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Illegal Pet

By XP Author

Dragons. Known to be large, immensely powerful, and violent monster-beasts. Near feral, they are known to be incredibly brutal, using their supreme strength and incredibly sharp claws and teeth to rip anything to pieces. They are incredibly dangerous creatures, rumored to have caused thousands of deaths for no other reason than an insatiable blood lust and penchant for violence and brutality. They are to be avoided at all costs. If one is spotted, it should be immediately reported, so proper hunters can track down and rid the world of these beasts. This is what people are taught, and what everyone believes.

So it was understandable that Albert was more than a little scared when he found himself eye-to-eye with one. The lynx was on one of his many journeys to the countryside to collect samples for his botany hobby. The nobleman had traveled into the mountainous area. However, instead of flowers and mushrooms, he found himself staring down at the deep blue scales of a dragon. It was not nearly as big as he had thought it would be, possibly a juvenile. Only around the size of a large dog, and lacking in any kind of wings. He saw scars on its back where they may once have been.

His instincts were telling him to run. The beast kept itself low, growling threateningly, but not approaching. He had the image in his head of the creature pouncing on him like a feral cat the moment he tried to run. However, something was off. It was not acting aggressively, more defensively. When he looked into the large, yellow eyes, he saw intelligence. He also saw fear. He blinked a few times as he lowered himself slowly to a crouch. "You're... scared?" He tilted his head. "Why would you be scared of me?"

Albert was not exactly the most imposing person around. He was tall, sure, and athletically built, but he was no soldier. His clothing was light cloth in dusty greens, contrasting his black-brown fur in a kind of natural camouflage that only worked when he was in the wooded areas. Out in the rocky mountains, he stood out almost as much as the dragon's blue scales. He held a hand out, flinching when the dragon growled again. "It's alright." He kept his voice as even as he could. "I won't hurt you..." He very slowly reached into the satchel at his hip, pulling from it a piece of dried meat. "Here." He held that out.

The dragon sniffed the air, looking between the offered food and the man's face. Albert swore he could see the creature thinking, even debating. This was nothing like the feral monsters everyone talked about. This was a young, scared animal. Maybe even calling it an animal was not right. It was clearly smart. He gently set the meat down on a small rock, backing up again with his hands shown. "Go on. It's alright." When the dragon stepped forward, he saw it avoid putting pressure on its right back leg. It sniffed at the meat a few times, then lapped it off the rock with its tongue to eat it. He watched as it blinked once, then looked up at him with a surprised look, its hostility gone for a moment.

He smiled. "Yeah, it's pretty good. I know not as good as fresh meat, but..." He pointed to the creature's paw. "You're hurt?" The dragon followed his point, looking down. It lifted its paw slowly, then put it back down gently. "Wait, can you understand me?" It looked back at him, tilting its head. "You can, can't you?" He let out a laugh, tapping his chest. "I'm Albert. Albert Fletcher. What's you're-" he paused. Even if the dragon could understand him, it could not speak. Not in words, at least. "I'm a doctor... sort of. I know medicine." He pointed to the back leg. "I could... see what's hurt you... if you'll let me..."

The dragon backed up, growling at him again. He held his hands up defensively. "Whoa! I won't hurt you! You have my word on my honor." The creature looked at him suspiciously, and he could swear he saw it judging him. After a moment, it relaxed its posture. "You'll let me look, then?" It lowered its head down. Not exactly a nod, but he took it as such. "Thank you." He moved closer cautiously. Just as he was about to lean down to look at the paw, he saw the flank of the beast. It had been doing a good job of keeping its hind quarters out of view. "Oh... my GOD what happened to you!?"

The scales were scarred, chipped, and bent. It didn't look like claws had done it, the edges of the broken scales too sharp. No, he recognized the cuts of swords when he saw it. People did this to him. He reached out, very gently resting his hand upon the dragon's front shoulder. "I am so sorry. People can be very cruel. I know of the tales, what people think of your kind but this... this is... wrong." He reached into his bag and pulled out a healing salve he had mixed for himself, in case he took a tumble while on his expedition. "Mmm, I'm probably going to need more than this paltry amount to treat this." Some of the wounds looked like they were still open. Not fresh, but not healed over. "There is a chance you might have an infection, too."

He slowly moved closer to the wounds, keeping his hands visible the whole time. "Don't worry. I do not mean you any harm." He took a breath. "But this may sting... and I'm very sorry." He coated two fingers with the salve and very gently dabbed it onto one of the more nasty-looking gashes. The dragon reacted as he expected, flinching and tensing up. For a brief moment, he was sure he was about to feel a foot hitting his chest or claws ripping him to pieces. Instead, the beast just hissed through clenched teeth. "Yes, I know. It is not the best feeling, but I promise this will help you heal." The dragon grunted, but relaxed as much as it could once more.

He continued to gently apply his entire supply of salve to the dragon. "Yeah, I'm definitely going to need to make some more of this." He smiled. "Thankfully, it is a simple mixture, and the plants and herbs necessary are quite common. I even already have some more on me, so it will be just a matter of mixing it up." He got another grunt, one that sounded somewhat appreciative. "So, what should I call you? I can't very well keep calling you 'dragon' all the time, now can I?" The dragon just snorted. "Well, I suppose if you do have a name, it's not like you can tell it to me."

He finished applying the salve and stepped back. "There. I would cover that, but I have no bandages that would fit you, so that will have to do." He looked the creature in the face once more. "Just don't go trying to lick it off. It's very bitter." He got another snort in reply and smirked. He sat himself down, shifting his bag a little. "Now... what to do with you. I can't very well leave you out here. Whoever did that to you is probably still looking, or trying to organize a hunting party to 'kill the dangerous beast' or whatever."

He sighed. "I supposed I could take you home with me if you are willing." The dragon lifted its head, eyes going a little wider. He held his hands up. "NO! No, not as a prisoner or anything like that. No, only if you are willing. I could treat you more properly if I had all my tools and medicines on hand." He scratched the back of my head. "There is the issue of my wife, though. She's a kind heart, but can be stern at times. It would take a great deal of explaining..." He smiled. "Though, I'm sure once she meets you herself, she will be agreeable."

He shifted a little, leaning forward. "So. How does that sound? You can come back with me and I can have a more proper look at those wounds. You'd be welcome to stay after that, but if you want to leave, then you would be free to do so." The dragon thought about it, his head shifting from side to side as he mulled over the offer. Eventually, it looked back at him and gave a breathy grunt that... seemed to be accepting. "Capital! Now, as for a name... as a child, I had a dear friend, a raccoon... He was lost to fever too young. That was what pushed me into the field of botany, to find cures for such ails. His name was Artem. How does that strike you?"

The dragon shifted his head around again as he thought about it, then tilted his chin up, looking a little proud. He chuckled softly. "I'll take that as a yes, then. Very well, Artem. We will be off back to my manse... after some dinner." This time the response was much faster, Artem letting out a pleased grunt that sounded almost like a bark. He laughed more openly at the creature's enthusiasm. "I think we're going to get along famously." He sighed softly. "I just hope my wife is as understanding..."

* * *

" WHAT THE HELL WHERE YOU THINKING!?" Albert winced as his wife, Emily, screamed at him. He knew she would be upset with his choice, but even prepared, she was quite intimidating when she was this angry. "You brought it into our HOUSE!"

He held up his hands. "Please, beloved wife of mine, just-"

She cut him off, jabbing a finger against his chest. "Oh, don't you give me that 'beloved wife' act! You brought a dragon into our home! A DRAGON!"

He sighed. "Emily, dear... please." He motioned generally in the direction of the stairs leading to the cellar, where the dragon currently was. "They are misunderstood creatures. They do not deserve the fear and hatred that are thrown upon them. Artem is a kind and gentle-"

"Artem!?" She glared at him. "You named it!?"

"Him!" He corrected, his own ire growing. "And yes. I couldn't very well keep calling him 'dragon' the whole trip back." Before she could start again, he kept going. "And that is another point! I traveled with him for over a week! I suffered no attack, no harm, no ill intent at all from him! He is not violent!"

The woman took a breath, then let it out slowly, trying to calm herself. The lynx put a hand up to her head, feeling a headache coming on. "How did you even get a dragon to follow you in the first place?"

Albert smiled as she sounded more reasonable now. "He was injured and hungry. The wounds were made by weapons, not another creature. He had been attacked by people. So I helped to heal and tend to his wounds. He is intelligent, and understood my intent. He even accepted the name I offered." He again motioned in the direction of the cellar. "He may not speak as we do, but he is smart. And very affectionate. Trust me, all you need to do is talk with him and you will see it in his eyes."

She took a breath, then let it out. He was set. "Fine. I will talk to this creature... Him... but I make no promises. It is still illegal to keep a dragon!" She frowned at him again. "And I will absolutely NOT let our daughters anywhere near-" She suddenly stopped herself, looking around. "Where are the girls?" The two young kittens had been at her side when she started yelling at her husband. Now they were nowhere to be seen.

He shook his head. "I do not know. I did not see where they got off to. I doubt they wished to stay while we yelled at each other."

As if on cue, the sound of two small girls yelling was heard. It came from the stairs leading down. Emily turned, her eyes going wide as she saw the open door to the cellar. "Oh God, no!" She broke into a run. "You said you locked it!"

Albert followed on her heels. "I did not have the chance before you accosted me in the hall!"

The two thundered down the stairs, letting gravity do more of the work. "If that creature has harmed them, it is YOUR head, Albert!" The two reached the bottom quickly, still hearing the sound of the girls. However, the sight waiting at the bottom was not one of blood and violence, but instead one of playfulness. Artem was prancing around the large stone room, two small girls clinging to his back, massive smiles on their faces.

Their father smiled as he moved into the room. He put his hand around his wife's shoulder, feeling her jump slightly at the touch. "Well, I think the girls approve of him."

Emily took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Yes..." She watched as the two kittens rode around on the dragon like they might a large pet dog. She also made note of how the beast was taking care not to buck the two off. He even nudged the younger with his tail to keep her from slipping off. "Fine. We'll keep him." She turned before her husband could make some comment. "BUT! There will be ground rules! _NO ONE_can know of this! If anyone finds out, your station will do little to save us from the ire of the commoners." She huffed. "Not to mention the response from other nobles. If the wrong ones find out, it may be more than just your nobility on the chopping block. And I will not have the girls dragged down because of your... whims!"

Albert let her spit all her verbal venom at him, nodding along. "Of course. But think of the boons it could bring. Actual documentation of a dragon being domesticated. Their natural behavior when not under constant threat of sword or spear." He looked back at Artem and his daughters playing. "This could change how people see these beasts forever. And our family will be the name associated with it. I think that's worth a little risk, don't you think?"

She frowned, but thought on his words. It could raise them higher in nobility, an appealing possibility for her. "Very well..." He smiled wider. He knew his wife well. She did love him as much as he loved her, and their daughters meant the world to the both of them, but she was also keenly aware of her noble station, and ever looking to rise them higher. She turned to the trio playing. "Sofia! Anastasia! Come here!" She flinched as the dragon bounced over, halting before her. He lowered his head, letting the two girls slide off of his back. She looked at him hesitantly, but nodded slowly. "Ahem, yes... uh... thank you..."

Anastasia, the younger of the two, beamed up at her mother. "He's fun! Can we keep him!?"

She glanced at her husband. "Your father and I were just discussing that. He will stay." The two girls smiled wider. "But! You must never tell anyone! Is that clear!"

In unison, the girls responded, "Yes, ma'am!"

Albert knelt down to the two. "You're good girls. Oh, his name is Artem, by the way." He looked at Artem. "Artem, I know you've met them, but this is Sofia, and Anastasia. My daughters." He patted the girls' heads. "You two go back upstairs and wash up before dinner." The two girls nodded, waving and saying their goodbyes to Artem and that they would be back to play more later. Then the two climbed up the stairs back to the main part of the house. He then looked to his wife. "You should introduce yourself."

She looked uncomfortable, but nodded. After clearing her throat, she spoke. "I am Emily, Albert's wife, and mistress of this house. It... uh... it is a... pleasure to meet you, Artem." The dragon gave a nod that seemed polite. He moved forward and gently bumped his head against her hand, which she flinched away. After a moment, she gently rested it against his head, and he nuzzled against it. "You're not so bad after all, are you?" She swore the dragon made an almost cooing noise at her.

Albert smiled. "I told you." He stood up and pat Artem gently. "I'll come give you some food later, alright?" The dragon made another of its happy bark-like sounds. "I think he'll like it here."

* \ **15 years later* * *

Life with a dragon was not too different from one with a pet dog. Granted, a pet dog the size of a small horse and intelligent enough to understand full sentences and complex instructions. Artem had grown larger over the years, confirming Albert's initial theory that he was just a juvenile. Though he had stopped growing some time ago, topping out at roughly the size of a mule. It made him still much smaller than many of the tales told of massive, house-sized monsters. Albert wondered if maybe a dragon's growth cycle was in phases. Or possibly Artem was a runt or a smaller species. There was also the possibility that being domesticated hindered the size growth in some way.

It certainly did not seem to hinder his appetite. The amount of raw meat they had to acquire was enough that it took some clever thinking on Emily's part to explain away. She had played it off as an altruistic measure, baking meat pies and donating them to the many houses for the poor. Both their daughters had taken to keeping up this particular ruse, making frequent trips to donate the food in person once they were old enough. It not only helped to keep the cover, but also worked to make their family quite popular among the lower class.

So it was with some shock when Albert looked outside to find an angry crowd marching down the street towards their manse. The noise was great enough that Emily came to the window to see. "Oh no..."

Albert nodded with a frown. "Yes. I think the worst may have come." Someone must have somehow seen Artem and spread it around. Perhaps one of the staff had broken their vows? He could not imagine any of them doing such a thing. They were all so loyal to him and his family. He paid well and treated them as well as one could. It was a mystery to solve another day. Right now, he had more pressing concerns.

Sofia stepped closer, the young girl having grown into a beautiful young lady by now. "Father... Are they here for Artem?" She looked up at him with an expression of dread and concern.

He nodded slowly. "I fear so." He pointed to the stairs. "Go get your sister and Artem. Hide him in the basement. Take the back way. Be quick and quiet about it." She nodded and quickly dashed up the stairs. He looked to Emily. "Gather the servants in the kitchens and tell them to wait there. I will see about delaying this rabble as long as I can."

She nodded to him, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Good luck, and be careful." With that, she was off to round up the staff.

He took a deep breath as he heard the banging on the front door. "Stern and regal." He told himself. He waited until he heard the banging a second time. He gripped the door and pulled it open, putting on a scowl. Standing before him was a tall, burly wolf, the captain of the guard. Behind him were many other guardsmen, many facing him, many others holding spears crossways to bar the mob behind them from simply rushing past. Albert stared the captain in the face, putting on all the pomp his position afforded him. "Captain Rigby. What is the meaning of this?"

Captain Thomas Rigby gave a polite, but shallow bow. "Many pardons, my lord, but we have received some rather disturbing allegations about your and yours housing a dangerous creature in your house."

He scowled harder, making the captain flinch a little. "Allegations given by whom?"

The captain winced. "I am not at liberty to say at this time, sir."

Albert scoffed, looking instead at the mob behind the guards. "And why have you allowed this crowd to march to my front step?" He addressed the mob. "All of you! You would shout and stamp so at my house based on rumors? You have scared my daughters and wife half to death with all this shouting! Have we not treated you all with respect? Have you no dignity?" That did seem to quiet some of the louder shouts, though he knew it probably would not last.

"We have a warrant, sir." That gave him pause. He turned to look at the captain as he produced a folded set of papers, held shut by the wax seal of the court. Breaking the seal, he opened the papers to read them. "We have authorization to search your premise for this creature. This dragon. I'm afraid even your standing cannot stop this search. I ask only that you kindly let us do our business."

Albert frowned as he read the warrant. It didn't say who had accused him, but it confirmed the wolf's words. "Fine. But I will not allow the whole of the city to come marching through my home with pitchforks and torches!"

Captain Rigby nodded again. "Of course not, Sir! It would be myself and a few of my officers. But we _will_be searching your home tonight, my lord."

He took a deep breath, holding it for a long moment before letting it out slowly, almost like a hiss. "Very well. But the rest of your men need to control this crowd."

The captain gave a polite nod, turning to his men. "Fornsly, Richardson, Greyson, and Leondale, you are with me." He then looked at the crowd. "The rest of you! Return to your homes! We will handle this the right way! Go back to your business, and you will be informed in time of the truth of these allegations against this house." He nodded to the rest of his men, who started trying to usher the crowd back and away. The captain and the four selected deputies, all canines, stepped inside with him. "Again, sir. Pardons for all of this. I'm just doing my duty."

Albert let out a dramatically heavy sigh. "Yes, captain, very well. Though I cannot imagine where I would hide something like a dragon. The manse is not that big, and has yet to burst into flames."

Rigby chuckled, leaning close to speak conspiratorially to Albert. "Just between you and me, Sir, I don't believe it, either. I think another house is simply jealous of the favor your house has gained in recent years with the people and is making some kind of underhanded play." He cleared his throat. "But you did not hear this from me, of course."

He smiled, feeling a little more at ease with the captain's opinion. "Of course not, Thomas."

The search started on the ground level, the five guardsmen looking around through the rooms for any signs of dragons. Scorch or claw marks or the like, Albert assumed, but he did not ask. Artem was far too well-behaved to leave such destructive evidence around. The worst was a broken table from a rambunctious playtime, but that had been replaced long before and would be easy to excuse as himself simply losing his balance.

When the search moved upstairs, he did his best to keep his cool. There were no signs of his daughters or Artem. The guards were very careful in searching his daughters' rooms, leaving quickly when he gave them very stern looks, as any father would. The master bedroom was where he was most worried, as it was where the dragon in question had been sleeping when all this started. He opened the door, and smiled as there was no dragon inside. The bed had even been straightened by one of his daughters as they moved him. The final room to search was his study. Most of it was filled with plants and notes about plants. He was not worried they would find his copious notes about Artem, as they were all hidden in a secret alcove hidden behind a false wall near his desk. He had taken great care to make it as inconspicuous as possible. Sure enough, the guards found nothing.

Albert put his hands on his hips as they all walked back to the hall. "Satisfied, captain?"

Thomas shook his head. "Not yet, sir. We must still search your basement. I assume you have a wine cellar or the sort?"

He made a play of rolling his eyes. "Of course..." He led the men to the entrance of the cellar. Emily was waiting nearby, giving him a worried look, but nodded slowly.

As he opened the door, he froze for a second when the captain asked. "Where are you daughters, by the way? I have not seen them yet."

He cleared his throat. "I sent them down here to hide from the crowd, should your men not be able to control the angry mob." He spoke slightly louder than was necessary, hopefully so the girls would hear and be waiting for them once they walked down the stairs. He breathed a sigh of relief as the two young women were indeed in the room, cowering in the back corner. "Girls... it is alright." As the men walked into the room, his daughters rushed past him. He turned to see Emily had followed, her arms around their daughters' shoulders.

After the five men looked around for a few minutes, Albert held his arms to the side. "Well, Captain. As you can see, no dragon hiding down here, either."

Thomas nodded slowly. "Yes. It seems this was all some hoax conjured by-"

"Sir!" Albert's blood ran cold as he looked at the guard that called out. The man was standing by one of the wine racks, poking at a loose board.

"What is it, Fornsly?" Thomas came close to look at the board. "Huh. I've seen these before." He glanced at Albert and the women behind him. "It's a lever. Usually hides a secret passage for smugglers. You just flip it like this, and..." He flicked the board up, and there was an audible click. The rack and a part of the wall behind it slid open like a door. As soon as it was open enough, all five men drew weapons. "Back!" Behind the hidden wall was not a full tunnel, just a single hidden room. Sitting in it, taking a low and aggressive form, was Artem. He growled at the men. "Easy men, it may be small, but it's still a dragon."

Albert was about to move and stop the captain, but a sword was pointed at him by Greyson. "Pardons, my lord, but you need to stay right here. And your family." Leondale likewise held up a spear and got behind the girls, blocking the stairs and trapping all of them down here.

He still spoke anyway, dropping the pompous attitude. "Captain, please, listen to me! He is not dangerous!"

The wolf scoffed. "Not dangerous? Look at him!" He took a step back as Artem stepped forward, head low, teeth bared. "It's a feral beast."

He kept trying. "He's just scared, like anyone would be in this situation! He is not a beast! He's intelligent! Very intelligent!"

"Intelligent? This ugly bastard? You've been testing too many of your herbs, Albert." The wolf reached behind him and drew the warhammer from his back. "Stand back, men. I've dealt with these creatures before when I was in the army. I know how to handle this thing. Those scales can deflect most blades. Only small knives or spears can slip between them. But they do nothing against a nice, heavy hammer. S'why I brought this."

"Thomas! Please!" He flinched as the sword pointed at him was raised up threateningly.

"You need to be quiet now, sir." Warned Greyson. "You will only make this worse."

Artem's eyes glanced to the sword pointed at Albert, and then went wide. He growled, then lunged to the side, towards the dog with the sword. He was halted as the captain's hammer suddenly came down on his forelimb. There was a sickening crunch as the hammer struck hard, chipping at the scales and shattering the bone beneath. Artem cried out in pain as his momentum sent him stumbling to the side, crashing into the wine racks. Many of the bottles tumbled out, crashing and shattering atop the lizard, showing him in broken glass and spilled wine. "See? It was going to attack you!"

"No he wasn't! He's just trying to protect me!" He winced as the hammer was brought down again, smashing into Artem's flank. The dragon howled as the room was filled with another crunch, the hammer cracking his hip bone this time. It was even over the same wound that Albert had tended to all those years ago. The dragon tried to stand anyway, his hind leg trembling and barely holding his weight. Blood seeped from under the scales of his limb and flank. Albert could hear his daughters sobbing behind him as they were forced to watch. "At... at least let the women leave! They do not need to see this!"

Thomas grunted. "No. They do need to see this! All of you do!" As Artem tried to shuffle to the side, the hammer was smashed against the wobbling hind leg, sending him back to the floor, his foot at an awkward angle. The captain continued. "You harbored this dangerous creature here! All of you!" He hefted his hammer above his head and brought it down upon Artem's back before he could try to stand again. Artem was flattened under the blow somewhat, his jaw smacking off of the concrete floor hard. "You will all watch as I dispose of it! But no sense wasting the chance to batter one of these creatures!"

He continued to batter at Artem, smashing the dragon's legs and feet, mangling them badly. By the time he was finished, the dragon's paws were visibly damaged, bloody and broken beyond repair. Still, the dragon was in a panic now, and tried anything it could. When it could no longer swipe with a claw, it tried with its tail, only for Thomas to drop the hammer and put a bloody dent into it. Artem tried again despite the pain, doing more to splatter his blood about than hit anything. Thomas hopped over the tail, landing on top of the beast's likely broken back. He drew a small dagger, jamming it between the dragon's shoulder blades. He was bucked off, but managed to roll to his feet again as the dragon thrashed about, sending more bottles of wine crashing about the place.

It was growing harder to tell the difference between the wine dripping off of the dragon's battered body and the blood seeping from the dented and shattered scales. Artem tried again to push itself up, every limb shivering with the effort while his eyes took a long time to focus. He spotted the wolf again, then made a desperate lunge at him, teeth bared. He barely made it a foot before he fell to the floor, yet the hammer was still brought down upon him. It smashed the top of the dragon's head down into the concrete floor, hard enough to crack the stone, and very likely the thick skull. Artem's jaw bounced off of the floor, blood drooling from his mouth and trickling down from the top of his head. He just lay on the ground, panting and whining pitifully.

Albert closed his eyes, feeling tears running down his cheeks at the torture he was forced to watch his friend go through. "Enough... please, enough!"

Thomas was panting slightly from the effort of swinging the heavy hammer. "Yeah, I think you're right." He looked at Artem. The dragon was on his belly, whimpering as his limbs and tail trembled from fear, pain, and the damage done to them. "I don't think it has any flight left in it." He stepped over the dragon, straddling it and reaching down to pull the dagger still lodged in its back. Artem just tensed up and yelped, but did not have the energy to even try to buck the wolf off anymore. "Yeah. Definitely no more fight. Time to put you out of your misery, beast."

"No! WAIT!" There was nothing Albert could do but watch as the knife was suddenly jammed up into Artem's neck, the blade slipping between the thing scales to cut deep into his throat. Blood started to pour freely from the fatal gash. Artem's eyes went wide as he opened his mouth, but only a wet howl of agony and fear came. His eyes looked to Albert, Emily, Sophia, and Anastasia. Eyes full of pain and confusion. Then they rolled back as they went glassy and unfocused. The wolf's blow had been aimed very carefully, cutting through a major artery. His body slumped to the floor, twitching and shivering for a few moments before going still as the torrent of blood continued to pour from the gash.

Thomas pulled the blade free, only to jam it in again, carving around the dragon's neck. It took several minutes and several more cuts, as well as quite a bit of effort, but with a final twist and a yank, he pulled Artem's head free of his lifeless body with a grunt, a piece of spine still attached at the base. "Mph, there. Trophy for the guard house." He deftly stepped off of the dragon and hefted his hammer, putting it on his back. He motioned to the other guards. "Let them go."

Leondale looked confused. "S-sir?"

Thomas stepped closer, Artem's head tucked under his arm, the stump still dripping blood. Albert saw the look of terror still frozen on the dragon's features. "House Fletcher is a very important house within our community. Some ne'er-do-well smuggled this loathsome creature into their wine cellar, likely in an attempt to assassinate them. Or possibly to frame the family and lower their standing. Such actions will not be tolerated, of course." He looked at his men. "Do you understand me?" The four men looked at each other in silence for a long moment, then lowered their weapons and saluted an affirmative. It was not the first cover-up they had been a part of. It was why they were the captain's most trusted men.

Albert just stood there, staring at the corpse of his friend. The dragon's headless body still oozed blood all over the floor, mixed into the spilled wine. He felt himself shaking and numb. He also heard his daughters sobbing behind him. Emily remained quiet, likely just as numb as he was. He barely heard as Thomas got close and spoke low into his ear. "I just saved your family from the gallows. You will owe me for this, Sir." He pat Albert's shoulder as he brushed past, followed by the other four guardsmen. "We will send someone to collect the body within the hour. ...Sorry about all the spilled wine. I hope it wasn't too expensive." With that, the five men took their leave.

Once the men had left, Albert fell to his knees, putting his head in his hands and just started to weep. He felt the arms of his daughters around him, similarly weeping. Even Emily shakily rested a hand on his back, no longer fighting her own tears. The family all stayed, crying over the body of their dead dragon. He was more than a pet. More than a friend. He had been part of this family. And now he was gone forever.

* * *