Wings Of Fire: Fallen Kingdoms (Book 1)

Chapter 9

    "I'm not sure how likely they are to release this information," Stratus said, following Jellyfish as she and Bermuda went to go ask Fearless where they found the body. 

    "Why wouldn't they be?" Bermuda asked him. "What could they possibly lose, and wouldn't anyone want everyone to be searching for the culprit?"

    "True," Stratus said.

    "Hey, excuse me, Fearless?" Bermuda asked. Even though she was much older than all three dragons, she was only a little bit taller than Bermuda, who was the tallest of all of them.

    The somber NightWing turned her head towards Bermuda. Her jaw was set. "Yes?"

    "We want to try to find out who did this. It's obvious it was no accident." Bermuda waved a talon at the bloodstain.

    "We are aware. Does Jasmine know?" Fearless asked.

    Jellyfish shook her head. "She doesn't know about us trying to find out want happened or that her father was murdered."

    "Hm," Fearless said. "I would tell you that you should leave it to me and my council, but I am too busy as it is and I think you would fight until you find out what exactly happened. Yes, you may investigate this."

    "Thank you, ma'am," Bermuda said, nodding her head.

    "We found the body in an abandoned stall in the Market. Someone noticed the smell and then the blood, and discovered the body." Fearless went on.

    "Who found it?" Stratus asked.

    "Some random SandWing mother. She was out buying food for the week and had to chase down her youngest when they ran off towards the stall in question."

    "Are we sure this wasn't the culprit?" Jellyfish asked.

    "Vendors at other stands said that she had been down there all day, and her dragonets confirmed. I'll show you the stall." Fearless said, walking down the tunnel that lead towards the market.

     The stall was at a far corner of the Market, usually unlit by torches. A few had been lit to illuminate the scene, and spider webs blankets many of the old wooden tables and shelves.

     When Jellyfish looked inside the stall they arrived at, she had to push down a nauseous spell. There was a dark pool of blood on the stone floor, that smelled like iron and death.

     Stratus made a noise behind her. She turned to look at him. "What?"

     He glanced at her, and then back to the stall. "You said you found the body here?"

    "Yes," Fearless said.

    "He didn't die here, though," Stratus said, pointing at the puddle of blood. "He was moved here. His wounds would have splattered blood, and the only blood here is on the floor."

    "Yes," Fearless said. "I think he must have been killed nearby, though, because he's no small dragon. It would take three dragons to move him from anywhere."

    "So he probably died nearby," Jellyfish said. She lit up her scales and stared at the ground. A dark trail of sticky blood led further into the dark stalls. "This way."

    They quietly crept into the dark, and Fearless had drawn a wickedly twisted knife from a belt she wore. Anyone- or anything could be lurking in the shadows.

     Jellyfish finally came across something that looked like the place of death. There were old bags of sand piled around, and a few of them had been slashed open- recently, it seemed. Blood was also splattered around, and a smaller puddle was on the ground. Jackpine wasn't dead- or bleeding- on the ground at all.