YEAR: 1918
The laboratory tile always felt cold on her feet. But she absolutely hated wearing shoes, so she was willing to bear it. It felt kind of nice, anyway. She was off adventuring again, a brave knight on a quest to save the princess from a terrible dragon. Who ever thought girls couldn't be knights was a stupid head. That’s why she loved Joan of Arc so much. She battled against all odds so she could fight for what was right. She hoped she could grow up to be as cool as Joan of Arc someday.
Anastasia galloped along the hallways with her trusty raven plush Shadow, in search of where the dragon might be. She had overheard her father talking about a new specimen being brought in somewhere down here, a big scary one. Maybe that was where the dragon would be! She continued to ride her imaginary steed around the lab, down stairs and spirals, until she came across a huge set of doors. She’d never seen these doors before. They reached aaaaaall the way up to the ceiling, very high up. She took a look around, and realized...she’d never been down here before. This was all brand new.
“Shadow, do you think this is where the dragon is?” Anastasia pitched her voice up and squawked. ‘Yes mistress, i can sense a daaaark energy in there! Ooooh i’m not sure we can do this!’
“Nonsense, Shadow! We have to be brave, and save the princess! For the Kingdom, and for our honour!”
‘You’re right! Onward then, mistress!’
“To the princess!!”
Anastasia galloped to the doors, only to noticed a seal written on the front in black ink. Fortunately, she had seen her father open these a lot, and knew the funny phrase that unlocked it. She bit her thumb until it broke skin, wincing at the pinch. She smeared the blood onto the seal, and stepped back.
“Sanguine meo, ego præcipio tibi aperite!”
The blood seeped into the black ink, and the mark glowed a dark purple. With a steady rumble the doors opened, the glow fading as it moved. Much to Anastasia’s surprise, it only opened wide enough for her to pass through. Cool!
She clutched Shadow close to her chest, and stepped inside. It was, awfully dark. She couldn’t see very far in front of her. Just when she saw a large shape move in front of her, the doors closed. She yelped, hugging her plush even closer.
“H...H-Hello….? I-I-Is anyone there?”
There was a heavy weight shifting in the darkness, and the sound of chains clinking together. Anastasia audibly whimpered, backing into the door.
“W-Who’s there…?!”
"You͞ ͜sh̀ou̕ld ͢n̴ot͟ ̶be̴ ͘h͜ere, ͘lit͜t̵l̡e ́o̶ne͏."̶
Just then the lights blinked on, illuminating a huge beast. Giant wings with chains and metal rods stuck through them, a long, scaly tail bound with more chains and metal rods, huge claws and feet, and powerful muscle all over. This creature, was enormous. It could easily break the the ceiling and walls, if it weren't held down by so many thick, silver rods through it’s skin and chains tying them all together and the beast down, thick blood coating them and staining its body. A large muzzle looked down at her, one that could easily swallow her whole. She met it’s eyes--round, fierce, reptilian, and a bright shade of magenta. Anastasia gasped aloud, fear turning into awe.
“A dragon...!”
"̸Dr̢ag͢on?͡ I ̕g̕ues͞s̛ t́o y͜ou͞, I ͡must be.̢"
“But you are! You got wings and horns and everything!”
"Huma͝n,͘ ̀I͠ a҉m ̕mu͟c̵h s̢tr҉o͟nger̢ ̴a͜nd ̧more ͝f̧i̡èr͞ce҉ th͡an a drągón̶. A̡nd̷ far ̸mor͜ę rea̴l̷.̨"
“But if you aren’t a dragon, then what are you?”
"A demo̧n͟. ̢A͏nd a ̛v͟e͘ry̛ ir̨ri̸ta͢b̡le one͏.̢ ́N͝ow̕ go ̀aw̶áy.͜"̢
“Why do you have all those metal thingies stuck in you?”
"̷The̴y ̛wer̀e p̶ut ̶in̸ me͠ ̶so ͡I̴ ̡w̡o͢uldn'ţ escaṕe."
“Do they hurt?”
"Of c͡óu͢r͘s̀e ̕i͜t́ ͘h̴úr̵ts. H͡o͞w̶ w͜ould ̸y͏ou ͢l҉ik̷e to be ̴tak͜e̢n̵ aga҉i̶n̢st ͞y̴our̕ ͞wíĺl͞ a̶n̨d̕ ͞hav͡e t̀hing̢s͞ ͝hamme̶r̸e͠d͡ th̨ro͠u҉gh ̛you͟r ͠b͏od̴y?"
“Well I wouldn’t like that.”
"̢P̕rec͟įse҉l̴y͏.̨ No̶w̛ go ͢aw̨ay.̡"҉
“Do you like birds? Birds are my favorite.” She holds her plush up to him. “This is Shadow, my trusty companion. He and I go on quests to fight dragons and save princesses.”
"C̢h̴a͟r͘med̕.̨ Now ͏g͜o̴-̀-"͝
“Did my papa bring you here?”
The demon paused, studying her a moment. "̀...Ye͠s.̷ I͜t̶ w̴a̧s̴ ͡yoùr ҉f̕a̧t̀ḩe͢r ̸th̕àt ͞b́ro͠ught m͘e h͝ȩre̕,͠ ̛an̸d͠ rest̨ra͢i͡néd ͜me."
“My papa can be real mean to demons. I’ve met a few of them.”
"̡Oh?̵ I a̡m͡ nơt t͟he ̢firs͠t̶?"̶
“Well, you’re the first dragon one I’ve met. But I've seen other ones. Most of them are mean. I tried to help one escape, but papa got real cross with me. He put me in the time out room.” Anastasia fiddled with the wing of her plush, brows furrowed together.
“I don't like the time out room. It’s real dark, and there’s no toilet or bed. He leaves me in there for a real long time when i make him angry.”
"͡.͝.̶.Y̶o̷ur ̷fa͟t͜he҉r does̕ ́no͏t soun͟d li̴ke a ̧ve̵r̨y ́n̷ice̡ ̸man.͠"͟
The little girl shrugged. “I dunno. He’s always working, so I think he’s just stressed out. When he comes to my classes, he’s really nice though! As long as teacher says i’m doing well, anyway.”
The demon looked over her some more, a new look in it’s eyes.
"͏I̶ ̢a͡m s̸orr̵y̴ ̸h͢e̢ d͡o͜esn͡'t̷ no̴t̴ h͞ave ͢v͝éry̶ ͟mu͏ch҉ ti͠mé f͜o̢r͜ ̛y͞ou."͟
“It’s okay, I'm used to it. Papa’s work is important, so I don't mind I guess. It gives me more time to play and make new friends with the scaries.”
"T͢he ͡s̕car̶i͡eş?"́
“The things papa catches for his work. They don't like to be called monsters. An’ lots of them are nice. They’re just scared of papa or mad at him.”
".͏.͟.͡I seę.͘.̀."
“I’m sorry papa took you away from your family. You must miss them a lot.”
Another silence befell the demon. ".̛.͢.I̵ ̸h͠a͢ve̡ ņo̢t ha̢d̀ t͜h̷e̢ ͘c̵omfort o͏f f͝a̷mi͢l̀ý ̶f̴oŕ ̷m͠a͢n͘y̢ ̀ye̷ar͝s.҉ ́But I ap̸p̴r̸ec̨i͢a̕t̶e y͜o͝u͟r ̧s͟ym͝pa͠t͢h͡i͢és, ̶non̷et͜h͘el̵e͡s̴s̸.́"͠
“You don't have a family?”
"No,̢ ̀I do̧ ̛ńo̸t.͠"
Anastasia thought on this for a moment, before beaming up at him. Oh no. He knew that look--
“I know! I’ll be your family Mr. Dragon!”
"W̡h̕a͡t?̛ Hum̡an, th̨a͠t ͏ís ͜not̡--"
She was already running up to the demon, throwing herself at one of his talons. It was almost as long as she was tall.
“I’ll come every day to visit you so you don’t get lonely! We can play, and talk, and have picnics, and tell stories! My name is Anastasia. What’s yours?”
The demon was stunned. He had never known a human to be so excited and welcoming of him. No one, besides Agape…
"...M͘a̸t͠th̷ia͢s."̷
“Mah-tee-ahs? That’s a funny name.”
He just chuckled. "It҉ i̛s ̶a ̴v͘e̶ry̨ old͟ ̶n͝am̡e͠.͟ Yo͞u̴ ͠ḿa͡y̛ ̛c̡a̛ll ͜m͜e̵ M̛a̛t̢tỳ, ̛if̵ ̕t͟hat ͢is͡ ̴eas͠ie͘r ͘f͢o͠r̡ ́y̧ou͘."͞
“Matty...okay!” Anastasia wiggled happily, grinning wide at him. The dragon of a demon looks back down at her, and seemed to be smiling back. This human, was interesting. He was actually looking forward to see what her following visits would bring him. Little did he know at the time, that this little girl was his ticket out of here, but not in a way that either of them would expect.
