Scarab the Fierce

Chapter Eleven

Scarab lunged at the large shape in front of her, landing on its back with a thump. The rough canvas skin rubbed against her scales as she scrambled to pin its wings. Fighting a dummy was so much different than fighting an actual dragon.

Tsunami was standing a ways from her, fruitlessly instructing a large group of vacant RainWings. It looked like she was trying to teach them to use a spear.

Scarab had asked if there were any kind of practice equipment she and the other SandWings could use. The dragonets had scrounged up a fraying dragon dummy and a scrappy target. Scarab stopped wrangling the dummy and watched Arid use the target. The larger SandWing would sprint at it then suddenly spin, raking her barb across the old wood, scattering splinters.

Arid performed one such procedure, then ran her talon over the surface of the wood with an inspectful eye. She made a bored sound in the back of her throat, then caught Scarab's gaze.

"You bored too?"

Scarab shrugged. "There's only so many ways you can tackle a dragon that won't fight back."

"You want to practice together instead?" Arid asked casually, although Scarab could tell she was holding back a grin.

"I thought you'd never ask." Scarab smirked and jumped down from her dummy.

Arid grinned and squared up in front of Scarab, and the two SandWings circled each other slowly, waiting for an opening. Arid was one of the largest dragons she knew. Not as big as Vulture, but she stood a good two heads over Scarab. This made fighting her interesting.

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

Now. Scarab darted forward and brushed her talons under Arid's wing, as not to hurt her. Arid reacted instantly, twisting and smacking her tail around to hit Scarab. Scarab was hit forcefully in the side and knocked off balance. Stumbling, she almost fell over. Arid took the opportunity and sprang forward to pin her to the ground. Scarab, however, had planned this. With startling agility the smaller SandWing snuck through Arid's defences and perched on her back, gripping her shoulders to stay on. Arid reared back on her legs and waved her wings, trying to knock Scarab off, but she had done this to countless Scorpion Den guards and was too good at it to be knocked so easily.

Arid spun around sharply, nearly catching Scarab off guard, but she grabbed Arid's horns and held them stoutly. With her head stuck, Arid couldn't move and thrash so easily. Scarab smirked. "Are we assuming that I have my daggers and you've already been stabbed?"

Scarab couldn't see Arid's expression but she could hear the laughter in her voice. "Absolutley not. Neither of us have daggers. Neither of us have tail barbs."

"Fair enough," Scarab said, carefully not lessening her grip. "But I have my head." She teased.

"Do you?" Arid suddenly threw her head forward, sending Scarab flying over Arid's shoulders and landing roughly on her back. Arid pinned her shoulders to the ground and grinned down at her. Her face was so close to Scarab's that their noses almost touched. "I thought I had it."

Scarab stopped struggling enough to catch her breath and start laughing. Arid soon joined in.

"Can you let me up now?" Scarab asked after a minute.

"Would an enemy let you up if you asked?" Arid teased.

"No, but would an enemy do this?" Scarab reached up with her head and booped her nose against Arid's. This startled Arid enough that her grip relaxed for a moment, just enough to let Scarab wriggle away and spring back to her talons. She grinned at Arid's mildly flushed face.