es üātreiz atrast juls es sūs cktieviethot juls jūsu uzürāt tat tevi thozalithāt.’”

“Consider it my gift to you.” Sentinel finally pulled away from Tortured Screams’ ear so he could see Tortured Screams’ reaction properly. He was not disappointed. Terror poured out of his eyes and inner fire.

*Pathetic.* Vorac snorted in disgust.

“Now I have a problem… I have eliminated your ability to breath fire, to slash, or to bash, but I still have to be careful with your fangs...”  Sentinel levitated a pair of special pliers from Quartermaster’s stash of forge tools into the dragon’s face. “Shall we fix that?”

Sentinel proceeded to pull each tooth, one by one. He waited a few seconds after each pull, to allow the spike of pain to drop, to make sure that the pain level that would be experienced would remain roughly the same. During this, Tortured Screams was screaming in pain. After he nearly passed out from the pain several times, Sentinel cast a spell to keep the dragon conscious.  He wanted him to suffer. No way would he give the dragon any chance to escape the pain until his death.

Towards the end of the teeth pulling, Tortured Screams was starting to choke on his own blood. Sentinel cast another quick healing spell, stopping the bleeding and removing the blood, allowing Tortured Screams to cough and start breathing semi-normally.

“Sorry about that... not sorry.” Vorac interrupted Sentinel’s fake apology.” True... but I can’t have you dying already from choking on your blood from your now toothless mouth… I WaNt tO SaVor tHis FoR AS Long as PossiBLE.”

With the teeth gone, Sentinel moved down and smashed each claw, one by one. The further he went, the more disappointed he got. He was expecting a bit more of a dragon with a hoard of screams...

“Come now…” Sentinel shook his head at the most recent scream, which sounded more like a whimper. “I think you can do better! It’s your name, after all. Don’t dragons want to become their very name? You should be able to put a banshee to shame!”

Sentinel tried a different tactic, and proceeded to pull off the scales on Tortured Screams’ snout, one by one. This got the results he wanted.

“BEtTer…” Sentinel and Vorac noted. “Now, I wonder if I can get you screaming like a little female hatchling?”

*Manly dragon squealing like girl...* Vorac laughed as Sentinel started up again. *Or mouse.*

Sentinel joined in Vorac’s laughter as he twisted a conjured knife that he had stabbed between a pair of scales near a very special part for a male, making Tortured Screams scream just like he wanted. He would never tire of hearing it, even though he knew that it would soon have to end. His clan would need him, soon.

The sound of a distant roar caught Sentinel’s attention. It was faint but, even then, he could tell that something about it was wrong. After a moment, Sentinel turned his attention back to Tortured Screams. Sentinel could tell that Vorac was dwelling on that roar, and, until he figured it out, he could continue.

Tortured Screams whimpered as Sentinel ‘lovingly’ traced a claw along his cheek. “Oh, it seems that the dragon has lost his fierceness…”

*Firstclaw, rage! We need to go!* Vorac snapped.

Sentinel growled in frustration. He was hoping for a bit more time, but he had a duty, both as Secondclaw, and as a Keeper. He smiled as he eased himself right into Tortured Screams’ mangled face.

“Aren’t you the lucky one? You get to have ‘mercy’ a bit early, as I have a clanmate to see to. But before I go...” Sentinel sneered. “One. Last. Scream. PLeaSE.”

Sentinel plunged his claw into Tortured Screams’ chest, eliciting a final, garbled scream. Sentinel pulled his claw out, and with that, Sentinel quickly cut off every limb, followed by the head, killing Tortured Screams. He breathed deeply, feeling happy for his work on the now dead dragon. He only had a slight tinge of guilt over not being able to lengthen the torture. The screams were a soothing balm. He kicked the now lifeless body out of the forge before he took off to the north.

I’m coming, Golden DragonHeart!