Charizard laid on the floor of a small cellar, restrained by iron bands that had been hastily bolted down. Being underground made the room quite cold, rendering his muscles sore and his fire dull. 

What exactly his captors had in store for him, he didn’t know. But he wasn’t about to stay and find out.

Grunting, he began to tug upward, using his hands to try and push off the ground. Stifled snorts of exertion filled the tiny cell as he struggled, his eyes narrowing and his arms trembling.

After a few seconds, the tiniest creak escaped one of the bolts. It didn’t go unnoticed. The dragon redoubled his efforts, smoke rising from his nostrils as he growled determinedly. A more prolonged creaking rang out as the metal started to bend.

Charizard squeezed his eyes shut. This was hard. So hard. But he couldn’t give up. He took a few breaths and heaved again. The bands gave a higher-pitched whine, and cracks started to form in the stone-brick floor they were anchored to. His whole body shook as he pulled and pulled and pulled, until, with a strangled cry…

TCHANK! The fire-type’s neck suddenly lifted from the floor. With a toss of his head, he sent the broken restraints clanging to the floor.

The lizard panted, out of breath. It’d taken that much effort just to free one part of himself, and he was already tired. But he couldn’t let himself be humiliated. Furrowing his brow, he gathered his resolve and continued.

His wrists were the next target. These would be more difficult, as his hands faced palms-down, and he wasn’t quite in a position where he could use another part of his body for leverage. Still, he had to try.

Bending low to the floor, he stored energy and jerked upwards. No give. Gritting his teeth, he tried again. And again. And again.

Charizard gasped, his wrists starting to bruise. He snarled, willing himself through the pain. Yank! Yank! Yank! YANK!

Squeak?

With cautious optimism, the dragon looked down at the restraints. It was subtle, but those screws definitely seemed looser in their sockets. Maybe now he could…

He grimaced and strained again. The cuffs squealed and ticked, their grip of the stonework slipping more and more. Inch-thick metal warped as rivets vibrated in their mounts. Bared fangs glistened as the reptile’s neck craned towards the heavens. Just… a little… more…

SNAP! The dragon exhaled forcefully, eyes wide and neck hanging. His heart pounded. His muscles ached. His breaths came ragged. But he was almost done.

For the first time in what felt like ages, Charizard stood upright. He looked down at the bands over the tops of his large, clawed feet, then at his powerful, stocky legs. A slight grin crossed his muzzle, realizing how much easier this next step would be.

Leaning his weight to one side, he pulled up with his unburdened leg. The manacle gave an ugly groan, already straining to hold him. He tilted further, tugging hard and putting more pressure on the accursed strap as it creaked and kinked. Fractures spidered out from its anchor points. Then…

CRACK! Charizard briefly lost his balance as his foot came loose, but he quickly twisted his neck and righted himself. Now for the other one.

Taking a big step forward, he leaned into the stride and tugged his foot behind him. His heel lifted off the ground as ivory claws scratched the stone beneath them, and the metal began to creak again. It resisted hard, trying to outdo its sibling who’d failed to stop the dragon. But he dug in and fought back with all his might, making it buckle centimeter by centimeter, its rivets straining to hold on. So close… so close…

WRENCH! Charizard stumbled forward towards the door. An internal cheer briefly filled his heart. His escape was within reach!

Then a sudden jerk at the base of his spine pulled him back. Confounded, he looked over his shoulder and saw it for the first time. One final shackle held his tail, its length traveling a ways up the wall to a sturdy plate and ring. How he hadn’t heard or felt it until now was beyond him, although the tightness of the cuff suggested that cut-off circulation was partially to blame.

The fire-type was snapped out of his frustration by distant voices growing closer. Voices that had heard the noise. 

Right, then. There was no time to lose.

Charizard flexed and coiled his big thick tail powerfully, the chain links rattling and clanking as they were snapped taut and jerked in all directions. He pulled as hard as he could, but try as he might, he couldn’t get a single sigh out of them.

Those voices were louder now, echoing down the stairs. Sweat began to bead on the lizard’s forehead, in part from fear and in part from fatigue. He had to break free now!

Seeing his foot was still planted in front of him, he tried to walk forward again, pulling both his tail and the chain to their limits. Claws dug in hard as he strained forward like an arrow. Steel links tightened against each other, croaking and vibrating. But still, they wouldn’t budge!

They were coming down the hall now. Soon they would be right outside his chamber. In a panic, Charizard looked behind him, and had one final idea.

He stamped over to the wall where the shackle was secured, and grabbed ahold of the chain with both hands, spooling it around his arm until it was as short and taut as possible. Then, standing close to the wall, he planted his foot against its cool surface. This was it.

All at once, Charizard leaned back with his full weight, decanting every ounce of strength he had into his legs, arms, and tail. His expression screwed up in pure, animalistic power as he grunted and growled, pushing off with his foot.

The chain almost seemed to personify in his adrenaline-fueled mind, gleaming brighter in an expression of shock at the display. Suddenly having to try, it tightened its body, determined to resist the reptile’s strength.

But Charizard poured it on. Sweat trickled down scales. Snarls rose in pitch as lips curled back further. Pupils narrowed to slits before being masked behind screwed-shut lids. Through it all the chain held, daring to bear the immense pressure.

Until a single, tiny flaw in its design began to balk.

The dragon’s body heated up as he heaved, pushing far past his normal limits. Puffs of angry red flame vented between his exposed teeth, their light glinting off a growing nick in the chain’s weakest link. Only its ever-louder cricking broke through the reptile’s clamor, and he parted his eyelids to see it, gradually peeling apart.

But the voices were behind the door now, and a frantic jangling of keys could be heard. There wouldn’t be enough time! Unless…

Charizard realized he felt quite warm now. His flames wouldn’t go far enough to reach the door. But maybe the chain…

With nothing to lose, he breathed deep, stoking the embers in his belly. He let the heat build as long as he could, then roared with primal fury. Molten orange seared forth from his jaws in a twisting tapestry, striking the steel full force and making it glow.

The door lock rattled, and Charizard went berserk. He reared back and let loose a carnal howl, throwing everything he had into one last pull. The wall cracked under his foot, and a loud grating and squealing permeated the air, the heat-softened chain unable to take the pressure. It’s Achilles heel stretched. Sparked. Thinned. Streeeeetched.

TOOONNNG! Charizard fell on his back as the tension released all at once, tumbling and instinctively righting himself just as the door flew open.

The two guards stood in shock at the crazed beast that stood before them. He raised his claws, prepared to fight with what little energy he had left.

But they didn’t bother. With one look at his wild face, they dropped everything and took off back the way they came.

Charizard stood dumbfounded, lowering his hands as he pondered wether it was a trick. Then, when no one came back, he laughed. He laughed loud. The act made his entire body hurt, but he couldn’t help it. What a bunch of cowards!

When he was done, he tenderly limped out of the room and down the hall. Exhaustion washed over every cell in his body, but it didn’t matter. Whoever else had been here was gone now, leaving no further obstacles.

The lizard smiled as he emerged into the waning sunlight. It would be a long, sore flight home, but a peaceful one. A triumphant one.