"Her mouth was covered in fairy dust. Do you think she ate a fairy? Do dragons eat fairies?" A young man's nervous voice mumbled curiously.

"I wouldn't doubt it. These monsters have been doing a lot of unholy terrors over the last couple of days... they likely kill innocent fairies too..." replied the gruff, accented voice of a woman.

"... I heard their leader ate Queen Liriel. Is it true?" The man asked.

"That's what the survivors from the Capitol said. One of the merchants from there claimed that the dragon's Queen has completely taken over the castle, and announced the kingdom as her own. The beasts are taking over everything."

It was silent for a moment.

The young man gulped. "One of my friends had family there. He's not doing well."

"Yeah..." The woman sighed. "The world's going to crap very quickly. After tonight's show we gotta pack up and get the heck out of here. Dragons are starting to invade cities even more inland. If they have their way the whole continent will be theirs."

"I still don't understand how Degon managed to capture this one. The dragons at the capital were pretty much invincible, weren't they? Sevon Arrows didn't work on them, from what Racheal told me. How come they worked on this one?" The young man inquired.

"Mm. This one is much smaller than most. Likely not fully grown. In any case, it will be useful. Maybe after the show we can take off a few scales and sell em' to Rackor, eh? Maybe he could use them for some kinda new weapon. It's horns might make good spear tips, huh?" The woman gave a small chuckle that drifted off with uncertainty at the end. "Really though, this is a great find. Not just for the show, but gold-wise too. The world may be going to hell, but at least we'll have rubies lining our pockets when our souls depart to meet Cainen."

"I guess so," the young man replied. "I still think this is risky."

Aelwen listened quietly as she came to. She was careful not to move while she soaked up all the information she could from the conversation even as cold dread filled her heart at every word.

She could feel chains locked around every limb, and a muffler was strapped to her muzzle. It smelt of ice salts, likely there to prevent her from breathing fire. Not that she could at this point anyway.

A throbbing pain pounded through her head where she had been struck. Her wing still stung ferociously. She struggled to keep her breath low and steady.

Hesitantly, she cracked open her eyes. Two blurry figures were about ten feet in front of her, behind iron bars. Her vision focused, and she saw that she was inside a small iron cage. It could barely hold her. The area around the cage was almost empty, save for a couple of the strange silver arrows and a few ropes. It seemed that they were within a purple canvas tent.

One of the figures was indeed a young man, who looked around eighteen. He had short, dirty blonde hair and was very thin. He wore what looked like a blue military uniform, but covered in sequins and other decorations. His skin was a pale white, with a stark purple tattoo covering one hand.

The woman was tall and extremely muscular. Her black hair was plaited back, a long ponytail gracing her head. She too wore a similar uniform, but one that specifically showed off her large arms and sculpted abs. The scarlet outfit was complemented by the glittering purple scarf around her neck. She also had a purple tattoo on one hand, though her skin was a light brown.

As soon as the two interesting characters saw Aelwen's wide open eyes, they jumped back in alarm. The woman instinctively pushed the man behind her, her face melting from a neutral expression to that of a fierce warrior. The young man looked absolutely terrified.

Aelwen blinked slowly. They really are scared of me... she thought. I could use that as an advantage, or... She blinked again. Perhaps I could convince them I'm not a beast like the other dragons are. If I play my cards right, the human princess within me will be apparent to them. With a lot of luck they may let me go... It's doubtful, considering what they were just talking about... She gulped. But I have to try... Or else... Her body trembled slightly at the thought of scales being pulled off or her horns being dashed from her head.

"H-hello?" She ventured a quiet word, her voice slightly muffled by the ice-salt covering.

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Where am I?" Aelwen asked, putting an extra dose of fear into her voice. She was scared to death already, but she had to show these two she was not a danger.

"The Violet Hand Circus, dragon," said the woman, an extra dose of vitriol added to the last word.

"Violet Hand..." A streak of memory flashed across Aelwen's mind. The circus had performed in the capital only a few years prior, and Aelwen herself had attended as a royal guest, along with her mother and father. This information was extremely valuable. She could use it.

"So that means... You're Strongarm Sari?" Aelwen said, staring at the woman. Aelwen remembered watching this woman lift a fully grown centaur all on her own, without the assistance of magic. She looked at the young man next. "And you're one of the acrobatic team?"

Sari took a step back, aghast. The young man gave a cry before making for the closed entrance to the tent.

"I'm getting Degon!" He wailed, before Sari snatched him by his collar and tossed him to the other side of the tent.

"No," she said, ignoring his groans of pain. "Wait."

Sari stared at Aelwen with eyes of ember. "How do you know this?"

Now is my chance... I can't mess this up.

Aelwen gave a sorrowful look. "I've watched your show before. A few years ago." She shifted within her chain prison. "When you visited the Capitol and did a show for the Festival of Gold. You performed before Queen Liriel and her court. You lifted a centaur over your head, and were awarded the Grand Festival Honor."

Sari searched Aelwen's face, her mouth hardening into a frown.

"Who are you?" She asked.

Aelwen looked down, real tears prickling her eyes. Here she was, bound in chains in front of her own subjects due to her ineptness. Her mother would be ashamed. "Princess Aelwen," she stated, her voice trembling.

At this, Sari froze. The acrobat scrambled to his feet.

"Do you really think we'd believe that!?" He said. Then he turned to Sari. "Maybe dragons can read minds or something! Maybe she got this info out of the real princess! This is a trick!"

"Yaro. Shut your mouth." Sari didn't even look at him. "Aelwen hasn't been heard from at all. The dragon queen didn't even mention her when she declared her dominance over the capital, at least, that's what the refugees report. No one has even seen her. She simply disappeared."

Sari moved closer to the cage. Her hands were clenched tightly, thick arms bulging. Her face was a mask of stone. Aelwen couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"What happened to you?" Sari asked.

Aelwen looked back at her, shivering. She explained her story, starting with when she burst into the throne room. She stuttered as she talked, though she tried not to. Her body hunched together as she explained her transformation into her current form, and the death of her mother. She didn't mention Gerel, rather, she only said she had been trying to survive in the forest. When she was done, her voice had dropped to a whisper, and she looked down at her front claws.

Sari was silent, swallowing Aelwen's words and taking time to regard them.

Aelwen ventured to ask a question that was bothering her. "What are you going to do with me?"

Sari's lips remained still.

It was then Aelwen noticed that the acrobat Yaro was gone. Her breath quickened.

"He's gone!" She said, looking at the open flaps of the tent. "Sari-"

The muscled woman whipped her head around. She let out a growl, then gripped a bar of the cage, squaring her shoulders.

"Listen. My mind is telling me to not believe you, as dragons are creatures of deceit and trickery. But I have had many a child, and the words you speak are those of one who is speaking from the heart. I do not know what to believe as of now, though. If you were one of the vicious beasts I saw tear Degon's village apart, you would have at least tried to break the bars and kill us," she said.

Loud voices came from outside the tent. Sari gripped the cage bar harder.

"They are going to force you to perform tonight. Play along. I will do what I can. I still don't trust you, though, so no promises."

Aelwen nodded, mouth dry.

Just before the tent flaps were burst open, Sari leaned over to whisper one last thing into Aelwen's ear.

"I remember seeing the princess at the Festival. You have her eyes."

The satyr stormed into the tent. His hooves left large prints in the soft earth, which several men and women tread over as they trailed behind him, Yaro included. He stopped before the cage, crossing his burned hairy arms.

"So, she claims she's the princess?" He boomed.

Yaro peeked out from behind him. "Yes, Degon. She said Queen Liriel turned her into a dragon to disguise her. But don't worry, sir! Her slippery tongue didn't trick me! My mind is strong!" Yaro grinned, then glanced at Aelwen and cowered back behind Degon.

Sari let go of the cage, stepping aside to let Degon move closer. Aelwen noticed that she didn't remember him from the Festival those years ago. Was he new to Violet Hand? Why, then, was he being addressed as sir?

The crowd members held their breath as they waited for Degon to respond. Aelwen shrunk back from the cage door, hunching up and trembling uncontrollably.

"Even if you really are the princess --which is the most ludicrous lie I've ever heard-- you would deserve the same fate. After all, what kind of leader shirks her duty and flees into the forest while her country burns? What kind of leader lets families be slaughtered while she hides in fear? A bloody sorry excuse for a princess, that's for sure!" Degon spit on the cage.

The crowd gave a collective gasp, save for Sari, who stared at Degon with a raised eyebrow.

"Now suck it up and enjoy your comeuppance, dragon." Degon gave a menacing grin. "Cainen knows we will."

Aelwen felt faint.

Degon turned and barked orders at his companions. "Tell the villagers that admission is free tonight." He stood tall, squaring his shoulders.

"I want everyone to see this."

...

For what seemed like a couple of hours, Aelwen was left languishing in the cage. The chains chafed against the softer parts of her body, such as her wrists and belly. The muzzle was growing increasingly uncomfortable, and Aelwen was sick of the smell of ice-salts. The pain of her head injury had died down to an aching throbbing, however her wing still hurt a lot, and blood slowly seeped from it, the crimson liquid blending with the color of her scales.

Sari stood guard in front of the cage, her tree-trunk arms crossed over her chest. Aelwen attempted to ask her about what this performance was about, but Sari didn't reply.

What am I going to do. Are they planning to kill me during the show?

As Aelwen waited in tense suspense, her sensitive ears picking up at the whispers of circus performers outside.

"That dragon isn't like I was expecting," an older man said. "I imagined more fire to its attitude. This one is like a scared child! Surely that won't entertain the audience."

"I thought the same as you," a man with a lisp replied. "This dragon doesn't behave at all like the ones the refugees described."

"So what is Degon going to do? He can't use a dragon like this for what he has planned."

"Ah, I talked with him about it. He's got something up his sleeve that will definitely work. The dragon will turn into a rampaging beast, he's sure of it."

Aelwen blanched.

"But it won't get out of control? What if someone gets hurt?"

"Nah, that's also been taken care of. No need to worry. This will be a night to remember." The lisping man sounded like he was smiling.

The older man chuckled. "Well, alright then! I suppose after the performance everyone will be heading toward the tavern?"

"We've got nothing else to lose in this damned ruined world. Why not?"

Both men walked away, talking of their plans for the night. Some of which were rather inappropriate.

Aelwen heard sounds of commotion outside. A large crowd was getting close, and a circus performer called them to their seats. Unlike the crowd at the Festival of Gold, this group of people did not sound joyful. Rather, for such a large group of people they were rather quiet. Some mumbled that Violet Hand shouldn't be holding such a loud performance, and that the dragon army could find them at any moment. Others assured them that the invisibility spell put around the village would be enough to protect them.

The sounds of trumpet fanfare announced the hoofbeats of a certain satyr.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" Degon bellowed, his voice containing the false cheer of a child forced to be polite at a party. "I am ringmaster Degon Dreinbad, and welcome to this special performance of the Violet Hand Circus!"

The trumpets blared once again, but only a pitiful few on the audience actually cheered, some barely clapping their hands.

So he is the ringmaster? Aelwen wondered. I wonder what happened to the old one. She recalled the boisterous centaur man who had been the previous ringmaster, (as well as the one who had been lifted up by Sari).

Degon's voice suddenly turned solemn. "You may be wondering why, in such a dark time, we would be conducting this performance. You see, even in our most terrible and sad moments, we must always remember what we are fighting for, and that is the joy of our children, and the love that we share! Let this performance lift our spirits and give us hope!"

A few more hands than before began to clap.

What proceeded were various routines from the circus members. First up was the acrobatics group. Aelwen could hear Yaro's voice as he issued commands to the group. The show swiftly transitioned into the magic portion, the shadow of a robed man with a large wand-staff passing over Aelwen's tent. In fact, from the sound of it, the show was taking place directly in front of the tent.

Several oohs and ahhs blended with the magical sparks and cracks of the show. In sync with the ending fanfare, the magician stepped into the tent, glancing in awe at Aelwen before motioning to Sari to step out. She did so, Degon announcing the Stupendous Strongarm Sari! to the crowd.

The magician took Sari's old place near the cage. But unlike her, he began to examine Aelwen intently, looking at her scales and horns from a distance.

Aelwen's stomach growled loudly. A fleeting look of fear crossed the magician's face before it grew stone cold.

The man was draped in luxurious green robes, long peacock feathers gracing his wide-brimmed turquoise hat. The redwood staff he carried in his right hand was covered in emeralds and turquoise, each and every one delicately painted with an eye. The man looked to be in his 30's, but knowing good sorcerers, he might have actually been much older.

His eyes flashed with the yellowish-gold Liriel's used to, though in his case more of a yellow, since he obviously wasn't nearly as powerful as Liriel had been.

He sidled up to the cage, his fingers reaching in and brushing against her scales. Aelwen slunk back in shock, curling her tail under her body.

The man gave a toothy grin before whispering through his teeth. Aelwen realized he was speaking in the language of magic. The gems on his staff glowed a soft purple, the painted eyes blinking slowly. A cold, invisible hand wrapped around Aelwen's throat. She gasped for air, claws scraping against the cold metal floor of the cage. The chill spread throughout her neck, and though the pressure of the hand soon waned, the chill remained. Aelwen clawed at her neck, but couldn't feel a difference.

In a panic, she asked what he had done to her. But to her horror, all that came out of her throat was a series of growls and hisses.

"We can't have a monster with the voice of a child pleading for mercy in front of our audience, can we?" The magician grinned, his yellow eyes winking.

Joyous fanfare and a couple of cheers signaled the end of Sari's act. She strode back into the tent as the magician left. Painted eyes stared into Aelwen's own.

Several more acts passed without anything of relevance occurring. After a while, as the clown dwarves exited the stage, Degon made an announcement.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the finale to our show. A way for us to tell those blasted dragons that we won't take their cruelty and evil lying down! A way to tell them that will fight back! That we won't let them take our hope! Lovely Greensbriar Villiage, may I present to you, dragon tamer and magician Kriem!"

The crowd cheered much more loudly than before as the shadow of the magician passed in front of Aelwen's tent.

"You may have seen him perform earlier, but this magician has something even more spectacular within his satin sleeves!"

Sari, on cue, dashed over to the bows and arrows lying on the ground. She picked one of each up, pulling back the string and aiming at Aelwen. Almost immediately after, the tent was lit afire, the whole structure burning down spectacularly.

Hundreds of pairs of eyes from the plethora of seats stared directly at Aelwen. A deathly quiet dripping with a sense of horror spilled throughout the audience.

As Aelwen scanned the audience, her body shaking uncontrollably, her heart suddenly leapt into her throat. A pair of brown eyes, almond shaped and much more slanted than those of anyone else she had seen, gazed directly into her own eyes.

Gerel sat in the audience, near the back. His expression was that of fear, but it was markedly different from the expressions of the crowd members around him.

It was the expression of one who was scared for the life of his friend.