"Humans... are the ones that will save us! From ourselves! Dragons are too dangerous to be let to roam free on this planet. We are a danger to everything and everyone, including ourselves. Ask yourself, how many times have you lost yourself to anger! Or lust! Or greed! We cannot be trusted and we must accept the control over us, or we will perish and take the world with us. Humans can help us get control. They can help us find the pure beauty of this world and who we are. They can show us how to help each other and how to use or powers for good! Why can't you accept that! Give up your views of freedom, because we are too dangerous to be free. Give up your...."

"Is this how it is every afternoon," Silver whispered to Eril.

Every dragon in the oval was standing in the centre, all looking up at Tetrad as he gave his sermon. No one moved and everyone listened. It was compulsory that every dragon attended these meetings, and that they listened. The earth dragon had been droning on and on for hours about why dragons didn't deserve to be free and needed to accept humans as their leaders and so on and so forth. At first Silver was angry, but now... she was bored. It all sounded the same to her and while she had to admit Tetrad was a good speaker he just continued to come back to the same points over and over again. Give up this! Give up that! She felt like roaring at the earth dragon to stop, just so she could think. It nearly hurt.

"Basically," Eril whispered back.

Silver let loose a small groan of annoyance, causing a few of the dragons near her to look at her scornfully. They probably thought of her as a young hatchling. Young, maybe, but definitely not a hatchling. She felt like growling at them as well. The earth dragon had preached the same sermon the day before, and it was getting on her nerves. Maybe that was how they did it. He just kept saying the same speech over and over, drilling it into every dragon's head until they actually believed it. She couldn't imagine years of this gruelling word play.

"Just keep your head for a few more hours Silver," Zepos whispered to her, "It'll all be over then."

She snorted at him and held down a yawn, or tried to. A few more dragons glanced at her in annoyance. She glared back before refocusing her attention on the dragons up the top.

"And now, three of you have decided to come and test yourselves worthy of our rank! Come forward: Celestia of the light, Turrella of the earth and Shiro of the fire."

Three dragons flew up from the crowd and landed on the platform above. One was a light yellow, almost white dragon that looked rather young, maybe ten. She had long horns and wings that looked like sheets of cotton, way to delicate to fly. The earth dragon was also female, but older then her two companions and a little thinner then the average earth dragon. The fire dragon was a male and had a strange fire in his eye that said he was willing to do anything to gain appeasement with his superiors. Also rather young.

"Come forward and present yourselves to Krita, and he will decide whether or not you are worthy to join our cause," Tetrad spoke with a loud thundering voice.

Shiro bowed his head towards the mind dragon, who stepped up in front of him. Krita put his paw on Shiro's head and closed his eyes. They were like this for a few minutes while the dragons all watched in eager anticipation. Finally the mind dragon stepped back. He looked towards Tetrad and gave a small nod of his head. The joy on the young fire dragon's face was so immense Silver thought she would be sick. He nearly skipped over to Tetrad, and bowed his head again. The earth dragon raised a claw and brought it down on the young dragon's colour, and it snapped, falling to the ground. Silver's eyes widened in surprise.

Next was Turrella. Krita stepped forward and placed his paw on the earth dragon's head and closed his eyes once again. This time as he stepped back he shook his head. Turrella nodded glumly and opened her wings, then with a single flap flew back into the crowd of dragons. They parted for her, some giving her mournful glances as if they were sorry for her.

Celestia was the next one to have her mind examined. She also didn't pass the test, but this time she seemed angry at something. She cried out in rage and her body shook as light began to shine from her wings, and then she screamed. As one the dragons flinched as the scream echoed around them. Krita leapt back with a small snarl of his own and looked at Tetrad. The earth dragon walked over to Celestia and pinned her neck to the floor with one of his claws.

"You are a disgrace. Celestia. Using your position as an attempted escape is something we profoundly condone here. You are stripped of your rank and may one day your mind find the right path."

He tossed the light dragon from his perch and she landed with an audible thud on the floor below. Something cracked as she did, causing her to cry out once again. Silver felt her heart ache for the dragoness but there was nothing she could do to help her. Not yet anyway.

"That concludes todays meeting. You are all free to go," said Tetrad.

Silver, Zepos and Eril all walked back to where they had formed there little home in the back of the oval. They had a plan for that night and if everything went well every dragon there would be free by morning. The problem was it was based from a lot of assumptions. If even one of those assumptions was wrong the whole plan fell to pieces.

"That was interesting," said Zepos, laying down on one of the steps that surrounded the oval.

"More interesting the usual," agreed Eril, "Shiro is the first dragon to be chosen in four years. I'm surprised he made it actually. When he first came he had the hottest temper in the base, and got zapped about ten times before he began to realise that anger didn't get him anywhere."

"What about Celestia? Does that happen often?" asked Silver.

"More often then dragons get chosen," replied the wind dragon, "Some dragons would do anything to get free, and in the end it doesn't pay off."

She sighed and looked away. She noticed Celestia sitting by herself, nursing her injured wing. She seemed frail, and Silver was surprised such a weak looking dragon had such a strong will. She hesitated and looked at Eril and Zepos.

"How long until we set the plan into action?" she asked the two males.

"A few hours. Why?" he asked.

"I'm going to make some friends," Silver smiled at them and got up.

They watched her go before returning to their conversation. She padded through the throng of dragons milling around to where the light dragoness was sitting. Light dragons had always been strange to Silver. Apparently they were quite powerful, with their element anyway. Their physical prowess was somewhat of a question mark. Some were extremely good fighters while others were quite weak when it came to claw on claw.

As she got closer to Celestia she realised the dragoness was weeping. A dash of anger and sympathy swept through her. This place was getting to her. She was going to snap soon. With a sigh she walked over to her.

"Hey," she said, causing the light dragon to look up at her, "Are you alright?"

Orange patterns ran over her snout and body like ancient carvings. Her wings were transparent and any light that passed through them became a beam of yellow, almost like sunshine. Wet tears were streaking down her maw, and the wing she had been nursing seemed to have snapped, half it being bent at an odd angle.

"Yeah... Silver was it?" she said, seeming to gather herself.

Silver nodded her head, "I saw what happened."

Celestia sighed, "It was worth a shot, wasn't it?"

"I guess, though I don't know how you planned to get passed the mind dragon," Silver said.

"I heard he wasn't that strong. I though I could hide those thoughts from him," sighed Celestia, "But it's done now. I may never have a chance to escape again... and... and my wings broken."

Her voice cracked. Both dragonesses knew that a break like she had would be very unlikely to heal properly. It put the dragon at risk of never being able to fly again, at least not properly, and a dragon without wings wasn't a dragon. Now Silver knew why she was weeping.

"Hey, I might be able to straighten it out for you," said Silver.

"No, you get hurt if you try to use your element without permission," Celestia sighed, "Besides, what could you do? All the healing dragons have refused to help. Said I was a disgrace."

A tear trickled from her eye but she managed to hold herself together. Silver looked mournfully, trying to think of a way to help her. An idea suddenly reached her head. She had done it before, once, and it had worked quite well. She just hoped that it would work this time.

"I think I can fix your wing," said Silver.

"How? You're a metallic dragon aren't you? Or something like that? Don't tell me that includes healing powers as well," said Celestia.

"No, well not exactly. But I can join your bones back together so they heal straight," she said.

Celestia blinked in surprise, "Really?"

"Yeah. It'll hurt a bit but it's worth it."

"Great! But why? We hardly no each other," the dragoness seemed to be getting suspicious.

"You didn't deserve it," replied Silver, "And you will need a good wing for what is to come."

Celestia frowned and titled her head in surprise, "What?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Now, where do I get permission to use my element?" asked Silver.

"You have to ask Tetrad," She snorted, "He usually wants to make sure that the dragon in question doesn't do anything that will 'harm others'."

Silver grinned, "Doesn't sound to hard."

"Oh, and he will probably ask a favour out of you," she said.

"What type of favour?"

Celestia shrugged, "It varies."

"As long as he doesn't ask to much," she said and opened her wings, taking to the air.

She flew over to the platform where the collarless dragons were. She landed at the edge hesitantly, not knowing how she was expected to approach the dragons. They had all gathered around their newest member and the young fire dragon looked like he was about to explode from pride, listening intently to what the other dragons had to say. At first they didn't realise she was there, but it didn't take long for one of them to realise. Namely Krista. The mind dragon was on the outside of the group, seeming to be not appreciative of the new dragon. When he saw her he frowned and padded up to her.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Aah... a friend of mine has been injured. I was just wondering whether or not I would be able to use my element to heal her," Silver said.

"I was not aware you had healing abilities," Krista frowned.

"I don't," she said quickly, "But I can use my element to join the two bones back together."

Krista narrowed his eyes, and she shivered slightly. It seemed that the mind dragon was boring his mind into her, searching her. He undoubtedly was. Her mind suddenly wrenched to the plan they had to escape. What if he found out? This was a stupid idea. Krista narrowed his eyes and turned from her.

"I will talk to Tetrad," he said, walking over to the earth dragon and leaving a nervous dragoness waiting, guilt gnawing at her. There was no way that he hadn't noticed her idea of escape. Oh she had stuffed up big time.

Krita came back with his leader. Tetrad sat in front of her with a friendly smile. Silver didn't smile back. This dragon was nothing but trouble, and she would give him the respect he deserved. None at all.

"Silver, my favourite dragoness," he said, "What would you like to speak to me about?"

She nearly growled and instead forced as friendly a voice as possible out, "I would like your permission to heal a friend of mine. Her wing's broken."

"Am I right to assume that this friend of yours is Celestia?" he asked.

She hesitated, before nodding.

"I would have to advise you on the company you keep young dragon," sighed Tetrad, "First Eril, and now Celestia. Both these dragons are freedom seekers. Dangerous. Untrustworthy. May I suggest finding friendship with some more friendly faces. Maybe Turrella and her daughter."

She shuffled on her feet, "I'm fine. All I'm looking for is your permission."

Tetrad snorted, "Not granted. That dragoness got what she deserved. Trying to attack dear Krita, and having the nerve to try and become collarless to get free. No Silver, she deserved what she got."

Silver froze, looking down at her feet. Anger began to bubble up to the surface again and she couldn't help but let out a low growl. Oh how she wanted to lash out at the dragon in front of her right now. Wanted to rip that grin from his maw and coat his insides with liquid metal.

'Don't loose yourself now,' a voice suddenly said in her head, 'Gain control. And then speak. Be polite. He wants something from you. You can compromise.'

She nearly startled in surprise but managed to hold herself. Who had said that? Was it just her imagination? She looked over at Krista to see him staring at her intensely, as if concentrating.

'Stop looking at me! This is hard enough as it is without you trying to fight me off. Now ask again, say your sorry for growling. Ask what you can do.'

She hesitated before turning her attention back to the earth dragon. He was staring at her, seeming unimpressed.

"I'm... I'm sorry," she tried to make it sound sincere, "I just want to help my friend. Please. Is there anything I can do to get your permission."

She hated every word that came from her mouth. It was false, and put forward with a façade of helplessness. She felt bad for merely saying sorry. She was anything but sorry. If she could she would rip his legs of and then fly down and use her element anyway, but her collar stopped her from even making the slightest resistance.

Tetrad snorted, "As you should be. If you growl at me ever again you will be punished. Now, I may grant your request, on one condition. When is your eighth hatch day Silver?"

She was surprised at the question, but answered, "Um... a few months away. Why?"

The earth dragon merely smiled. He turned back to the rest of his friends, "Shiro, will you come here a moment please."

The young fire dragon looked up from what he was doing and glanced at Cert, who had been telling him something. The electric dragon nodded and Shiro trotted over to where the two of them were. It was then Silver realised just how young the fire dragon was. He wasn't even as old as Zepos. Maybe just passed his eighth hatch day. And when he looked at Silver he suddenly seemed transfixed.

"Shiro, meet Silver. I assume you recognise her from the new batch of dragons yesterday?" Tetrad asked.

The fire dragon nodded his head, "Pleased to meet you... Silver." He bowed.

'Bow back. And for goodness sake please be polite,' growled Krita in her head.

She felt like growling back but instead bowed her head, "Likewise."

"You two are about the same age. So I think you would be a great match," Tetrad grinned, "My condition is that, coming your eighth hatch day you will accept Shiro as your nest mate."

Both dragons looked at him with mixed expressions. Shiro was in surprise and Silver was in horror. She stuttered slightly. When a dragon turned eight it was the time when they were able to bare hatchlings. They couldn't before their eighth hatch day but afterwards, they could. No one knew why, it was one of the things of nature that couldn't be explained.

"I... but... what?" Silver gasped.

"It's a simple request," said Tetrad, "And it will increase your rank amongst your fellow dragons, bringing you that much closer to being collarless, and I think you two would enjoy yourselves."

'Agree,' said Krita mentally to her.

Silver didn't say anything, her mind awhirl. Again that anger began to creep up on her. How dare they make her choose between her friend and a potential mate? It was not something she wanted. Far from it. She wanted to wait a few years after her eighth birthday to find who other half.

'Look, if your plan works the way it should then you don't have to worry about it anyway. You'll be free in less then a month,' said Krita.

She looked at the mind dragon with surprise and sudden worry. He knew about it? Then why didn't he say anything? He could ruin any chance of her escaping with a word. She knew the earth dragon would trust his word.

'I want to help you. Now if you want to be able to help your friend then agree,' said Krita, 'I will be your overseer and we can discuss anything as we fly. Okay?'

She took a shaky breath and looked at Shiro. He was watching her carefully, as if afraid of rejection. He hadn't even asked her! She didn't know him at all and what she did know she didn't like. But what Krita had said was true. If their plan did work then her word at this moment wouldn't matter.

"Fine. It's a deal," she said, regretfully.

"Good. Krita will oversee your work. Maybe tomorrow you and Shiro can get acquainted," Tetrad stated.

He turned and walked away, Shiro following him, giving a glance back at the silver dragoness. He smiled slightly. She didn't smile back. Instead she turned and opened her wings.

"Lets go," she said lowly to Krita, "And you better explain yourself."

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Hey guys! New chapter! Longest one yet :) Vote if you enjoyed and comment what you thought. The next chapter will be out soon. See Ya!

Pennator^^