Two chapters in one day? Well that's because I wasn't satisfied with only posting four pages for a chapter.
Scarlet thrashed in her chains, struggling to even wiggle her claws with how bound she was. Whatever those chains were made out of, they would only be able to hold her for so long. Glory's head went from one place to another. Why was Scarlet here? Where was Sunny? What reason did Burn have for keeping the Queen?
Glory stared at the shaking and mumbling Skywing with a look of disdain. Scarlet looked up and stopped her shaking, frozen in fear. Glory was letting out deep breathes and she didn't realize her scales had turned a dark red. She changed her scales to her normal green and walked by Scarlet, a wicked smile spread across her face. Scarlet was trapped and couldn't do anything. Just as Glory had been to save Clay. Unable to save him. "Well what do we have here?" Glory asked to no one in particular. "Funny, now you're the one trapped. How does it feel?" Scarlet glared at the taunts but aside from making noise with her chains, she couldn't do anything. "I came here thinking I'd find my friend but instead I found the dragon that took two of them away. Hm…this is a pretty good opportunity to have some fun." Some cruel thoughts went through her mind but looking back at her, she realized that Scarlet could be her key to Sunny. "But maybe you are a bit more useful without a second melted face. How about this? I free your muzzle and you tell me what happened to Sunny. Also, don't even think about fighting. I can go for round two." She threatened and after getting a small nod from Scarlet, Glory grabbed a small key from the table and unhooked the muzzle.
Scarlet coughed out smoke but not towards Glory, seeming to avoid the Rainwings gaze while getting used to opening her mouth. A few seconds passed before Scarlet let out a low grumble. "So, my decoration has come back to see me?"
Glory swiped a claw against Scarlet's wing, leaving a mark but not drawing blood. "Just tell me about Sunny."
Scarlet bristled, attempting to shrink her wing back but not being able to. "My eyes weren't in a good state, thanks for that, but if I remember correctly…she had escaped her cage without us noticing. I believe a scavenger might have done it but I'm not sure." She scowled at Glory.
The Rainwing's scales turned a light shade of pink before stopping herself. Sunny was alive! She had escaped! "But where would she go?" Kestrel would have looked for her, right? No, if anything she would have AVOIDED the Sandwing. Starflight might have a guess…why didn't she know enough about the Sandwing to think of where she would fly off too once free? Why didn't she try and save them…
"I always admired how your scales changed. Pink is happy, right?" Scarlet was mocking her. Even when trapped she couldn't help herself. "Now, I have a question for you." She started trying to get up but her legs were too hurt from the shackles. "
Glory glared, shifting her scales back to normal and trying to hide her emotions from the Queen. "And why would I ever answer one?" She asked.
Scarlet bared her teeth. "Because I kept you safe, fed you and even gave you a tree."
"So you didn't treat me like a slug. Thank you so much." Glory scoffed, getting ready to leave.
"Your little friend told me all about how awful that traitor was to you. I pitied you and tried to give you a place to be more free. Of course, this is what it got me." She said, showing off her eye to the Rainwing who seemed uncaring.
"You saw me as a trophy and nothing more."
Scarlet stuck out her tongue before turning back. "Still helped you. Don't I deserve at least one thing in return?"
Glory flung herself towards the Queen and slammed her head into the floor, keeping her pinned. "You got Clay and Tsunami killed." She growled. "You were going to send Sunny to Burn and have Starflight killed. I owe you nothing."
"Temper temper." Scarlet remarked. "Now, what happened to Peril?"
Glory was surprised by this. What did Scarlet want to know about her? What should she even tell her? "What do you care? She was only a monster to you, wasn't she?"
Scarlet shrugged. "Maybe to others, but she was rather important. I doubt my stupid daughter would kill her. Exile sounds more like her style."
Glory resisted her scales from shifting. She didn't need Scarlet to realize she wasn't being entirely truthful. "She left. No idea where, but she isn't in the kingdom anymore. I figure she escaped like me."
Scarlet didn't seem annoyed by this, in fact she looked satisfied. "Good. That's all I wanted to know." Glory removed her claw from the fallen Queen's face and took a step back. "Ugh, my head hurts. Now be a dear and leave me to my frustration."
"Not quite." Glory growled. "I want to know why Burn took you. If you're still alive, wouldn't she want you to be Queen?" She didn't know much about Skywing politics but from what she learned was that Scarlet was able to keep her kingdom together…for better or worse.
Scarlet rolled her eyes at this. "Yes, I've been wondering about that as well. I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted that idiot in charge for how easy she is to manipulate. I wasn't the perfect ally in most regards." She snickered.
"What do you mean? You two were supposed to be similar."
Scarlet let out a hearty laugh. "Kestrel was a terrible teacher I imagine. We are similar in some regards but not others. Burn likes to be in charge. She is far more like that salamander of a sister then she is willing to admit. In fact, when Blister betrayed the Mudwings, Burn wanted to attack them while they were in disarray. It was I who told her it was smarter to get them on her side and now look where we are. Three kingdoms against one each. This war would have been over faster if she just listened to me more but of course, she has her own plans." She scraped the grass beneath her. "I bet she's been trying to find a chance to get rid of me for awhile. You saw her eyeing me, didn't you?" She sounded like a nosy dragonet.
"You're delusional." Glory muttered.
The Queen laid down, resting her head on her front talons and blowing out a puff of smoke. "Well to each their own. Now, don't you have a friend to catch? Or…hm, no. I don't think you are like that."
"Like what?" She had to stop her scales from shifting. Scarlet was getting her riled up from a few words? She needed to focus. "Yes. I do have a friend to find. Goodbye."
"I just figured, given your situations, I would be curious as to what those pathetic talons of peace are doing. I would want revenge for trapping me in a cave for so long. Wouldn't you?"
"Yes, I would. I want to rip their throats out of their mouths and bury them under sand." She thought with a strange sense of satisfaction, imaging the stupid dragons meeting their demise but now wasn't the time. "Sunny is more important." She growled and turned her scales to match the ground so she could leave without being spotted. Without Sunny, she would need to regroup with Starflight and come up with a plan to find her.
"Oh alright. Just let me pass on some interesting information. I learned of a place that may be intriguing to you. A mountain that the dragon claimed held the leader of the talons. Just in case you are interested."
Glory didn't move. She didn't want Scarlet to see her position. "If you know this, why didn't you attack it?"
Scarlet huffed out smoke behind her. "It was simply a rumor. One that I did not care to investigate. But maybe a lowly Rainwing would be willing to do it? It seems the rest of us aren't quite so sure of what you and your tribe are capable of. There was one more thing I wanted to mention…what was it? Well if you're leaving, maybe it isn't important." She muttered which sparked Glory to turn and tense up.
"What is it?" She was baring her fangs, preparing to attack.
Scarlet put on her evil grin, the one she saw when they first met. "Oh, just that the stupid Seawing wasn't quite as easy to kill as I thought she would be. You said the Sandwing would have left? Well I wouldn't be surprised if you found a lost Seawing wandering the outskirts of my kingdom, hoping to free her friends and save the day."
Glory bolted out of the tent. Peril and Starflight seemed to be on the edge of getting into a fight with Burn (Ok, Peril looked ready to get into a fight and Starflight wanted nothing other than to run away). Before either side could do anything, a blast of fire erupted behind Glory, nearly breaking her scales illusion. Glory took her chance and flew through the group, brushing against a guard who didn't have time to check what invisible force did it. She tapped Starflights wings with her own. "Peril, Starflight, back to the cave!"
Peril was the one that took the lead. Her wings flapped hard against the wind as she took off. Starflight looked confused and worried, only taking flight after Glory revealed herself and flew after Peril. The two flew side by side behind the flamescales and Glory got annoyed with the Nightwings' frantic flailing. "Where is Sunny? She was supposed to follow you!" He yelped. Glory's mind was racing once again. Now she had two dragons to look for. Two dragons that she worried was dead and now could be found. Two dragons that she couldn't lose.
"She wasn't there. A scavenger saved her." Glory said in response, trying to fly faster before realizing Starflight couldn't keep up.
He shook his head in disbelief. "She isn't captured?!" He seemed to only be talking to himself. "No, she could be anywhere…where would she go? The desert, the jungle, the swamp…there's so many places for her to go…" He went from joy to sadness in the blink of an eye. Glory was actually a little impressed. He turned to face her and she saw his skeptical gaze once more. "How did you find out? Who was in there?"
Glory looked down while her wings slowed. "I'll tell you when we land. I need to take it in…but there's one more thing."
"What?"
Looking at Starflight made the Rainwing' heart turn. He really was just as scared as she was about all of this. Maybe more terrified. "I need to tell him. She's too important to not mention. He needs to know more than anyone…"
"I think I know where we can find the leader of the talons of peace."
