Chapter Two: Break and Fall
"So this is the Dragon?" The IceWing said, pacing around Vivace. Vivace made sure to keep his back away from the IceWing, fighting his fear and want to freeze.
The IceWing stared at Vivace. All he could see were his cold, frostbite white eyes. Vivace caught a glint of silver in the IceWings waist. He couldn't see exactly what it was.
The IceWing spoke dully. "Are you all? I was expecting something more...special than you."
Vivace tried to reply. "M-me?" Special?
"Someone finds you useful...heh...just not useful enough." The IceWing pulled a sharp, blood covered knife off of a belt on his waist. It was serrated on both sides. He pressed it on Vivace's chest. He let out a loud groan of pain. The IceWing slapped his talon over his mouth.
"I never understood how you hybrids come to fruition," the IceWing said, applying more pressure on the knife, twisting it slowly, gruellingly. Vivace saw a sick smile from the IceWing. Vivace tried to breathe fire, but the talon over his mouth stopped him from getting a deep breath in.
"How dare your tribes add impurity to their blood, as I add your kin's blood to you."
Vivace felt tears in his eyes. Not just from the pain, but from his revelation. He knew why the door was locked now.
How...how could he…
He felt weak, like his spirit, no, soul had been reaped, stolen. His own blood intermingled with his mothers', dripping into his talons. Vivace managed to tear the IceWings' talon off his mouth.
"You monster! HEL-" His cry was cut off by a stabbing pain in his chest. A red slash zigzag across his chest. The IceWing dropped him. He crawled away, like dying animal. He took in a wheezing breath, and cried out again for help.
Please...help me…Somebody...
"You'll die," the IceWing said, "Just as she did!"
The window shutters shattered into splinters, stunning the masked assailant.
Vivace took his opportunity. He breathed as deep as he could, letting out a hot jet of flame. It scorched the IceWings' wings, making him stagger in pain.
A Sandwing was at the window, dawned in a full suit of armor.
"Stop in the name of the Enclave!" He cried, wrapping his talons around the IceWing, stopping him from moving. The IceWing tried to struggle, but couldn't move. He stabbed his restraint in the leg, pushing him away. The knife stayed in the Sandwing's leg.
Wingbeats thundered outside, crescendoing into what sounded like a storm. Reinforcements, Vivace thought, weakly.
The masked Dragon glared at Vivace toxically, standing by the window. He seemed to understand his situation.
"You idiot. You cannot fathom what has happened. You are lost,broken; I can see it in your eyes. Soon, you shall not worry, as it will not be long before you see your mother again." He jumped out of the window, and quickly took flight, fleeing quickly.
Vivace ran (as much as he could in his current condition) to the window, peeking out. He was blinded by a flash of white from the IceWing. Recovering, he saw what had caused it.
A golden tattoo was stitched on the IceWing's back. It was clearly a angry, ravenous IceWing, roaring defiantly upwards. The tattoo ran down his spine.
Vivace tore himself from the window and rushed to the door, past the soldier, who was still writhing trying to pull the knife out of his leg. Throwing it open, He hoped this was all a ruse, a dream, just a nightmare. Just a mirage in the desert sands.
But what he saw shattered any chance of it being an illusion.
Her body, crumpled and battered, lifeless. It was odd to Vivace, seeing her so still. Such a contrast to the liveliness he'd known. She was laying on the floor, her work in her hands, rouge stains on her sides.
Vivace shambled over to her side, unable to think properly.
It can't...no...no No NO!
Vivace couldn't stand any longer. He felt hopelessness wash into his spirit. Confusion and brokenness only exacerbated the pain in his body.
He crawled beside his mother, pulling himself into her wings, finally releasing the sorrow in his heart. He cried, wailed like a sirens song for his mother, his warmth,his protection to come back. To hear her sing, speak, any motion to show him She was alive.
But it never came.
The wounds on Vivace were getting to him.
Blood…..so much blood….
The soldier looked over him, speaking to him, but the words were lost to Vivace. All he heard in his mind was a soft, soothing song his mother had hummed to him before, bittersweet now, in his situation.
He vision tunneled, fading like his old life. The last thing he saw was his blood,creeping into a pool of his mother's.
And then there was silence, and sudden,heavy darkness.
Pain. That was all he felt. His vision was a blur, but he was conscious.
Where...Where am I?
He tried to look around, fighting the soreness in his body. He could tell he was on a medical cot, in a sandstone room. He recognized it. He'd passed it on the way to the audition. It was a medical ward. There were other cots, but there were no other patients.
He looked down at his talons, and saw faded, hardened blood stains in his claws. His chest was covered in bloodied bandages. A flurry of memories came to him, everything that had happened, smashed him. The cold, hard reality of his situation.
It wasn't a dream or nightmare…she's gone.
A voice interrupted his thinking.
"How is he?" One of them said. He guessed it was a female. He could see her unclear figure leaning over him.
Another Dragon came into his vision. He guessed he was a male. He was much smaller than the other Dragon. "He's livin', but he's hurtin'. He lost a lot of blood from the wounds, but we managed to save 'em" Vivace felt a talon touch his. Warmth flowed through him."Now it's up to his body to keep him alive."
"He's surprisingly resilient," The female said. She looked back over at the other Dragon. "And how's your wounds Oryx?"
He sighed. "I'll be fine Thorn. Not the first combat wound I've gotten."
Thorn? The Queen is here?
"I just don't want to lose an asset such as you," Thorn said. "You know how hard it is to teach a combat medic?"
"'Longer than a war'", Oryx joked, imitating her Voice. They'd clearly had this talk before. She chuckled a little. Oryx walked over to the bed, checking Vivace's vital signs.
Vivace tried sit up, but a sudden pang made him moan in pain. Oryx looked up at him.
"Someone's back from the brink," he said. "And before you ask, you've been hurt for a day."
Vivace's voice was hoarse from not speaking in days. "Thanks for saving me. I was losing hope." He smiled just a little.
Oryx patted his talon. "No worries cuz. Just doin' my duty." He took off Vivace bandages, revealing a line of white scales that spanned from his neck to his lower stomach. It resembled a crescent moon suspended between the day and night. Oryx quickly replaced the bandages with a new one.
"Why are the scales white?" Vivace asked him.
"Well," Oryx began, "usually, when dragons scales heal, they scar in a dark color, then lighten up." Oryx chuckled. "Ain't nothing's darker than black. NightWing scales heal white, then darken up."
Odd, Vivace thought.
Thorn spun around, hearing them conversing. "You'll be fine Vivace. It's just because of your...uncommon tribal combination." She walked beside the bed, opposite of Oryx. "Can you walk?"
Vivace began to stretch and move his body. Oryx helped him out of the bed. Vivace talons touched the floor, and he nearly fell. Oryx reached for him but Vivace pushed him away.
"I'm...I'm fine," Vivace said, "I just need to get some feeling in them." He began to walk slowly.
While it was true that Vivace was gaining the sensation in talons with every step, the ache in his body was horrible. Each step caused a sudden pulse in his temple. It was straining his body, but he pushed through it.
Thorn suddenly jumped. "I have to prepare for my...event. Make sure Vivace doesn't hurt himself Oryx!" She called, heading out the door.
Vivace looked at her. "Wait! What about the auditions?"
"Ah yes!" She headed over to a table, digging a letter out of a pile.
She passed it to him. On its face were the words 'Letter of Acceptance.' "Congratulations. If you are in shape to be there, you can still perform, but you can opt out."
Vivace smiled a little, genuinely happy, but bittersweetness grabbed him once again, like a sweet to sour candy.
Bravura won't be there, she won't see me…
He clenched his talon, filled with a new passion.
Then I will honor her. I will make her proud, even in passing. I will give them a show, as she would.
Thorn looked at him. "From how you look, I'm guessing that's a yes."
Vivace nodded. "I'll perform better than I ever have."
At least I hope so.