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While Princess Luna might've disapproved of Applebloom and Stone Mane's behavior in my Equestria dreamscape; it was nothing like the hot water one young drake found himself in.

Growler flew silently along with his 3 escorts as they traversed the Realms of Dragons. Until yesterday he'd been a prisoner of Gold Feather griffin clan.He'd been released at the clans border when his 3 current escorts had arrived. It had been a relatively quick affair. A few words were exchanged. Some paperwork passed along with a large, stout chest that dragons had brought. It sounded like it was full of gold. This even more than his detention this drove home just how much trouble he'd caused for the great dragon of his territory. That undoubtedly had come from their personal hoard.

Present for the exchange were 4 ponies representing the Kingdom of Equestria. 2 of them were obviously bureaucratic types sent to observe the transfer and to pass over certain documents to Growler's escort. These unicorns levitated over long tubes made of some stout, weatherproof material that contained the documents. The other 2 were a couple of pegasus stallions. One was a deep red and the other a was black and covered with scars. In the drakes eyes they obviously were the security detail for the operation.

To his surprise his escorts did not wear the livery of his great dragon. Instead their gorgets identified them as being part of the Council of Dragons. The organization that oversaw affairs betweens the great dragons and their semi-autonomous territories.

Very quickly Growler realized that his escorts were not flying in the direction of his territory. Instead they were headed toward a great mountain who's snow covered peaks were now yellow-orange in the late afternoon sun. Around the base of this massive landmark was vast network of hot springs who's clouds of steam obscured the lands below.

Growler's escort began a counter-clockwise orbit of the mountain about halfway through it a vast shelf/plateau came into view. The escort banked hard and headed for it. A shiver ran through the young drake's body for he now knew where he was being led to. He was being taken to the actual Council of Dragons.

Although the cavern was more than large enough to fly in the escorts landed at the entrance. The dragon in the lead looked back at Growler with hard eyes.

"Come!" was all she said.

The young drake reluctantly followed. The clack of their claws seemed unnaturally loud and echoed as they walked down a hallway wider than the great boulevard of Canterlot. The roughly dressed floor was at least 150ft wide and the ceiling was lost in darkness above them. they traveled down this corridor for what seemed like an eternity until their journey ended in a vast underground cavern. Faint glowing stones embedded randomly around the cavern on allowed one to vaguely sense how massive this space was. Much of it was lost in shadow. The cavern had been roughly worked to let it better serve as the vast chamber of governance.

Growler froze in his tracks. He'd never been to the Great Chamber of the Council, but it was obvious to the drake where he was. The chamber appeared to be unoccupied but in some ways that made it even more ominous to him. His escorts noticed his hesitancy to advance. The lead dragon turned around and lowered her and glared at the drake.

"Come! Or die where you stand!" Then she turned and continued walking without looking back. Growler swallowed and followed.

Their journey took them up a series of vast, roughly dressed stone steps that ended at great platform of similar material. The platform was at least 200ft wide. The dragons led Growler to center of the platform. The lead dragon pointed at platform with a front claw and once again locked eyes with the drake.

"Stay!" Was all she said. Then she and the other two dragons turned ,walked away, and exited the chamber. As they left most of glow stones in the vast cavern went out except for those around the platform. This left the drake standing on relatively tiny island of dim orangish light surrounded by an ocean of darkness. The rust orange drake listened to their footsteps grow fainter and fainter.

The drake didn't know if he was permitted to move around the platform or not. So he decided to remain exactly where the dragon had pointed at. As the minutes passed the silence grew more oppressive. Finally Growler figured so long as he remained on the platform it was okay he could at least pace around. He began to take a step when a deep, cold, but still strangely feminine voice called out from the darkness.

"So. You're the little pest that almost jeopardized my most recent diplomatic efforts. It amazing how a little, normally insignificant, creatures like you can cause so much trouble."

Growler turned toward the sound of voice. Above him a pair of yellow-green eyes stared at him from the shadows. "Do you have any idea how much damage your stupid bravado almost did?"

The eyes started advancing toward the drake. Growler could hear the sound great claws clicking on the stone floor, but steps were surprisingly soft for what was obviously a great dragon. The eyes started orbiting the platform, but staying just far enough away that the drake couldn't see the rest of his accuser lurked in the shadows.

"I had arranged for the safe passage of our kind through the lands of the ponies so we could visit our ancestral breeding grounds. I'd quelled the anger of the rulers of Equestria. We surrendered lands and forfeited vast amounts of wealth to the princesses of the sun and moon in exchange for safe travel. I've purged our ranks of many houses. Many with my own claws to guarantee that this migration would occur!"

Growler heard his accuser start to ascend the steps to the platform. Emerging from the deep shadows like some nightmare was the head and neck of Bent Horn. Head of the Council of Dragons. Steam leaked from corners of her mouth. "But due to your foolish shenanigans it was almost for nothing! I had to be all nice to those catbirds! Because of your stupid escapades a treaty I'd carefully crafted was almost undone! You miserable little lizard! Didn't you know that most of those blasted cat birds have a treaties with those damn ponies!"

Suddenly all the glow stones in the chamber erupted driving the shadows away with their yellow-orange light. Bent Horn raised her head and towered above the drake. The great dragons wings snapped open. Even in this titanic chamber her presence seemed to fill the space. "I've killed for less than what you've done!" She roared. Great droplets of boiling spittle dripped from her sneering lips. They hissed as they splattered on stone platform in front of the drake.

Growler threw himself to the floor. "I'm sorry for what've done! I'm sorry for the hoard or shame I've cost you! I will do anything to make it up to you!" He screamed with eyes closed.

Bent Horn growled and raised her right front leg brought her front paw crashing down on the platform. The drake felt the entire structure shuddered from the blow. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked; the great dragons claws were mere inches from the tip of his muzzle. The old dragon leaned forward and chuckled.

"Oh yes my foolish salamander! You're going to do whatever I want. Your great dragon has cast you out! I made sure he paid dearly from his own hoard to secure your release. He'd love nothing more than to make you scream in pain for days before crushing the life from your worthless hide! But I'm going to punish him further for his lack of leadership by denying him that simple joy."

Bent Horn suddenly roared with laughter. It echoed and reverberated of the walls of the chamber. "You're mine now you pathetic little pile of scales! Every breath you take. Every beat your worthless heart makes happens only because I decide to let it happen! You're going to spend the rest of your life serving me. Whether that's for one more day or for a thousand years you will exist to do as I say!"

The great dragon lowered her head and stared in the drake's eye. Her yellow-green eyes narrowed and she purred.

"Do you understand?"

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Posted previously at: 2020-03-31T23:22:35