Windfall

Chapter 5 "Gilded"

Kai stomps her way down a newly cleaned quartz hallway, mandibles twitching with anger; her every step creating minute cracks in the ground from her march. A humanoid drone watches her approach, and puts out a holographic display that says ID is required for entry. Kai simply uses her left fist to smash the drones' head against the wall, disabling the display and leaving a crater in the wall. Further down, Anchor the Draconian perked her head up from laying on the cot in the cell. She slowly approached the bars of quartz, her golden scales glinting in the light. Her left cybernetic eye lit up with a yellow light, swirling a moment before syncing up with her normal eye.

Anchor; "... Hello? Kia'ora?"

She leaned so close to the bars as to partially smush her face against them, hanging her left hand on a connecting piece between the bars... Except her hand was replaced by an articulating, golden hook. She backed up from the bars when she saw Kai approaching, folding her golden, cybernetic wings onto her back.

Kai; "Are you Anchor of Gilded Voyages?"

Anchor straightened her posture and outstretched her arms, feeling confident enough to chuckle and flash a smirk.

Anchor; "There's no other Draconian that looks this good, is there?"

Kai gave no verbal response, but then used both her hands to rip down the bars of the door, making Anchor back up to the wall of the cell in a panic. Kai lunged forward and gripped Anchors' neck with her right hand, the red gem of her gauntlet lighting up. Anchor could only let out a whimper as she was slammed against the wall.

Kai; "Now... Where are the gangs coming from?"

Anchor struggled in Kais' grasp, kicking her legs from being lifted up, barely able to get a word out.

Anchor; "Y-you-"

Quincy eventually came running and gasped at the sight.

Quincy; "Kai! What-what-what are you doing?!"

Kai released her grip, letting Anchor drop to all fours, a mix of determination and anger about her face.

Kai; "I told you, I was going to get answers."

Quincy; "This isn't-isn't questioning; this isn't even-even interrogation, this is murder!"

Kai; "I haven't killed her yet."

Quincy; "YET?!"

Quincy comes alongside Kai, kneeling down to be at Anchors' eye level.

Quincy; "A-are you alright?"

Anchor; *cough before speaking* "... Could be better."

Quincy opened his front hatch so his Quail self could be face-to face with Anchor, standing beside her.

Quincy; "N-now, I-I really don't want you to get hurt by Kai. If-if you happen to know where the criminals are-are operating out of, even just who-who-who's leading them, we'd really, uh, appreciate it."

Anchor let out a sigh before speaking, holding her neck and getting to her feet simultaneously with Quincy.

Anchor; "I wish I could tell you... I was told by Cra'adug I'd get something better than gold for helping... I was probably gonna get gold anyways, but still."

Quincy; "Cra'adug... That-that sounds like a Ryso name."

Anchor; "He is... Well, was."

Kai; "You're lying, you must be."

Quincy; "Kai, what reason does-does she have to lie, hm?"

Kai snarled, clenching her fist and making the red gem of her gauntlet light up again.