My room was locked and no one could get in, but I wasn't there. I was sleeping and crying alternately in the technical vacuum of the ship.

Via my horns I warned Auberone, who also fell into depression. She was sick at heart for me. She wanted to join me, but her presence was indispensable with the others to keep the community together. We remained 19 to support each other and the 31 other dragons submitted and accepted their fate to go to the breeding farms spread out in different reserves of the planet or colonies.

The four colonies each wanted at least one couple of dragons each.

We promised to keep in touch and to do everything we could to make them happy and not be mistreated.

We made a petition to make sure that they did not end up in labs, tests and that a release program was granted to them and that their hunting or exploitation was strictly forbidden.

We wanted to be and remain their guardians when we were granted emancipation.

In fact, we all demanded lawyers to have the right to emancipation and our citizenship. Even if we were restricted to desert areas, we wanted to have our rights.

We didn't care about Arcadia, but with human pressure, modern times and this almost permanent order where wildlife has no more room, we had to take the big step: evolve or die.

We were the evolutionary faction of the dragons. The freedom fighters.

The others left in small groups after a heart-wrenching farewell.

To finance all this, parties and visits to the dragons were arranged. It was a bit like in the movie Jurassic park except that we dragons had no enclosures and visitors and people walked among us, took selfies, shared ice cream and pastries with us and we made giant barbecues of prey that we shared with the visitors.

It was fun at first, but then it became embarrassing because we were missing some privacy and answering the same questions over and over again became tiresome. Those who left, in any case, some regretted their decision a little because they had a glimpse of their future daily life:

Free during the closing of the park and present at the opening of the public, mob baths and after being observed and studied by zoologists and forced mating sessions.

They had been warned, but they were stubborn. Their ambition? To play the turkey with a den and lay eggs. But when they were told what future for their young...?

"They'll manage like we always have."

It made me sick. I mean, you can't cure a sick person who doesn't want to get better.

Anyway, what relieved me was that no kids are going to those zoos. They had, without hiding, been truly sold. The transactions weren't even hidden from the public.

Reporters questioned Fuchur and I took remote control to answer.

"Young dragon Fuchur, your English has improved dramatically. Why do you want to have a human life when the others have gone to cattle farms and you're resisting?"

"I've always lived with humans and daddy, well he's my uncle but I've always called him daddy. Mom was raised with him and grandma and grandpa never made any difference between us." I'd like to study to have a fish farm and grow oysters too. Or a riverside farm and raise shellfish and work with fishermen. That's what I'd like to do."

"And would you like a cave or a den?"

"No, that's for wild dragons! I'm not a cave dragon like the cavemen.

I'd like a house by the river or the sea with forests to fly and hunt a little bit but I like TV, video games, internet with AI and I have lots of friends I'd like to invite to the house. And then I dream of a future where we could go on holiday with friends without being locked up or forbidden. "

"What do you think of your differences from human beings ?"

"Yes, we're bigger, yes we're stronger. But it forces us to be more responsible, to be careful not to hurt anyone and not to demolish houses and public property.

Our weakness also consists in having to earn more money because our bodies are bigger to feed. Our strength and breath are no longer of any use in a modern society. But we would like to stop suffering from racism."

"Why school?"

"School is essential to integrate into a modern society. It is school that makes all the difference between the barbarity of the savage world and civilization."

I was awakened from my torpor when the Artemis AI computer indicated that there was one week left before arrival on the Jungle planet.

Within two days, everyone would be awake from cryo and the ship would be one big hive.

Everything was in place and everything I could sabotage had been sabotaged.

I transformed into a human and returned to my chamber, well rested.

I fell asleep like a sack, then Trevis came knocking on my door the next morning.

"Wake up Eva!"

He came in after I opened it and was impressed by the emptiness of my room.

"But you've got nothing! You've got no case! What about your stuff? What are you going hunting with?????"

"I'll buy on the spot. I always travel light."

"Yeah, when you put it like that."

Then it was time for the briefing and team-building.

The big hunt started with the normal hunt, then the difficulty rose with the android hunt, then the lion hunt and finally the ultimate test, the panther hunt.

Only those who brought back a panther could take part in the ultimate hunt: the Jurassic hunt that took place in another part of the planet. During this hunt, there were no more laws or rules. the raptor hunt. The ultimate dream of every hunter, the grail of Artemis. But this year was especially special and a surprise awaited the elite.

Darkia, she was wasting no time. She was setting traps, preparing her hide at great expense. She looked at the stars and saw a spot that moved faster than the others: They're coming!

Perched on a rocky outcrop, she observed her territory.

"I'm waiting for you, scum!"

The landing shuttles took us to Artemis and we arrived at a large station-city, the only one on the planet where we could buy supplies. I could buy whatever I wanted but I opted for a simple bow and arrow with a hollow point in which I could put explosives, my saliva for example, I also bought a big knife, rope and a simple tent and a flask. Some leather clothes and nothing else, yes, ah yes, a set of throwing knives. and a hang-glider as a vehicle.

Everyone was laughing at me!

How was a frail little woman going to catch her quota?

So we all went off to make our own preparations.

Groups got organized, armies of mercenaries too. Some had cages because the catch on Artemis could be trophies, but they could also be live trophies that you had won and were allowed to take back with you. Dinosaur hunters wanted live dino to put in rich properties to show off. it was forbidden unless you won the dino as a trophy which was considered dead. But there was nothing to stop them from keeping him alive... He was officially dead.

Trevis came up to me and gave me a surprise kiss on the neck:

"Well, my beautiful, are we ready to hunt? Do you want to come to my group?"

I nodded and saw banker Kim.

"So, Eva, I see you're hanging in there. But I'll only discuss it with you if you get to the Jurassic level and I hope your finances follow because this hunt is an event and I wouldn't want it to be spoiled by mediocrity."

My other target taunted me and called me Joan of Arc!

The mercenaries laughed but I could see that he was scanning me for my weaknesses and I could feel his murderous aura.

We all went to bed at a hunting camp and weapons other than rifles and class 1 knives were forbidden. No missile launchers, no trackers, no satellite gadgets and no GPS.

Traditional hunting was mandatory. Gadgets arrived by drone according to the credits at the games. The equipment was delivered when all means had been exhausted and according to the credits injected.

That's how Artemis Corp made huge profits.

The hunt began at 3 o'clock in the morning. Nobody woke anybody up. It was every man for himself.

You couldn't kill each other except in the Jurassic hunt, where you could kill anybody. And some people found their favorite environment there.

I took my hang glider and everyone laughed. The others were on foot, but hang-gliding was a vehicle without a motor, so it was allowed.

They laughed less when I rose from the ground alone (thanks to the enchanted stones of feather fall and thrust, set in the pipe of the hang glider).

"How is that possible?"

Due to the protest of several hunters, a referee was called to analyze my delta wing and see if there was any cheating. He could only ascertain the conformity of the object.

I was searched and only what I had bought was found, apart from a decorative medallion with quartzite stones and a simple decorative tribal bracelet on my arm...

So I flew off under the nose and beard of the others and came back with the list of prey killed cleanly and neatly with a knife.

My infrared and ultraviolet vision was a great help and so was my dragon shape under Eva's illusion ...

Deer, roe deer, wolf, rabbits, ibex, partridge, salmon, wild boar. Everything was full and I went home first.

I waited in my room for the others to come home. I then took advantage of the opportunity to sabotage the shuttles and the drop sites: undermining concrete platforms, sabotaging ladders and guardrails for the next trials.

The others returned after a week of hunting, and took refuge in the spas and thermal centers to regain their health.

Kim arrived: "So we gave up on the first day?"

I showed her my medal next to the glass of crude I was sipping. I twirled it around my finger and it had the date stamped on it.

Kim flinched when she saw it.

"All the first day????????"

"I've been hunting solo since I was born, well, when I stopped breast-feeding I sneered!"

After two days of rest, a debriefing took place and we arrived at the big-game trial.

This hunt was meant to be collective and to allow the teams who will have to face each other later to get together.

The equipment appeared in all its splendor...

Jeeps armored and equipped with buffalo bar. It was time to test the equipment and its reliability for the tests to follow.

On my side, I tried to contact with my horns the dragon or the dragon that will be hunted in a few days.

I thought of my friends and when my thoughts connected with Zmei, I had a positive but very weak reaction.

I felt hatred, and rage and revenge. An obnoxious mix!

"Dragon?... No answer.

I went hang-gliding in isolation and once no one was in sight via uv and infra-red, I started to roar like a draconian and passed the roar through my horns.

Of course my family reacted and so did the other emigrants. And I cut them off at once: SHUT UP! I'm trying to find a kidnapped dragon that will be hunted and killed!

Everyone kept silent and I started again.

This time I felt a touch. Not clear but a reaction of astonishment!

"GGOROOOAAAARR! Human bastards! You're trying to get inside my head! I will devour you to the last BITCH!"

Me GROOARRR, I am Vermithraxa! I'm a dragon! I've come to fetch and save you!"

"Liar, you are trained by humans, like their dogs. I will kill you and devour you!"

"What anger! But I have killed many humans. I'm with the hunters in disguise. I'll help you kill them all. We're 50 dragons who escaped from Arcadia. You're from Arcadia, aren't you?"

"Yes, you're from arcadia??? Have you seen other scorpion dragons?"

"Yes, I've got a young dragon named Zmei! She's safe and sound!

"Zmei???? my little Zmei????? she's alive?????"

"Yes, she's safe and goes to school with other dragons and is protected by a faction of less brutal humans. She can be free after her studies. Falkor and Aqua adopted her because she loves Fuchur so much, the other dumb Dark Dragons abandoned her and I took care of her personally."

Crying with joy - "My little Zmei, how I miss you!"

"Listen, what's your name?"

"Darkia! Please, help me get out of here! "

Listen, Darkia, don't give up hope! I'm a powerful magician and I'm going to get you out of here. Try to hide, young one, quench your thirst if you have to, stock up, but hide. Don't leave any marks on the ground. They have devices that detect footsteps and ground crushes and they have low altitude scanners to spot you if you fly. Stay on the ground, and move over the rocks.

I need to plant explosive glyphs to sabotage their equipment and set up a transport ring or two to stow away as illegals and return to Earth. This whole planet is a death trap.

Then you can communicate with your daughter as you talk to me! Think of her and load your thoughts with love and push your words not to your mouth but to your horns! You can talk to her and talk to others!"

By the way, I'm a slave to World, who's trying to own Artemis. I have to take out a few of my mates to do it, so this rescue mission's a little extra on my part. Shh. "Shh. It'll be all right."

"Thank you Vermithraxa, I don't know how to thank you..."

"Wait till we're out of here before you thank me!"