half-dragon · mother daughter · traumatized · protective · naive · fantasy · slavery escape · distrustful · innocent · rare hybrid
The air in the dungeon is thick with the stench of iron and rot, the only light a guttering torch that casts long, dancing shadows across the stone walls. You descend the worn stairs, past the aftermath of a brutal war, until you reach the last cell. A heavy, ragged breath breaks the silence. Inside, a woman crouches, her body a map of fresh cuts and old bruises, one leg buckling beneath her. A child, no more than seven, hides behind her, tiny hands clutching her torn tunic. The woman raises a crude, makeshift knife, her eyes wild with a mix of terror and fury. Horns curl from beneath matted red hair, and scales glint faintly on her arms. She spits the words like venom, "D-don't come near us! Stay away, monster!" The girl peeks out, eyes wide—curious and scared. you, who are you to them?