Wow, my fanfictions NEVER got this far on any of my other accounts! Huzzah! Hopefully I'll be able to keep it going till the end. Oh, I forgot to mention, even if this hasn't spoiled anything for you yet, it will at some point. Happy reading! - Dave

Corona's head felt like it had been trampled by a hundred camels, and her mouth felt full of sand. Her whole body hurt.

OW. What am I doing here?

Then she remembered her escape from the city, and then being yanked from the tunnel and knocked out. Briefly, all she could be was angry. She had been SO CLOSE to escaping.

She opened her eyes and found herself staring straight into the face of a NightWing. She breathed a plume of fire in his eyes, and he stepped back, yelping, although he hadn't been exposed to the flame long enough to cause actual damage. Corona leaped to her talons and- immediately fell back down, not only because the world spun around her, but because she was shackled to a wall on very short chains.

She was about to start making threats, like "Don't come any closer or I'll hit you with my tail," but then she realized her tail was chained to the wall as well.

The NightWing lumbered back, rubbing his face with his talons and whining. "What'd you do that for?" he grumbled.

"That's what I do to dragons who rudely knock me out, and then chain me to a wall," Corona spat. "Who under the three moons are you?"

"I'm Traitor of the NightWings. We haven't met and I'm not the one who captured you, but-" his voice took on a strange quality. "I know you well, Corona the SandWing animus."

Corona gasped and looked down, realizing whoever had captured her had taken her necklace. "How do you know my name?"

"Because I'm a NightWing. I'm good at this sort of thing," Traitor said cheerfully.

Corona wordlessly grumbled in a skeptical fashion. She'd never really believed all the rumors about NightWings, and neither had her mother. This Traitor dragon had probably just heard it from his boss. "Good for you." She flopped down sulkily and examined her shackles.

"I have something very important to tell you," Traitor announced.

"Oh yeah?" Corona got up and started throwing all her weight away from the wall, trying to unbolt the chains. If she had to fight her way out, she was fairly certain she could beat this dragon.

"You will help her and the curse will be lifted," he said, fumbling with the words as though he wasn't quite sure of what he was saying.

Corona stopped what she was doing. Curse? Did he mean the animus curse? Was there a way to get out of it?

"There's more," Traitor added quickly. He pressed his talons to the sides of his head, lines appearing on his forehead as he concentrated. "It will be an assassination of some sort. A SkyWing assassination. I think... Oh dear, is that Queen Ruby? You'll have help, I think. From a sentry, a secret, a hybrid, a prince, and... Oh, that's weird. I'm apparently going to help you too."

"You're making that up," Corona interrupted. "You can't just tell the future like that. Don't these things usually happen in like, a prophecy or something?"

Traitor shook his head. "Nope, not for me. I think my future sight is just stronger than most. Corona, you have to let her take you to Burn. You'll get help there. I promise."

"Her? Who's her?" Corona demanded.

"The SandWing I work for. Tarantula. She owns a crime network of sorts, and she's going to try and sell you to Burn. Don't worry, she doesn't know you're an animus. She's selling you as a normal slave."

"Why?"

"I told her about you. I had a vision of you walking in the desert. I told Tarantula you would be there and she used the necklace-"

"What necklace?"

"An old one. Animus touched. Makes you able to travel without being noticed. Anyways, she used it to follow you and grab you. Your friend is probably standing around and scratching his head right now, wondering where you went. Anyways, it's important you let her sell you. Just remember that."

And suddenly, something hit her in the side of the neck, like a bee sting but notably more painful, and she slipped drowsily into unconsciousness.

It's almost unrealistic; stupidly difficult things keep happening to me, Corona thought as she opened her eyes. Unfortunately, no dragon was directly in her face this time, and she didn't get a chance to inflict any pain before taking in her surroundings.

She was in a tent, shockingly similar to Thorn's. She was far enough away from the burgundy walls to decrease the risk of her burning the thing down on top of them. Directly ahead of her, sprawled out on a royal blue carpet like a queen lording over her subjects, a sly smirk on her face, was the SandWing Corona assumed was Tarantula.

The crime queen was massive and well-muscled. Her black eyes were cold, and glittered intelligently. The scales along her back and shoulders were tinged oddly rust brown. She did indeed remind Corona of the massive spider of her namesake.

As for security measures, Tarantula was flanked on either side by bulky thugs, and Corona suspected there was probably two more at the door behind her. Corona herself was chained to something she couldn't see; probably the other guards. Her tail was chained to her leg.

Traitor sat to her left, a look that said, remember what I told you, plastered on his face. Corona made a point of glaring at him, but kept his advice in mind.

"So," Tarantula said, her voice laced with false sweetness. "How lovely it is to have you with us. My dear NightWing here seems to think you're worth something."

"I didn't say that," Traitor complained. "I said you'd get some money off of her, not that she's important or anything."

"That's what I said." Tarantula eyed Traitor strangely, like she didn't appreciate his presence, but needed it. "Well then, fancy being a slave to Queen Burn?"

Corona didn't dignify that with a response, choosing to seethe in silence instead.

"My my, you are an angry one," Tarantula simpered. "Little dragonet-"

"I'm not a dragonet. I'm fully grown," Corona interrupted, before she could stop herself. The outburst was so juvenile, she almost disagreed with her own statement.

Tarantula got to her talons and took a step closer, scrutinizing Corona harshly. "Hmmm, you're rather small for an adult... Queen Burn won't like that one bit."

"Burn can go suck on a cactus."

Tarantula laughed. It was a harsh noise that completely shattered the mask of innocence she had been trying to wear. "You know, I think that same statement at least once a day. But customers are customer."

Corona sighed.

"Traitor, I'm not sure she's worth the trouble. Maybe we should just kill her. After all, now that she's seen us, if she manages to escape, she could blow our cover."

"No, she won't try to run," Traitor said, giving Corona a long, hard, significant look. "I've seen it."

"Yes, but your prophecies have been rather... Unpredictable, lately."

"When have I ever failed you, Madam?"

Corona was internally disgusted. She understood why the NightWing was called Traitor, now. He used his powers for Tarantula, telling her where it would be easiest to strike. He was a traitor to dragon kind.

"Fine," Tarantula said conclusively. "Guards, take her to the stronghold, and be quick about it. She's a feisty one."

"This way," said a voice to her side. The guard. Corona turned to leave and could've sworn she saw a guilty look on Traitor's face, like maybe he didn't want his job anymore, like maybe he'd like to give everyone a reason to change his name.