Chapter Text
Kim Rok Soo died.
It was a quick, painless death. Nothing to note, really. Just a sudden, sharp, nothing. It happened, and that was it.
All was well—Choi Jung Soo and Lee Soo Hyuk were on their way to victory against the Grade 1 monster. They were doing just fine without Kim Rok Soo there. The worst would not come to pass.
But now the problem is Kim Rok Soo is alive.
Which, honestly, is nothing to complain about. Being alive is great. Wonderful, even. So the real problem lay in where the fuck on earth is he?
Also, he’d like to know why the fuck was he a fox?
Actually, it’s really nothing to complain about. He was never superstitious, but he does at least know a little about reincarnation and the karmic cycle. He’s lucky he wasn’t turned into an ant or worm.
Anyways, fox.
Kim Rok Soo swishes his tail in annoyance.
Being a fox isn’t…bad. It’s a lot simpler than being a human. All he has to do is scrounge around for some food then retreat to his den and sleep the rest of the day away.
Whichever forest he awoke in is pretty safe. There aren’t any predators here, a fox being one of the ones at the top of the food chain in this ecosystem.
So he settled in for an easy life. Hunt for food, sleep, repeat. When winter came, he would hibernate and when spring crept in he would shed his thick winter coat and play around in the fields of wildflowers that graced the budding earth.
A perfect, quiet, peaceful life.
He isn’t sure how much time passes like that. But it has to be around two years based on the changing of seasons. It’s hard to keep track of time and dates when you’re not human anymore.
Just as the summer of his second year is coming to a close, the little forest he calls home is thrown into chaos.
Birds shriek from above, scattering into the air and fleeing their perches amongst the treetops. Feathers and leaves rain down as they hastily take flight.
Mice and rabbits scuttle down below, small and nimble as they run underfoot.
Deer jump and leap across the forest floor, hooves propelling them forward as they race to the north, away from the source of the commotion.
And to the south, fierce barking, and snapping teeth can be heard.
Hunting dogs.
Kim Rok Soo can taste the danger in the air. It sours his surroundings like curdled milk. The scent of fear and the scent of blood.
He isn’t interested in sticking around. He quickly uncurls himself from his cozy position on a sunbathed rock and scrambles to his feet. The barking is getting closer.
Instead of following the rush of fleeing animals, he sets off for the west side of the forest. The hunting dogs are full of excitement, going for the thrill of the hunt. They hopefully won't follow one stray trail.
Kim Rok Soo lopes across strewn roots and stray branches, deftly heading deeper into the thickening forest. There’s a stream on this side, and once he reaches it, he can use it to hide his scent.
The barking of dogs grows more distant and finally he arrives at the stream. The water rushes by, smooth surface only marred by the smattering of jutting rocks from the riverbed.
Despite the warm summer weather, the water has a slight chill to it. Kim Rok Soo leaps in, wading in the water which climbs just halfway up his legs.
He follows the stream northward, against the current. He’s careful not to go too far north so he doesn’t run into the hunting pack, but stays in the water long enough that he shakes off any scent trail he left behind.
Once enough time and distance is covered, he leaps out of the stream, shakes the water off his russet pelt, and continues heading west.
He knows most of this forest like the back of his paw, but this is an area he’s never been to before. It’s probably for the best that he finds a quiet place to hide and hunker down for the next couple of days.
If there are people out hunting in the forest, they’ll likely stick around for a day or two before moving on.
Kim Rok Soo wanders around for a bit, looking for a good spot before settling on a burrow hidden within twisting tree roots. It’s empty and the scents lingering inside are stale, as if nothing has visited in months.
With a yawn, he settles down for a nap.
𓃦
Kim Rok Soo swishes his tail in irritation.
Instead of his nice cozy little den, sleeping away the day, he’s in a dark, musty, creepy looking cavern.
How did he get here?
Let’s rewind a bit.
A couple days ago, he successfully avoided the hunting dogs and whatever hunting game the humans were playing at.
But while he was straying through the unfamiliar western half of the forest, scavenging for food, he got caught in a trap. He suspects the trap was laid weeks ago, allowing the scent of humans to dissipate and catching him unaware.
The western forest was unusually quiet compared to the east where he lived. Take the abandoned den he found for example.
It wasn’t suspicious at first glance, but now that he thinks back, most of the animals that lived in the west must’ve fled after months or years of being terrorized by humans. After thinning out their game, the humans moved to the eastern forest to continue their fun.
In any case, he got snapped up by the trap. The jagged metal edges bit into his hind legs, keeping him rooted to the spot. He’s pretty sure one of his legs was broken, while the other was close to it.
For two whole days, he was stuck.
On the second day, he heavily debated gnawing off his hind legs just to escape. In his first life as a human, he heard tales of animals biting off their limbs in desperation.
Now, he finally understands that feeling.
Hunger festering in his belly.
The burning sun beaming down through the trees, relentless in its onslaught of light and heat.
Dehydration making every breath feel like he’s swallowing sand.
And worst of all, the pain creeping up his hind legs. It wouldn’t abate. A constant throb. With every shift of his body, a fresh wave of pain would send his whole body rippling in agony. Eventually, the pain dulled to a numbness. It wasn’t better but neither was it worse. Perhaps he just got used to it.
On the third day, he heard crunching branches and loud barks.
The party of humans and their hunting dogs were returning.
The dogs came first, barking excitedly and nosing and sniffing their way closer.
They were the long-legged type. With tall, sharp ears and pointed snouts. Perfect for chasing down their prey.
The humans followed shortly after, and Kim Rok Soo resignedly accepted his fate.
Well, it’s not like foxes lived long lives anyways.
One of the humans, a male with shoulder-length blonde hair, bends down to give him a good look. He’s got a slimy smirk on his face, like he’s seen something precious and can’t wait to use it.
The man says something—Kim Rok Soo isn’t sure what, the language sounds different here, not the Korean he’s familiar with—and then the men behind him walk over to release him from the trap.
He’s scooped up, limbs tied together with rope, shoved into a sack, then thrown over someone’s shoulder. Strange they didn’t kill him immediately. But he’ll take it. The longer he can get away with it, the more chances he’ll have to eventually make an escape.
It takes another two days before the group stops traveling through the forest. All the while, Kim Rok Soo is lugged around like a sack of potatoes. It jostles his injuries and he’s pretty sure his other leg is now broken from the tightly bound rope. Good luck to him escaping like this.
Once, he tried biting through the burlap sack, but found himself face-to-face with a mutt. The dog barks sharply at him, and Kim Rok Soo retreats back into the sack.
So, fast forward a bit and he’s here. In the damp and dank cavern, stuck behind rusting metal bars. Like a prisoner.
Kim Rok Soo would like to ask: Who imprisons a fox of all things???
In any case, he’s alive. Being alive is the best so he can’t complain too much. He just needs to stay alive and wait until his legs heal before he can make a move.
He tries his best to set the bones in his legs. But he’s no doctor, nor is he familiar with a fox’s anatomy. He can only guess at what he’s doing based on his own limited experience patching up his injuries as a human in his previous life.
After he’s straightened(?) out his hind legs, he settles down and vows not to move for as long as he can. It’s impossible to wrap bandages with paws, and neither is there any cloth of sorts in this empty cell, so he has nothing to keep his legs bound. He can only hope for the best.
Despite his dire situation, there’s one thing that comes as a surprise. For some reason, his captors treat him well.
Well, well enough for a prisoner.
He’s fed constant meals, given an abundant supply of water and even groomed after each meal.
Suspicion grows in him. Is he being fattened up for his fur? He doesn’t like the idea of being skinned and turned into a cloak.
So, he starts refusing the food and water, slinking back into a corner of the cave and rolling into a ball.
His captors catch on quickly. But rather than any corporeal punishment (most likely to preserve the quality of his fur) instead he’s taken out of his tiny cavern and walked down long winding tunnels to another section.
This new area is bigger than the last. He takes a quick survey of his surroundings.
Sharp tools gleam from where they’re hanging on a wall. Torture devices. He gives an involuntary shiver.
The cave is thick with the smell of blood and flesh, but it’s not the scent of any animal he’s familiar with.
The mystery doesn’t last long, as he’s tossed behind a new set of bars, thicker and sturdier than the last.
He yelps as he lands on his hind legs. A jolt of pain lances up his spine. Ugh. Bastards.
The bars shut with a loud clang.
The scent of the unfamiliar animal is thicker in here.
Nervously, he looks around.
At first, it’s hard to see anything in the darkness.
Then, his keen eyes adjust and gradually he makes out a dark colored lump in the corner. It’s smooth and…scaled? And are those…wings? It’s hard to tell with the shadows that gather around the figure.
Slitted blue eyes glare at him, unblinking in their stare. Its muzzle is pulled back in a snarl, sharp fangs gleaming dangerously.
Kim Rok Soo’s ears flatten to his head. He lowers himself to the ground and tries for a harmless and hopefully friendly sounding yip.
The creature in the corner doesn’t move, mouth letting out a low growl.
Kim Rok Soo tries again, this time rolling onto his side and making it seem as if he’s relaxing, front paws splayed out in a stretch.
The creature still doesn’t blink or twitch. But at least it’s stopped growling.
Kim Rok Soo lets out a huff then curls up into a ball. Whatever.
He’s not sure if this is true “punishment” for not eating his meals. Perhaps his captors thought he’d be cowed by this ferocious little beast? Whatever it was, it was certainly some sort of predator. Kim Rok Soo’s instincts as a fox screamed that fact. But the human side of his brain was able to brush it off.
He tucks his snout under his fluffy tail. Let’s just sleep.
𓃦
Kim Rok Soo wakes up to blue eyes.
The little beast is still staring at him.
He sighs.
With a satisfying stretch, careful not to aggravate his hind legs too much, Kim Rok Soo awkwardly crawls closer to the little beast. He can’t quite walk yet, so he’s settled for the next best—shuffling across the ground.
The beast snarls at him, eyes flashing with warning.
Kim Rok Soo yips, trying to convey his intention not to harm, but he stops where he is. That’s as far as he’ll go today.
𓃦
It takes a week of gentle coaxing for the little beast to finally withdraw from the shadows.
The sight that greets Kim Rok Soo when the creature finally emerges is quite surprising.
It’s a dragon. A small, tiny, scarred black dragon. Its stubby wings are torn in places, and its claws are not yet sharped, still blunted and short. Entirely harmless.
It’s cute. Not at all like a fearsome looking adult dragon.
Kim Rok Soo will have to shelve the thought that he’s landed in some fantasy world for another day.
He’s never seen a dragon before, but this one looks quite young. Practically newborn if the still-soft black scales are anything to go by.
Kim Rok Soo curses their captors in his head. A newborn and it’s already been tortured to this state? How cruel and twisted humans could be.
On top of the countless injuries, a thick band of metal surrounds the dragon’s neck like a choker. He’s unsure what it’s for, but it’s definitely uncomfortable. And potentially dangerous judging by the blinking red light that sits smack in the middle of the collar.
The dragon still won’t let Kim Rok Soo get close, but hopefully when he does, Kim Rok Soo will try to gnaw off the collar somehow.
For the past week that Kim Rok Soo and the dragon were stuck inside the cell together, their captors tried to spark some sort of competition between them.
They only brought a single meal made for one, and let the dragon have it all.
The dragon seemed confused at first, likely not used to being fed so often, and would ravenously bite into all the food offered.
Kim Rok Soo just rolled his eyes. Let the kid eat, then. If his captors were trying to make him jealous, then they could keep trying harder. He’s starved for longer. He could continue with his hunger strike with no problem.
Eventually, the little dragon caught on.
To Kim Rok Soo’s surprise, one night the little dragon carried back a piece of raw meat in his mouth and dropped it near where Kim Rok Soo was curled up.
Kim Rok Soo tilts his head. For me?
The dragon just huffs then stalks away.
Well, Kim Rok Soo was still on a hunger strike because he didn’t want his pelt turning shiny and pretty for the humans to take. But goodwill was goodwill, and he also isn’t one to turn down a peace offering from a little kid.
He wolfs down the meat with relish.
It actually makes his stomach twist in pain, having not had food in over a week, but he hides his grimace under his paws and flicks his tail in thanks.
By week two of cohabitation with the dragon, Kim Rok Soo is proud to say he’s finally made progress with their relationship.
The dragon actually lets Kim Rok Soo get close!
Kim Rok Soo first tries to pry off the metal collar with his fangs. But the collar is solid steel and only serves to make his teeth ache. He tries slicing at it with his claws too. It works better—making thin cuts. But they’re shallow and hardly noteworthy. Maybe if he works at the same spot?
The little dragon just blinks at him in confusion.
Unfortunately, they can’t communicate with one another so Kim Rok Soo has trouble conveying what he’s trying to do. But at least his attempt to get the collar off has clear insinuations.
The act opens up the last bit of trust the dragon needs to feel comfortable around Kim Rok Soo.
When nights come, or at least when it’s time to sleep, as there’s no way of telling the time of day down here in the underground cave, the little dragon trods over to where Kim Rok Soo is curled up and snuggles into his fur.
It’s actually super endearing. The little dragon folds his wings against his back and tries to crawl under Kim Rok Soo’s fluffy tail.
Kim Rok Soo laugh-purrs at the little dragon’s actions. He raises his tail, swishing it gently across the dragon’s back in comforting motions. The little dragon falls asleep quickly, eyes closed contentedly.
In return, Kim Rok Soo presses against the dragon’s side. He’s always warm, like a small ball of heat. It feels nice in this cold and damp cave.
But their momentary peace doesn’t last for very long.
Their captors notice their growing friendliness with one another and promptly put an end to it.
Kim Rok Soo is dragged out of their cage and tossed into one next to it instead.
The little dragon growls and hisses in anger when they come to take Kim Rok Soo away, but all he gets is a couple of pointed kicks.
The little dragon’s growls turn into whimpers as he cowers against the ground, blood leaking from reopened wounds.
Seeing the little dragon’s state, Kim Rok Soo twists and angrily bites at the man’s hand. He clamps his jaws down as hard as he can, biting in and not letting go.
The man cries out in pain. His good hand comes down hard on Kim Rok Soo’s head, but he doesn’t let go, only biting down even harder.
The man lets out a string of expletives, stomping over to a wall and slamming Kim Rok Soo against it.
All Kim Rok Soo sees is black, and the dragon’s wide, scared eyes.
𓃦
Kim Rok Soo wakes up to soft mewling and pitiful sobs.
His whole body hurts but his head even more so. It throbs unrelentingly, a heavy pressure building at his temple.
He must’ve made some sort of noise, either a groan or moan in pain because the cries of the little dragon stop.
The little dragon is by the bars that separate the two connected sides of their cages, trying to push his snout through. The sides of his nose are already rubbed raw from his insistent pushing and his little stubby claws are cracked from where he clawed and scrabbled at the metal bars.
Tears and snot drip down the dragon’s face. He truly makes for a pitiful sight.
Kim Rok Soo pushes the pain away and sighs. This kid…he didn’t intend to get hurt and it only made this child worry himself into this state. Kim Rok Soo feels a bit responsible.
He pulls himself to his feet and wobbles unsteadily over to where the little dragon is staring at him through the bars of the cage. Whoops, that was his left paw not his right…Ugh he can’t walk straight.
He finally reaches the dragon after stumbling over himself a couple times. He may or may not have nose-planted into the ground a few times too.
The little dragon has fresh tears flowing from his blue eyes. Whimpers escape his mouth.
Kim Rok Soo licks at the dragon’s cheek through the gap in the cage bars. Salty. Tsk, a mighty being like a dragon shouldn’t be shedding tears over an insignificant creature like Kim Rok Soo.
The dragon’s sobs turn to hiccups and soon those to just sniffles. Phew. Kim Rok Soo doesn’t like seeing others cry.
The pain making his head feel as if it were going to explode abates slightly. Probably a concussion, but a mild one.
For as long as they can, they stay huddled together, as close as the bars of the cage will allow. When a guard comes to deliver food, the same one from earlier, he clicks his tongue in annoyance.
But by whatever grace of god, he doesn’t do anything else, just deposits a bowl of food on Kim Rok Soo’s side of the cage then stalks off. Kim Rok Soo catches a glimpse of bandages wrapped around his arm. But he also has a patch on his face, one that doesn’t fully cover the purpling color underneath.
Heh. Kim Rok Soo scoffs vindictively. Looks like the guard was punished for damaging the ‘goods.’ Aka Kim Rok Soo and his pelt. Hopefully he can use this knowledge to his advantage in the future.
𓃦
Every week, without fail, someone comes to take the little dragon out of his cage. They’ll be gone for long periods of time, and always the dragon will come back with gashes across its tiny body, and a droop to its shredded wings.
As much as Kim Rok Soo wants to stop the torture he knows is happening, there’s little he can do. He’s stuck in a different cage now, barred from interfering. He’ll yowl and growl as much as he can, swipe his paws through the bars of the cage, but it gets him nowhere.
Instead, from between the bars, Kim Rok Soo will gently lick the little dragon’s wounds with his rough tongue.
Every day, without fail, Kim Rok Soo motions for the little dragon to walk to the side of the cage that they share and while no guards are there to see, Kim Rok Soo will use his claws to slowly saw away at the collar.
Every day, when a human comes with Kim Rok Soo’s meal but not one for the dragon, Kim Rok Soo will share his food, watching contentedly as the little dragon gulps down over half of the meal. Little kids need to be fed more so they can grow strong.
Plus, it works out to his benefit. When the guards return to collect the empty bowl, it looks as if he’s finishing his meals, but he’s only eating enough to sate his hunger. Everything else goes to the dragon. As a result, his pelt remains a tad ragged and dull, and his ribs jut out just enough to complete the underfed look.
The longer he can draw this out before becoming someone’s fox pelt, the better. He just needs to buy some time.
That becomes their routine.
And, slowly but surely, Kim Rok Soo’s hind legs heal enough for him to walk upright, albeit a bit unsteadily on them.
It hurts to walk, and it probably always will from now on. His bones definitely didn’t heal properly. But it’s enough.
And, slowly but surely, the collar around the little dragon’s neck is whittled down. Kim Rok Soo works at two places on the collar—one in the front, the other in the back. He chooses spots that are easily hidden underneath the folds of the soft skin of the dragon’s neck.
Every time the dragon is taken away by the humans, Kim Rok Soo prays that they do not discover the weak points of the collar.
Luckily, either the humans are of low intelligence or just plain blind and it’s not discovered.
Today, the little dragon has just returned from a session with the humans. This one was particularly bad.
Small puncture wounds coat his side and one wing is bent at an odd angle. Not broken, but sprained.
Kim Rok Soo carefully tends to the bleeding, licking up the blood that oozes from the sides of the dragon’s body.
Despite the pain the dragon must be in, his tail is flicking side to side contentedly, a habit he picked up from Kim Rok Soo. If it weren’t for the sleek black scales and bat-like wings, Kim Rok Soo would think the dragon is slowly turning into a fox himself. The dragon is starting to act exactly like fox-Rok Soo. He quirks his head whenever he’s confused, and licks at his paws as if he’s grooming himself. He even tries to yip sometimes, but it comes out more like a half yelp-half growl.
Well, it's not surprising.
The little dragon was born to captivity, and Kim Rok Soo is the only influential and parental figure he’s had in his short life.
It’s sad, to think of it that way.
But Kim Rok Soo tries not to dwell on the thought too much. Soon they will escape this hellhole and the little dragon can find other dragons like him and Kim Rok Soo can return to his life in the forest. Or maybe a forest further away where he won’t get caught by these scoundrels again.
Kim Rok Soo doesn’t know much of this world he was reborn into, but he knows the little dragon should be cared for by those of his kin, not some random fox like Kim Rok Soo.
The chance to escape comes not too long after.
It’s a day after the humans come to do their weekly session with the dragon.
In all the time Kim Rok Soo spent trapped in this underground dungeon, the humans always come to pick up the dragon roughly a week apart. It’s hard to estimate the passage of time, but based on the routine meals it should be a week.
Which means today, a day after, they will not show their faces until it’s time for feeding, which won’t happen until later.
Kim Rok Soo debated long and hard whether or not to escape first then somehow get rid of the dragon’s collar, or remove the collar then escape. Eventually, he decided on the latter. The former was too risky. What if the collar was some sort of bomb that would explode as soon as their escape was discovered? The blinking red light was too ominous.
The collar around the dragon’s neck is barely held together at this point. So now is their chance.
Kim Rok Soo nudges the dragon with his nose. The dragon lowers his head in response, resting his head on his paws.
Kim Rok Soo unsheathes his claws and with a few swipes, the collar around the dragon’s neck snaps off and falls to the cobbled ground, noise muffled using Kim Rok Soo’s tail as a cushion.
The dragon startles, raising a paw to his throat. He blinks wide blue eyes at Kim Rok Soo.
A blue aura leaks from the dragon’s scales, coating him in a bright glow.
What’s this? Kim Rok Soo has never seen anything like it before. Perhaps…this world also contains magic? This was good, if they could harness that power to escape—
No, the dragon probably didn’t know how to use it. Anyways, Kim Rok Soo already had a plan in mind.
This needs to be quick before a guard comes and passes by on patrol. Kim Rok Soo dashes to the door of his cage, clambers up the rusted metal using his claws and teeth, then fiddles with the lock by sticking one of his claws inside.
After a few seconds, it clicks open and slowly swings out with Kim Rok Soo still clinging to it. He leaps off, stumbling a bit when he lands too harshly on his hind legs, then moves to the lock on the dragon’s cage. He makes quick work of that one, and the little dragon stares at him in amazement, eyes lighting up with wonder.
Kim Rok Soo jerks his head to the side, motioning for the dragon to follow.
They keep to the walls, slinking through the shadows. Luckily, the dragon is black and Kim Rok Soo rolled around the dirty floor beforehand to hide the white coloring to his underside.
He activates [Record], confirming the escape route he’s run through several times in his head.
He remembers everything. From the moment his captors brought him to this place. The entrance to these tunnels and the route they took to where they tossed him and the dragon.
They pass by a thick wooden door where the smell of blood wafts heavily from. Beside him, the little dragon shivers. This must be the place they took the dragon each time.
Kim Rok Soo wishes he was human again. Then he could have trashed this place to ruin.
He pushes the dragon onward, pressing himself against the dragon in comfort.
Ahead, he hears footsteps approaching. Shit, the guard on duty was coming. He quickly glances around, spotting a couple of crates to the side. Without thinking, he grabs the dragon by the nape and drags them behind the crates where they huddle with bated breaths.
The guard passes, not noticing anything amiss. But it won’t be for long. The guard will soon reach the end of the passageway and discover the empty cages. They need to hurry.
Kim Rok Soo urges the dragon forward again, prodding him to hurry from behind. His hind legs twinge in pain but he ignores it. Now is not the time to let his weakness slow him down.
They traverse the dark and twisting tunnels. There are an abundant number of other doors that line the tunnel walls, and Kim Rok Soo doesn’t want to know what’s behind them. He knows he won’t like it.
A shout of alarm comes from behind them. The empty cages have been found.
But they’re close to the exit. He can taste the fresh air within the stale breeze that ghosts by.
The dragon must feel the change, too, as his pace quickens.
An earsplitting alarm begins to blare overhead, making the tunnels vibrate and shake. Dust and pebbles fall from the ceiling, some bits falling into Kim Rok Soo’s eyes. He blinks away the stinging of dust. They’re so, so close.
His breath comes in quick pants. He’s already exhausted all his energy. Damn this weak body of his. The dragon still looks full of vitality, no sign of exhaustion despite its injuries.
The blurriness of his vision coupled with the sharp pain in his hind legs causes him to trip and tumble to the ground.
The dragon pauses in his step and makes a worried noise, looping back to nudge Kim Rok Soo back to his feet.
Urgh this kid. Forget about this old fox and hurry out!
Kim Rok Soo pushes the dragon away, urging him to leave without him. The exit is just ahead. The dragon will be able to find his way out by following the scent of fresh air.
The dragon just shakes its head at him, stubbornly clinging to Kim Rok Soo’s side.
Kim Rok Soo wishes he could speak at this moment. Desires the ability to communicate with more than just gestures. Go. Leave. To tell the dragon to escape. Words and sentences fill his mind but he can only convey it in yips and barks.
Finally, the dragon manages to help Kim Rok Soo up to shaking limbs. But a few steps is all it takes for his legs to give way again.
Tears start to bead at the little dragon’s eyes. He cries. Big fat tears and watery blue eyes.
Kim Rok Soo sighs and the dragon juts out his lower lip as if to pout and say I’m not crying.
With a determined look, the dragon starts to beat his wings. A quick one, two and on three he’s hovering in the air.
Kim Rok Soo watches, slightly awestruck. He’s never seen the dragon take flight before. His wings were in such poor shape, Kim Rok Soo wasn’t sure if the dragon even could fly.
The dragon is obviously struggling to stay afloat. The tears in his wings make it hard to catch air underneath. Nonetheless, the dragon curls his chubby paws around Kim Rok Soo’s lithe form and lifts.
A glow surrounds the dragon, blue in cast and filling the tunnel with soft blue light.
All of a sudden, Kim Rok Soo feels weightless. His legs dangle in the air, and his stomach does nervous flip flops at the sight of the ground growing smaller beneath him, but somehow he doesn’t fall.
The dragon, Kim Rok Soo secure within his hold, beats his wings and charges forward.
The sound of footsteps are closing in from all directions. But the exit is in sight now. It’s nighttime, so the exit to the cave is as dark as within.
Three paces. Two paces. One pace.
Just as they’re about to fly out and make their escape, the glow surrounding the dragon winks out as if it was never there at all. Then, they crash into an invisible barrier, bouncing off and falling to the ground.
No—no!
Kim Rok Soo scrambles to his feet, pain forgotten. He bangs his head against the invisible wall, claws scrabbling furiously. What is this? Why can’t they get out? Is this…magic again?
He underestimated the abilities and powers that existed in this world. His entire life he lived secluded from others, minding his own business as a fox. Never could he have imagined that dragons existed in this world until he met one. And never could he have imagined magic thrummed through the air. Could do something like this.
Behind them, the footsteps thunder closer and closer until suddenly, all is silent.
They’re surrounded.
A figure steps out from the group of armed guards.
A familiar face. Short dirty blonde hair, sly green eyes. Fine, tailored clothing and a cocky stance.
Kim Rok Soo recognizes him as the human that caught him in the forest. The leader of this group of animal traffickers and torturers.
The man smirks down at them. An ugly, cruel smile filled with derision and scorn. He says something to his men. One of them steps forward, a brand new collar in hand.
Kim Rok Soo immediately pushes the dragon behind him and snaps his teeth in warning.
The blonde man just watches in amusement. He says something else and a second man steps forward. Without warning, the second man lunges forward and grabs Kim Rok Soo by the scruff.
Kim Rok Soo can’t even blink, the man is too fast. Even his sharp eyes can’t track the man’s movements.
The dragon lets out a ferocious screech, launching himself into the air to chase after the man. But just as he reaches forward, the first man snaps the collar around the dragon’s neck.
The dragon drops to the ground like a deadweight. The blue light stutters and splutters out. Dust plumes where he falls, blocking Kim Rok Soo’s sight behind billowing clouds of dirt.
Kim Rok Soo dangles helplessly from the man’s grip. He throws as best a fit as he can, trying to twist his neck out of the man’s grip. Head swiveling, claws out, jaws snapping.
The first man bends down, producing a needle from his pocket. Viscous yellow liquid sloshes around inside it. He injects it into the struggling dragon. Within seconds, the dragon’s movements slow to sluggishness. His blue eyes retain their fierce look, but Kim Rok Soo watches with horror as even that determined and rebellious gaze is overcome with tiredness.
The dragon blinks once. Slowly. Twice.
His movements still.
One of the little dragon’s paws is still stretched out towards Kim Rok Soo.
The blonde haired man laughs. A high-pitched terrible sound that grates at Kim Rok Soo’s sensitive ears.
I’m sorry. Kim Rok Soo says to deaf ears. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.
He’s dragged away, kicking and biting, watching as the dragon’s small black form gradually grows smaller and smaller until it's swallowed up by the darkness.
𓃦
The human with brightly colored hair stands above the little dragon, arms crossed, sneer on his face.
A white and black cloak drapes across his shoulders. And, lining the hood is—is—
Something in the little dragon snaps.
All he can see is redredredred
The dragon feels a rush of power—bubbling, spilling forth. Somewhere in him, a dam just broke and now the energy locked within is begging, pleading to be used. It’s a familiar sensation, just like what he felt when his fox broke off the first collar. Since then, the power sat silent inside him. But he knew it was there. Waiting, biding its time.
He gives in to the feeling, lets the energy course through his body, consume him in raging hot power.
The collar around his neck snaps off. Shatters to pieces into tiny fragments.
The man takes a step back, fear dancing off him in waves. The fear sours the air and all the dragon feels is contempt at this shivering and cowardly figure. He feels a surge of vindictiveness, finding their roles finally reversed.
“How…how dare you.” The little dragon growls. He speaks in the tongue of these foul humans. He hates it, hates that the words of such vile creatures fill his mouth. But for him, it’s just a means to an end.
He doesn’t give the human a chance to speak. Does not give the human a chance to plead for its life or apologize for its sins.
A shockwave of blue energy ripples outwards, sending the cavern crumbling and cracking, the black dragon the epicenter of it all.
As the world falls apart around them, the little dragon catches a glimpse of the sky above for the first time.
He gazes upward, taking in the richness of colors that reveal themselves as pieces of the cave crumble and fall away. ‘So this is freedom.’ The little dragon thinks to himself. ‘It’s…beautiful.’
The little dragon doesn’t have many words to describe the sight. He knows little of the world, and doesn’t know how to convey his thoughts other than to just feel the rush of emotions that come with freedom.
But one thing he is certain of.
‘It would be even more beautiful if you were here.’
‘I wish I could experience it with you.’
—Raon Miru—
Extra:
The little dragon watches as the fox scratches marks into the ground.
They look strange. Some are blocky and straight, others are curled and rounded.
The dragon tilts his head at the fox questioningly, as if to ask: What does it mean?
The fox just narrows its eyes at him, staring through slitted orbs for a moment or two. Then, he flicks his tail at the dragon, letting the soft bushy fur tickle the dragon’s nose. You, silly.
When the little dragon sneezes at the action, head tilting the other way and still not comprehending the meaning, the fox lets out a bark in laughter. It means you.
Raon Miru.
라온 미르