Wings of Fire: Secrets in the Stars

Chapter 6: Escape?

Morning came and Darksea woke up to see some dragons already sitting on the seats and Scarlet of her platform and with another Skywing beside her. "Where's our defendant? Someone go fetch her!" Scarlet then said. After that Kestrel was dragged still in her restrains by two guards. "Loyal subjects! This dragon, Kestrel, stands accused of the highest treason, disobeying me."

She explained to the audience. "Your Majesty, the facts are clear. You gave and order and Kestrel disobeyed you. She deserves a long and painful execution." The Skywing beside her said, "Very compelling, well said. Sound guilty to me" she then say.

"Your Majesty, I do have some words to say in the prisoner's defense" a dragon with scales that were a washed out red color and with no wings said to Scarlet. "If you must" Scarlet said groaning a bit at them. "You ordered Kestrel to destroy her egg, it was a single egg. But inside that egg there were two dragonets inside. One with little to no fire at all, but the other one had too much" they started to explain.

"Can we just skip to the execution part? We already know about that" Scarlet said to them, " You ordered her to destroy the defective egg, however she fled with it instead. When you caught her the egg already hatched, I know that because I was there as one of the guards with you. You told her she would be forgiven and live if she kills one of her dragonets. So she killed the one with little to no fire, right there at the river, with her own claws. But even after following your orders, you told us to kill her other dragonet anyways. She grabbed her daughter and tried to fly away, but she was burned badly and was force to drop her dragonet. By this she fled and left her dragonet to your mercy" he finish explaining and looks at Scarlet. "You admit Kestrel disobeyed me. I think we're done here" Scarlet spoke to Osprey, "But she tried to obey you. You were the one who then reversed the order." Osprey objected "I changed my mind, I'm the queen there for I can do that".

"Kestrel was always a faithful and loyal soldier to you. She followed your orders, and what did you do? You ordered her to kill her own dragonets!" Osprey explains to the queen. "That's enough! We'll execute her tomorrow and while we're at it, execute him to for boring me" Scarlet announced while pointing a claw at Osprey.

 Then Darksea heard a hissing sound of metal melting and turned to where the sound was coming from to see that the smoking Skywing flew from Clay's pillar, her tail making contact it one of the rods that was holding Clay's legs down. She flies towards the arena shouting, "That's not true ! Tell them! My mother wanted to kill me, and Queen Scarlet saved me!" "Oh look Kestrel! Your dragonet is still alive! And working for me too!" Scarlet 'cheerfully' said to Kestrel, "Also Peril didn't I tell you that you weren't suppose to be here?" "You lied to me! You told me she died!".

"Would you rather have wanted to know that your mother was alive somewhere, while wishing she should've killed you? She could've escaped with your brother instead of you, she thinks she made the wrong choice. That's why she never came back to get you", as soon as Scarlet stopped talking Kestrel lashed out though with the chains and the metal muzzle she was restrain as fire left the breathing holes in her muzzle. "And who kept you alive all these years? Finding you rare black rocks, feeding you, and making you my royal champion? Aren't I better than your mother here?" Scarlet questions Peril, who looks at Kestrel then back to Scarlet.

"As the queen's champion, I call upon the tradition of the champion's shield. I want to fight for my mother's freedom." "what?" "Since I'm your royal champion I'm able to stand for any condemned dragon. If I win in my next match you'll have to let my mother go", Peril said to the queen, who's expression turned into anger. "Now where did you hear that old law?" Scarlet quickly looks over at Osprey and pointed a harsh claw at him, "YOU".

Scarlet picked him up with her hind talons and flew up high and just outside the arena where large rocks lay at the bottom, "Stop!" Peril shouts in shock. Then Scarlet lets go of Osprey, Peril quickly flies over to him and grabbed a talon. But as soon as she made contact with him, his scales started to burn which forces Peril to let go of Osprey as he continues to fall. Soon he landed on the rocks, a faint thud could be heard. "He was my friend!" Peril shouted in grief and anger, "Well not anymore, now the champion has asked to stand for the prisoner..." Scarlet said and turns towards the audience.