A Brighter Future Ahead
AN: Here's the next chapter. We're really getting into the thick of things now.
Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire. My OC Copperhead belongs to me.
Darkstalker:
He opened his eyes once he heard their Rainwing 'friend' coming towards their hut. He had been awake for the last hour or so, and he had been merely listening to anyone and everyone's thoughts. He was gleaning information…
Trying to anyways.
It was no wonder the Rainwings were so feared by most of Pyrrhia. The guards and soldiers never once became distracted from doing their duties. There was no gossip between them. Honestly, how can any dragon be so single-minded about any task?
He looked up when the Rainwing knocked on the door. He heard Fathom and Indigo stirring at the sound, but Clearsight remained asleep for now. Fathom yawned before getting up to answer it. A few words were exchanged, but he didn't really pay much attention to them when Clearsight shifted closer to him in her sleep. When Fathom shut the door and turned around with a terrified look on his face, the Nightwing became much more serious.
"I think we made a mistake," Fathom whispered. He looked at Darkstalker when he continued. "He said if we can't persuade her otherwise, the Queen is going to execute us!"
Clearsight jumped awaked upon hearing the raised voices and Darkstalker growled. NO ONE is going to hurt her while I'm here! Indigo was the only one who didn't seem worried…though her thoughts gave her away. "Did he say for what?"
"For cutting down a tree," Fathom shook his head in disbelief. Clearsight and Indigo looked between each other with guilty expressions. "It's not your fault," Fathom tried to console them.
"Try saying that when we're all being tortured," Indigo muttered.
"No one's getting tortured," Darkstalker interrupted. "Not even you," he looked at Indigo when he said that. "I'll burn down this whole Rainforest if I have to," he finished with a growl. He felt Clearsight rubbing his shoulder to ease the tension in his muscles.
It worked…if only just. In reality, though he would let no one know, he was nervous. His gaze snapped over to the door when it opened to reveal the Rainwing again. "It's time," he said without meeting their gazes. "I tried to persuade her to pardon you, but…she wants to talk first."
Darkstalker squared his shoulders and squared up to the smaller Rainwing. "You better hope this goes well, Rainwing, because if it doesn't…I will kill you for bringing us into this mess."
He actually shrunk down at that before stepping back. With no other choice, the four followed their guide—who was much more reserved than before. He knew the Rainwing felt guilty, and he was surprised at his genuine regret for their situation.
That wouldn't dissuade him from carrying out his threat should this situation go awry.
Their journey was a short one and when they landed, another Rainwing was waiting for them outside with a malicious grin, "I look forward to parading your carcasses through the village, outsiders. It'll be the highlight of my day." She walked away, smug confidence radiating off of her posture.
Darkstalker sneered at her despite the fact she couldn't see it. "That was Cobra," Copperhead whispered.
"I don't care," the Nightwing growled before storming into the Queen's pavilion.
Anaconda looked over at his entrance with a disapproving frown. "I see your manners are somewhat lacking," she spoke absently.
The others followed behind him, though, surprisingly, no one else tried to speak. Apparently, they were leaving this to him. "Manners?" he scoffed. "You'll have to forgive me, but when a Queen threatens to execute those I care about…and Indigo, I get a bit tense."
The Queen shook her head with a chuckle, "Understandable given the situation. The punishment for outsiders cutting down one of my trees is death…" Darkstalker growled threateningly at that, but she continued. "But…I would be willing to pardon you—all of you—provided you agree to a few…concessions."
Darkstalker sat down with a malicious smile, "I'm sure you can just forget about our transgressions and allow us to live our lives in peace." Fathom gasped behind him but didn't say anything.
Anaconda studied him with a scornful look. "I see you are not above using magic to sway others," she spoke. Darkstalker's smile faltered as she continued. "Such things do not work on me, Darkstalker. I'm sure you've noticed that you can't read my thoughts, as well."
He had noticed that, but he didn't think much of it since he knew Nightwings could prevent others from reading their minds. He figured she knew how as well. If there was something more going on here like she suggested…
"Let me describe the situation for you," the Queen turned away and walked over to a map of Pyrrhia hanging on her wall. She studied it as she continued speaking. "The Nightwings will never accept you back, Darkstalker, nor will the Seawings ever pardon you, Fathom. That's two tribes out. The Icewings and Skywings are at war with your respective tribes and would kill you as soon as they saw you. That's two more. As allies, the Mudwings would be sworn to return the traitorous Seawing Prince to his tribe for execution. The Sandwings…well they'd just sell you out to the highest bidder.
"The only place you might find shelter is here—in my Rainforest." She paused to let the gravity of their situation sink in. "I am giving you a place to live. If I were you, I would be a little more gracious." She looked over at them once again. Darkstalker looked down in thought. Her analysis made sense…
They had nowhere else to go.
He looked back at Fathom and Clearsight. He couldn't decide on whether to feel defeated or unimaginably angry at their current situation. Of course, I could just kill them all.
"I wouldn't advise that," the Queen warned. Darkstalker's attention snapped over to her as he merely stared in incredulity.
"How—" he tried.
She smirked smugly. "There is more to me than meets the eye. Did you think me foolish enough to meet The Darkstalker without taking a few…precautions?"
It didn't take him long to realize what she meant and he took a deep breath to calm his raging thoughts. "You have an animus," he concluded.
She studied them for a moment more before another slightly sinister smile spread across her face. "And now…I have two more."
AN: I won't make this too long, but I didn't really like this chapter. I don't really know what it was but there was just something about it that I didn't like.
Give me your thoughts in a review. Were the characters in character? Did I portray Anaconda as a cunning yet reasonable Queen. (Reasonable compared to some at least.)
Until Next Time
AdmiralCole22
