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The trumpets sounded, letting the crowd know that the ceremony was about to begin. The master of ceremonies, a withered eagle wearing purple robes and carrying a staff, stepped up to the platform at the center of the stadium and sat on an ornate high-backed throne.

The eagle, Grand Vizier Mistral, was the most powerful wizard alive. He possessed an unmatched knowledge of magic, particularly long-forgotten ancient magic. These powers had allowed him to acquire vast fortune and political power. These were made all the more dangerous when coupled with his legendary ruthlessness.

He turned his head and noded towards a nearby soldier, a heavy-set bull who was guarding heavy iron door. The bull opened the door and walked inside, emerging a moment. Trailing him were three ragged-looking prisoners, chained together at the waist. The prisoners - an otter, a fox, and a tiger - were in bad shape: dirty, pale, malnourished, and covered in cuts and bruises. The otter had dried blood stains running down his back and legs. The tiger was limping noticeably.

My heart leaped as I saw them. The tiger, Lucian, was my brother. I came back as soon as I heard he had been arrested, arriving here only yesterday. The two other prisoners were his best friends, Alexi and Dimi.

The bull led the prisoners across ground to three large metal eye-hooks. He unchained them and lashed them to the hooks using thick leather straps.

The Grand Vizier stood and straightened his robes. "Welcome, citizens, to the ninety-sixth annual harvest festival."

He spoke with a peculiar accent. It was highborn, the accent once used by the highborn caste. Except the caste system had been abolished centuries ago. The only time it was used today was by priests during religious ceremonies. Nobody spoke it casually anymore. Rumor had it that in his studies of ancient magic, Mistral had discovered the secret of immortality. Village elders had noticed that in those rare times he appeared in public, he never seemed to age.

"As you know, it is tradition that on this day, the king's magistrate issues pardons. These prisoners," he made a sweeping gesture towards the prisoners with his claws, "were caught breaking into the King's garden. Theft from the king is treason." The eagle put extra emphasis on the word treason. The prisoners flinched noticeably as he said it. Everyone knows there's only one penalty for treason. The crowd was still and deathly silent.

"Tradition has it that on the day of the harvest festival, the magistrate may exercise his authority to pardon criminals", he continued. "However, I have decided that a change to that tradition is warranted." With that, he held his staff up and waved it once from side to side. A moment later, a horrible roar echoed throughout the stadium. The fur on the back of my neck stood up and I felt my heart quicken. Overhead flew a dragon, dusky red and huge. He circled the stadium twice before gliding towards the center of the stadium. He landed near the prisoners with more grace and agility than I would have expected from something his size. The crowd, by this point, was bordering on panic.

"This, my friends, is Drax. I invited him to help me dispense justice. This year there will be no pardons. The prisoners are sentenced to death by digestion." The words rang hollow in the air. Execution by digestion had not been practiced in generations.

Drax took a step toward the prisoners, who began struggling desperately against their bindings. The dragon lowered his huge snout towards Alexi. The otter was leaning against the eye-hook, using his teeth to chew through the straps. His eyes bulged and he let out a whimper as the dragon parted his lips and engulfed him. He severed the straps with a quick snap of his jaw, then swallowed audibly. I watched as an otter-sized bulge slowly make its way down the long serpentine neck and disappeared into the dragon's chest.

Dimi was next. The fox was using his whole body to pull at the restraints, trying to tear away from the hook. As Drax's maw got close, he desperately ducked and weaved, pivoting around the restraint. I saw a damp streak running from his crotch down his leg, where he'd pissed himself. His dancing came to an abrupt end as the dragon tongue tripped him up and the lips closed around him. A quick snap of the jaw severed the restraints. The dragon rolled the fox around inside his maw a few times tasting him, then swallowed. Another bulge slipped down his neck and was gone.

As all this was going on, I slipped through towards the platform. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I had to do something. My claws were out, and I could feel the adrenaline surging through me. I thought about jumping on platform and attacking Mistral, but that wouldn't help my brother.

As I reached the edge of the platform, something strange happened. Just as the dragon was going to snap up my brother, Mistral saw me, with a flash of recognition on his face.

"Drax! Yo-see-toos!", he yelled, without taking his deep blue eyes off me.

The dragon turned to face then eagle, scowled, and then sat back on his haunches, waiting.

"You there," he said, pointing at me with his staff. "You're looking pretty upset. Do you happen to know these prisoners?"

I nodded. He stared down at me, expectantly. "The tiger... Lucian. He's my brother."

"Ah. I see." He stepped to the edge of the platform, and then kneeled down in front of me. His eyes burned into me. He smelled faintly of incense.

"You're Kale of Whiterock clan. You're a thief." It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyway. He smirked.

"Do you want to save your brother's life?"

"Yes! Yes, please sir. I'll do anything."

He seemed pleased with my answer. He stood back up.

"Friends," he spoke again, louder this time. He was addressing the crowd. "Justice occasionally needs to be tempered with mercy. The prisoner's brother has pleaded for his life. I have decided - for now - to commute the death sentence. Guards, take him to the prison in my castle. I will decide what to do with him later."

The bull stepped back into view, along with a coyote who I hadn't noticed before. They unstrapped my brother and led him through a nearby iron door, all while the dragon stared down at them. His visage - cold and alien - was inscrutable.

Mistral spoke to the dragon, again using the strange language. He went on at some length. When he was finished, the dragon nodded, then stood up off his haunches. He let out another horrible roar, then leaped from the ground and flew into the air. A second later, he disappeared behind the upper-edge of the stadium.

Then, Mistral turned, pointing his staff at me. A moment later, two pairs of strong hands grabbed me from behind. It was more soldiers, this time a hyena and a boar. He motioned towards heavy iron door where the prisoners had entered, and the guards dragged me out to the door and out of the stadium.