Road Trip by Peskybatfish (Commission)
This marvelous commission was drawn by peskybatfish! It also guest stars sykie as the truck driver. Give it some love in Pesky's gallery here. Pesky's done a fantastic job tying Ashar down for transportation! Look at all those taut chains and tight straps, how everything is connected and reinforced so the big dragon will definitely not be going anywhere... And that hood just looks amazingly muffling and secure, all those reinforcing straps to hold it on, one of them going right over the eyes to really emphasize how blind he is in there~ I really like how this one came out!
[quote]It's all well and good to say that a dragon can just fly where you want them to go, but it's really not worth the effort. Yes, they don't have to follow roads, and yes, they probably aren't going to get in any traffic jams up in the sky. But it's a rare dragon who can maintain highway speeds for any length of time, and that's if they don't have to fight the wind the whole way. To say nothing of breaks to rest their wings, detours to hunt prey or find water, or who knows what other distractions the dragon might find en route--and all [i]that[/i] assumes you can even convince them to go where you tell them to!
No, it's far easier to take matters into your own hands and just bring them to their destination yourself.
Yes, even an agreeable, gentle dragon like Ashar. With multiple roads across his territory, he was no stranger to the sounds of engines from time to time. But the mountainous terrain made the roads narrow and winding; to hear the much larger, deeper engine of a heavy truck was far more unusual, and when the sound lingered and lingered over the course of the morning he couldn't resist his curiosity. Were they stuck and in need of assistance? Did they have some errand he could help them with to speed them along their way more quickly so he could have a more peaceful afternoon? Taking flight, he followed the source of the noise to find a giant red truck idling on one of the straighter, flatter sections of road; a red-feathered avian stood next to the truck's bed, where numerous chains and heavy leather loops were wrapped up together.
Ashar tilted his snout, looking up and down the road. That wasn't much cargo at all, considering the size of the truck... Had something fallen off or been stolen, that the anthro needed help locating or returning to the truck bed? Maybe he could help find it, and get them moving again before other anthros got stuck or crashed into each other trying to to around the truck? Ugh, the [i]last[/i] thing he wanted to see on his land was an accident!
"Hello down there!" he called to the anthro, circling around the truck as he descended; the anthro didn't flinch, just looked up at him as he came down to land. It was hard to read their mood, the beak instead of a snout making any similarity in expression even more distant, but they seemed pleased to see him rather than defensive or frightened, and that was always a good sign. He hated scaring anthros, they always got so unpredictable! The grass next to the road was clear, and he landed there with a thump to spare his claws the rough surface of the asphalt, shaking out his wings before folding them and tilting his snout towards the bird, who was still looking at the mess of straps on the trailer. "I noticed your truck had been here for a while. Do you need any help getting moving again?"
The anthro turned around and lifted their hand--and he flinched when he saw something in it that looked like a pistol! He didn't have time to gather himself and spring aside before they fired, and with a soft [i]pop[/i] they fired some kind of dart right into his neck. He stumbled back with a roar. "What do you think you're doing!" he cried, but whatever they'd hit him with must have been fast-acting: a tunnel of darkness began to close in around the edges of his vision at once, his limbs feeling impossibly heavy, the dragon stumbling and slumping onto his belly barely moments later. He blinked, clenched his claws, tried to stay awake, but it was futile; he only caught a glimpse of the anthro putting down the gun and dragging some of those leather straps toward him before he fell asleep.
Ashar awoke to darkness and rattling chains. "Hhnnn?" he mumbled blearily, twisting and trying to reach for his snout, but all he felt were straps. Straps everywhere! Around his neck, his legs, his paws, his tail, his wings and his torso. He was lying crouched on his belly, wings furled, tail lifted and tied between them, its tip resting on the back of his neck, his head lying on a hard surface. Again he tried to reach a paw toward his head, but again he failed: a cuff around his wrist wouldn't let it move, and the more he struggled, the more restrained he felt! His limbs were strapped down so they were bent beneath him and couldn't be straightened, all his claws were surrounded by thick, padded leather, his wings and tail tied together and pinned against his back. Over his head was a heavy hood, keeping the world pitch dark and even muffling his hearing, not to mention pinning his jaws together, keeping him near silent. He jerked and thrashed, but the rattle of chains only grew louder: seemingly every joint, every limb, every part of his body was chained down, sometimes in several directions at once. It felt like he couldn't budge an inch! "Mmngh. Nnnnnf! Rrg!" he grunted, trying to struggle, but he simply could not move a muscle!
"About time you woke up!" He could hear the voice faintly through his hood, somewhere off to his left, close by. He tried to twist in that direction, but he couldn't even turn his head. Something was pulling it forward, and he could feel multiple chains pulling it left, and right, plus more tight restraints around his neck. "Not that you really need to for a while, I suppose. We've got a long drive ahead, and you won't have to do a thing except ride along."
He growled softly, pulling on the chains, but if it did any good at all he certainly couldn't tell. "Nnn-- Nng! Llnn mm gmm!" he demanded; he hadn't done anything wrong, he hadn't attacked anyone or stolen--that bird hadn't even been police as far as he could tell! There was no cause to capture him like this!
"Now now, no need to make a fuss. It's worth your while to be a good, well-behaved dragon and not a troublemaker."
He bucked harder, chains jingling as he pulled this way and that. What was that supposed to mean! Were they just... rounding him up? What did they even want from him? He'd heard rumors of stuff like this, but that was far away, nowhere near him! "Nnnngh... Cmmnn nnn! Hhnnns nnn fffnnf! Lllnn-nn gnnm!" He squirmed and struggled and tried to find a way to slip something free, but there was just too much holding him down, all of it tight and everything seemingly held taut by something else so that he couldn't possibly move!
There was a distant thud of a door closing, then the anthro's voice again, much farther away, having to shout to be heard through his heavy hood. "I mean it! Unless you're hoping for some... entertainment to keep you occupied on the trip," they said, sounding far too ominous for his liking, and he shuddered.
"Nnnnnnf!"
"Uh huh. Well lie down and relax, we've got a long way to go!"
The engine revved, drowning out his muffled complaints or any further warnings, and he squirmed as he felt the truck bed beneath him begin to move. Whatever they wanted, wherever they were taking him... The restraints were far too tight for him to hope to do anything except lie there bound and helpless, and wait to find out![/quote]
[quote]It's all well and good to say that a dragon can just fly where you want them to go, but it's really not worth the effort. Yes, they don't have to follow roads, and yes, they probably aren't going to get in any traffic jams up in the sky. But it's a rare dragon who can maintain highway speeds for any length of time, and that's if they don't have to fight the wind the whole way. To say nothing of breaks to rest their wings, detours to hunt prey or find water, or who knows what other distractions the dragon might find en route--and all [i]that[/i] assumes you can even convince them to go where you tell them to!
No, it's far easier to take matters into your own hands and just bring them to their destination yourself.
Yes, even an agreeable, gentle dragon like Ashar. With multiple roads across his territory, he was no stranger to the sounds of engines from time to time. But the mountainous terrain made the roads narrow and winding; to hear the much larger, deeper engine of a heavy truck was far more unusual, and when the sound lingered and lingered over the course of the morning he couldn't resist his curiosity. Were they stuck and in need of assistance? Did they have some errand he could help them with to speed them along their way more quickly so he could have a more peaceful afternoon? Taking flight, he followed the source of the noise to find a giant red truck idling on one of the straighter, flatter sections of road; a red-feathered avian stood next to the truck's bed, where numerous chains and heavy leather loops were wrapped up together.
Ashar tilted his snout, looking up and down the road. That wasn't much cargo at all, considering the size of the truck... Had something fallen off or been stolen, that the anthro needed help locating or returning to the truck bed? Maybe he could help find it, and get them moving again before other anthros got stuck or crashed into each other trying to to around the truck? Ugh, the [i]last[/i] thing he wanted to see on his land was an accident!
"Hello down there!" he called to the anthro, circling around the truck as he descended; the anthro didn't flinch, just looked up at him as he came down to land. It was hard to read their mood, the beak instead of a snout making any similarity in expression even more distant, but they seemed pleased to see him rather than defensive or frightened, and that was always a good sign. He hated scaring anthros, they always got so unpredictable! The grass next to the road was clear, and he landed there with a thump to spare his claws the rough surface of the asphalt, shaking out his wings before folding them and tilting his snout towards the bird, who was still looking at the mess of straps on the trailer. "I noticed your truck had been here for a while. Do you need any help getting moving again?"
The anthro turned around and lifted their hand--and he flinched when he saw something in it that looked like a pistol! He didn't have time to gather himself and spring aside before they fired, and with a soft [i]pop[/i] they fired some kind of dart right into his neck. He stumbled back with a roar. "What do you think you're doing!" he cried, but whatever they'd hit him with must have been fast-acting: a tunnel of darkness began to close in around the edges of his vision at once, his limbs feeling impossibly heavy, the dragon stumbling and slumping onto his belly barely moments later. He blinked, clenched his claws, tried to stay awake, but it was futile; he only caught a glimpse of the anthro putting down the gun and dragging some of those leather straps toward him before he fell asleep.
Ashar awoke to darkness and rattling chains. "Hhnnn?" he mumbled blearily, twisting and trying to reach for his snout, but all he felt were straps. Straps everywhere! Around his neck, his legs, his paws, his tail, his wings and his torso. He was lying crouched on his belly, wings furled, tail lifted and tied between them, its tip resting on the back of his neck, his head lying on a hard surface. Again he tried to reach a paw toward his head, but again he failed: a cuff around his wrist wouldn't let it move, and the more he struggled, the more restrained he felt! His limbs were strapped down so they were bent beneath him and couldn't be straightened, all his claws were surrounded by thick, padded leather, his wings and tail tied together and pinned against his back. Over his head was a heavy hood, keeping the world pitch dark and even muffling his hearing, not to mention pinning his jaws together, keeping him near silent. He jerked and thrashed, but the rattle of chains only grew louder: seemingly every joint, every limb, every part of his body was chained down, sometimes in several directions at once. It felt like he couldn't budge an inch! "Mmngh. Nnnnnf! Rrg!" he grunted, trying to struggle, but he simply could not move a muscle!
"About time you woke up!" He could hear the voice faintly through his hood, somewhere off to his left, close by. He tried to twist in that direction, but he couldn't even turn his head. Something was pulling it forward, and he could feel multiple chains pulling it left, and right, plus more tight restraints around his neck. "Not that you really need to for a while, I suppose. We've got a long drive ahead, and you won't have to do a thing except ride along."
He growled softly, pulling on the chains, but if it did any good at all he certainly couldn't tell. "Nnn-- Nng! Llnn mm gmm!" he demanded; he hadn't done anything wrong, he hadn't attacked anyone or stolen--that bird hadn't even been police as far as he could tell! There was no cause to capture him like this!
"Now now, no need to make a fuss. It's worth your while to be a good, well-behaved dragon and not a troublemaker."
He bucked harder, chains jingling as he pulled this way and that. What was that supposed to mean! Were they just... rounding him up? What did they even want from him? He'd heard rumors of stuff like this, but that was far away, nowhere near him! "Nnnngh... Cmmnn nnn! Hhnnns nnn fffnnf! Lllnn-nn gnnm!" He squirmed and struggled and tried to find a way to slip something free, but there was just too much holding him down, all of it tight and everything seemingly held taut by something else so that he couldn't possibly move!
There was a distant thud of a door closing, then the anthro's voice again, much farther away, having to shout to be heard through his heavy hood. "I mean it! Unless you're hoping for some... entertainment to keep you occupied on the trip," they said, sounding far too ominous for his liking, and he shuddered.
"Nnnnnnf!"
"Uh huh. Well lie down and relax, we've got a long way to go!"
The engine revved, drowning out his muffled complaints or any further warnings, and he squirmed as he felt the truck bed beneath him begin to move. Whatever they wanted, wherever they were taking him... The restraints were far too tight for him to hope to do anything except lie there bound and helpless, and wait to find out![/quote]
5 years ago
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