The next day...
Wendy wiped the back of her gloved hand on one of the corners of her eyes,as the four teens made their way down the path of foliation in the later part of the morning.After having spent a hard time barely getting through last night's session upon going back down stairs,spending an hour or more searching the house thoroughly for the skulls except for the Huntsman and her mother's room and taking a few more to get acquainted with what she was suppose to be well knowledged in,the overly-loaded young dragoness had fallen asleep over her array of open books.
And now after that gruesome warm up this morning,we have to go to some random and nameless source here in Central Park to find out a possible lead on the Aztec Altar.
"What's the matter?"Huntgirl's falsely sweet voice drifted over a ways from her and turned to see her appraising her with amusement in her blue eyes."Not enough sleep?All the apprentices and Huntsmembers I've met get at least a full eight to nine hour's nightly rest,sometimes pending."
She felt the small muscles in her face tighten into a slight scowl,awnsering sorely."I'll have you know I was catching up on my reading.But...I guess I did sort of loose track of time some."
"No problem,Snuckykins."Number 89 voiced up from behind them and casted her a toothy grin when she briefly glanced over her shoulder at him."We've got allll the time in the world."
Tired and sick,Wendy thought with a shudder,folding her arms to her chest.Lovely combination.
"Aww,"88 began to croon loudly."Number 88 and 40 sitting in a tree,K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."
He finished meekly as Huntsgirl whirled around and got into his face,telling him hotly."Listen you little ignorant twerp,shut it before I insert my fist down your completely tone death throat."
"Oh yeah?"He glared back at her coolly."We still have ways of exposing the truth of you and that dragon to the Huntsman.Remember,we nearly got through to him not too long ago."
Wendy watched from where she had paused a little from up ahead,the vexation that swam in her starting to dissipate when she saw her mother turn and could clearly see the agony etched even in the limited visible part of her mask,it had been a major blow from the Huntsboy.Her mood softened and just as she was about to walk over to the other girl,a sharp,pierecing blow to the space between her shoulders caused her to gasp and stumble over to the side of the path.
"You wanted infomation about the Aztec Altar in order to find it and summon the rest of the skulls."An older woman's voice that hinted an accent stated and Wendy crained her neck up enough from where she was by a slim tree to catch the image of a tall,darkly lavender dragon a few good feet from the foursome."Well,"her voice dripped in heavy menace."You'll have to fight me first in order to get the information you seek,if not,I will not be telling you anything."
Oh no,she thought fearfully,ambivalence whether or not to intervene it by hiding behind a tree and morphing to help the strange dragon or to just escape altogether flooded her mind.No,no...I can't leave like that.If I can just keep either side from attacking one another,then maybe I could-
Her musing was immediately torn off,as she witnessed her mother lock her azure eyes with the dragon and make a charge for her,it somewhat shocked Wendy who could only watch as the two engaged in a hand-to-claw combat.The dragon took a slash at Thorn,who blocked it as she brandished out her staff,quickly rotating it to intercept the dragon's other threshing claw.
With her mind racing,she grasped her hand under the staff Cole had lended her's curved point and groping for a moment,raced forward and jabbed the front directly between them.She was about to turn to show the dragon a small hint of she,herself,being one when the dragon made a clutch for her and taking a hold of her around the neckline,anchored her up to eye level and Wendy got a chance to see the dragon's glassy deep greyish eyes,concentrated with a sort of unworldliness.
"It's alright,"The younger dragon whispered to her reassuringly."I'm a dragon too."
Ironically,the only response she got was a corrupt sneer before she felt herself being plowed up against the truck of the tree she had been by earlier and just as it was registering to her that the whole thing was a set-up,she felt the weight the dragon had sustained to hold her in place leave and watched as she was blown from her spot by an eruption of emerald light streaming brightly.
"Don't just sit there,"Huntsgirl told her in hasteful intolerance,flashing by her."Get up and fight!"
"You heard Smuntsgirl."Number 88 declared bravely as the two rushed from either sides of her as she stood up."We've gotta get in there,we've gotta show that dragon who's boss,we gotta..."
Just as fast as they had leapt into the fray,the two apprentices turned tails and headed in the opposite direction of Wendy again,who was greatly baffled about what to do.If she fought the dragon she was betraying her kind and if she didn't do anything,that would only make them more suspicious towards her.But the way that dragon had leered at her,it had been as if there had been desire brimming them.Something wasn't right about this dragon and she needed to find out what.
"Not bad,young one."The dragoness commented,a bit impressed."You fight well for a human."
Thorn nodded in correspondence."You're pretty quick on the uptake yourself,Dragon."
Finally after a few minutes of hitting and defending,the older dragon took a swing at Huntsgirl with her tail,who agilely jumped to avoid being dealt a low blow to the legs and landed only very momentarily on it,vaulted up to incredible height just over the dragon's head and was about to land a kick behind the dragon's left ear to finish her off;when all of sudden Wendy witnessed two odd rather shadowy creatures slip from the subdivision of greenage from above and take her mother by the arms,then restrained her down onto the ground even as she began thrashing about.
"Not bad."She heard the older dragon's voice speak,deepening in malevolence."But not good enough to save your pitiful human self,I'm afraid.Though,I didn't expect you to last this long."
Huntgirl's head dipped for a second and then she stood erect even as the creature's held,telling the approaching dragon in a blitstering,blatant tone."He told me all about you and how you did what you did to betray all yours and his kind.Don't try to deny it either,you escaped convict."
"Hmph."Came the uninterested scoff and as Wendy was about to make a move over to where they were,witnessed as Rose recieved a harsh back-handing across the cheek."You know too much."she told her discontently and started to produce a massive orb of churning,lustrous fire.
Mother...The one,fateful word fell through her thoughts.
Before she knew it,she felt her tensed joints begin to spring to life and felt the solidness of the earth push under her feet as she cantered headlong over to where they were,sprouted her large, marble wings and ascended into the air over the two.By the adrenline pumping through out her body,her handwork on the staff was deft and accurate as she aimed the staff without hesisation at the older dragon,squeezed her eyes shut and sent down a long,streaming jade beam upon her.
Landing a few feet away as her wings dissolved,Wendy found herself panting in short,stubborn breaths as she stood somewhat slouched,mind numb and shot with horrid disbelief she had just done what she had done.The sounds of other large wings flapping reached her ears and yet they seemed so distant and insignificant,she knew Cole wouldn't be too far along some place selectively hidden.Her back was turned to them as she sensed the large creatures near Rose and knowing that everything was alright for them,she started at a strained run back to her temporary quarters,not caring at the moment if she ever saw any of them for the rest of her miserable life.
A couple hours later at the Huntsman's lair...
Wendy sat with her legs drawn into her chest inside the alcove of her room,her eyes becoming a little tired from gazing out long and hard at the bustling city beneath her.She didn't deserve to see this,to even be here and off scott free for what she nearly did.Though a part of her nagged at her,telling her it was the only way.Still as she felt a mourning ache for what she might have done to that dragon,a sense of near accomplishment surged in her that she had at least saved a life.
"Number 40,"A gentle but slightly unsure voice accousted her from the door but she didn't even turn to watch as her mother made a partial appearance in the doorway."Are you doing alright?"
"Oh,what do you care?"Wendy replied indignantly."And FYI,it's called knocking."
"Sorry."
The simple word surprised her enough to look over at the young girl but she still kept a careful guard up."What do you mean by 'sorry'?I did no more then anyone else would for you."
Rose was silent for a moment and it caused Wendy to look up,for the first time into the mask free and desperately wondering face of her mother."Do you have a minute?"she asked her in a calm tone,in contrast to her appearance."I have something I think you might want to see."
Carefully,so as not to cause additional harm to her still cricking upper back and the soreness cording her neck,she got to her feet as the other girl waited a moment and then started out.She would have told Rose to leave her be for the rest of the day but the invitation sparked a sort of implying reaction in Wendy.Staring down the long hall that her mother was travelling down,she took a deep breath and made her way after her all the way down to the very last door.
"Alright."Rose began over her shoulder to Wendy quiescingly."The Huntsman is the only one who has a key to this room,his room,but there's a little sliding place here in the door,"she moved her hand up to a little above the middle and moved her finger tips against it to the side."He put it in so that when he wasn't here one us could check on them every now and then to make sure."
"Check on what...?"she protracted in puzzlement but within was just anixous to get a good look and then go back to her room."Okay,okay.You don't have to tell me twice,I'll have a look."
Groaning softly at the expectancy filling her mother's eyes,Wendy stepped over to the door and raising up on her toes some,peered into the opened slot.At first only darkness caught her line of vision but then panning over,the light neon yellow rays refracting from the window and landing off to the far wall upon a tall bookcase that held four shelves with the occupance of nine greyish and blue skulls;their gem stone eyes staring back at her with an almost pleadingness about them.
A comely hand rested on her shoulder."I heard you poking around in number 88 and 89's room last night."her voice was good-naturedly knowing."And I figured you were just curious to know and I have to say,for a naive intruder,you had a good head on your shoulders to keep out of my room.Then today,"she even permitted a laugh."I would have been dead if it hadn't been for you."
"Don't mention it,"Wendy murmured back prosaically,turning to head back to her room.
"You wish you hadn't of done it."It was a statement,not a question.
"I..."Her voice caught and she almost let the real reason spill out."I did it anyway,that's that."
There was a long silence that formed between them.It was strange to Wendy and yet right now she didn't really care to talk about anything but at the same time didn't want to seem like she was up to something.But the mission that was just set before her merely yesterday was wavering in her mind,even though she thought and spoke words of resolution,even though she saw everyone else jumping into do whatever it took to get their hands on those skulls;something inside of her felt not just out of place in her enviroment,but out of place with her entire life and she didn't know why.Didn't know what it was in the last two days that had caused her to feel so out of touch.
"I don't know who you really are,"Rose finally told her with a decisive sigh,coming up to Wendy's side and almost as if by magnetic force drew in her eyes to lock with her serious blue ones."And I don't know what your really here for..."a small,promising smile flitted across her features."But I trust you for now and for that you have my word,I won't try to expose you even if I have proof."
Wendy nearly returned one but surpressed it."Who am I really?I'm number 40."she began a little hesistantly at first but then her words grew more bolder."Why am I really here?The same as you."
Knowing that she had not only lied about her own reasons for being there but her mother's as well,she stormed into her room and slammed the door shut.Without bothering to lock it,she shedded the tight Hunts attire and disposed of it on her wooden floor to where she was only now wearing a light blue long-sleeved shirt and a pair of low cut jeans.With a jumble of thoughts that ranged from how and when she would get the skulls,her brother's progress with his part,what her adult father was probably thinking right about now and the fact that she might have slain her own kind,exercised it's toll over her and caused her to collasp onto the bed as noon light poured inside.
An intruder...a liar...Unshed tears clogged her throat..And possibly a filthy traitor.
Was it possible her brother's unfulfilled curse would have some sort of affect on her?Would she to wake up and find a birthmark running down her arm.But despite her will to fight to keep from falling asleep,the limited rest she had gotten already coupled with the ever unburdening questions were enough to slowly but painfully send the young dragoness into a semi-peaceful somnolence.
To Be Continued...
A/N:Yeah,I'm cruel and unusual...mostly the unusual part.lol.Hmm,is Wendy going to turn evil?That's a very good question...well,I guess we'll just have to see later on.tttyl. for now.
LP