Ressan gritted his teeth as he felt the bulky iron shackles close over his wrists. His thin eyebrows furrowed as he struggled against the manacles on his ankles and the makeshift rope bonds that kept his thick, scaled tail pressed harmlessly against his left leg. Pearly fangs poked over his lower lip, causing small lines of blood to pool on either side of his surprisingly delicate chin. He watched in horror as his small forest home burnt slowly, holding back stinging tears of anger. He had done nothing wrong, there was no reason this should have happened.

A quiet grunt escaped Ressan’s lips as he was pulled roughly onto the back of a stunning black horse that was obviously afraid of his presence. Most animals weren’t used to the man’s strange smell, and most fled or fought viciously. But this was a well trained beast, and soon calmed down when nothing of any great threat or importance happened. Ressan eventually relaxed as well, allowing himself to be bumped around for quite awhile as the guards approached the prince’s palace.

Ressan’s legs and back were cramped and stiff when he was finally dropped from his perch atop the beast of burden. He was led quickly out of the courtyard and away from the prying eyes of the prince’s aides out front. The man arched his back as he walked, stretching to rid his body of the knots the ride had caused. A little self-conscious, he stared at his long, clawed toes, wishing the guards had allowed him to put some clothing on before they forced him out of his house. He was sure there was nothing here that would fit his unusual legs, but he doubted they would try to find something for him anyway. Prisoners didn’t really get anything more than a cell and a few days to live.

Ressan looked upwards as they entered the throne room. His pupil-less black eyes widened slightly at the beautifully ornate decorations; he had heard stories about the prince’s palace, but nothing had prepared him for the majesty of this huge room. His eyes traveled down the walls to the actual throne, searching for the prince…

“Your majesty! We’ve apprehended this…man in the unnamed forest on your land. We’ve burned his home and detained his livestock. It appears he has…the legs and tail of a dragon, sir. What do you propose we do?”

Damien sat in the throne room, all day. There was always people going in and out. Mostly the peasants, wanting something or another. And he normally gave it to them. Anything to keep his people happy. Besides. He had enough to share.

He brushed his black hair out his face for the tenth time in the last hour. No matter what he did, it continued falling. But he refused to have it cut. He liked it that way. It made it easier for him to hide when he wanted to.

When the guards entered the room, he sat up straight and stretched. He examined the man that they had brought before getting up and going over to them to look closer. He thought about it for a while. "Take him to the dungeons, for now." he said. He was to tired to deal with this today.

{{Sorry this isn't as long as yours. Also, could you use a different color? That one hurts my eyes.}}

Ressan’s expression sharpened as he heard the prince speak, and his head snapped in the direction of the voice. He kept his black eyes focused on the other as he was dragged away, a fierce glare buried deep within them. His long claws dug into the floor, making a terrible scraping sound as he was pulled from the throne room. Before leaving the room completely, a loud growl ripped from his throat.

“You… Prince? Is that what they call you? What about being righteous and good? All I ever did was try to keep myself alive!” A pink flush began to creep up Ressan’s neck as he yelled down the long room to the prince. “Go ahead and lock me up! You’ll regret it, I’m telling you.” At this, Ressan let his wings show, spreading them to their full extent above him. He slammed them down several times, managing to stay airborne just long enough to make the shackles cut into his wrists and ankles. “You’ve never dealt with anyone like me befo- Arrhg!”

Ressan’s speech was cut short by a sharp stab in the side. He fell down to his knees wings crumpling and disappearing as he clutched the dripping wound cause by one of the soldiers’ swords. After another long, hard stare in the prince’s direction, he collapsed, though still conscious, and allowed the guards to drag him down to the dungeons, where he lay quite still, still oozing blood, from several lesions.

Damien was surprised when the dragon boy started yelling at him. It wasn't like he sentenced him to death or anything. Just to spend some time in the dungeon. He was more surprised when the guard stabbed the boy. He hadn't given any orders. And it wasn't like the boy could hurt him while he was in chains. So he didn't see why he did that.

The Prince groaned and rubbed his head. He just wanted for the day to be over. But he knew that he wouldn't be getting any sleep for a while yet. He dismissed everybody before heading down to the kitchen. His intentions; to get something to eat. Then it was off to the dungeon to deal with the prisoner.

Damien ate quickly as he walked. He made sure to grab some medical supplies. He would treat the boy's wounds while they spoke. If left untreated, they could get infected down in the dungeons. He entered and went straight over the the boy's cell, standing at the bars. He needed to make sure that he was even conscious first. A part of him hoped not so that he could get some sleep. Even if it wouldn't be right. "Hey.. You awake?" he asked.

Ressan’s ears perked up as he heard someone walking down the stone corridor towards his little cell. He lifted his head with some difficulty; he was tired and listless from loss of blood. His expression did not soften when he saw the prince walking down the hallway towards him, and was even unhappier when he caught the smell of food wafting down with him.

“Yes, unfortunately, I am very awake. You’re lovely hospitality here has neglected to give me another nice goose feather bed after my old one was burned to a crisp.” The man’s voice was a low hiss, full of malice and sarcasm. He had once thought well of this prince; giving to the poor, providing for the homeless; but now he saw that all that was simply a façade, apparently. A rather convoluted one, but a trick nonetheless.

“If you’re here to help, you can just piss off or let me go. This is ridiculous.” Ressan hauled himself to a sitting position, his black eyes swirling with anger. His usually gentle, attractive face was creased with concern and irritation, and his tanned skin was imprinted by the stones he had been laying on. The shinning scales were dusty and dull, their usual luster completely gone, mirroring the man’s mood.

((By the way, he's more of a man than a boy... He's around twenty six. :3))

Damien waited until the man was done speaking. Then spent another few minutes thinking. He hadn't meant for him to get hurt, but he couldn't stop the guards from doing what they wanted with the prisoners. It was their job, after all.

"I can't just let you go. If I just let the prisoners go when they ask, then there would be nothing but crimes all the time." he stated. A lot of the prisoners here was there for a reason. Mostly for murder and other dangerous acts. And it was part of his job to keep his people safe.

"I came down here to treat your wounds." Damien stated, holding up the first aid kit. "After that is done, I could send for you to have something to eat, if that is what you wish." he told him. Sure, he wasn't going to let him go. But that didn't mean he wanted him to hate him.

{{You weren't very specific about that. :sweat:}}

Ressan growled and rolled his eyes at the prince’s words. He pulled himself shakily to his feet, his usually pristine golden scales glimmering dully. His tail slapped loudly against the floor in irritation, causing small dust clouds to rise up around him.

“I did nothing wrong! All I was trying to do was keep myself alive, and your men burnt my home!” A few more unbidden tears sprung to his eyes as he remembered his life home slowly crumbling before him. There were so many memories wound into that house, and there could have been so many more… Maybe marriage, children, perhaps… Ressan quickly pushed these thoughts away; no one would mate with someone like him, and he didn’t know if he could even produce a child, let alone have it stay healthy through it’s life.

“I don’t need your help. I heal quickly.” His voice was quieter now, but still full to bursting with pent up fury and grief. He stretched his torso, lean muscles rippling underneath the thin, already scabbed over puncture wound. “It’ll be gone soon enough; I’ve had worse.” Ressan kept his intense gaze fastened onto the prince’s eyes, allowing his emotions to swirl around in their deep blackness.

Damien barely flinched when the man growled at him. He was expecting that. What he was also expecting was for him to at least beg a little to be let out. They always do. So he was surprised when he didn't.

"I didn't order them to burn your house down, you know. I sent them to deal with the problem." he stated. A lot of people had come to him claiming there was a monster in the forest. So, naturally, he had sent his soldiers. It wasn't his fault that they did that.

"Its fine that you don't want help. But would you like something to eat? I can have my chef bring you something.'' he offered. He wasn't going to let him starve, after all. He always made sure the prisoners had at least something to eat. He didn't always know what. The only thing that mattered was that they got something.

Ressan shot the prince a withering look and flopped back down, curling his legs awkwardly to fit in the tiny space. The tip of his tail waved back and forth moodily; the man absolutely hated being cooped up, and this was the epitome of just that. His swirling, black eyes widened slowly as he listened, just barely keeping control of his rage. “I’m not hungry. Your chef can go shove dinner up his ass.” His voice was low, and full of hatred.

After several deep breaths Ressan gave up on trying to control himself. He jumped up and threw himself at the bars of his prison, screeching and clawing at anything he could reach. His powerful back legs pounded the bars, but succeeded in warping them only the slightest bit. Deep scratches appeared in the stone walls on either side of him, and welts from the large spikes at the end of tail dotted the floors. It took quite a while for him to calm down, and, when he did, he fell asleep immediately, his bare back pressed painfully against the bars he had tried so hard to free himself from.

((I hope you don't mind a bit of cursing... That's just kind of how Ressy is. :sweat: ))

Damien could tell that the man was mad. That would be the only reason for refusing food. He would have something ent down later anyway. It was about time for the prisoners to eat anyway. So he would make sure that the man got some as well.

When he suddenly struck out, Damien backed against the wall, making sure to stay out of reach.Never has anybody acted like that, so he was a bit surprised. But he was also relieved when he fell asleep. That meant that he could go to bed himself. He stood there for another moment before returning to the castle. He put the first aid kit back where he got it before going to his room and collapsing on the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

{{Its fine.}}

Ressan woke slowly, his side and head pounding simultaneously. He figured it was early morning, though there was no light down here; his body was tuned to wake up around six or seven o'clock every day. He stretched carefully, sticking his legs awkwardly through the bars of his cell to allow them room to move. The wound in his side was almost completely healed now, but the soreness still scratched, unrelenting, at the inside of his ribcage. After a few minutes of lying there thinking about his options, he grunted and pulled himself to a sitting position, his stomach growling as he did so. He now wished he hadn't refused the food offered to him last night, but there was no changing that now. Besides, if this prince was as kind as the stories said, he should have at least a little something soon.

Sure enough, a guard was coming around, sliding trays of food through the bars to the prisoners. He stopped in front of Ressan's cell though. He looked down at him for a moment before moving on. There was no way he was giving food to that monster. Not after he had tried to hurt the Prince. About an hour after the guard left, Damien returned to the dungeon. He felt much better after getting some sleep. Maybe now the man would talk to him. He stopped infront of Ressan's cell.

Ressan pulled his legs back into the cell as he heard the guard coming with food. His stomach gave a large grumble and he wrapped his own hands around his waist, looking up at the man bringing his breakfast. The half-dragon's face fell as the guard simply moved on; he was too tired and weak to do anything else. His natural instincts hated being cooped up, yet here he was in a tiny stone room without any food or drink, all alone, and with nothing to look forward to.

The man's fanned ears pricked up as he heard the sound of familiar footfalls in the distance. He struggled to his feet once again, ready to face the prince. His eyes were sunken, their luster of the previous day almost completely gone in the face of hunger and confinement. He stayed silent as the prince stopped in front of his cell; there was nothing he particularly wanted to say to the other, and he didn't want to get himself into more trouble.

Damien examined Ressan, surprised that he seemed so hungry. "Didn't the guard bring you food?" he asked, clearly confused. All the prisoners were supposed to be fed twice a day. Every day. So why had the guard skipped him, like he obviously had. He was going to get an answer about this. Then he was going to have some food sent down for the man. It wasn't right to leave him without food.

Ressan scowled down at the prince, his eyebrows furrowed and his face expressionless. "No. No, he did not bring me food. Apparently monsters don't get food." His voice was level and calm, the previous day's anger replaced with exhaustion and discomfort. "Could you please either let me go or tell me when I can leave? I don't appreciate being locked in a small space like this." He crossed his arms and slapped his tail against the walls. "By the way prince, what's your name? No one is ever really sure, and I think I'm deserved the right to know."

((By the way, how old is Damien?))

Damien didn't like the fact that he wasn't brought food. He had ordered for every prisoner to be fed. He shook his head at the request. "I'm sorry. But I can't just let you leave. If I let you out I'll have to let them all out. And they are here for a long time. You will have to wait until trial to face your punishment." he said. "And my name is Damien, by the way." he said, not liking his tone.

{{Damien is 17.}}

Ressan gave up at this point collapsing into a fetal position on the hard, cold stone. His head was pounding, and he really didn't feel like dealing with anyone right now. He ran a hand through his short black hair, frowning as he noticed how dirty it was. Being dirty was one of the man's foremost pet peeves, and he knew he couldn't live long like this.

"Damien..." Ressan rolled the name on his tongue for a second. A good name, he supposed, but not one he was particularly excited about at the moment. "Well then Damien, can I at least have a bath? Being a monster and all, I think I merit special treatment. And I'll get scale rot if I don't clean thoroughly every day." He wagged the end of his tail in front of the man's face for emphasis, the tip of which was already spotted with tiny black dots; the precursor to the dreaded scale rot.

Damian thought about it. "I guess. But if I let you out of here, your not going to attack me, are you?" he asked. He would let him bath, just as long as he wasn't going to get attacked. Bathing shouldn't take to long. Then, he'll make sure the man got fed before he was locked back up. "What's your name, anyway?" he asked, curious.

Ressan shot the other man a withering look. "No, I won't attack you. Just because I look different or I don't eat what you eat doesn't mean I'm a barbarian or a cannibal. I have human blood too, and I never attack humans while my mind is clear." He sat up a bit straighter as he said this, then stood when Damien asked his second question. "My full name is DrayxRessan, one word, but I go by Ressan or Ress." The half-dragon stood tall, proud and unashamed of his nakedness before this apparently great ruler. He was fit and healthy, as the lean muscle along his chest and torso suggested, and had no reason to hide the physical beauty he had been gifted with. Besides, Ressan was never shy; it just wasn't his style.

Damien instantly felt bad about asking about that. But it wasn't like he could take it back. So he just let it go. He was a bit surprised by the dragon's name. "Alright then, Ressan, if you would follow me, I'll let you take a bath." he stated, pulling out some keys. Yes, he did have the keys to the dungeon. He had keys to every room in the castle. He unlocked the cell door before walking towards the exit, expecting Ressan to follow him.

Ressan frowned slightly, keeping his eyes on the prince's face as he unlocked his cell. He was already looking forward to washing himself and finally getting all the grime and dirt off his sensitive scales. He stepped behind Damien, but was immediately stopped but the chains connecting his shackles to the solid stone wall behind him. A little whine of barely controlled rage slipped past his lips and his breathing got just slightly heavier; this was almost too much for him to bear. If nothing else, Ressan had his pride always, but even that was being slowly taken away from him in this horrible place. He waited helplessly for Damien to unlock the manacles, biting his lip as they scraped across his raw, bloody wrist and ankles.

Damien stopped realizing Ressan wasn't following. He looked back at him. How could he have forgotten that. He went back over to him and unlocked him. He smiled slightly in embarrassment before he turned and left the dungeon. He went to his own person bathroom and drew a bath for the dragon. This should do and nobody would bother him in here.

Ressan winced as he slipped out of his bonds, resisting the urge to lick his once again bleeding wounds. He followed Damien, glancing around at the other prisoners. It didn't matter what these men did, they didn't deserve to live like this... Just kill them, and let them be free in death. Ress couldn't see why they would want it any other way. Captivity was his worst fear, and he would never wish it on anyone.

When they finally left the dungeon, Ressan brought his eyes in front of him, staring at the prince's back and feeling extremely out of place. Everything was spotless and expensive, much the opposite of how the man felt right now. It came as a great relief when Damien finally ushered him into a bathroom that was hugely more extravagant than anything Ress had been in before. He tried not to gawk as the young man filled his bath, waiting no longer than he had to before stepping into the steaming water. He sunk down to his neck, smiling; he could nearly feel the deadly bacteria being burned off his scaled lower limbs. The scales began shining again almost immediately, and Ress's mood lightened considerably with them.

Damien couldn't help but smile as Ressan jumped into the water. He could tell that the dragon instantly felt better. He could see his scales shining. "So. Would you like something to eat now?" he asked. He would go get the food himself. He wasn't sure if he could trust the servants to bring food to Ressan. But then again, he wasn't sure if it would be smart to leave the dragon alone here. He would just have to take that chance. He waited for an answer, ready to go get it. He would lock the door when he left. That way, nobody could just walk in and freak out about there being a monster in the Prince's bath.

Ressan smiled just slightly as he felt his muscles slowly begin to relax. He tilted his head in Damien's direction as he asked his question. "Hmm? Well, I am hungry, but you don't have to get it now. I can wait, it's fine." He sighed and slid under the water, holding his breath for several minutes before surfacing again slowly. "Mmm... This is really nice, thanks." He looked at Damien through half closed eyes, trying to think of something to say. He settled on saying nothing, and closed his eyes as he waited for something interesting to happen.