Kraken Unleashed - Book 2 [Wings of Fire Fanfiction]

Chapter Seven - Odd Hivewing

Kraken woke up from a deep sleep with a groan. Since the events of yesterday, the group was exhausted. They had travelled for most of the night, heading westward toward the Bay of a Thousand Scales. Essence was the first to suggest taking a rest for the night, and dawn was almost upon them by the time they had found a rock overhang to shelter in for the night. Nobody had suggested keeping watch for the night, and nobody asked. They simply fell asleep.

Opening her eyes, Kraken was met with the sight of rock and mold. She sensed that it was almost noontime, and that they had slept through the morning. She yawned, stretching her arms above her head and hitting a warm body.

"Mmmrph."

Kraken ignored the complaint, sitting up. Tundra was sprawled out on a small patch of moss in the crevice where the rock overhang met the ground. Essence was sitting curled up next to Scorpion (who she had just hit), who radiated heat. Seeing the two of them together, her heart broke at little. That could have been me and Swellow... if only I was stronger...

Scorpion stirred, and Kraken felt creepy that she was staring at them. She looked away as the huge dragon rolled onto his stomach and raised his head. He was far too large to sit up in their shelter. "Morning."

"Ow! Big oaf," Kraken heard Tundra say.

Essence raised her head. "Be nice, this 'oaf' is trying his best." She wrinkled her nose in amusement. Tundra snorted in response, crawling past Scorpion's tail and padding out onto the rocky ground ahead. "I'm getting something to eat."

"I second that," Scorpion said. "Besides, I'm probably too big for this place anyways." He squeezed out of the hollow, following Tundra.

"We should go, too," Essence began, heaving herself up. She was just about to exit when Kraken stopped her with an outstretched wing. The seer gave her an odd look, and Kraken took a deep breath.

"Um. Actually. There's been something I've been meaning to ask you. Again," Kraken said awkwardly.

Essence gave her a kind smile. "You can talk to me about anything, anytime. That's what friends are for."

"Oh. Well, you see," Kraken began, slightly relieved. "I was wondering if-"

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

The dragonesses whipped their heads toward Scorpion's yell. With a quick glance, they bounded out of the crevice, into the bright sunlight.

Their claws skidded to a stop against the stone earth to see Scorpion and Tundra in front of them in defensive positions. Kraken could smell fresh meat. Carefully, she stalked up beside Scorpion to see the intruder.

A sandy-peach coloured dragon sat nonchalantly next to a freshly killed antelope, eyebrows raised slightly. She looked like a Hivewing for the most part, with the wings of a Pyrrhian dragon and a diamond scale pattern running down her sides. A huge barb sat on her tail, which she swung behind her slowly. Her dark eyes scanned the new arrivals, and Kraken felt slightly uneasy when they landed on her. She bared her teeth defensively.

"Want some meat?" The mysterious dragon raised a claw, prodding her prey slightly toward them. When nobody moved, she spoke again with a slightly annoyed tone. "What, you think I'm gonna fight you? There's four of you. I'm not a dumbass."

"You're avoiding the question," Tundra said threateningly.

"Don't make us force the answer out of you," Kraken added with a snarl.

"You guys, stop. I don't think she's going to hurt us," Essence said quietly.

The new arrival looked slightly annoyed. In one swift movement, she hooked a claw underneath some sort of twisted metal contraption and flung it towards the group. They jumped back a bit as it clattered to the ground in front of them, but Kraken realized that it was broken.