Wings of Fire: A Dragon of Hive and Silk

Chapter Eleven

Mosquito

Mosquito tried to fight off Wasp's control over him, but it was hopeless. His claws struck Larva, again and again, ripping at her scales. Blood pooled on the floor. No! No! Mosquito screamed in his mind.  "Regretting your choices, Larva?" Wasp asked through his mouth. Larva screamed. Mosquito raked his claws across her wings. Suddenly Wasp left him. 

"Larva!" He screamed. "No! NO!" He rushed to her side. Her eyes were faint. 

"Mosquito... tell Pollen..." 

"Larva, NO." He felt his mind being taken over again. NO!  He screamed at himself. 

He raised his claws and brought them down on Larva.

...

Zamia

Zamia darted behind the tree. Where was everyone? Argh, this was so annoying!

She carefully stepped over one of the HiveWings traps. How did they put those up? Zamia wondered. 

"Ginkgo?" She called again. For once in her life, Zamia was scared. "Please, where are you?" 

She opened her mouth to yell again when a talon clamped over her snout and dragged her into the trees.

...

Pollen

"This is Princess Humid," Amazonite explained. "She's the daughter of Queen Azure and her mate, Gecko."

"Hi!" The light pink dragon waved at Pollen. "It looks like it's going to rain, so I suggest you finish up."

"Thanks. We'll pause at the Fruit Cluster." 

Pollen and Arrowhead followed the two hybrids to a colorful clearing with food even Arrowhead didn't recognize. 

"Pollen, even I didn't know--" he froze. "Is someone watching us?" 

A gray dragon sprung at Amazonite. She screamed. The dragon had bright red wings and razor-sharp claws. He dug them into Amazonite, and blood pooled around her.

"AMAZON!" Lemongrass screamed. He tried to throw the dragon off, only to get a gash across his arm.

Amazonite fought and screamed but the other dragon held her down with the strength of ten dragons. 

He stabbed a claw into her chest, and flew into the bushes, disappearing. 

"Amazonite!" Lemongrass cried. 

"Goodbye, Lemongrass," she whispered. "I love you." She let out all her breath and didn't let any more in. 

...

Ginkgo

Ginkgo opened his eyes. He remembered waking up here next to Antennae, tied up. One of the HiveWings had spotted him and knocked him out again. He quickly looked around. In the cell across from him were Elder Wisteria and a dragonet named Pine. On their left were Arrowhead's father, Vine, and Pyracantha's dead mother's sister, Alder. A HiveWing guard turned her head toward Ginkgo and he quickly closed his eyes and lolled his head back. 

"Ah. Think you can hide from me?" The HiveWing's voice wafted through the hall. How did she know?! Ginkgo thought, panicked. The guard trotted over to his cage and... he passed it. He stalked over to Peony, Ginkgo's mother's cage. She was tied up with Elder Cypress. Ginkgo dared open his eyes a bit more. Peony's eyes reflected Ginkgo's fear as the HiveWing hit her across the face with her sharp tail. Peony gasped at the gash on her face and her eyes filled with fear before she froze, talon raised, wings in the most uncomfortable position. Ginkgo shut his eyes. He had to get his tribe out of here! But how? And most importantly, why were the HiveWings keeping him alive?

...

The Gray Dragon

(Ha ha, thought I'd reveal his name?)

The gray dragon crept across the island, the blue and green dragon's blood still on his claws. "Amazonite" her friends had called her. Well, she didn't matter now. She was dead. What mattered was that he had succeeded-- the hybrids would be scared of him now. He launched himself into the sky and closed his eyes. Seconds later, he appeared in the tiny forest. Why hadn't the idiot HiveWings cut it down? He sighed, remembering the glorious pain of the Tree Wars. What he wouldn't give to see that again. A dark green LeafWing walked through the forest, distress in her eyes. The gray dragon quickly darted up a tree. 

"Ginkgo?" She asked. The gray dragon was amused. What idiot would shout in an abandoned forest? "Please, where are you?" 

The gray dragon quickly clamped a talon and pulled her into the trees. She stifled a gasp. 

"Hello, pet," the gray dragon whispered. 

"Let go of me!" The LeafWing snarled. "I don't know who you are, but let me GO!" 

"Ooh, feisty one!" He thought of the SilkWing-HiveWing he had seen. He needed her in his grasp. 

"Do you know a dragon named Pollen?" He hissed at her, recalling the hybrid's name. 

"I won't tell you!" She spat. 

The gray dragon grabbed her talon and twisted. Tears pooled in her eyes. "Now will you tell me?" To make his point, he dug his claws into her scales. 

"Yes! Yes, I know Pollen!" 

"Are you friends with her? What's your name, dragonet?" 

"Zamia! And yes, I'm her friend. Kind of. We met yesterday. Now let go of my talon, please!" 

The gray dragon squeezed her arm. Zamia wailed. "Oh, you're coming with me, LeafWing." With satisfaction, he hit her on the head, knocking her out. 

"There," he muttered. "Now the plan has begun."