The SkyWing Animus

~Chapter 12~

Mamba's P.O.V.

Useless frog-faced blobs of camel spit!

Mamba couldn't believe Qibli, a fellow Outclaw, would betray her like that! Didn't he know Queen Thorn was in danger? Didn't he want to protect her with all his heart?

Not since he met Moon, I bet, she thought angrily. The NightWing could be distracting Qibli from what should have been his ultimate number one top priority; protecting Queen Thorn.

Mamba would follow Queen Thorn to the moons and beyond. Mamba would protect Queen Thorn with her life. Mamba didn't know why she was following the idiots in the first place.

What would Panthera and Raptor do in my place?

Panthera and Raptor were the only lights in her dark past. Her younger sister, Panthera, was so sweet despite living in Burn's stronghold. She and Raptor made it their personal mission to make sure Panthera never saw the beheaded dragons on Burn's stronghold walls. Mamba didn't think she could stand it if that happened.

Raptor, her older brother, was a perfect replica of their parents' desires. Except for one thing- he was extremely protective of his siblings and actually really caring. There was also something Sierra and Jackal didn't know- he would sneak to the library at night. Raptor was secretly a huge scrollworm.

Sierra and Jackal, her parents, were obsessed with making them ruthless barbarian-like dragonets to be soldiers in Burn's army. It was no secret they despised Panthera for her loving nature. Of course, Mamba didn't think they would do anything to Panthera- she was their daughter! And even if they tried, Mamba was willing to fight to the death to protect her.

Except then Panthera would see a dragon kill a dragon for the first time...

Anyways, on one fateful day, Mamba woke up to the sound of roaring and arguments.

"Raptor, Panthera must be sent to the Outclaws!" she heard Jackal roar. "Maybe then she'll finally get some brains."
"Father, Panthera is only 6 moons old!" Raptor retorted. "You can't just send her there! She'll be killed, or- or worse!"

"Raptor, this is the only way Panthera will survive in the real world." Sierra hissed. "You need to understand she will never-I repeat, never- become one of Burn's soldiers' otherwise."
At this point, Mamba was wide awake and scrambling to the scene of the argument. She saw Panthera, who had curled into a ball with her wings above her head. She saw the tiny dragonet sobbing.

Suddenly, Raptor roared so loudly the house almost collapsed. "So what if she's kind? She will never be one of Burn's soldiers!"

Both his parents stared at him. Then Sierra's voice grew cold, and she said, "Well,

if you're so concerned about Panthera, why don't you go to the Scorpion Den with her?"

At this point, Mamba was in full-on panic mode. She'd heard about the Outclaws and the Scorpion Den. She'd heard they were ruthless criminals, full of assassins and thieves. Panthera's blissful ignorance would be shattered. She'd become an entirely different dragon, and Mamba loved the Panthera she had, period. She needed to do something.

"Wait!" she cried. "Mother, Father, you're not going to do that, aren't you? Panthera's your daughter!"

"Do you think I care?" Jackal hissed.

Mamba felt an anger rise in her. She wanted to stab them in their stupid, smug faces. But something else happened:

"I'll go instead!"