Rainbows In The Dark

Chapter 14

Silver

"I believe I should introduce you to the council." Haddock said.

Silver walked behind the Seawing, pondering if he should try to make a break for it. He decided against it as it would break any trust and might just get him a shiny pair of shackles.

Haddock entered a room, where dragons were bickering back and forth with each other. "Friends! Friends! May I have your attention?"

Silver looked up at the marble pedestals. Four dragons were sitting in front of them, three of them arguing.

Silver saw Squall staring at him from his pedestal.

Haddock walked up the steps and took his place in the middle. "May I introduce you?" He asked. Without waiting for an answer, he went on.

"This is Squall, our tactician, I believe you've met." The hybrid was expressionless behind his veiled eyes.

"This is Rattlesnake, our assassin." He nodded at a dark yellow Sandwing with a large amount of black skull tattoos trailing down from her ear to her tail.

"This is Fierceteeth, and her partner Strongwings. They lead the Nightwings here." He waved a wing subtly at the two Nightwings, one twice as big as the other.

Fierceteeth scoffed, shooting daggers at Silver with her glare. "You're not seriously considering this pipsqueak, Haddock?"

StrongWings, the large Nightwing, didn't seem to be comfortable with the others, but he seemed to not like him as well.

Silver frowned, wondering what he had done to get them mad.

"Silver," Haddock said, his voice oily enough to make Silver want to scrub his scales off. "Squall has had some things to say about you. So... I have a proposition."

Silver narrowed his eyes. "And what would that be?"

"I'm going to give you the chance to willingly work for us, and I'll consider not killing you."

A moment of silence passed.

"Pfff-"

The council stared at Silver as he broke into laughter.

The Nightwing hybrid rolled on the floor, laughing.

"Killing me!?" He gasped.

"Why... is that so funny?" Haddock questioned.

Silver stood up and rub a tear out of his eye. He unhinged his jaw and shot a jet of venom that hit one of the pedestals. Strongwings jumped back in fear.

"I'll work for you," Silver said. "But I wouldn't recommend threatening me."

Haddock nodded. "Very well." He clapped his talons and four guards came rushing into the room. "Take Mr. Silver here back to the cell."

The guards bowed as Silver haughtily walked past them. He shot a glance at Squall's face and thought he saw him with a small smile.

The the hall enveloped him again and he was soon back in the cell.

"Where were you!?" Toxin yelped after the guards left.

"Yeah, why were you gone so long?" Pronghorn pressed.

Silver held up his talons. "Hey, give me a second. I need to take a breath."

>---<

After various explaining later, his new friends seemed aghast.

"You took his offer?" Pronghorn asked.

"Well... not really, since I'm not actually going to work for him. Besides, I think Squall has a plan." Silver said.

"How can you trust that guy?" One of the other prisoners asked.

Silver smiled. "Because we share a mutual respect for each other. And I can tell that he has something he'd rather be doing than helping a megalomaniac."

"You're sharper than you look."

Silver spun around.

Squall stood on the other side of the barred cell. The orange lines in his visor glowed in the torchlight.

Silver turned his scales a dark red. "So, I'm right?"

The other prisoners were staying back toward the wall, fear on their faces.

Squall payed them no attention. "I'm not confirming that. But it is true that I plan to take down the Seawing. In two weeks, there will be a night with no moons. It will be then that Haddock is hosting a celebratory toast." 

Silver nodded. "That's when you want to strike?"

"Yes." Squall said. "With luck I can get the other artifacts out before we start."

Silver smiled. "Then I guess we have ourselves a plan."