Aster desperately struggled to get his shield up from the true rush of fight or flight instincts that swept over him.
This was it. He needed to get away from this monster NOW before it killed him. As the golden shield finally appeared between Aster and the dragon, and the warm light washed over the stadium, the boy tried to speak, only managing to spit more blood out of his mouth at first.
Before he could even get the words "I yield," to form on his busted lips, he was stopped by a sense of terror as the dragon descended upon him.
He had merely jumped over the shield like it wasn't even there with a small boost from his wings and was now diving down at the human with an outstretched hand.
Straga's giant fingers easily encased the human's skinny neck in his grasp as he fell towards him. Aster's head was slammed into the ground below as the dragon landed in a hunched-over position.
Just as with all his attacks, the dragon had held back just enough. The plaything would be long dead by now if not, and no matter how much he wanted to finish the human off, he didn't want to be tried for murder just yet.
That soft prince of his would probably push for a charge after that proclamation he made yesterday about letting the human survive.
Straga couldn't kill him, but he could have just a little more fun before he had to put his toy away for the time being.
Using his tight grip on the boy's throat, the dragon pulled him up to his own shoulder, pressing his mouth right next to the boy's ear as he spoke in that terrible whisper of his once more.
"I have to leave you for now. But don't worry, I'll be back for you someday." The great humanoid dragon began sadistically stroking the back of the human's head, dampened with his own blood.
All the while holding his tight grip, firmly preventing the human from getting a breath with his other hand.
"We are going to play a lot more then, my new little toy, but I have to put you away for now. Do you know where you belong, human? Have I made it clear to you yet?"
Aster struggled vainly beneath his claws to draw breath. The dragon only let out a hollow chuckle and released his grip, dropping the human to the ground.
Aster didn't have the fight left in him to even try and catch himself and let out only a muffled grunt when he hit. He fought to draw air, but his throat was raw, and he still felt crushed.
He hacked and wheezed heavily. He started to cough as he choked on some of his own blood for a moment. There was no real time for the human to brace for what came next.
Straga leaned over the human once again, almost as if he was being delicate, and pressed his knee firmly into the boy's stomach. The scaled monster began settling his weight on the boy's stomach, stealing away any room for air.
Aster could only manage to squirm beneath the mass as he helplessly looked deep into the eyes of the dragon who was sent to deliver this judgment.
The savage dragon leaned his head forward, bringing it directly in front of Aster's own face, never breaking eye contact.
The dragon slowly opened his maw and extended his long, bright red, pointed tongue. The dragon made a large pass with it over Aster's face, coating it with the human's blood, leaving behind a saliva residue that made Aster want to vomit again.
Straga withdrew his tongue, made sure Aster was still watching and had seen how well it had been coated, and closed his jaw, savoring his first taste of such a rare delicacy these days.
Straga began speaking once again. Aster was fading.
"Hmm, father was right! Humans may be salty, but your blood sure does have a nice, bold flavor. I can't wait to find out how the rest of you taste someday."
The dragon leaned forward and used a massive hand to gently cup the boy's injured jaw. He was turning colors pretty heavily at this point from the lack of air.
Whether from the crushing pressure on his guts or from pure fear, the dragon wasn't sure, but the boy had definitely soiled himself with piss by this point.
Straga chuckled just a bit. His playtime was up, so he began speaking his parting words to his newfound affection.
"Remember this feeling should you believe yourself to ever be our equal in any way. Wallow in your inferiority, as I can easily take the very breath from your body whenever I desire. Remember the feeling of me breaking your bones. Of me shedding your blood and feasting from your body.
"Of your own father watching you struggle pathetically beneath me in a puddle of your own piss. Live in constant fear of being crushed by me once more, for I will play with you again someday, my pet. I never leave a toy alone for too long."
The humanoid dragon simply smiled down at the boy as the lights slowly dimmed. The human managed to raise his right arm in a fleeting, desperate final attempt to push the mass off his gut, trying to allow just a small breath of life into his screaming lungs.
Straga pressed down just a little harder, straining the broken ribs beneath him with a pain Aster could no longer really feel.
After what seemed like forever to the human, his body gave way, and his arm fell limply to the side. The sound of booming applause as he faded off into unconsciousness was the last thing Aster could remember from that day.
***
Author's note: Thanks for reading this far. You've officially just crossed the first hurdle of this story. We get some softer parts next, and a certain duo finally gets a bit of alone time. Feedback is always appreciated. And don't forget to support my work. Thank you!