"Awh... Disgusting. He pissed in the corner of the room again..."
"What? What are you talking about?"
The handler hunched at the observation desk was clearly irritated. "That damned prairie dragon, he did it again, look." He jabbed the screen with one grubby forefinger. "Why the hell he can't just use the fucking toilet is beyond me."
"He's a little shit." The second man groaned. "That's why...." He didn't understand why Han and Reva insisted that the stupid tawny colored dragon still be locked up. The rest had been released and all seemed well in Avalon so far. All the toxic berries that intrepid water dragon had used were dug up, double staffing for the enclosure had been hired, the men who had been injured in the fiasco were all on the mend... Well for the most part... It was the little devil they were currently watching pace around his cell that had maimed Devin. Nobody had heard about the man's condition for a while. That was supposedly the reason the prairie dragon was still there, even though it was a giant pain. It had been debated several times what was to be done with him. Euthanasia was out of the question, because unfortunately the beast was rare, endangered, and if word ever got out that it had happened the facility could kiss everything it had established goodbye. But, selling the brute wasn't an option either. No breeder or sane human being would purchase a dragon that was reported for being an all around menace, Houdini, and now a lethal biter.
"I say we just ship him back to wherever the hell they picked him up from." The first man at the desk grumbled. "He was poached or something right? Just dump him back out in the wild somewhere let him chew things up there."
Merely chewing things up had been an understatement. Demus didn't have bed anymore because on end of week two of isolation, he had finally forced himself to shift inside the tiny room and had proceeded to shred up everything in reach. His latest tactic was spitting, and peeing on the floor instead of the toilet in the corner of the room, which he had damaged twice now.
"I dunno, I heard rumor that he's going to be released back into Avalon soon anyway. I think it'll be four weeks that he's been in here officially tomorrow." The tall lanky man behind the other at the desk let out a heavy sigh. "If we stuck him back in Hundurian I'd bet you anything he'd try and tunnel out again."
"You're probably right..." The other handler commented quietly. "Maybe we should phone Han."
---------------------
Demus had just finished his routine of soiling the floor and flipping the camera off for the second time that day. It made him smirk a bit to think about the two buffoons watching him getting angry about it. The two imbeciles had come down to his cell several times before to tell him to knock it off, that he was being 'unnecessarily awful', which only made him the happier to keep doing it, though he still ate regularly, which seemed to confuse the handlers apparently. The simple explanation for that was that Demus wasn't interested in starving himself to death, but he did want to cause a stir. He hadn't received any word about when he was going to be released, or even if it was an option. He hadn't really heard much of anything at all. Just that he was in trouble. He figured if he stirred up enough trouble here that maybe they'd get fed up and do something about it. Of course he didn't enjoy the act of behaving like some mentally regressed, horribly barbaric creature, but that had been what seemed to be working so far. It's what a got a ruse out of them-
"Demus." Suddenly the prairie dragon was plucked right out of his own thoughts when his cell door opened, completely. That never happened. They usually just shouted at him through the slot on the door, and if they did have to take him out to clean the cell he was usually gassed and put to sleep. It had happened so often over the past couple weeks, he was sure that he was probably going to end up with some lone term side effect from it now...
"Vance..." Demus bitterly. The doorway wasn't empty, not at all. Vance was there... Demus hated Vance. While he was wiry and tough looking, the man was sniveling creature that reminded him somewhat of a weasel. Up until this point Vance had simply screamed at him from the other side of the door, he'd only seen him twice between the rare moments the door opened. Right now was the third time. "And what brings your sorry ass down here, Vance? Got bored of kissing up to Han and Reva?"
"Hey, watch your mouth, dragon... I don't think you're in the situation to be spouting any fighting words..." Vance sighed dramatically. "I have received word that you are once again damaging your room, and that Han has finally okayed your release back to Avalon. You've finally fed everybody up."
"Wha-?" Demus tried not to look too surprised. Had he actually heard that right? He was being let out of here finally, and to Avalon no less? It almost seemed to good to be true. If Vance was just being cruel, then his heart forgot it for a moment. The idea of being back in the enclosure wasn't something he'd ever thought he'd admit to liking, but if Lago was there.... Demus could barely let himself hope. He'd been trying desperately to not even think about Lago for the past couple of weeks, because it had only made him unbearably despairing. Thinking about every moment being separated made the cell ten times worse. He was determined not to let this place get to him, and if he thought about Lago, or the unborn kits he'd been forced to abandon for the past month and two quarters, then he was certain that it would.
"Stop gaping and move." Vance said gruffly. "Han and Reva have some important phone call or some shit, so my crew is taking you, right now, get moving...." Vance pointed at Demus decisively. "If you try snapping at any one of us, you're getting a muzzle and tranq, put out your hands."
Demus simply nodded and thrust both arms out, knowing well that they were about to be bound together, but that didn't bother him in the slightest, and the next half an hour was a rush, a blur. His heart pounded like crazy the entirety of his escort back to Avalon. Out of the lab, in the truck, and even when he was finally shoved out to the gate, he hadn't made a sound. He was afraid he was going to jinx something. That he was going to wake up back in the cell if he dared to even breathe.
"There! Get in, stop gawking, put your arms up again." Vance grabbed Demus (rather roughly, though Demus barely even noticed) and snapped the zip tie on his wrists off with his knife. He didn't hesitate to shove Demus through the gate, kicking at his legs as they went. Once Demus had stumbled past the entrance he froze, and the gate was slammed behind him without another word from Vance or anybody else. Suddenly the tawny dragon was having deja vu, standing there in the beginning of the forested Avalon, quiet and alone. Only this time he wasn't going to be slinking around. He had someone to find as quickly as possible.
"What? What are you talking about?"
The handler hunched at the observation desk was clearly irritated. "That damned prairie dragon, he did it again, look." He jabbed the screen with one grubby forefinger. "Why the hell he can't just use the fucking toilet is beyond me."
"He's a little shit." The second man groaned. "That's why...." He didn't understand why Han and Reva insisted that the stupid tawny colored dragon still be locked up. The rest had been released and all seemed well in Avalon so far. All the toxic berries that intrepid water dragon had used were dug up, double staffing for the enclosure had been hired, the men who had been injured in the fiasco were all on the mend... Well for the most part... It was the little devil they were currently watching pace around his cell that had maimed Devin. Nobody had heard about the man's condition for a while. That was supposedly the reason the prairie dragon was still there, even though it was a giant pain. It had been debated several times what was to be done with him. Euthanasia was out of the question, because unfortunately the beast was rare, endangered, and if word ever got out that it had happened the facility could kiss everything it had established goodbye. But, selling the brute wasn't an option either. No breeder or sane human being would purchase a dragon that was reported for being an all around menace, Houdini, and now a lethal biter.
"I say we just ship him back to wherever the hell they picked him up from." The first man at the desk grumbled. "He was poached or something right? Just dump him back out in the wild somewhere let him chew things up there."
Merely chewing things up had been an understatement. Demus didn't have bed anymore because on end of week two of isolation, he had finally forced himself to shift inside the tiny room and had proceeded to shred up everything in reach. His latest tactic was spitting, and peeing on the floor instead of the toilet in the corner of the room, which he had damaged twice now.
"I dunno, I heard rumor that he's going to be released back into Avalon soon anyway. I think it'll be four weeks that he's been in here officially tomorrow." The tall lanky man behind the other at the desk let out a heavy sigh. "If we stuck him back in Hundurian I'd bet you anything he'd try and tunnel out again."
"You're probably right..." The other handler commented quietly. "Maybe we should phone Han."
---------------------
Demus had just finished his routine of soiling the floor and flipping the camera off for the second time that day. It made him smirk a bit to think about the two buffoons watching him getting angry about it. The two imbeciles had come down to his cell several times before to tell him to knock it off, that he was being 'unnecessarily awful', which only made him the happier to keep doing it, though he still ate regularly, which seemed to confuse the handlers apparently. The simple explanation for that was that Demus wasn't interested in starving himself to death, but he did want to cause a stir. He hadn't received any word about when he was going to be released, or even if it was an option. He hadn't really heard much of anything at all. Just that he was in trouble. He figured if he stirred up enough trouble here that maybe they'd get fed up and do something about it. Of course he didn't enjoy the act of behaving like some mentally regressed, horribly barbaric creature, but that had been what seemed to be working so far. It's what a got a ruse out of them-
"Demus." Suddenly the prairie dragon was plucked right out of his own thoughts when his cell door opened, completely. That never happened. They usually just shouted at him through the slot on the door, and if they did have to take him out to clean the cell he was usually gassed and put to sleep. It had happened so often over the past couple weeks, he was sure that he was probably going to end up with some lone term side effect from it now...
"Vance..." Demus bitterly. The doorway wasn't empty, not at all. Vance was there... Demus hated Vance. While he was wiry and tough looking, the man was sniveling creature that reminded him somewhat of a weasel. Up until this point Vance had simply screamed at him from the other side of the door, he'd only seen him twice between the rare moments the door opened. Right now was the third time. "And what brings your sorry ass down here, Vance? Got bored of kissing up to Han and Reva?"
"Hey, watch your mouth, dragon... I don't think you're in the situation to be spouting any fighting words..." Vance sighed dramatically. "I have received word that you are once again damaging your room, and that Han has finally okayed your release back to Avalon. You've finally fed everybody up."
"Wha-?" Demus tried not to look too surprised. Had he actually heard that right? He was being let out of here finally, and to Avalon no less? It almost seemed to good to be true. If Vance was just being cruel, then his heart forgot it for a moment. The idea of being back in the enclosure wasn't something he'd ever thought he'd admit to liking, but if Lago was there.... Demus could barely let himself hope. He'd been trying desperately to not even think about Lago for the past couple of weeks, because it had only made him unbearably despairing. Thinking about every moment being separated made the cell ten times worse. He was determined not to let this place get to him, and if he thought about Lago, or the unborn kits he'd been forced to abandon for the past month and two quarters, then he was certain that it would.
"Stop gaping and move." Vance said gruffly. "Han and Reva have some important phone call or some shit, so my crew is taking you, right now, get moving...." Vance pointed at Demus decisively. "If you try snapping at any one of us, you're getting a muzzle and tranq, put out your hands."
Demus simply nodded and thrust both arms out, knowing well that they were about to be bound together, but that didn't bother him in the slightest, and the next half an hour was a rush, a blur. His heart pounded like crazy the entirety of his escort back to Avalon. Out of the lab, in the truck, and even when he was finally shoved out to the gate, he hadn't made a sound. He was afraid he was going to jinx something. That he was going to wake up back in the cell if he dared to even breathe.
"There! Get in, stop gawking, put your arms up again." Vance grabbed Demus (rather roughly, though Demus barely even noticed) and snapped the zip tie on his wrists off with his knife. He didn't hesitate to shove Demus through the gate, kicking at his legs as they went. Once Demus had stumbled past the entrance he froze, and the gate was slammed behind him without another word from Vance or anybody else. Suddenly the tawny dragon was having deja vu, standing there in the beginning of the forested Avalon, quiet and alone. Only this time he wasn't going to be slinking around. He had someone to find as quickly as possible.